Living Within Our Means, A Debt Free Life

It became very obvious and upsetting to realize we had so much debt. The boat, camper, new clothes and cars took all our income and we had nothing left to save for our future. It's because of this that we I decided to quit buying things we WANTED and focused on saving for things we NEEDED. We began paying off debts and consolidating loans. It took a few years to actually get our debt down to a manageable amount that we could handle without carrying credit card balances.

Then we started looking toward the future, saving our money, rather than looking back at all the things we bought and gone into debt to own. We had begun to learn to live within our means. It is so important for parents to explain this to their children as my father did with the analogy of credit card debt to "paying for a dead horse".

Many people today are in such great debt that bankruptcy is at its highest. Because many adult children want to immediately own what it took years for their parents to get, banks are making a fortune on the interest they make from loaning money. If bills can't be paid on time, then additional charges are added and the debt starts to spiral out of control.

If more people would invest their money in their futures rather than throwing it away on intangibles today, there would be less debt. If people would buy the things they need and not just anything they want, they would be able to actually know what they own. As Benjamin Franklin said, "Pay what you owe, and you'll know what is your own". People would buy what they could afford and needed and would know what they actually OWN.

How To Have a Beautiful Garden on a Budget?

For me, you don't have to be rich to have a beautiful garden! Every one who is at heart a gardener loves to putter about the garden with at least one of their gardening supplies in hand.

Here's how to manage and keep up with gardens or landscapes even if you're on a budget. There are simple steps to follow in order to achieve a beautiful landscape on a budget.

1. The first step is to take a look at your existing landscape and decide what areas need the most attention. Areas to focus on are usually the front of the home or entrance ways. If the plants are over-grown in these areas, then most likely they will need to be pruned. Pruning shrubs or trees is a process of selectively pruning out unsightly branches or foliage.

For example, if you're walking to the front door of your home and if there are plants that are growing over the walkway, this would be an area that needs renovating. Go through each plant that looks unsightly and bring it back to a size which looks proper to the whole landscape. At times some plants may be too far gone where pruning them back just makes the problem more unsightly. If this is the case, removal may be the best option. Here's a little tip to always take in consideration when deciding what to do in regards to pruning or removal of plants. Consider if the plants are over crowded (i.e. growing into each other) if so, choose the plant that is healthier and frames the landscape as a whole. Then decide which plants are anchors in the landscape. For example, in proper landscape design, plants are placed systematically around the home; shrubs should be below the window lines, and entrance doors need to be easily visible from a distance, etc. the landscape should showcase your home, not hide it. It doesn't make sense how some of the most beautiful homes are hidden with too many plants.

The main reason homeowners over plant is because many of them forget how large the plants will grow in a couple of years. They might feel more is better. This is one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make. People need to do research and take into consideration how big each plant will be at maturity. Maybe, at some point, you may be considering adding on to an existing landscape, if so, do the homework and don't over plant the area!

2. The second step to help improve the overall picture of the landscape is to clean-up the beds which surround the home. This can be accomplished by raking up debris such as leaves that are cluttering the garden beds. By getting rid of old leaf debris and fallen branches will increase the over all look of the home.

3. Edge all of the beds, so there is a defined line separating the grass from the landscaped beds. At this point you're ready for the finishing touch. Mulching! Mulching is similar to painting; it is the icing on the cake. Mulch not only gives the landscape lovely curb appeal, but it also helps benefit the plants as well.

These are simple steps for the homeowner to follow. Take the time to review the solutions I provided, and you will have a fabulous looking landscape even on a budget.

Want To Make Extra Income Of Being A Hacker?

Ethical Hacking almost sounds like an impossible job for me! I remember when I was once taught to be a hacker (from my friend), not only it was quite complicated and a very daunting hobby but your computer also becomes a virus prone. I used to think that being a hacker is illegal, until I heard about being an "Ethical Hacker". First question came to my mind was, how can one be both ethical and a hacker?

Apparently, EC-Council gives us the opportunity to gain an understanding of what an ethical hacker is, how we'll be trained, and what they do to fully comprehend the genius of such a position. I should say that this position is a unique one. The training teaches us the same techniques that any hacker would learn to try to permeate a computer system, about the Hacking Cycle, and its Role in IT Security.

The difference is that they do it to find weaknesses before they can truly be oppressed. By finding the weaknesses before they are made accessible to the general public, actual penetration of the system can be avoided. Discovering these weaknesses is merely a way of testing the IT Security of a system.

