Tomorrow marks my one year anniversary as a blogger, so I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned from blogging. But in keeping with the 12 Days theme, here’s a great video from Straight No Chaser singing their version of The 12 Days of Christmas:

Hope you get to see it. Warner Music has their nightgown in a knot and is removing their artist’s videos from YouTube. Check it out if it’s still there. These guys are fabulous!

Things I’ve learned about blogging over the past year:

1. Fellow bloggers are some of the nicest, most helpful people on earth.
Especially in the personal finance realm, your fellow bloggers are more than willing to help you in almost any way possible. I’ve heard that other niches are not that way, but in my experience, I’ve found virtually every person I’ve come in contact with to be friendly and willing to help me.

2. Blogging is hard work.
If you plan to write 6 days or more per week (like me!), it takes a lot of time doing the necessary research, writing, editing, searching for just the right photographs or movies, answering emails, responding to comments, figuring out monetization methods, and interacting with other bloggers. But it sure is fun!

3. People rarely click banner ads.
Most people never click a banner ad (have you?), but write about your experience with a product and include a text link, they just might click it.

4. Always wait for the first version AFTER the major revision.
The major revisions of software, particularly WordPress, seem to have a few little bugs in them, but if you wait until the first security patch comes out, you’ll probably get a better product. And it usually doesn’t take that long either.

5. Some plugins don’t play well with others.
Some, in fact, will crash other plugins, and some will crash your whole system. I’m currently having problems with SRG Clean Archives when I edit a post, but can’t seem to figure out what in the world is wrong with line 172.

6. You don’t need every plugin you find.
I’m running 43 plugins right now and some are probably duplicated in WordPress 2.7 but I haven’t had time to investigate which ones to deactivate. If you want a list of which ones I use, send me an email to thewisdomjournal at G mail dot com.

7. Some people won’t like what you post.
It’s best to just blow them off and move on. There’s no point in getting bent out of shape, is there “lumberjack411?”

8. Your RSS Feedcount will fluctuate.
Sometimes it will fluctuate wildly. When I moved my feed from the old Feedburner to Google’s Feedproxy, I seemed to have lost several hundred subscribers. Give it time and they will all come back. It appears to just be a glitch in the system.

9. The best way to build your own blog is to contribute to others.
Making comments on other blogs in your niche is the best way to draw attention to yourself. It’s important that your comments aren’t just “Great Post” or “I agree” but meaningful, substantive comments that add to the discussion.

10. Don’t be afraid to write a controversial post.
Go ahead and write about something controversial, but do so respectfully. You are entitled to your views as are your readers, but I don’t allow bad language on my blog and I have edited some comments to insure the language is PG at the worst. I personally discount any blogs that use vulgarity, gutter language, or any other language that my children shouldn’t hear. There really is no call for it in my opinion and it adds ZERO to the discussion.

11. Make sure your readers know how to contact you.
Sign up for a Gmail or Yahoo account and use that. I personally use Gmail and find that it has an incredibly strong spam detection system as well as the ability to add labels and a ton of other things!

12. If you self host a blog, upgrade now.
When I wrote 12 Things I learned By 42 That I Wish I Knew At 22, I had no idea it would get over 100,000 hits on Digg and Stumble. It crashed my server and I had to upgrade. Later, when 26 Signs You May Be A Mega Consumer hit the front page of MSN, it still was pretty slow, but it held up to a 25,000 hit day. I’m currently using, Bluehost but there are some other great web hosts out there including Lunarpages and Hostgator. Give them a try!

There are still a lot more things I’ve learned but I can guarantee that I’ll learn a lot more during the next year.

[tags]blog, anniversary, what I’ve learned, web host, web hosts[/tags]

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1. Vacation Rentals By Owner
At VRBO you can connect with rental property owners with properties in Hawaii, South Africa, Gulf Shores, or almost any major city you can think of. The prices are pretty reasonable and VRBO handles all the nitty gritty details.

2. Restaurant.com
Restaurant.com sells $25 gift certificates to restaurants in most cities for $10 or less. Restrictions DO apply so check before purchasing. Right now take 80% off $25 Gift Certificates. Use code HOLIDAY and pay $2. Valid 12/22/08 thru 12/25/08. That’s just TWO BUCKS for a $25 gift certificate!

