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Folkestone was tax small village in 1066 composed mainly of fishermen and farmers who were cultivating the lands owned by the church at Canterbury. The town was so small that during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, there were only about 120 houses in Folkestone.

By the 18th and 19th century, Folkestone was developed into a soldier’s barracks for the Peninsula Wars and stone houses were built during this period. Today, it has become an important area with the Channel Tunnel connecting Folkestone to Europe. In fact, the coast has a magnificent view of France.

Aside from being an important fishing and shipping town, it is also home to the renowned Folkestone Literary Festival that started in 2002. It has become one of the foremost art and literary festivals in Britain. The festival includes lectures by authors, book launches, live entertainment, art exhibits, book swapping, poetry and book readings and literary competitions.

The Folkestone Literary Festival usually kick-off in November 1 and runs through November 9. Tickets are required for some of the events but most of the activities are free to the public. There are various activities and each year, a theme is selected for the days’ activities.

• Themed Activities
In 2006, poetry was a featured event in the festival including an Open Mic at The Chambers and a poetry and performance event that featured several new and up-and-coming poets who showcase their works in the Leas Club.

In 2007, a History Weekend was featured from the 2nd to the 4th of the month with talks by David Starkey on Monarchy, London in the 19th Century with Jerry White, Great Tales from English History with Robert Lacey and The Last Thousand Days of the British Empire with Peter Clarke.

• Competitions
The festival also features competitions on different literary categories such as the short story and poetry competition. The competitions themselves are grouped in different age divisions, from 5-11 years old to adult participants. The competition is organized by the Friends of the Festival and it accepts entries from all over the world. Last year, entrants include writers form Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.

• business Movies and Exhibits
The Folkestone Literary Festival is indeed a very cosmopolitan event with film showings and art exhibits. There are art installations and gallery exhibits around the town. Last year, a feature on the environment paved the way for the showing of Al Gore’s documentary: An Inconvenient Truth.

Other partnership activities in the Folkestone Literary Festival are the tours such as the Tours of the Folkestoen Academy, Creative Quarter and the Green Room. These tours offer tons of educational and creative pursuits for the literary enthusiasts. Aside from the many sights, there are also bookshops and souvenir shops as well as eateries scattered around Folkestone.

The Folkestone Literary Festival has diversified its target audience and further involves families and even children with various activities full of fun and excitement. Last year, the festival featured storytelling day for families, family day, and reading sessions for children.

The organizers are also supporting the literary and artistic qualities of Folkestone. The Folkestone People’s History Centre was opened to the festival-goers last year which made known the rich background of Folkestone and its people.

For accommodation in Folkestone please visit: http://www.folkestonehotels.me.uk | Hotels in Folkestone

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Many taxpayers don’t ever consider checking to see if they fall into the AMT. In fact, many don’t even know what it is.

Those that attempt to figure it out, often get confused by the calculations and simply assume that they don’t owe it.

“Many taxpayers are unaware that the AMT applies to them until they receive a notice from the IRS, and some discover they have AMT liabilities that they did not anticipate and cannt pay,” said Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson in a report to a congressional subcommittee last year.

While the instructions for Form 1040’s line 45 (where you enter your AMT amount) require taxpayers to fill out fairly simple worksheet, the taxpayer ahs to read 16 exceptions to that worksheet that refer the taxpayer to go directly to Form 6251to figure potential AMT liability.

Many don’t know where to even go for the form, as they simply picked up a 1040 and started filling it out as usual.

One of the exceptions is “interest paid on a mortgage not used to buy, build or substantially improve your home.” Does this mean that home equity loan that consolidated the credit cards?

“There’s no one thing that one can say for sure ‘this is going to be an AMT problem,” said Mark Luscombe, a principal analyst with CCH.

Many are shocked to find that they are in the AMT. After all, it was originally intended to stop the wealthy from avoiding their income taxes.

“You don’t have to be making a lot of money to fall into the alt-min anymore,” said Barbara Steinmetz, a certified financial planner. “Property taxes help boost you there. State income taxes help boost you there.”

“If you are working through the 1040 and you go line by line, you shouldn’t miss it,” says the IRS.

