Top 10: ways to simplify life

1. Clear out clutter: Be an Avenging Clutter Clearer! Start with three boxes; one for things to throw out(those items that are worn out or broken), one for things to give away, sell or recycle, and one for the things to keep(if you simply MUST). Be systematic. Go room by room, and work your way completely through the room before you begin the next.

2. Get a library card: In the information age that we live in, we are constantly acquiring books to tell us how to do everything smarter, better and quicker. See a book that you think will change your life? Check it out of the library and read it. Like what it has to say? Take notes. Simply cannot live without every word at your disposal? THEN buy it. Along with getting a library card, donate all the books that you've bought and never even bothered to crack the binding on to the library. If you ever decide to read one of them--go check it out.

3. Keep track of all your expenses for one month: Write down what you buy, when you buy it, and how much you're spending. Making three trips to the supermarket every week because you keep running out of this and that? You'll be able to see by looking at your chart how much you're using, and plan to purchase enough to sustain you on one trip to the market per week. Better yet, get on an auto-ship program through one of the many home shopping programs available, and you'll only have to stop for milk!

4. Just say NO!: Don't act out of obligation. It takes up your time and causes resentment

5. Just say YES - to yourself!: Now that you've said no to all of those obligations that were of no benefit to you, say yes to that little voice inside that wants a massage, a night on the town, a lazy evening by the fire, a weekend retreat.

6. Have the bank pay your bills: Most banks have bill payment programs. All you have to do is make sure that there's enough money in your account to pay the bills. You can attach a bill payment column to your expense graph to track when the bills come in, when they're due and for how much to make this an easier transition.

7. File everything!: Filing cabinets are generally not used to their full potential. By filing as much as possible, you not only eliminate clutter, you also become very organized as a bonus. You can file extra sets of keys, the kids' artwork from school (after it has spent an appropriate amount of time on the fridge!), photographs and negatives, appliance manuals--if you've ever looked for it and couldn't find it, chances are you could've filed it and saved yourself alot of time and aggravation. Along these same lines, all of the bank, tax and business documentation that you have to save, file it elsewhere. Most storage facilities have record storage for very reasonable rates. Nothing looks worse that walking into an office piled with boxes full of old accounting records.

8. Move to a smaller place: That's right! Now that you've cleared your clutter, donated your unread books, put your important documents in storage and filed everything; chances are that you now have a lot of space in your current home. Before you feel the need to buy more stuff to fill up all that empty space, consider downsizing. The added benefit: downsizing your living space greatly reduces your monthly expenditures. Less to pay for and less to take care of means more financial and time reserves for you!

9. Form community: In days gone by, you could depend on your neighbors (who more often than not were family) for a helping hand and small talk on the front steps. Reach out and renew that sense of community. Initiate carpools, babysitting circles, potluck dinners, support groups. Forming community benefits everyone involved, and you can bet that you are not the only one yearning for a sense of community.

10. Release societal mind-set: Keeping up with the Joneses? The question is are the Joneses worth keeping up with? Pay attention to what you truly desire, to that little voice inside that speaks the Truth about who you are. Sometimes it's OK to "go through life with blinders on," so long as you keep looking inside. Be true to YOU. If you want extravagance, GO FOR IT, just make sure that it's your idea of luxury, not someone else's. Don't be influenced by what others have, be driven by what you desire!

Top 10: Ways to Earn Money at Home

1. Antiques
The buying and selling of antiques has been and should continue to be a very productive business, financially, for those that do it. Here, you only need an extra room in the house, or the use of your garage -- and you have an office!
If you have a large home that has some antique furnishings, you might consider turning it into a showroom for your antique acquisitions and sales, providing you satisfy any local zoning regulations. The interest in antiques will survive into the foreseeable future. Many people choose to spend their free time on the weekends "antiquating" from place to place to try and pick up a few odds or ends and maybe a jewel or two. If you know anything about antiques, this may be a great opportunity for you.

2. Baking
Have you ever been told that you have a recipe that people would line up to get if they could? Ever had anyone tell you that you should be selling those cupcakes you make?
There are a number of success stories about people who have launched successful businesses by cooking at home and then marketing to local people first. You may specialize in on just one well-tried and tested food product; or you may innovate on a product that you created yourself and which has never been marketed before. Having perfected the recipe you then turn to packaging and marketing. Word of mouth on a good product may start to get restaurants or bakeries interested in acquiring your culinary masterpieces. Then you progress to selling them statewide and you're on your way to a profitable home-based business.