3. Trade-Downs
Economists call them “inferior goods” but I call them a bargain. Instead of taking my kids out for a Marble Slab ice cream at $4 each, I can take them to Sonic during Happy Hour (2PM til 4PM) and get a Strawberry Limeade for a fraction of the price. Plus trading down doesn’t force me to make extra money just to afford a little luxury.

4. A Trip to the Library
Your local library has tons of interesting books on the shelf and if you don’t see what you want, ask if they can get it. Libraries regularly loan books to each other, so you can probably find just about any book you’re interested in. Just ask.

5. A Stroll Down Memory Lane
Sometimes it’s fun to spend a few minutes just going through old photographs, remembering fun times, and reminiscing about how everyone has changed. My wife loves to scrapbook and she makes the memories so much more fun.

6. A Walk In The Park
Walking is great exercise and is FREE! Walking clears my mind and helps me to think better. When you do it hand in hand with someone you love, the benefits just keep adding up.

7. Speaking of Parks
You’ve already paid for them, why not take the kids to the local park and let them play on the jungle gym, the slide, the swings and the merry-go-round? I remember my parents taking my little brother and me to a park near our house when I was just a first grader. The park had a stream running through it and we always, always “accidentally” got wet.

8. Concerts, Theaters, or Sporting Events
Even for sold out events, check out StubHub.com. Since huge blocks of tickets to your favorite concerts or sporting events are purchased by major ticket brokers, StubHub.com probably has the ticket you’re looking for … and many times at an affordable price.

9. Cook Yourself a Gourmet Meal
The Internet has been such a boon to so many industries, stock brokers, insurance sales, and cooking! The recipe databases are enourmous and I really enjoy using the one at Cooking.com. There you can browse hundreds of recipes and select the one that will make you feel like a gourmet chef … and a respected food critic!

10. Interesting Things? You See ‘Em At A Museum
Mueums hold collections of some of the most interesting things in our world. They hold and protect things of beauty, things from history, and things of rarity. They preserve items from our natural history and representations of those items as well. Not only that, but they’re almost all free to enter, or the entrance fee is pretty minimal.

11. Camping
My family and I LOVE to go camping. Talk about inexpensive and fun! A state park campground site costs less than $18 per night and the bathroom is not too far away! A tent and a few supplies can be bought pretty cheaply online from Ebay or from the classified ads. No electronics are allowed and it’s always fun to watch the kids come up with games with a rock and a stick. Me? I love just watching caveman television (the campfire) and relaxing. Camping gives us a chance to escape the craziness of the world and to really spend time with each other, just talking, taking walks and hikes, maybe do a little fishing. Camping, especially tent camping, gets you back to nature and reminds you how easy you have it in the regular world. I think it makes me just a little more thankful and grateful for the things I have.

[tags]vacation, rental, camping, museum, library, ice cream, concert, sporting event[/tags]

photo credit: derrick@dandcphoto.com

photo credit: Pekka Tamminen

photo credit: clurr

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1. Comparing your success to Bill Gates
It doesn’t do you any good to compare what you’ve done or what you’ve been able to accomplish to another person. They have a different set of tools, a different set of networking possibilities, a different set of attitudes, and a different passion for things than you. Compare yourself to what you CAN accomplish and set your goals accordingly.

2. Running from your fears like Adrian Monk
When I was a freshman at The University of Alabama, my roommate and I went on a run through a new neighborhood. Since he was much faster than me, when a giant Doberman started chasing us, Bob was easily able to outrun me. Instead of running away from the dog, I started running toward him. The dog didn’t know what to do and started throwing on the brakes and running from ME! That’s how it is with your fears. Run toward them with the intent of attacking them and they will melt away.

3. Leaving a job undone like the satellite installation guys.
Okay, they aren’t celebrities, but they’re notorious for failing to finish a job. Nothing kills success like failure to follow through with everything that needs to be done. The race isn’t over until you cross the finish line.


4. Feel sorry for yourself like Chad Johnson
No one feels sorry for someone who feels sorry for himself.

5. Speaking like Ozzy Osbourne
No explanation needed here.


6. Dressing like Brittany Spears
Now, I’m not known for being the king of style, but even I can spot a style faux pas like this. Dress like a professional, not someone experimenting with how little lace is needed to actually be labeled as “clothed.”