The AMT currently traps high-income taxpayers with difficult tax situations. Most of these are aware of the issue, because they have their tax returns prepared professionally.

Without yearly patches on the AMT, millions of middle-income families could be subject to the parallel tax.

“It’s like watching a horror movie and there’s this slow moving creature that’s about to consume the middle class,” said Len Burman of the Urban Institute and the Tax Policy Center.

Martin Lukac represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate and mortgage rates. We specialize in daily updates, mortgage news, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

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No other nationality tolerates the negativity of historical information about itself more than the American-Italians.

There are about 25 million American Italians in the USA. The 25,000 Mafia members are obviously in the great minority. If any other nationality was depicted in the media the way American Italians are there would be congressional hearings, widely covered protests in the media, and lawsuits. Yet the Sopranos and HBO gained widespread popularity as Italians remained silent.

WHY?

Italians had to strive to become real Americans as did other groups. They are NOT the guys you normally see on TV. Someone once said: “Italian-Americans live their life like they were filming it.” We are all a little different so we should celebrate the talents we have, and face some facts too. The Baby Boomer generation consists of many second and third generation Americans from the roots of Ellis Island. These American-Italians preferred the “American” touch and influence on things rather than the Italian-American model. They simply wanted to blend. Other nationalities share this quality. You learned English in school or you got your ass in a sling. In that partnership to become American, the diverse regional Italian languages and culture were generally not passed down. It is partnership this approach to becoming “Americanized” that I always refer to us as American Italians rather than Italian Americans.

In general, it could be said that the American-Italians are simply easy pickings for the media. “The HBO network and its series “The Sopranos (2000- 2007)” are guilty of defaming and assassinating the cultural character of Italian Americans by using their religion, customs and values in a violent and immoral context that damages the image and reputations of an estimated 25 million Americans of Italian descent, the nation’s fifth largest ethnic minority.” (from the Italian American Web Site of New York) Not to mention: The Godfather (1972) ,Goodfellas (1990), The Godfather Part II (1974), Donnie Brasco (1997), Scarface (1983), A Bronx Tale (1993), and The Untouchables (1987).
The Japanese Yakuza, the Hong Kong Triads, and the Russian Mafia have never attracted the media attention in comparison to La Cosa Nostra.

There is no denying the Mafia is criminal and widespread. Here is an excerpt from the FBI Italian Organized Crime Page: “Since their appearance in the 1800s, the Italian criminal societies known as the Mafia have infiltrated the social and economic fabric of Italy and now impact the world. They are some of the most notorious and widespread of all criminal societies.”

There are several groups currently active in the U.S.: the Sicilian Mafia; the Camorra or Neapolitan Mafia; the ‘Ndrangheta or Calabrian Mafia; and the Sacra Corona Unita or United Sacred Crown. It is estimated the four groups have approximately 25,000 members total, with 250,000 affiliates worldwide. There are more than 3,000 members and affiliates in the U.S., scattered mostly throughout the major cities in the Northeast, the Midwest, California, and the South. partnership largest presence centers around New York, southern New Jersey, and Philadelphia.

A new five-year study conducted by the Italic Studies Institute maintains that this has been the predominant image of Italian Americans in films for more than 70 years. The Institute, based in Floral Park, N.Y., found that 40% of the 1220 films produced in the United States since 1928 that featured Italian American themes depicted Italian Americans as gangsters.

The report found that other film portrayals of Italian Americans are often negative, even when they’re not being depicted as gangsters.

“Results of the research reveal a consistently negative attitude toward Italian Americans and Italian culture in general (69%),” the report said. “Images of Italians as violent criminals predominate (40%), followed by portrayals of boors, buffoons, bigots and bimbos (29%), as compared to images of Italians as positive, heroic or complex roles (31%).”
According to the report, “The figures clearly indicate an entrenched, institutionalized bias against Americans of Italian descent in the entertainment industry. The diversity of the Italian American experience has been obscured through an obsession with negative, one-dimensional stereotypes, equating Italian culture with criminality.”

