The Latte' Factor - Never Too Late to Learn to Save (Even With Pocket Change)

In my early adulthood, when I was finally able to afford, at least some of the things I wanted and/or needed, I became a big fan of frivolous spending. I had to have that new issue of Esquire, that personal trainer at the gym (not just the gym), an office in a better location, a more trendy breed of dog or cat, live in a nicer neighborhood, and, of course, later, "My morning Starbuck's". I "had arrived". The "American Dream"...or so it seemed, for awhile.

I am not proud of having been a male version of Madonna's "Material Girl", but I was young, in my thirties and early forties, and was naive enough to believe that peer pressure at least ended after high school, and certainly after college. Not so. It became worse. If my friends bought a better house, I sure better call my Realtor immediately. They got a Lexus, time for a Mercedes. It all seemed like fun and games and, in fact that is all it was. A proverbial game of "show off".

Then came the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Within twenty minutes, all that I had acquired as a material consumer was gone. And insurance didn't come close to covering my collectibles, antique furniture, family albums/videos, memorabilia from as far back as kindergarten, etc. I was left with my car, and a few boxes of clothes, and a one year old golden retriever puppy named Otis who saved my life (barked wildly before the earthquake), I thought to go out to do his business, but to alert me at 5 a.m to get out of harm's way.

Fifteen years have passed and I learned something I never had before, and never thought I might learn. It is called "humility". Please do not confuse humility with sainthood, far from it. Rebuilding one's life from scratch midlife, after "having it all" teaches a few lessons, and, I am certain I am not

unique in this situation. When I say "having it all'; I don't mean the Forbes 400. I mean whatever I wanted, I could generally afford it.

At least I had my health. For awhile. But then that went too for a number of years. This was a motivating factor in my going back to college as an adult, and reading voraciously when not in college, visiting the library often.

One of the most interesting books I ever read was not within the genre of books I usually consume. The book is titled "Start Late, Finish Rich" by David Bach. In it, he talks at length about something called "The Latte' Factor". Strange name I know, but it describes how the American consumer is taught from birth to consume all he/she can in this material world, that life is short, get it while you can, carpe diem, etc.

Then he calmly suggests ways to counteract that. Do we really need that magazine subscription, must we have a latte' and bagel each morning at Starbuck's. Do we have to even buy his own book if its available at the library. Must we have a car that is made to "show off"when a pre-owned Honda, Saturn, etc. does the trick. I have a wonderful eight year old 4-door Saturn now and it rides better than my old fancy German car ever did. Better gas and reliability as well.

When you add it all up, just the small non-necessities, that we don't need, or, in the case of Starbuck's could make coffee at home with flavored creamer for pennies and a bagel for a quarter, nix the magazines, etc. We are talking saving anywhere from $800-2000 or more a month. If that is put into an IRA, even if you are in your fifties now, you will be wealthy by the time you are of retirement age.

Gifts need not be expensive. He recommends memorable personalized gifts that people see daily and enjoy and think of you when they see or use them.

He recommends losing the credit cards and paying as you go, cash, check and/or debit card. I began doing that, and noticed a huge difference in my extra cash at the end of the month. I never used to budget. I do so now.

There is much more to the book, but the bottom line is that The Latte' Factor need no longer be a part of our lives. Yes, at first it seems strange and a little boring, but it is a self behavior modification in which, once done, we never go back. And we are happier and more prosperous in the long run for it.

Rick London is a cartoonist, freelance writer, and e-tailer, and was founder of the Internet's top-ranked award-winning London's Times Cartoons which is known to feature the Funniest Cartoons On The Internet and owns a number of critically-acclaimed e-shops featuring his images on funny gifts He offers personalization for $2 and most gifts are in the $15 range.

Remodeling Your Home Tips

You know....been there done that. That's me. I've been fortunate to have been able to live in every house I've remodeled, call me crazy. I've seen first hand the mistakes and regrets you'll have so here are seven must do's!

Hire an architect: Perhaps the best money you'll spend out of your whole budget. Computer-aided software will create every detail on your plans which turns into huge labor savings on the job site, and less headache. It will also allow you to simplify the construction plan as a whole to shorten construction time.

