My Tips on Improving Your Finances for Life

There is no way to avoid dealing with money and finances these days. Therefore you should try to learn as much as possible to help you make good financial decisions and to increase your confidence about money.
When you make a budget, it should be realistic regarding your income and spending habits. Be sure to include all of your income such as alimony, child support, rental income, or any other. Always use your net income not your gross earnings in these calculations. Once you have the numbers, you can consider how to adjust your spending to stay within your income range. To maintain your budget never exceed your incoming cash flow.
The next step is to total up your expenses, and you should make a list of all monthly expenses. Your list should document each and every expense that you have whether it expense, spontaneous or just a one time expense. Remember that this list needs to have a complete breakdown of your costs. Be sure to add in expenses that you have from restaurant dinners and fast food as well as grocery bills. Reduce expenses linked to your cars, such as gas and insurance. If you have payments that you make quarterly or less frequently, divide them up to reflect a monthly payment. Make sure you include incidental expenses, for instance, baby sitters or storage unit rentals. Try to have the most accurate list possible.
Now that you have a good idea of your income and expenditures, you can start planning a new budget. Look at each expenditure on your list, and decide what you could do without. If you normally buy coffee from a cafe, calculate how much money you would save on a weekly basis if you bought it from McDonald's instead, or made it at home. Exactly what and how much you are willing to compromise is completely up to you. The first step is identifying expenses that are not necessary so you can use the money for something else.
If your utility bills are rising, you may want to upgrade your appliances to save some money. Upgrading to well-fitted double-glazed windows, for example, can reduce your heating bill dramatically. Besides you can repair any leaky pipes and only run the dishwasher with a full load.
Swap old, inefficient appliances for those that use less energy. Although doing so may cost you some money upfront, over the long-term you will save a fair penny on your utility bills. Unplug the appliances you do not need. In time you will notice significant savings in your energy consumption.
You can make a significant decrease in your heating and cooling bills by improving your insulation, as well as the roof above it. Insulation or roofing issues can be very costly, as maintaining a regular temperature in the home can be expensive. If you invest in the upgrades, it will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Using these tips not only saves you money, but it also helps you start bringing your budget under control. An expensive upgrade can save a lot of money in lowering electricity or water bills. This is one way that you can make your budget more reliable.
My passion and vision is about educating people on how to participate on certain platforms to protect their money and then multiply their money and create a passive income via the internet. My personal profile page = http://jacquessassin.com/
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Financial Considerations for Foster Care and Exchange Students

Many families have a desire to extend the warmth of their home to foster children and foreign exchange students. For many, welcoming a new child or student into their family can be rewarding - for both the child and your family - however the arrangement does require some planning. As you consider becoming a foster or host parent, make sure you also anticipate the potential financial impacts.
First, think about the lifestyle you want to provide for the student. What experiences, family traditions or activities do you want to share with the child? How do you envision everyday life with the new addition? The answers to these questions will help you prepare for the impact to your budget.
Foster parenting
If you already have experience raising children, you know how expensive it can be. The situation can be different when caring for foster children. Most families will be reimbursed for at least some of the costs that they incur including medical and dental care, which is normally paid for by the state. Although it is important to note that the level of reimbursement can vary depending on your state of residence, the age of the child, the number of foster children in your home and other factors. Be sure to consult with the appropriate agency in your state to find out the level of financial support available if you are considering a foster parent role.
Regardless of the reimbursement you may receive, the reality for many foster families is that costs of care will likely exceed that amount. Accounting for this in your financial plan will go a long way in making certain you are in a strong position to meet your responsibilities as a foster parent.
Hosting a foreign exchange student
Hosting an exchange student is a different level of commitment, but it is not without financial impact. Exchange students tend to stay for the length of their program, which is likely a semester or a school year. These students are generally older and able to manage daily responsibilities on their own.
In most cases, the student's program will provide for the cost of health insurance, school fees and extracurricular activities. Additionally, many students will have their own spending money to pay for souvenirs, school lunches, entertainment and other typical expenses for a school-aged child.
Nevertheless, you'll want to be in a financially sound position to provide the right environment for exchange students. They may be reliant on you for things like transportation to events, as well as living space. If you include them in family activities, that may also add to your expenses. Host families may qualify for a modest tax deduction to help offset some of the costs related to housing a foreign exchange student. Be sure to consult with your tax advisor for more information.
Having your financial house in order
Before you commit to becoming a foster parent or host family, you want to be prepared from a financial perspective. Some of the steps to consider include:
· Expanding your emergency fund: The conventional wisdom is that you should have three-to-six months' worth of living expenses set aside in your cash reserve. Having additional children in your care may mean additional unexpected expenses, so consider having extra funds available beyond this standard.
· Keeping up with your other financial priorities: As you update your budget to reflect your new addition, make sure you continue to fund your own financial goals, such as saving for education costs, paying off your home mortgage or your retirement.
· Understanding the child's program or financial situation: Know what costs are covered by the state (for foster care) or the program (for exchange students) and update your budget accordingly.
Having your financial house in order before taking on a foster child or exchange student will help you create a more positive experience. If your home and family are ready, make sure your finances are as well.
Scott D. Serfass, CFP®, CRPC®, CDFA™, CLU®, ChFC® is a financial advisor and senior partner of Serfass, Phillips & Associates, a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. His team specializes in helping people retire confidently and develop a plan to effectively share wealth across multiple generations. Throughout his career, he has witnessed many families continue to grow despite global and economic turmoil. This experience and research paved the way for his book, Family Success.

