Today's post is for SWARM moms who are unhappy in their lives, their jobs, their relationships.
Consider...
You are where you are because of decisions that you have made. Therefore, you can get to where you want to be, if you learn to make better, smarter decisions. Truth is... most moms have the power to get to the life they want following just a few steps.
1) Decide what you want your life to be.
2) Make attainable goals that will help you get there. See the big picture and understand frustrations happen. It is how we handle them that matters.
3) Learn to differentiate your wants from your needs.
4) Magic can happen over night, but rarely does it happen overnight. Getting the life you want will take managing your decisions, your actions and your reality...and it will take time!
SO...If you are struggling with a decision, it should help you to know that most decisions do not need to be made. What that means is, if you are going after a goal and you come to a fork in the road, and a decision needs to be made, consider this: if one path does not meet your needs, do not follow it. Most 'decisions' are made for you but our emotions can get in the way. If you are going to stay on target for goal achievement, try writing down your needs and your wants, If the fork leads you to most of your needs, proceed ahead, otherwise take the other way.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
401K & Other Retirement Thoughts
Hi SWARM Moms!
Are you contributing to your 401K? If your company offers the 401K you must contribute to this plan. This is free money and you must start now or restart, if you are like many moms who 'paused' during the height of the recession. Pausing was not in your best interest, but with the many changes that were implemented over the last few years, many moms had no choice, but to stop paying into the retirement plan. If this is you, get back into it now! When you go into work tomorrow, talk to your personnel people and sign back up...
Really Moms, this is free money, but it is also money that you will most definitely need when you retire. Pension plans are too precarious to rely on and the government is not good at handling money so take matters into your own hands in order to live the life you want when its time to retire! You must take advantage of all benefits that are offered to you as an employee.
But don't rely on just the 401K for your future plans. Now is a great time to consider purchasing rental properties ... and foreclosures have our names all over them. Since we have been learning that the amount of money that we pay out for living space (mortgages, rent, etc...) greatly affects our quality of life, it makes sense then, to find a way to pay as little as possible for our homes. If you rent, consider renting somewhere new (and safe) with a low monthly payment. If you are purchasing consider refinancing if you have a high interest rate.
One interesting idea regarding purchasing a rental is to consider a duplex. This could be an ideal way to create some additional income while also having control over who is your direct neighbor, It could be possible to have the rental pay for much of what your family rent would be. Start saving now for a down payment. We hope you realize the possibilities that exist when you approach your living arrangements in a different way. Be creative.
If you are a mom who wants to refinance, but your credit is not quite what you would like it to be, then take the time now to get your finances in order to improve your overall score. Remember that if you are late on payments your score will drop, so here is a recommendation for improving your scores. Have the bills that you find hardest to pay on time - automatically deducted from a bank or credit union account. Some credit card and student loan companies will actual reduce the interest rate by a fraction or more of a percent, as an incentive for you to auto deduct. (It adds up over the long run.) Do consider this type of payment plan, as it can help you in the long run; saving you time and reducing stress and even stamps and visits to the post office :)
Happy Savings Swarm Moms.
Are you contributing to your 401K? If your company offers the 401K you must contribute to this plan. This is free money and you must start now or restart, if you are like many moms who 'paused' during the height of the recession. Pausing was not in your best interest, but with the many changes that were implemented over the last few years, many moms had no choice, but to stop paying into the retirement plan. If this is you, get back into it now! When you go into work tomorrow, talk to your personnel people and sign back up...
Really Moms, this is free money, but it is also money that you will most definitely need when you retire. Pension plans are too precarious to rely on and the government is not good at handling money so take matters into your own hands in order to live the life you want when its time to retire! You must take advantage of all benefits that are offered to you as an employee.
But don't rely on just the 401K for your future plans. Now is a great time to consider purchasing rental properties ... and foreclosures have our names all over them. Since we have been learning that the amount of money that we pay out for living space (mortgages, rent, etc...) greatly affects our quality of life, it makes sense then, to find a way to pay as little as possible for our homes. If you rent, consider renting somewhere new (and safe) with a low monthly payment. If you are purchasing consider refinancing if you have a high interest rate.
One interesting idea regarding purchasing a rental is to consider a duplex. This could be an ideal way to create some additional income while also having control over who is your direct neighbor, It could be possible to have the rental pay for much of what your family rent would be. Start saving now for a down payment. We hope you realize the possibilities that exist when you approach your living arrangements in a different way. Be creative.