Hire a contractor: Unless you've done this before, or you're in the trade, never attempt this on your own. Books and advice from friends will not prepare you emotionally for the challenge. Working with a plethora of subcontractors, bankers, appraisers, inspectors, and labors will most certainly overwhelm most people. Of course, always do your homework on your contractor, most importantly a license, insurance, and bond. But just as important are references, or referrals. Always ask for pictures, and/or tours of their previous projects.

Have and open mind: Be willing to accept changes in the plans due to unforeseen circumstances. An architect can have a perfect set of plans, but once their put into action on the job site, things always change (usually once the plumbers and HVAC come in).

Don't shortcut yourself: Get the house you want now! Moving a wall here or there, adding a deck here, or moving the sink over there, might seem like major changes, but they're not. And contractors might complain, but it's your money, and it's better to do it now while your subs are already on the job site. Don't short yourself on materials either. Pay now or pay later.

Take pictures: And not just once a week. Have a plan to go every day in the evening when the workers are gone, and take lots of pictures from every angle. This is especially important when mechanicals are in. This comes in very handily when you need to hang that picture on the wall where the electrical service enters the house. Pictures will also come in very handy at inspection time. Having these at the ready for your inspections will most certainly ease tensions.

Hold your Contractor Accountable: They don't get their final draw until your 100 percent satisfied, and all problems have been dealt with. A good contractor won't beg you for money if they're reputable. A busy contractor is a good contractor, and probably won't need your money right away anyway.

Detail your experience: Remodeling is emotionally challenging, but very rewarding, especially if you DIY. Keep a diary of this experience, and add your pictures along the way. Job sites are always good places to get quotables (not always suitable for children). Make a scrapbook page and display it for all to see and remember. Enjoy!

Hear My 2 Cents on a variety of topics, and product reviews at http://www.my2cents-chris.blogspot.com Be sure to browse my links to informative information and family blogs. Thank you for viewing my articles. I pride myself on providing informative and tell it like it is information.

New Versus Old Lumber - Structural Failure

During my 30 years of remodeling and building new homes. I have ran across quite a bit of structural framing failures. I find myself answering this question a lot when explaining to a homeowner about the structural failure I am repairing on their home, "Why Didn't They Use Better Lumber" or " Why Didn't They Use Larger Lumber." I really have a hard time answering these questions because I honestly don't know the answer.

However I can try to use some logic and reason to give these people an answer that seems to make sense to both of us. Why didn't they use better lumber, quite simply because, with most older homes that were built before the 1970s they actually do have better lumber. Now you're probably thinking how can these homes have better lumber when the lumber is old versus the new lumber used in a brand new house.

Most of the structural repairs I have made over the years has nothing to do with the lumber and whether it was new or old. A large number of these repairs were caused by neglect and poor maintenance.

The lumber in most older houses are from older growth trees. Some of these trees were extremely large and only the premium parts of the trees were used. The premium lumber is cut farthest away from the center of the tree. Now the larger the tree it makes sense that there will be more premium lumber.

A large majority of the newer lumber used in home construction comes from trees about 6 inches in diameter. Now you're probably wondering how can they cut a 2 x 8 piece of lumber out of a 6 inch tree. Of course they cannot, the larger lumber comes from larger trees.

Most 2 x 4's that are less than 8 foot long can be cut from these trees. This scrap or waste that comes from cutting these two by fours will now go into engineered building materials like particleboard, oriented strand board and engineered beams. Another name for an engineered been would be a paralam.

I hope you're starting to get the picture now when it comes to using new or old lumber. There are companies that are going into old logging rivers and retrieving old growth lumber. These were logs that sank to the bottom of the river's and were never retrieved because it was too costly.

The old growth lumber is quite expensive. Who's to say what problems we will happen in the future from the newer products created with modern day technology. When it comes to building houses it is not an exact science and as contractors we have been repairing the damage from poor engineering for years.

When I use the word poor engineering I am not pointing fingers at engineers. We now have more knowledge about home construction then we had years ago.

New versus old lumber, who wins the battle. Only time will tell.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Structural Repairs.

