5 Solutions to Help You Get Out of a Financial Rut

Have you ever been in a financial rut, where you feel like you can’t get ahead? Do you feel like your financial systems aren’t working? Well, you’re not alone.

Many of us find ourselves in a financial rut from time to time. It’s easy to get stuck, especially after complacency sets in. Old systems may no longer work for your current reality.

If you’re feeling stuck and looking for a way out of your financial rut, try these 5 tips.

1. Go On a Cash Detox

To completely overhaul your finances, go on a cash detox. For at least three months, put away the plastic and say no to credit cards.

While credit cards are convenient and nice for accruing rewards, they have a way of enticing you to spend more money. Parting with hard-earned cash has been proven to be more difficult — it’s also easier to track when you’re about to run out of cash.

Start by employing the envelope budgeting system, popularized by finance guru Dave Ramsey. List out your expenses and understanding how much you typically spend. Create an envelope for housing, groceries, transportation, etc. and fill the envelopes with the desired amount of cash.

Let’s say you allot $200 for groceries for a month. You’d withdraw $200 in cash from your bank account and deposit it into the envelope. Throughout the month, use the cash from this envelope to buy groceries. Once the cash is gone, it’s gone. This method can help you spend within your means and lessen the dependence on credit cards.

Credit cards can be addictive, so if you’re looking for a fresh start, a cash detox is the way to go. It will make you hyper aware of where you are spending your money and how often you are parting with it. If you have no money left in the envelopes by the 15th, you know you’re spending much more than you should.

2. Cut Out One Expense for a Month

Being in a financial rut can often arise from the status quo. Things have gotten stale and there’s a lack of progress. So if you want to jolt your finances and boost your savings, commit to cut out one recurring expense for a month.

Do you like to go out for daily coffees? Or go out to eat three times a week? Pick one expense and commit to cutting it for 30 days. This exercise will help in two ways: one, it will help you realize that you don’t need those extra expenses (even as hard as it may be), and secondly, you will save a ton of money.

From the money you save, put that extra money to debt or savings. If you feel inspired, challenge yourself once-a-month to cut out, or significantly cut back on, one expense.

3. Focus on Making More Money

Cutting back can be a great way to save money and get out of a financial rut. Unfortunately though, there are only so many areas you can cut back on, before you’ve reached your bare bones, necessities-only budget.

On the other side of the coin though is earning more. I personally believe that making money feels more empowering and can inspire action. Whenever I feel like I’m in a financial rut, I start looking for ways to make more money.

I’ve worked as a babysitter, pet sitter, house cleaner, writer, editor, and so much more. I like working extra gigs to help fund my debt payments and I always end up learning more or acquiring a new working relationship.

4. Figure Out Your Problem Areas

If you’re really feeling stuck, it’s imperative you figure out the problem areas and what exactly is causing this rut. Is it a stunted savings rate? A lack of income growth? A reliance on credit? Whatever the case may be, write down your problem areas and come up with a proposed solution.

The point is to try something different than what you’ve already been doing. A rut often occurs after we try the same thing, with little change in results.

Start going about things differently, in both the ways you save and spend. Consider automating your savings for maximum impact, and creating positive money habits like checking your account balances daily.

5. Start Dreaming (Big)

Being in a financial rut can feel frustrating and isolating — like you’re going around in circles. While following the above steps of cutting back, earning more, and changing your systems, will help you get out of a rut, it’s also important that you don’t stop dreaming.

Dream of what you want out of life — what you really want, not what your parents want, the Joneses want, etc. What you want! Maybe you want a house on a hill, or the opportunity to sail the Caribbean. Perhaps you long for days of working for yourself and not being chained to a desk.

Whatever your dream is, hold it close and start thinking about how you will get there. It may seem intimidating at first, but with every big action, there are small steps.