7. Having a Jon Stewart attitude
Criticism has it’s place but constant cynicism only makes you look like a bitter old fool.

8. Not learning to network like a Hollywood Pro
One of the greatest ways you can help further your own success is by being a genuine person and learning to network. People are generally more than willing to help someone, they just rarely get asked in a genuine way.

9. Selling yourself short like Aladdin
In the Disney story, Aladdin thinks he is just a “street rat” who can never catch the eye of a princess. His wording is “I can’t.” Those two little words have done more to squash success than any others. Most people who have achieved great levels of success have done so by looking at what they could do, so stop saying “I can’t” and start looking for ways that you can. You just might surprise yourself … and everyone else, too.

10. Having more regrets than dreams and goals like the consummate American businessman.

Nobody on his deathbed ever said, ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office’.
Paul Tsongas

Believe it or not, there ARE things more important than performance issues at work, making X percent more net income, and creating yet another spreadsheet … those things are called family, friends, and faith.

photo credit: Hot Rod Homepage
photo credit: Growl Roar

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Most New Year’s resolutions end in failure. News flash, huh? The key to making a New Year’s resolution work for you is to treat them like baby steps rather than huge leaps forward. After all, it’s no big deal to lose a couple of pounds, but losing 50 seems like an impossible task.

Similarly, you can tackle most financial resolutions much more easily by taking them in small chunks. Try these nine resolutions on for size:

1. Read ONE financial book

You don’t even have to buy one, just use the local library. There are probably dozens of great books there just waiting to be checked out. If you don’t see one you want, many libraries will order whatever you want to read. Just ask. I would recommend these:

• The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
• Debt is Slavery: and 9 Other Things I Wish My Dad Had Taught Me About Money
• I.O.U.S.A.: One Nation. Under Stress. In Debt.
• The Millionaire Next Door

2. List your debts

List every debt you owe with the interest rate and minimum payment. If you want to get out of debt, make a resolution to just get started by making a list and checking it twice. If you can, consider making double payments on your credit accounts. If you keep paying that same amount each month, never charging another penny and you’ll pay off your credit card in less than three years, regardless of the current balance.

3. Get on a budget

The easiest way to get on and stay on a budget is to find a smarter way to manage your money. For me and my family, that’s using the Mvelopes Personal system of budgeting. Take a tour of Mvelopes Personal budgeting system and see if you’re as impressed as I am.

4. Monitor your mortgage

By planning to plan to pay just a little extra every month, you can pay the mortgage off early and save a fortune in interest. If your rate is floating, or if you have a home equity loan, consolidate now to a fixed-rate loan, if possible.

5. Play a money saving game

Check out 17 Sneaky Savings Strategies and resolve to implement just one. Once you do that, start another, then another, then another. Before you know it, you’ll be saving money left and right!

6. Develop an alternative income

There are all sorts of ways to make extra money and develop a side income. Lots of hobbies and interests can be developed cash streams with just a little effort. If you find a way to make just $1 in a new way, you have succeeded. You aren’t trying to replace your current income, just to make some extra money to invest or pay down debt. Most of the time starting is the hardest part, but then later expanding your earnings from this new income stream could potentially be quite easy.

7. Secure your identity

I went through the awful experience of having my identity stolen a few years back. Identity theft has quickly become one of the top complaints to the Federal Trade Commission and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down.

Banks used to be robbed, primarily because that was where “the money was at,” but today, when your identity is for sale to he highest bidder,”the money” is in cyberspace. It’s easier and safer to steal someone’s identity, making off with a couple thousand bucks than to rob a bank. The result: you have to take actions to protect yourself. The credit freeze is one possibility, but it has some drawbacks, namely that it has to be turned on and off and back on again anytime you apply for credit. That can be a pain.

One thing that I personally use and have had great results with is Equifax’s Credit Watch Gold. I personally use this service and can wholeheartedly recommend it. Not only does Equifax monitor my credit report, but they send me an email ANYTIME there is a change to it. That change can be an inquiry, a new account, or a balance change. I can set up the parameters to email me based on a percentage change in an account’s balance or just any change whatsoever. It is worth the small monthly fee to have this peace of mind, particularly after the nightmare I went through with having my identity stolen.

