Advice For Students Living Away From Home

Studying away from home can be one of the biggest upheavals a young person can face, the idea of leaving everything they have known behind and making a new start somewhere far from the family and friends means that they are making independent choices and decision. This can be daunting as well as being freeing but young people will still look for a certain amount of guidance.
Here are some top tips for students to help them face the world of independence.

Budget
Living away from home means no more can I just borrow this from your wallet? It means you are in charge and responsible for your own money so be prepared. Maybe getting a home budget software programme can help you track exactly what you are spending and where. It might help you make better decisions with you money. Try to live off what you can earn part-time, keeping a steady income for your fun money might mean less debt at the end of your studies.

Study, Study Study!
And one more for the point... study! Moving away to study is not all about this exciting new time in your life meeting people and having new experiences. You are working to achieve something big in your personal development it is an opportunity to get something that can never be taken away and show the world you can shine. Studying well and achieving high will show prospective employers you can dig deep and work hard. It is a very difficult job market at the moment and if you waste this chance to get the right grades it will soon be gone and you will have to face this failure at every job interview you have for the next few years and explain it.

Special Offers
Here is where you can really make your money work harder for you, taking advantage of student discounts, special offers in travel, storage, food, nights out, software and technology on offer to students in a great way of getting the things you want at a discount. Using any group discount sites, social media offers or student discounts to make things a little cheaper will help you have fun without using all of you money in one go. You should always shop around for things you need and find out whether you can get it cheaper because you are a student. You may want to leave your belongings near campus while you go home instead of taking it all back and forth to your parents and using a student discount for storage will help. You should also be able to discounted travel if you don't drive and be may even be able to get discounted accommodation through a house share when you are a student.

Find Yourself
Use this time to experience new things like a different cultural perspective, music or just getting to know new people and it will help you get to know yourself and the person you are. It seems a bit obvious but coming away from your family will mean you the opinions you have been spoon fed since you were young can be challenged and affirmed by experiencing new people.

By Harry Pearce 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7627726

Should I Have A Baby - 3 Things To Consider First

Being a parent is a life changing experience and it is something that a large number of adults would like to consider. In fact, it is not at all common for people to think 'should I have a baby?' when they reach a certain age or stage in life. Further, many people who cannot have children for some reason or the other are filled with a great deal of regret on account of it.

Parenthood is filled with a great deal of responsibility and the decision to have a child should ideally not be taken lightly. Your child is more likely to have a better future if his or her arrival is planned for properly. It is also a good idea to consider a few things before you think of having a child. They are:

1. Are you healthy? Carrying a child for nine months can take a toll on your health if you are not already in good physical condition. Besides, you are more likely to suffer from pregnancy related problems if you start off with health issues. If you are planning to get pregnant then you need to swear off alcohol, cigarettes and recreational drugs well in advance so that there is no chance that they will harm your health or that of your unborn child. You should also improve your diet so that you get into the best possible physical condition.

2. Are your finances in order? You don't need to be a wealthy person in order to have a child but you could at least aspire to have as little debt as possible before you conceive a child. Keep in mind that you will have to face a lot of expenses once your family has a new member.

3. Are you in a position to provide your child with a stable environment? Children thrive when they are in such an environment. Therefore, you need to find out how you can make this happen. Being able to receive support from close family members is a very good thing.

If you are satisfied with your responses to the questions raised by your original query 'should I have a baby', then you are quite prepared to have a baby. Most people prefer to let nature take its own course at this point of time and this is generally the best thing to do. However, if you are not successful after a few months of trying for a child then it is time to plan things better by keeping track of your menstrual cycle.

By Rizvana Abdul 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7628554

Are You A Smart Shopper? 5 Top Tips For Beating Supermarket Costs!

With the nation's larger supermarkets reporting on their trading results, two things stood out about consumer behaviour and both suggest that it's not just the phones that are smart these days. When it comes to our food shopping it seems that the recession has brought out the frugal make-do-and-mend trait. Supermarkets have reported that while consumers continue to do the 'big shop' at out of town stores once a month or so, the trend seems to be for shoppers to focus their smaller, daily shops using either online suppliers or local stores. In addition, the big winners in the profits race are not, perhaps surprisingly, the middle range stores but those at the extremes, the discount superstores and quality stores. So are you a smart shopper?

1. Smart Shopping Basics
Online offers, discount vouchers and codes are everywhere these days. Retailers offer them to coupon sites and voucher sites in an attempt to boost sales. For online shoppers this means that offers are only a search engine search away and, before you buy, add the words "discount voucher" to your search term. Most supermarkets will offer a discount or cash-back deal when you first sign up along with regular internet-only discounts. If you'd prefer to do the 'big shop' in the comfort of your own home (and save on petrol) then internet supermarket shopping is for you.

