Emergency Savings: Why They're Important And How To Find Them

Everybody knows that saving money is important, but people often put it off when they’re younger because they think that the main reason for saving is to prepare yourself for retirement. That is important, but you also need a good savings account to use as an emergency fund. Life is always unpredictable and from time to time, you’re going to be hit with unexpected bills. They might come from serious issues with the home or a broken down car. Whatever it is, if you have to pay out a load of money and you don’t have an emergency fund there to cover the cost, you’ll end up having to borrow money. That’s going to make it harder to save money and lead to financial problems in the future. You can stop all of that from happening and alleviate all of your money worries by building a good emergency fund. Here’s how you can get started today. 

Image  Source

Find The Right Savings Account 

The first step in any savings plan is finding a good savings account. There are a lot to choose from so it can be difficult to decide which is best. Most people focus on the interest rate which is important, but it’s not the only thing. As well as finding an account with a high interest rate, you also need to think about the fees. High fees are going to eat into your savings more than you realize. Luckily, there are plenty of accounts that don’t have high fees. Most of the top online savings accounts have low fees and decent interest rates so they’re probably your best option. You should also think about how easily you can access the money. If you’ve got a savings account that you can easily dip into, you’re more likely to struggle with your saving. 

Set A Savings Goal

Now that you’ve found the perfect savings account, you need to start filling it up. If you don’t have a solid savings plan, you’re not going to get that far. Set yourself a savings goal, about half a years worth of expenses is a good number to aim for. Then you can start looking over your finances and work out how much you can afford to put aside. As soon as you get paid, put the money in your savings and forget about it. 

Save Change 

Saving up change doesn’t sound like the most effective way of building up a good emergency fund but you’d be surprised. Putting all of your extra change into a jar is a start, but what you should really be doing is cutting out the small purchases that you make throughout the day and putting the money in a change jar instead. Things like coffee or sandwiches that you waste money on every single day quickly add up over the weeks and months. Even if you saved $1 a day, that’s $365 in your emergency fund every year. 

If you don’t build an emergency fund right away, you could easily land yourself in financial trouble when disaster strikes. 

Tax And Your Freelance Business: Everything You Need To Know

If you’ve spent years in the rat race, working a job you hate to survive, you know the incremental frustration that builds up week upon week, month upon month and year upon year. You know how spirit crushing it can be to slave away in a boring, repetitive and meaningless job while the skills you spent your formative years developing go to waste. This isn’t the adulthood you were sold. You were told that all of your hard work, study and endeavor would pay off. Yet here you are, years later, spending 8-12 hours a day in a cubicle under fluorescent lighting wondering if anyone even knows you’re there.

Image by MaxPixel

Yet all this living death is almost worth it when you’re able to shake of the shackles of corporate wage suppression and the anaesthesia of the 9 to 5 (or increasingly, 8 to 6) and go into business for yourself. If you’ve recently begun freelancing it can be extremely intoxicating being able to make a living doing something you love and working on your own terms. Just make sure that, in lieu of a payroll department, you’re honoring your tax commitments. Running afoul of the IRS could not only be damaging to your reputation, it could see you stuck with a hefty fine that could seriously cripple your operation. 

Here are some things you need to know about tax and your freelance business...

Even if you only freelance as a side hustle, it’s still taxable income

Many freelancers begin their career as a side hustle in their free time so that they can build their experience and establish a healthy client base while still enjoying the steady income from your day job. Just keep in mind that even if you’re side hustling the income from your business is still taxable and must be declared. Even a small amount needs to be declared to the IRS. The rule of thumb is, if in doubt, always declare. The IRS is far more lenient with those who are open and honest with them. 

Invest in an accountant

Even if you have a good working understanding of how to fill out your tax returns, it’s still advisable to invest in an accountant. Sure, they may represent a significant overhead, but they provide the peace of mind that comes with knowing your accounts are in safe hands. A good accountant will also generally save you more than they cost.

