It's up to you to make things happen.

Brainstorm Your Way To Success.

 

Brainstorm your way to success.

To brainstorm, is to come up with new and inventive ideas, to the issues which crop up in life. New inventions are often thought up, during brainstorming sessions and it’s good to have other people sit at the table, throwing in their ideas.

No idea is a bad idea. Just let the ideas flow and choose the one that’s the best fit, for the concern you’re trying to deal with. If you feel you don’t have time for a brainstorming session, snatch the time when you’re engaged in other activities, which don’t require a lot of thought, such as in the shower, or walking the dog. 

Sometimes we can have a boring job, one that’s done automatically and by rote. While at this boring and mundane job, perhaps we could try using our time to brainstorm ideas, for wealth creation, healthier living, improved relationships, new and better positions in life, coming up with new and exciting ideas.

Mostly our life comes down to 7 areas. I like to call these the “7 F’s.” Faith, family, fitness, finances, friends, fun and function (employment). Each of these areas can all be improved upon and some need more work than others. Some need way more work and each area is at a different level, for different people. 

If your job is pretty mundane and mindless; i.e., doesn’t take a lot thought to do, make use of your mind. If you work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, that’s 40 hours of automatic action. That’s 40 hours every week, you could be using the mind more effectively, to think up new ways to improve your life. 

Some jobs require using the mind a lot; accountants, lawyers, areas of interaction with others and the like. There are jobs though, like dishwashing, or lawnmowing, which don’t take a lot of thought. You can put this kind of job to best use, by making best use of this time, while you’re at it.

Let’s face it, we all have areas in life we could improve upon. If we begin to make the best use of our time, when the mind isn’t engaged in other activities, our life can be improved enormously. To do this, we need to be asking the right questions. 

It’s no use worrying about why we don’t have any money. Instead, ask yourself how can you get more money. Or, what can I do today, to improve my relationship with … (insert the name of someone you’d like to get on with better)? 

Perhaps it’s another issue in life, that you have. Ask yourself the right question and expect your mind to bring forth the answer, because it will, if you ponder the question long enough.  

Did you know if you spend only 15 minutes once a week studying wealth creation, in a year, you’ll have more knowledge than most people on the planet about the topic? That’s because hardly anyone does it. 

Most people complain about not having enough money, but hardly anyone studies why. It’s the same for most other avenues in life: building a business, maintaining relationships, having good health. If you spend just 15 minutes a day you can become an expert in any field, in no time. 

Perhaps instead of lamenting the status quo, we could try changing the question and educating ourselves on the topic, so we can find the right answer and overcome the issue we’re facing. 

Put a spotlight on the problem and laser focus on the issue, drawing out all the colours, until you have the big picture in mind and come up with the answer.

I believe earth is the learning school of life and we are meant to be overcomers; in whatever area we find ourselves lacking. Once you know your area of weakness, find a way to strengthen yourself. Learn how to overcome and then be the best version of yourself, that you can be. 

For more of Alexandra’s written work on finances, investing and becoming debt free, see: 

https://www.amazon.com/Alexandra-Grose/e/B08HXDGFKL%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Alexandra Grose - A photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration. 

  

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it. 

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse. 

55 Tips To Saving Money

       

               55 tips to saving money.

Let’s face it – we could all use a little extra money. It doesn’t seem to matter how much we earn, there’s always one more thing we’d like to buy.

If you want to save money, there’s no getting around it – you have to put in the effort. The good news is, it’s not a lot of effort. It’s just knowing what to do and when to do it. 

Some of the below tips are obvious. Some you may have heard of before. Some might be just what you need to hear and some you may never have known about. But one thing’s for sure, you will learn something, by reading through these 55 tips to saving money. 

I realize we’re all busy people and this is quite a long article, so I’m going to cut out all the waffle and get to the point, because this is, after all, why you’ve clicked onto this particular piece of writing. So, let’s get into it.

55 tips to saving money:

1. There’s something to be said for “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” If we eat healthily and exercise, most of us will spend less time and money, visiting the doctor and on the doctor’s prescriptions which follow. The benefits of healthy eating and exercise, are well known to all these days.

2. When buying clothing, wait until end of season sales, as well as end of financial year, and new year sales. 

3. Another great area, is buying during ‘Black Friday’ sales times. You can get all sorts, from household items and clothing, to white goods and technology. Even courses you might wish to study are often priced down during black Friday sales.