Create a map of small actions you can take every day to get you closer to your dreams. Don’t get sucked into the day-to-day needs that can blind you from your dreams, but stay focused. Dreaming big can help keep your priorities straight and remind you of the big picture.

These tips will help you get out of a financial rut and make the necessary changes to live the life you want.

10 Steps to a Tech Career

"Where do I start?" That's an obvious question when you're considering a technology career. Should you get a technical certification? Learn a programming language? You'll hear a seemingly endless variety of answers, largely because the technology field is so vast, with numerous career paths ranging from database administrator to network engineer.

For those just starting to consider a technology career, it's best to avoid the temptation to jump into a potentially expensive, time-intensive training program unless you know it's the right program and career path for you. Instead, explore the field by picking and choosing from this list of 10 mix-and-match steps to get a sense of the technology job world and what you're likely to find fulfilling.

Attend an Industry Organization Meeting

Techies working in the industry's trenches can provide lots of guidance to those just getting started. They can also serve as mentors to assist you as you embark on a tech career. Where can you find these mentors? At industry groups, many of them with college chapters and mentoring programs. Be up front with your need for advice, and ask lots of questions.

For more information, check out:

• "Top IT Organizations" 
• "Networking Tips for Techies"

 Explore Tech Job Roles

Too many would-be techies blast into the field without thinking through the myriad job roles available. Why commit to studying networks when programming may be right for you? The TechCareer Compass, a resource from industry group CompTIA, will help you sort through the possibilities with its still-evolving taxonomy of technology job roles.

For more information, check out:

• "Help with Tech Job Titles" 

Learn HTML

Programmers, technical writers, information architects and many other techies are now expected to know HTML, the language used to display Web pages. Learning HTML is a first step in moving beyond browsing to delve into the Internet's innards.

For more information, check out:
 

• HTML Code Tutorial

Read Computer Books

Visit your local library or bookstore, and head to the computer books section. If it's a megastore, you'll find hundreds of books, many with obscure titles and topics. Simply perusing books about the industry, as well as specific topics like programming and networking, will help you explore the variety of jobs in the field.

For more information, check out:

• O'Reilly Media 

Write a Program

Programming is an essential skill for technology pros. Scores of languages exist, such as C++, Java, C#, Visual Basic and more. Learning JavaScript is one relatively quick way to get started in programming. You'll need nothing more than a Web browser, a text-editing program and the help of an online tutorial.

For more information, check out:

• JavaScript Tutorial 

Install Linux

If you install and run the Linux operating system, you'll accomplish several things at once. You'll learn about the open source software movement, and you'll also get a quick course on an OS other than Windows.

For more information, check out:

• Linux Online 

Volunteer Your Services

You may be a newbie, but don't stay that way. Find someone -- even an older relative -- who needs computer assistance. This will test your ability to communicate clearly about technology, an essential skill for tech professionals. Nonprofits, religious organizations and other community groups may also be in need of individuals with computer expertise, however newly acquired.

For more information, check out:

• "Volunteering Can Buy You IT Experience" 

Contribute to an Open Source Project

Just because you're not a pro with PHP or MySQL doesn't mean you're not ready to contribute to an open source project. The open source movement needs people to help stamp out bugs, write documentation and lend a hand in other ways. Any contribution will help you make contacts and learn about the techie life.

For more information, check out:

• "Open Source Is Not Just for Coders Anymore" 

 Enroll in a Course or Workshop

Community colleges, universities and technology training centers often offer weekend or evening workshops with entry-level instruction in programming, Web development and networking. Online courses also provide a relatively fast, cost-effective way to gain insight into the field.

For more information, check out:

• "A Second Degree for Your Tech Career?"

Build a Web Site

Forget about those automated homepage building tools. Instead, use your knowledge of HTML and JavaScript to display your prowess with Web technologies. Experiment, have fun and focus on useful tools rather than glitzy graphics.

For more information, check out:

• A List Apart Magazine 

Learn more about technology careers.

Learn more about IT careers.

