Instead of going on a vacation stay at home to save money. This is called staycation. It has a potential savings $1,000+ per person. The savings from staying home vs. traveling for vacation are obvious. The trick is to maintain your quality of life while you do it. No working allowed. Turn off the computer and the phone. Relax, have fun, and take day trips exploring your local area.
If you're like many people, at the beginning of every year you resolve to get your finances in better shape by paying off debt and adding to your savings. But like many resolutions, the reality often doesn't meet the goal.
All is not lost. There are still five full months left in the year -- time for a quick review of simple ways to save. The goal? To set aside at least an extra thousand ringgit by year end, without sacrificing your quality of life. Going on a "ringgit-diet" is no way to get the job done -- painless savings are the only kind you should attempt because they're the only kind that work.
1. Lower your cell phone bill. Potential savings: $100. If you're not using minutes you're paying for, switch to a cheaper plan. That could save you $20 a month, or $100by year end.
2. Discontinue your land line. Potential savings: $140. If you find that your land line is gathering dust, terminate it. And even if you want to keep your land line, if you have a broadband internet connection, get your phone service through it rather the phone company. A service like Skype will give you unlimited calling to another Skype anywhere in the world for free rather than the $30 you might be paying for traditional phone service providers.
3. Raise your insurance deductibles. Potential savings: $250. Raising your car and home insurance deductibles could have zero impact on your quality of life, but it could have a big impact on your savings. Decide what you can afford to pay out of pocket, spend a few minutes on the phone and see what you can save. Another way to save: shop your insurance and see if you can get a better deal.
4. Drop the gym. Potential savings: $150. Unless you're training for competition, a gym can be expensive overkill. You can buy cheap weights at yard sales or places like Play It Again Sports. You can buy cheap workout videos and exercise in front of the TV, or get both exercise and fresh air by walking, jogging or biking in your neighborhood.
5. Drop premium cable channels -- or drop cable altogether. Potential savings: $50 - $200. One of the most popular stories we've done this year was "You Don't Have to Pay for Cable," a step-by-step guide to bypassing your cable company while still watching your favorite shows. Even if you decide against that, however, consider dropping premium channels. They're expensive and often filled with lousy fare anyway.
6. Sell Your Stuff. Potential earnings: $400+. If you're like most people, you've got clothes you don't wear, CDs you don't listen to, books you don't read, DVDs you don't watch, furniture you don't sit in -- you get the picture. If nothing else, donate it and create a feel good in yourself. But don't mess up your quality of life by stressing out and trying to do everything at once. Pick one thing (or room) every month from now until the holidays, clear out the clutter and make some money!
7. Save on Food. Potential savings: $300+. Forget the hotels for the time being. The web is full of tips to save on food. Some will be obvious (use a list), but some might surprise you. For example, did you know that you might find groceries at 50% off at a major supermarkets ? Pasar malam can be expensive.
8. Haggle. ( taxis not allowed) Potential savings: $500+. According to a recent survey, negotiating a lower price is not only possible, it's likely. What can you negotiate? Pretty much everything. You can call your credit card company and ask for a better interest rate or a waive of fees. You can ask for a lower price from your doctor. You can negotiate a lower price on your cable bill. The fact is, you can negotiate a lower price on anything from home electronics to hotel rooms.
9. Carry only cash: Potential savings: $250+. Try an experiment between now and the holidays. Carry only cash -- no plastic. This simple idea can easily result in major savings. The reasons are simple: If you carry only the cash you need to buy what you went out for, you'll avoid impulse buys. Plus, it's psychologically more difficult to spend actual money than "plastic" money.
Combine these ideas and you'll have at least an extra $1,000 by the time the holidays roll around. And if you need more ideas to make it work, the web is overflowing with hundreds, if not thousands, more.
The key is to carve out a little time, check out some resources, decide what you're willing to try, and get on with it. But remember to avoid anything that might make your life less enjoyable. The key to making it is making it easy on yourself. So if you want an extra grand by the time the holidays roll around, start today!
