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Ways to save money on a tight budget

It is no surprise that we all want ways to save on money, especially in this wavering economy. I have heard and seen a whole slew of different money saving tips and tricks over the years and if you are looking for some, these tips and techniques may help you out.

First off, if you are frequently going out to concerts, clubs bars or movies then you may want to consider cutting back on some of that in order to save on money. Shoppers are always people looking for ways to save money on a tight budget but really all they need to do is cut back on their shopping habits. For the serious shoppers you have to wean yourself off of the addiction by shopping at thrift stores, on days with deals or avoiding any shopping temptation all together.

Even with this electronic world we live in there are only about 4 hours of television being watched each day in the average household. Getting out and enjoying free and fun activities can be one of the best ways to save money on a tight budget you can find like going hiking, walks in the park, jogging or even free public workouts in the park where available. Plus, saving money on a cable bill will definitely help you save some money at the end of each month. (more…)

By Lawrence Tam, ago

Disadvantages of Outsourcing?

We often hear about the advantages of outsourcing, but you also should be aware of the disadvantages of outsourcing as well. Any business owner that is considering outsourcing some functions over to someone else should be aware of both the good and bad points of outsourcing. Sure, many will tell you not to focus on bad things but rather to think positively. However, if you want to use outsourcing to its full potential, then you also need to be aware of the disadvantages of outsourcing.

 

Some of the Most Common Disadvantages of Outsourcing

According to many small business owners that I have spoken to, here are the most frequent disadvantages of outsourcing that were mentioned by them:

Loss of complete control over your business

When you outsource part of your operations to an external provider, you are no longer in full control of that aspect of your business. For example, if you have someone else call leads on your behalf, they will be doing the calls and not you. Therefore, you will not be in direct control over what happens on every call that they make.

Issues of quality

Quality is something that is often talked about when disadvantages of outsourcing are discussed. Can you really be sure that the company or person that you will be hiring will do a good job? Will they follow your instructions accurately and complete the work on time, just like you've asked them to? These are all very important questions that those who outsource frequently ask themselves. After all, you do not want your business to suffer because of an outsourcer that did a poor job. (more…)

By Lawrence Tam, ago

China Building Collapse – Check Yourself

Look, stuff happens and when it comes to dealing with people's lives it's vitally important to “measure twice and cut once”. The China building collapse of the Lotus River Garden building is a sad testament that this doesn't always apply.

Tight Schedules
Poor Engineering
Cutting Corners
Ignoring Safety

I believe there have been some workers that didn't make it out alive. This could have been worse and glad there weren't people living inside (if they were that would have been premature since the surrounding areas were still being developed).

I'm just shocked like something like this could happen when you have so many “eyeballs” on the project.

What makes this even scarier is that these so called engineers are spring up building all over the world with building codes just like the one in the picture above (building laying on their side).

(more…)

By Lawrence Tam, ago

How To Retire Early And Tips You Can Use

Even people in their twenties want to know how they can plan to retire early but with the economic states of numerous countries, it is hard to determine is that is a real possibility or not. Sure, you may be able to actually retire at an early age but will the money you be bringing in monthly be enough to cover all of your expenses? Knowing how much money you need each month will really help you out in determining when you can actually retire. I can see why quite a few people get overwhelmed when they research how they can retire early because it may require you to have quite a bit of money. If you really want to know how to retire early one of the best places to start is looking at your own income.

If you have noticed that the income you currently make will not provide enough retirement money to support you then you may need to come up with a Plan B. For those of you who are young enough, you may want to consider doing another job somewhere else in order to make the amount of money in retirement that you will need. (more…)

By Lawrence Tam, ago