8 Signs Someone Is Jealous Of You (And How To Fix It)

“The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.” – William Penn

Nothing feels worse than achieving a goal or becoming successful in an endeavor and discovering that the people around you don’t feel proud or positive about it – but rather, they feel jealous. A person’s jealous feelings can cause them to act unkindly towards us, especially in the face of our own achievements or success.

Psychologist Steven Stosny says that jealousy “makes you think the same thing over and over and the more you do that, the less reality-testing you do. Emotions all have an illusion of certainty, and jealousy makes you certain of your perception of the world.”

Everyone has felt this unpleasant emotion at least once in their lives, and most likely much more than that. It seems much harder to deal with when other people feel jealous towards us, though. After all, we can control how we feel, but we can’t control other people’s emotions. Recognizing the signs that someone is jealous of you can be the first step to fixing it.

HERE ARE EIGHT SIGNS SOMEONE’S JEALOUS OF YOU

1. FALSE PRAISE

When someone is jealous of you, they’re often the first to give you a compliment that sounds sincere, or seems to be dripping with passive aggression. However, you’ll find that these people will be rolling their eyes the minute you leave the room.

They would rather pretend they’re not jealous than address the issue. One way to turn it back around is to give them sincere compliments when something good happens to them. It may help them see that you’re a genuine person, and help curb their jealousy.

Clinical psychologist Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D., says, “Short of becoming indiscriminately wary of others’ praise or flattery, it’s only prudent to consider whether they might have a hidden agenda in praising you. That way you can minimize the possibility that their seemingly trustworthy compliments aren’t really some sort of two-faced con.”

2. DOWNPLAY YOUR SUCCESS

No matter what you achieve or how hard you worked to do so, jealous people will always try to make it seem like it was a fluke, or that you didn’t work as hard as you did to achieve your success. The reasons that they come up with may be rude or condescending.

“People who will envy you the most are the ones who are in need the most of what you possess,” says M.Farouk Radwan, MSc.

Rising to their bait will only make them more likely to talk poorly. Stay humble but firm in your achievements. If you brag, they may be more likely to stay jealous of you.

3. FLAUNTING THEIR SUCCESS

Someone who is jealous of you may be more inclined to flaunt their success more than it’s really worth flaunting. They may be more inclined to flaunt their own achievements while you’re celebrating your own. These are the type of people to get engaged at a wedding.

Because chances are, they’re not as successful as you are. Author Bob Bly states, “There are always people who are filled with negative thoughts — not only about others whom they envy (you) but also about themselves and their perceived failure to having achieved their goals (which are often to own their own business or be richer than they are).”

While it may be frustrating, getting upset is only going to make them feel more justified in their behavior. Instead, offer them sincere praise in their achievements. Leading by example is a good way to alter someone’s behavior.

4. THEY’RE IMITATING YOU

Someone who is jealous of you alternatively wants to be better than you, and also be just like you. They may imitate the way you talk or the way you dress in order to feel better about themselves. Instead of allowing this to upset you, try to encourage them to go their own way. When they’re doing their own thing, give them positive reinforcement. Show them that they don’t have to be you to be great, and that they can be their own person.

5. THEY’RE COMPETITIVE

Jealous people tend to be highly competitive, because they always want to be the one reaping the success or as clinical psychologist Melanie Greenberg says, they are “either insecure or arrogant and want to prove superiority.”

While it can be tempting to take them down a peg, refuse to make the competition unhealthy, or even refuse to participate. If they try to argue with you about a job promotion, just simply tell them: “It isn’t a competition.” Refusing to play into their game will make them less likely to try and continue to one up you.

6. CELEBRATING YOUR FAILURES

Someone who is jealous is going to privately feel very good about when you make mistakes, or get reprimanded or corrected at work or school. While they may never show it, they’re often secretly enjoying your failures. Handle your mistakes with grace! You can always remind them that making mistakes are part of life and learning. If you’re not upset, they’re not getting the enjoyment out of it that they thought they would.