I do believe that being an ETHICAL HACKER has became one of the most high paying jobs, despite of economy downturn due to the fact that big companies now do hire reliable hackers to protect their highly sensitive information that illegal hackers may get into!

EC Council training offers the following categories:

- Security Fundamentals
- Ethical Hacking
- Penetration Testing
- Computer Forensics

- Disaster Recovery
- Secure Programming

Why not enroll and get trained, and get paid at the same of being an Ethical Hacker? Check EC Council now for details.

Looking For Cheap Holidays This Coming Summer?

It is always worthwhile working too hard when we get a chance to go for a holiday somewhere we fancy, isn't it? I must say that, everybody needs a holiday from time to time. A change of air, a different environment, meeting new people or simply taking time for ourselves can really be of benefit.

While summer is fast approaching, and it's getting to that time of year when we all start to think about heading off to a place in the sun for a week or two to unwind and relax from the stresses of day-to-day work. However, with the huge pressures most people face in life on a day to day basis with the changes in the Economy it is important to have an escape route and a holiday is a great way to achieve this.

So an expensive holiday abroad in Europe, America or Asia may not be the main requirement but there are ways to cut back on a break and you do not need to spend a fortune to have a great time. If you are looking for Cheap Holidays then there are many different ways you can enjoy a good holiday on a budget.

Check ULookUBook cheap holiday deals now to get the best location and the package deal ever. Just simply choose any destination that matches your budget.

White Lily and Peach Carnation Flowers from Hubby

Hubby's choice for this week was LILY and CARNATION flowers. I like the color combination as it reminds me of my bouquet color on our wedding! I love some kinda Peachy-Orange blend. By the way, he actually first reminded me of my bouquet color.

Thanks a lot for your thoughtfulness my love, I really appreciate everything you had to be doing for me.

Pinoy Foods Shopping Online

I was looking for something to eat the other day, but I just couldn't figure what I was looking for!, then I started thinking about the Filipino foods I have been missing... We used to go to Canterbury (an hour drive), to buy selected Pinoy foods at the Oriental food shop, but due to my condition, we never bothered anymore.

Instead, I just ordered online. Photo above, were the ones I bought recently in fact, this was already my 2nd time, first there were Ice Tea, Sky Flakes, Efficacent Oil, Noodles, and Chippy. I really love my Ice Tea especially its getting warmer here as summer is just around the corner, good drink for the season!

... and I am proud to have introduced it to hubby's family, while Alfie loves Chippy and Ice Tea too! uummmm I will soon become a regular online buyer of Pinoy Mini Mall.

Home Improvement For A More Comfortable Living

It was almost a total of 10 years that we were renting a house, and you would probably be wondering why it took us so long to decide to move or to buy our own! I should say that we found it as a perfect haven, an ideal location for my sisters who go to universities and for my other sister who go to work. For the reason being, it was worth paying so much in exchange of having a comfortable life. You can't ask for more than living in a stress free life!

However, though I managed to buy a house 5 years ago and yet, it remained untouched until I decided to improve it. I thought along the way the significance of spending the equivalent of two years total rentals for the home improvement, whilst having the pleasure of living comfortably and a rental free for life!

Besides, home improvements will not only help you turn your home into a nicer place to live but also to increase its value in the long term. So whether you are changing the paint colors, adding more rooms extension, changing the whole bathroom or kitchen, building a conservatory, converting your loft, making the place more energy efficient, it is worth paying attention to your homes.

Home improvement has never been this easy, but before you start it's important to plan ahead in terms of the timescales, the total costs would it incur and the contractors you'll need. You should also check out the local authority rules and regulations, particularly if you're making changes on a larger scale. There are also a number of trade bodies that can help you find reputable suppliers and tradesmen, thereby providing you with peace of mind.

My 4 Blogs' Top 10 EC Droppers

I would like to say THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH for always been visiting my blogs and never forget to drop my EC's. Please see your badges on my "FEATURED BLOGS" section, which serve as LINKY LOVE...

THINGS I DID NOT KNOW BEFORE
MADZ LIFE'S DIARY

MY BEACH WEDDING IN MAURITIUS

MY PREGNANCY DIARY

My apologies for not been able to create another links after each statistics, but like I said your badges serve the best! Happy blogging and enjoy dropping EC's.