NO LIES... JUST THE FACTS!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins
Nearly a billion and a half Muslims worldwide this week begin the annual holy month of Ramadan, a time of prayer and fasting that commemorates the divine revelation received by the Prophet Mohammed.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim Hijri calendar, during which the faithful abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex during daylight and, in the evening, eat small meals and visit friends and family.
It is a month of piety, alms-giving and fasting in order to instil the body and spirit with the rigours of abstinence, a time of worship and contemplation and to strengthen family and community ties.
Observing Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, the others being the shahada or profession of faith, the obligation to pray five times a day, the giving of alms or zakat and going on pilgrimage to Mecca, the hajj.
The onset of Ramadan, which is determined by observing the crescent moon or by astronomical calculations, can vary from country to country.
Under the Hijri calendar, which has 11 days fewer than the Gregorian, Ramadan will begin this year -- the year 1431 -- on August 10 or 11.
The first day of the holy month is decided by the sighting of the crescent moon by the naked eye. Theologians and scholars gather every year to determine the onset of Ramadan, which varies across the globe according to location.
All post-puberty Muslim believers are expected to fast during Ramadan, and even though children are exempt, it is recommended that they become accustomed to the practice progressively.
Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, the sick and travellers all have the right not to observe the fast, but they must do so as soon as they are able.
It is traditional to break the fast after sunset with a meal known as iftar, consisting of dates and goat's milk, as the Prophet is said to have done. The last meal before dawn is known as suhur.
The holy month ends with feasting and gifts on Islam's biggest festival, Eid al-Fitr.
Pilgrims flock to Islam's holiest sites at Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia during Ramadan, especially on the last 10 days of the month. The holiest night is on day 27, marking the revelation of the Koran to the Prophet in 610 AD.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim Hijri calendar, during which the faithful abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex during daylight and, in the evening, eat small meals and visit friends and family.
It is a month of piety, alms-giving and fasting in order to instil the body and spirit with the rigours of abstinence, a time of worship and contemplation and to strengthen family and community ties.
Observing Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, the others being the shahada or profession of faith, the obligation to pray five times a day, the giving of alms or zakat and going on pilgrimage to Mecca, the hajj.
The onset of Ramadan, which is determined by observing the crescent moon or by astronomical calculations, can vary from country to country.
Under the Hijri calendar, which has 11 days fewer than the Gregorian, Ramadan will begin this year -- the year 1431 -- on August 10 or 11.
The first day of the holy month is decided by the sighting of the crescent moon by the naked eye. Theologians and scholars gather every year to determine the onset of Ramadan, which varies across the globe according to location.
All post-puberty Muslim believers are expected to fast during Ramadan, and even though children are exempt, it is recommended that they become accustomed to the practice progressively.
Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, the sick and travellers all have the right not to observe the fast, but they must do so as soon as they are able.
It is traditional to break the fast after sunset with a meal known as iftar, consisting of dates and goat's milk, as the Prophet is said to have done. The last meal before dawn is known as suhur.
The holy month ends with feasting and gifts on Islam's biggest festival, Eid al-Fitr.
Pilgrims flock to Islam's holiest sites at Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia during Ramadan, especially on the last 10 days of the month. The holiest night is on day 27, marking the revelation of the Koran to the Prophet in 610 AD.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
WORLD TOURISM GROWTH
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) forecasts that international tourism will continue growing at the average annual rate of 4 %. By 2020 Europe will remain the most popular destination, but its share will drop from 60% in 1995 to 46%. Long-haul will grow slightly faster than intraregional travel and by 2020 its share will increase from 18% in 1995 to 24%.
With the advent of e-commerce, tourism products have become one of the most traded items on the internet. Tourism products and services have been made available through intermediaries, although tourism providers (hotels, airlines, etc.) can sell their services directly. This has put pressure on intermediaries from both on-line and traditional shops.