3. Bed-and-Breakfast Proprietors
Have you ever stayed in a bed and breakfast and thought, "Hey, I can do this!" You probably went on vacation and simply chalked your thought up as one of those pipedreams one gets when they stay in a beautiful spot.
Don't toss that thought away! While it's not easy work as the hours can be long and it's usually a seven days per week business, it's often something that you can work into a daily schedule. After all, it's merely an extension of doing the housework for family, right? More and more Americans are taking after Europeans and opening their homes to travelers.
If you have an extra room or two since the kids moved out, you can start a bed and breakfast in your own place! Bed and breakfast popularity will continue as more and more vacationers and business travelers seek a different accommodation away from the predictability of the average hotel room. If they enjoy their stay, many become "repeat" customers, coming back to the same familiar surroundings time and again.
If you don't need to do any major renovations in the house to accommodate this type of establishment, you can be off and running with very little money invested, other than advertising and some new "guest room supplies". If your dream is to buy a bed and breakfast somewhere in a vacation paradise, there are probably houses for sale that will work for this purpose.

4. Childcare
Due to the financial pressures faced by many families today, parents work outside of the home to bring in enough income to pay daily living expenses. A single parent is obviously working but all too often, both members of a two-parent family are in the workforce. This creates a home-based opportunity. Children must be watched, all day if they're not in school, or, otherwise, for a brief time after school before the parents finish work for the day. Most parents want their children immersed in a more stimulating environment than is usual with the average babysitter. You can begin small at home, offering a more stimulating and educational environment setting for client children.
Caring for one additional child may not be that lucrative, but taking care of several children can certainly be a full-time, financially successful business. Often, taking care of several children is made somewhat easier as the youngsters often will play together. You can do this at home for only a small investment in basic equipment and toys for the kids in addition to the advertising of your business.

5. Computer Specialist
The advent of the computer age has changed the concept of self-employment. Having a computer at home has opened a number of opportunities for running your own business utilizing this equipment. Companies everywhere are "outsourcing" work that can be done by someone else on their computer, out of their own home.
If you are a whiz in computers, you may end up working as a consultant, writing programs for companies. If you are a beginner, you may find yourself able to obtain work as a writer, using your computer to produce copy that is easy to edit. You can also keep accounting and payroll records for companies on your computer's database.
Word processing software can be used not only for writers but for those that can offer secretarial services out of their house. Desktop publishing software can allow you to do newsletters for businesses and other organizations. If you can operate a computer, you can find work in the information age today.
Of course, the advent of the Web has opened a lot of business opportunities for the enterprising individuals. If you have skills in lay-outing and graphic design, you can be a website designer. Website designers earn significant amounts of money nowadays.

6. Gardening
If you like working in your garden each year , it's a definite possibility for home-based employment. Imagine clearing a little more space and growing more items that you can sell directly to the consumer. You can produce vegetables, bedding plants, bonzai tree, exotic plants, flower trees, herb, house plants, landscaping plants, orchids and many more.
Most produce stands will buy from you if your product is one of high quality. If you enjoy gardening, this could be your ticket! If you have some more land to use, do it! Plant what you can, when you can! Contact your local produce stands to ascertain their buying habits.
You can even inquire about your own produce stand if you have enough product. The more space you have on your land, the more likely you will be able to generate enough crops to run the business. People love homegrown vegetables. They just do not have the time or want to be bothered doing it themselves. That is your open door!
You can also engage in selling other gardening products and supplies such as compost, earthworms, herb boxes, beneficial bugs, or drip irrigation systems.

7. Importer and Distributor
There are a substantial number of products manufactured in other countries that can be bought inexpensively and sold in your country at a profitable level. The Government and the formation of international trade organizations have made it easier to bring in other products from other countries.
This is a business easily operated out of the home, depending on the types of stock you're carrying. You may have to rent some storage space, but the capital required to start should essentially be limited to the products you're buying to sell here.
If you know the type of product you want to import and the market most likely to purchase your goods, you have great potential for a successful home-based business.

