9 Tips to Achieve Work-Life Balance

Many of us work too much, and it’s hard to find the time for the after-hours activities we enjoy. Is it possible to balance the teeter totter of work and life? Maybe not, but here are nine tips to help you try:

1. Be 100 percent where you are. It’s easy to keep thinking about that project you’re working on long after you’ve left the office. And we’re all guilty of sneaking out our phones to check work email during dinner. But by doing so, we let work take up more space than it should in our lives. Make an effort to leave work in the office, physically and mentally. Decide when you are shutting off and then actually do it.

2. Be more organized at work. One major reason many of us bring work home is because we constantly close out the day in the middle of a project, which makes it difficult to mentally leave it behind. Set up tasks on your calendar to finish projects or get to a stopping point each day, and prioritize what’s most important. That way, you leave the workday feeling complete and ready to relax.

3. Find hobbies. Many people simply don’t know what to do with free time. If you haven’t had hobbies since high school, it’s time to find some. Explore sports, crafts, outdoor activities, or reading as a way to unwind. Take a class or attend a seminar about a topic that interests you. You might even learn something new.

4. Plan your week. Not allotting time to handle chores and cook can make for a rushed work week. Cook a batch of food for your lunches on Sunday, and designate a half-hour each day to work on chores. That way you’re not overwhelmed with housework on the weekend, which frees you up for more leisurely pursuits.

5. Enjoy your family. When you’re focused on work, it’s easy to grow distant from your family. Small efforts—such as eating dinner as a family during the week—make a big difference.

6. Learn to say no. If you’re feeling like you’ve over-committed to coaching soccer, singing in the choir, and volunteering at the library, then back off of a few things. Life is too short to commit to meaningless extracurricular activities that you’d rather avoid. Assess your activities and if anything starts to feel like a chore, decline politely.

7. Institute a digital free zone. It can be hard to turn off the computer, tablet, and smartphone, but doing so will help you clear your head and connect with others. Designate one room or small space in your home where you can’t update your Facebook status, answer a work email, watch a YouTube video, or tune into the nightly news.

8. Exercise. Keeping your body fit and healthy is key to being happy in work and at play. Find exercise that you enjoy, and fit it into your routine. Consider finding activities you can do with your family, such as taking a walk together. While fitting the time into your schedule may seem difficult, you’ll find yourself with more energy to be productive at work and home with a regular exercise routine.

9. Be selective with your errands. Sometimes we can spend all of our free time running errands or doing chores. Perhaps you can hire a cleaner to come every few weeks to do the deep house cleaning or hire the kid down the street to mow the lawn. You can order almost anything online these days rather than spending your free time picking everything up in person. Even on a tight budget, you may find outsourcing some of these tasks worth the time you’ll have for yourself.

Maintaining a balance between work and life takes effort, but it’s a conscious choice you need to make.

This article was originally published at usnews.com on May 29, 2012.

6 Things You Should Never Buy Used

Like most people, you don’t like to pay too much. To that end, you’re into buying things second-hand, from clothing to cars. But be careful: not everything is something you should buy second-hand. In some cases, you’re merely getting a bad deal. In other cases, you’re actually putting your family in danger. Here are some things that even the most conscious penny pincher should never buy used.

Baby Furniture

It’s great to get your baby’s clothes from a second-hand store. Especially since babies outgrow clothing so quickly, you’re going to save a ton of money. But there are some things you should never buy your newborn second-hand. Cribs are the most dangerous thing to buy used, but, in general, don’t get any baby furniture second-hand. You can never tell what’s safe and what has been the subject of a recall since it was first manufactured.

Ditto on car seats, which are literally stamped with an expiration date, as technology is constantly improving and safety regulations change. It can also be impossible to tell if the car seat was involved in an auto accident. If that is the case, the car seat cannot be used again- they are only designed to protect children from a single accident. Stay on the safe side and purchase your car seat brand new.

Computers and Consumer Electronics

Consumer electronics can add up quickly, but that doesn’t mean you should go trolling Craigslist for your iPhone. The reason being many of the great deals in classified ads aren’t great deals at all — they’re hot merchandise. The Internet is increasingly becoming a place to sell stolen goods and consumer electronics are some of the biggest offenders.

The worst part is, if you buy a stolen computer and it gets tracked to you, you’ll likely lose your computer and get nothing in return. In a nightmare scenario, you can actually be charged with a crime. Even if you do buy a computer that doesn’t have a sketchy history, it might be damaged in ways that aren’t easy for you to see. Better to avoid the situation completely by buying refurbished computers, not previously owned ones.

