Making A Family Budget
With a new year, should come making a family budget. I cannot stress enough the importance of coming up with a budget for the household expenses. The budget planning should consist of both persons involved, primarily the husband and wife. You will both need to agree on the numbers, and may even need to compromise here and there. In the end, you will be amazed at what a budget can do for the family. Step one, is to decide what goals or items you need to pay for this year. A few examples would be new tires for the vehicle, maybe a new vehicle altogether, a family vacation, pay off a credit card, or just about any other item like these. Once these are decided, you can kind of work backwords to figure out the budget numbers.
Step two, is to figure out all of the income you have coming into the house. If both parents are working, it is the W-2 income. If you have a home business, then if you need this income to pay for items, figure out a conservative amount from the business, and use this number. Just take into account the current monies you are making. If you plan on getting a raise, or increasing the income from the business, adjust the budget for these later. But for now, play it conservative.
Step three is to then figure out all of the fixed expenses you will have each month no matter what. Examples are the car payments, insurance, rent or mortgage, electric bills, phone bills, cable, internet, you get the point. Do not figure in credit cards yet. Add all of these expenses up, and subtract them from the income. This is the amount you have left to put towards the credit cards, paying them off, vacations, etc.
For credit cards, it is best to take the lowest credit card amount and pay this one off first. For the others, just pay the minimums for right now. Reason for this is so you can actually make some progress and see it. You can normally pay off the lowest account pretty quick, and this will give you the sense of accomplishment. Once this account is paid off, you will them put this entire amount you were paying towards this card, and add it with the minimum you are paying to the next lowest card. You will do this until all credit cards are paid off. This will take some time, but just stick to it.
Once the credit cards are paid off, DO NOT close the accounts. Keep the accounts open, but do not charge on them. This will increase the amount of credit you have available, as compared to the amount of debt. In return, this will increase your FICA scores, or credit scores. This will play a large part in the future for house loans or any other loan you may need.
The last items to consider will the extras. Items such as going out to eat, birthday and Christmas presents, vacations, food, gas, etc. Although Christmas is 12 months away, you should start to budget now for this. It could be just $40 a month, and by the time Christmas rolls around, you will have almost $500 in the account for presents. Do this for all of the extra expenses.
The budget is not set in stone. After the first month, sit down and see how everything went. Did you over spend, or under spend in certain categories? Make the adjustments and then keep going forward. The budget will allow you to know exactly where you are in regard to your personal finances at all times. The more organized and informed you are, the more disciplined you become. And at the end of the year, you will see the progress you have made. Get to making a family budget!!
Michael Baker is providing quality information on Personal Finances and making a family budget.
Penis Enlargement - The Jelq Technique for Penis Enlargement
There's some necessary exercises you MUST do to get massive gains in your penis, these are like, the bench press, squats and dead lift's of penis enlargement. Before you start your standard jelq session you will need to do the proper warm up. When performing any jelq exercise you need to have a semi-erect penis.
Take the forefinger and thumb of your right hand and position it as if you are saying ok. Next place your hand in this position around the shaft of your penis as close as possible to your scrotum and squeeze tight. Whilst keeping a tight grip of your penis pull your hand down towards the top of your penis stopping just before the penis head. When doing this, you should notice that the head of your penis expands quite noticeably. Further detail at http://www.certified-penis-enlargement.com
As you release your right hand from your penis, place your left hand at the bottom of your shaft and repeat this movement. You need to keep doing this, alternating from one hand to the other in a manner similar to that of milking. It is important to keep a tight grip around your penis as you perform this exercise otherwise it will not work.
During your first week of jelq exercises you should limit the amount that you do to about 10 minutes a day. After this you can start to work your sessions up to 20 minutes a day. After about 2 weeks, increase your sessions again this time to 30 minutes or more. After approximately 3 4 weeks of this you should start to notice a difference in your penis.
The Jelq and Hold Technique
In order to perform this exercise you will need to know how to flex your PC muscles which I will be covering later.
To start the jelq and hold technique you will need to flex your PC muscle to make it as hard as you can. You will then start to pump your PC at least 20 times. Squeeze your PC as hard as you can and then hold it until you feel a slight cramping sensation.
Now you are ready to begin your routine. Start as with the standard jelq and perform at least 20 repetitions before starting on the jelq and hold technique.