Accounting for your earnings

Needless to say, if the IRS is to accurately gauge your income, it’s your responsibility to keep an accurate record of your earnings and that means keeping an up to date account of your invoices. If any labor you undertake is of a casual nature and your client is unable to validate your invoice, use this paystub generator. An accurate and up to date account of your earnings is essential to keep the IRS on side. 

Keep track of your expenses

Finally, it’s important to remember that you are taxed not on your earnings but on your profits. Thus, it’s essential that you keep an up to date record of all expenses incurred throughout the running of your business. An accountant is especially useful here as they may be able to help you get a clear picture of what can and can’t be claimed for business purposes. 

Inflatable Island Philippines - The Biggest Floating Playground in Asia

The summer is over and the kids are back to school. Vacations and road trips won't happen until weather warms up again. Ten months to plan the next grand family vacation is more than enough time to do research and save for it.

A vacation overseas may seem costly, however, with careful planning, a dream becomes a reality. Why not visit Asia? The Philippines has the some of the best beaches in this part of the world! Imagine all those 7,107 islands boasting of luxury resorts, pristine lakes and virgin beaches. Think paradise! 

Recently, a unique resort has been established in Subic Bay, Zambales, Philippines. For a bit of information, Subic Bay used to be the site of the United States Naval Base. It is situated in the main island of Luzon, approximately 159.5 kilometers (99 miles) from the capital of Manila. 

Inflatable Island goes by the tagline "Beach Play Reimagined," and it truly lives up to that. It is the biggest floating island in Asia, measuring  4,100 square meters (4,908 square yards) or just about the size of 8 full size basketball courts put together side by side. It contains inflatables slides, towers, bridges, human launchers, swings and so much more! Challenge friends to a race or just compete against yourself. A good, total body workout doesn't get better than this!

The newest addition to this floating playground is the "Unicorn Island" for the kids and kids at heart. Start with the rainbow walk and enjoy climbing the sea unicorn and sliding down the back of a giant magical horse named "Baba." 

The Inflatable Zoo is giant animal shaped floaties near the beach. If you want some relax time or get that perfect tan, these floaties are ideal for that. 

When the day winds down, families may find a nice spot on the Pink Bali Lounge and watch a movie on the giant floating cinema! Amazing!

This awesome beach playground's rates will not burn a hole in your budget. Considering the current exchange rate of  $1.00 = PhP53.50, a whole day pass will only cost less than $16.00 per person or $79.64 for a family of 5!!

Make the Philippines your next vacation destination in Asia. There are many luxury hotels around the area so finding the accommodation that would suit your needs will not be a challenge. While in Subic, you may also check out other cool places like the Zoobic Safari and Ocean Adventure. Remember to ask your travel agent about these too.

Unsure about the perfect time to book a stay? Here's a tip - the best months to visit the Philippines is between March to May. It is during this time that the weather is warm and rainfall is minimal. 

If you need more information about Inflatable Island, check out their website and Facebook page. 

Note: This is NOT a sponsored post. 

You Don't Have To Move To Feel Like You're In A New Home

Sometimes, when people get bored with their home, they just up and move. But this is not always going to be necessary. There are ways that you can redo your home so that it feels new when you’ve actually been living there for years. From simple changes to more drastic changes, you can make your home feel brand new. Moving should only be considered as a last resort if the only reason you want to move is that you’re bored with how your home looks. We’ve come up with some things that you can do to make your home feel new.

Redo Your Bedroom

Credit Link

One of the first rooms in your house that you should change up is your bedroom. You will probably spend quite a lot of time in there as this is where you get dressed, sleep and many people will spend some down time in their bedroom. If you want it to feel new, you should consider completely changing the style of your room so that it looks nothing like before. Change the paint or the wallpaper, get a new bed, buy a new dresser, there are so many options for you to choose from. Even something as simple as buying a new rug can change the design of a room. 

Add A Pool

This one is for those of you who have a little extra cash laying around. You can think about putting a pool in your garden. When you invest in a pool though, you are also going to have to invest in a heater. A site like Best 4 Your Home will provide you with reviews to help you find the best pool heater for your pool.