Bedding

America’s city dwellers know all about the silent epidemic: bedbugs. Once they come into your home, you’re going to have one heck of a time getting rid of them. You might as well start considering them your new roommates and asking them to chip in on the electricity bill. Help keep these little bloodsuckers out of your personal space by never buying used bedding or mattresses. You might balk at the price tag of a new mattress, but it’s significantly cheaper and less stressful to just buy one new, rather than trying rid your home of bedbugs. Be careful about any couches or upholstery you buy for the same reason.

Helmets

Never buy any kind of helmet second-hand. The reason being, helmets are designed to protect your head from a hard crash. Note that we said “a” hard crash. That’s because, just like a child’s car seat, helmets are only designed to protect your head from a single impact. Once they’ve taken that, they might be better than nothing, but not much. Whether you’re buying for a bicycle or a motorcycle, don’t skimp. Get something new and the finest quality your money can buy.

Makeup

Buying second-hand makeup is a great way to get yourself sick. You might save a few pennies, but you’ll probably quickly spend the money on cold sore treatments and visits to the doctor for pink eye. Used makeup, and the cases it comes in, are often breeding grounds for infectious disease and bacteria. If you want to save on cosmetics, consider making your own instead of buying them new.

Vacuum Cleaners

Think about how much abuse a vacuum cleaner takes in an average year. You put it to work on the regular, probably without a great deal of thought about how you’re treating it. Vacuum cleaners, even good ones, have come down in price to the point where it’s cheaper to buy a new one than it is to repair an old one. Don’t bother saving a few bucks here.

This article was originally published on May 16, 2012 at www.mint.com.

The 4 Money Mistakes You Might Be Making

While there are signs that the economy is improving, it will still be a long road to full recovery.  It’s more important than ever to make sure your money is working as hard as it possibly can. One way to do this is to eliminate simple money mistakes that can turn into big problems over time.  While avoiding these four mistakes won’t guarantee economic success, doing so may help you thrive in the long run.

Oops 1: Playing Follow the Leader
Did you dig through your jewelry box and head to the Gold Guys the day after you heard that Aunt Irene received $600 by selling a gold necklace?  Have you been scouring the local paper for homes to buy because prices are hovering at record lows?

If you aren’t basing your decisions on your own situation or circumstances, you could be hurting your pocketbook.  Instead of jumping onto the bandwagon for whatever the latest financial trend is, take a moment to stop and think about how this fits into your long-range money plans.  Consider taking a proactive approach, rather than reacting to what others have done and following suit.  No matter what the news says about the stock market or the price of gold, make sure you are basing your financial decisions on your goals and the risks you are willing take.  Avoid basing your decisions on emotion, or you could be in for trouble later on.  And remember: what goes up will inevitably also come down.

Oops 2: Not Paying Yourself First
It’s becoming clear that the dream of a comfortable retirement isn’t going to possible without some hard work on your part early on.  While we’ve all heard this more than once, are you doing anything about it?  Do you mean to save, but always find something else more important to spend your money on?

If you tend to save only what is left over after all the bills are paid each month, chances are, you aren’t saving enough.  Paying yourself first is key.  If your employer offers a match on your 401K, you absolutely must max out your contribution to the amount they will match.  If you can afford to contribute more, do so!  The power of compounding interest is something you can never get back.  If saving isn’t your strong suit, trick your brain by paying yourself just like you’d pay your electric bill each month.  Add this “savings bill” to your monthly pile, deposit the funds in a separate account and make it non-negotiable each month.  You could also consider setting up an automatic transfer from your checking to savings account.  If you can’t see the money, you won’t spend it.

Oops 3: Not Planning For Emergencies
Jobs aren’t guaranteed.  Accidents can happen.  The fridge can go out in July when the thermometer reads 100*.  These unexpected occurrences are exactly the reason you need an emergency fund set up. 

While the money in this fund will never be for a fun purchase, it will prove to be a lifesaver should you hit on tough times.  Having cash on hand that you can use for an unexpected expense, or to pay bills should you lose your job, is vital.  This will keep you from using credit and paying interest, or from pulling money out of your retirement fund.  Aim to put at least a portion of each paycheck into an emergency fund, and vow not to touch it unless it is actually a true emergency.  Again, consider setting up automatic transfers to make sure the money makes it into your emergency account, not the department store cash register at the mall.

Oops 4: “If It Isn’t Broken, Don’t Fix It”
We visit doctors for yearly health checkups (or we should).  Why would we treat our finances any differently?  Regardless of whether your finances are currently in tip-top shape, it’s a great idea to review them to look for potential strengths and weaknesses.  This is especially important now, as the economic climate has changed enough that you might need to adjust your saving strategies. 

If your finances could use some help, don’t let fear keep you from asking.  The best way to deal with financial problems is to address them early and head-on.  Many creditors are more than willing to work with you, but this can be much easier while you still have time to turn things around.

Do you have any other mistakes that should make the list?  Let us know in the comments.