8. Evaluate your insurance

Do you have disability insurance? Do you have health insurance? Do you have life insurance? Do you have enough? Do you think it’s too expensive? Check out Netquote.com to get competitive rates and information on car, homeowners, health, and life insurance.

9. Update your estate plan

Review your documents and your will, keeping in mind that state laws DO apply — so if you’ve moved recently, be sure that your documents comply with your new state’s requirements.

[tags]insurance, personal finance, money, credit, credit cards, debt, investment, identity theft[/tags]

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I was asked recently what websites other than blogs that I recommend, in particular, financial websites and if I have any suggestions for some really neat ones: Here’s 8 that made my cut:

1. Minyanville.com
Minyanville says that it provides “Financial Infotainment,” and it IS a very informative and entertaining financial website. The authors target their articles toward three niches of people:

• Traders in the financial industry
• Individual investors
• Families with kids

I find that I learn something every time I read one of their articles. Their editorial and opinion pieces are thought provoking and for an idea on how entertaining the articles can be, try reading their response to Tim Ferris’ book, The 4 Hour Work Week, called the 400 Hour Work Week. Good stuff and pretty funny, too!

2. Choose to Save.org
Choose to Save.org is a “national public education and outreach program is dedicated to raising awareness about the need to plan and save for long-term personal financial security.” On this financial website, I like their Ballpark Estimator where you’re able to figure how much you need to save in order to retire. It has 16 different questions like:

• What percentage of your current income you would like to receive during retirement?
• How much do you anticipate your wages to grow?
• What inflation rate do you want to input?

It’s a little bit of a shock to type in 43 years of age (!) but it IS better to know the truth than to flounder around in fantasy, right?

3. Monte Carlo Calculator
A what? A Monte Carlo calculator lets you figure volatility into your financial and retirement plans. According to the site:

You’ll get a slightly different outcome each time you run. That’s what makes this a Monte Carlo calculator: it’s doing the equivalent of running 1,000 sets … from the previous page. If you have a tall blue bar the the far right, that’s a good sign – it indicates that there are other “success” outcomes to the right of what’s shown on the graph.

If you aren’t comfortable with the odds of success – if the “red zone of failure” is a little too big – then it’s time to consider the strategies from the previous page: increasing your contributions during your working years, delaying retirement, and decreasing withdrawals after retirement.

4. Bankrate.com
Anyone who’s done any searching on the internet for financial websites knows about Bankrate.com. This is one of the premier financial websites for current information on rates for mortgages, credit cards, your savings account, or any other financially related information.

5. Dinkytown.net
Dinkytown has tons of free financial calculators. Want to estimate your tax burden (growing larger, I know)? It’s on there. Want to see what a bi-weekly mortgage payment will do for your individual situation? It’s on there. Should you rent or buy? Check Dinkytown. What about retirement contribution effects on your paycheck? Yep, it’s there!

6. Investopedia
This is a site designed to educate. Here you can learn what those financial buzzwords mean on CNBC, download the annual reports of businesses you might be interested in, use a stock trading simulator, take preparatory exams for different financial designations, or take a tutorial to learn more about anything financially related. If Investopedia is too cumbersome, check out The ABC’s of Investing. Here you can learn investing basics in only two blog posts per week!

7. MarketWatch
I like to read the Personal Finance section of MarketWatch. Here, I find tons of useful financial information on a broad range of topics including credit cards, banking, real estate, and various consumer issues.

8. Daily Wealth
When it comes to finances, maybe you’re a “contrarian” (someone who zigs when everyone else zags). There is some great money to be made with a contrarian philosophy and Daily Wealth is one of the leaders. One of the recent articles at Daily Wealth claims to be able to predict when a crash is coming in a certain investment sector 100 percent of the time. Yes, 100 percent of the time. Here’s a hint: remember when Warren Buffet said that you should “sell when others are greedy and buy when others are fearful?”

This is by no means an exhaustive list of cool financial websites, but it is a list of some of my personal favorites. Hope you check them out and let me know which ones you like!