It has been suggested there is a strong correlation between Tourism expenditure per capita and the degree to which countries play in the global context. Not only as a result of the important economic contribution of the tourism industry, but also as an indicator of the degree of confidence with which global citizens leverage the resources of the globe for the benefit of their local economies. This is why any projections of growth in tourism may serve as an indication of the relative influence that each country will exercise in the future.
Space tourism is expected to "take off" in the first quarter of the 21st century, although compared with traditional destinations the number of tourists in orbit will remain low until technologies such as a space elevator make space travel cheap.
Technological improvement is likely to make possible air-ship hotels, based either on solar-powered airplanes or large dirigibles. Underwater hotels, such as Hydropolis, expected to open in Dubai in 2009, will be built. On the ocean tourists will be welcomed by ever larger cruise ships and perhaps floating cities.
With the advent of e-commerce, tourism products have become one of the most traded items on the internet. Tourism products and services have been made available through intermediaries, although tourism providers (hotels, airlines, etc.) can sell their services directly. This has put pressure on intermediaries from both on-line and traditional shops.
It has been suggested there is a strong correlation between Tourism expenditure per capita and the degree to which countries play in the global context. Not only as a result of the important economic contribution of the tourism industry, but also as an indicator of the degree of confidence with which global citizens leverage the resources of the globe for the benefit of their local economies. This is why any projections of growth in tourism may serve as an indication of the relative influence that each country will exercise in the future.
Space tourism is expected to "take off" in the first quarter of the 21st century, although compared with traditional destinations the number of tourists in orbit will remain low until technologies such as a space elevator make space travel cheap.
Technological improvement is likely to make possible air-ship hotels, based either on solar-powered airplanes or large dirigibles. Underwater hotels, such as Hydropolis, expected to open in Dubai in 2009, will be built. On the ocean tourists will be welcomed by ever larger cruise ships and perhaps floating cities.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
An "Alternative Development Paradigm"?
by Imtiaz Muqbil,
Executive Editor, Travel Impact Newswire
At the World Travel Market in London this November, the UN World Tourism Organisation plans to convene its fourth and largest-ever Ministers' Summit which "for the first time (will) conclude with a Statement of Intent outlining the future direction of the travel and tourism industry." Under the meeting theme, "Shaping a Stronger Travel and Tourism Industry – Governance and Business Models for the Future", the ministers are to agree on their plan and direction for the industry for the next 12 months. According to the UNWTO, it will be the first time global travel ministers agree a set of actions and principles for the future of the industry.
All well and good. However rather than issue yet another bland and banal statement that repeats all the traditional commentary of tourism's growth potential, resilience and contribution to jobs and sustainable development, would it be useful if the UNWTO ministers followed the ITUC in moving the industry from "Crisis to Global Justice" and joined the global push for an "alternative development paradigm"? A good way to start, for example, would be by finding a fresh set of speakers. Last year, private sector speakers included Thomas Cook Chief Executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa. This year, how about dispensing with the usual line-up of industry CEOs's and inviting the ITUC General Secretary Mrs Sharan Burrow and a supporting crew of unionists, social and environmental activists, civil liberties and consumer protection watchdog groups?
This is a rare opportunity for the travel & tourism industry leadership to refresh its idea-bank, review its strategies and reset the parameters of growth. Not well known perhaps is that the UNWTO Secretary-General Dr Taleb Rifai is himself a former senior ILO executive.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is chaired by Hiran Cooray, a rising young industry entrepreneur from Sri Lanka, a country that is rebuilding its tourism industry from the ravages of war. PATA is preparing to mark its 60th anniversary next year. Both PATA and UNWTO have themselves undergone heavy-duty internal restructuring. Should they simultaneously be spearheading a new roadmap that goes beyond the usual crowing about resilience and recovery? Is it time to give voice to the voiceless?
Rank-and-file employees seldom, if at all, feature in any of the industry conferences. Providing an alternative perspective on the development paradigm has been one of the biggest missing links on the industry agenda. Isn't it time to plug that gap? For how much longer can organisations like UNWTO, WTTC, PATA, IATA and others continue ignoring the downsides of globalisation without their own credibility coming under serious question?
