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Time wasting is a destructive habit almost every person holds. Wasting time can cause you to miss opportunities, earn less money, waste your life and not have the significant impact on this world you want to have. Let me confess to you right now that I am a terrible time waster. I am in the running for the biggest time waster of the year award. However, I am striving to get better and I have seen improvement over the last few months.

I don’t want to be a time waster. I am a full time student and my only form of income is from this website. When I waste time it means that I am wasting time that I could be using on this website to help earn me more income. If I waste time then I go hungry, and I have a lot of things I NEED to be saving up for, so wasting time is a big no no for me at the moment. I literally cannot afford it.

Here are some of the things I have done to help me stop wasting time:

Have a Schedule

I have a Samsung Blackjack which is a smart phone. I carry it with me all the time and in it I have my schedule. A schedule can be a very effective tool for using your time wisely (if you stick to it). Just put it the events that you have, and then look at the times free you have. Begin blocking out times to working on your website/business/investments and treat them as you would a date with your wife/husband or boy/girlfriend. This way if comething else comes up then you can avoid wasting time on that and you can spend time working.

Stick to your schedule. Don’t just have it but live by it. Spend more times doing the things which you feel are most important to you.

Be Aware of the Time Wasters

What do you waste a lot of your time on? For me my time wasting is mainly surfing the net. Now since I am aware of this whenever I go online I need to have a structure and list as to what I need to do. Then I just simple do what I need to do and don’t do anything else. This way I don’t waste any time.

Find out what makes you waste time and find a way to limit this activity. If for example you watch tv to waste time, then tape your shows and have a slot each day where you watch tv, that way you see more as you miss out on all the ads, and you online watch tv for a set time each day

Sleep Well

Not getting enough sleep is a time waster because it causes you to be less effective the next day. So get a good nights sleep so you can concentrate better and work better.
Also take breaks during the day, have a lunch break and relax. You can work harder after a break than if you didn’t have one

So wasting time can stand in your way to being successful. I would love to hear any advice you might have on how to stop wasting time. Place it is the comments below.

Well here in Australia winter is almost upon us (just a couple of days away) and I want to share with everyone some tips that I have learnt of how to live frugally in winter.

Winter can incur a huge expense in households due to mainly the heating costs and it can quickly eat away all of your hard earnt savings. Don’t let this be you. I am going to show you some ways that I believe you can save money this winter and be all the more richer for it.

Use Gas Heating

Many people in today’s society are using electric bar heaters, these heaters use HUGE amounts of energy and send your electrical bill skyrocketing. Gas heaters are a much better alternative. They are much cheaper to run, and they actually are a lot more effective than electrical heaters. Be warned though, to buy a good gas heater you can pay over $1,000 per unit. But in a couple of years you would have easily saved the extra money it cost you in purchase.

Use a Fireplace

A good old fireplace can be a great way to save money this winter. They are free to run (granted you can get your firewood for free) and warm up your room very effectively.

Shut Your Windows and Doors

Obviously cold air getting into the house is a big no no when it comes to trying to save money on heating. Close all your doors and windows, and further yet make sure you block all the cracks and openings where air can come in. In my household we have stoppers which stop air coming in underneath the doors in our house. Make sure you block out the drafts and keep your house warm

Get Heavy Curtains

Glass (windows and glass doors) are a major cause of loss of heat in your house. Heavy curtains can stop the cold air from the glass coming inside and it can instead keep the warm air in.

Use a Hot Water Bottle

Electrical blankets are popular among many households. However a hot water bottle can do the same job for a fraction of the price. Don’t jack up your electrical bills with an electrical balnket but use a hot water bottle
Note: If you do use an electrical blanket then don’t have it on all night. Just have it on before you go to sleep. My electric blanket has a 75 minute timer, after which it switches off. Don’t leave it on all night

Rug Up

It is amazing how much money people spend heating up their house so they can walk around in a t-shirt and shorts. Wear a jumper and tracksuit pants to stay warm. Keep your head and your feet warm as this is where you will lose most of your body heat.

Add Insulation

Hot air rises, and then it escapes through the roof. Have your roof insulated as to avoid losing all your hot air. This can save you thousands in the long run.

