Guest Blogger 5 Things You Can Do To Be Happier Right Now 3:55 AM 5 Things You Can Do To Be Happier Right Now Many of us believe that happiness is a destination that one must reach in order to enjoy it. We’ve been taught that happiness is that new job, that bigger salary, or that handsome/beautiful partner when in reality, true happiness comes from the inside. Since happiness is internal, you can experience it right now. The best part is that no one can take it away from you. Here are 5 simple things you can do right now to experience a little happiness today. 1. Express Gratitude Start each day by saying one thing you are thankful for. Is it your family? Is it your job? Is it your cat? Whatever it is, just express gratitude. In doing so, you slowly began to appreciate the small things that bring you joy. These little moments of gratitude become little moments of happiness. Over time, saying thank you can become a habit and ultimately lose its impact on you. Each time you thank someone, reflect on what their actions mean to you and think about the little piece of joy they have granted you. Gipher 2. Be Generous There is a saying that goes, “you make a living from what you get, but you make a life from what you give.” This saying is true. In order to feel happiness today, try being generous. You can be generous with so many things. Your time, your attention, your words, and your skills are all things that can only be found in one place in the world: YOU! Being generous is a surefire way to be happier, and you have so much to share with the world.Tenor 3. Identify One Thing You Love About You Your uniqueness is a gift worth sharing. At no point in history will there be another person quite like you. You have talents and gifts that make you special. Identify them. Are you patient? Are you empathetic? Are you dedicated to self-improvement? Find your gift and cherish it. Understanding that you are fortunate to be yourself, even in small ways, allows you to be a little happier.Gifer 4. Tell Someone One Thing You Love About Them Just as generosity brings happiness, so does kindness. When you tell someone about something special you see in them, you turn on a light for them. You let them know that they are special and that you appreciate them. This metaphorical light, in turn becomes contagious and shines unto you as well. This shining creates a feeling of accomplishment because you made someone else happy and a feeling of closeness because you’ve reminded yourself of the value another person brings into your life.GifDB 5. Smile This tip may seem mundane, but it is scientifically proven that you can alter your emotional state just by smiling. By physically acting out happiness, you can actually begin to experience it. TenorBonusSmiling is contagious. When you smile, you subconsciously give others permission to do the same. This means that you will be making others happy with your presence.Do you have a happiness trick up your sleeve? Do share! About the Author: MarQ Jeffries is a poet, writer, and lifestyle coach. You can find out more about him at www.callofliberation.com.
How-To 5 Financial Tips For Millennial Children 7:32 AM Teaching financial wisdom to millennials isn’t about giving lectures. It’s about empowering them to be capable money-wise. The economic landscape has dramatically changed, bringing challenges and unique opportunities. And parents need to give their kids the tools to handle their finances confidently. Here are five key financial tips for millennial children to help them navigate through life:1. Pay Down Debt FastOne of the greatest gifts you can give your children is the freedom that comes from being debt-free. Teach them to prioritize paying off debt, especially high-interest credit cards and loans.Celebrate Milestones: Involve your children in your journey to pay down debt by celebrating milestones together. This will show the value of financial discipline and instill the habit of managing debt responsibly.Set Clear Goals: Encourage them to set clear goals for clearing balances early. This debt management advice gives them more freedom to pursue their dreams rather than being tied to financial obligations.Teach the Snowball Method: Introduce them to methods like the debt snowball technique, which involves paying off the smallest debts first to build momentum and confidence.Know the difference between the Debt Snowball and Avalanche methods and why many people choose the Debt Snowball, according to Fortunly:2. Start