It is not surprising that jobs at the centre of the focus. Many of the job losses are occurring in travel & tourism, but exactly how many is not known. Quite amazing that an industry which knew exactly how many jobs could be created by an expanding industry in the 1990s now suddenly seems to be unable to figure out how many travel & tourism jobs have been lost and/or are set to be lost as a result of a contracting industry. The ITUC Congress and its recommendations and pursuit of Global Justice now can be brought into the mainstream of the travel & tourism agenda, too, even if it requires decisions that may not be politically acceptable to the ministers and corporate CEOs.
A very turbulent area of instability and crises lies ahead, with rank and file employees set to become the first victims. Both the mainstream media and travel media give them little or no coverage. By putting more NGOs, activities and grassroots people on the industry conference agendas, some of the CEOs may find it a humbling experience to be held accountable and publicly skewered for their faulty policies and strategies.
The various comments, resolutions and documents issued by the ITUC Congress, all of which have been posted on its website, can be used to restructure the entire travel & tourism industry and develop a long-overdue blueprint for the new world order. When the next crises hits jobs in travel & tourism and the labour disruptions start, industry leaders will have no one to blame but themselves.
Executive Editor, Travel Impact Newswire
At the World Travel Market in London this November, the UN World Tourism Organisation plans to convene its fourth and largest-ever Ministers' Summit which "for the first time (will) conclude with a Statement of Intent outlining the future direction of the travel and tourism industry." Under the meeting theme, "Shaping a Stronger Travel and Tourism Industry – Governance and Business Models for the Future", the ministers are to agree on their plan and direction for the industry for the next 12 months. According to the UNWTO, it will be the first time global travel ministers agree a set of actions and principles for the future of the industry.
All well and good. However rather than issue yet another bland and banal statement that repeats all the traditional commentary of tourism's growth potential, resilience and contribution to jobs and sustainable development, would it be useful if the UNWTO ministers followed the ITUC in moving the industry from "Crisis to Global Justice" and joined the global push for an "alternative development paradigm"? A good way to start, for example, would be by finding a fresh set of speakers. Last year, private sector speakers included Thomas Cook Chief Executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa. This year, how about dispensing with the usual line-up of industry CEOs's and inviting the ITUC General Secretary Mrs Sharan Burrow and a supporting crew of unionists, social and environmental activists, civil liberties and consumer protection watchdog groups?
This is a rare opportunity for the travel & tourism industry leadership to refresh its idea-bank, review its strategies and reset the parameters of growth. Not well known perhaps is that the UNWTO Secretary-General Dr Taleb Rifai is himself a former senior ILO executive.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is chaired by Hiran Cooray, a rising young industry entrepreneur from Sri Lanka, a country that is rebuilding its tourism industry from the ravages of war. PATA is preparing to mark its 60th anniversary next year. Both PATA and UNWTO have themselves undergone heavy-duty internal restructuring. Should they simultaneously be spearheading a new roadmap that goes beyond the usual crowing about resilience and recovery? Is it time to give voice to the voiceless?
Rank-and-file employees seldom, if at all, feature in any of the industry conferences. Providing an alternative perspective on the development paradigm has been one of the biggest missing links on the industry agenda. Isn't it time to plug that gap? For how much longer can organisations like UNWTO, WTTC, PATA, IATA and others continue ignoring the downsides of globalisation without their own credibility coming under serious question?
It is not surprising that jobs at the centre of the focus. Many of the job losses are occurring in travel & tourism, but exactly how many is not known. Quite amazing that an industry which knew exactly how many jobs could be created by an expanding industry in the 1990s now suddenly seems to be unable to figure out how many travel & tourism jobs have been lost and/or are set to be lost as a result of a contracting industry. The ITUC Congress and its recommendations and pursuit of Global Justice now can be brought into the mainstream of the travel & tourism agenda, too, even if it requires decisions that may not be politically acceptable to the ministers and corporate CEOs.