An American Italian from Buffalo, NY just started “The Mob Tours” in Niagara Falls, NY. where you can learn the history of Stefano “The Undertaker” Magaddino and take a 90 minute tour for “crime lovers”. I think I am going to be sick. This news prompted me the write this article. Enough is enough.

How is it that out of 25 million American Italians such a small number of “Mafioso” gain so much attention? It is because the groups that protest this widespread defamation of character has been relatively ineffective. Many American Italian actors and businessmen participate in the movies and portrayals.

If they would take a stand maybe some attention would be drawn to this. I am sure we are all well aware of the many American Italian Doctors, Lawyers, Policemen, Fireman, Teachers, Musicians, and those in Business and the Arts feel a little sad when the media turns out more and more slaps at their heritage. Certainly, we are good for more than crime and Pizza. It’s time we let America know that we are not going to take it anymore.

Charles Priore
Italian American Baby Boomers Club
IABBC.com

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The Whitney Theater (Hamden, CT) marquee advertised movies for children (”Gidget”…”The High and the Mighty”). Every kids matinee, the manager would pick a ticket out of a large popcorn box. He would give the winner candy, free soda and popcorn, or a toy connected to the movie.

One afternoon he read the numbers on my ticket stub. The prize was an air-pumped rocket. My friend Elly and I went to an open field, pumped it as hard as we could, and let it go. It went straight up, stalled, lost momentum, nose-dived and hit the sidewalk.

Stock Markets soar and crash too. Stock Market traders sometimes become kids with a toy. Every day the market pumps itself up. Indices spiral upward making many giddy with kiddish delight; nobody wants this rocket to fall from its lofty heights. With little notice, the market stalls, momentum is lost, and markets crash.

Simple laws of gravity inform us that upward moves of any force require energy and momentum. The stock market is ruled by the same laws. Markets cannot, will not, and have not moved in one direction without correcting. This means that bull markets are not forever, and bear markets are bearable.

“What happened?” My toy rocket did not give me any warning when falling to reality. Stock markets project warning signs when upward momentum stalls. You never want markets to go up forever. It is best when markets move up, pause, contract, and build a base before making their next move.

A base-line provides support for a market index like the Dow or the S&P. Long support lines give investors solace because it takes a lot of sellers to break through it. A support line or base (see image) is a trading pattern of stock buying and selling with little price change.

No support means the market index has potential to keep falling until it finds a support line/base or bottom. Markets stall when reaching a high price on average daily stock trading volume. Bulls (buyers) will strain to push the markets upward, but Bears (sellers) thwart the momentum. An excessive number of sellers (many more than the average) can force an index/stock to new lows.

“Make it go higher!” My toy rocket did not reach heights too fast. Elly and I were ten or eleven years old; we wanted that rocket to disappear in the clouds. Many investors act the same way; they want the markets to go up and up because it means more money. When markets hit successive days of positive returns, investors get starry-eyed. We like it when Neil Cavuto (among others) reports new highs for the Dow (read “ The Dow Jones Industrial Average: Failing the Average Investor” by Steven Selengut).

Dizzying heights cause most investors to miss subtle market moves. Stocks/indices must move higher on strong buying volume. When markets reach a bench-marked high level, getting past it will take three times the average number of daily buyers.If the price stalls at the bench-marked high and the buying volume is less than the daily average, index prices decline.

“Don’t worry.” Elly never worried; I always worried. When that rocket went off, I feared it would break a window or hurt someone. Elly said, “Just pump it Ray and let it go!” Some stock investors never worry. Wise Wall Streeters know that “The market needs to climb a wall of worry.” War, high oil prices, poor consumer sentiment, and Federal Reserve rate increases are walls of worry. Euphoric investors topple markets.

Something to Fear The Vix Index is the “fear index” When the Vix spikes, worry increases; when the Vix is down, optimism is excessive. Today, May 22, 2006), the Vix spiked.

The VIX “is a good indicator of the level of fear or greed in U.S. and global capital markets. When investors are fearful, the VIX level is significantly higher than normal.” (Antognelli, Ferreira, McArdle, and Traub. “Fear and Greed in Global Asset Allocation.” The Journal of Investing. (Spring 2000), pp. 27 – 32). Every rocket must return to earth for refueling. I learned this with my friend Elly and my toy rocket.