Saving for Retirement EarlyMillennials might not consider retirement while juggling student loans and entry-level salaries, but starting early is one of the best financial advice for millennials.The Power of Compound Interest: Show them how small IRA or 401(k) contributions, stock market, or mutual fund investments can grow exponentially. Thanks to the magic of compound interest, even modest contributions can snowball into substantial savings.Set a Savings Habit: Suggest allocating a percentage of their monthly paychecks to retirement accounts. For instance, starting with just $50 per month can significantly impact over the years.Visualize the Future: Help them visualize their future financial stability using retirement calculators to project the growth of their savings. Understanding potential future costs can motivate them to prioritize long-term investments. 3. Choose Low-Interest Loans WiselyTeaching money management by choosing a low-interest credit card, mortgage, or student loan option is crucial to saving money.Shop Around for Best Rates: Encourage your children to compare offers and shop around for the best interest rates. A little research can lead to significant savings.Maintain a Good Credit Score: Teach them the importance of maintaining a good credit score to qualify for favorable loan terms and lower interest rates.Refinancing Opportunities: Show them how refinancing loans later can help lower monthly payments and save thousands in the long run. For example, opting for private student loans with lower interest rates can significantly reduce their financial burden. It’s essential that they get a low interest rate to ensure they can pay the loan back. These low interest rates come from good credit history and can be refinanced later to lower the interest rate. 4. Prepare for Financial EmergenciesLife is unpredictable, and being prepared for unexpected expenses is essential. Encourage your millennial children to build an emergency fund with three to six months’ worth of their living expenses.Build an Emergency Fund: Advise them to save enough to cover three to six months of living expenses. This provides a financial cushion for unforeseen events.Separate Savings Account: I suggest keeping this fund in an individual, not easily accessible, savings account. This will prevent dipping into it for non-emergencies.Examples of Use: Show situations where an emergency fund could save the day, like car repairs, sudden medical bills, or unexpected job loss. A well-maintained emergency fund can manage unforeseen expenses like urgent home repairs.5. Talk About Money OpenlyMoney conversations are often taboo, but they shouldn’t be. Normalize discussing finances in your family to foster a healthy relationship with money.Normalize Money Talk: Encourage open discussions within the family about financial goals, spending habits, and budgeting. This fosters a transparent and healthy relationship with money.Discuss with Future Spouse: Encourage your children to discuss financial goals with their future spouse, ensuring they align on key topics like saving, spending, and investing.Share Your Experiences: Share your own financial experiences and decisions in a positive light. This makes these conversations less intimidating and more relatable.Budgeting Tips for Young AdultsCommon Financial Mistakes Millennials Should AvoidIgnoring retirement planningOverspending on non-essential itemsNeglecting to track monthly expensesBest Financial Tools and Apps for MillennialsMint: Budget tracking and expense managementYNAB (You Need a Budget): Helps prioritize saving goalsAcorns: Micro-investing for beginnersUnderstanding Credit ScoresExplain how credit scores impact financial opportunities like renting apartments, getting loans, or landing specific jobs. Share actionable tips or money management strategies for young adults to improve credit, such as:Paying bills on timeKeeping credit utilization lowRegularly checking credit reports for errorsBest financial tips for millennial childrenEmpowering millennials with money know-how involves giving them practical tools and real-life examples. From setting up an emergency fund to understanding compound interest, these crucial financial tips every millennial should know will help them navigate life confidently.Start today by having open money chats, exploring financial apps together, or helping them create a plan to tackle debt. These small steps can lead to significant financial freedom for your kids.
