by Mike on September 3, 2010
by Mike on September 1, 2010
Have you ever been out in a crowded place, turned around for just a second, and then realized that you had no idea where your child was?
Words can’t adequately describe the emotions that hit you like a freight train and leave you shaken to the core. We experienced those feelings last week while on vacation at the NJ shore town of Wildwood.
There were 10 of us walking down the boardwalk together…my family of 5, our friends and their two kids, and my sister who came down just for the day. The boardwalk was crowded and full of distractions, and as we walked we decided to make a detour into a pizzeria for a quick bite to eat.
We strolled inside and made our way to one of the larger tables and began to sit down. As a parent of 3 little ones who can take off without warning, I’ve trained myself to do a quick visual scan every couple of minutes to make sure no one is missing. I must do it 200 times a day.
1, 2, 3.
1…2…………….ok, there’s number 3. Whew!
Well as we began to sit down for a few slices of pizza I did a quick scan…and this time I came up one short.
My three were all accounted for but our friend’s 4 year old daughter Lauren was missing.
Oh Shit.
My sister stayed inside to watch the kids and the rest of us ran outside and split up in different directions. I searched through the arcade next door hoping she got distracted by the games and wandered inside. No luck.
I headed back to the front of the restaurant to regroup and started scanning the crowd until I saw Lauren’s mom headed toward me…with Lauren safely in tow.
Fortunately we got lucky and no harm came to Lauren or anyone else. But she was missing for about 10 minutes, and let me tell you the thoughts going through our heads were not pleasant.
As we belatedly sat down to enjoy our pizza, the adults laid down some rules to keep the kids safe at the boardwalk and at other events in the future.
Tips to Keep Kids Safe in Public Places
1. Discuss what could happen to your kids if they get lost. You don’t need to go into lurid detail, but this isn’t the time for sugarcoating either. They need to understand that there are bad people in the world who can hurt them or take them away from their mommy and daddy. A little fear is good.
2. Right before you go out, take a picture of the kids with your cell phone. If the worst happens and one goes missing, you might be so upset that you can’t remember what they were wearing. Having a picture handy will help you provide a description to searchers.
3. Choose a landmark to meet at in case anyone gets separated. On the boardwalk we told our little ones to go straight to the carousel if they got lost. They could see it from anywhere on the pier and we would all meet there together. This gives them an idea of what to do so they don’t panic.
4. Specify which adult is watching which child. Don’t just assume that your spouse is watching the kids…he or she may be assuming you are keeping an eye on them. If you have more than one it’s helpful to actually decide who is responsible for who on that particular night.
by Mike on August 29, 2010
Today we have a guest post from Anthony of AccountNow. Money 411 is a personal finance blog provided free from AccountNow prepaid visa card. To read more, visit AccountNow at www.accountnow.com.
Due to the recent economic downturn, many consumers have unfortunately found themselves in situations that have caused them to earn a low credit score. Additionally, because so many consumers have found themselves with debts that they are unable to pay, many lenders are refusing to give credit cards or other loans to those with a limited credit history. Fortunately, it is possible to build credit and improve a poor financial situation through the use of a prepaid visa card.
A prepaid visa card helps to build credit in a few different ways. One way that it helps a consumer’s credit score is by keeping an open account that is in good standing, which will be taken into consideration when evaluating credit. The major credit bureaus take into account the number of revolving debts and open accounts, as well as the number of those accounts that are in good standing, when evaluating a person’s credit. Simply keeping a prepaid credit card account open will help to slowly raise a consumer’s credit score.
Card holders will continue to earn a higher credit score the longer that they pay all necessary fees and balances that they owe. It is also advisable to constantly keep money on the card and not immediately spend the card’s balance. This shows the credit bureaus that a consumer is practicing financial responsibility and trying to improve their credit. However, it is important that a card holder does not fail to pay a monthly or additional fee, as this will lower their credit score. Consumers that continue to use their card responsibly will not only be able to improve their credit score, but may be able to qualify for a regular credit card and build a stronger credit history.
by Mike on August 21, 2010
by Mike on August 20, 2010
This is a guest post by Lisa from http://get401krolloverinfo.com. Lisa discusses 401k plans and the importance of investing early.
When we are little we start thinking about our future. We start thinking about things like what we want to be when we grow up or where will we live, but you never hear kids talk about how much money they will have when they retire. That is of course because as kids they don’t even know what retirement is, but as we start getting into our late teens and early twenties we start to learn about retirement and understand that we have to plan for our future. We start to realize that what we do today plays an important role in where we will be tomorrow. That is why investing in your 401k retirement fund at an early age is so important. You are planning for the future. What you invest today will greatly impact your quality of life 30, 40 or 50 years from now.
