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The Advantages Of Using A Credit Card For All Your Monthly Expenses

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:49:34 +0000

When utilized properly, a credit card can be an excellent tool for managing your monthly expenses. You can effectively use your credit cards to charge all of your purchases and bills to streamline and thus make your life easier. When they are used correctly, charging everything on your credit cards can save you a lot of time while helping you maximize your credit card’s rewards program.

Establishing A Budget
The first step to using your credit card for all your monthly charges and expenses is to correctly setting up a monthly budget. When you set spending limits for yourself, then you can be sure that you’re not charging more on your credit card than you are able to pay off at the end of the month. First, start with all your set monthly bills and expenses such as: (mortgage payments, utilities, car loan etc), then add all your set variable monthly costs such as(gas, food, entertainment, etc), and then compare these totals with your monthly income to establish a spending limit in each area. Most credit cards will allow you online access to help you keep an eye on your purchases on a daily basis.

Credit Card Payments
If at all possible, set your bills and expenses up so that they automatically charge your credit card each month. Keep in mind that it’s not possible to charge each and every expense and item on your card, but take advantage of this as much as possible. When you are choosing a credit card, make sure the card is accepted by the stores you usually shop.

Ease Your Record Keeping
Putting all your purchases on your credit card makes record keeping easier. Instead of having a lot of transactions to record in your checking book throughout the month, you can now only have just the one check that you write to pay off your monthly credit card balance. This makes it much easier to balance your bank balance and checkbook.

Your bank statement keeps a record of every transaction that has occurred in your account during the month. So when paying for as many expenses as you can on your credit card, you are thus reducing the number of bank transactions that appear on your statement. The lower number of transactions makes it easy to compare it with your checkbook. Doing this will save you a lot of time, and also reduces any margin of error in your bank records by making it easier to spot mistakes.

Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards Program
Putting your expenses on a credit card that has a ‘rewards program’ allows you to receive the maximum benefits offered by these programs. Obviously the more that you charge to the credit card, the more rewards you will earn. Say for example, you have a card that features a “Cash Back” reward program which pays 1 or 2% for each qualified purchase. If you set your budget for monthly expenditures at $2,000.00, and if you use your ‘rewards’ credit card to pay for all of them, you will earn a free $20 to $40 per month. That totals to an extra $240 to $480 each year, just for smartly using of your credit card. Don’t forget there are other rewards programs, such as travel rewards or store rewards. When choosing a credit card that offers a rewards program, chose one that will be most advantageous to you or your family.

Here Are Some Things To Keep In Mind
Pay attention to the credit card fees, their grace periods and interest rates when you are choosing a card. Make sure that the benefits of charging everything on the credit card outweigh these costs. Also, you staying within your pre-set budget limitations is the key to the success of this approach. You must also pay off your credit card in full each month in order for any of these advantages to work and be worthwhile.

Paying all your monthly expenditures and expenses with your credit card can make things a lot more simpler while helping you leverage your credit card rewards program. Choose a credit card wisely by comparing hidden fees, interest rates, and the rewards programs. Establish a set budget, set up your payments to be charged to your card, and make sure you stay within your limits. You will then start to see the benefits of using credit cards.

Fat Is Gross Right? Well Find Out Which Types Are Good Or Bad Fats For Your Health

admin — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:14:48 +0000

The Different Fat Types And Their Effects
So you’re thinking that any type of fat consumption is bad for you. You’re thinking fat intake can contribute to or cause heart disease, obesity, and other potential health problems. However, there are different types of fat out there and they all effect your health differently. Here is a list of the different types of fat and their categories as well as the effect they can have on your diet:

Mono-Unsaturated Fat - This type of fat is known as a ‘fatty acid’, but when consumed in moderation can actually prevent heart disease and circulatory problems.

Omega-6-Poly-Unsaturated Fat - This fat type can also help in preventing heart disease if consumed in moderation. However, it can also cause inflammatory reactions. The type of reaction however are benign and when they are provoked they can fight disease. But consistently high inflammatory responses are dangerous, and can cause heart trouble, rheumatism, and cancer. So high amounts of consumption of Omega-6-Poly-Unsaturated Fat is therefore dangerous.

Omega-3-Poly-Unsaturated Fat - Omega 3 is one of the good fats as it helps in preventing heart disease and also reduces inflammatory reactions when taken in moderate amounts. Thus, it reduces the risk of cancer, intestinal inflammations as well as rheumatism.

Omega-9-Poly-Unsaturated Fat - This fat can also prevent heart disease and can reduce inflammatory reactions when taken in moderate amounts. Reduces the risk of cancer, rheumatism and intestinal inflammations.

Saturated Fats - This type of fat is not really that dangerous in small amounts. But when consumed in higher amounts, saturated fats can contribute to high cholesterol levels, which causes clogging of blood vessels, and eventually coronary heart disease. It also increases the risk of infarct of the heart as well as other vital organs.