Personal Development

Wind Power Systems That Are Truly Affordable

The simplicity and power of modern wind power systems is changing how people live. Regular folks are saving 80% on their power bills for a really cheap investment. You can learn how to do this and then go do it with more ease than you could have ever imagined. There is was a big change in the renewable energy world, and it means truly affordable home build wind power systems. This article is about how you can take advantage of that.

You don't have to be rich or own a massive amount of land to build your wind power systems. Ordinary people are building these machines on their rooftops, in their backyard, and so on. This is due to the fact that you can invest less than $200 of a really high quality windmill. You can get this for your home without much knowledge of building these wind power systems either!

The simplicity involved is remarkable. Modern wind power systems have designs that are at the most basic level of efficiency. This also helps explain the affordability. As a matter of fact, both the parts you need and the design you'll be constructing are meant to be affordable and easy to make. This couple makes wind power systems very attractive.

One of the greatest things about modern wind power systems is that the plans are easy to follow. They are actually focused on the populace at large! This is new and really changing the way people look at wind power systems. There is a lot less fear of failing, and now that the price is so low, there isn't much reason to back down.

If you're serious about learning how to build high quality wind power systems that save tons of money, then check out these plans-they have a remarkable success rate and come highly recommended - Check them out yourself

Feel free to use this for your website, just include my author's box. Thanks

Cheap Roller Shades

Cheap roller shades are most preferred for the exterior decoration of your house or business premises. Use of modern fabrics and minimalism in cheap roller shades makes them popular. Classic simplicity and low cost also add to their effective consumer reach.

These shades are mostly available in standard yet with an overturn roll causing the fabric hides the spin of the shade. If placed with a cassette head rail system the cheap roller shades look more poignant. Ornamental hems, ring pulls and tassels can add to the decoration of your window at home.

These shades with light filtering fabrics and space darkening materials look more attractive. Most of the houses and business apartments in developing countries prefer these types of shades not only for their cost effectiveness, but also for the inherent simplicity. Selected roller shades with trendy fabrics, streamlined roller system, novel hems and ritual accents look more poignant. Limited life time warranty adds to the consumer satisfaction.

The typical elastic cord, now replaced with a chain within the rail workings makes it doable to raise and lower the blinds to a definite position. With the increasing use of newer roller shades materials, energy efficiency and sound absorbing capability have increased considerably. Those nostalgic about the exterior dcor of the bygone era, you can use decorative tassels to add charm and convenience to your roller shades.

These shades are available in three varieties depending on size - inside mount, outside mount and cloth measurement. Incase of inside mount the over all width is 49 7/8" with fabric of 48 ". In outside mount the width of fabric is 48 7/8 and the clutch width is around 50". Fabric wide of 50" against overall width of 51 1/8" the category falls in to cloth measurement.

These products are well appreciated for their least expensive nature. They are quite durable when used with superior rollers like the one with cellular waves. They come in numerous sizes like 3/8", 1/2", 3/4", 2" variations. Generally, the larger the plate, the more expensive is the shade. Blackout featuring pleats are even more costly. Beware of cheaper varieties as they lose their pleat shape effortlessly. Shades with "D cell" design. And with arches, angle-tops and bottom originated are quite decorative. Those with exquisite bamboo shades from Asia are very distinctive, though expensive.

Cheap roller shades include beautiful varieties like Vignettes and Cascades. These are less costly compared to Roman shades. Silhouettes roller shades are the most versatile and unique and command greater demand. Build your home of your own style with these shades is sure to give it a distinctive look.

Dave Clark has many years experience writing articles, he has also written many books, and is well known in the industry. Dave currently has many projects he is working on, he is also on the board of directors for Cushy Sofa a manufacturer and online retailer of Divans, Memory Foam Sofas, Memory Foam Pillows, Memory Foam Mattresses, Buy your Memory Foam Toppers, direct from the manufacturer

The Spiritual Goals of Meditation

The Spiritual Journey Through a Meditation Practice

The Buddhists and others say that all life is suffering. Others refer to our existence as composed of a pain body. Certainly as we look upon the human condition worldwide we see much of both, and we may wonder if there is a way out of this dilemma.We seem relentlessly programmed to make choices and decisions that lead us into further suffering.Circumstances that lead to pain seem beyond our control.