4. One simple and basic idea is to have your hair cut less frequently. If you get a har cut every 6 weeks, book it in for 8 weeks.

5. If you can’t do your nails yourself, also leave those nails for one more week and go less frequently to get that manicure.

6. Bulk buy your groceries. These days groceries have prices marked, per unit (per gram, millilitre, etc) and it’s easy to work out which size is cheaper. Supermarkets have tried to complicate things, by making items of odd weights; like tins which are 440 grams. But take it to the one gram and you’ll see on the price ticket, which is the better buy.

7. Don’t waste groceries. If you’ve purchase it, use it. Throwing food out, is as good as throwing your money away. Buy what you need and use what you buy. This is easier to do, if you have a menu plan and stick to it.

8. Don’t buy pre-packaged food. It’s often expensive and quite often it’s not hard to make the food yourself (the flavour is better too, when you make it yourself). If it’s pre-made and in a box, or a jar, you’re going to pay extra for it.

9. When it comes to school lunches, if you find you have to buy certain items of pre-packaged food, buy large bags and separate into smaller bags. Chips are great for this. Instead of buying the 6 packs. Buy the cheaper, larger pack and separate into six freezer, or zip lock bags. Zip lock bags are a more expensive way of doing this. I like to use the cheaper freezer bags and tie the ends. If you have a number of children, this works well for a cheaper alternative snack. Cheese and crackers can also be done this way. The same can be done for sultanas, rather than the small boxes, buy one big bag. You can reuse the smaller boxes, if you want, by refilling them with sultanas from your bulk purchase. 

10. If you have the space, grow your own herbs. Herbs are easy to grow and are a little pricey to purchase. You don’t need a big garden, just grow a few of your favourites.

11. Shop in a lower economic area. Usually there’s an area in your local district, which has a lower socio-economic town. These areas almost always have cheaper stores, which cater to that.

12. Buy what’s in season, or what’s on sale, at the grocery store. Don’t over buy and keep in mind, use by dates.

13. Cook in bulk and freeze the meals and you’ll save not only money (using less electricity and water to cook and clean), but you’ll also save time, pulling those meals out, when you need them.

14. Don’t use the clothes dryer, unless absolutely necessary. Whereas the dishwasher uses less water and is more efficient than hand washing, a clothes dryer, uses a lot of electricity. Hang your washing on the line.

15. Find a wholesale butcher and bulk buy your meat. This is a definite money saver.

16. Reduce all subscriptions to only one. Do you really need 3 magazines every month, or 3 social streaming networks? Perhaps you can piggy-back off someone else’s network. Often the streaming networks allow other uses. Take advantage of that.

17. Reduce and eliminate all credit card debt. Pay a little more each month, than the minimum payment. As you begin to save more, this will become easier to do.

18. Throw your gold coins into a jar and bank the money. You won’t miss it. We tend to work with what we carry and if you don’t carry it, you can’t spend it. Those gold coins can add up fast, when you use cash and not debit cards.

19. Speaking of working with what we carry – stop using debit cards. It’s too easy to lose track of what you spend. Instead, take cash out and work with that and then you’ll know exactly what you have to work with. It’s easy to forget the coffee we purchased 3 days ago and the dinner out with friends the other day and then, at the end of the week, you wonder where your money went. If you work with what you have, you’re more accountable to what you’re spending. 

20. And again, speaking of working with what we carry – as soon as you get paid, transfer a few dollars into your savings account and DON’T spend it. Even if all you can manage is $5. Put it where you can’t touch it and let it mount up. You won’t miss a small amount, like $5 and you’ll work with what you carry, so you won’t need it. $5 doesn’t sound like much, but it is a place to start and you can save more later, as you reduce your debts.

21. Pay cash for your car. Once you’ve freed up your debt, keep saving what you would have been paying on debt and even if you need to start with a car not of your dreams, pay cash and buy the dream car later, when you’ve got a healthy bank balance.

22. Maintain your car. Keep services up to date. The car will last longer, if you keep it well maintained.

23. Take advantage of ‘cheaper Tuesday’ sales. Cheaper Tuesday is a way for stores to bring in extra sales, on what would otherwise be a quiet day for them. Most people shop towards the end of the week, after they get paid. Cheaper Tuesday encourages shopping in that early part of the week. Hair cuts and nails are good for cheaper Tuesday’s. If not, you can ask. Never pay full price for anything, if you can help it. 