If you are a mom who wants to refinance, but your credit is not quite what you would like it to be, then take the time now to get your finances in order to improve your overall score. Remember that if you are late on payments your score will drop, so here is a recommendation for improving your scores. Have the bills that you find hardest to pay on time - automatically deducted from a bank or credit union account. Some credit card and student loan companies will actual reduce the interest rate by a fraction or more of a percent, as an incentive for you to auto deduct. (It adds up over the long run.) Do consider this type of payment plan, as it can help you in the long run; saving you time and reducing stress and even stamps and visits to the post office :)
Happy Savings Swarm Moms.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Hi Swarm Moms!
Have you spent any time over the last few days thinking about goals? dreams? your future?
It is not unusual for moms to say that they are usually so busy that they have not spent a moment of time on themselves, let alone their dreams. But, this is important. You must spend time planning your future. You must devote some time every week to helping make your dreams come true.
If you have had any time to jot down a few ideas about where you want your life to take you what does it look like? Are you close to your dream or will it take planning and plotting to get you to the next level? If you are far from your ideal what will it take to help you? Do you need more education, more experience or just an employer who will notice your capabilities or your abilities.
What does your resume look like? Have you spent entirely too much time under employed? If this is true you must take the time now to update your resume, (with professional help if need be) and begin to search out jobs that meet your abilities or exceed your abilities.
Do not listen to the news when they say the economy is lackluster, jobs are hard to come by, etc... If your dream job is out there, be ready for the moment. Update your skills, plan your references! Do what you can and plan to spend time outlining what your skills and experiences are. Get your numbers in order and list your accomplishments. The time to do this is now, not when you find an interesting job write-up and you have limited time to submit an application.
If you find your skills are not in demand and you have some spare time (haha) look to the schools in your area to provide insight into growing fields that you might be interested in. Do not overlook traditionally male jobs, i.e. mechanics, electricians, plumbers, etc. Plumbers for the most part will make more money that an M.D. without the medical mal-practice liability. Something to consider...
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and keep reaching for the next rung on the ladder to a better quality of life for you and your family.
Have you spent any time over the last few days thinking about goals? dreams? your future?
It is not unusual for moms to say that they are usually so busy that they have not spent a moment of time on themselves, let alone their dreams. But, this is important. You must spend time planning your future. You must devote some time every week to helping make your dreams come true.
If you have had any time to jot down a few ideas about where you want your life to take you what does it look like? Are you close to your dream or will it take planning and plotting to get you to the next level? If you are far from your ideal what will it take to help you? Do you need more education, more experience or just an employer who will notice your capabilities or your abilities.
What does your resume look like? Have you spent entirely too much time under employed? If this is true you must take the time now to update your resume, (with professional help if need be) and begin to search out jobs that meet your abilities or exceed your abilities.
Do not listen to the news when they say the economy is lackluster, jobs are hard to come by, etc... If your dream job is out there, be ready for the moment. Update your skills, plan your references! Do what you can and plan to spend time outlining what your skills and experiences are. Get your numbers in order and list your accomplishments. The time to do this is now, not when you find an interesting job write-up and you have limited time to submit an application.
If you find your skills are not in demand and you have some spare time (haha) look to the schools in your area to provide insight into growing fields that you might be interested in. Do not overlook traditionally male jobs, i.e. mechanics, electricians, plumbers, etc. Plumbers for the most part will make more money that an M.D. without the medical mal-practice liability. Something to consider...
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and keep reaching for the next rung on the ladder to a better quality of life for you and your family.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Hi SWARM Moms
Today Swarm presents information for you single moms that is designed to help you set up a budget. The numbers are recommendations for the percentage of your income that you should plan on spending in order to help you live within your means while helping you manage your money to build your savings.
Housing 33%
Transportation 18%
Food 16%
Clothing 7%
Entertainment 6%
Popup 10%
Savings 10%
Happy Savings MOMS!
Today Swarm presents information for you single moms that is designed to help you set up a budget. The numbers are recommendations for the percentage of your income that you should plan on spending in order to help you live within your means while helping you manage your money to build your savings.