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Coaching Stars of Courage

Are you blessed with good health, a steady income, food on your table, and a comfy bed to sleep in at night? Are your kids going to school having eaten breakfast, with shoes on their feet, warm clothes in the winter, or the use of an umbrella and rubbers when it rains? Are their teeth and hair clean? Do they feel safe and secure? Is there a support system in place that you both can count on? Yes? No? Or maybe?! Isn't it amazing what we all take for granted!

Stop a moment and feel grateful for everything in your life. Hug your kids today and ask them what they are appreciative of. Savor this. It is a wonderful way to start each day.

Now imagine that you and your family are homeless and that your survival instincts are in overdrive. Internally, hope plummets and self-esteem is rock bottom. How do you climb out of this dire situation? How do you turn your life around? How do you instill hope in the hearts of your children?

Ask yourself this question, "What is the one thing that successful people seem to consistently do?" The answer is, "They have a coach to help them reach their goals!" Do you know of anyone who is a lifestyle or business coach? Are you a coach? If you are a coach or know someone who is then take a look at this non-profit organization. See if it is a good fit for you.
"Founder of The Stars of Courage non-profit Ken D Foster is looking for Life, Business, Spiritual, and Health Coaches to help those who are living in poverty in the United States. If you are a Coach or know one, please read on.
"Evidenced-based studies show that combining life coaching with educational programs is effective at lifting people out of their economic struggles," notes Ken D Foster, the Founder and Executive Director of Stars of Courage. As a Coach himself for 21 years, Ken knows first-hand the impact that coaching can have."(1)
Can you find one hour a week to coach the poor?
"You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you." -John Bunyan
Let's help the 47 million Americans living in poverty by spreading the word that this non-profit organization needs coaches immediately! If you would like to volunteer as a Life Coach and be part of the effort to end poverty, please visit their website http://www.starsofcourage.org and complete the volunteer coach application.
(1). Taken from a marketing letter by Ken D Foster.
Kathleen Boucher, CEO of Great Kids and Me, certified professional coach, http://www.kbouchercoaching.com, "With great power comes great responsibility?" If you have coaching skills and one hour per week then look into this non-profit organization. Only you can decide if the benefits out weigh the time spent coaching. Think about it! Live your life without regrets and help someone turn their life around!
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Top 10 Friendship Killers - Avoid Them Like The Plague