A very turbulent area of instability and crises lies ahead, with rank and file employees set to become the first victims. Both the mainstream media and travel media give them little or no coverage. By putting more NGOs, activities and grassroots people on the industry conference agendas, some of the CEOs may find it a humbling experience to be held accountable and publicly skewered for their faulty policies and strategies.
The various comments, resolutions and documents issued by the ITUC Congress, all of which have been posted on its website, can be used to restructure the entire travel & tourism industry and develop a long-overdue blueprint for the new world order. When the next crises hits jobs in travel & tourism and the labour disruptions start, industry leaders will have no one to blame but themselves.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Rules for High Performance Teams
by John Murphy
At the center of every high performance team is a common purpose - a mission that rises above and beyond each of the individual team members. To be successful, the team's interests and needs come first. This requires "we-opic" vision ("What's in it for we?"), a challenging step up from the common "me-opic" mind-set.
Effective team players understand that personal issues and personality differences are secondary to team demands. This does not mean abandoning who you are or giving up your individuality. On the contrary, it means sharing your unique strengths and differences to move the team forward. It is this "we-opic" focus and vision - this cooperation of collective capability - that empowers a team and generates synergy.
Cooperation means working together for mutual gain - sharing responsibility for success and failure and covering for one another on a moment's notice. It does not mean competing with one another at the team's expense, withholding important data or information to be "one up" on your peers, or submitting to "groupthink" by going along so as not to make waves. These are "rule breakers," that are direct contradictions to the "team first" mind-set.
High performance teams recognize that it takes a joint effort to synergize, generating power above and beyond the collected individuals. It is with this spirit of cooperation that effective teams learn to capitalize on individual strengths and offset individual weaknesses, using diversity as an advantage.
Effective teams also understand the importance of establishing cooperative systems, structures, incentives and rewards. We get what we inspect, not what we expect. Think about it. Do you have team job descriptions, team performance reviews and team reward systems? Do you recognize people by pitting them against standards of excellence, or one another? What are you doing to cultivate a team-first, cooperative environment in this competitive, "me-opic" world?
To embrace the team-first rule, make sure your team purpose and priorities are clear. What is your overall mission? What is your game plan? What is expected of each team member? How can each member contribute most effectively? What constants will hold the team together? Then stop and ask yourself, are you putting the team first?
At the center of every high performance team is a common purpose - a mission that rises above and beyond each of the individual team members. To be successful, the team's interests and needs come first. This requires "we-opic" vision ("What's in it for we?"), a challenging step up from the common "me-opic" mind-set.
Effective team players understand that personal issues and personality differences are secondary to team demands. This does not mean abandoning who you are or giving up your individuality. On the contrary, it means sharing your unique strengths and differences to move the team forward. It is this "we-opic" focus and vision - this cooperation of collective capability - that empowers a team and generates synergy.
Cooperation means working together for mutual gain - sharing responsibility for success and failure and covering for one another on a moment's notice. It does not mean competing with one another at the team's expense, withholding important data or information to be "one up" on your peers, or submitting to "groupthink" by going along so as not to make waves. These are "rule breakers," that are direct contradictions to the "team first" mind-set.
High performance teams recognize that it takes a joint effort to synergize, generating power above and beyond the collected individuals. It is with this spirit of cooperation that effective teams learn to capitalize on individual strengths and offset individual weaknesses, using diversity as an advantage.
Effective teams also understand the importance of establishing cooperative systems, structures, incentives and rewards. We get what we inspect, not what we expect. Think about it. Do you have team job descriptions, team performance reviews and team reward systems? Do you recognize people by pitting them against standards of excellence, or one another? What are you doing to cultivate a team-first, cooperative environment in this competitive, "me-opic" world?
To embrace the team-first rule, make sure your team purpose and priorities are clear. What is your overall mission? What is your game plan? What is expected of each team member? How can each member contribute most effectively? What constants will hold the team together? Then stop and ask yourself, are you putting the team first?
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