The Four Hour Work Day

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How to Have an Affordable and Safe Staycation Even with the Pandemic

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HOW TO HAVE AN AFFORDABLE PANDEMIC STAYCATION Our lives revolved around our home this past few months due to the pandemic. Aside from it being our abode, it has become our office, school, and gym. Even our shopping and groceries are now done at home! Some places are more strict on implementing social distancing rules while others are fairly lenient. If you’re one of the people who have been cooped up in your home for the past couple of months - I totally understand the desire to go out! While we do love our homes, it’s great to have a quick getaway to unwind and relax. Unfortunately, going on a vacation is not realistic if money is tight or if there are travel restrictions in your area. Staying at home is the safest option too, especially for those with health concerns. But you don’t need to travel to have a vacation. You can have a fun staycation at home. You just need to be creative! Here are some ideas to create an affordable yet fun and memorable staycation. Recreate a spa experience at home If you like visiting spas every time you are on vacation, you can recreate the spa experience yourself. Light some scented candles, play a piece of relaxing spa music, and soak in your tub. You can put a bath bomb or add some petals and essential oils in your warm water. If you do not have a bathtub, take a hot shower with this relaxing ambiance. After your bath, you may also ask the assistance of your spouse or kids for a gentle massage. Create a vacation destination themes Do you have a certain destination place in your bucket list? Create that atmosphere at home! Let us say that you initially planned to go to Japan. Produce that theme by designing your homemade passports, then learn about the place and culture. Play the music that is traditional in that area, cook ramen, and watch Japan travel videos. You can also get your kids to create photo booth props and decorate your home based on the destination theme. Have a movie night with your family Turn off the lights, bring out the pillows, pop some popcorn, and choose the movie to watch with your loved ones! To make it more exciting, make each member of the group write a movie of their choice and randomly pick what to watch. Set- up a camping night in your backyard Do you love camping? You do not need to go to the mountains to experience this. You can pitch a tent in your backyard (or in your living room) and grab blankets, mats, and pillows to make it comfortable. If you can, build a campfire in a fire pit or fireplace, then roast marshmallows for smores. Plan and cook camping meals too. Stage a family tournament Bring out the games and let the family tournament begin! You can choose from a wide variety of games - Monopoly, Scrabble, Jenga, Card games, and more. You may also choose consequences for the losers - like doing the dishes after dinner. Hold a sports fest at home Schedule a day to wear your sportswear and rubber shoes! Have a sports fest wherein you can play sports that you like. You may also assign each member of the family to be the organizer per sports event. In this way, you not only get to be active, but it also creates a bonding with your family. Have a big night with a fancy meal Do you usually go to fancy restaurants especially for special occasions? You can have it in your own home by preparing the meal that you have in mind! Do some research through the internet on what menu you can prepare, cook your food, add wine, light up those candles for a romantic touch, and have a big night with your spouse. Attend virtual concerts A lot of artists now hold virtual concerts for their fans. Why not take advantage of these free virtual concerts? Pump up the volume and enjoy good music! You can even dress-up, turn off the lights, and play with glow sticks to create the concert experience. We may have a lot of lost opportunities because of the pandemic but this should not limit us too much. We can still have fun and enjoy ourselves while staying safe.Our lives revolved around our home these past few months due to the pandemic. Aside from it being our abode, it has become our office, school, and gym. Even our shopping and groceries are now done at home!

Some places are more strict on implementing social distancing rules while others are fairly lenient.

If you’re one of the people who have been cooped up in your home for the past couple of months  – I totally understand the desire to go out!

While we do love our homes, it’s great to have a quick getaway to unwind and relax. 

Unfortunately, going on a vacation is not realistic if money is tight or if there are travel restrictions in your area. Staying at home is the safest option too, especially for those with health concerns.

But you don’t need to travel to have a vacation. You can have a fun staycation at home. You just need to be creative!

Here are some ideas to create an affordable yet fun and memorable staycation.

  [Read more…]

5 Cheap Vacation Ideas

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Camping

Writing about summer vacations last week got my wheels turning, and I thought it would be fun to research a few budget friendly vacation ideas. The news is good! There are plenty of inexpensive ways enjoy a vacation. Below I’ve listed my five favorite cheap vacation ideas.

Camping

Camping is the quintessential cheap vacation. Many campgrounds, including state and national parks, offer super reasonable rates. If you’re not interested in sleeping in a tent, many campsites offer lean-tos and cabins to rent. Additionally, some campgrounds have built in family entertainment including beaches, pools, hot tubs, game rooms, and playgrounds.

Visit Family and Friends

It is road trip time! A great way to save on accommodations is by staying with friends and family on your vacation, and let’s face it, they would love the chance to see you. Since you are saving on hotel costs, this frees up extra money to devote to sightseeing, food, and other travel expenses.

Play Travel Roulette

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Simple Ways to Save for Your Summer Vacation

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Summer vacation

Summer will be here before we know it. If you’re anything like me you may have already started dreaming about, or even planning a summer getaway. But, do you know how you are going to fund your summertime fun? Here are four simple ways to save money on your summer vacation.

Start Saving!

