Get Paid What You’re Worth

by: admin - October 24th, 2008   Filed under: Easy Finance, Money Thoughts 1 Comment

There are several websites that disclose employee salaries from various industries. This transparency is quite surprising, but in the age where more people are upset about unfair executive compensation, why not reveal salaries, so we know if it even vaguely matches the work being done? Here is a list of some popular salary websites:

* Glassdoor.com – employees share salaries and review employers.

* Salary.com – offers a wide range of employment information, and includes an analysis of salaries for various positions.

* Payscale.com – offers free or premium salary reports. It also offers a variety of tools (such as cost-of-living calculator) and other resources.

* SalaryScout.com, includes an interesting world map of salaries.

My favorite is Payscale since it offers a solid balance of information while being easy to navigate.

For a good general overview of jobs in the US, check out the occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The website provides information on the education and training required for many careers, job descriptions, their earnings, and future prospects.

Finding out what salaries are offered to our colleagues is useful if we’re underpaid, resulting in us being informed and empowered when asking for a raise. Hiding salary information does seem like an outdated concept, likely to be advocated by employers, not so much by employees.

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Tips To Live A More Frugal LifeStyle During These Tough Economic Times

by: admin - October 22nd, 2008   Filed under: Easy Finance Add Comment

Cutting back when times are tough is a reality for a great portion of us. While it’s not always fun, the good news is that there’s many different ways to save a few (or even a few hundred) dollars – and I’ve compiled a little list to get you thinking in the frugal mindset. So, use and enjoy!

Reevaluate Your Auto Needs – Can your family make due with one car? Extra Insurance and car payments are costly, and downsizing to one vehicle can add a lot of breathing room to a tight budget. Try carpooling or using public transit to get around when a personal vehicle is not readily available.

Quit A Bad Habit – I’ll be honest here – this one is much easier said than done. However, if you can stop or reduce the amount of time and money spent indulging in bad habits (smoking, drinking, eating unhealthy foods) you’ll save a bundle.

Buy Used – Get over the stigma of buying used merchandise and find a bargain on just about everything you purchase – clothes, electronics, tools, you name it – it’s cheaper used.

Walk, Walk, Walk - Fuel prices are high, and obesity is on the rise – why not help to kill two birds with one stone by making walking an integral part of your life? It can be tough to do without the convenience of a warm vehicle at first – but it’s something you get used to, and I promise you’ll fit more comfortably in your jeans too.

How Many Phones Do You Really Need? – Are you paying for each member of your household to have a wireless phone? If your wallet is hurting, go back to a singular land-line, and rake in the savings.

Replace That Steak With Celery - Okay, that title is maybe a wee bit on the extreme side, however cutting back on meat and consuming more vegetarian meals is a sure-fire way to reduce the size of your grocery bill.

I hope you enjoyed these tips, but remember that they’re just a starting point. If you have additional methods that you use to save money, feel free to share them in the comments below.

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Stop Planning: 50 Ways to Improve Your Finances Today

by: admin - January 4th, 2008   Filed under: Easy Finance, Money Thoughts 34 Comments

I only have one resolution for 2008: action.

You can set all the right goals, have all the right intentions, and know all the right stuff, but if you don’t act, none of it means anything. I learned that when I was a teenager, and it’s the only resolution I’ve made ever since.

If you want to achieve your financial goals, I think you should make it your only resolution too. Most people spend their entire lives intending to get rich but never make it, and it’s almost always because they never actually do anything

So take action. Here’s how:

First, forget about planning for 2008. A year is too long of a timeline. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time remembering what I’m supposed to be doing for 15 minutes, much less an entire year.

Second, focus on today. Figure out just one thing you can do today to move yourself closer to the finances you’ve always wanted. Then do it.

Third, pick one thing the next day, and the next day, and the next day, until you wake up six months from now and realize you’ve already achieved all of your goals for 2008, and you have to set new ones.

If you’re having trouble coming up with one thing to do, I’ve put together a list of 50 ideas to get you started.

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The Moneymaking Formula for Math Flunkies

by: admin - October 20th, 2007   Filed under: Easy Finance, Money Thoughts 6 Comments

During college, only one class brought me close to tears… calculus.

Call me stupid, but it took me forever to start understanding how equations, graphs, and numbers all fit together. I spent 40 hours a week studying for that one class and nearly fell apart after every test.

Ultimately, I got through it, but I started to wonder, “Am I really cut out for business? Doesn’t it involve crunching a lot of numbers?” I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life going through that kind of misery.

Have you ever felt the same way?

Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is business does involve some math. The good news is it ain’t calculus.

You can actually reduce moneymaking to one simple formula. It governs everything from your profit per product to how much of your salary you’re able to save and invest. And it’s very, very easy to understand.

What is this formula?
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