So I hope this has helped you to keep your house warmer, and for a cheaper rate this winter.

If you don’t want to die at 40 then you need to learn how to stay fit and healthy. As the saying goes “Health is Wealth”, we all know how important ones health is. Staying fit and healthy is what we all want. Fitness makes us want to live life every day. In order to stay fit and healthy you have to eat right, exercise, rest, quit bad habits like smoking and drinking, free yourself from stress and maintain good hygiene.

If you are unhealthy then you cannot enjoy your wealth. If you are unhealthy then you cannot enjoy your friends and family. If you are unhealthy you can die at a young age. So it is really important that no matter what our job is, or how much we earn or own, we need to stay fit and healthy.

Follow these rules to stay fit and healthy all your life.

Watch What You Eat

Good nutritious food is important for our body. The human body needs to have nutrients whether through eating food or taking supplements. Say no to junk food as they do not help but only make you gain weight (this is advice I myself need to take). Add a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Avoid eating fatty meats like pork, ham, sausages and salami. If you are a vegetarian than certain benefits like iron and B-12 that you get from eating meat would not be provided so in exchange for the meat you should take supplements. Watch the amount of sugar you take. Reduction of sugar is important to good health; therefore always check out the sugar content of anything you eat even if it appears to be healthy. Cut down on fat consumption by taking low fat cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream. Nuts should be included in your diet.

Exercise

Do exercises regularly to keep fit and even if you don’t have time to exercise try to move your body as much as you can. If you have a choice between taking the elevator or the stairs choose the latter. Walk your dog, play with your kids, do gardening or mow your lawn.

Have a Sabath

Rest. Many people refuse to rest and this leads to your body working overtime and then getting sick often. Like when you go to the gym you have to leave a day or two to rest, you need to have at least one day a week when you don’t work and you just rest (the bible calls this a ’sabath’ day).
This time last year I didn’t have any days off, and I got extremely sick with glandular fever which forced me out of work and college for over 1 month and I eventually had to quit my job completely because I kept getting sick all of the time.

Sleep Well

They say 1 hours sleep before midnight is worth 4 hours sleep after midnight. So try to go to bed before 10:30. Last night I went to bed at 3am because I couldn’t sleep and even though I slept in till 11am I am still very very tired. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier. You will feel more fresh each day if you do this.

Quit Smoking

This post is a guest post from Get Rich Slowly. Take some time to check it out today.

Debt elimination involves three steps:

1. Stop acquiring new debt.
2. Establish an emergency fund.
3. Implement a debt snowball.

Here’s how to approach each step. (I’ll use Nick’s situation as an example, but the principles apply to everyone.)

Stop acquiring new debt
(This step can be accomplished in an afternoon.)

This may seem self-evident, but the reason your debt is out of control is that you keep adding to it. Stop using credit. Don’t finance anything. Cut up your credit cards.

That last one can be tough. Don’t make excuses. I don’t care that other personal finance sites say that you shouldn’t cut them up. Destroy them. Stop rationalizing that you need them.

You don’t need credit cards for a safety net.
You don’t need credit cards for convenience.
You don’t need credit cards for cash-back bonuses.
You don’t need credit cards at all. If you’re in debt, credit cards are a trap. They only put you deeper in debt. Later, when your debts are gone and your finances are under control, maybe then you can get a credit card. (I don’t carry a personal credit card. I don’t miss having one.)

After you destroy your cards, halt any recurring payments. If you have a gym membership, cancel it. If you automatically renew your World of Warcraft account, cancel it. Cancel anything that automatically charges your credit card. Stop using credit.

Once you’ve done this, call each credit card company in turn. Do not cancel your credit cards (except for those with a zero balance). Instead, ask for a better deal. Find an offer online and use it as a bargaining wedge. Your bank may not agree to match competing offers, but it probably will. It never hurts to ask.

Establish an emergency fund
(This step will probably take several months.)

For some, this is counter-intuitive. Why save before paying off debt? Because if you don’t save first, you’re not going to be able to cope with unexpected expenses. Do not tell yourself that you can keep a credit card for emergencies. Destroy your credit cards; save cash for emergencies.

