No doubt about it. It is very clear that cultivating a frugal lifestyle can benefit you and add value to you. However first it is important to clear up some common misconceptions about frugality. Some people think that being frugal is equal to sacrificing pleasurable things and living in poverty. This does not have to be the case -- it is entirely possible to enjoy a higher quality of life while adopting the principles of frugality and applying them to your life in a practical and personalized way.
One's view of frugality for one person may not be the same for another so it is important to get an accurate portrait of your finances before making any modifications.
Get yourself a notebook or get it tabulated in a spreadsheet devoted to finances only, and record for ideally one month how much money is coming in and going out of your household. Keep a small note pad with you so you can jot down spending on the go. Painstakingly tracking your incoming and outgoing cash flow is extremely important before you can master your finances. Once you have an accurate picture of what you're earning and what you're spending in a month, you can devise a frugality plan that suits your needs without making you miserable.
For instance, if you discover you are paying $15 per week for gourmet coffeehouse beverages, save money by brewing your own at home and toting it in a travel mug. Maybe you love magazines. This is one of my personal frugality issues and it really adds up. Rather than dropping $2.99 here and $3.50 there for the latest gossip tabloid or women's magazine, find the information you need online for free. Many magazines have online editions, not to mention the plethora of blogs and ezines Internet users can enjoy for free. You'll save paper, which is good for the environment while saving money.
Take time to reflect over areas or the major facets of your life where being frugal can help you. If you are struggling in credit card debt, consider consolidating all your debt onto one card, paying it faithfully each month until it is paid off and halting credit spending if possible. Some people only spend cash and refuse to use credit cards. While this may affect your credit rating because you're not accumulating a positive credit history it is better than being mired in debt and obtaining a low credit score. As you can see, there are a variety of ways to stay frugal and this article is just the tip of the iceberg. There are loads of books, websites and other resources that can help you develop a money saving plan that meets your personal financial needs.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Learning Keyboard - A Learner's Experience
When I was very young, there was this demonic creature who used to visit our row of houses. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the week she would come by like clockwork with her stiff features and nasty temper. She also carried a cane with her. She would come into our house and make my sister and me practice on the keyboard for hours on end. If we made a little mistake, the cane would crack out. We were constantly terrified of her. And learning the keyboard was a fast and efficient exercise.
Now, almost two decades own the line, I walked past a mall only to see a real life learning keyboard for the first time in my life. You know what I am talking about right? A learning keyboard is a keyboard that lights up the keys as it plays. Confused? Well the only way you are likely to understand one is when you see it. A learning keyboard used to be a novelty. No longer. Nowadays, nearly every good mall or toy store has not just one, but a wide variety of learning keyboards. All of them have one common factor. These learning keyboards are electric, they light up in order to provide the learner with a visual reference and they all help one in learning keyboard playing.
I remember now, a little hazily perhaps, how a friend of mine had an imported learning keyboard in his house. While the rest of us laboured under the tutelage of the dreaded spinster who came to teach us how to use a keyboard to learn, he quite merrily, used his secret learning keyboard to amaze us with his playing prowess. And since some of the classics we practiced came pre programmed in the learning keyboard, he seemed to learn much faster and much better than the rest of us.
But there is one big flaw with the learning keyboard. Unless you know how to use your fingers in the first place, the learning keyboard is useless. Because anyone without a rudimentary grasp of the right finger technique, will be sorely tempted to follow the flashing lights in a bid to play along faster. And in enabling them to do so, the learning keyboard does them a great disservice.
I am speaking from experience here. I learnt to play the keyboard the hard way. And even today, although I don’t practice often, I can carry along a fairly good tune. But my friend with the imported learning keyboard? Well, after the novelty wore off, he could scarcely be bothered. So his learning keyboard was little more than a transition to other things. Needless to say, he can’t play to save his life.
Now, almost two decades own the line, I walked past a mall only to see a real life learning keyboard for the first time in my life. You know what I am talking about right? A learning keyboard is a keyboard that lights up the keys as it plays. Confused? Well the only way you are likely to understand one is when you see it. A learning keyboard used to be a novelty. No longer. Nowadays, nearly every good mall or toy store has not just one, but a wide variety of learning keyboards. All of them have one common factor. These learning keyboards are electric, they light up in order to provide the learner with a visual reference and they all help one in learning keyboard playing.