Housing 33%
Transportation 18%
Food 16%
Clothing 7%
Entertainment 6%
Popup 10%
Savings 10%
Happy Savings MOMS!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Hello Swarm Moms
Today is the day Swarmers begin to take stock of their lives. For the next seven days you have the assignment of looking at your life, your goals and dreams and writing down what comes to mind. Carl Jung says to uncover what your passions are, if you can not remember, then look to your childhood. What got you out of bed on a summer morning? This is a good place to go when your dreams and goals have been set to the side. Keep this in mind Swarm moms... If you follow your dreams and if you can achieve your goals, the chances are great that your children will as well!
Today is the day Swarmers begin to take stock of their lives. For the next seven days you have the assignment of looking at your life, your goals and dreams and writing down what comes to mind. Carl Jung says to uncover what your passions are, if you can not remember, then look to your childhood. What got you out of bed on a summer morning? This is a good place to go when your dreams and goals have been set to the side. Keep this in mind Swarm moms... If you follow your dreams and if you can achieve your goals, the chances are great that your children will as well!
Monday, March 4, 2013
RIP Bonnie Franklin
Bonnie Franklin was an actress who died this past week. She played single mom, Ann Romano, on a television series from the seventies called 'One day at a time'. She was not the first or only single mom on tv at the time. There were, in fact, at least two other single mom characters from roughly the same time period, (Carol Brady from the Brady Bunch (c.1969)and Shirley Partridge from the Partridge Family (c. 1970) Carol Brady's marital status at the time of her engagement to Mike Brady was never revealed and Shirley Partridge was a widow.
But Ann Romano was the trailblazer here, because she was a divorcee on tv at a time when the 'typical' Neilson family wasn't. But...in tv land, (aka Reality!!), the demographics were changing and the face of the American family was changing with it. 'One day at a Time' was unique for giving the viewer a more realistic view of a family headed by a single mom. The children were not living in a cushy upscale suburb, but instead had been uprooted and moved into an apartment building. If the father of the girls was involved in their lives, I don't recall, but a father figure appeared in the form of the apartment complex's handyman. A man who fell in love with the mom and cared for the girls. The show was popular, maybe because it showed the world what some may have suspected all along... Single moms are people too! They want what all parents want for their kids. Stability, happiness and love!
So when you think of Bonnie Franklin, if you ever do, think about this... there are over 7 million single moms in America and most of them are raising their children as the character Ann Romano did; alone and struggling to pay the rent. If you think that One day at a time was just a tv show, you would be right. However, Bonnie Franklin was the struggling single mom, Carol Brady and Shirley Partridge had cushier lives. They are both alive and Bonnie is the one dead. Just like in real life, the struggling single mom will die sooner than her financially better off, counterpart!! :(
Bonnie Franklin was an actress who died this past week. She played single mom, Ann Romano, on a television series from the seventies called 'One day at a time'. She was not the first or only single mom on tv at the time. There were, in fact, at least two other single mom characters from roughly the same time period, (Carol Brady from the Brady Bunch (c.1969)and Shirley Partridge from the Partridge Family (c. 1970) Carol Brady's marital status at the time of her engagement to Mike Brady was never revealed and Shirley Partridge was a widow.
But Ann Romano was the trailblazer here, because she was a divorcee on tv at a time when the 'typical' Neilson family wasn't. But...in tv land, (aka Reality!!), the demographics were changing and the face of the American family was changing with it. 'One day at a Time' was unique for giving the viewer a more realistic view of a family headed by a single mom. The children were not living in a cushy upscale suburb, but instead had been uprooted and moved into an apartment building. If the father of the girls was involved in their lives, I don't recall, but a father figure appeared in the form of the apartment complex's handyman. A man who fell in love with the mom and cared for the girls. The show was popular, maybe because it showed the world what some may have suspected all along... Single moms are people too! They want what all parents want for their kids. Stability, happiness and love!
So when you think of Bonnie Franklin, if you ever do, think about this... there are over 7 million single moms in America and most of them are raising their children as the character Ann Romano did; alone and struggling to pay the rent. If you think that One day at a time was just a tv show, you would be right. However, Bonnie Franklin was the struggling single mom, Carol Brady and Shirley Partridge had cushier lives. They are both alive and Bonnie is the one dead. Just like in real life, the struggling single mom will die sooner than her financially better off, counterpart!! :(
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