A person in the midst of a very serious financial debacle would certainly question if there is life after financial ruin.  Hitting the bottom of one’s finance ladder does not only hurt the pockets.  It hurts the very core of the person, threatening to destroy his very essence, his family, his work, and just about anything that is important to him. 

Why this is so is not difficult to understand.  In the world we live in, our self-worth is often tied up with how much money we make, how much money we have stacked somewhere for our retirement, how much money we can afford to splurge and enjoy the moment.  Even if self-worth and wealth are not exactly synonymous, it would appear that they are, at least in the human dictionary of real living.

When every material thing is gone especially after having worked for them for a long time, it is nothing less than devastating.  Financial ruin can result from careless handling of finances, from being taken advantage of by other people, by an unexpected downturn in the economy, or by just a single wrong decision in life.  Some say that it took them by complete surprise that they never knew what hit them until they found themselves longing for the comfortable life they once had.

Being run after by creditors and collection agencies is quite humiliating and degrading.  This is the part where financial downfall gets very difficult because it is like rubbing salt to an open wound.  It may sound like a cliche but it is true that once people hit rock bottom, there is no other way to go but up.  Financial ruin brings emotional distress and physical unwellness so it would be best to face it and work for the solution.  Professional counseling both for financial and psychological reasons can bring out in the open possible options towards resolving the situation which may not be too obvious in a confused state of mind.

Businesses involved in improving quality of life have been fairly successful in their endeavors in creating a permanent market as well as prospective ones.  What started out as a trend-setting fitness movement in the 1980s has now become a full-pledged industry that focuses on wellness, looking good, being healthy, delaying effects of age, as well as fighting diseases.  The wellness industry is not expected to slow down anytime soon especially with the aging of the so called “baby boomers” who forms a large chunk of the population.

This particular demographic group in the US has managed to maintain their health and stay in the job market longer than other identified generations.  This is the same group that is expected to make wellness businesses continue to flourish as they come closer to retirement.  With their acquired wealth and privilege, they are also seen as the most likely customers for the assisted living industry. 

Because people strive to work to enjoy the fruits of their labor, the younger group of employed adults will not hesitate to spend money on gyms, weight-loss clinics, and grooming salons.  The middle-aged group will most likely patronize spas, cosmetic surgery facilities, and health programs designed to prevent or address specific health conditions.  The senior-aged group will be setting their sights on nursing homes offering luxury hotel-like amenities instead of the typical elder facility.  These people do not only expect to live up to their twilight years but to live them well while having access to comfort and entertainment. 

Even with the admittedly difficult economic situation of today, it is still evident that pursuing a quality life remains on the agenda of many people.  Business opportunity lies in these individuals’ pursuit for comfort.  Business owners need to find a way to be part of the spending schedule even among those who have to scale down considerably on their “want” expenses.

What Jobs Are Available?

In truth, there are a number of jobs you can do to be self-employed. Whether it’s offering a service, such as fixing computers, or doing contract work online, there are jobs to be found. Some of the most popular jobs include freelance writing, design and help desk work. Of course, these are just a few options. You could also sell items on an auction site, sell crafts at a local flea market or even start a career walking dogs. There is no limit to the amount of jobs available for the self-employed. Best of all, you can take on more than one job to increase your income.

Is Self-Employment Stable?

It depends. Obviously, there will be there ups and downs, depending on the line of work you choose. For example, if you choose to do landscaping, you may find your options limited in the winter. One way people avoid a down time is to take on more than one line of work. For example, a freelance writer who writes mostly holiday content may choose to work on crafts to sell during the slower months. In other words, as long as you keep looking for things to do, you’ll have money coming in.

What Should I know Before Getting Started?

The biggest thing you should know about being self-employed is to pay your taxes. When you’re self-employed, you’re expected to pay estimated taxes quarterly. This can be hard to get used to, but if you fall behind you may never get caught up. The rule is if you owe more than $1,000 in taxes, you have to pay your taxes quarterly. Another thing you should understand is that you will pay more taxes than someone that is employed by a company. This is because companies pay half an employee’s taxes. Last, but not least, you need to be prepared to handle your own benefits. You will need to put money away for vacation pay and pay for your own health insurance.

Being self-employed is a wonderful option and allows for people to work in almost any field. However, it can have it’s ups and downs, which means you may want to consider more than one line of work. Last, but not least, be prepared to pay estimated taxes and cover the cost of your benefits.

Virgilio Melito is fascinated by economics and the current state of employment in the USA and other countries. He also enjoys writing about technology, online faxing services, and cell phones.

Track Spending

Nothing is more eye opening than to track your spending. When you track your spending you can see how much those little purchases are costing and what you can live without. As time goes on, you can create categories and see how your spending changes in each category from month to month.

Hold Off on Larger Purchases

Do you really need a brand new TV? Do you need a new car? Chances are these purchases can wait until the economy is in better shape. Instead of buying something just to get the latest and greatest version, enjoy what you do have. The only reason you should consider a large purchase is if it makes financial sense. For example, if you have a car that is constantly needing repairs and gets terrible gas mileage, you might want to take advantage of the end of year car sales.

Switch Brands

Chances are your hair doesn’t look any better when you spend $10 instead of $5 on a bottle of shampoo. You can also get by with having a medium quality ice cream for $5 per half gallon instead of spending the same price for a pint of high quality ice cream. Simple changes like this can save you hundreds of dollars off your household expenses.

Save Certain Purchases for Special Occasions

Instead of going out to a restaurant every night, cut back to going once a week. Instead of going to the movies each week, go once a month and use Netflix or Blockbuster to enjoy movie night at home. There are a number of things people spend money on that they no longer appreciate. By saving these purchases for special occasions, you’ll not only save money, but truly enjoy what you’ve spent your money on.