24. Try “Meatless Monday.” Once or twice a week, make a meat free meal. This will save you loads, over the course of a year. You can make soups, vegetarian dishes, and dishes with legumes, pasta and vegetables. Remember you’re buying seasonal vegetables, so this exercise won’t be futile, because you’ll have saved money, buying in season. Meatless meals can be extremely inexpensive and tasty.

25. Download a petrol app. This will show you the prices of petrol in your area and you can choose to buy at the cheaper pricing end.

26. Walk, or cycle to work and to the store, if you live close enough. Exercise, it’s great for the mind, body and soul.

27. If you do need to drive, make sure you do all your errands while you’re out. Don’t make extra trips to town, costing more petrol and wear and tear to your vehicle.

28. Purchase your larger products (TV’s, white goods, furniture), at mid and end of year sales, where you’ll have more bargaining power.

29. You can also purchase white goods seconds (meaning slightly damaged, or scratched). These seconds bring in greater discounts. If the scratch is where it won’t be seen (like a fridge that’s recessed into your wall) all the better. You’ll get the item cheap and you won’t even see the scratch. 

30. Haggle the price, on everything. Most stores will give you a cash discount. 5-10% on smaller items. 15-25% on larger. And if you’re really good at haggling, you can get up to 30, 50 and even 80% off (although 80% is quite rare). If there’s an out of store sale (meaning the sale is held somewhere other than the stores location, like a pavilion or warehouse), often the owners don’t want to take the items back to the store unsold. It’s here that you’ll get your greatest discount. 

31. You’ll save a lot of money if you can do home repairs yourself.

32. It can be time consuming, but use that water tank in the back yard, for your plants. Why pay for tap water, when water has been freely obtained and is sitting in the tank.

33. Be mindful of all water use. Shorter showers can save another few dollars every month. Load the dishwasher and washing machine to capacity, every load. It’s cheaper to use these items once, than more frequently. 

34. If it’s not in use, turn it off. All the items in our home which run a light, or power of any kind, if you don’t need it on, turn it off and save on your electricity. 

35. Put the heater/air con on a lower setting, as this won’t use as much power to run the appliance. You just need to be comfortable, not overly hot, nor cold.

36. Look for areas you can cut your spending. Can you get a cheaper phone plan, or utility and insurance? Can you wash your own car, instead of paying for it? Be wise with your money and look for ways to save. 

37. Take on an extra hour/shift at work and save the extra pay. Perhaps you can mow your neighbour’s lawn, for a few extra dollars. Don’t spend the money you make. Save it.

38. Cigarettes, fine dining, gambolling, alcohol and even take-away/fast foods. Touchy topic for those who spend a lot on them. This list isn’t about cutting out all your fun. Money is actually quite flexible, once you begin to have some, and you’ll already know in your heart if you’re overspending in any of these areas. Instead of spending all your resources, give yourself a limit and stick to it. 

39. We’ve all heard it before, but I’m going to say it anyway; bought lunches and coffee at work can cost a fortune, if you’re doing it every day. It doesn’t take a lot of preparation to bring your own from home. Or you could pull out one of those freezer meals you made earlier (see note no.6).

40. Op shopping doesn’t just have to be for the down and out. You can save quite a bit of money shopping for second hand clothing and used household items. 

41. Reuse, recycle, revamp. It’s often a cheaper alternative and the ‘shabby-chic’ look is quite popular these days.

42. Before purchasing an item, ask yourself if you really need it. Sometimes we shop to fill a void; loneliness, or depression. Window shopping is just as much fun and if you don’t need yet another pair of shoes, or another handbag, don’t buy it.

43. If you’re finding you really do want to shop and window shopping just doesn’t cover it, try your local antique store. At least you’ll be buying something which should appreciate with time, rather than depreciate. A word of advice here though; do a little homework before you purchase and make sure you’re getting good value. Antique dealers usually have their stock at retail prices, which means you might just be paying top dollar. Research the item, before you buy it.

44. Keep holidays to an affordable budget. Later, when you have good savings, go for a more expensive holiday if you feel you have to. In the meantime, it can be quite fun to ‘rough it’ a little. Definitely don’t holiday, if you have to use the credit card to get you there. 

45. Plan your outings, with budget in mind. If you are on holiday, have day trips that don’t cost a lot. Look up on line, free things to do, in the area you’re staying and this will minimise the cost of your holiday, but still give you freedom and fun things to do.

46. Some inexpensive motels have kitchenettes. Instead of having all your meals out, while on holiday, challenge yourself to cook something simple and nutritious from the kitchenette. It can be a lot of fun.