Do you have "friendships" that are killing you? I mean, do you have the kinds of friends that you come away from feeling like you have to downplay your achievements or talents?
Do you have friends that are overly possessive? Backstabbing? Or, are you one of those kinds of friends? In this article, I reveal the top 10 behaviors that are killing your friendships -- and what you can do to be a better friend and have healthier friendships.
Friendship Killer #1 - Jealousy
I don't know how it works with guys, but women are notoriously catty. Trust me. I grew up with a very jealous and competitive mother who could not stand for me to shine. In fact, she's going to be 75 years old in June, and she still hates for me to be a confident, self-assured woman because she feels so threatened.
I also grew up with 4 catty sisters whose only goal in life was to tear me (and each other) down. So I know a thing or 2 about jealousy.
How to Spot Jealousy in a Friend
You know your friend is jealous when she behaves passive aggressively by constantly making comments (put downs) about your boyfriend, your clothes, your lifestyle, etc. and you find yourself having to downplay your achievements and talents just so she won't get mad or start being competitive.
Jealousy destroys relationships because you can never be happy for the other person. And the very essence of friendship is support for one another.
Advice: If you're the jealous type, ask yourself why you feel so less than. Build your self-esteem by doing esteemable things for yourself and others.
If your friend is the jealous one, have a serious conversation with her. Tell her you want to be supportive, but that you can't and won't be in a friendship that's rife with jealousy.
By the way, I don't talk to my mother anymore - and I'll only deal with one of my sisters. Yeah. It was that bad.
Friendship Killer #2 - Selfishness (Narcissism)
With selfish friends, it's always about them. Everything has to be on their terms. If you don't go along with their program, they try to make you feel guilty, put you down, etc.
Advice: You may just be dealing with someone who is unaware that they're selfish. If that's the case, you need to gently tell your friend how her behavior affects you.
If you're dealing with a narcissist, you may want to end the friendship, as it will always be one-sided. Friendship Killer #3 - The Manipulator
The manipulative friend can never be direct. They know your weaknesses, so they hint around when they want you to do something, knowing that you will fall for their manipulation - hook, line and sinker.
Advice: Tell your friend nicely that you would appreciate it if she would be more direct with you.
Friendship Killer #4 - Possessiveness
I had a friend who always put down any other friend I wanted to hang out with because she couldn't stand for me to be with anyone else. When I wanted to include others in activities, she vehemently opposed.
Advice: Smothering someone --telling them they can't have other friends -- is a sign of fear of abandonment. If it's you who's behaving possessively, ask yourself why you're so terrified of losing your friend. If it's your friend who is possessive, ask her the same thing - gently of course.
Then seek therapy.
Friendship Killer #5 - The Critic
With the critic, you can never win. Sometimes you can almost win, but inevitably the critic will find something wrong with you or what you did, what you're wearing, etc.
Being around someone who is overly critical is devastating to your psyche and your self-worth.
Advice: Let go of the friendship. People who are overly critical will always raise the bar just out of your reach. It's a no-win situation. Cut your losses.
Friendship Killer #6 - The Exploder
The exploder always keeps you off balance. It's their way of controlling you. Being friends with an exploder is like walking through a minefield. You never know what's going to set them off. Walking on eggshells in a relationship is not healthy and inhibits the growth of both parties.
Advice: Tell your friend to seek anger management, or you're gone.
Friendship Killer #7 - Covetedness
Everyone gets a twinge of jealousy sometimes. But when it's a constant in your friendship -- that's bad. Coveting goes hand in hand with jealousy. But it's a closer cousin to envy.
Your envious friend always wants what you have. The mentality is "there's not enough to go around, so I want what's yours."
Advice: Tell your friend you sense her envy and that it's uncomfortable. Tell her if she acts on her covetedness, you will associate with her less.
Friendship Killer #8 - Disloyalty
God I hate disloyal people. Disloyal friends are the backstabbers. Gossips. They're the ones you share a confidence with and then you hear about it on the 6:00 O'clock news. They're the ones who laugh at you when you fall down - instead of helping you up.
Here's the deal. I don't think people should be loyal to a fault. But you should be loyal until your friend no longer deserves your loyalty.
Advice: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Friendship Killer # 9 - Liars
Liars annoy the heck out of me. You can't trust them. Ever. And you can't have a friendship without trust.
Advice: Confront your friend about their lies. Tell them that you cannot trust them if they're lying to you all the time and that trust is an important, and necessary part of the friendship.
Friendship Killer #10 - Being Too "Busy"
Relationships are not one sided. Everyone is busy. But friendships take time and effort. You've got to decide whether you really want the friendship because it takes an investment.
So if your friend is always saying she's "busy", it just means she doesn't want to be friends anymore.
Advice: I'd see how often she tells me she's too busy to hang out before I pull the plug on the friendship.
Conclusion
Friendships are an important part of life. So you want to make sure you're not getting drained by the very people who are supposed to be uplifting to you. This advice goes for any type of relationship.
So, start paying close attention to your circle of friends and see if any of them fit into one or more of the "friendship killer" categories. Then do what you need to do to take care of yourself.
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Air Quality, Mold &amp;amp; Your Mitochondria

Nearly every home and office has some degree of indoor air pollution. Poor indoor air quality is widespread enough for the EPA to put out a statement recently placing poor indoor air quality in the top five major health threats we face today. That's huge. More specifically, most homes and offices have mold and mold spores as part of the mix of pollutants. Mold is not only a very strong carcinogen, but along with increased allergy and asthma symptoms, the mycotoxins produced by mold spores cause a variety of health problems when mold spores are inhaled. And recently, many of those health problems are being found to be connected to how these mycotoxins damage the mitochondria in all of our cells. This makes getting rid of mold and filtering the air of primary importance if your goal is optimal health for yourself and your family.