I remember now, a little hazily perhaps, how a friend of mine had an imported learning keyboard in his house. While the rest of us laboured under the tutelage of the dreaded spinster who came to teach us how to use a keyboard to learn, he quite merrily, used his secret learning keyboard to amaze us with his playing prowess. And since some of the classics we practiced came pre programmed in the learning keyboard, he seemed to learn much faster and much better than the rest of us.
But there is one big flaw with the learning keyboard. Unless you know how to use your fingers in the first place, the learning keyboard is useless. Because anyone without a rudimentary grasp of the right finger technique, will be sorely tempted to follow the flashing lights in a bid to play along faster. And in enabling them to do so, the learning keyboard does them a great disservice.
I am speaking from experience here. I learnt to play the keyboard the hard way. And even today, although I don’t practice often, I can carry along a fairly good tune. But my friend with the imported learning keyboard? Well, after the novelty wore off, he could scarcely be bothered. So his learning keyboard was little more than a transition to other things. Needless to say, he can’t play to save his life.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Learning from Nature
Have you ever wondered who fashioned the world around us? Science may try to explain it. People may try to analyze it.
Who fashioned the shapes of the leaves of those plants, bushes and trees that we walk pass each day? Who fashioned the beautiful flowers that each portrays? Ain't they awesome?
You will learn something from the nature around us. Some of us learn it the most experiential manner like the passing shower of rain drops hitting down on your home window pane. You may hear the nature in symphony.
Some may observe the beauty of flowers. A single flower is beautiful, pretty. Imagine a bouquet of them or a field spread of them. Even more more than beautiful. Some of them observed unity in action from the flowers. Some observed great teamwork in beauty.
What great learnings we can absorb from the journey of life!
Who fashioned the shapes of the leaves of those plants, bushes and trees that we walk pass each day? Who fashioned the beautiful flowers that each portrays? Ain't they awesome?
You will learn something from the nature around us. Some of us learn it the most experiential manner like the passing shower of rain drops hitting down on your home window pane. You may hear the nature in symphony.
Some may observe the beauty of flowers. A single flower is beautiful, pretty. Imagine a bouquet of them or a field spread of them. Even more more than beautiful. Some of them observed unity in action from the flowers. Some observed great teamwork in beauty.
What great learnings we can absorb from the journey of life!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Learning To Say No and Yes At The Right Time
The earlier post noted that there are just so many things to learn, just so many. When are we going to finish learning? We are not going to finish learning.
Learning one thing at a time also requires us to learn to say no to certain things and learn to say yes to some other certain things. This calls for discernment. You hope someone would come alongside to guide you. Some would tell you priority, while others would inform you this is most important.
At the end, the one who says yes and no would be you. You make the call and follow through with the call and learn through the process.
Some online resources would be to read what others say about learning to say no and also about learning to say yes. There is some truths to the movie "Yes Man" but you do not say 'yes' to wrong doings would you?
Here is one resource for your reading: Stress Relief - Learn How To Say No.
Learning one thing at a time also requires us to learn to say no to certain things and learn to say yes to some other certain things. This calls for discernment. You hope someone would come alongside to guide you. Some would tell you priority, while others would inform you this is most important.
At the end, the one who says yes and no would be you. You make the call and follow through with the call and learn through the process.
Some online resources would be to read what others say about learning to say no and also about learning to say yes. There is some truths to the movie "Yes Man" but you do not say 'yes' to wrong doings would you?
Here is one resource for your reading: Stress Relief - Learn How To Say No.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Learning About Learning Styles Helps You To Learn Better
Each of us are made with a different set of intelligence. Some of us score well on the standard IQ test while others don’t fair so well. However, the IQ score may not be the only thing that measures our capacity to learn. There are different learning styles among the population. Gardner lists eight learning styles among the population. Once you discover the way that you learn best, you are well on your way to acquiring new and fascinating skills and information along the way.
The most commonly used learning style according to Gardner is the visual learner. This person learns best if he can visualize the concept. Some would say that it is impossible to visualize an idea, but it is not impossible. Many teachers create lesson plans that appeal to the people with visual learning styles simply by adding graphs and charts to the routine. Most students fair well after viewing a video that relates to the concepts covered in the lesson plan.
Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. The best way to teach these students is to engage them in every aspect of the activity. In order for these learning styles to benefit from the classroom, they need to be directly involved with producing. For example, in order for the student to understand the structure of a story, he can build a representation of the plot, characters, and so on. Another example of kinesthetic learning is producing recycle items to form a scrapbook or gift.
