All posts by J. Irwin
How to Stay in Shape This Winter
The following is a post by MPFJ staff writer, Derek Sall. Derek is the owner of the blog, LifeAndMyFinances.com, where he teaches people how to get out of debt, save money, and become wealthy.
Do you have plans to shed a few pounds this winter? Or maybe you’re already in shape and would like to continue to stay active this winter. If you had absolutely no plans to get your heart rate up this winter, I think you should really reconsider. Did you know that exercising could keep your wallet a little fatter in the upcoming years?
By taking some time now and etching out some time to work out, you could avoid some serious medical complications in the future. Or, at the very least, you could extend your lifespan by a couple more years.
Set Simple, Yet Effective Goals
Goals are incredibly important in all areas of life, whether it be a financial, fitness, or a relationship goal. If you do not have a goal the odds are already overwhelmingly against you. For, with no goal, one will quickly forget the aspirations of yesterday and will simply blow along with the wind of today.
So how does one set an effective goal?
Well, by definition a goal is a future ambition to be accomplished on a set date. Without a date, a goal is simply a dream. So, what you must first do is set a goal for yourself, and then set a reasonable date to accomplish the goal.
In regards to exercise, your goal might be to lose 10 pounds. In order to do so healthily, I would suggest setting this goal two months in the future. If you decide on this goal on January 20th, plan to lose those 10 pounds by March 19th. Then, almost more importantly than the overall goal, set little goals along the way to keep yourself on track. Continuing with our example, on February 1st you might set a goal for yourself to lose your first three pounds.
If you achieve this goal, reward yourself with a new pair of sneakers or a Fitbit watch (or whatever it is that you fancy). In order to stay on pace with your overall goal, be sure to set those small goals to keep you on target.
Find Activities That You Enjoy
Personally, I enjoy being active, but running on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike is torture! If I had to get in shape by only doing these two things I would probably gain 20 pounds instead of losing weight! Stationary running just isn’t my idea of fun.
For me, I stay in shape by running outside, riding my bicycle outside, and swimming. I also enjoy playing basketball and tennis when the weather is nice outside. If it’s snowy, then I’ll resort to cross country skiing or snowboarding. These are the things I enjoy doing. They keep me active and it hardly feels like exercise.
What are the activities that you enjoy doing? If they keep you in shape and fit within your financial budget, consider doing them more often to get yourself into shape and stay trim. You will have fun and your future self will thank you for the reduced medical bills, and therefore reduced costs.
Partner Up or Join a Activity Group
Unfortunately, even “fun” activities still aren’t all that fun by yourself. Instead of going for a solo bike ride or a solo jog, it is often much better to have a running partner or sign up for a group ride once a week. Joining conversation to exercise makes it feel much less like exercise and more like a social event. Plus, by joining a group you will likely feel that you are held more accountable. Miss a week and you might just receive a phone call from one of your activity group friends.
In the name of exercise, it’s good to have a nudge to get your heart rate up on a consistent basis don’t you think?
How about you all? Do you exercise on a regular basis? Do you have a new fitness goal that you are trying to achieve? Share your experiences by commenting below!
**Photo courtesy of http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pas-de-patin.jpg
Five Promising Career Fields – No Matter What the Economy Does
The following is a post by MPFJ staff writer, Kevin Mercadante, who is a freelance professional personal finance blogger for hire, and the owner of his own personal finance blog, OutOfYourRut.com. He has backgrounds in both accounting and the mortgage industry.
As the economy moves forward it destroys certain career fields, but creates entirely new ones. Those new careers are certainly promising since they’re on the cutting edge. But there’s no way to predict the longevity of brand-new career fields. If you are looking for a promising career field, there are five that have withstood the test of time, and are likely to prosper no matter what the economy does.
Those include healthcare, computers, sales, education, and financial services, particularly those related to retirement. For statistics we’ll be relying on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Healthcare
When we think of healthcare, we immediately think of doctors and dentists and a variety of high level specialists. In truth, the healthcare field is strong almost across the board.
Registered Nurse is an obvious choice. Median pay is $65,470, and the field is expected to add 526,800 jobs, or a 19% increase in employment. That’s well above the rate of growth for the job market in general (about 12%). Just as important, RN’s can work in a wide variety of environments, including hospitals, nursing facilities, clinics, schools and private practices.
Some other healthcare careers to consider:
- Dental Hygienist:
Median income: $70,200
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 64,200
Percent increase: 33%
- Pharmacists:
Median income: $116,670
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 41,400
Percent increase: 14%
- Physical Therapists:
Median income: $79,860
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 73,500
Percent increase: 36%
- Occupational Therapists:
Median income: $75,400
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 32,800
Percent increase: 29%
Almost any field in healthcare offers not only strong earnings, but also a very secure future as the number of jobs increase to meet the demand of an aging population.