Cholesterol - Cholesterol is best described as a fat-like compound which is found in certain foods. It is also created from saturated fats which are already resident in the body. High intake levels of saturated fat or cholesterol will then further elevate the cholesterol levels in the body. Although cholesterol is a necessary compound, high amounts of it can cause clogging of the blood vessels, which causes coronary heart disease and the risk of infarct of the heart.

Trans-Fat - The dreaded Trans Fat. This has a bad reputation for a reason. It’s bad. This type of fat is actually produced by chemical processing to yield mechanical properties. One example is cheap margarine, which often contains this type of fat. Trans Fat is dangerous, and is a causal component for heart disease as well as cancer. There is one exception however: Some amounts of fat containing trans acid conjugated linoleic acid seems to help preserving healthy skin and may also help reduce weight. Conjugated linoleic acid is primarily found in milk and butter.

Some Common Problems Associated With The Average Diet
It’s pretty well known that the average North American and most European diets contain too much of the bad fats and carbohydrates. The fats which are consumed are generally saturated fat, trans fat and omega-6-poly-unsaturated fats. These bad fat combination’s which are consumed causes obesity and is the major contributing factor for heart disease, intestinal inflammatory diseases, cancer, rheumatism and other unwanted conditions.

Recommended Amounts Of Fat In Your Diet
A general rule is approximately 25 to 30% of the energy consumed on a daily basis is needed to be replaced by fat and carbohydrates. There are some that recommend a low carbohydrate diet containing more fat, while others may recommend a higher carbohydrate diet with lower fat.

In either case, the intake of fat and carbohydrates should not be higher than your daily calorie consumption if you have normal weight. If your wanting to lose weight, the combined amount should be lower. If your wanting to gain weight, the combined amounts should be higher.

Getting The Right Mixture Of Fat Types
It’s important to get the right mixture of the different fat types in your diet for optimal good health. If you have an active physical lifestyle that demands more energy, then you can increase the amount of carbohydrates and mono-unsaturated fat intake.

Mono-Unsaturated Fat - Ideally as much as 30 to 35% of the fat consumption should be from Mono-Unsaturated fat. This fat can be found in olive oil, rapeseed oil and walnut oil.

Omega-6-Poly-Unsaturated Fat - Up to 25 to 30% of the fat consumed should be this fat type. Omega-6-Poly-Unsaturated Fat can be found in soy oil and corn oil.

Omega-3-and Omega-9-Poly-Unsaturated Fat - 15 to 20% of your daily fat consumption should be from these two types. You can find them in fish oil and fat fish. If you happen to suffer from inflammatory conditions such as rheumatism or intestinal inflammation, you can benefit by increasing the amount of these fats, while reducing the amounts of other fats.

Saturated Fat - No more than 15 to 20% of fat consumption should be saturated fats. Saturated fat is commonly found in animals and mammals, coconuts and milk.

Cholesterol - The cholesterol level depends on the combined amounts of daily consumed cholesterol and saturated fat. To keep proper cholesterol levels, you should not be consuming too much saturated fats, or foods containing high cholesterol levels, such as eggs.

Trans-fat - Trans fat should be avoided from your diet altogether. Types of foods such as store bought cookies, margarine, instant snacks and some breads all contain trans fat. So make sure you reduce the consumption of these foods by checking their ingredients.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid - The only type of trans fat that can help in limited amounts is Linoleic Acid. It’s naturally found in milk fat, and also sold as a dietary supplement. Small amounts of Linoleic Acid may help keep the skin healthy and may also help you to lose weight.

5 SEO Linking Strategies To Keeping Your Website On The First Page Of The Search Engines

admin — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:03:32 +0000

If you operate a website or blog, and want to keep it on top of the Search Engines, here are five easy linking strategies that you need to do on a daily basis.

5 Useful Website Linking Strategies:
1. Make sure you manage and control all your links. Check on a daily basis to make sure that none of your current inbound or outbound links are not invalid or dead. Also check to see if there are any websites linking back to you that you are not aware of. If you operate a website that has a large number of links pointing back to you and they are not relevant to the content of your site, get rid of them, especially if they look spammy. (Such as Casino and Pharmacy sites).

2. Organize your links by putting the most relevant ones first. Make sure that you and they use descriptive anchor text links that are sufficiently labeled or tagged to accurately describer the page thats linked to. Also put them into categories if you have a significant number of them. If you have say a links page with more than 20+ links on it, then is a good idea to perhaps turn it into a link directory page of some sort. This can also help you in organizing the page so you can get additional links pointing to your site in exchange for links on the directory page. Always check the sites that you’re linking to and make sure that they back-link back to you.