Want to build a toy rocket? Gary Rollins tells you how in his articleBuilding A Model Rocket Can Be A Great Learning Experience

Ray Randall serves clients as a registered investment advisor with his firm, Ethos Advisory Services, Essex, Massachusetts Ethos Advisory Services. He has wide experience within the financial services industry, writes a weekly newsletter for Ethos Advisory Services, and coordinates the developments at Echievements.com. Ray holds a Masters Degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Hamilton, MA. You may call Ray (617-275-5565).

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So do names really affect your success and luck cycle? I will let you decide yourself, after reading this article. By the time you finish this article, you should be able to know which names are favorable to you and which are not.

If you happen to be setting up a company, you will learn how you can use a name favorable to you, thereby raising the success rate of your business. If you happen to be an author, this might help you to name your books so that they become a success.

Let me give you a little background on how to choose a favorable name. Names are also represented by the 5 elements of Chinese Astrology, which are Wood, Earth, Water, Fire and Metal. Your name, or your company name should contain your favorable elements, so that your luck cycle will be good and your company will be successful.

Now, you will look at the first real life example of a successful name.

If you are into Law of Attraction, Copywriting and Internet Marketing, you are probably very familiar with Dr Joe Vitale. Dr Vitale actually has a nickname. He is also known as Mr Fire. If you go to his website, you will see a lot of Fire colors there. Orange and red. After he used the name Mr Fire, his success came one after another.

Now, what will happen if he uses the nickname Mr Water instead of Mr Fire?

Let me explain using Chinese Astrology. Dr Joe Vitale is born on 29th December 1953.

Looking at his elements, he is born on a Wood day, in a Winter(Water) month. In order for Wood to grow, you need sunlight, which is Fire. The Wood in Winter is frozen and unable to grow.

Therefore, from here, we can see that Dr Vitale’s favorable element is Fire. By using the nickname Mr Fire, he is able to become successful. In which he already is very successful. Let me tell you a little secret here. . . all the articles and newsletter that I wrote were based on his copywriting techniques.

Dr Vitale has a lot of fans around the world. You are probably one of them.

Let’s compare the real scenario with the calculations. Basing on Dr Vitale’s luck pillars, from age 27 to 46, he was going through 20 years of Metal. Metal produces Water, which is unfavorable to him. If you read about his story, it was during this period of time he was homeless. However, from age 47 onwards, that is year 2000 onwards, he is starting to go through the Fire pillars.

I do not know when he started to be known as Mr Fire. But I believe it is somewhere around this period. Year 2000 was the turning point of his life. If he was known as Mr Water, then the results would have been different.

If you are born in Winter(8th November to 3rd February of the following year), you might want to call yourself Mr Fire, or Miss Fire, or name your company Big Fire, Deep Fire or anything that has to do with Fire. Towards the end of the article, I will share with you the names represented by the different elements.

Now, let’s look at the next live example. This time, it is about the famous comedian cum director cum actor from Hong Kong, Stephen Chow. Recently, he released this movie CJ7. It is about this little boy named Dicky who discovered an alien from outer space. This alien became his pet. It helped him with his school work and physical education lessons.

Back to the impact of the name of this movie. Let’s look at Stephen Chow’s date of birth first. He was born on 22nd June 1962.

Stephen Chow is a Metal person born in a Fire month(Summer). Fire destroys Metal. Water and Metal are both his favorable elements.

Now, let’s look at the name CJ7. CJ7 is actually an acronym for Chang Jiang 7. Chang Jiang actually means the Yangtze River in chinese. Stephen Chow’s favorable element is Water. The first part of the name is favorable.

Number 7 actually represents Metal. 1 and 2 represent Wood. 3 and 4 represent Fire. 5 and 6 represent Earth. 7 and 8 represent Metal. 9 and 10 represents Water.