Another thing you need to think about with a pool is how big do you want it to be? Measure your garden and figure out what size pool will fit best and then start looking into how much this is going to cost. You might find that it is not as expensive as you previously thought and it will make a wonderful addition to your home. This may make your home feel new as it is something that you have not previously had and will be something to look forward to using.

Give Your Kitchen A Makeover

Your kitchen is likely to be the place that you make and eat all of your meals. As such, you will spend a good portion of your day in this room, and you need to make it feel brand new. You can invest in a new oven or a new hob. Induction hobs will save you money on your electric bill as they only heat up the part of the hob that the pan is on. A new oven will make your kitchen look nice and sparkly when it is installed.

You should consider painting your kitchen. You might find yourself bored with whatever color you currently have. Changing it rather drastically to something completely different is going to be fun and also make the room feel fresh. Even if you just do this, something as simple as a coat of paint can make a whole room feel brand new.

New Furniture

Pic source

As the saying goes, it’s out with the old and in with the new. Throw away all that old furniture and replace it with something that you love. You can do this with every room in the house, or you can just choose one. The living room would be a good place to start this little experiment as this is likely to be where most of your furniture is. Sofas, chairs and coffee tables can all be replaced and give your room a completely new look. If you want to go further with this, you can always hang some new wallpaper. This is a more simple change from replacing all of your furniture, but if you combine the two, you might find that it is like looking at a new room.

Or, you can change your furniture around. You don’t need to buy new furniture every time you want to change up your room. 

Invest In Tech

Tech is becoming more and more common in households across the world. From games consoles to smart fridges, tech is certainly becoming more dominant on the market. Buying new tech is definitely going to make you feel like you’re in a new home because it will be something that you have never had in any of the other places you have previously lived. You can get an Amazon Alexa that can control your lights and if you ask it questions, will scour the web and answer them for you.

We hope that these ideas will be beneficial to you and you will consider redoing your house instead of selling it.

Tricked By The Trade: Fighting Your Corner As A Consumer

Image Source

As a consumer, it should be fair to assume that you’re always safe when you’re spending your money with a company you recognize. There are strict laws in place across the world which make it hard for businesses to take advantage of their customers, and most simply wouldn’t want to damage their reputation by upsetting the people spending money with them. Of course, though, it doesn’t always work out this way, and a lot of people find themselves in bad positions when they trust the wrong company just a little too much.

Where Do You Stand?

When you think a business has done something bad to you, the very first thing to do will be figuring out where you stand. The law won’t always be behind you when you’re starting a fight like this. In other cases, though, you might have a very good leg to stand on, and it will be worth figuring this out as early on as possible. A quick Google search or two should be able to reveal other users who have had similar problems, giving you access to people who can serve as evidence of your potential success.

Researching The Issue

The research doesn’t stop here, though. Instead, when you’re doing work like this, you’re going to need to put a lot of time into research, as this will help you to understand the problem you’re having in greater detail. In some cases, you may find that the potential return from a consumer fight is far too small to make it worth doing anything. This won’t always be the case, though, and your web-based research could show you the true extent of the company’s mistakes.

Finding Solutions

One of the hardest parts of this sort of process is finding the solution you’re going to use. Whether you’ve fallen in a store and they’re refusing to help you, or you bought a product a product and it simply didn’t arrive, know which direction to go in can be impossible. With the help of a highly experienced and respected law firm behind you, this part of the job should get a lot easier, especially for those with no experience with legal issues. The solution you choose could take awhile to work out, but will be worth it in the end.

Spotting Signs Of Trickery

Finally, as the last area to consider, it’s time to think about how trickery might be spotted going into the future. It can be hard to rely on trust when you’re buying products from a big business. You assume that you can expect to get what they tell you they will provide, but they won’t always pull through. One of the easiest ways to solve this issue is through reviews, as most companies which are willing to trick their customers will have done it before.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start working harder on the time you put into fighting your corner when you come up against a big business. This sort of process can quickly become a big challenge, especially when you’re dealing with a very large corporation, and you will have to use everything you can to make a difference.