Why do we have mold in so many homes and offices? It's primarily the result of two things: excess moisture and indoor air conditioners. Mold spores are literally everywhere. And when an air conditioner has a coil that cools by condensing and evaporating water from a coil the blowing air across it, mold spores easily find the moisture they need to reproduce, along with other organic material (dust and other things) that settle on the coil and create a great environment for mold (and bacterial) growth. Then, every time the AC turns on, it blows some of the mold spores out into the ducts polluting them, and out into the rooms of your home or office, polluting the air you breathe every day.

And that's just the effect of an air conditioning system polluting the air. If you have any weather damage or other water damage in the home or building, mold will set up and grow there, as well, allowing mold spores to become airborne. And no, even the best AC filters aren't enough to stop mold spores--most of them are too small and pass right through, and some debris stuck to the inside of the ducts blows out of the vents and you breathe that before it can be recirculated back through the AC to have the filter remove some of it. And... a UV light will help kill airborne bacteria and mold, but doesn't trap anything, leaving the tiny particles in the air to cause reactions.

This is why it is vital to actually filter the air in your home and office with one or more portable air purifiers in the rooms where you spend time, ideally. Portable air purifiers are better because they will grab what's in the air in your room or office before you can breathe those pollutants. This prevents the mold spores from settling on our skin and prevents them from being inhaled. preventing a variety of health problems--and mitochondrial damage. If you want some really good information on mold and how bad the problem really is, check out Dave Asprey's documentary on YouTube called Moldy. And for some very in-depth and usable information on how mold and other things affect our mitochondria, check out his groundbreaking new book 'HeadStrong'. It is an incredible book on the subject of mitochondria.

Bottom line for preventing mold and the health issues it causes is to 1) make sure to fix any leaks or other sources of excess moisture in the home or building, keeping the indoor humidity at 35-45% maximum. Any higher than that is enough to feed mold and bacterial growth. 2) be sure to filter the air in your home or office with a quality portable air cleaner with medical HEPA and quality activated carbon. This will remove the majority of any airborne mold spores, dust mites, chemicals, and other pollutants we don't need to breathe.

As always, we hope this information helps you and those you love live a healthier, happier life.

Contact us below if you would like more information or have questions.

Thanks for taking the time to read our latest post. I wrote this article to help those in search of better health prevent the problems associated with mold and poor air quality using simple techniques.

If you would like information on the best HEPA air purifiers, check out our online store at the link above and call us if you have any questions or need help selecting the right air purifier for your needs. We are here to help!

Air Purifiers and Cleaners.com 800-701-2513

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Glowing Stem Cells Help Scientists Understand How Cells Work

It's tough to see the underlying problems with naked eyes, when everything is going on smoothly. As soon as something goes wrong, we notice it, no matter how old the issue has been there. Human body is no different. Scientists are only able to study the cells, once they start acting weird. But the fact remains, if they get the access to study the healthy cells, they can contribute a lot to figure out how normal cells work and what it might take to keep them healthy.
The Allen Institute for Cell Science scientists have exactly done that. They invented a new technology in order to genetically alter human stem cells, so that they glow! Yes, you heard it right. The gene-editing technology is called CRISPR/Cas9. The ultimate goal of the research team of the Allen Institute was to help researchers figure out how good-conditioned cells work and what happens when they start doing unwell.
The scientists inserted a genetic code into the cord tissue cells, so that they create fluorescent coloured proteins in the nucleus as well as in the mitochondria of the cells. When they tried to observe the stem cells under a fluorescent microscope, they found them glowing. The process promises a tool to study how human stem cells work in various organs.
Ruwanthi Gunawardane, The director of stem cells at the Allen Institute said, "We're trying to understand how the cell behaves, how it functions, but flooding it with some external protein can really mess it up", he added, "the CRISPR system allows us to go into the DNA-the blueprint-and insert a gene that allows the cell to express the protein in its normal environment. Then, through live imaging, we can watch the cell and understand how it works."
The process of making the stem cells illuminated may sound easy but it required the team to run through several methods to finally come up with the full-proof tool. Previous experiments showed the cells flooded with fluorescent proteins and the results were unclear images.
The gene-edited cord tissue cells can be used in a number of cases starting from improving on the regeneration process in organs and tissues to monitoring and treating drug users. However, the Allen Institute scientists have already started implementing them to study heart conditions. They used the illuminated stem cell lines to understand how differently stem cells act in heart tissues. They have introduced familiar disease-causing changes to the stem cells in order to know the dissimilarities between the healthy and unhealthy circulatory systems.
Rick Horwitz, the executive director of the Allen Institute for Cell Science said, "The number of scientists doing basic biology with cord tissue cells is low, but the interest in using them to create disease-in-a-dish models is growing explosively. We think these cells will greatly enable that work." He truly believes that gene editing will become one of the most popular tools in stem cells medical research.
The team has already built 5 types of glowing cell lines and has plans to create 20 stem cell lines by the end of 2017. Each cell line would be unique and would come with a unique cellular pattern. The genetically edited cells are available to scientists around the world.
For details read https://www.cordlifeindia.com.
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Six Ways Stairs Can Boost Your Health