Our experience tells us that we seem to have many different parts to ourselves in conflict with each other.Sometimes we are afraid and sometimes we feel secure.Sometimes we are angry and sometimes we are calm.Sometimes we are discouraged and sometimes we are positively hopeful.You have probably heard that we have a higher self, a soul, a transcendent self, a lower self, a subconscious mind, a shadow self, a super-conscious mind, an unconscious mind, a chakra system, and even more.The apparent separation of each of these conflicting elements of us is actually a perception of separation, and that perception of separation is the actual cause of the suffering and pain.

Through meditation we are able to integrate all the illusions of separation, and merge our awareness into the unitive state where we realize the underlying infinite, conscious principle that is both the very essence of all of who we are and the absolute nature of all there is.

The Goals of the Meditation Process

There are several phases to be keep in mind as you develop your daily practice. This is not an intellectual process, but rather an experiential process of discovering first-hand what your True Self is.This discovery is not revealed by thinking about the subject or analyzing ideas about it, but rather allowing the truths to arise from the experience of direct expansions of awareness and realization.When the reality of the unity and interconnectedness of all things becomes your experience you will awaken to a new way of viewing yourself and all life.You will feel as though you have awakened from the dreams of a deep sleep.

Until you have this experience you think you are awake and directing your life through conscious decisions.When you awaken your awareness pierces through the images that your five senses tell you is reality, and you become aware of the truth that underlies all existence.You will sense that everything is created out of the same energy, and is therefore fundamentally the same fabric of existence. You will feel more connected with this fabric of creation and more awake and more in touch with everything. You will realize how absorbed in an illusion you were.You will feel reborn as you awaken into a fresh new view of everything.

The meditative practice was developed as a means of connecting with the field and consciousness of creation, and to listen to the still small voice which emanates from the infinite divine presence.Your sense of being connected with and one with the fullness of the divine will become naturaland automatic.

With each meditative experience you surrender into the greater awareness of who you are and when you return to your normal every day consciousness your awareness is changed, and with this new awareness your life changes. You know that you and the rest of manifest creation are not what you always assumed they were, and life doesn't work the way you assumed it did. The only way to know this is by direct experience. It is not known by reading, thinking, or any of the other normal ways you have come to know anything. It is by direct experience in consciousness only.

Introducing the Ego

The confusion comes from the fact that there are fundamentally two major components to who and what we are. The part of us that we think of as the conscious person is what has been developed since we were born and which we call the personality. The personality is formed from traits we have acquired from our parents genetically and energetically and our experiences in this life. Underlying the personality are many sub-identities with traits we have carried over from many lifetimes, and they are mostly composed of fundamental beliefs and emotional reactions.This collection of identities and reactions is what we call the ego.

The ego is the aspect of who we think we are that was developed over time living in a manifest existence of separation. Therefore, the ego is driven by many defenses to whatever it perceives as a threat to its comfort or existence.Most of the traits of what we think of as fundamental to be human are actually merely the defensive characteristics ofthe ego.This includes our emotional reactions, beliefs, and our judgments, criticism, and blame.Because the ego is a survival mechanism coping with the sense of separation from God, all human beings have similar reactions and defense mechanisms.Naturally, each person has developed a unique style and preference for particular defense mechanisms, but the underlying core similarities are closely similar for all people.For instance, one main core mechanism of the ego is fear.

The experience of perceiving separation from our divine source engenders a number of fears. Because the underlying reality of existence is love and light, the experience of separation isolates the ego in darkness and void to a degree hard to imagine, and the ego will do anything it can to prevent itself from feeling the terror of this pain.The ego is terrorized by anything that threatens its survival.So the ego is driven to cling to as many things as possible to give it assurance that it does not have to go into the deep void of separation or come to its end. So this powerful underlying fear drives people with many passions to accumulate, own, attach to, possess, grasp at, or control in an attempt to insulate themselves from the pain of separation and the fear of ceasing to exist.

There Is More to You than The Ego

Beneath the surface experiences of the ego is a deep and aware part of you that is aware of its connection to the divine source of love and light.It is present with you now at this very moment, but it normally operates below your level of conscious awareness.This is what we call the True Self.It is also called the Soul, Higher Self, Master Within, God Presence, Enlightened Consciousness, Awakened Self,I AM Presence, and other such names.