The 4 Way Test

It suddenly came upon me the other day... I have not been seeing these signs that used to be all over the main thoroughfare in Metro Manila. Have they been taken down? If so, then why?

I loved those signs, they were little reminders of our calling to serve. I am not a member of the Rotary Club, but I just find this particular campaign of theirs really appealing.

When my eldest child was in Nursery school, she participated in a special activity sponsored by the Rotary Club. All the little kids in her school were given t-shirts with the print "I am a Rota-kid." The activity for that day was to interact through play and little performances with children their age who were students at the public elementary school nearby. I found the activity very good, because it bridged the gap between children from private schools and those in the public education system. There were no inhibitions, there was no racism. The children had a good time and the activity ended with the private school kids giving a little "loot bag" to their new found friends. The whole day was filled with smiles and laughter. Years from that heart-warming activity, I wonder where those kids are now. Do they remember? 

The 4-way Test tugs at our conscience. These 4 simple questions can be used to improve our daily relations with the people we love, the people we work with, and the people we meet on the street. By keeping these little reminders in our minds and hearts, we can strengthen our morals and ethics. 

In our every day battle of survival in the modern world, we must never forget about how we interact with other people. Were we kind? Did we do something to make someone else's life a little better? Did we share a smile today? We must always work towards going the "right way" and this may be accomplished by having a "yes" response to all the 4 questions. Our actions are dictated by our thoughts. If we keep positive thoughts, then our actions will provide positive results. A concrete example would be the practice of "paying it forward." Did we serve others without expecting something in return? Did we put service above self?

Our children deserve all the good things we enjoyed when we were their age. Let us set an example to them and rid the world of divisiveness. They will inherit this earth in due time. Give them a peaceful world. PLEASE.

It has been almost 5 years ago since I wrote this post. Sadly, nothing has changed. I live in a country riddled with corruption, distrust in the government and poverty all around. It saddens me to think about of the kind of world will my children and grandchildren have to live in. 

Improve Your Home's Energy Efficiency Today

How efficient your home is is one of those things we all think about from time to time. It is useful to pay attention to for a number of reasons, some of them personal and some a little wider than that. Clearly, the more energy efficient your home is, the less money you are having to spend on your maintenance and energy bills, and sometimes that means that spending a little upfront can be worthwhile. Similarly, if you home is more energy efficient then you are not making such a great impact on the environment, which is definitely something to be proud of as well. In this post,m we are going to look at some of the really simple and yet highly effective ways in which you can ensure that your home's energy efficiency is going to be increased and improved in no time. All of these simple acts are likely to make a considerable difference.

Pic source

Replace The Windows

If your windows are even ten years old, you will find that they are just not holding in heat as well as you would hope. It is always worth having them checked out, and if they are less than perfect, you might want to call out a paint and glass window replacement service to re-fix them for you. You will find that this immediately makes the home warmer, and that you are therefore spending much less on energy bills straight away. You will also be able to essentially feel safer in the home, which is a bonus that everyone can appreciate, as your windows are one of the major safety concerns in any home. Replace The windows and you will generally improve your home in a number of ways, so it is definitely worth your while.

Reduce Water Consumption

If you really care about utilising the energy in your home, you will want to pay attention even to the amount of water you are using. People often think of this merely as an issue of the waste of water itself, but actually it is more than that. When you use water, you are effectively using the energy of the suppliers who bring it into the pipes into your home. Likewise, if you use heated water, that will be using energy in your own home as well, which is going to work against what you are trying to do here. You can easily use less water by being constantly and consistently aware of your usage and cutting down where appropriate. Just make sure that you do so and don’t let it falter, and you will find that you can really make a huge difference here.