How much should you save? Ideally, you’d save $1,000 to start. (College students may be able to get by with $500.) This money is for emergencies only. It is not for beer. It is not for shoes. It is not for a Playstation 3. It is to be used when your car dies, or when you break your arm in a touch football game.

Keep this money liquid, but not immediately accessible. Don’t tie your emergency fund to a debit card. Don’t sabotage your efforts by making it easy to spend the money on non-essentials. Consider opening a savings account at an online bank like ING or Emigrant. When an emergency arises, you can easily transfer the money to your regular checking account. It’ll be there when you need it, but you won’t be able to spend it spontaneously.

Implement a debt snowball
(This step may require several years.)

After you’ve stopped using credit, and after you’ve saved an emergency fund, then attack your existing debt. Attack it with vigor. Throw whatever you can at it.

Many people say to pay your high interest debts first. There’s no question that this makes the most sense mathematically. But if money were all about math, you wouldn’t have debt in the first place. Money is as much about emotion and psychology as it is about math.

There are at least two approaches to debt elimination. Psychologically, using a debt snowball offers big payoffs, payoffs that can spur you to further debt reduction. Here’s the short version:

Order your debts from lowest balance to highest balance.
Designate a certain amount of money to pay toward debts each month.
Pay the minimum payment on all debts except for the one with the lowest balance.
Throw every other penny at the debt with the lowest balance.
When that debt is gone, do not alter the monthly amount used to pay debts, but throw all you can at the debt with the next-lowest balance.
I’m a huge fan of the debt snowball. It still takes time to pay off your debts, but you can see results almost immediately.

Supplementary solutions
You can do other things to improve your money situation while you’re working on these three steps.

First, focus on the fundamental personal finance equation: to pay off debt, or to save money, or to accumulate wealth, you must spend less than you earn.

Curb your spending. Re-learn frugal habits. (Frugality is something with which most college students are all too familiar.) You can find some great ideas in the archives of this site. Also check Frugal for Life.

While you work to spend less, do what you can to increase your income. If possible, sell some of the stuff you bought when you got into debt. Get an extra job. (But don’t neglect your studies for the sake of earning more. Your studies are most important.)

Finally, go to your local public library and borrow Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover. Don’t be put off by the title — this is a fantastic guide to getting out of debt and developing good money habits. I rave about it often, but that’s because it has done so much to help my own personal finances. After you’ve finished, return it and borrow another book about money.

The most important thing is to start now. Don’t start tomorrow. Don’t start next week. Start tackling your debt now. Your older self will thank you.

My mum always told me “You need to invest in the stock market for the long run“. My mum loves the stock market. She has all her retirement money in the stock market and she makes a fair amount of money (around 25% per year over the last 3 years). She is always trying to give me advice about the stock market and I thought I would share her number one tip with you guys today. And that is this:

“When investing in the stock market be in it for the long run, a minimum of 5 years”

This is because the stock market is constantly fluctuating, going up and down. If you only invest in the stock market for 1 year then you could get a bad year an lose a lot of money. However, if you invest over 5 years or 10 years then the stock market always eventually goes up. It averages about 11% every year. However, this year it has gone backwards and lost people a lot of money.

The stock market is a great tool for a retirement plan, or for making some extra income on this side. Many people make money from the stock market as the full time income and you can do this too if you want, it just takes some training, some practice and a lot of determination. But the stock market is perfect for a long term investment such as retirement, or a college fund, or saving up for a house in the future.

Here are some tips about investing in the stock market for the long run.

Have a long term goal

Many people want to get rich quick. But few people ever do. Have a long term wealth goal that is achieveable. Have something you can diligently work towards and that you can achieve and be happy with. Don’t set something too high (like I often do), but set something achievable and attainable.

Be in it for the long run. Don’t just try to make $10,000 in your first month. Try and make $1,000,000 in 20 years. The longer you are in the stock market the more it works for you because you begin to earn interest on your interest. As you earn more interest you earn more money, when you stocks go up or you get some dividends then re-invest it back it. Watch your money grow and grow and grow until you are wealthy. But have a long term goal…not just a short term daydream.

