~ Great advice for investing ... and life! ~
The Best Advice ... ( partial list from Money Magazine, September, 2007)
Many receive advice, few profit from it - Publilius Syrus, 42 B.C.
- Be Humble - When you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it - this is knowledge - Confucious
- Take Calculated Risks - He that is overcautious will accomplish little - Friedrich von Schiller
- Have an Emergency Fund - For age and want, save while you may; no morning sun lasts a whole day - Benjamin Franklin
- Mix it Up - It is the part of a wise man to keep himself today for tomorrow and not to venture all his eggs in one basket - Miguel de Cervantes
- Practice Patience - It never was my thinking that made the big money for me, It was always my sitting. Got that right? My sitting tight! - Edwin Lefevre
- Don't Time the Market - The real key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them - Peter Lynch
- Be a Cheapskate - Performance comes and goes, but costs roll on forever - Jack Bogle
- Don't Follow the Crowd - Fashion is made to become unfashionable - Coco Chanel
- Invest Abroad - The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page - St. Augustine
- Buy Low - If a business is worth a dollar and I can buy it for 40 cents, something good may happen for me - Warren Buffett
- Average is the New Best - The best way to own common stocks is through an index fund - Warren Buffett
- It's the Portfolio Stupid - Asset allocation...is the overwhelmingly dominant contributor to total return - Gary Brinson
- Exit Gracefully - Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone. - Pablo Picasso
- Give Wisely - The time is always right to do the right thing - Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Keep Money In It's Place - A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart - Jonathan Swift
Here are some more good thoughts on making a fulfilling career
(from More Magazine, Oct. 2007)
- Take Risks that are calculated, not risky.
- The worst case scenario is rarely as bad as you think.
- Don't personalize things that aren't personal.
- It's best in the long run to make your life a Grudge - free zone.
- Be generous with praise and careful with criticism.
- Know the rules so you know which ones to break.
- It's easier to ask forgiveness that it is to get permission.
Is your texting on the weak side?
Here are some common shorthand phrases. Now, will they know what I mean??? If you don't, you can check out a phrase on-line.
- BRB - be right back GR8 - great
- CWYL - chat with you later ILU - I Love You
- CYT or SYT - see you tomorrow IMHO - in my humble opinion
- j/c - just checking JTOU - just thinking of you
- LMK - let me know N-A-Y-L - In a while
- NM - never mind WTH - what the heck
- ROFL - rolling on the floor laughing LOL - laugh out loud
- NOYB - none of your business OTP - on the phone
- JK - just kidding POS - parent over the shoulder
Need help with the EMAIL monster? Try these tips:
Spend 15 minutes each day cleaning out the quantity (see below for where to put them.
Only answer email 3 times a day. Think of it as 3 meals. Otherwise you can end up dealing with it all day - and it can really plan havoc with your time management
Don't open it first thing in the am. Use that time for more productive activities.
Don't create folders for everything. It will drive you crazy! Instead, put them in one of these 3..
- Archive - you can always find what you want by sended, topic or keyword
- Hold - needs someone else's help to complete the request, task
- Follow-Up - needs you and take more than 2 - 3 minutes. If it's a quick answer, do it when you open it.
~ Living Green - Think of Need vs Want ~
(The caption is Use Electricity Wisely)- You can determine how many watts you're using on your appliances, as well as how to just live "greener", by going to Virginia Dominion's site.
- Another option is to be personally audited, or to do the audit yourself.
- More ideas on being green can be found at Energy Star's site.
- Are new windows on your list? They aren't all made equal.
- Ditch - figuratively - those plastic bags. Re-use and Re-use these bags.
- There are loads of places to buy green. Check out these sites - #1, #2, #3, our local #4 and #5.
- Your carbon "footprint" can be balanced by supporting green projects. You can check out various projects and then invest in some.
- Want to make your own home cleaning products? Check out The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier
- Save gas by making as many right turns as you can.
This list of easy to do practices for those who want to live greener started with an article in Real Simple, April 2007. It just keeps growing...
* Washing and drying your clothes... do them less often, have full loads, clean your lint filter & hang them outside
* Pets... Use biodegradable kitty litter.
* Find Re-cycling Centers, and groups, that take all types of things, including batteries & cell phones.
* If a new computer is in your future, buy a laptop. They use less power.
* Think about re-using something before you toss it.
* Check out the energy use of new appliances & think about how much energy will be used by trading out one vs another for specific tasks. Also, unplug them when not in use.
* Use a water-filter pitcher instead of buying bottled water, & take a re=fillable water bottle with you vs a throw away plastic bottle.
* Only eat red meat once or twice a week - this saves on all types of fronts
* Use biodegradable detergents for your dishwasher.
* energy in your home - install a low flow shower head (and take shorter showers), cut off the water while you brush your teeth or shave & get a programmable thermostat.
* Don't leave your car in idle and keep it tuned up. Go the speed limit.
* Carry your own bags, avoid items with excessive packaging, purchase organic, local and re-cycled items.
* There are thousands of eco-green products. And how about a starter kit that just needs your vinegar, baking soda, oil and water?