The whole name of this movie, CJ7 contains both Water and Metal. As a result, this movie is quite successful. When I am walking along the streets, I see a lot of teenagers and kids carrying the soft toys or handbags of the alien from CJ7.

Another interesting point to note though, the alien in CJ7 looks a little bit like a chicken. Chicken represents Metal, which is favorable to Stephen Chow.

These are just 2 of the numerous examples that I have, that names do play a role in success. Therefore, choose them correctly.

In the next part of this article, I will share with you the names that represent the various elements. . .

Wood – Anything with East, Wood, Flower, Orient, Green, Garden, Park, Rabbit, Tiger.

Water – Anything with North, Water, Ocean, Sea, Pool, Blue, Fish, Mouse, Pig.

Metal – Anything with West, Gold, Silver, Gray, Metal, Iron, Hardware, Rooster, Chicken, Monkey, White, Jewellery.

Fire – Anything with South, Red, Purple, Orange, Fire, Horse, Snake, Cars, Volcanoes.

Earth – Anything with Yellow, Brown, Earth, Soil, Mud, House, Mountain, Ox, Cow, Dragon, Sheep, Dog, Antiques.

Let me also give you a generalized way of knowing which is your favorable element. It may not be 100% accurate, but it is at least 80% accurate. For it to be 100% accurate, I need to know your exact date of birth. But just use this as a guide.

If you are born in Spring (4th February to 5th May), your favorable element is Metal.

If you are born in Summer (6th May to 7th August), your favorable element is Water.

If you are born in Autumn (8th August to 7th November), your favorable element is Wood.

If you are born in Winter (8th December to 3rd February of the following year), your favorable element is Fire.

Now, let me give you an example. Let’s say you are born in Autumn. Your favorable element is Wood. You might want to name your company Great Eastern, or Eastern Oriental.

If you are born in Summer, you favorable element being Water. You might want to name your company Deep Blue, or Big Pool, or Blue Pool, just to give you an example.

I hope you will benefit from this information. I wish you the best of luck and success.

Marco Chong is the author of “The 58 Secret Keys To Home Feng Shui That You Must Know”.He practices Flying Star Feng Shui and specializes in home feng shui. Marco has been practicing feng shui and Chinese astrology since 1992.

For more information,visit http://www.58fengshuisecretkeys.com

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Money. This is the first article of a series whose purpose is both educational and practical. And above all they aim to be interactive meaning that any comments suggestions or ideas are more than welcome. Lets start from the basics. The first thing someone needs is very good education. And this requires a lot of thorough research as there are many sources but not all are worth the money for their services. So in this sense an online forex course could be a good idea along with some books. But here comes the first major problem. Which course and which books, which aspects to cover? The technical analysis issue? The maxim goes with the trend? The candlesticks analysis? And which system to use and follow? There are thousands of them! So before we even begin a trader is confused. And confusion is a very bad enemy but it can be arranged. How it can be arranged? With some simple steps. Such as simplicity. The more you know the better chances you have to succeed trading forex and it all comes down to probabilities.

Education is a must to all trading aspects from stocks to futures to forex. But forex has two unique features. High liquidity and extremely high leverage. And although the liquidity is a very good feature high leverage is not. At least not until you know what you are doing. Here we focus again on education. Besides a participation in a forex course either online or not, an amount that will be put away as an investment for education is the first thing a trader must do. Some ideas are to focus on analyzing the current conditions of the market and to have a bias for a specific currency pair. A system such as following the trend could be the core of a trading strategy. And a demo account with many virtual trades as many as possible for a long period of time is the next step.

Now the most important part of the trading action is to make a plan, stick to it and apply very strict money management rules because if the capital is finished and it very easy this to happen then our trading career will finish within a few days, months or even hours. Lets face the truth that trading is not easy. It is unfortunately far easier for someone to lose all his account rather than make wild profits beyond each expectation. That is because emotions and psychology are very crucial for success. Some of the most important emotions are fear, uncertainty, euphoria and revenge. Revenge comes into play very often as when someone loses an amount wants desperately to get it back and often the outcome is that more loses come simply because the trader is on the wrong side of the trend!