Buy, buy, buy on a consistent basis

The stock market will go up and it will go down, but you need to invest on a consistent basis. If you invest money in the stock market every month, then even when the stock market drops it is not bad for you because you have an opportunity to buy at the low points and make money. If you just invest once, then maybe it might crash for a bit and you have to wait for it to go back up again. If you invest all the time then you get to experience the highs of when the stock market shoots up and you also get to take advantage of the lows and buy stock cheap and make more money.

Don’t have unrealistic expectations

I covered this a tiny bit in point #1, but don’t have unrealisitic expectations of the time it will take, the percentage you will get and the overall money you will make. Have a realisitic goal that you can diligently work towards, don’t just have a daydream about how you want to make $1,000,000 in 5 days from the stock market. Remember being in it for the long run is the key to success in the stock market.

Have realistic expectations so you won’t get disappointed and give up, if you have realistic expectations then you can celebrate your successes and be motivated to continue on your long term journey towards wealth.

So if you want to invest in the stock market, stop thinking just short term and invest in the stock market for a long period of time, at least 5 years.

The key to success is leverage. As one person you can only do so much, but if you leverage other people’s time, other people’s money and other people’s relationships then you can make a lot of money and become a lot more successful than if you did it all by your lonesome.

Let me give you an example. I went for a job interview the other day at Freedom Furniture to apply for a sales position in the furniture department. I got this interview because my girlfriend is the visual merchandiser manager at the store. Thankfully I got some work (though not a job YET, just doing stocktake) and I am next in line when a casual postion becomes vacant. This is all because I leveraged my girlfriend’s relationships to get a really incredible job. In this job you earn commissions of whatever you sell over budget. One guy works 3 days/week and earns $3,000/month. That is a pretty good deal.

Another example of leveraging your relationships in on the internet. People will always want to buy off someone who they trust. If you have a relationship with someone who has a list of people who they email a newsletter to each week then they have a list of people who trust him. If you were to advertise your product to them you could make some sales. However, if he was to advertise your product for you and say how good it was, then your sales would go through the roof. Why? Because he has a relationship with these people and they trust him (or her) even if they don’t know him personally.

When working online you should always try to leverage relationships you already have to create new relationships and to create business opportunities. I have not done this personally as I do not have a product of my own significant enough to market and make enough money from. But you can use other people’s relationships as leverage to create your own relationships with customers.

The old saying “It is not about what you know but who you know” is so true when it comes to business. You can know 1 million things about business but if you don’t know anyone to sell your products to or help you out then you will find it much harder than a person who has relationships.

So how do you leverage other people’s relationships?

1. Look for job opportunities

Like I did with my girlfriend and the staff at her work. I used her relationships at her work play to create for myself a job opportunity. You can do the same thing. If someone you know works in an industry you wish to work in then use their relationships to get you an internship, or a job interview, or even better a real job.

2. Look for sales opportunites

Maybe you know someone who has a lot of customers or relationships where the people will benefit from your product. It would be best if your product is not in competition with their product, but compliments their product. Then get them to pitch the product to their customer base. Make sure there is something in it for them (like a healthy slice of the commissions) and then they will be more than happy to assist you.

3. Look to create your own relationships

Meet the other people that your friends are in relationship with and form your own relationships. I recently went on a trip to the Gold Coast for a Christian Youth Leaders Retreat. I used the relationships I was in (people from my church) to create relationships with people from other churches. Now I am continuing to build those relationships myself. My friend was great for the initial introduction, now I can work at creating relationships with these leaders.

So don’t go it completely alone. Leverage other people’s relationships and fastrack your success.

Poverty is not a money problem, it is a mind problem. Poverty is a state of mind that traps you in a place where you cannot move forward. You earn only just enough to live off and you cannot save any money to use to make more money. However, this is a mentality and can be changed (as many people in poverty have changed their mindsets and gotten out of poverty).
I am in a relevant poverty at the moment. I am not going to lie to you guys. I am currently in a situation where I simply earn enough to live off and cannot afford to save up and invest in the way I want to. But even though at the moment it looks like I am poor, I actually am not. Because being poor is a mindset, so is being rich.
Attracting wealth has a lot to do with the way you think. It doesn’t just have to do with your job or your income. But a wealthy person thinks like this “How can this be done” whereas a poverty and poor mindset says “This cannot be done”

I know that as the future lies ahead of me only good things await. I know you may be thinking “Why would I listen to someone who isn’t successful yet, and actually has little money at the moment” and my answer to that is that I am on the journey and I WILL be rich and I will be wealthy and you can come along that journey with me and learn from my mistakes and successes. Then you yourself can become wealthy.