It’s early enough in the year that you still have a little bit of time to get some vacation savings flowing. If you’re able to, set up a portion of your paycheck to be automatically deposited into your savings account. Paying yourself first (and automatically) will get your vacation savings off to an easy start. Before you know it you’ll have a chunk of change set aside for your vacation.

Additionally, look for other sources of saving. Consider socking away your tax refund, reimbursements, or rebates you get from now until your vacation. Small amounts can add up over time.

Cut Back

Financial goals typically mean sacrifice. So, if you really want to make your summer vacation plans come to fruition, you may need cut back your spending now. By making small changes in your current household budget you’ll easily be able to save extra money to put toward your vacation. Cut back on dining out, going out, and making unnecessary purchases. If you don’t already, create a budget to keep your spending on track. You can contribute your excess funds to your vacation.

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Boost Your Side Hustle During the Holidays

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Side Hustle Holiday

The holiday season is upon us and with it comes the hope of a little downtime. At the very least it might mean a few extra days off from your day job. While it’s nice to take a break to unwind and spend time with friends and family, holiday vacations can be a great opportunity to squeeze in a little extra side hustle work.

I’m always looking for new ways to devote additional time to my side hustles. I have found that time off around the holidays is ideal because I’m not weighed down or worn out from my day job. However, that might not be the case for you, if your job requires you to work through the holidays or if you plan on traveling to celebrate the holidays. But, if you are able to find some free time during the holidays it can be a great way to fit in more time to work on your side hustle or side business.

I, for example, have a four day weekend coming up due to Thanksgiving. I plan on spending Thanksgiving Day with family, however I have only a few other commitments for the remainder of the weekend. I will definitely take advantage of this extra time and plan on dedicating some of my free time to my side hustles.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your free time during the holidays.

Make a plan

Rather than winging it when you find yourself with a spare hour, make a specific plan of action. Make a to-do list of the tasks you would like to accomplish and refer to your list when you find yourself with extra downtime. Look at your schedule of events for the holiday weekend and see where you can fit in extra portions of work. Share your plan with your family and let them know you plan on devoting certain periods of time to work.

Set a schedule

The holidays have a tendency to keep us busy with friends, family, and multiple events. Set aside specific time to work on your side hustle. Even if you only have 30 extra minutes a day, you can still be incredibly productive. Setting a schedule may mean you need to get up early to work one day. While it’s tempting to stay up late and sleep in during your time off, you’ll feel incredibly accomplished if you are able to devote some extra time to your side hustle.

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Day Jobs Are Easy Compared to Entrepreneurship

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Day Jobs Are Easy Compared to EntrepreneurshipA lot of the stories I read these days about young entrepreneurs make it seem like they have some pretty awesome lives. Especially now that we’re in the age of the start-up, every month or so there’s some new kid with an app that’s valued at a billion dollars(re: Snapchat). That seems like a lot of money for only a little bit of work but that experience is pretty atypical compared to most other entrepreneurs. The media tends to glorify a lot of successful individuals and dangle that lifestyle within our reach because people want to believe that could be them. The millionaire entrepreneur profiles we constantly see on TV and radio are popular because they give us hope.

We all like to think that with enough hard work that could be us some day on the other side of the camera. But once you realize that a billion dollar valuation for your dick-pic app probably isn’t in the cards, the true burden of entrepreneurship will start to sink in. It’s not that you don’t stand a chance at success when you’re on your own but it is much more difficult than working a day job for someone else.

I don’t consider myself an expert in either field(day job or entrepreneurship) but I have done both and I’m doing both currently. So I think it’s fair to say I have some experience and knowledge when it comes to comparing entrepreneurship to working a day job. [Read more…]

Should You Follow Your Passion?

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Should You Follow Your Passion?When I was little I used to always hear, “you can be anything you want when you grow up.”  But as time went by and I grew older, it seemed like there was actually less and less that I could be.  I’ve always had an interest in business and finance but my degree in aerospace engineering almost precludes me now from working in those fields.  It’s tough to pick a major when you’re only 18, and that’s probably one of the reasons why so many college freshmen go in undeclared.  But after a year or two, you’re going to be forced to pick between passion and practicality.

I’ve always been good at math and science but it’s never been my passion.  I was a great student growing up but I would always pick sports over studying or hanging with my friends over homework and that’s pretty much how I am now.  I don’t mind working my ass off during the 8 hours a day I’m at work, but once that clock hits 5, I’m ready to go home and move on with my life. [Read more…]

Vacation is More Meaningful When You Have a Job

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Villa Del Arco Cabo San LucasI’ve often found that returning to work after a long and restful vacation is one of the most depressing feelings on earth.  I know you’re supposed to feel refreshed and relaxed after vacation, but for me, going back to work is what I dread most about vacation.  It’s not like I’m thinking about work during my vacations, but when I’m back at work I can’t help but remember how much fun I was having the week before.

Recently, I’ve taken a hiatus from my day job so that my fiancée could start med school in another city.  And although I still work about four hours a day, every day is almost like a vacation for me.  I’m not living it up per se like I do when I’m on vacation but it’s more of a vacation from work.  After I’m done with my morning routine, I’m free to go to the beach(it’s been hot as hell lately), read in the park or by the pool, exercise or play golf.  That sounds like the perfect vacation to me and in fact it’s pretty much what I did on my last vacation. [Read more…]

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