Improving Your Finances at Any Age

Anyone can find themselves making some financial blunder at some point. Whether it is racking up a mortgage or making a bad investment choice, a lot of us make some major financial mistakes along the way. All's not lost, however, and you may just dig yourself out of that money hole whether you’re an old boot or a young buck. You can improve the state of your personal finances whether you’re in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, or beyond.
The key to financial improvement is developing good financial habits; and, it is almost never too late to start doing so.

Save Up!

There’s really no two ways about this step. You need a nest egg in your old age so you need to accumulate a good sized sum over the years. Hence, the best time to start?…now. The longer you wait to grow that egg, the less you will have.
Decide how much of your income you need to set aside after calculating your goal savings. Make a habit of squirrelling this particular sum every payday in a separate account which you assign a strict “Don’t-touch-until-I’m-too-old-to work” rule. You’ll be surprised by how much your savings can grow over the years.
Help your saving habit by:

• availing of an auto transfer of your savings from your payroll account to your designated personal savings account. This way savings becomes automatic, something you don’t actually have to think about.
• scaling back on spending and living frugally. Curb impulse spending. Those absolutely must-haves may not really be necessary. In fact, you don’t actually need that adorable handbag since your other adorables still work your outfit, don’t they?
• Being aware of your [Latte Factor] (http://www.becomingminimalist.com/latte-factor/). The little things you think are too small to put a financial dent do add up to eat into your potential savings. It’s that daily latte from your favourite café. That cup-o’-java can be switched to a home brew to save those extra dollars. Other latte factors can include the magazines you buy, those two dollars-a-pop tracks from iTunes, and the cable subscription you barely even use.

To know your where your money seems to evaporate into thin air, list down the little purchases you make...the ones you think nothing of... for a month or two. See how much you cumulatively spend on these. If you could save this much in a month, isn’t it worth cutting down on these and looking for cheaper alternatives? For example, you may be able to get similar information on fashion trends from the internet without having to buy magazines. You can even cut that cable subscription and opt for a cheaper alternative movie and TV provider through the net. Whatever your decisions may be, remember that your goal is to increase your savings per month so you can reward yourself with a good sized nest egg when you really need it most.

Pay off Debts (There’s No Getting Away from This)

Any debt you have is like a Sword of Damocles hanging over your head. Debts balloon over time especially with an ongoing interest rate on unpaid portions. Formulate an aggressive strategy to pay off any debt, may they be credit card loans or otherwise. One strategy is to list all debts from smallest to the largest. Focus on the smallest, pay it off as soon as you can, and cross it off your list. You’ll feel better after you’ve taken one burden, no matter how light, off your shoulders. Now that you’re on the roll, tackle the next largest one by paying the minimum plus adding an extra. For instance, if the minimum amount due is AU$50.00, adding an extra AU$30.00 for a total payment of AU$80.00 every month would speed up eliminating this debt. Go through the list with same strategy until you’ve paid every cent.
Although in most cases it may take years to pay, you just need to keep doggedly on to be able to live a debt free life. Not only is it necessary to pay off loans, a decreasing debt total or ideally, a life of zero debt, is crucial for financial stress relief.

Considering Working Past Retirement Age

Working past retirement age is a growing trend among seniors still in good health. When the new 50s phenomenon includes having looks and well-being of a 40-year old, and the new 60s equate to 50s, and so forth, retirement has steadily been relegated to the backburner for the truly golden years. Presently, many seniors opt to keep working, often in new fields. If you belong to the “oldies but not yet mouldies” group, why not consider getting further education in your field or in other related fields? Investing in more training and certifications before the company’s official retirement age may go a long way to furthering your employment aptness and marketability.

Educate Yourself

There are more money tips out there to educate yourself on if you truly want better financial stability in the coming years. Together with your newfound financial management knowledge, keep the basic foundation of practicing good money habits such as saving and avoiding debts as personal tenets so that “Thou shalt not want” in your golden years.