Did you know that regularly using stairs could save your life? Studies show that climbing just eight flights of stairs a day can improve your health and lower your risk of early death by as much as a third. So popular has this form of exercise become that you can even get free smartphone apps to count the number of steps you climb and record how many calories have been burned off.

Here are six ways that climbing stairs on a regular basis can benefit you:

1. Builds bone and muscle strength

Stair climbing is basically a more strenuous form of walking. Because you have to pull against gravity, it demands greater effort, so you get more of a workout. The exercise is great for your body, increasing your bone density, strength and muscle tone - so the likelihood of developing osteoporosis is considerably reduced.

2. Helps your heart

By raising your heart rate, stair climbing helps prevent blocked arteries and high blood pressure. This boost to your cardiovascular system lowers the risk of succumbing to serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and vascular dementia.

3. Aids weight loss

This surprisingly vigorous form of exercise actually burns more calories per minute than jogging. And the good news is that the heavier you are, the more calories you will expend. Even when you go upstairs at a normal pace, you'll use at least double the amount of energy than if you were walking briskly on level ground - so you may soon find your waistline shrinking if you use the stairs regularly.

4. Relieves stress

Going up stairs will also improve your mental state, as the physical exertion releases pain-killing endorphins - the feel-good hormones that release tension and give your spirits a lift. The regular exercise will raise your energy levels, making you generally feel better about the world.

5. Fits in with busy lifestyles
Unlike going to the gym, climbing stairs is convenient, flexible and time-efficient. You can begin with just one or two flights if you like, and increase gradually. Even if you're a busy commuter, you can use staircases in public places such as train stations, office buildings and multi-storey car parks. Of course, unless you live in a bungalow or ground-floor flat you will also be able to practise in the comfort of your own home.

You don't have to be a fresh-air fiend to enjoy climbing stairs. No special skills, sporting ability or training is required - and you won't have to share a sweaty changing room with strangers.

Because stair climbing is relatively easy to build into your life, you should be able to incorporate it into your routine without too many problems. Regular exercise can make a real difference to people's long-term health, so finding an activity that you are able to sustain over the years will be invaluable for your fitness levels.

6. Costs nothing

One of the best things about stair climbing is that it's free. No sports club fees or gym subscription, no equipment or special clothing to buy... it's just you, and as many steps as you feel able to tackle.

A few tips...

So, which types of stairs are best for climbing? Any long flight of stairs provides the opportunity for a good workout, although some are better than others. Wooden stairs are more comfortable than metal or concrete ones as their treads provide more shock absorption, and carpeted staircases are better still. Curved stairs are just as good as straight ones for providing exercise. Even loft stairs and space saver staircases have their uses, as long as you hold on to the handrail and don't try to go too fast. If you have to use an escalator, walk all the way up it. As the steps are deeper than those in an average staircase, it will still do you good.

Aim for between three and five stair-climbing sessions a week to get the most from your new regime. If you're not used to exercise you should start slowly, perhaps just climbing for five or 10 minutes at first. You can work up to 30 minutes or even an hour eventually, if you feel confident.

Can anyone exercise this way?

People with knee or hip problems are not advised to climb stairs unnecessarily as the stepping action can aggravate their condition. This is particularly true when going down, as the joints come under extra strain. Anyone concerned about their health should have a word with their doctor before going ahead.

Take a look at https://www.pearstairs.co.uk/ for useful information on different types of staircases and stair parts. You might also be interested in a study carried out at Roehampton University, London, which provides greater detail on the effects of stair climbing - see http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0051213.

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