By stuartpilbrow / Flickr / CC-BY-SA

With today’s economy and worldwide events it is hard to remain calm and stress free. Our homes, lives, families and jobs are all affected and under high levels of stress. It is important to learn what triggers stress and what can help lessen the impact it can have on us. There are things we can do to help manage and control certain stressful situations.

Stress in the workplace

For many, a stressful workplace or even fellow workers that you may have a problem with can bring an onslaught of stress or tension. Instead of keeping silent and allowing it to build up and cause you to suffer even more, it could be alleviated by talking about it with your employer to find out if something can be done to remedy the situation.

Respectfully speak up for yourself

Unless you say something, your employer may not even realize there is a problem. Sometimes talking about it and airing it out is just what you need to remain calm and continue to work productively in your work environment. It may require looking into resources that can give some helpful tips of how to go about it.

Other stress triggers

Money itself can also be another stress trigger. Many people live paycheck to paycheck and barely make ends meet. This can be a real challenge. It is hard to balance our “needs” from our “wants,” but it is essential that we strive to do so. It may be that we need to make sure to be more conservative with our utilities and even get the most food for our money by using coupons and finding out what stores are having the best sales. In some circumstances people are relying on short term loans online to get cash til payday.

Communication can minimize stress

Another important quality that can help with stress is to learn how to communicate. This is especially true in the family unit. If all in the family work together to help make things less stressful, it can help immensely. When each person does their part, no matter how little, it helps relieve some of the challenges that may arise. Talking about problems and feelings will help keep the stress at a minimum and give more understanding into the problems that can overload your life and threaten your peace within your home environment.

Safe online loans

When you get in a pinch and need to borrow money, you can get online loans safely, thanks to the Online Lenders Association (OLA), a group committed to preserving affordable access to short term credit for millions of Americans. Before you arrange your cash til payday loan, make sure your money lender is a member of the OLA. OLA members are pay day lenders that have made a difference in the lives of responsible borrowers who need short term cash relief.

Using online pay day loans responsibly

While online short-term loans can offer you the ease of borrowing within the convenience of your own home, it only makes sense when it’s done responsibly. Here are a few tips from the OLA on how to only use pay day loans the right way:

Be aware that online short-term loans are real loans and must be paid back within the terms laid out by the lender.

Read all the terms of the online loan carefully before agreeing to the loan. OLA member companies are required to provide full disclosure of loan terms to customers.

Online short-term loans are like any other loan and come with a fee. If you must extend the amount of time in which you can pay back the loan, the fee will most likely increase.

Applying for an online loan requires you to submit personal information including your bank account information. Look for information on the lending website about protection and security of your personal information. OLA encourages its members to display the OLA logo on their websites so consumers can borrow with confidence.

Never agree to loan terms you cannot afford. For example, do not borrow more than you can repay in the allotted time frame.

Do not use short-term loans as an unrealistic or long-term financial solution.

Never use a short-term loan to pay off an existing loan.

Online pay day loans: be informed

For urgent needs such as emergency medical expenses, unusually high utility bills or unexpected car repairs, an online pay day loan, when used responsibly, can help bridge the gap in household cash flow between paychecks. For people who need online payday loans, OLA members are reputable companies that adhere to an industry standard of best practices and a code of conduct. OLA pay day lenders ensure that you are fully informed and fairly treated.

Online Pay Day Loans | Start HERE!

Diane von Furstenberg image from Flickr.

Diane von Furstenberg is one of the most highly recognized names in the fashion world, like Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani and Vera Wang. Now, here name will also be recognized in the world of home goods. In partnership with Springs home furnishing company, Diane von Furstenberg will release an international line of furniture, bedding, tablecloths. and bath accessories next year in January.

If this move sounds familiar, it’s probably because Vera Wang is also first and foremost a high fashion designer, but she also has a line of home goods. I haven’t yet found information on the price range for these new von Furstenberg goods, but if it’s anything like the price range on her clothing, I’d need more than a cash ’til payday loan to afford it.

Diane von Furstenberg’s career

This move into home furnishings and other goods expands Diane von Furstenberg’s already sizable empire. Diane von Furstenberg has worked with several different industries. In 1985 she founded a publishing house.  She started a cosmetics and home-shopping line in 1991. A few years ago she designed a Sidekick smartphone with T-Mobile.