Here is my one essential tip to help you become extremely wealthy and break the poverty cycle in your life.

1. Have a “How Can I?” Attitude

That is it. Sound simple? Let me tell you it is, but can be hard to practice.
Having a ‘how can I?’ attitude is what is going to make you successful. I cannot afford to work full time blogging at the moment because I do not make enough money from it. However, I have a ‘how can I?’ attitude to get me there.
I am regularly posting on this blog, I am advertising affiliate programs which I believe will be of benefit to my readers (such as Profit Lance Online Training Program), and creating my own products. In 18 months time I will be a full time blogger and no one can stop me.

Whenever a problem or obstacle comes your way you need to have a “How Can I?” attitude and find a solution to your problem. Be the head and not the tail of every situation.

Note to my readers: This post will be the only time I will ask for donations (although I will leave a donation button in the sidebar) … if it bothers you, please skip this post.

I have decided to ask for your help to help me realise my dream of becoming a full-time blogger. It is a dream that I have held for almost two years now, and I believe that if I continue to work at my website as I have been doing then it will eventually come true.

However, a few things have happened recently that has spurred me on to ask for your help to make this become a reality sooner:

1. I have recently run out of money. I am a student and had some savings from when I was working full time. I quit work because of sickness and to work on my blogs, however my money has now come to an end. I will either need your help or will need to get a ‘real’ job.
2. I am starting to move towards marriage. I am finishing college at the end of this year and I want to marry my girlfriend. I am saving for a ring for her and also will need to save for the wedding and to move out of home. I cannot afford this at the moment and I ask for your help.

So, I am hoping that with a combination of the income I am earning from this site, some extra work I am doing on the side for friends of mine, and the generous donations of you guys, I will be able to achieve my dream of becoming a full time blogger and be able to dedicate my time to creating the best content possible for this site.

I am not asking for payment for reading this site. It will always be free, and I will not create a “premium content” section either.

Donations are simply that…donations and I am only asking for a one-time donation (or at most, once a year). You are under no obligations to give and you can continue reading, and there will be no hard feelings either way

However, if you feel that this content is worth $25 a year donation, and you are able to do so, please click on the donation button at the bottom of this post and make a $25 donation (that’s my suggested amount, but you can donate more or less — however much you are able to give me).

So seeing as you get this content for free anyway, whether you donate or not, why should you do it? Here’s a Top 10 list:

1. If you like the content and find it valuable, you can give back a little for the time I’ve put into this site.
   I will be able to focus more on the content of this blog and give you the best stuff possible. I think the quality is good now but it can be better if I have more time
2. The site will be updated more regularly with great free content.
3. You can help a good man realise his dream.
4. You are helping me to be able to marry the woman of my dreams.
5. I will be able to respond to your questions quickly and in more details as I will have more time
6. I will thank you, each day as I pray and live my life.
7. I am thinking of creating some additional resources for this blog (audio programs, e-books, forms etc.) that I will be able to accomplish if I have more time.
8. You will be helping hundreds (and thousands) of people become financially free and wealthy through this website. This wealth will go towards making the world a better place.
9. I will be liberated from time and place. I will be able to travel and still blog, from anywhere, at any time. This isn’t really a benefit for you, but it will make me happy.
10. You will receive the satisfaction of knowing that you have done something good today.

If you would like to receive these 10 benefits, your generous contribution would be appreciated. Just click on the button below.

Want to know how to get a job? Sometimes it can be very hard to get a job when you are looking for one. It often seems as if there is almost no work available at all. I have personally had this struggle when applying for a job after I finished high school.

I understand that there are many people out there unemployed and desperately looking for a job but do not know how to get a job. So I want to provide you guys with some tips that have helped me get jobs in the past and will help me to get a job in the present (I am currently looking for a job outside my internet business).