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We’re nearing the first of the year for 2009 and invariably the subject of New Year’s Resolutions comes up. The top resolutions usually are to lose weight, exercise more, make extra money, or save money. One that is rarely on the list is to make money BY saving money.

Too many times we save a few bucks on something like with coupons or “buy one get one free” offers at retailers. What happens to the saved cash? Nothing. It stays in our checking account until we spend it mindlessly on something else. To make extra money BY saving money, you need to take those savings and put them in a special savings account. Otherwise, they’re wasted on a latte or a new pair of shoes when we see that there’s a little cash left over at the end of the month. “Hmm,” we think to ourselves, “I wonder why I have that left over? Oh well, I guess I really can afford those new shoes!”

A few months back I wrote a post on 17 Sneaky Savings Strategies and outlined some specific ways to trick yourself into saving money, but I wanted to put these ideas into some generalized categories so that maybe, just maybe, they will inspire YOU to come up with some ideas on how to save a few bucks here and there!

Making it into a game can helps to make it fun so here goes. Just make sure you put these savings into a separate savings account!

1. Bank half of any increase in income game.

Get into the habit of halving any raise you get and saving that cash. If you’re a real savings animal, save half of the PRE-tax amount rather than the after tax amount. What fits in this category? Raises, found money, returned deposits on utilities, gifts and money from yard sales or Ebay. What other types of income increases could apply?

2. My payments NEVER go away game.

Force yourself to continue making car payments, credit card payments, revolving debt payments, installment debt payments, student loan payments, or mortgage payments even AFTER the debt is paid off. Hey! You were living just fine with the payment before … just keep paying those amounts into that savings account and watch your net worth go up up up. What other payments could you keep making?

3. The price of admission game.

I outlined quite a few of these ideas in 17 Sneaky Savings Strategies so check out that post for a lot of good ideas. The way it works is that you pay yourself a dollar to wash a load of laundry, two dollars to watch television, and seven bucks to watch a DVD at home (then pay the late fee to yourself). In essence, you’re leasing the use of your assets back to yourself and paying yourself a fee for using them. Feel free to send yourself a late notice followed by a demand letter. What are some other things YOU own where you could charge yourself a usage fee?

4. The daily piggy bank game.

You’re probably doing this one already but are you putting the money into that savings account I keep mentioning? Now, saving your change on a daily basis is great, IF you’re actually saving that cash. Empty the jar once per week and deposit the savings. No stealing from yourself to pay to use the television either! What tips do you have to help yourself save those coins?

5. The act like a short-sighted American businessman game.

American businessmen are renown for looking only at last year’s numbers and comparing today’s performance to prior year’s results, regardless of trends. Are you a pack-rat that saves your old utility bill stubs? Good, but if you’re not, ask you local utility company if they can provide last year’s data by month, on what you spent on utility payments. Include your electricity, water, natural or propane gas, and telephone bills. Now, see if you can reduce the amount you spent compared to the same month last year. If you’ve had a rate increase, be sure and compare the units used rather than just dollars. Involve the kids and really make it a game. No more nagging them to turn off the lights or turn off the water!

6. The ME first game.

Pay yourself first is a mantra that is often repeated in the personal finance world, but it is true! Always pay yourself first and others, including your bills, second. Don’t fall into the trap that you HAVE to pay anyone else first. Even when I was personally going through credit counseling, one of the first things my counselor said was to pay yourself first and start saving a little money. Pay your living expenses second, and your other bills third.

7. SOS or Save Our Singles game!

This could be considered a derivative of the daily piggy bank, but with a twist. Save all your one dollar bills at the end of the day. Maybe you could save every five dollar bill you come across instead. No matter, whichever method you choose, you gotta stick to it and put that cash into that savings account.

So here’s the big question: What savings strategy can you add to this list?

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With the current state of the economy, there are tons of articles about “bullet-proofing your job.” I personally don’t think any job is 100 percent bullet-proof and certainly there are very, very few employees that are irreplaceable. But there are ways to make yourself stand out from the crowd and make yourself more valuable to your employer and that’s the key: adding value.