And, of course, she has been a judge on “Project Runway” several times. (How do you think I heard of her?) Other fun facts about Diane von Furstenberg include: She was born Diane Simone Michelle Halfin. At age 18, she married a German prince, Egon of Furstenberg. Officially, that made her a princess. However, the two got divorced after having two children. In 2001, Diane von Furstenberg married Barry Diller, an American media mogul. Talk about a couple of power couples! Regarding her upcoming line of home goods, Diane von Furstenberg said:

“The design of your home is a reflection of who you are,” says the Long Island Press. “I am thrilled to be able to express the DVF spirit through this new collection.”

Image from Flickr.

Like a couple of runaway teenagers proclaiming they “don’t need nobody!” Coke and Costco are sticking to their respective guns. The result is that Costco won’t restock Coke products until the companies reach an agreement. Costco and Coke couldn’t agree on  pricing, so Costco said it won’t order Coke products unless the Coca-Cola Company comes down on prices. This is a financial situation that payday loans can’t fix.

Though Costco is one of the largest wholesale retailers in the U.S., Coca-Cola Company is definitely the Goliath of this fight. Coke is the largest soft drink maker in the world, and let’s not forget the Coca-Cola Company owns several non-soft-drink brands, too. The outcome of this feud will likely depend on whether the absence of the Coca-Cola Company’s many beverage brands puts a dent in Costco’s profits.

Coca-Cola brand recognition

It’s tough to predict how much of an effect not carrying Coke products will have on Costco. For every person who will gladly drink any cola flavored beverage at hand, there’s a person who says “just water” after a restaurant server says they carry Pepsi. For every office employee who uses whatever vending machine is available, there’s one who will walk across the street to buy his or her favorite brand of soda.

The cola wars have successfully created a large group of people who are vehemently loyal in each camp, but Costco will just have to do the math to find out whether paying the price for Coke is worth it. My gut tells me that Costco customers are more concerned with saving money than they are with brand loyalty. However…

Coke is more than Coke

We must bear in mind that it isn’t just cola at stake here. The Coca-Cola Company owns many beverage brands, including Sprite and Barq’s rootbeer. It also makes Vitamin Water, Minute Maid products, Odwalla, Powerade and Dasani bottled water, just to name a few.

Costco does carry substitues for most Coca-Cola Company products, but there are definitely customers who will opt to buy their favorite beverages elsewhere rather than buying another brand of orange juice or Vitarain instead of Vitaminwater. The question is how many.

(Photo: flickr.com)

Whenever you purchase something on credit, whether it’s a product or service, we all find out about the magic of revolving credit. Whether it’s a mortgage, student loan, car payment or credit card payment, you’re paying two different things if you don’t pay off the credit in full immediately: principle and interest. Pay off the former and you’re done. If you’re only paying the latter, your adventure has just begun. It may leave you with a bit more cash til payday in the short run, but you’ll end up having to pay much more in interest charges over the long haul. The reverse – which is the more healthy financial decision – means that while you may find yourself in need of a cash til payday loan once in a while, you’ll be saving much more money over the years.

Go above and beyond

The best way to quickly reduce the principle balance of a loan or line of revolving credit is to make payments that go beyond the minimum monthly payment. This is contrary to what most Americans do, however. Making the minimum payment each month may free up short-term cash for consumers, but it ends up costing much more in the long term, thanks to compounding interest.

But won’t that leave you broke?

Not if you budget properly. As everything is expensive these days, it’s understandable that people aren’t looking to part with additional funds each month. This is typically the kind of thinking that goes into making minimum payments each month on loans and credit. Yet the best way to protect your finances long-term is to pay more than the minimum each month. That way, both interest and principle are paid down more quickly.

Get a jump on your financial future

If getting a jump on those interest and principle balance payments is your goal, some planning is in order. The best way to do this is to look at your budget. Once you’ve taken care of the monthly essentials, see how much you can afford to pay above and beyond the monthly minimum. If you’re used to paying a minimum of, say, $900 per month on your mortgage, try $1,000. With credit cards, try to pay at least double the minimum if you can, as these cards typically bear high interest rates. The more you can pay now, the less you’ll be paying for months and years. Sure, use a cash til payday loan if you need in an emergency… the end result will be all the sweeter. I’ll even give you a magic button you can use to apply for one, in case you’re in that spot right now

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Like anything else, making radical changes – in this case to your budget – requires a significant adjustment period. Be patient and understand that unexpected expenses do happen. Be flexible; you will have to adjust on the fly. Once you get the hang of it, however, you’ll be well on your way to paying off your major purchases. Paying off a 30-year mortgage or a 48-month car loan before their time ends up costing you much less in the long run. Who wouldn’t want to do that?

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