There are students who have musical learning styles. They benefit from listening to songs that have lyrics written in relation to the subject manner. The approach is commonly used in elementary schools but some older students can learn to music as well. Linguistic learners are among similar learning styles in that they taken in information that is arranged to enhance narrative and poetic elements.
Mathematical learners obviously learn best when information is associated with numbers. A history teacher can focus on dates to help the student remember. An English teacher would want to focus on meter in poetry. These learning styles can overlap very easily. Music teachers can employ math into their lesson plans while math teachers can incorporated music into theirs.
Some students do well listening to lectures. These students are among the learning styles that traditional teachers love. Auditory learners like to take in information through listening. This rare breed is usually remembered as the teacher’s pet years ago. Today, innovative new lesson plans that appeal to students with different learning styles have helped level the playing (or learning) field.
The most commonly used learning style according to Gardner is the visual learner. This person learns best if he can visualize the concept. Some would say that it is impossible to visualize an idea, but it is not impossible. Many teachers create lesson plans that appeal to the people with visual learning styles simply by adding graphs and charts to the routine. Most students fair well after viewing a video that relates to the concepts covered in the lesson plan.
Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. The best way to teach these students is to engage them in every aspect of the activity. In order for these learning styles to benefit from the classroom, they need to be directly involved with producing. For example, in order for the student to understand the structure of a story, he can build a representation of the plot, characters, and so on. Another example of kinesthetic learning is producing recycle items to form a scrapbook or gift.
There are students who have musical learning styles. They benefit from listening to songs that have lyrics written in relation to the subject manner. The approach is commonly used in elementary schools but some older students can learn to music as well. Linguistic learners are among similar learning styles in that they taken in information that is arranged to enhance narrative and poetic elements.
Mathematical learners obviously learn best when information is associated with numbers. A history teacher can focus on dates to help the student remember. An English teacher would want to focus on meter in poetry. These learning styles can overlap very easily. Music teachers can employ math into their lesson plans while math teachers can incorporated music into theirs.
Some students do well listening to lectures. These students are among the learning styles that traditional teachers love. Auditory learners like to take in information through listening. This rare breed is usually remembered as the teacher’s pet years ago. Today, innovative new lesson plans that appeal to students with different learning styles have helped level the playing (or learning) field.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Learning Through Reading
There are just so many things to learn; from morning to night; from the time your eyes are shut and from the time your eyes are open. Just so many!
So where to start? You can start learning through reading up.
Reading up the things that interest you, that motivate you or that strengthen you or energizes you.
Example books. You may re-read some of those books on your bookshelves. Or you may also read magazines, internet short articles, daily newspapers (your interest topics) or even consider getting some new books from Borders, those that you like to read.
If purchasing new books is out of your budget, you may check online for free ebooks.
Even through this process of discovering learning through reading, hope you saw for yourself some light in the process.
Here is an interesting Youtube on Learning to Change.
So where to start? You can start learning through reading up.
Reading up the things that interest you, that motivate you or that strengthen you or energizes you.
Example books. You may re-read some of those books on your bookshelves. Or you may also read magazines, internet short articles, daily newspapers (your interest topics) or even consider getting some new books from Borders, those that you like to read.
If purchasing new books is out of your budget, you may check online for free ebooks.
Even through this process of discovering learning through reading, hope you saw for yourself some light in the process.
Here is an interesting Youtube on Learning to Change.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year 2009
Happy New Year 2009 once more.
Reflecting on the word 'New', it is not necessarily that we work on new things, though you could get your new clothes for the New Year or replace the old stuffs with new ones.
Consider...
~ new ways of doing those old routines; brainstorm, get ideas, sit down & think. You never know that you could have improve your productivity or save a lot of your time.
~ how to discard the 'old' stuffs? Check out the Recyclers instead of dumping in the bin.
Happy Learning New Year 2009.
Reflecting on the word 'New', it is not necessarily that we work on new things, though you could get your new clothes for the New Year or replace the old stuffs with new ones.
Consider...
~ new ways of doing those old routines; brainstorm, get ideas, sit down & think. You never know that you could have improve your productivity or save a lot of your time.
~ how to discard the 'old' stuffs? Check out the Recyclers instead of dumping in the bin.
Happy Learning New Year 2009.
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