3. Make sure you process link request emails on a regular basis. Whenever you receive a request for a link exchange, make it a priority to respond quickly. If you want to decline a link request, let the webmaster know the reason why. They may be able to correct your requests to make them potential link partners in the future. It is common courtesy to let the webmaster know whether or not you are willing to exchange links within a few days of receiving a request. Webmasters will be impressed if you send them a personalized email regarding your approval or disapproval of the link exchange request.

4. Regularly Check On Link Forums. This is an excellent way… forums can be potential goldmines to finding other sites to exchange reciprocal links with. But unfortunately, there are a lot of spam on these boards and you have to weed through the terrible and useless sites and grab only the good ones. If you encounter spammy forum members, inform them to the moderator or administrator. It is important and a benefit to everyone else that these forums be kept clean and the search engines may consider it a link farm than a link exchange service.

5. Finally, make sure each and every link and feature on your website is working properly. Especially if you have dynamic content on your site that updates itself. The difference between a good dynamic site and a poor one is the quality dynamic site delivers precise content at the right time and the site appears static and planned out at all times.

Do Daily Maintenance
Take the time to make sure that your website is functioning properly on a daily basis. Keep adding new relevant material to the site as updating it regularly will keep search engine spiders to return more often.

When asking for link exchanges, never agree to link someones site without asking for a link in exchange, unless it is paid for. Also, all your incoming as well as outgoing links need to be related and relevant to your site’s content for you to be ranked high in the search engines.

Some Basic Link Checks
Some websites will use robots.txt to stop search engines from indexing their links pages, thinking that outbound links will count against them. To check if that’s the case with any website, type in their URL with /robots.txt on the end (example: www.someoneswebsite.com/robots.txt). If a page that says ‘Disallow’ comes up, then that means they are not letting spiders index that particular page. Don’t obviously exchange links with that site or ask for your link to be removed.

You should also make sure that the website is not being ‘cloaked’, and if you want, you can report it to the search engines or website host if it is. Cloaking is a ‘BlackHat’ technique which produces 1000’s of doorway pages redirecting visitors to a single designated webpage.

Also check if the site offering you a link has PageRank. Even if they do have high pagerank of say at least 4 or 5, you should check how much it drops between the home page and the links page. Be aware that new webpages take a while to get ranked, so a PR 0 doesn’t mean a site that will never have any PageRank.

Take a look at how many links are on the page. As a rule, there shouldn’t be mo more than 20 links – if the site has more, don’t consider trading links. Plenty of webmasters will collect links, thinking they are helping their rankings, but it just makes them look like they’re operating a link farm.

Motivating Techniques For Keeping Up That Exercise Or Training Regime

admin — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:11:11 +0000

So you are quickly finding out that exercising and proper training takes a lot of work and effort. Most starting out a fitness program can at times find it difficult just trying to do the same pre-set workout routine every day or every week for that matter. The worst part is that you think the whole process will eventually get boring and then you will stop doing the fitness or exercise program altogether. There are thankfully a lot of ways that will help you in avoiding this, and thus making and keeping exercising fun and exciting.

One of the first and most important things with any fitness regime and sticking with it is having the proper motivation. If you’re not motivated to exercise, it won’t become a habit and thus will make any fitness program unworkable and unbearable. Then you will not be able to be around long enough to do any fitness routine and get any results from the activity.

Being, getting and staying motivated is something that doesn’t happen right away. It’s something that you initially need to work at and develop. While there are some that can get easily motivated, you can also just as easily lose focus and just stop working out altogether. The majority of your effort should be focused on psyching yourself up and keeping it going before it wanes.

How To Get And Stay Motivated
The basis of finding the right motivation for your exercise regime begins with the very reasons why you originally started to work out. So if you wanted to lose weight, or build up a good physique and body tone, then that’s your primary motivation to follow and continue that exercise and training program to reach that goal and get the results that you want. Then just keep on reminding yourself on a daily basis why you are training or doing what you do, and what your ultimate goal is.

One great way to remind yourself and thus maintaining and keeping that motivation is by having a visual cue of what you want to achieve after a certain exercise regime or program. If you want to lose weight, have a realistic visual image of what you would look like when you hit those goals. You may also want to have, say a poster of the type of body or figure that you wish to have after losing the weight.

Another way to develop or keep your motivation high while on an exercise program is by having someone else to workout with. You might want to bring along a friend or partner who may also have the same type of fitness goals as you. This way, you’ll have someone that can push you to do better and vice versa. Having a workout partner can help provide you with the motivation that you need to keep going and to reach your fitness goals.

Also keep track of your workout progress by writing things down. Keep a record of your starting weight or size measurements and then keep track of the improvements on a daily or weekly basis to show the pounds you have lost or the inches that have melted away due to your hard work. Just by keeping track and knowing the positive changes in your body should motivate you to do and achieve even more.