From your very first job to your very last, you should be investing in your employer’s 401k plan if it is provided and here are 3 simple reasons why:
• If your employer matches a certain percentage of your contributions then you definitely want to invest because you will be receiving free retirement money from your employer. You want to invest at the very minimum enough to get your companies matching contribution.
• When you invest in a 401k plan you are using pre-taxed dollars, which means Uncle Sam has yet to get his hands on your money. This means that every penny that you invest gets put to use. Over time your money and the interest that it has earned compounds and continues to earn more interest. So for example if you invested $1 and you earned $.25 in interest on that $1, you now have $1.25 earning interest, as opposed to just $1.
• It’s automatic, which is important when it comes to saving! Some people set a budget and commit to putting a certain percentage into savings each paycheck, but it is too easy to not follow through. Your 401k contributions are automatically taken out of your paycheck each week (before taxes) and are invested. There is no opportunity for you to take that money and spend it on something else, like shoes, clothes or a new gadget.
Investing in your employer’s 401k plan the minute it is available to you is one of the most important steps you will take for your future. You are saying to yourself and to your employer that your future is important. Just as investing is a priority keeping up on your 401k plan is equally as important. You don’t always want to just set it and forget, and here are 2 reasons why.
• You want to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck. Each quarter you will receive a statement that shows you how your investments are performing and it’s important to really take the time to learn and understand what your investments are doing for you. If you are unsure you may want to consider meeting with a financial advisor or someone you know that is very savvy with investing to help you get a better understanding. Going over the statement each quarter will help you determine if you are investing wisely.
• If you decide to go work for another employer you need to make sure you put your 401k plan at the top of your priority list and do not forget about it. You have 3 options available to you: Perform a 401k rollover, cash out your money or leave it with your previous employer. It is important to understand all 3 options. Cashing out your 401k before the age of 59 ½ will result in hefty taxes and penalties. If you leave your money with your previous employer they may charge you account maintenance fees. Performing a rollover to your new employer is usually the best option because you will only have one account to maintain as opposed to several.
So if you are not investing in your company’s 401k plan, do so as soon as possible. If you currently have a 401k, take the time to understand your investments and make sure they are working well for you at your current age. Don’t just set it and forget it. Make sure you are on track to retire healthy, wealthy and wise!
by Mike on August 16, 2010
This week I participated in my first paid market research study and I actually got paid $60 to taste french fries!
Marketing research companies are all over the country and I bet there’s one where you can earn extra money too. First let me explain how paid market research programs work and then I’ll tell you more about my experience so you know what to expect.
Marketing research is incredibly important in the world of business. Just think about it. If you were CEO of a corporation that was considering offering a new product, wouldn’t you want to get some feedback on the idea before you spent millions of dollars developing it? Maybe you’d create a few prototypes and let people test them out to see if they like them?
So companies hire marketing research firms to run focus groups, surveys,and taste testing panels to get objective opinions about their products BEFORE they commit to spending a fortune developing them.
That’s where you come in! When you sign up for a paid market research program you can actually get paid to drink coffee, test new kitchen utensils, or watch pilot episodes of new sitcoms.
How I Got Paid to Eat French Fries
One of my wife’s girlfriends recently started participating in focus groups and she got my wife to sign up too. When you first sign up you fill out a short questionnaire so they can get an idea of what kind of paid market research studies you would be eligible for.
When a new study is ready, you’ll get a call asking if you’d like to participate. There may be some additional questions to determine your eligibility. My wife started getting calls right away…a couple a week actually, but the timing just didn’t work out (most studies are during the day and she would need a babysitter).
When they called about the french fry testing they mentioned they were primarily looking for men so they asked if there was a man in the house willing to participate. I love french fries so you can bet I was willing! 
The marketing research office is not far from my home so I was able to swing by on my way home from work. I signed in and chatted with some other members of the test panel in the waiting room. After a few minutes they ushered us into the testing room.
We sat down as the testers handed out the questionnaires and then they brought out little plates with french fries to taste. There were 3 sets of fries and after each we had to fill out a survey describing what we liked and disliked about each. The testers came around and made sure each survey was complete and then we were excused. On the way out I stopped by the front desk and the receptionist handed me an envelope with $60 inside.
That’s easy money baby!
To find a research program or focus group near you just do a Google search and see where the closest locations are.
You shouldn’t expect to get rich participating in paid market research studies, but it is certainly possible to earn a a couple hundred bucks a month while having fun testing out new products and tasting food.