8. Interior Decorator
Interior decorating is a business that will require you to be mobile, constantly meeting with customers. It offers flexible hours, a good variety of activities, and a very lucrative return. If you have a fascination for decorating a home, this could be your line of work. Many people do not know where to start when they are remodeling or buying a house for the first time.
If you have the knowledge of colors and patterns and what looks good together, plus the expertise of knowing where to get materials and furnishings, this can be a winning home-based business for you. To be able to decorate a room so that it conveys the mood that the homeowner wishes will be your goal. Strive for the skillful, personal touch in all you design.

9. Photographer
The sky is the limit here! Armed with your trusty camera and some good advertising, you can do weddings, models, family portraits, passports, student photos, local newspaper coverage; almost anything that requires a picture!
You can easily start this work, part-time, and work into full-time work based on your success and inclination. Not much equipment is necessary to get going as a camera off the store shelf can often do the trick today. Picking up a tripod and having a room sufficient for developing your pictures, and you're in business -- at home!

10. Sewing and Alterations
Many people love to sew. If you are one of them, consider offering this service out of your home. When someone buys a new outfit, it rarely fits perfectly, meaning some kind of alteration must be done.
People look long and hard to find reliable individuals to do their alterations. If you can sew, you are well on your way to opening the doors of this type of business.

Top 10 : Reasons not to drive Urban 4x4

1. You're not a farmerOr a tree surgeon, country vet, wind turbine repairer, dry stone wall engineer or mountain rescue specialist. Unless you are (or in a handful of other occupations) there's really no need for you to get a big 4x4, particularly if you live in an urban area. Four wheel drive gives you better traction in snow or deep mud, and that's about it. It does not make your car safer, more manoeuvrable, or enable you to stop any quicker.

2. Your family fits into a saloon car or people carrierMost families and their luggage can in fact fit comfortably into a small hatchback. Even if you have lots of kids (and a big dog), an estate car or MPV often has more space than a 4x4 and can fulfil all your daily needs. What did your dad drive you around in when you were small?

3. You will breathe cleaner airPollution studies have demonstrated that, in slow traffic, the dirtiest air isn't being breathed by the cyclists in the gutter or the people waiting for the bus on the pavement, but by those inside the cars in the middle of the road. If you find this implausible, check where your car's air intake is, and compare it with the exhaust pipe of the 4x4 in front of you.

4. You will save moneyData at www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk show that it costs around £100 more per month in petrol costs alone to run a 4-litre Range Rover, compared with a 2-litre estate car. Currently road tax stops increasing at just 185 g/km of carbon dioxide, so drivers of smaller cars are effectively subsidising 4x4 drivers. Two-thirds of people support higher taxes for 4x4s. British insurance companies admit that 4x4 drivers are not charged premiums that reflect the cost of their claims at the moment, but are poised to increase their costs, so the bottom line could get even worse.

5. You won't have to lie to your grandchildrenOur descendants will be left to deal with the effects of climate change caused by our profligate use of fossil fuels. Drivers of 4x4s should start editing their photo albums now.

6. You will be less likely to kill a pedestrianMost accidents involving pedestrians are caused when they stray onto the road without warning, so your superior driving skills may not help to avoid an accident. However, a better designed car could make all the difference to their survival chances. The greater height and weight of 4x4s, as well as their flat fronts and stiff bonnets, means they are bottom of the class in Euro-NCAP crash tests for pedestrian safety.

7. You might see a small child early enough to avoid backing over themBig, tall 4x4s have far bigger rear blind spots than normal cars, making it impossible to see a child for more than 15 feet behind them, and much further for short drivers. Check out the facts about the increased dangers to pedestrians from taller cars at www.kidsandcars.org.

8. You will be less likely to injure people in other carsThe high bumpers on 4x4s can override safety features on other cars, such as side impact bars and crumple zones, and the extra weight of big 4x4s is a hazard in itself. The spare wheel on the back of many 4x4s often takes the place of a rear bumper and increases damage to other cars in a 'shunt' incident.

9. You will have a better time drivingBig 4x4s are notoriously difficult to park due to their poor visibility close to the car. When cornering, the high centre of gravity of a 4x4 reduces the responsivenesss and takes all the fun out of winding country lanes. Don't expect fantastic acceleration at traffic lights either, due to all that extra weight.

10. People won't think you are an 'idiot'In an ordinary car, you won't get dirty looks from all and sundry when you drive around town, won't have to avoid eye contact with bus passengers, and cyclists won't mouth obscenities as they squeeze past you in a queue of traffic. As an extra bonus, other drivers might occasionally let you pull out ahead of them.