Let’s face it, we live in a pink slip world. Luckily for some of us, there’s Linchpin, the latest book from business guru Seth Godin. This quick flip tells you exactly how to make sure you’re not the one who gets cut: by making yourself indispensable. And no, he doesn’t mean putting unbreakable passwords on all your company files. It all comes down to a little something Godin calls “emotional work.” Wondering what that is? Read the book! Get it for $25.95 at Amazon.com.
Stand Up!
Do you sometimes lose track of just how long your butt has been glued to your seat? Well, that’s a bad thing, according to Neutral Posture, Inc. They’ve developed the N-tune Seating System to make it easier for us to get out of our chairs. Working on your feet for just two hours a day burns an extra 280 calories. The N-tune system arranges your workspace so that it can be used comfortably whether you’re sitting or standing. To sit and stand pretty, visit NeutralPosture.com.
Financial Fitness
We spend plenty of energy worrying and working on keeping ourselves physically fit. It’s just as important to make sure we’re looking after our financial fitness as well, especially during rocky economic times. Here are a few tips to make sure that you’re taking as good care of your bank account as you are of your abs.
• Use an interest-bearing account. If your bank isn’t offering you interest on your checking account, you’re being ripped off. After all, they’re making money off your money — why shouldn’t you get your share? Start by shopping around online…there are more options out there than you might think.
• Cut those late fees! Every time you let a bill get forgotten in that mess on your desk, you get hit with a heavy penalty. It’s like throwing money in the shredder. Stay organized! It’s well worth it.
• Make a budget and stick to it. There are many great tools available to help you do this. Mint.com is a wonderful free option. Make a list of any regular bills you have, as well as the money you generally spend on things like food and clothing. Make sure your expenses don’t add up to more than your income, and that you include a regular contribution to your savings account. You never know when that rainy day is going to turn up!
› Lara Endo is a professional CPA with more than 15 years of experience in financial management. Originally from Seattle, she relocated to Coral Gables six years ago and is working on developing a how-to book to help families establish financial freedom.
“Being rich is having money. Being wealthy is having time.”
— Margaret Bonnano
$$$ Love
Studies show that for $10 million, most people would do just about whatever it takes to get the money, including abandoning their friends and family. About 1 in 10 would commit murder for that about of money.
Check, Please!
More than 75% of Americans would rather pay with a check than a credit card. This, of course, includes all of the U.S., not just the “charge it”-loving tropical microcosmic subculture we all know as The Magic City.
Penny Problems
The majority of Americans polled during a recent study said that if they could eliminate one form of currency from the U.S. money system, it would be the penny. Most of these people have also never made a wish in a fountain.