What defines our perception of our spiritual evolution is the gradual bringing to the surface of our awareness of the True Self.As it emerges more and more it gradually integrates its awareness into the perceptions of the ego and we experience a merging of our conscious awareness into the awareness of our Soul.I refer to this process as the soul merging, and it is a process that continues until the ego traits completely dissolve.

Whatever role the ego plays for us can be replaced and managed better by our True Self or Soul, and this is what makes enlightenment a process rather than a destination.It takes time to discover and get in touch with the many overt and subtle aspects of our ego identities, and therefore it generally takes many lifetimes to experience the complete dissolution of the ego and the full emergence of the True Self or Soul.Once a person becomes aware of these truths, the process proceeds at a much more rapid pace than he or she did prior.

Meditation enables us to disconnect from the realm of the five senses and realize our inner realities and connections in ways the five senses could never provide.There are many types of meditation and it is a good idea to try several until you find the ones that work best for you.Ihave written other articles on this subject.

Jonathan Parker is the founder and director of Quantum Quests International. For over 30 years he has been a counselor, workshop facilitator and author of one of the largest self-development libraries in the world. It is his voice you will hear on more than 1,000 CD programs he has produced. The are listed on his website and in his free print catalog.

Jonathan has university degrees in Education, Chemistry, Theology, Counseling Psychology, and Human Behavior & Development, but his life-long relentless quest for unraveling the many questions and mysteries of life also led him on a broad journey into comparative religion, quantum physics, clinical psychology, Huna, Theosophy, botany, astronomy, Sufism, nutrition, music, hypnosis, psychic phenomena, NLP, energy medicine, meditation, and metaphysics. His website is http://www.QuantumQuests.com.

His outstanding TV programs, "Mind Power," "Self-Empowerment" and "Winning at Weight Loss" have brought his results-oriented approach to millions. You can view some of his videos on his website.

His work has earned him a high standing with many companies, clinics, schools, universities, prisons, and health professionals who regularly use his programs. Olympic athletes, doctors, judges, and the clergy of many denominations and faiths have also used his programs. To date people in more than 75 countries around the world have benefited from his programs and workshops.

Jonathan Parker has been ahead of his time with many innovative applications of accelerated learning and personal transformation techniques. His wide spectrum of programs tap the deepest reservoir of human capabilities and inspire success in achieving the highest of human potentials. His programs have touched the lives of millions lifting them to achieve personal excellence and financial success, as well as realizing their dreams of vibrant health, winning performances, and reaching the heights of the human spirit!

Cost Effective Stair Building

What is the most cost effective way of building stairs? Why do the tract homes use on site methods of construction? When you think of a factory assembling a product on a assembly line you think why not a home. Why do they still build homes on lots or residential home sites?

If homes could be built in a factory cheaper than on site that is exactly what every home builder would be doing. They just haven't quite figured it out yet. When dealing with the large amounts of materials required to build a house and of course the expense of shipping. It is not cost effective to build a conventional home in a factory and ship it over long distances.

This is the biggest problem with cost effective stair construction. Most prefabricated stairs you will notice are spiral stairs. These stairs are smaller than most stairs that are used for multi level construction.

Spiral stairs are hard for your average carpenter to build. These stairs can be purchased from a factory easily and quite inexpensive.

The stairs in your average two story house are going to weigh about 3 times the amount of a spiral set of stairs that could be shipped in a cost effective way. Spiral stairs are not going to be the main stairway in a home and normally go up to a loft or an attic. Most spiral stairs don't meet the minimum building requirements for the main stairway in your home.

When building tract homes the lumber is shipped in bulk directly to the house site where it will be assembled. The lumber and other building materials will be shipped once. If it went to a factory and then assembled it would also have to be sent to the site on which the house was to be built. This added expense in shipping the materials twice is the problem for such a large and heavy item such as a set of stairs.

There are other prefabricated types of stairs that are built locally and the shipping usually is not a major expense. If you are building a stairway that is not to difficult to build for the average carpenter it will normally be cost effective to build the stairs on site. This would require having the carpenter build the stairs as part of the rough framing and then after drywall have the finish carpenter build the stair handrail system.

Visit us now for easy Home Constuction Help

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Was Jesus A Good Example