Discipline and patience are virtues that distinguish a good trader from a mediocre trader. Without specific goals and a written procedure a trader is like a cargo ship that has sailed without any destination. Someday the fuel will be exhausted and many dangers from the weather to the potential physical damages may happen. Risks exist all the time. The point is how to deal with them.

One of the most useful phrases is taken from the movie Forrest Gump. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you going to get! It is true. Be as prepared as possible. Do not let the brokers excite you promising very high returns and extremely high leverage? Do some very thorough research before opening an account funded with real money. Compare the bid-ask spreads and technical support to name only a few aspects.

Be very skeptical to previous results as offered from many signal services. The major aim should be to learn to trade and make your own decisions and not blindly follow some others decisions and opinions. Confidence and experience come with the passage of time. So we mentioned simplicity before. Being realistic and having a controlled life balance is very important. One major goal should be consistency so as to have the ability to make profits each month and keep them.

Fundamental news is another important issue and in essence the technical analysis is the mirror of fundamentals. Expectations change rapidly and emotions also. And if you think about it emotions and expectations mainly move the forex market. Most times like the recent Fed rate hike decision a move is under way but the danger is when it will be finished and certainly not getting in at the wrong time after all the move is completed.

The best approach for a trader would be to set specific goals and if achieved then stop trading. The worst idea is to trade in a choppy market where random noise will make it difficult to get specific profits.

So a tested system with very precise rules such as entering exiting and having stop-loss orders may not be a holly grail but is surely one very good approach to start with and focus on it. Pivot points are such a system. At least it is a good start. They encompass education, discipline, strict criteria, and targets and are a proven system that major players use. They are not foolproof always as nothing is certain but they deal with high probabilities and this is very important.

Also a very practical way is to act as organizes as possible. Meaning that:

1. Develop your own trading journal where you will be writing down your trades and a brief explanation of what made you place a particular trade so as to evaluate performance. Note each day the major economic releases if any because it is often wise to be out of the market before the release of the news and trade only after having a much clearer opinion of what price action may be. Remember it is all about high probabilities.

2. A risk/reward ratio of 1:2 meaning that you risk an amount to get at least the twice if all go well is suggested but sometimes it is best to be conservative and even apply an 1:1 ratio by applying very strict risk management risking no more than 2-3% of total capital per trade. Survival is everything.

3. It would be a good idea from time to time to have breaks from trading. Opportunities exist always so stopping trading when losses of 10-20% maximum of trading capital have accumulated is a good way to reevaluate what is going on before a large amount of capital is lost. Trading is not gambling it is a way of investment. The philosophy should be to define realistic goals such as a number of pips per day and if achieved then stop trading. Greed is another bad enemy of traders. On the contrary the notion of compounding profits and retiring a portion of them each month is a good way to build a solid account and keep monitoring its growth.

So in this first article we touched briefly many ideas from education to psychology to a proven trading system etc. Each idea will have more in depth analysis in the very near future. Your comments and suggestions will help us a lot to focus on what you need or want to analyze. Above all interactive communication brings the best results. That’s all folks!

http://www.themoneycosmos.com

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The five star hotels in Amsterdam are ideal for those who wish to pamper themselves and live like kings. Guests of these hotels can enjoy the city in utmost luxury and comfort. Care is taken to cater to every whim and fancy of the guests. Five star hotels are often visited by many international celebrities and royalty because of the personalized and attentive hotel services and facilities which is extended to them.

Five star hotels offer a wide range of rooms for the guests. Depending on the budget of the tourists, they can choose between regular rooms and deluxe rooms which can be single rooms or double rooms. However, if money is not a constraint they can indulge in the luxury of the unique suites which the five star hotels offer to their guests. The suite experience is often the ultimate form of pampering.

Most of the five star hotels offer indoor pools, sauna and health clubs for the leisure use of hotel patrons. They usually have more than one restaurant which gives the guests ample variety to choose from. The rooms also include cable and satellite TV, movies, mini bars, high-speed internet access, dual-line telephone with voicemail, safety-deposit box, individually controlled air conditioning, iron and ironing board, trouser press, work desk with lamp, VCR, a CD player, free morning newspaper, rollaway bed and a separate hanging closet. Other amenities include guest laundry facilities, room service, business centers, fitness centers and conference and banquet facilities.