47. Try, dare I say it; camping. If you really don’t have money and really do want a holiday, camping (even glamping) is a fun and cheaper alternative, to booking rooms.

48. Once you have savings, look for the best interest rates. Try for a bank which compounds daily, rather than monthly, as the rate of return is greater. 

49. While you’re putting your savings together, look for and learn ways to invest your money. You may be starting out small, but if you stick to it, you’ll eventually end up with a large account and you’ll want the best return on your money. Shares, antiques, coins and stamps, plus a myriad of other ways to invest, means you don’t need a large amount to invest, you just need to know where to invest. But, pay off all debts first and free up your cash.

50. We can spend a fortune on cleaning products, which just sit in our cupboards, taking up space. Use what you have and then purchase (usually at the hardware, for best value) one or two bulk cleaning items. It’s much cheaper to buy it this way, than all those fiddly little spray bottles from the supermarket. Bunnings hardware stores have a spray and wipe refill, which gives you ten times the amount, for almost the same price as the supermarket’s spray and wipe. 

51. Shop online. By all means, price in store, but you want to take advantage of every price saving opportunity. Online shopping has become very popular and you can often bag a bargain, if you know where to look.

52. Christmas and birthdays, can show big depletions in your bank account. Set a budget, for gift buying. Start early and take advantage of sales, discounts, and bargain prices. Often, not a lot of thought goes into how much one should spend at these times and without a budget it’s easy to go over-board. Keep your budget real (affordable) and keep to the budget you set. It’s all too easy to get carried away, during gift giving seasons. Know what you want to spend and don’t go over it.

53. Do you really need a pet groomer, or can you do this yourself, even if only half the time?

54. While we’re on the topic of pets, when it comes to pet food, the cheapest isn’t always the best. Neither do you have to buy the most expensive. Do your due diligence and work out value for money. Tinned pet food, often is made up with water and biscuits can be made from mouldy rice. This isn’t so much a saving’s tip, except with diligence you might find value and minimal cost, without sacrificing the health of your dearly loved pet.

55. Read books on saving and investing and click on other internet sites, to learn other methods, which I may not have covered here. There’s plenty of ideas, floating around. Look at it as a fun challenge, rather than a boring chore and you’ll soon see dollars in the bank.

I’m sure you’ll find other ways to save, once you begin to search for them. Money is quite flexible and you can choose in what areas you’d like to save and what areas you really don’t want to change.

You may even find it fun, to accept the challenge and bring your debts and spending into line and under control. 

If you follow these tips, you’ll change yours and your family’s, financial future and that’s an exciting prospect. 

Your future is determined by the action you take today. Do the work. At the end of the day, are you going to say, I wish I had, or I’m glad I did? 

For more of Alexandra’s written work on finances, investing and becoming debt free, see: 

https://www.amazon.com/Alexandra-Grose/e/B08HXDGFKL%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Alexandra Grose - A photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration. 

  

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it. 

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse. 

Three Simple Steps To Success

 

          Three Simple Steps To Success.

We all have wishes and desires. We all have ideas we wish we could implement and do well at, however, we don’t all know how to grab hold of the abstract ideas in our head. Ideas are intangible and getting them from our mind, to a substance we can take hold of, can be a challenge.

Once you figure out what you want in life, you can then set sail on what's important. Once you have your idea, then you can make a plan and start to implement it.  And if you do it every day and don’t waiver, you will ultimately have success. 

Sure, there'll be times when you're too busy, times where it appears nothing is happening and times you’ll feel like quitting, but continue whenever you can and don't let what's important slide out of your grasp. 

We're all busy. We all have choices and sacrifices to make. You can't have victory, without sacrifice.

Find what you love and once you've decided what that is, persevere. Keep going until you become an expert at it, until you’ve ironed out all the kinks. Commit to taking action and you will succeed eventually.

Successful people are no smarter than you, they just keep going, in spite of how tough life gets. Successful people do what unsuccessful people don’t. They push through the hard times and don’t quit.

Life isn’t as difficult as we tend to think, but it does require work, hard work and if you’re prepared to put in the work, you will see a successful end result. 

Success is quite simple really. You can do it in just 3 steps. 

1. Make a plan.

2. Work the plan.

3. Don’t quit until you get there. 

That’s the key to a successful life. That’s how simple it is.