A Great Employee is Involved

By getting involved in whatever project is important to your boss, you’ll shine as an employee. If your boss is keen on how paperwork is processed, find out exactly how she wants it done, then set up a checklist so you always do the right way … HER way. If she focuses on customer relations, get deeply involved with your company’s customers and set up files and dossiers on them so you know every little tidbit about your customer’s lives, their likes, dislikes, birthdays, business background, and preferences.

An involved employee adds value by listening, and by shouldering responsibility to make sure the boss’s priorities rule. Whatever she says is your top priority, get THAT done.

A Great Employee is Flexible

As with everything else in life, sometimes your boss’s priorities get changed by customers or by his boss. A great employee doesn’t cop an attitude and say, “But you said the Henderson project was my top priority, now you’re putting me on the McMillan case?” Instead, a great employee will understand that in the world of business, as in life, sometimes things just come up that move to the front burner. The boss isn’t indecisive, he’s simply forced to be flexible with HIS time and resources and there are times that he has to allocate those resources to the most pressing need at the moment.

A flexible employee adds value by becoming a “fall back” option for the company. When the boss needs someone in Atlanta to train the new office, be that person!

A Great Employee is Welcoming

When someone comes to your workstation or office, do they get the idea that you have an open door, or do they stand in the doorway and talk to you from a distance? Unless you’re working on something pressing, welcome them in and listen to what they have to say. I’m not talking about the small talkers, I’m referring to someone who genuinely needs to speak with you.

If you’re in the hospitality, restaurant, or retail business, an attitude of welcoming people is a matter of self discipline and is a characteristic of the best employees. Making your customers feel welcomed insures you and your company’s long term survival. You have “internal” customers as well (co-workers). Welcome them, their ideas, and contributions as well.

A great employee adds value by becoming the face of the company or the team and by making customers feel special.

A Great Employee is Genuine

Ever see an employee with a pasted on smile and know that they really don’t want to be there? You can usually spot them a mile away. Here’s an exercise: no matter what you do for a living, no matter where you work or for whom, imagine how the product or service that your company provides benefits the end user. A uniform delivery driver who brings scrubs to the hospital serves a vital function in the healthcare of thousands of people. A factory worker who machines high tension bolts used in bulldozers serves a vital function in the construction of office buildings and the people who need them. An quality control inspector in a door manufacturing plant serves a vital function in the security of the people who eventually buy his product.

Once you see your unique role in your organization, you can be genuinely proud of your contribution and you can smile a real smile, knowing that you’re roll is vital in some way.

A genuine employee adds value by being an example to the rest of the organization and knowing his or her unique contribution.

A Great Employee is Curious

A great employees constantly seek to increase her knowledge of her company’s products and services and she will keep up to date on industry news as well. A knowledgeable employee is a valuable employee and when you’re constantly seeking to increase your knowledge, you add value to yourself and your organization.

A curious employee adds value because he or she has a passion for learning, and is constantly seeking to upgrade their skills and knowledge to help drive the company forward.

A Great Employee is Hard Working

None of the other traits matter much if an employee has a poor work ethic. The willingness to do what it takes to get the job done is the granola of life: sometimes bland, sometimes dry, but really good for you.

I probably don’t need to tell you how a hard working employee adds value … at least I hope I don’t!

If you examine your characteristics and find yourself lacking in any of these areas, I have GREAT news. You can change today. Remember, who you are today is a result of the choices you’ve made, wise or unwise, and you can choose right now to develop yourself into the best employee possible.

Too many people look for a job or a relationship or some other circumstance to bring them happiness. It won’t and it never will. Happiness is what you bring TO your job, what you bring TO a relationship. When you make the conscious decision to bring happiness wherever you go, you’re well on your way to becoming a truly great employee. And who knows, one day YOU may be the boss!

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photo credit: Yellow.Cat

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Choices

Where you are today is the result of the choices you’ve made, the experiences you’ve felt, the associations you’ve cultivated, the words you’ve spoken, the ideas you’ve had, the beliefs you’ve clung to, and the habits you’ve created. You are more in control than you give yourself credit because 99 percent of the time, your attitude determines the choices you make, and your attitude is the only thing you really control.