The DietBug.com Advisers Recommend Water Is An Essential Ingredient For All Dieters!

admin — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:47:45 +0000

Drinking pure clean refreshing crisp water is vitally important for a healthy diet. Did you know that if you don’t drink enough water, that you may not be helping with the progression of your diet at all? Current research proves that new dieters unknowingly suffer from mild to chronic dehydration, and yes, that may just apply to you. So it’s important keeping yourself hydrated is the first step to being healthy and productive.

Drinking lots of water and thus replacing the fluids that you lose, is the first essential plan for effective weight loss. Pure fresh water is required as it plays a role in the body’s biochemical process. So here is what drinking the required amount of daily water does specially for you as a dieter.

Your body to function properly needs to metabolize your body’s stored fat into energy. This is so important that, your entire body’s metabolism can slow down by even mild levels of dehydration. And as you know, the slower your metabolism is, the slower your weight loss is, and it also causes you to become tired easily. Then with further lack of water, your body and weight loss program will eventually grind to a halt! This is commonly known as the dreaded ‘diet plateau’.

Water also functions as a natural appetite suppressant. With a healthy hypothalamus, which is the region in your brain that controls and regulates your appetite and craving for food, also regulates hunger and thirst and since they are right next to each other, at times can overlap. This has its advantages as well as disadvantages for the dieter. What happens is chronically mild dehydration confuses the brains mechanism, leading it to feel hunger, rather than thirst. But it also means water can be used to reduce appetite. A recent test showed that when drinking a glass of water actually reduced nighttime hunger cravings for those on diets.

Adequate water in the body also is essential to the natural process that enables your muscles to contract, thus aiding in better muscle tone. A better defined muscle tone means better looking tone, and isn’t that what we all strive for?

Water also helps if you have sagging skin, especially after weight loss, as water nourishes and plumps the skin cells, giving your skin a younger, naturally healthier look.

Another benefit of drinking enough water is it helps rid the body of unwanted waste. During a diet, the body accumulates a lot of waste that it needs to get rid of. So the water assists in flushing out the bad.

Water can also help with constipation. When your body gets too little water, it siphons the water that it needs from within, particularly from the colon. This in turn leads to constipation. But normal bowel function returns to normal with adequate water intake.

So as you can see, having mild dehydration can cause a number of health and potential health related problems, in addition to it slowing down your diet plateau.

Symptoms Of Mild Dehydration Can Include:
- Periodical Headaches; including feeling light headed, as dehydration can interfere with normal body processes, like waste disposal
- Fatigue and Tiredness; as your body’s metabolism slows down - mild dehydration can cause daytime fatigue
- Constantly Being Hungry; these cravings are caused due to a weakening of your thirst mechanism
- Too Much Fluid retention in your body as it tries to naturally hold on to the water it already has
- Frequent Constipation; as your body tries to conserve its internal water sources

Once you have restored the water balance in your body, you have then reached the “breakthrough point”, a concept which was pioneered by Dr. Peter Lindner, an obesity expert. He says, “Once you have reached your breakthrough point, the fluid retention then eases, your liver as well as the endocrine system starts to function more effectively. You will then start to regain thirst and your hunger pangs and cravings will be reduced significantly. And this is where you will reach and sustain the breakthrough point and your body will be able to metabolize fat more effectively.”

So How Much Water Should You Be Drinking Daily?
Here are a few basic principles:
1) The easiest way to tell if you’re drinking enough water is check the color of your urine: It should be a clear stream or a slight pale yellow in color. (keep in mind that some supplements or medication you may be taking also affect the color).
2) Just get in the habit of drinking adequate amounts of water on a regular basis. Never wait to drink water when you’re thirsty, because once you’re thirsty, that means dehydration has already set in!

So adequate water intake for a normal average-weight adult when the weather is cool, is recommended at 8 x 8 oz glasses, and more when the weather is hotter, as you will perspire more. Also drink more water when you exercise. Most athletes will try to enhance their performance by maintaining optimal fluid balance while exercising, which is approximately…6 to 10 oz of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes. Even if you are not that concerned about your athletic performance, that much water should be drank when exercising in order to maintain peak hydration.

Another important thing you should remember; if you happen to be overweight, you will also need to add an extra glass of water for every 25 pounds you are overweight, as the extra weight creates extra metabolic demand.

So you’re wondering how you can drink so much water’ Well, diet experts say you should drink 3 glasses of water with every meal. Meaning 3 glasses with breakfast, 3 at lunch, and 3 with dinner. Plus the additional requirement of regular water between meals or when you’re exercising.

If you happen to be dieting, and are currently stalled on a weight loss plateau, you may be suffering from some classic symptoms of dehydration. Before you do anything else, make sure you have adequate water intake. It could be the missing ingredient in your diet plan and it can be fixed as easy as drinking 3 glasses of water with each and every meal.