Pic source

Insulate

If your home is not already well insulated, you will want to think about doing so in order to make sure that you are only using the energy necessary to keep the home warm. It’s very simple - the better the insulation, the less energy you have to use. With that in mind, it’s worth ensuring that you have the best insulation you can afford throughout your home.

Nasty Scams You Want To Watch Out For

Image Source

As much as we wish life was flying unicorns, cakes for breakfast, sleeping in cloud-like beds and never shedding a tear, it’s not. There are little niggles, hiccups, bumps and lumps that we need to do battle with more and more, and a prime example of this are scams. It’s something we all have to be wary of and dodge on a day to day basis nowadays, and it totally sucks. But playing ignorant is not going to save you, which is why we want to do a little post on the topic and focus on the kind of consumer scams that we are all susceptible to.

The reason for this is simple: just this morning, we received an email receipt from Uber for a fare that apparently cost is $329.42. That sort of thing has become commonplace, but it still makes us wonder what the angle is, whether our card was used or whether this is the scam itself. It’s frustrating and frightening. 

So, without further ado, here is a list of the most prolific scams out there right now. If knowledge is power, hopefully, your journey through laugh will see these nasty people wasting their time with you and everyone else, as you stand your ground.

1. Jackpotting

Believe it or not,  hackers have found a way to hijack ATMs so that they then spew out cash, and they do it with bad actors disguised as repairmen who then install some sort of malicious software that causes the machine to cough up all its cash. So, if you see a machine that’s clearly haywiring, you can guarantee it’s been hacked. 

2. Secretary of State

Another scam that has been doing the rounds is regarding an email from Rex Tillerson, former Secretary of State, emailing people with regards to an $1.85 million payment that you are owed after being falsely investigated by both the FBI and the CIA. The hope is you’ll believe these fakes are official government officials and hand over your details so that you can claim your compensation. Don’t do it. 

3. Disability Insurance Fraud

We received information from LongTermDisabilityLawyer.com about more and more people receiving long-term disability benefits even though they are unusually healthy. And it’s a worry. These people are claiming they can’t work their desk job, but there are photos of them all over Instagram of them at Disney World last week. Trust us: disability fraud is a very severe and illegal move to make. 

4. Shimmer Scam

Another one that is reportedly on the rise involves thieves "skimming" your ATM card and stealing your details from the magnetic strip (yes, that strip does something). This is where fraudsters use devices called "shimmers", popping them in the card slots at ATMs and then take your card data from the chip, which can then be used to create a clone of your card and rack up charges. It’s dreadful but very real. 

5. Phishing

Email phishing is still a big scam and one that is getting more sophisticated by the minute. Like we aid, we received one from “Uber”, while fraudsters have been pretending to be Apple and Amazon over the years too. The problem is, they look so real these emails. Thankfully, clicking on their email address will display one that’s far from legit. That’s how to test. 

How to Choose the Perfect Theme for Your Room

If you have a room that you want to decorate then it is so important that you choose a theme. If you do not choose a theme then your room may end up looking the opposite to what you want and you may even find that you are just not able to bring certain decorations together either. Luckily, choosing a theme for your room has never been easier or more convenient.

Pick a Theme you are Passionate About

A lot of people confuse their interests with passion. If you start decorating a room with a certain theme then you can’t have a change of heart halfway through. If you do then this will cost you time, money and extra effort. For this reason, you need to stick with the passions that you have because they will last much longer when compared to your interests. Your passion could be to do with anything, but when you do make your decision, make sure that you are happy to be surrounded by it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-wooden-kitchen-island-1027508/

Buying your Products

 

This may sound daft, but if you pick a theme then make sure that you aren’t limited to one shop when decorating. It’s helpful to be able to buy things from your local market for example, as this can save you a ton of money and even more time. If you have to order everything in online then this will make it even harder for you to finish the job and you may even find that you lose interest halfway through as well so do keep that in mind.