Sometimes, though, things don’t go to plan. This is where the real hard work begins. Believing in yourself, while you battle through the negatives can be challenging, but it still comes down to perseverance and not giving up. 

If you fail, pick yourself up and start again. If you want to win, you have to take the hard knocks and have another go. Whether it’s losing weight, giving up addiction, improving your fitness, starting a business, or whatever it is, once you start, don’t stop. 

A world class athlete only gets to world number 1, by consistent effort. An athlete doesn’t become the best in the world by intermittent training. An athlete sacrifices a lot of time and effort to get to the top and that’s what you need to do. 

Make a plan, put in the time and effort and don’t quit. That’s what it takes to win. To be successful you need to be the best you can be. You need to work hard and you need to learn everything you can, about the goal you wish to master and you will get there. 

And one day, sometime in the near future, you too can be successful at what you do!

I know, because I’ve done it. I’ve gone from depressed, suicidal, and working at a dead-end job, to becoming a photo journalist and author. 

I've lost weight, made money and am healthier and happier than I've ever been and I did it by making a plan, working the plan and not quitting during the difficult times. And I have to say, I’m glad I did. 

At the end of the day, are you going to say; I wish I had? Or, I’m glad I did! At the end of the day, the choice is yours.

If you're speaking the word of God...

The Pathway to a Wealthy, Successful and Happy Life, is Truly Simple, if you Know the Rules of the Game.

 

The pathway to a wealthy, successful and happy life, is truly simple, if you know the rules of the game.

Risk can be a caution. Risk can also be the pathway to wealth. 

What if …. Is the language of the poor. Overly cautious people never attain a lot in life. They approach life too timidly and steer away from risk and in doing so, don’t get very far. Playing it safe, they miss out on the adventures of life. 

Once you discover it, you’ll find it’s all risky. Trying is risky, investing is risky, having children and driving a car is risky, but wait until you get to the end of your life and see what you’ve lost, in not taking the risk and you’ll see, not taking that risk, was also a risk.

By all means, nestle in a corner, if you want safety and security. You might well live to be 100, but is that any way to live?

Better to live a life of adventure, than safe, but huddled in the corner, don’t you think? It’s not how long we live, but how well we live, that puts the spice in our life.

Take your risks, but only after you’ve prepared yourself to win. Prepare as much as you can, and then act. At least you tried. At least you didn’t remain crouched in the corner, your whole life. 

You can be ever the pessimist, if you want. Pessimism…always looking on the problematic side of life; looking at how it can’t be done, all the while trying to figure out what’s wrong and why you can’t. 

Instead, think about this; Those who say they can’t and those who say they can, they’re both right.  

We all look at things in different ways and in different lights. Is the glass half empty, or half full? Why are we all affected in different ways? It’s the way we think we are, that affects us most.

Poor thinking habits keep people poor. Not poor working habits. You can work hard all your life and still end up poor at the end of it.

As you think, so you become – this is a biblical phrase, as effective in the time it was written thousands of years ago, as it is today.

Poor thinking habits, includes reading the paper and watching the news, loading up on all that’s wrong in the world.

Imagine the kind of days you’ll have when you do this, when you look at all the things going wrong in the world.

If you want to be a leader, if you want to be wealthy, you need to read the right books, watch the right programs on tv and make better use of your screen time. 

What a person reads, changes the fabric of their life, according to what they’re putting into their mind; murder, mayhem, or madness, versus, wealth, wellness and wonder.

If you’re consuming trash, mentally (and for that matter, physically), what you put into your internal frame, is what will show up in your external world.

To live a successful life, you need to select the right ingredients - and it starts with your thoughts.

Put the right mental food into your mind and you’ll have a good life.

It’s that simple.

It doesn’t matter where you get your “bad stuff”, it will still damage you, even if it’s by accident, or neglect. So choose wisely and carefully. 

Stand guard at the door to your mind. You decide what goes into your mental factory and you get to live with the results of your choices. 

Also, when you indulge in complaining, crying, whining, murmuring, you’ll have wasted your time. Each minute spent in these activities, is a minute wasted on not growing your knowledge base effectively. Not only that, you bring economic cancer into your life, in the process. 

And if you don’t believe me, look at those around you. I think you’ll find those watching trashy tv shows and those learning how to invest, will be worlds apart. It’s not just coincidental. 

The war is on and if you want to win the war, you have to have a battle strategy. You have to learn the rules and fight the battle in the right way, if you want to win. 

Wise and careful thoughts, lead to a well lived life. It really is that simple.