Remember water acts as a natural appetite suppressant. So use it to your advantage. If you happen to be out shopping, take a bottle of water with you. If you want a late night snack, you can drink a glass of water. If you want a bit of a change, you can add a little bit of lemon juice to the water. The importance of drinking enough water cannot be expressed enough. So drink up!

First Give Unto Others And You Shall Receive All That You Want

admin — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:10:40 +0000

If you are like most, then you have this tendency to wait for other people to fill in your needs. “Waiting for others”, to do something for you is not a very good trait to have, and it causes pain and stress in your relationships.

Stop Relying So Much On Others
At the beginning of any new relationship, it seems like you are getting the full undivided attention and everything else you’ve been longing for. Something that you’ve experience since early childhood: affection, love, tenderness, excitement, attention, and energy.

You think that you have finally found your ultimate match, and thus all your problems and needs are fulfilled forever, you think… “Once Upon A Time They Lived Happily Ever After.” You grab that very moment and hope that this new excitement and feeling will last forever, and that its unconditional and you do not have to do anything else in order to keep receiving this love and energy from your new significant other.

Then reality hits you. After time, the love seems to be dwindling, the full devoted attention you once got, after a while begins to fade and you begin to wonder why? What are you doing wrong?

You begin to panic. What’s going on? Does the person not love me anymore? Did you suddenly become fat and ugly or boring? You try to figure out why the once constant stream of energy pointed at you is no longer there.

You then decide that you won’t allow this to happen and you demand that, that person continues to give you the full undivided attention they gave in the beginning. You are strictly focused on what you want and are entitled to receive, and strictly on what he/she “should” be giving you.

So What Are You Doing Wrong?
You should be focusing on what YOU can give back. Why be so stubborn and self centered to believe that everything you want should be immediately given to you at request? Why should you wait for that other person to give to you what you need? Why not just give it to yourself? And why not go the extra mile and give to the other person what YOU would like to receive for yourself?

You have nothing to lose by giving, by reaching out. Yet you will have a lot to gain: the affection, the love, tenderness, excitement, attention, and the energy. That’s right! The exact same things the other person freely provided you with in the beginning!

YOU can give what you want to yourself, and to the other person. First, giving is the only sure fire, fail-safe way to make sure you receive back. So try to understand this. If you are constantly waiting for someone to give you what you want, you can then be waiting forever, and there’s a very strong possibility that you will never get it.

Why does this work? Because when you give something, you are opening yourself up to the energy frequency of giving. Let’s say, as an example, you need more attention, so instead of examining the other persons behavior, try detecting why you’re not getting that attention. So instead, you can try giving the attention back! Be genuinely interested, and chances are, that person will be interested in you too. Once you give the attention, and you will get the attention back… guaranteed!

So you want love? Well, Give love! You want some solid advice? Then Give Advice FIRST! Do you need some energy? Then go ahead and boost someone else energy level and when doing so, you’ll feel your own energy level rising! Do you want people to listen to what you’re saying? Then begin with listening carefully to someone else who wants to be heard. Are you looking for more friends? Then be proactive and befriend others!

So, To Get What you Want, Give It Out First
Instead of waiting for someone to give you love, give the love out first. Instead of waiting for your kids to respect you, start by respecting them. Be an example as they can learn from you.

Instead of dreaming of that promotion or that great job that satisfies your aspirations and income levels, be great at your current job first! Instead of waiting for peace to stabilize in your life, why not create the inner balance needed to feel that peace?

It’s all a matter of energy and vibrating it. Start by giving out what you really want to others, you are then tuning into the vibrational energy of what it is you want. If you want love and respect, give it out to others first, create the energy. Giving love in return makes you feel that love and then attracts more love into your life. Giving attention and respect does the same.

This works for anything you want. You will get what you want by simply giving it, and you will also be less dependent on others. You’ll empower yourself with being in charge of your own life!

Commodity Futures Trading Is Glamorous But Not For Average Investor

admin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:08:04 +0000

Trading Commodities for a living is not what it seems. It may appear to be a cool occupation of predicting what the price of coffee or orange juice will be next month. But Beware! If you want to quickly lose $5,000 in 10 minutes, you may then enjoy trading commodity futures contracts. There’s a well known saying amongst commodity traders: “It’s really easy to make a small fortune trading commodities… You just have to start with a large fortune!” This is not a vocation for those who are or can be emotionally attached to their money. Yet, there are thousands of so called average “investors” that get lured into trading the commodity markets year after year. Why you ask? Well it’s because of the potential and possibility of making quick high percentage gains, while taking advantage of the built-in leverage that’s available for commodity futures traders.

Commodities that are available to trade include: corn, wheat, pork-bellies (the stomach area that makes bacon… if your wondering) soybeans, silver, gold, heating oil, orange juice, coffee, lumber, and numerous other common staple items.