2. Quality or Quantity?
Supermarkets such as Waitrose have long prided themselves on offering quality products. This in theory should mean that during the recession they should have lost all their customers and now have signs across the door indicating they're no longer trading. Yet this is not so. Smart shoppers know the old maxim 'buy cheap, buy twice' and quality produce remains popular as we continue to worry about our health and focus on making sure we get the best for our limited money.

3. Stocking up on Fillers
At the other end of the scale, LIDL and ALDI have also reported healthy profits. When it comes to bulk buying of staple, non-perishable products, smart shoppers know that you can't water down rice so why pay the extra price? The value supermarkets are where you should be searching for discounts on your basic food stores, saving money for the quality purchase mentioned above.

4. Compare Supermarket Prices
Before you do your big monthly shop, check out some of the handy price comparison sites such as My Supermarket.com and Compare Supermarket Prices.co.uk - these types of sites will compare prices for every product you want, then find the cheapest supplier. Typically they compare all of the big players such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Ocado and Asda with average savings of around £17 every time you shop so well worth a look!

5. What's in it for me?
The supermarkets' results are, of course, of more interest to them. However, for consumers the results can provide a clue to future bargains. The mid-range supermarkets are the ones who will be next to up the heat in the on-going supermarket wars, with a range of offers, and special rewards. For smart shoppers these supermarkets are the ones to keep an eye on.

By Emma L Paterson 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7631420

The Best Ways To Sell Your Home Quick And Easily

Sometimes in life there are certain things that dictate what, and how quickly, things happen. You may not have the luxury of time on your side when you are selling your house and you may be working against factors you can't change, like the houses location or size. Sometimes timing is more important then location, and sometimes if your timing is off it doesn't matter about your location. Sometimes it is necessary to sell a house quickly for more then just conveniences sake. Here are just some of the reasons you would try for a quick home sale.

* Financial hardships * Job transfers * School changes * Health reasons * Extended family needs
A seller who needs to sell for financial hardships is faced with a tough decision. Should you sell your home for any price and move on or hold out for the highest offer and run the risk of not getting one? This is a scary situation and your financial future depends on the outcome of the decision. If the house doesn't sell, the threat of foreclosure is looming yet if it sells for a low price, the seller will end up owing money. It is a no-win situation but one outcome of a quick house sale is that your credit won't be destroyed for a future home purchase.

The job transfer can be slightly easier to deal with because it is an exciting time. The new job will be a good thing for you and you can always rent in the new city until the old house sells. You still don't want the process to take too long as you'd like to buy a house in the new city and create a feeling of stability for your life. Paying for two homes can be taxing so there is no reason to drag out the process.

If the move is school related, the situation usually dictates that you need to be moved out according to the school schedule. Many families will move to a better school district or one that suits their needs in a more efficient manner such as a stellar special needs program or a stronger math and science program. These are ways to provide a better life and most parents will not hesitate to do whatever is necessary to accomplish those goals, including a quick house sale.

One of the most stressful moves can be for health reasons. Whether it is for a long-term treatment option or for better weather that allows you to heal, this is a stressful time. This move is being forced upon you and you have to have quick house sale in order to get the treatment you need.

As parents age, their children sometimes need to move closer to them in order to help them. Other times, the children may want to be closer so the families can spend more time together. This is a natural reaction to aging parents yet it can cause a difficult situation if the children have to move a great distance. In order to fully move and move on with life, a quick house sale is necessary. Anytime the sale can be done in a timely and efficient manner, the better everyone will feel about the move.

Regardless of the reason you need to sell your home, you need to sell fast. Don't let time pass you by, as the less time you have, the faster you need to sell. It doesn't matter if you can get cash for property if you can sell and move on without too much stress. Your main focus now should be to find the fastest way to sell a house.

By Melissa Gifford 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7630955

How To Make Your Rental Home Feel Like Your Own

Tired of feeling like a stranger in your rental home? Although living in a house that doesn't belong to you may leave you with a long list stating what you can and can't do to the property, there are many ways in which you can personalise the house and make it at least feel like your own.
Below are some tips on how to feel at home in a rental house. Although it is very seldom that tenants find their dream home within a rental property, small changes can make a big difference. Unlike many buyers who purchase their home with the intention of altering the existing property, most tenants do not want to embark on costly renovations to a property that ultimately does not belong to them.

Before deciding to make any permanent alterations to the rental property it is essential to either check the terms within the lease agreement or to discuss proposed plans with the landlord. If the planned renovations will make the house more valuable in the future, the owner may encourage the remodelling. Should the landlord oppose the renovation plans, tenants need to accept the property for what it is and save their renovation plans for when the time comes to purchase their own property.

One way to feel at home in your rental home is to give it a fresh coat of paint. After discussing it with your landlord, put your mark on the house by painting the rooms in your favourite shades. Hanging pictures of loved ones and friends from the walls will instantly make the area feel like home. Just remember that in many cases, the landlord will want the tenant to leave the house the same way it was found- therefore the walls may need to be restored to their original colour, with any new holes in walls to be filled in and painted over. If the landlord does not give permission to paint the walls, bright decor such as curtains, cushions and rugs can help to brighten up the space.