Most of the five star hotels are located close to popular tourist spots. They offer personalized attention to the guests and often provide complimentary shuttle services to tourist destinations within the city. Rooms in five star hotels start from 100 Euros per night. Depending on the rating of the rooms and the hotel, they can go up to around 650 Euros per night and in case of suites it is around 800-900 Euros per night.

Amsterdam Hotels provides detailed information on Amsterdam Hotels, Cheap Amsterdam Hotels, Airport Amsterdam Hotels, Discount Amsterdam Hotels and more. Amsterdam Hotels is affiliated with Venice Hotel Reservations.

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I am reading The Tightwad Gazette, by Amy Dacyczyn, for the second time. This is a must have book for anyone trying to live a frugal lifestyle. The book is over 900 pages of frugal fun.

In the book, Dacyczyn writes about passive frugality. I have always thought about this but didn’t really have a name for it. Passive frugality is about what you are not doing in order to live frugally. Many people talk about the money they save on groceries, cars, insurance, etc… but they are only able to save money because they are spending it in the first place. For example a 2 for 1 dinner coupon is great if you can afford to pay for the one meal. But truly, you save more money by not eating out at all.

When my husband and I decided to get rid of our debt, we realized that sometimes it is the things that you don’t do, that can save you the most money. Here are some things we didn’t spend money on last year.

We didn’t go out to eat. We stopped all the little trips through the drive thru, just to save time. We planned ahead and either packed lunches or just toughed it out until we got home.

We didn’t involve our kids in expensive extra curricular activities. Sports, dance, art, gymnastics, music lessons and the like are very expensive. Fees start around 50 dollars a month and go up from there. I am not saying that any of these are bad choices, but if you are going into debt in order to fund these things you might want to rethink your investment.

We didn’t make little trips to the store. We made a weekly shopping list and shopped once a week. Those little trips to Target, just to get diapers, added up to a couple of hundred dollars a month, because there was always something else that we had to have while we were there.

We didn’t go to the mall. My opinion is that going to the mall creates an appetite of consumerism in me and the kids. At the mall we are inundated with images of the latest styles that are presented to us in a way that make it hard to say no. We actually enjoy shopping at the thrift store and yard sales. We love the thrill of the hunt and calculating how much money we save.

We didn’t take a vacation. Even a cheap vacation is more expensive than none at all. During that time, we explored the area were we lived and enjoyed as many free activities as we could find.

We didn’t use our credit card. Sure we didn’t rack up miles or cash back, but we spent a lot less when we paid with cash. Dave Ramsey and others claim that people spend between 12-18% more when paying with a credit card. I don’t know if that is true, but I do know we were able to pay off over $10,000 in student loans in under four months after we stopped using our card.

We didn’t run our air conditioning unless the temperature rose above 90 degrees. Sure there were a few days when it was slightly uncomfortable but we cut our bill by about 30%.

We didn’t go to the movie theater or rent movies. We utilized the library for movies or we borrowed from friends.

These are just some of the things we didn’t do to save money. Sometimes we forget that the best way to save money is to not spend it in the first place!

Toni Anderson – The Happy Housewife
http://thehappyhousewife.com

Thriving on one income in a two income world

If you liked this tip, stop by TheHappyHousewife.com for more frugal tips.

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My daughters and I loved watching The Crocodile Hunter. Steve’s Passion and enthusiasm for wildlife conservation were unmatched. But in addition to being a masterful entertainer and educator. Steve Irwin was also a brilliant marketer.

Instinctively he knew that to spread his message of conservation, he needed to first grab his audience by the eyeballs and get their attention.

A skilled showman and communicator, he could make the most mundane animals appear deadly and interesting. Captivating his audience by building suspense and tension that kept them riveted to his message.

With his hyper-animated presentation, colorful language (he introduced the world to his very Aussie catch phrase “Crikey”) and unwaveringly khaki wardrobe he created a consistent and memorable personal brand. He was his own, walking talking USP (unique selling proposition.)