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How to Deal with Panic Attacks

Anyone can have a panic attack at some point in his life. About 40% of the Australian population is predicted to experience this intense fear and discomfort.
A panic attack is characterized by a combination of some of these following symptoms:

• Palpitations; rapid heart rate
• Tightness, pain, or discomfort in chest
• Tremors
• Rapid breathing; shortness of breath
• Choking sensations
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Disorientation or feeling of detachment from the world
• Feeling of losing control or feeling of dying
• Feeling of impending doom
• Nervousness; anxiety
• Chills or hot flushes

Although these symptoms may seem to characterise physical ailments like a cardiovascular problem, hospital tests on a person seized with a panic attack may often show negative physical issues. Panic attacks may last anywhere between 5 minutes to half an hour.

Panic Disorder

When panic attacks become recurrent, they characterise a more serious condition called panic disorder. Because of the chronic nature of the attacks, a person with a panic disorder may sometimes find himself unable to go about his normal daily functions.

A person with a panic disorder often exhibit:

• out-of-the-blue panic attacks or attacks that are not triggered by a specific situation
• significant behavioural changes such avoiding public places for fear of getting an attack in public or avoiding exercise because it speeds up the heart rate
• worrying for long periods about the next impending attack
• excessive concern about the consequences or causes of a panic attack. For instance, some people falsely believe their attacks are caused by a medical condition. Despite repeated tests with negative results, these people are not assured that there is nothing wrong with them, physically.

Panic attacks may occur several times a day or just twice in a year. Attacks may also occur during sleep, waking the person up to scary feelings.

Unfortunately, women are more prone to acquiring panic disorder. Stemming from this, more women than men are susceptible to agoraphobia or the extreme fear of crowds and enclosed public spaces.

Coping with a Panic Attack

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

A person with a panic disorder may benefit from some form of psychiatric treatment such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT helps a person change his thinking patterns and behaviour toward understanding what is triggering and sustaining the panic attacks. The therapy allows the individual to look at his fears realistically instead of letting him get carried away with the tide of fear. For instance, when the panic hits, the person is trained to think, “What is the worst that could happen now?” Usually, the fear is more overwhelming than the real situation. Once the person knows nothing disastrous is going to happen during his attack, the panic level can drop significantly.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is designed to get a person acclimated with his fears by exposing him to trigger situations in a controlled environment. The therapy aims to arm the individual with coping mechanisms by gradually exposing him to many times to the panic sensations. This way the person begins to be less frightened of experiencing the panic sensations and starts feeling more in control during an attack.

Relaxation and Breathing Techniques

Rapid breathing can escalate the fear factor in a panic attack. The first thing to do is make a conscious effort to slow down your breathing by doing these steps:

• Make yourself comfortable. Loosen clothing that seems to restrict breathing.
• Breathe deeply into your nose and exhale through the mouth.
• Breathe steadily and gently. Regulate breathing by counting 1 to 5 on the inhale and another 1 to 5 on the exhale.
• Breathe this way for 3-5 minutes. Closing your eyes will help focus on your breathing.

Preventive Measures

There are no foolproof ways to prevent a panic attack but you can mitigate the frequency. Regular exercise especially those that are aerobic can lift moods, stimulate endorphin or “happy hormone” production, decrease stress levels, and heighten confidence. Avoidance of alcohol, caffeine, smoking, and drugs are also a must as these substances can increase the degree of panic attacks. A good balanced diet and adequate rest are also good preventative measures.

Panic support groups can also help you by providing information about how other people cope with their panic attacks. These organizations will also help you realize that you are definitely not alone in your fight to overcome irrational fear.

What To Do With A Dry Scalp Problem

A dry scalp is a bummer. When you think you look absolutely spiffy in that black ensemble, don’t head out the door just yet. Be sure to glance down and check for those little white flakes that can turn to your look from hot to gross in an instant.
A dry scalp often comes with dandruff, psoriasis, and other scalp-y problems; though not all the time. A dry scalp feels tight and may harbour white flakes on the hairline, top of head, and around the base of the hairline near the neck. Although the symptom of skin flakes doesn’t always mean dandruff, it very much mimics the condition. The good news is that a simple moisturizing strategy can set a dry scalp condition to rights once more.