Listicle Things To Keep In Mind When Traveling To Zurich 7:25 AM Zurich is a vibrant city that is steeped in artistic beauty and yet has a contemporary feel to it. The pulse of Zurich lies as much in its historical sites as in its trendy neighborhoods and luxury boutiques. As a cosmopolitan city that blends nature with urban life in an incredible manner, Zurich is truly a traveler’s delight. Being the financial nerve center of Switzerland, the city attracts business travelers and tourists alike. If you are planning to travel this largest metropolis of Switzerland, remember that the city has a culture of its own. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind when traveling to Zurich: Things To Keep In Mind When Traveling To Zurich Euros don’t work in Zurich The whole of Switzerland, including Zurich, doesn’t use euros as their official currency. Swiss Franc is the currency that works there. In other words, you will have to convert your money to Swiss Franc when you travel to Zurich. Otherwise, you will have to depend on your credit cards when making transactions. If you want to get the best exchange rate for your currency, get them exchanged at the banks in Zurich. Hotels or currency exchange offices may charge a fee for the service. You can also withdraw the Swiss currency from an ATM. It is an expensive city There’s no escaping the fact that Zurich is one of the priciest cities in the world. In 2017, Zurich was declared the most expensive city in Europe. So, if your currency pales in comparison to the Swiss Franc, do your calculations well ahead of embarking on the trip. Else, you may find yourself quickly drained of money when you are in the city. But one good thing is that you can enjoy tax-free shopping in Zurich. So, a visit to those luxurious boutiques of Zurich may not hurt your pocket so much after all! It’s better to plan ahead your transportation Although Zurich has a very good public transportation system, you may not want to hop on a train after you get down from a long flight. Also, if your flight is scheduled for a late night landing or gets delayed and lands after midnight, it can be a problem for you to arrange transportation to your destination. Opting for an airport transfer service can be a great way to make sure that your transportation remains ready at the Zurich airport, regardless of when your flight lands. If you are to travel straight to one of the ski resorts in and around Zurich, you can hire the services of an Airport ski transfer provider for the purpose. The city is small in size but big in natural sights Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, but it doesn’t boast of a very large area. Even then, the city offers some of the most delightful natural sights on Earth. There are a number of things to do in Zurich. Right from the museums and the art galleries to the active nightlife, there is something for everyone in Zurich! This post was made possible by site supporter. Hey, did you find this post helpful or entertaining? Please go ahead and share. Share buttons on the left and at the bottom of the article. Big thanks! Subscribe to About Life And Love by Email
Listicle 4 Good Reasons To Use PayPal For Online Shopping 1:34 AM Years ago, who would have thought that shopping can be a breeze and can be done without leaving the comforts of your home, paying without physically getting cash from your wallet, and handing it to the cashier? Times have changed. And what a beautiful change it is! Now you can shop with endless options at your fingertips and you pay hassle-free using online banking. Or the safer way---PayPal. Why PayPal? Here are 4 good reasons to use PayPal for online shopping. 4 Good Reasons to Use PayPal for Online Shopping1. Safe transaction Security is very important as nowadays, thieves are getting smarter and advanced too. They change with time and are also using technology to do their schemes. With the internet, it is easy for them to access your information especially your credit card or bank details. PayPal is the safer way to purchase online because you can link your credit card information with PayPal. They keep your information private with their secured system. When paying through PayPal, your credit card information will not be stolen. 2. Fast and Convenient Who doesn’t love convenience? In this day and age, people are always busy with work, business, or pleasure. You are able to do many things. One of which is doing important transactions online. You can pay your bills, receive payment from clients, send money and shop online without the hassle of going out, lining up to the bank or payment centers, or physically going to the store. When you create a PayPal account, you enter your information and it is stored in their system. When you need to pay for the items in your cart, there is no need to enter them again. You can also check out faster when you use PayPal. Using PayPal is easy, fast, and convenient. 3. Buyer’s Security PayPal makes it a point to regularly update its system in order to avoid external threats or frauds.They also allow you to reimburse your money if by any chance the item you bought online did not arrive or if you had an issue with the seller. PayPal allows full reimbursement and shipping for up to $20,000 per item. (You may check PayPal’s policy for updates). 4. Ubiquity PayPal payment is accepted in thousands of merchants, online stores, and apps. Top online retailers like Zaful, eBay, Google Play, and Best Buy allow you to transact using PayPal. Apps such as Starbucks, Uber, Air BnB, Netflix, Spotify, and the like accept PayPal payments too. Some stores give promos and exclusive offers when you buy through PayPal like free shipping and free returns and discounts. But how do you know if your favourite brand or the business you need is accepting PayPal? PPaccepted.com is a reliable website with a list of major online stores, web-based service providers, and software tools that take PayPal as a form of payment in their database. Their site is easy to navigate with categories (shopping sites, internet services, web tools, software applications) to make it easier for you to browse, find and compare stores that accept PayPal payment. Conclusion The world is at your fingertips. That may sound cliché but with what we can do with a swipe and a click, that is not far from reality. With this possibility though comes the risk and disadvantages of exposing your private information to the public. It is wise to use the better, safer way in doing transactions online. For online shopping, PayPal is by far the most popular choice. Is your favorite shop on PayPal?