While many wanabes and knock-offs tried to copy his adventurous style and antics none of them ever came close to matching his level of success. He was truly one of a kind.

The Crocodile Hunter was also a master at generating publicity and working the media. Probably the greatest ambassador to the world Australia has ever had. Steve Irwin regularly made the rounds on every major television show imaginable, from small local news stations to Letterman, Leno, Larry King and Oprah. He was a walking, talking news hook. A publicists dream!

Even when his actions stirred up controversy (who can forget the image of him feeding a croc with his newborn baby in his arms…) his ratings and popularity only improved.

And if viral marketing is your thing, Steve was one of greats! The viral buzz his TV antics created around water coolers world wide was simply astounding. His exploits spread via word of mouth like wildfire as folks energetically recreated, described and relived the “close calls” Steve had on the previous nights show.

In fact in a recent blog post Michel Fortin identified three essential response-boosting ingredients for effective viral marketing. Curiosity, scarcity and controversy. (Steve was an absolute master of all three.)

• Curiosity? What’s more “curious” than a man kissing a 14 foot crocodile on the head and saying, “isn’t she a beauty”?

• Scarcity? There was (and will always be) just one “Crocodile Hunter”.

• Controversy? Steve certainly had a knack for stirring up and leaving controversy in his larger-than-life wake.

And boy could he work the backend! His spinnoff products are almost countless…

From toys and games to books and movies, Steve Irwin exploited the “Crocidile Hunter” brand to the fullest. He almost single handedly built the entire “Animal Planet” network on his coattails.

His face, logo and even his catch phrase “Crikey” found their way onto every imaginable product from lunch boxes to clothing lines.

And the amazing part is… he funneled the vast majority of the profit windfall his Croc Hunter brand generated into his beloved Australia Zoo and into other wildlife conservation based programs.

But in spite of the many powerful marketing lessons that can be learned by studying the life of Steve Irwin, I think the most important lesson we can learn from him is about PASSION.

This was the true secret to Steve Irwin’s success. I’ve rarely seen anyone with more raw passion and enthusiasm for his mission in life.

His passion for life, his family, and the wildlife he spent (and gave) his life educating the world about, was evident in everything he did.

And… What Steve can teach us about passion is not just a lesson to apply to your marketing, but one to apply to your own life.

Live with passion.

Live with passion for what you do and communicate that passion to others. That’s the key to real and lasting success.

If you’re not passionate about what you are currently doing for a living… Find something you are passionate about, and do it to the fullest.

As Steve has shown us… Life is short. And the end can come at any moment. But a 44 year life of passion and adventure is far more rewarding than 100 years of “quiet desperation”.

Steve Irwin lived his life to the fullest. He spent his days doing exactly what he loved and he transferred that love and passion to millions of others.

Rest in peace Steve. You’ll be sorely missed mate…

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Investing in foreign currency can be a very profitable way to earn an income. There are more and more individuals turning to the forex market to trade currency to make a living from home. This is the largest market in the world with over three trillion dollars a day moving around, so there is plenty of profit to be made. The problem is that most people just jump right in without fully understand what they’re getting into. One thing is knowing how to profit, but a more important skill is protecting your money. The money you invest can disappear very quickly. I’m going to share with you a little of what I’ve learned over the years of trading.

The most important part of trading is making sure you do it with a sound mind. Logic and reason should be the only defining thoughts that result in you making a trade. Most people will think this is obvious and that is because it is. The problem is that we’re emotional creatures. We have tendencies to reject logic and go with an emotional response. The best example is the “gut feeling”. There is no evidence that it is going to perform as a trade, but we just have a “gut feeling” about it. Despite what movies show, rarely do these gut feelings work out. Avoid them, and stick to logic.

Having automated trading software is an important part of being profitable in this market. Investing in foreign currency is a 24hr a day market. That means you’re eventually going to have to sleep with money on the table. Using software like Forex Factor X, you can have it protected during the times you’re away from the computer. The software will make the most profitable decision possible, if it is forced to act.

Learn more about Forex Factor X.

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