7. THEY GOSSIP BEHIND YOUR BACK

Jealous people will always find a way to talk about you behind your back. It’s not fun, and the things they say can be malicious and hurtful. The best way to deal with someone who does this may be just to confront them directly.

As author James Clear mentions, “… negativity from other people is like a wall. And if you focus on it, then you’ll run right into it. You’ll get blocked by negative emotions, anger, and self-doubt. Your mind will go where your attention is focused. Criticism and negativity don’t prevent you from reaching the finish line, but they can certainly distract you from it.”

Since jealous people don’t tend to be outwardly confrontational, talking to them seriously about what they’re doing may be enough to get them to rethink their behavior, or to get it to stop entirely.

8. THEY HATE YOU

If there’s someone you know who hates you for no conceivable reason, they may just be jealous. This one is hard to deal with, because we often don’t like to be hated for no reason. You may feel the urge to show this person that you’re entirely likeable. But, there may be nothing to do about it. If you can’t charm them into liking you, it may just be best to cut them out of your life. You don’t need that negativity, and they’re most likely working themselves up hating you for no reason. The best way to fix it is to let it go.

Final thoughts

Dealing with someone else’s jealousy can be a tricky situation. You may feel the desire to just tell them off. But, dealing with a jealous person in a non-confrontational and positive manner is ultimately better for both you and the other person. They may feel a lot of self-esteem issues that they need to work through, and getting upset with them won’t fix or deal with their jealous tendencies. Knowing the signs of a jealous person will make it easier to fix and handle in a positive and productive manner.

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REFERENCES:HTTPS://WWW.PSYCHOLOGYTODAY.COM/ARTICLES/200907/JEALOUSY-LOVES-DESTROYERHTTPS://WWW.PSYCHOLOGYTODAY.COM/BLOG/EVOLUTION-THE-SELF/201401/PRAISE-MANIPULATION-6-REASONS-QUESTION-COMPLIMENTSHTTPS://WWW.2KNOWMYSELF.COM/JEALOUSY/HOW-TO-DEAL-WITH-JEALOUS-PEOPLEHTTPS://WWW.EARLYTORISE.COM/SLAYING-THE-GREEN-EYED-MONSTER-HOW-TO-DEAL-WITH-PEOPLE-WHO-ARE-JEALOUS-OF-YOUR-ENTREPRENEURIAL-SUCCESS/HTTPS://WWW.PSYCHOLOGYTODAY.COM/BLOG/THE-MINDFUL-SELF-EXPRESS/201109/HOW-KEEP-YOUR-COOL-COMPETITIVE-PEOPLEHTTP://JAMESCLEAR.COM/HATERS

8 Fascinating Truths of Social Media Withdrawal

My girlfriend and I ended our long-distance relationship over spring break, a little over a month ago. We ended on good terms, but I couldn’t shake the anxiety and identity crisis that came along with being single after 8 months of dating. It was a shock.

I immediately quit social media so that I wouldn’t see or be tempted to check her updates. I uninstalled Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat from my phone. I installed the Facebook News Feed Eradicator Chrome extension to remove Facebook timeline from the web app.

I began to reflect on myself. I felt as though I had been a negative and pessimistic personality over the past few months (basically since the inauguration of our current President). I simply wasn’t happy with myself. I had no direction in life. I didn’t know what I wanted to make my career. I was lost.

I downloaded two apps — Medium and Quora — to read through self-help posts and figure out how to get myself out of my rut. I came across an inspirational post by Benjamin Foley.

I enacted two of his recommendations — I quit the news and the rest of my social media — the two biggest inhibitors to my happiness. Twitter was gone. Reddit was gone. Even LinkedIn, which I rarely used, was deleted off my phone.

All that was left were my communication apps — Messenger, Slack, and WhatsApp.

