03 Dec 09 How to Be Wise with Credit Card Usage

Credit cards have made our life quite easy for the most part of the month, except in those times when will miss the due date or get calls from credit card issuing company. You feel you are being cheated, and these buggers (read credit card companies) are sucking money out of your wallet.

Well, I will not say that they are not doing so, they are very much doing that, but you are also responsible for that (more or less responsible, if not equally). You can avoid being taken for the ride, and for this, all you need to do is become a little wiser.

Know your bill cycle

Swiping your card is much easier then remembering the due date for the bill payment, while former helps us accumulate a lot of payable dues, the latter adds stress to that (along with interests, fine, and calls, etc.). It is prudent to know what your bill cycle is and plan your purchase accordingly.

If say, your bill cycle is 12nd of a month to 13rd of the next month, then I will suggest you should do the big ticket purchasing on 13th or 14th, this will give you maximum credit period (which is around 45-50 days), as against making a purchase of 11th or 12th. In this case, you will hardly get 10-15 days time to pay your bill.

Get it converted into interest-free EMI

If you are making a big purchase from your credit card then I will suggest you to get it converted in easy monthly installments (EMIs).Some credit card company charges only processing fee for the conversion. Paying in EMIs are far more convenient then paying a lump sum, and it will also save you from paying interest on balance payable.

Make full payment

Your credit card company set a trap in each bill, which is known as “minimum amount due”. This is done to lure you in making a part payment while making you pay interest on the rest. Do not fall for this, and try to make full payment at once. If you cannot then get the amount converted in EMI (read above).

“Minimum amount due” is a trap that is set to reduce your guilt feeling of not paying the bills, avoid it at all cost.

Know your card

Do you know how much interest you will have to pay on credit card dues? Or what is the grace period for payment? How much fine will be levied if you miss a payment? Read the fine prints, talk to credit card companies, and know everything that is there to know about your card.

The above written steps will help you reduce your monthly credit card bill, of which interest and fine is the major part.

Tags: Bill Payment, Buggers, Conversion, Credit Card Companies, Credit Card Company, Credit Card Usage, Credit Cards, Credit Period, Due Date, Emi, Guilt, Installments, Issuing Company, Lump Sum, Maximum Credit, Money, Stress, Sucking, Wallet

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22 Apr 09 Change Your Weightlifting To Burn More Fat

Still trying that same workout routine but not seeing the results you want? One likely cause could be that you’re not doing enough to raise your metabolism, therefore not seeing the fat burning/muscle building results you are expecting from your workouts. The first step is as simple as just looking at your workout routine and deciding what it is you need to change in order to burn more, and increase your metabolism. The first step is looking at how long of a rest period you take in between sets during resistance training.

Technically the body needs at least 30 seconds of time in between sets for your muscles to rest and recover. But if you’re not seeing the results you want, make sure you’re getting as close to a thirty second rest period as possible, but don’t go over that time limit. That way you force your body to increase metabolism to cope with the stress of the workload you’re putting upon it.

Another way to increase metabolism and fat burn is by not alternating days when you do lower and upper body work, but rather working both in one session. By doing both lower and upper body workouts in the same day you actually increase the amount of growth hormones flowing throughout your body, and growth hormones burn fat. Therefore mixing up your exercises and doing upper and lower body workouts at the same time is the best way.

You can actually see even better results by alternating upper and lower body workouts in between sets even. Like doing a set with your biceps, and then switching to calves. Alternating between sets allows your muscles longer recovery time, allowing for you to do a longer workout, and as long as you adhere to the thirty second rest period, you’re still raising your metabolism.

And the final quick way to increase your fat burning and metabolism is by doing more sets with fewer reps per set. Common misconception has it that more reps builds more muscles, but actually instead of doing say 10 reps and 3 sets, you’ll actually burn more muscle by doing six reps and eight sets.