The “Google Yourself” Challenge- How Much Can People Learn About You Online?

By now, we’re all familiar with the concept of Googling someone. If you’re not, it’s the act of typing a person’s name into the search engine to learn more about them. You can find lots of information about an individual through Google, such as where they live, where they work, their level of education, and if they have a criminal past.

While others may Google you, however, it’s just as important for you to Google yourself. Why? Because the pictures, videos, and other personal information about you online will affect you at some point in your life – whether you know it or not.

Who Is Searching for Your Information?

Several types of people might try to find out about you online. Here are a few types to be especially aware of.

1. Employers
It used to be that the only background information an employer had on you was the resume and references you provided. Then came the Internet. While your resume and references are still helpful to employers, they’re secondary to the online research that potential employers conduct about you. Employers aren’t stupid. They know that anyone can fake a resume and coach their references on what to say. But Google doesn’t lie. Not only will employers check your name on Google to verify facts, but they’ll dig deep to make sure you don’t have anything in your past that will reflect unfavorably upon the company.

2. Creditors/Financial Services
In the past, to get a loan you had to sit down with a loan broker and hand over your financial standing on paper. The problem with that was there was a lot of room for fudgery– paper can be copied, modified, and even forged. Nowadays your credit score is stored in an online database, which is accessible to anyone in a position of power to give you money.

3. Stalkers
Stalkers can learn about you on Google, but they can also follow your every move through your social networks. Have you heard those horror stories about people getting robbed blind while they’re not home because they posted about how they’re enjoying their glorious vacation all over Facebook? It happens – but that is the least of your worries. What if a stalker showed up at your job or followed you around based on the information you’ve posted and shared? It’s tragic and frightening.

4. ID Thieves
Shopping online is easy and fun – until your identity is stolen. You’re setting yourself up for potential disaster by storing your credit card info on the sites from which you purchase frequently, but you’re still not completely safe even if you avoid this practice. In fact, keeping a credit card at all sets you up for identity theft because credit card companies store all of their users’ information digitally. When a security breach occurs, your card is compromised along with your peace of mind.

What Tools Will They Use?

There’s more to this than Googling – here are the tools people are most likely to use to get information on you.

1. Google
Google is the number one way for any of us to find information on someone we search. Literally. It’s the most visited website in the world. Most of us search for information about other people for benign reasons, but there are bad apples everywhere.

2. Facebook
Know what the number two most-visited site in the world is? Yep, it’s Facebook. While we don’t have a lot of control regarding what lands on Google about us, we have absolute control about what people can discover about us on Facebook. If someone wants to know what you’re up to, you can bet they’re browsing your profile.

3. Online Police/Sex Offender Registries
If you think your past won’t come back to haunt you, you’re wrong. Employers especially use these sites to make sure you’re telling the truth when you check that box saying that you’ve never been convicted of a felony. It’s better to be up front about your indiscretions than fib about it and get caught. At that point, you look like a criminal and a liar.

4. Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com is intriguing and interesting because it’s an incredible way to learn about your family history. But like any other tidbits of information about you that appear on the web, the information on Ancestry can inadvertently cause you more stress than you signed up for.

How to Protect Yourself

You could stop using the internet entirely…just kidding. Follow these steps.

1. Research Privacy Settings and Set Privacy at Maximum
Every social network you join has privacy settings. If you don’t manually change them, you’ll receive the default settings. Those default settings are rather loose, because it is a social network after all, and the whole point is for you to share with the community. Sharing doesn’t have to mean putting yourself at risk, however. Check your privacy settings and configure them accordingly. On Facebook, for example, you can choose to have your profile public or private. Keeping your profile private will only grant those who you personally allow to have access to it, greatly reducing your chances of someone from accessing your information for nefarious purposes.

2. Use Google Alerts
It’s not just celebrities whose names and likenesses are all over the web – you are, too. To keep track about what’s posted about online as soon as it appears, set up a Google Alerts account. The service will send you a message whenever it comes across any web-based material featuring your name or selected keywords.

3. Don’t Share Your Password
Never, ever give your password to anyone – even the employer who thinks it’s OK to ask for it. Outside of the office, keep your password guarded even more closely. Pick strong passwords that are easy for you to remember.

4. Stay Completely Anonymous
Unless it is absolutely necessary, don’t use any personal information when creating online accounts or leaving comment on websites. Also avoid using the same account name on all the websites you visit. Doing so will allow stalkers to look through all your comments and figure out your real identity.

5. Just Be SMART!
You can’t stay offline forever—and even if you do, other parties will still store your information online without your permission. Your only real option is to be as informed as possible about your online privacy so you can make the best decisions regarding your safety. If you don’t want something online, don’t put it there.

This article was originally posted by www.wisebread.com on April 16, 2012.