Huge producers and companies use commodity “futures” contract prices to lock in their future selling price for the commodity in question in advance of its delivery. This is known as “hedging.” As it is a zero sum game, the other side of that transaction is the commodity trader, who speculates (educated guess) on whether the price of the commodity will rise or fall before that contract is due for delivery. Because futures contracts are purchased using leverage, these instruments lend themselves to speculation.

As an example: Controlling a corn contract that’s worth $5,000 may only require the trader $500 of actual cash, or approximately 10% of the face value of the contract. If the corn rise in value, and the contract say is now worth, $5,500, the commodity speculator has just made a $500 profit on his $500, for a 100% return. Now compare this with the stock market, which limits leverage to only 50%, so $5,000 worth of a stock requires a minimum capital of $2500. If this stock goes up to $5,500, the $500 gain goes against the $2,500 invested. So the return is only 20%. The 100% return trading commodities sure looks a lot better, right?

You can see why traders in search of quick money are hypnotized by the glamor and simplicity of commodity futures trading. The problem however, is that this leverage works in both directions. Because of this, traders can lose their entire trading account in a matter of mere minutes due to the wild price fluctuations that can occur in the volatile futures markets. Let’s say for example that the same $5,000 contract drops to $4,000 in value instead of it increasing. Not only do you lose the original $500 margin for the contract, but an additional $500 to boot. Yes, you can easily go broke.

So why do more and more people line up to trade the futures market? Well, most traders do not wake up one morning and say.. “Okay, I think I’ll start trading commodities today.” What really happens is, they will receive a sales pitch from a so called commodity trading “guru” who’s claiming to have a no-fail “system” for generating and guaranteeing sure-fire profits in the commodities markets. These “systems” can range from $250 up to $10,000 or more, and all promise almost instant “huge profits” from a small starting investment.

The headings for their ads usually scream… “Turn $5,000 Into 1 Million Dollars In Less Than A Year.” Greed takes over. The commodity system then goes into a long sales letter spiel that describes something like a winning time tested method that can win “9 out of 10″ trades or something similar.

Of course, with experience, it is possible to correctly win 90% of the time, and it is possible as some traders do and have amassed millions of dollars in a very short period of time. So why are they selling their super-duper, no fail $195 or $1995 trading course giving away their secrets? Because they probably haven’t made a cent with the trading program or actually trading the market! It’s a lot easier and a lot more ’safer’ money to be made selling these programs to others wanting to and getting into commodity futures trading.

There is no proven ’sure-fire’ way to consistently make gobs of money in the markets, simply because the underlying commodity prices are too unpredictable and can swing back and forth without reason. That’s why the only ones making money in the commodity markets are… the brokers and the program ’systems’ seller. Brokers are those who collect a commission for executing trades regardless if it wins or loses.

But keep in mind there are a handful of ultra successful professional traders who make a great living trading these markets. But, the vast majority (in the high 95%++), who trade the commodity futures market lose money. Unfortunately, with the glamor associated with huge returns and easy money, newbie traders enter the markets each year, only to quickly lose their entire accounts.

Obviously, you don’t want to be one of them! Study and paper trade as much as you can before you plunge into the markets by opening a live account.

Use A Proxy Service - When In Case You Want To Surf The Internet Anonymously

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:25:49 +0000

Privacy is and always will be an issue on the inter-web, and it is and should be a right for anyone who surfs the internet. Heck, that’s why bathrooms have doors and locks, debit cards have PIN codes, libraries have cubicles… all to protect your privacy. So it’s really no surprise that everyone expects privacy and security when surfing the Internet. A lot of people actually think their online browsing activities are entirely anonymous, because after all, no one can really see you on the World Wide Web, right? Well, no!

Unfortunately, that is far from the truth. Internet surfing is not exactly an anonymous thing, even though you sitting at home or in your office in complete privacy, may seem to be. First, your Internet Service Provider or ISP has the complete ability and tracking ability to log all the site you visit based on your IP (Internet Protocol) address. Your IP address is your footprint on the web and it’s how your computer connection to the internet is identified every time you use it. Also, the websites that you happen to visit can also easily track your IP address, and it can also log it for future reference. Your IP address however does not specify your actual name, but it’s not really that difficult for the owner of a website you’ve visited to link your particular IP address to your ISP.

How Safe Are You?
So it’s safe to say most internet users want and value complete anonymity online, making it a truly unique and private experience. The internet is a melting pot where all walks of people from anywhere around the globe with internet access can instantly connect, communicate and share information with each other… in real time. Usually on the internet, your alias is your only identity. The thought of remaining anonymous has allowed people to practice complete freedom of speech and use the web as a tool of complete unbiased expression.

When the activities are legitimate, the Internet creates an open forum where anyone can correspond with each other who share similar interests, and openly discuss issues, that if spoke face to face, may cause embarrassment, reprimand, or even persecution in some cases. The web truly can be at times the worlds largest bathroom wall. The Internet also offers a resource to research unbiased sensitive topics, such as rid of acne, hair or weight loss, without having to reveal your identity. So it’s quite easy to see why everyone would want to protect their true identity.