Incentives

You respond to rewards, incentives, fear, and pain, very similarly to the other 6 billion of us on this earth. Whatever your goals are, whether they’re communicated verbally, on paper, or whether you’re even conscious of them, you seek to meet those goals. Learn what motivates YOU. Learn what you’re afraid of and logically think it though. You’re only born with two fears: falling and loud noises. All other fears are learned.

Needs

Once your basic needs of food, water, and shelter are met, you will seek to fulfill your needs for accomplishment, for relationships, and for control in your own life. Humans are most depressed when they experience feelings of failure, loneliness, and a lack of control. Overcome these feelings by getting out there pursuing your passion and taking care of your responsibilities to the best of your ability. Respons-ibility = your ability to respond. You are responsible for you.

Consistency

You seek consistency in your life and you value it in others: consistency of purpose, consistency of actions, consistency of attitudes, and consistency of how your needs are met. Sometimes you will even follow through with an action that is detrimental to you personally, if it means appearing consistent to others.

Knowledge

You have an innate and deep desire to know and understand. The act of acquiring knowledge and systematizing your known universe is a technique for the construction of a basic safety. You’ll use this safety net as a fall back position when you don’t know what to do. An example: you probably think “you get what you pay for” so when all information isn’t available, you reason that the most expensive item is the best quality. Most of the time a safety net works. Patterns are good. A growling dog, or rattles coming from a bush usually DO mean bad things! But sometimes patterns of thought don’t work and you let your need for consistency dictate whether you reevaluate your system of thinking.

Now that these are laid out for you, how will you use them? How will you use what you know about yourself and about human motivation to help you achieve your highest goals and your highest purpose?

1. Make wise choices. Take a little extra time and think things through.
2. Incentivize yourself to make those choices. Put your own carrot in front of you.
3. Place yourself into a position to achieve great things, associate with great people, and control your own life and attitude.
4. Use consistency to your advantage. Consistently do the right thing.
5. As Covey puts it, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Seek knowledge, but don’t let a system of thought prevent you from learning even more.

photo credit: minds-eye

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I don’t know about you, but it always seems that gift giving for the Holidays becomes, I dunno, blah? There is always the sweaters and clothing items, a few toys for the kids, a piece of jewelry for the ladies, a tool from TJ Maxx for the guys (here’s a hint, don’t buy tools at a clothing store), so I went on a search of some unique ideas for some really great gifts. What I like to give the most is a gift that’s memorable, one that someone will talk about for years to come. Those type of gifts are hard to come by but I’ve found four that made the cut:

You can give

• an experience
• a plan
• a meal
• a company

Give an Xperience

No, that’s not a typo, there actually is a company called Xperience Days*. What they offer is guaranteed to be unique! Yes, there are some pretty pricey options, such as Air Combat Dogfights, Hot Air Balloon rides, helicopter rides over your favorite city, and bi-plane rides, but there’s also cooking classes, dinner cruises, 800 horsepower dragster rides, and trips to a soothing spa. If you’re on a budget like me, there are also 10 pages of experience (I mean Xperience) gifts available for less than $100.

Whatever you choose to give, if you send them on an Xperience*, they’ll be talking about it for years to come. When’s the last time someone raved about a sweater for 5 years?

For the record, I’m not much for heights, so I’ll take the NASCAR ride at Michigan International Speedway or sailing in Boston Harbor for two!

Give a Plan

I already mentioned how impressed I am with the Mvelopes* system of budgeting. Have you had the chance to check out their video tour? Mvelopes Personal is the leading online personal spending management system that allows you to easily view and control your finances anytime, anywhere. With online and mobile access, all your spending information is always at your fingertips, but did you ever think, “I could give this as a gift?” Maybe you have a son or daughter that’s struggling with a budget, maybe your sister or brother needs help getting control of finances and knowing where their income is evaporating. Whoever it is, they can benefit from knowing where their money is going and Mvelopes can help them get and stay on track.

Give the gift of Food

You can’t go wrong with food … unless it’s something they don’t like! Don’t risk giving those liverworst and pine nut cookies to someone who won’t appreciate them, give them a Restaurant.com* gift certificate. At this site, you can buy $25 gift certificates for only $10 … sometimes less! There are a few restrictions and minimums depending on the restaurant, but keep in mind you’re buying a dollar for only 40 cents.