I am going for a job interview today at freedom furniture to apply for a casual furniture sales assistant job. My girlfriend is a visual merchandiser at the store and she is trying to hook me up with a job. I need the money at the moment. I took time off work to work on my website and be a student but now because of that I am extremely short on cash.

So here are some tips that I can give you to help you get a job:

• Devote Yourself to it

When you put your mind to something you can achieve it. When you don’t have a job and you desperately need one devote yourself to it. Make it a full time thing. Spend 40 hours a week looking for a job until you can find one. This way you will find the best opportunities and won’t waste your time playing playstation because you don’t have a job.

• Decide on a Career Field

Decide on what area you want to work in. Maybe you want to work in IT, or maybe you want to work in hospitality or you want to work with kids. Maybe you don’t care and you will work anywhere. Decide on a career field because more often than not you will need to start near the bottom and work your way up. Decide on something you would love to do long term.

• Write a Resume

A good resume is a must have for interviews and applications. First impressions count and your resume is your first foot in the door, make it a good impression that will land you the job. Change you resume around for different positions you are applying for and make your resume targeted to that position (showing the necessary skills etc.)

• Develop Your Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a short pitch you could give to someone while in an elevator ride with them. Work on your elevator pitch to the question “Why should we hire you”.

• Dress to Impress

Like I said before first impressions count. If you walk into an interview looking like a bum off then street then no one is going hire you. Dress smart and look your best.

• Give Them What They Want

When applying for a job people are looking for certain characteristics and skills. Before you go for a job you should at least have a rough idea of what these things are. When you write your resume, cover letter or go for a job interview then tell them what they need to hear. I am going for a job interview today applying for a sales job. They will want someone with good people skills, good sales and upselling skills so I will tell them about how I excell in these areas. I will not tell them that I am a great writer because this does not fit what they need. Tell your employer what they want to hear, and that is how you will get the job.

• Come From The Inside

This job I am applying for came because my girlfriend already works in this store and she has good relationships with the managers. They trust her and trust that she can choose someone of skill to do the job they need done. They are more likely to hire me than just a random off the street because I already have history.

In sales people will always buy off someone they trust as opposed to someone selling cold turkey. Same with hiring, people are more likely to hire you if a trusted person recommended you.

• Have Confidence and Be Yourself

Have confidence in yourself and who you are. There is nothing worse than trying to hire someone who doesn’t believe in themselves and is not confident. Be yourself, don’t be fake to get the job but be confident that you are the right person for the job (because you are) and that if they don’t hire you they are missing out.

Go for it and I will let you know how I go with my job interview.

This week I have been up on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. I was at a leaders retreat conference for Youth Alive (Christian). It went for three days and we had some fantastic speakers at this conference. People such as Reggie Dabbs and Brian Houston. You may not know these names but they are big names in the Christian world and amazing speakers.

The whole trip really tired me out and I was talking to my friend saying “I wish I had more time”. Then we started talking about how we don’t need more time but we need ore capacity. See for me if I was to speak in front of a crowd then it would take me at least a day of doing nothing to recover. Where as these great speakers have a larger capacity and can speak 8 times in one day and still not be as tired as I would be.

So in order to become more and more successful we don’t need more time (though time management is a tool you MUST use), we need to increase our capacity. But how do we increase our capacity?

• Push Ourselves

The only way to increase your capacity is to stretch yourself. Do as much as you possibly can. It is similar to building muscle, when you work out you tear the muscle and it grows back bigger, tear yourself by doing great things and then as you recover you will have an increased capacity.

This could mean speaking in front of people, working on your website more, spending time with your family. Push yourself forward, get tougher, rip the muscle so you can grow stronger.

• Rest

After you have done a workout you need to rest and recover. Don’t burn yourself into the ground trying to become rich and successful. Have rest periods and have a sabbath day (one day off a week). Stay rested so you can recover and then continue to increase your capacity.

• Don’t Give Up

Be in it for the long haul. In the same way you cannot work out once and expect to be fit you cannot work hard once and expect to be successful. It is an ongoing porcess and needs to be done continually over a long period of time.

As you increase your capacity then your success will increase