The Difference Between Dry Scalp Flakes and Dandruff

A dry scalp can exhibit itchy, flaky skin especially when it is exposed to irritants like residue buildup from styling products or to medications like minoxidil. These flakes are not necessarily dandruff. Flakes from residue buildup tend to be translucent and cling to hair strands. Those born out of a minoxidil reaction form off-coloured scaly sheets which are confined only to areas where the medication was applied.
Dandruff flakes on the other hand are opaque white and have a heavier texture. These tend to cling to both scalp and hair strands.
Simple flaking from a dry scalp is a simpler condition to treat than that of dandruff. Before bedtime, massage some moisturizing lotion into the dry areas of the scalp. During your morning shampoo, rinse out the lotion well and apply conditioner. If the flaking is not a dandruff issue, this remedy will solve it.
Washing your hair often will reduce hair product buildup and keep your scalp flake-free. It would be best not to minimize using hairsprays, gels, waxes, and other styling products that cause unsightly residue.
Flaking from a minoxidil reaction can be reduced if hair and scalp are washed daily to rinse away every night’s application of the medication.

About Dandruff

Dandruff can be a condition not just of a dry scalp but an oily scalp as well. Dandruff is symptomised by excessive flaking of dead skin cells caused by an overgrowth of a fungus called malassezia. Scientists are not very clear, but it seems that the overgrowth may be caused by:

• A diet high in sodium or sugar. A diet also dominated by spicy food may trigger the problem.
• Lack of nutrients such as Vitamins B or D
• Hormonal changes
• Heredity
• Stress
• Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease
• Infrequent shampooing or cleansing of the hair
• Recovery from a chronic cardiovascular illness
• Excessive consumption of alcohol
• Changes in the weather

Dandruff Treatments

Anti-dandruff shampoos sold over-the-counter and in groceries may work to control some cases of dandruff. Good choices should contain ingredients such as ketoconazole, pyrithione zinc, coal tar, salicylic acid, or selenium sulfide. Use anti-dandruff shampoos a few times a week, alternating with your regular shampoo.
For those who want a more natural, organic approach to dandruff control, here are a few tips:

Tea Tree Oil

A few drops of tea tree oil in your shampoo could be an effective way to control dandruff. This oil has antifungal properties so small amounts could also be applied directly to those scaly patches on the scalp. As it is a strong substance, be on the lookout for allergic reactions and use only for short periods.

Aloe

The thick translucent fluid of an aloe vera leaf may reduce itchiness and flaking skin as it does with people afflicted with seborrheic dermatitis, a skin problem that can also cause dandruff. You can rub fresh aloe directly on your scalp.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is so versatile that it can clean your kitchen, whiten teeth, and do a myriad other things including dandruff control. Wet hair and rub some baking soda vigorously onto your scalp. Then rinse it out directly, skipping the shampooing part. Do this several times in the week. Baking soda seems to work on the fungi causing your dandruff misery. Expect your hair to get a bit dry but after some weeks, your scalp will start making its own oils, balancing out your hair’s texture with an added plus of a flake-free scalp.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar balances the pH of your scalp, creating a less friendly environment for the fungi to grow. Spray your scalp with a mixture of equal parts of apple cider vinegar and water, wrap it up with a towel between 15 minutes to 1 hour, and then rinse away. Make this a twice a week ritual until the dandruff goes away.

Virgin Coconut Oil

Virgin coconut oil has both antifungal and moisturizing properties which makes this a great anti-dandruff alternative. Before a shower, massage your scalp with 3-5 tablespoons of it. Leave on your scalp for about an hour or more. Then, shampoo away. You won’t need to use a conditioner as the oil already does the conditioning as well as fight the fungi on your head. Try this treatment for a week or so.
When all else fails, consider visiting a trichologist, a hair and scalp expert. Trichologists can diagnose the cause of the dandruff and recommend the appropriate treatment. Think of them like hair and scalp doctors who can help you bid goodbye to your perennial embarrassing dandruff problem.