When living in a rental house, it is the perfect opportunity to invest in some great pieces of furniture, as these will instantly personalise the space and transform the house into an area in which you are comfortable in. Items in the house that can be easily removed, such as light fittings and door handles, can be replaced with ones more tailored to the tenant's likings and style.

The tenant must however ensure that these items are refitted when the time comes to leave the property. If the alterations being made to the rental home are well planned, tasteful and professionally carried out, when it comes time to vacate the property there will be a minimal amount of repair work required and you will not risk losing your deposit.

By Holly Janion 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7639145

Steps To Surviving Economic Collapse

Step One: Get educated. Don't rely on the mainstream media for accurate and unbiased information. Start looking around at independent news sources. Open your mind. Don't let your predetermined positions filter the information. Look at the trends, dissect the facts. A favorite tactic of the government is to change formulas when calculating economic indicators.

Challenge the figures. Check out wheat the results would be using the same calculations used when the metric was introduced. You'll be sickened at the deceitful and misleading tactics called information.

Step Two: Deduce worst case scenarios. Make sure you take your blinders off and confront it head on. Your family depends on it. What is the worst that could happen? To help you understand, look at areas of the world affected by hyperinflation, epidemics, civil unrest, and government tyranny. Look at how the people were affected. Then, start putting those scenarios in your neighborhood, city, state, and country. These worst case scenarios will be the foundation to survival.

Step Three: Make plans. For each of your worst case scenarios, make a plan. Will you stay at home or go somewhere safer? How will you travel? What will you do when you get there? How will you live? Can your family actually perform the plan? Is Grandma in a wheelchair and you plan on walking to cousin Fred's through the woods. Make it real and make it doable.

Step Four: Prepare for life. Once you decide where you'll end up waiting out the disaster, you'll have to plan on living. What will you eat? How will you wash? Is there clean water available? Make sure you refer back to your worst case scenarios. Without electricity water and sewer are sure to fail. Your plans should address cleanliness for disease-free living. An illness during a state of collapse could be a death sentence. Address security concerns. What will you do when confronted with the unsavory element coming to take your food, water, wife, husband, or children? Can you defend yourself? Can your family members defend themselves? If you purchase firearms make sure all family members know how to use them well and use them safely.

Step Five: Be realistic. If part of your plan relies on hunting for food make sure you have an appropriate weapon and know how to use it. Hunt before you need it to learn how. It is not as easy as people think. Fishing is the same. The time to learn gardening, fishing, animal husbandry, and hunting is not when your life depends on it.

Step Six: Get your family members involved. Start practicing by living a sustainable lifestyle.
Follow these five steps and you'll be way ahead of the rest of the crowd when disaster strikes. It is only a matter of time, not IF.

By Kelli A Otting 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7624492

Food For Families - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Hunger is on the rise in America. Food stamp, or SNAP, usage reached 46.7 million in June, 2012. With this record-high number of families receiving assistance, it's no wonder that many are looking for information on qualifying for, and receiving, this benefit.

Qualifying for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) means that your household must meet specific requirements. Income guidelines apply, as do resource limits, employment verification, and information on all household members applying for benefits. Age, disability, and immigration status can also affect your eligibility.

The income requirement guidelines include both gross and net limits. Your household income must fall within the ranges specified for your household size, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Some of these circumstances may include elderly or disabled household members, deductions allowed, or receipt of other benefits. Income qualifications can be extensive and confusing. For most households, it is best to speak to someone at your local office. Web-based help is also available, at the USDA-SNAP website.

Resource limits also impact eligibility for SNAP. Your personal belongings and home are exempted, but your car is considered a resource, as are any bank accounts, stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, burial plots, or a host of other assets. These resources cannot total more than $2,000 in most cases. If they do, your household will not qualify for assistance, unless a member of the household is elderly or disabled.

Your household will also be subject to specific employment requirements. Pay stubs or employer verification will be required, if you are currently employed. This will be required of all employed members of your household. There are also employment requirements for currently unemployed, able-bodied members filing for benefits. You must be conducting a job search, willing to accept retraining, and able to take advantage of any job placement opportunities that may be offered to you.

There are limits to the benefits you can receive if you do not meet these requirements. Your benefits will be for no more than three months in any 36 month period.

Special consideration is given to the elderly and the disabled. SNAP requirements for able-bodied adults are very different from those for the disabled and elderly people. Understanding all the restrictions and exemptions for the elderly or disabled can be quite difficult, and it is recommended that you contact a worker at your local office if you fall into these categories. Benefits are also available for immigrants, but this eligibility depends on your status. It can't hurt to check and see if you qualify.

By JS Alexa 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7672922