Yet another reason why some may want to remain anonymous online may be protection from their employers, government or corporations. Businesses for example use anonymous surfing to spy or research on their competition without getting caught, while lawyers use it to visit sites to help them make a stronger case for their clients without leaving a digital footprint. You at home may want to surf anonymously just to stop aggressive marketing companies collecting your online information.

How Can You Go Anonymous?
So you’re wondering,how do you surf anonymously? The only way is to hide your IP address or ‘cloak’ it by using anonymous web browsing technology. Anonymous web browsing programs entails the use of what is know as a proxy. Proxies are placed between your IP address and the particular website you are wanting to visit. What happens is your computer connects to the proxy server instead of connecting directly to the website. The proxy server then “reconnects” to that website, effectively hiding your IP address. The website in question only sees the proxy servers IP address. It’s important you use a proxy server that is reputable and one you trust since the proxy server will know your IP address.

Although the only method of anonymous surfing involves using a proxy server, there are several different ways to go about it. The first is through another website. You visit the website offering the proxy server and then just type the URL of the website you want to visit. You will then be forwarded to that website through the proxy server.

Another method using a proxy requires downloading a software application. This is a program, usually in .exe format that handles everything associated with the proxy server, so all you have to worry about is browsing.

The third option is using an anonymous web proxy service. This entails you having to configure your browser so you’re using the anonymous web proxies Ip, but once done, it should be hassle-free anonymous surfing. These services are all are public, free or for a fee.

If you decide to use a web proxy service, here are some things to be aware of:
1. Reputable services should set up a dedicated TLS or SSL tunnel for you. This means that network sniffers won’t be able to track your surfing habits.

2. Choose a proxy service that supports the protocols that you want to use. Some services only offer FTP, while others only support HTTP. Some may also offer HTTPS, but not all. So check.

3. A good proxy service should go beyond hiding your IP address. It should also remove websites that use: pop-ups, cookies, banners, and referrer information. It should also be an option for you to configure which of these elements you want or don’t want to block.

Regardless of what proxy method you choose to surf the internet anonymously, you will surely feel a lot more safe knowing your privacy isn’t being compromised every time you surf.

Where Are You Going In Life

admin — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:26:33 +0000

So you went to University? Well big deal. Many do and a lot more fail. You are quickly finding out that, they don’t teach you everything you need to know in school. You need to have a true sense of what you want to do with your life and the motivation to follow through. Condition yourself to take what you learned and maximize it to its full potential. In other words, don’t be lazy and listen. You’re arrogance is stopping you dead in your tracks.

What do you want to achieve? Some have this preconceived notion that because they have post secondary education, everything will work out for them and everything will just fall on their laps. Well not true. Welcome to the real world kids.

So before you actually decide what you want to do with your personal or your work and business life, establish and review where you are going, and be clear about it.

Take the time to think about what you want to do and write down your ultimate end goals for your yourself? Where and who do you want to be.. 5 or 10 years from now?

Take The Effort To Write It Down
Research actually shows that there are only around 3% of the population who actually sit down and write out their goals, and also on average, these are the people earn 10X times more than those who don’t care to have goals. The same research also shows that people who date and constantly update their written goals are 500X more successful than those who do not map out a plan by writing down a time line for their goals.

It’s also important to write down separate goals, one for your business or workplace and on for your personal goals, and keep them separate.

Are They SMART Goals?
Make sure that the goals you write down are realistic and SMART. What does SMART mean? It stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timed

Make Sure That You Apply These Five Steps To Each Of Your Goals
What do these goals mean to you in reality or realistic terms?

Once you have written down your goals as a SMART goal, think about the consequences that it would pose if you didn’t achieve it. What is the end result that you and those close to you will experience if you don’t reach your goal, for example… bad health, unhappiness etc. This is important as noting the end consequences is a huge motivator to reach that goal and making sure you don’t fail.

Also write down what you’ll gain if you reach that goal: wealth, better health, ultimate happiness, early retirement etc. What will you see, or hear or feel like once its achieved? Make sure you write down the key steps and things you will need to do in order to achieve that goal.

Repeat the same process using a brand new sheet of paper for every single goal you want to achieve.

Make Sure You Prioritize
Prioritize the goals that you have written down. Lay out all these goals and then decide which are the most important to do first, then list and put in order which are less important or not important at all.

Starting from the most important goal, write out a plan on how to reach it, then further break it down into smaller components to make it easier to manage.

Plan an accurate as possible timetable to do each step, then write them down into your ‘ToDo’ folder or daily planner. This way, you can make reaching these goals a part of your daily activities.

Keep Track Of Your Time
It’s important to look at how you currently spend your time… at the moment, and comparing this to how you want your life to happen. Then you can easily fit these goals into the plan as well.