Fast-forward to the present, and I have never felt so empowered or held such a positive outlook on my life since I entered college. My withdrawal from social media has changed my life immensely. Here’s what I’ve learned.

My withdrawal was easy to explain at first.

For the people I was close with, I simply told the truth: “Oh my girlfriend and I broke up, so I’m just taking some time off social media.”

For the people I wasn’t especially close with: “I found myself spending too much time on it and wanted a break to get my academic/professional life together.”

But it’s tougher now. I’ve recovered from the breakup for the most part, but I’ve also realized the extent to which social media was holding my back. I can’t just say “I believe social media is a waste of time,” even when it’s something I actually believe. I have to pull back and resort to the “spending too much time” response.

And it’s sad that it’s been awkward to explain to others. We have come to a point in society where everyone (especially a millennial college student) is assumed to have and be active on every form of social media.

2. You experience a (valid) fear of missing out

I missed the birthdays of several of my Facebook friends. I missed my friend’s engagement announcement. I wasn’t able to ‘friend’ the cute girl I hit it off with.

I missed out on the lives of people I only receive updates from via social media. I just didn’t know what people were doing, or the other events of which I was unaware. It sucked.

3. Actual conversations (and friendships) become so much better

But my friend who got engaged went out of his way to message me the news. He even invited me to his wedding.

Talking with people, face-to-face, has become more authentic and genuine than ever before. The fact that I have no idea what my friends have been doing leads me to go out of my way to find out. I’m more attentive, responsive, and engaged in conversations because I’m learning something new about their lives I didn’t know beforehand via social media.

I’ve learned to trust in my friendships. My friendship with someone is just as strong even if I don’t ❤️ them on Instagram or 😆 their punny joke on Facebook. I just have to be sure to catch up with them when I can.

4. Productivity skyrockets

I face far fewer distractions from social media and my phone than before. I’ve passed the point where I check my phone for updates every few minutes, and can truly focus for extended periods of time. I finish my assignments and projects with more quality, less effort, and in less time. Social media no longer encumbers me as a crutch to procrastinate.

It is a gateway push toward efficiency and happiness. If I finish my work quicker, I can move on with my life sooner, hang out with friends for longer, go to sleep (and wake up) earlier, spend more time at the gym, and so on.

5. You find new ways to “waste” time

So I deleted every social media app from my phone, and downloaded Medium and Quora. I recently found myself trying to distract myself from reality (studying for finals) by scrolling through the articles on the former or questions on the latter. I go to the bathroom with my phone in order to read, not check up on the non-existent Facebook updates I missed since getting up from my desk five feet away. I even find myself procrastinating work by cleaning the apartment, spending more time and energy cooking, and planning out my summer projects.

Finish reading @ https://tinyurl.com/yc2l79mq

Please don't be an idiot

 If you walk along any river you may see fisherman on the bank casting their lines as far as possible into the river. Now take a look at the boats, those fishermen are casting towards the shore so where are the fish?

This brings me to the topic of, "Truth". Everything is true and nothing at all.

 Line 100 people up on a sidewalk and let's stage a car collision.

 After the collision we're going to separate the 100 viewers and ask them to describe what they saw while taking a polygraph test.

You're going to have 100 true / false stories by days end So...

 Where is the truth?

*These things are child's play when you know nothiung and understand even less.

Watch what I say

 Making Jerusalem the capital of Israel will spawn a new / rejuvenate a new wave of terrorists just as Obama & Hillary spawned / rejuvenated ISIS 

My 91' Mainship 39' Express for Sale September 1st

 2 running GM 502's, gen set, 2 stand alone A/C's and marine A/C, shower, 2 bdrm efficiency, 2 trickle chargers, refrigerator freezer and stand alone freezer, microwave, 2 eyed burner & elec cooking pan, coffee maker, recessed lighting, plenty of storage, in a live aboard slip and quite a bit more.

$34,000 and I will finance those with good credit and credit history.