Encourage Your Family to Save

A great way to build a savings account for fun purchases is to encourage your family to cut back. Sounds easier said than done, right? The key is to make a game out of it. Each time the family finds a way to save money, put that money in an account for a large purchase. For example, let’s say instead of going out for pizza, you make pizza at home and save $10. That money can go into an account for a new TV or the latest gaming system.

If you’ve lived above your means your entire life, it can be hard to adjust your spending. Thankfully, it’s actually easier than you might think. First you need to track your spending and then carefully inspect where the money goes. You also need to realize that some purchases can wait and that encouraging your family to save can be fun.

Darryl Silberg is an economics major who emphasizes the importance of adjusting your lifestyle with the economy. When he’s not studying trends in the economy, he can be found watching Niobrara oil play statistics and news updates.

Because of the belt tightening measures almost all American households are implementing, everything is being cut down, even beer. There is a growing trend of beer drinkers now choosing cheaper priced brews when they buy them in supermarkets and stores. And this is a trend that the premium beer manufacturers are not happy about.

So what can you do? Well, if you’re Grupo Modelo SAB, the largest brewery in Mexico, you have to revisit some of your strategies. The company’s exports of its beers, including its top selling Corona, has declined by 5.3 percent in the first half of this year.

Modelo hsa said that it will be focusing on marketing to entice consumers to buy its beer. The obvious strategy of cutting prices to increase sales is not being entertained by the company because it will face higher input costs. One of its strategies is to even revive a popular ad it had in the 90′s as a way of stretching its marketing budget.

I don’t know about this strategy. Will beer drinkers buy expensive beer if they see an ad that’s more than ten years old? You have to be really drunk to get sold on that.

WASHINGTON, DC – When he’s not busy lowering interest rates, bailing out financial institutions or making ceramic piggy banks with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is overseeing the young men who would like to date his daughter, Anna. Like all dads, Ben is concerned about what might happen on these dates, which is why he came up with his 8 Simple Rules For Dating My Daughter. The rules are so popular among his Washington colleagues with daughters, Bernanke is considering developing them into a sitcom pilot for the Fox Business Channel.

When young Republican men enter the foyer of the Bernanke home, they come face-to-face with two stone tablets containing the following Bernanke rules:

1. If you pull in my driveway in anything but a limo, it better be a private jet.

2. You may not touch my daughter in front of me unless it’s to hand her a copy of your financial statement.

3. You must wear a dark suit at all times, even to the beach. You can only take it off to save a drowning banker.

4. When it comes to sex, think of my daughter as a Swiss bank and you as someone who shops at the grocery store with coupons.

5. If you think the late fees on your American Express Centurion Card are atrocious, wait until you see the fee for bringing my daughter home late.

6. If my daughter comes home crying, it better be because you took her to a sad movie about Democrats taking over Congress.

7. While waiting for my daughter to make her grand entrance, don’t fidget or bother me with questions. Nothing drops faster than my interest rate in you.

8. You may only take my daughter to noisy crowded public places where there are no places to have sex. One of my favorite spots to take her mother was the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Recently, the Italians have decided to protect the prosecco variant by upgrading it into the country’s A-list wine classification, DOCG. The new designation now protects the name Prosecco, the grape variant and new regulations imposed on its production.

One reason that both businessmen and wine experts cite when talking about prosecco’s increased popularity is, surprisingly, Paris Hilton. A few years ago, Paris endorsed the Rich Prosecco brand, which came in gold plated cans. Her endorsement brought prosecco to the public consciousness and, in effect, different manufacturers started releasing their own versions even if these were not produced in the region in Italy where the original variant was grown. This was now the impetus Italian growers needed to push for the new classification.

So in effect, Italian winemakers were actually helped by Paris Hilton! And I always thought Paris won’t contribute to anything much.

Just recently, L’Oreal was found guilty of racial discrimination by the French Supreme Court. The conviction stems from the company’s policy that Garnier sales staff should be “bleu, blanc, rouge” — the colors of the French flag but also the company’s code for white French people. What were they thinking? That people won’t likely buy lipstick from a person who’s not white? It’s just stupid beyond words. How can they even think their bottomline can be affected by the ethnicity of the sale staff. I want to buy hairgel, I won’t care if the salesperson’s from Mars, okay, I probably would, but only in so much as I’d want to strike up a conversation with a person from another planet.

In this day and age, it’s quite shocking that a company as progressive as L’Oreal would still propagate discrimination. It just reeks of bad taste offensiveness. I mean, the French has been described as rude and aloof but, I don’t believe they’re racist. L’Oreal is giving the French people a bad reputation.

Come on, L’Oreal guys! I think you know that beauty is not just skin deep. Merde!

And now, more than thirty years after The Beatles released its last album, the Fab Four is about to rake in millions for The Beatles’ current owners of its music rights.

According to reports, Viacom — the publisher of The Beatles: Rock Band — has guaranteed payment of $10 million to the song and likeness rights-holders of the band and the payment is guaranteed to increase when it posts good sales figures.

The owner of The Beatles catalog is Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which is a joint venture between Sony and the late Michael Jackson. The two other record labels that have control over the remainder of the music are Apple Corps for Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and EMI Music for George Harrison

According to estimates, the rights holders could stand to earn up to $40 million. One of the reasons for this big payday is because of the large amount of songs that are in the game. And this will also likely increase because of the plans by Viacom and MTV Games (who distributes the game) to release album packs every month after the game’s release.

And to add to the windfall, this month also sees the release of the remastered Beatles catalogue. This is going to be raking in money because it is the first time that The Beatles’ work has been remastered and given that new polish.

It’s amazing how a band that has been gone for decades can end up selling so much more again and earning the Fab Four boatloads of money.