Home The Best Styles Of Modern Dining Tables 6:43 AM While the dining table itself may have been around since the dawn of civilization, the modern dining table came about at a very specific point in time. Until the 1950’s, dining tables were purely functional and utilitarian. However, the 1950’s gave birth to what is now known as the mid-century modern furniture design movement. And with that, the dining table took on many fun new forms. Because furniture designers of this era were encouraged to play with shapes and forms, there is no one quintessential modern dining table style. With the invention of new technologies in the 50’s and 60’s, such as molding plywood, or advancements in synthetic polymers, the dining table evolved into a special piece of home furniture. Here are some of the best styles of dining tables to emerge from the mid-century modern design era. The Best Styles of Modern Dining Tables Tulip dining table With its simple and sleek design, the Tulip dining table has remained incredibly popular since its creation in the 1950’s. Designed by Finnish-American architect and designer Eero Saarinen, the Tulip table was revolutionary by featuring one slender, stem-like central support, which fans out smoothly into a circular base. In an interview for Time magazine in 1956[W1] , Eero Saarinen said that “the underside of typical tables and chairs makes a confusing, unrestful world”, so he set out to make a streamlined table design to overcome this problem. As a true credit to the enduring design, the Saarinen Tulip table[W2] has remained a popular favorite worldwide to this day. Now available in a range of styles, colors, materials, and sizes, this dining table design is trendy contemporary choice for any kitchen or dining room. Round dining table Round dining tables have had revival in recent years, and the selection of modern round dining tables on offer now is vast. Round dining tables have always been a popular space-saving choice, as they can sit several people in a smaller space than their square counterparts. They make for an ideal option for smaller dining areas. Over the years, however, the round dining table has benefited from gaining added features, such as hinged leaves (or edges), central “Lazy Susans”, and a range of interesting leg designs[W4] . It goes without saying that round dining tables can come in any material possible, including wood, plastic, clear and colored glass, metal, or fabric covered. Cyclone dining table The Cyclone dining table was a playful style developed by Isamu Noguchi [W5] in 1957. The table’s distinctive base features chrome or chrome-plated steel wires set into a cast-iron, black porcelain-finished foot. The round tabletop is found in a range of colors and materials from plastic, glass and wood. The aesthetic of the Cyclone dining table is just as unusual, beautiful, and fun today as it was in the 1950’s. It will take many decades before this style goes out of fashion, if at all. Freeform dining tables The idea of freeform designing pushed modern furniture into new realms. Freeform, the idea that there is no set definition to a piece of furniture, firmly put the purely utilitarian dining table in the past. Designers got creative with tabletops and leg shapes. Triangles, geometric shapes, globes[W6] , combinations of unusual materials, anything goes with freeform dining tables. These dining tables will stand out in any room they sit in. Source: [W1]http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19560702,00.html [W2]https://emfurn.com/collections/eero-saarinen [W3]http://www.archiproducts.com/en/products/tables/with-lazy-susan [W4]https://emfurn.com/products/noguchi-style-walnut-dining-table [W5]https://emfurn.com/collections/dining-table/isamu-noguchi [W6]https://www.architonic.com/en/product/boca-do-lobo-newton-dining-table/1234672 Hey, did you find this post helpful or entertaining? Please go ahead and share. Share buttons on the left and at the bottom of the article. Big thanks! Subscribe to About Life And Love by Email