To accomplish this, note the personal goals that you set out and then list out the areas of your present life that are the most important to you: friends, family, business or work, health and fitness, money and saving money etc. Then make a note of the amount of time that you’d like to spend on each of these areas. Estimate the approximate percentage of your waking time during the day you think can actually spend in each area.

Taking The Next Steps
Think carefully about what you have written down and what you have prioritized. What the implications are for what you’re doing in your personal, work or business life - and what further you should be doing?

Just Do It
Rewrite the things you want to accomplish in an action planner. Keep this handy for easy reference. Make sure you read it every daily to remind what you want to achieve.

If you want, contact a mentor, adviser or coach to discuss how better you can do to achieve your goals. It’s always better go through this with a third party, who can be objective and offer constructive criticism, to help you focus on the right things.

Always Review Your Plan. Always Prioritize It. Start Taking Action!

Keep in mind, no matter how good your ideas and intentions are… they mean absolutely nothing, unless you put them in action.

So the most important focus is taking ACTION. Start Today!!

To Become A Winner Try Being A Child Again - Using The 11 Forgotten Laws

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:05:24 +0000

So have you ever wondered what those truly ultra successful people have or do, that makes them successful? Or wonder why and how those top salesman in your company manage, month after month, get the most sales or the most recruits, the largest bonuses, the biggest paychecks? And why is it that month after month, it’s always the same individuals?

Well here’s a bit of a secret. No one really starts out as a champion performer. Most of these people started out quite modestly.

So What’s The Difference Between A Champion And A Chump?
Champions have an unique attitude, they all share a distinct mindset that sets them apart from the crowd. Most of these qualities however are not really that exceptional and thus attainable by anyone.

It’s true that each and every one of us possess the same qualities when we are younger and just starting out in life. But somewhere, somehow, along the way, some of us tend to lose that quality and that effectively diminishes our potential.

To Become A Winner… Learn To Become A Kid Again
1. Champions are always Willing to Learn New Things.
Kids like us come into this world with a built in, innate desire to learn, to understand how the world works around us.

They are absolute sponges while observing and then absorbing every thing they see, every reaction. It’s a built in feature as their survival depends on it.

One of the key and most often repeated qualities we all need to succeed in business is, a strong willingness to learn - to be able to be teachable.

To become a winner, you must be willing to be constantly learning, thus reinventing yourselves to new methods. You must be open and able to read about, learn and then absorb everything you need to know, even if concepts are completely new to you.

If You Don’t Do This… You Are Doomed To Failure

2. Winners are always Willing to Act
Have you ever noticed how kids completely gear themselves towards action and constant forward momentum? As soon as they learn something different like a new skill, they want to immediately put it into action.

Most winners are the same. They instantly put their newly learned skill to immediate use without thought. Anything that will take them to that next level.

They know that they must be on top of the game and immediately act on what they have just learned, even if they haven’t perfected it yet. They do a lot of trial and error testing.

3. Winners are Not Afraid to Fail
Just as kids will pick themselves up again and again, every time they fall or fail while taking their first steps, winners are also not afraid to fail and fall down and look forward to it as a building block.

They know that failing at something is the best teacher and the closer to the next attempt which may be a winner. They learn quickly from their mistakes and constantly fine tune their method or system until they succeed.

Champions have the built up courage to fail and then fail again and not be discouraged. They just pick themselves up without a second thought.

4. Winner are always Willing to Adapt
Darwin in his wisdom got it wrong.
Survival actually does not happen to the Fittest, but to those who are the Most Adaptable.

When we were kids, we were able to adapt to long term change quite easily. We were willing to accept new and different situations and then adapt our behavior accordingly.

Unfortunately, as we all grow older, we become a lot more rigid in our thinking, unwilling to be open and accept that yes, there may be a better way of doing things.

As business is a constantly moving and changing target, resistance or ignorance to change makes us obsolete. We end up losing to the players who has an understanding of changing trends.

Winners are those who are able to adapt themselves and their business to constant change.

5. Winners are Willing to Innovate
Kids are amazingly and extremely inventive beings. They start out in life with no absolute preconceived notions of how to do things. In their minds, they know no limits to what they are able to do or how they can do it.

Winners apply the very same principles to take their business to the next level.

They are not only able to learn from what has been done in the past, they also find new ways of doing it better and more efficiently, or cheaper, or more successfully.

But keep in mind that you don’t have to be a kid in all respects to be successful. It’s really probably not even desirable.

But if you feel that your preconceived notions, or fears and hesitations are stopping you from reaching your ultimate goals, try then looking at the world through the eyes of a child.

You will then be able to improve your chances of success in business, and at worst, you’ll remain young at heart.

“The 11 Forgotten Laws That Make The Law of Attraction An Unbreakable Force”