 

Make Sure that the Theme fits with the Space

 

Certain themes or designs will require far more space when compared to others. Some themes are suited to smaller rooms and others are suited to much larger rooms. Don’t try and copy a style blindly and don’t try and force a style to fit in with a room that is just not suitable. This will cause you a ton of problems later on and it will also make it much harder for you to get a good result out of it. If you want to get budget items then consider checking out habitathm.ca/restore/ as this is a great store that can provide you with whatever you need.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/apartment-ceiling-chairs-contemporary-280232/

Plan for your Budget

 

Remember that you do not have endless money to spend on your theme, so try and choose something that gives you the chance to decorate your room without going out of your budget. You also have to make sure that your theme does not compromise your comfort or even the utility factor of your room. After all, a room that looks great but isn’t comfortable isn’t really good for anything and you don’t want to be throwing money down the drain either.

 

Of course, there are so many things that you have to take into consideration when choosing your theme and when you are able to make the right decision with it, you know that everything else will fall into place.

WorldCiti Medical Center's New Pediatric Floor: Making Your Child's Hospital Stay A Little Less Stressful

Sickness has plagued my family since January. During the first 11 weeks of this year, four of my family members were admitted to different hospitals.

In January, my mom was admitted to the University of Santo Tomas hospital in Manila for a Modified Radical Mastectomy of her left breast. She was diagnosed to have Stage III-C Breast Cancer at the time of her surgery.

Early February, my husband was admitted to The Medical City hospital in Ortigas because of extreme pain in his lower back. My husband has been diagnosed with lumbar stenosis and scoliosis years ago and that is the cause of  his chronic back pain. 

On the 3rd week of February, my niece suffered from acute gastroenteritis and was admitted to the National Kidney Institute in Quezon City.

The first week of March had my sister admitted to the WorldCiti Medical Center in Quezon City because of Hypokalemia and Hypocalcemia, probably brought about by stress and in part as a result of her Thyroidectomy in mid-2017.

Well you would think everything is fine now, but, unfortunately, we are still seeing family members getting ill. My mom's disease progressed to Stage IV Breast Cancer, with bone metastasis in her hip. My husband's lower back pain has not disappeared, although it is now being managed by opioid analgesics. My niece recently suffered from sore throat, and since her kidneys are not fully functioning (as a result of Glomerulonephritis three years ago), she showed signs of edema in her legs and around her eyes. 

The most recent "victim" was my grandson. He was admitted to the WorldCiti Medical Center because spiking fever and diarrhea. We feared it might be Dengue Fever but all screening tests and  blood profile tests showed a negative result for the disease (thank God!). The diarrhea led to dehydration so starting an IV line was a must. The initial diagnosis was Acute Gastroenteritis with dehydration fever, but then it turned out that he had a bad sore throat too. My grandson stayed in the hospital for 4 days. 

WorldCiti Medical Center is only a kilometer (1.6 miles) from home so it is our "emergency hospital" because of its proximity. I was surprised to see the renovations done on the entire 7th floor which is now the Pediatrics floor.  It is very child-friendly with bright painted walls, a reading nook, themed private rooms and strollers that are actually huge plastic toy cars! 

Here are the photos I took of the Pediatric Floor of the World Citi Medical Center:

His room and bed for the next 4 days

Private Room # 703 - his home for 4 days

The hallway and strollers

A comfy couch of the reading nook beside the bookshelf

Lots of kid-friendly books you can borrow

The nurses' station

The elevator lobby

Trying out the toy cars. It is a little difficult with an IV line attached.

Killing time by learning to draw

Yay! IV line gone. He's coming home!

I would like to thank WorldCiti Hospital for the excellent care they've provided. I would also like to express my gratitude to my grandson's wonderful and kind pediatrician, Dr. Arlene Dy-Co and to all the Pediatric nurses who were very caring and patient with my grandson, despite his ear-drum breaking screams every time they enter his room. 

I ask you, my dear readers, to please keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers. May we survive the rest of this year with no more hospital confinements. 

For God's Grace, I pray. 

Note: This is NOT a sponsored post. The opinions are 100% my own and based on my grandson's recent confinement in this hospital.