Computers
This is another field that’s much more diverse than it seems to the average person. Computer Programmers, perhaps the most visible computer specialists, have a median income of $74,280. But somewhat surprisingly, the field is expected to add just 28,400 jobs by 2022, an increase of only 8% which is below the rate of growth for the overall US job market.
Other niches in the computer field are expected to fair much better. For example:
- Database Administrators:
Median income: $77,080
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 17,900
Percent increase: 15%
- Computer Network Architects:
Median income: $91,000
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 20,900
Percent increase: 15%
- Computer Systems Analysts:
Median income: $79,680
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 127,700
Percent increase: 25%
- Information Security Analysts:
Median income: $86,170
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 27,400
Percent increase: 37%
- Software Developers:
Median income: $93,350
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 222,600
Percent increase: 22%
Even though prospects have slowed for Computer Programmers, the rest of the computer field looks very promising.
Sales
Sales is something of a career mixed bag. There is a sales category connected with just about any and every industry in the country. According to the BLS, most sales fields will grow no faster than the general job market, and some will grow even slower. Incomes meanwhile are all over the map. Travel agents earn a median income of $34,600 per year, while sales engineers earn a median of $91,830.
But when it comes to sales, median income levels and future job prospects vary widely. In fact, generally speaking, the success or failure of a given sales position depends mostly upon the skills, ability, knowledge, and dedication of the salesperson. A good salesperson can easily make six figures in just about any industry niche. Underperforming salespeople can end up doing little better than minimum wage.
But the reason that sales is a promising career field is based on pure necessity. Virtually every business that exists to sell a product or service needs skilled salespeople to keep their income flowing. If you are good at sales, you’ll not only have an above average income, but you’ll also have an almost unlimited future. Many companies promote successful salespeople to top management positions, such as sales director, and even chief operating officer.
If you are naturally good at sales, there are few other career fields where you can earn as much money and enjoy the level of career stability.
Education
Education doesn’t pay as well as health care, the computer field, or even certain sales positions. And as a rule, job growth is expected to be at or below the rate for the entire job market. So why include education as a promising career field? Not only are there literally millions of jobs in education, but the career stability tends to be higher than average. Not only are people who work in the field less likely to lose their jobs in a bad economy, but they typically also enjoy better employee benefits as a result of being part of the public system.
Here are some of the more typical career fields in education:
- Career and Technical Education Teachers:
Median income: $51,910
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 21,400
Percent increase: 9%
- Adult Literacy and High School Equivalency Teachers:
Median income: $48,590
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 6,700
Percent increase: 9%
- Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers:
Median income: $53,090
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 188,400
Percent increase: 12%
- High School Teachers:
Median income: $55,050
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 52,900
Percent increase: 6%
- Instructional Coordinators:
Median income: $60,050
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 18,500
Percent increase: 12%
- Middle School Teachers:
Median income: $53,430
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 76,000
Percent increase: 12%
- Librarian:
Median income: $55,370
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 11,000
Percent increase: 7%
- Post-Secondary Teachers (Includes College Professors who can earn upwards of $100,000 per year):
Median income: $68,970
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 236,400
Percent increase: 19%
- Special Education Teachers:
Median income: $55,060
Number of new jobs expected through 2022: 26,600
Percent increase: 6%
Financial Services – Especially Retirement Planning
Financial services, like sales, encompasses a wide range of career fields, from accountants to real estate appraisers, to insurance underwriters. Future prospects income levels for all of the careers within the field vary incredibly. But one area that’s growing rapidly are personal financial advisors, especially those involving retirement planning.
According to the BLS, the median pay for personal financial advisors is $67,520 per year. But the field is expected to add 60,300 positions by 2012, an increase of 27% over the current level.
The reason for this growth is simple: there is an aging population with a greater need for financial planning services. There are not only more people in or approaching retirement than ever before, but they are expected to live a lot longer than in the past. There is a huge need for financial planners who work specifically in the retirement area.
We should expect this trend to continue for the next two or three decades, making this one of the more promising career fields available, no matter what the economy does in that time.
If you’re planning your future career – or contemplating a career change – any of these fields hold a lot of promise, no matter what the economy does.
How about you all? Are you planning a new career or career change? Are you in or moving into a career that has promise regardless of what the economy does that was not listed above?
Share your experiences by commenting below!
**Photo courtesy of https://www.flickr.com/photos/tulanesally/6881550355/sizes/n/