Better yet, give the gift that keeps on giving and give your loved ones a Dinner of the Month Club on Restaurant.com.* You can give a 3, 6 or 12 month plan for savings of 60 percent or more!

NOTE: FOR A LIMITED TIME

80% off Savings on Dinner of the Month Club Purchase. Code SANTA. 12/16/08 thru 12/22/08. Three months of Dinner of the Month Club now costs only $6.

And, and, and …
80% off Savings on $25 Gift Certificates. $2 when you use code SANTA. Valid only 12/16/08 thru 12/22/08. That means you get a $25 gift certificate for only $2!

Give a Company

OneShare.com* sells REAL stock certificates; framed, in approximately 100 of America’s favorites companies. Because their company list is pretty extensive, they have a stock for everybody. Some of their best selling stock certificates are: Disney, Dreamworks, Harley-Davidson, Wal-Mart, GM, Tiffany, Microsoft, & Coke.

All too often, our money today is just digital blips on a computer screen, but with OneShare.com, that stock takes on a whole new meaning because it’s now something you can touch. These make excellent gifts for children and grandchildren!

There you have it, four pretty unique gift ideas. And none of them will be returned because the receiver couldn’t wear it, or it was in some crazy metric size that didn’t fit anything!

photo credit: MontageMan

[tags]Christmas, gifts, unique gifts, fun, experience, budget, restaurant, food, stock, stock certificate, plan, dragster, NASCAR[/tags]
*Affiliate link

Links to products or services may be affiliate links. See my disclosure policy in the footer of the site or on my About page.

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that Christmas, and the expectations surrounding it, can easily and quickly get out of hand? I’ve said for several years that we should treat Christmas like the Olympics … every four years. Somehow I think the retailers would vote me down on that one, as would most children!

But simplifying Christmas has become a priority in my home this year. We’ve decided to scale back on the mountain of gifts that typically dwarf the tree to make what gifts we do give have more meaning. Too many times I’ve seen children, including my own, receive 20 or 30 or more gifts only to focus on playing with the biggest box any of them arrived in. Keep the gifts, just send boxes!

While thinking about the idea of simplifying our Christmas this year, I came across three ideas:

1. Focus on traditions rather than things.

When I look back on my fondest memories, they’re always about the traditions we’ve enjoyed as a family. What would Thanksgiving be without turkey and dressing and sweet potato casserole? What would Christmas be without my wife’s breakfast casserole, our tradition of making the kids wait until Mom and Dad are up before playing with or opening ANY presents, or driving around looking at the Christmas lights while sipping hot chocolate and playing Christmas carols on the radio? Christmas for my family is a time to celebrate being with each other, not celebrating the latest gadget, toy, or gizmo.

2. Do Christmas your way, not the marketers way.

Why let “a December to remember” cause you financial pain and stress for the next 60 or 72 months? The pressures that Madison Avenue places on people this time of year is something they should be ashamed of. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with giving something far more valuable than things — give your time. Take some time to visit people who are shut in. Take some time to play with your children … down on the floor. Teach someone what you know: cooking, playing the guitar, knitting a sweater, or painting a landscape. Invest your most precious asset — time — into those you love the most.

3. Create a new gift giving tradition.

Some people only give gifts that are hand made. The materials can be bought, but the finished gift must be hand made. Try it with ornaments if you’re not ready to go “New Yankee Workshop” or try the Magi Christmas tradition: three gifts and three gifts only. There is a Victorian tradition that says each person should get “something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.

Don’t let the stress of the season ruin the meaning of the holidays. With tax season just around the corner, people worrying about how to pay their mortgage while they watch their savings account dwindle, having the self discipline to simplify Christmas may be the wisest decision of them all!

Note:

This post is part of a group project on Simplifying Your Christmas at the Life Skills Network: Check out the other great posts at our member blogs!:

Simplify Your Holidays in 3 Easy Steps at My Dollar Plan

Crappy Economy = Best Christmas Ever! at My Supercharged Life

Simply Perfect: Holiday Tips from On Simplicity Readers at On Simplicity

The Top of Your Holiday To-Do List: Breathe. at Simple Mom

photo credit: scottfeldstein

Links to products or services may be affiliate links. See my disclosure policy in the footer of the site or on my About page.