When you are ready to begin, tighten your grip on your penis and pull downwards towards the head of your penis. You will need to do this a little harder than usual and if you are doing it right your hand should stop automatically at the head of your penis. When this happens, hold your position at the top of the head for around 15 seconds. While you are holding this position, you also need to slowly pull you penis upwards with your other hand until you reach the head where you will again hold for 15 seconds moving the other hand down to begin again.
You should continue this for as long as possible. When you have finished, your penis will be very tired but will probably look very pumped up. In order to maintain these gains and cool down properly, you should pump your PC muscles several times. Then flex your PC muscle as hard as you can to eliminate any chance of ejaculation. Once the urge to cum has passed, you should repeat this procedure another 4 times to maximize results.
To learn the rest about getting truely massive penis, just visit this Penis Enlargement site - http://www.certified-penis-enlargement.com/ and you'll learn everything there is about penis enlargement guaranteed!
Feverfew An Herb To Stop Migraine Headaches
The Feverfew herb
is a member of the daisy family. Feverfew has instilled new hope for fewer
and milder
migraine headaches. In ancient Greece the herb Feverfew was used
to reduce swelling
and for women's menstrual distress. The herbs name
is a Latin derivative meaning to chase away
fevers. You may even say it was the aspirin of the eighteenth century. It was used to treat fevers, menstrual
and rheumatic pain. Herbalists stopped using the herb for a few hundred years, but
now the herb Feverfew is being used to combat migraine headaches.
The plant grows to about two feet high and it is a perennial. The leaves are doubly divided and have a tooth like edge. The flower will look very much like a daisy with white petals and a yellow center. Feverfew requires lots of sun and good drainage; it is very easy to grow and is considered a weed.
There was a time when the whole plant was used medicinally, now only the leaves of the Feverfew are used. It is best to harvest the herb before the plant flowers. Pick the leaves and either dry them or freeze them. The Feverfew leaves will have a strong, bitter, and aromatic scent.
Migraines are still a mystery to the medical and holistic community. But there have been
many studies done on the herb Feverfew. Over aggregating of platelets in the blood appear just before a migraine forcing a release of serotonin. Serotonin causes the blood vessel to dilate. Feverfew, or more correctly the parthenolide contained in it, will stop over-aggregating keeping the blood vessel normal resulting in less painful, less frequent or cessation of migraines.
After many studies the compound in Feverfew is parthenolide
which inhibits the brains
chemicals that dilate blood vessels. Use three to four leaves to make an herbal tea. The leaves have a bitter taste so you might want to stir a little honey in the tea. You could
also make a tincture using 1-2 teaspoons daily. There are
no side effects except some people said that chewing on the leaves gave them mouth sores.
If your migraines are chronic you need to find what is triggering them. Keep a migraine diary and
write everything you
did on each day. Record what you ate, how you slept, even what you smelled and how you feel. Compare the
days when you did not have a migraine to the ones when you did have one. Compare several days together. You
should be able to tell what is affecting you before an onslaught of the migraine.
If you don't want to grow the herb, there are herbal
compounds available. There are a few things that are crucial when buying a herbal supplement with Feverfew.
First, try to get a product that has about .7% of parthenolide, remember this is what makes feverfew effective against migraine headaches. Many Feverfew supplements have varying amounts of parthenolide, .7% is good amount. Two other components should be in the tablet.
Riboflavin, or Vitamin B-2, keeps your co enzymes stable, they are
necessary for keeping your brain functioning well. There are studies being done to see if Riboflavin could be used on it's own to treat migraines, but it seems to be more effective with the other two ingredients.
Magnesium is the third ingredient that you should find in the supplement. In many of the studies of it is showing to be a critical component for people who suffer from migraine headaches. Without magnesium, in your body you will lack sleep, develop stomach pain, shorten you breath or make you feel weak. It has been shown to lessen migraine pain.
There is one product that I have seen recommended time after time and that is MigreLief. I do not work with that company and get no financial gain by mentioning them in this article. You can find it in health food stores and on the internet.
This migraine therapy must be done daily and will take at least four weeks for you to see a difference. Isn't
worth four weeks worth it to lessen and perhaps eliminate migraine pain? It may take up to three months to see a serious
benefit for you and to get rid of those awful migraine headaches. Do some research on the herb Feverfew; you'll be glad you did.
Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has
published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at
http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com,
http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com, and
http://www.GardeningHerb.com.
The Many Uses and Benefits of the Yellow Fruit, Most Famous Citrus Called Lemon
We all know lemons, citruses growing in warmer climates, available to us year round. This small yellow fruit is probably the most famous for its C vitamin (renowned antioxidant) content and has traditionally been used during colds and flus. However, there are many other benefits of the lemon juice we sometimes take for granted or tend to overlook them. To help you appreciate this little yellow treasure even more, here are some tips for the use of lemon you might not have heard about before.
Sore Throat Years ago, I used to have a sore throat as a companion, from fall to spring; very predictably, my throat would stay sore for the most part of this cooler season. That is, until I discovered how to use the lemon juice as soon as the soreness in my throat started threatening me: Half a lemon in a glass of water - first thing in the morning.
This short and simple recipe virtually changed my life. At the first sign of the burning or scratching sensation in my throat I would simply drink the juice of half a lemon with water on my empty stomach and the unpleasant sensations in my throat would just calm down.
Of course this refreshing vitamin boost probably wouldn’t work quite as well when the throat gets really sore. In that case, gargling with lemon juice has been traditionally recommended by herbalists and other practitioners.
Helping Digestion and “Master Cleanse” Dr. Elson M. Haas, M.D. is describing in his book Staying Healthy with the Seasons (Celestial Arts, 1981) the lemonade fasting as “master cleanse” for the body.
In his words, “Lemon water, as a half of lemon in a glass of water, drunk 20-30 minutes before meals, seems to help stimulate gastric juices and help digestion. In general, liquids drunk before meals can reduce our appetite and thus prevent overeating, and lemon water is a very good choice.” (Staying Healthy with Nutrition, Celestial Arts, 1992)
Even though the flesh of the lemon is acidic, lemon juice should not give you heartburn unlike vinegar and some other acidic fruits.
Cutting Fats, Removing Odors Lemon juice has a chemical behavior of cutting fats and oils, therefore helping with fat metabolism in our body and at the same time aiding liver function. No wonder we find lemon juice in the dishwashing liquids quite often.
Traditionally, lemon juice has also been used for removing bad odors from one’s hands (or wooden chopping boards) after handling strong-smelling foods and spices like fish, cabbage, garlic and some others.
Refreshing Drink Lemonade, a well known refreshing drink is most beneficial when prepared with freshly squeezed lemon, mixed with clean, fresh water and no sweeteners. Lemon juice can also be added to other natural juices to improve or change the taste and add vitamin C and potassium.
To me, the most refreshing way to drink lemonade is with mineral water. Most practitioners would probably disagree with this choice but Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo, The author of The Blood Type Diet®, actually recommends carbonated water for people with blood type O. In my experience, lemon with mineral water doesn’t even need ice to be truly refreshing. Besides, room temperature or warm to hot liquids quench one’s thirst much faster because they are readily absorbed unlike iced drinks that have to be heated up in a stomach first.
For your convenience, you can store freshly squeezed lemon juice in an ice tray and use a cube whenever you need a refreshing drink, want to add lemon to you cup of tea or simply crave to change the taste of the glass of water.
Oversensitivity to Lemons
There are some people around who may be allergic to lemons or the taste of the lemon just doesn’t agree with them. Some of those peoples replace lemon for gargling with apple cider vinegar – it’s claimed to be just as efficient with sore throats.
To wrap this up, the words of Dr. Elson M. Haas, M.D. tell it all: “I consider lemons a cleanser, purifier, rejuvenator, and detoxifier, especially for the liver, as they help in fat metabolism. These functions come mainly from their astringent qualities, supported by high vitamin C and potassium levels.”
Cheers! – With refreshing glass of lemonade…
Copyright 2007 D. Perse. All rights reserved.
D. Perse is a student of Herbology at Clayton College of Natural Health, passionate about growing herbs and collecting interesting facts about them, including history and legends, medicinal uses, recipes, growing tips and more. Website http://www.dariasworld.info is devoted to herbs and offers tons of free information for the purpose of educating and empowering, never to diagnose, prescribe or treat. Because one's health is in one's own hands.