Tags: Biceps, Body Fat, Calves, Common Misconception, Exercises, Fat Burning, Fat Metabolism, Growth Hormones, Increase Metabolism, Lower Body Workouts, Muscle Building, Muscles, Recovery Time, Resistance Training, Rest Period, Stress, Time Limit, Upper Body Workouts, Weightlifting, Workload, Workout Routine

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12 Feb 09 Taking A “Hands On” Approach Will Help You Choose The Right Massage School

The process of choosing a massage school is not dramatically different than selecting any other education program. The most important preliminary decision is to determine what exactly you want to do with your training. Are you interested in offering massage to help clients alleviate stress or alleviate pain? Would you like to work with medical patients, athletes or a variety of clients? By yourself or with a team?

You should also explore the various massage techniques to see if a particular approach or philosophy appeals to you more than others. Swedish, Reiki, Shiatsu, Acupressure, Sports Massage, Deep Tissue, Deep Muscle, etc. Each approach presents a specific benefit and you may find that massage schools offer training in multiple techniques or specialize in one discipline.

After narrowing your focus, you can begin evaluating massage schools in your area to determine which schools offer programs that are compatible with your interests. You should then contact each school to obtain any written information that identifies details, costs and requirements for the programs available at the school.

Make certain that you become familiar with the licensing requirements for the state in which you expect to practice. Pay specific attention to the number of education hours and the required exams. As you investigate your potential schools you will need to make sure that you will have the ability to meet all licensing mandates by matching them up with the programs offered by each massage school.

Take the time to visit each massage school on your list. Discuss your plans with the admissions staff and take note of the level of professionalism. Do they answer all of your questions convincingly? Do they make you feel comfortable or do you feel like you are receiving a sales pitch?

Tour the school and examine the classroom and training facilities. Is the school clean and sanitary? Is the equipment modern and well maintained? Does the facility feel like it will be comfortable environment for learning?

Find out whether the schools have received any accreditation. There are a number of organizations approved by the United States Department of Education to provide accreditation to massage schools. Some of these groups focus on broad educational standards while others use occupational training standards. Still other have an even narrower focus on health and even, very specifically, massage credentials.

The cost of a massage school education will be directly related to what you want to accomplish and the type of institution that you choose. If you plan to practice massage therapy in a state that does not have licensing requirements then you can may be able to become certified for as little as $1,000. But if you aspire to a career as a respected massage professional, and intend to meet or exceed all licensing requirements, programs may require 600-900 hours of training. Your total investment could range from $5,000-$10,000.

Financial aid is available for a massage therapy education. Federal loans and grants are available for federally accredited schools. Low interest education loans are also available and the school should be able to direct you to appropriate lending agencies.

You may find it extremely helpful to speak with alumni from the massage schools that you are considering. Ask them about their experience while attending the school and their contact with the school after graduation. You will want to know whether the school was helpful in providing career guidance and in finding employment. The feedback that you receive from alumni will be an indication of the support you should expect.

The more information that you acquire and the more questions that you ask, the better equipped you will be to make a sound decision. Massage therapy is a career that offers the potential for immense personal and professional satisfaction. With the proper training and guidance you will literally have in your hands the power to positively alter the physical and mental well-being of many appreciative individuals. The time you take to give thoughtful consideration about your choice of a massage school will pay dividends for many years to come.

J. Terrence McDermott is the administrator of Massage Schools Guide at http://www.massageschoolsguide.com, a website offering a variety of resources for prospective massage therapists. He has developed a national directory of massage schools with program highlights and contact information.

Tags: Admissions Staff, Benefit, Contact, Discipline, Education Hours, Education Program, Focus, Licensing Requirements, Massage School, Massage Schools, Massage Techniques, Massage Training, Medical Patients, Philosophy, Professionalism, Sales Pitch, Shiatsu Acupressure, Shiatsu Massage, Sports Massage, Stress

Filed in Massage, Massage School with 0 Comments

03 Dec 09 How to Be Wise with Credit Card Usage

Know your bill cycle

Get it converted into interest-free EMI

Make full payment

Know your card

22 Apr 09 Change Your Weightlifting To Burn More Fat

12 Feb 09 Taking A “Hands On” Approach Will Help You Choose The Right Massage School

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