5 Reasons Reading Books Is Important To Your Well Being

Image by Earl - What I Saw 2.0 via FlickrWhen I was a kid reading books was more important. Through the many years of education reading books and writing a book report was as common as peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. With all this reading I grew to love books. I was a scifi geek so i devoured many books in that genre. But as the years pass and life happened, I lost my love for books. I tried along the many years to start again. But every time I started to read, the book would put me to sleep. I finally solved this problem, but you'll have to wait till the end of the post to find out.

I believe in reading so much, the benefits are many and I could probably come up with many more but I have only included in this post just a few of my favorites.

1. Reading keeps your mind thinking. You have to use your mind and the best way to do it is by putting something in it that will stimulate it. Reading about a subject you would like to explore further is a good way. It's not like watching TV. With TV, all the work is done for you. You don't have to use your mind. With books you have to work. 
2. Reading builds your concentration. Reading a book forces you to concentrate. A good book grabs you and takes you down a path that exercises your brain to keep up. 
3. Reading helps you learn new things. When you read articles on line, like this article, you get a little snippet of a particular subject. It's a little taste of what reading a book is like. Your natural curiosity kicks in and you become enveloped in a much larger more involved treatment of that subject. Thus giving you a broader and deeper explanation of the subject.
4. Reading gives you a new perspective. It's a lot like going to school about a particular subject. A book makes you an explorer of a new world that opens up to you page by page.
5. Reading gives you purpose and direction. Just pick up a self help book on something you need direction on. You now have a one on one relationship with that author who is giving everything they know, only to you. If your open and it makes sense to you, your whole outlook may improve. A book could just push you in a direction you need to go.

Since I have started reading again, I have found reading a paper book just puts me to sleep.  My eyes get tired and before you know it, asleep. I have tried reading them on the computer screen but again, eyestrain happens. 

By chance I stumbled upon an audio book company called Audible. They have all the latest books and many other great books. With over 100,000 books on their website you should find something you like. With Audible you can have the entire unabridged book read to you. For me, it's a blessing to go through a book on the way to work, before bed, or whenever I am on the road. 

As an example, I always wanted to read Tim Ferriss' book "The 4-Hour Workweek". I have the pdf that he gave away for free when he debuted his new book. It's been on my computer for almost a year and I never read it. I got it from Audible on sale for $4.95 last month and I am almost done with it. I enjoyed it so much and learned a lot. It gave me a new perspective and something new to think about.

Reading is important and if your like me and picking up a book doesn't work for you why not try Audible. You get a free book, any book, on a 14 day trial period. Listen for 14 days, if you don't like it cancel the account and keep the book at no charge. But I bet once you get hooked you'll see how great it is and keep on the program.

Just click the banner below to get started.  

Your Bank Fees Are Increasing - Here's Why

Image via WikipediaIt’s time to add free checking to the endangered species list. No-cost access to your own money may soon go the way of the passenger pigeon. But this extinction can’t be blamed on global climate change or habitat loss. Blame the shaky status of free checking on regulatory climate change and profit loss for banks.

Recently enacted federal banking regulations restrict previously profitable practices by banks such as big overdraft fees and jacking up credit card interest rates for customers who are late on a payment. And earlier this summer, efforts by the banking industry to block a cap on debit card swipe fees failed. The fees banks charge grocery stores, restaurants, big box stores and other businesses every time they swipe a customer’s debit card will drop from about 45 cents a swipe to 12 cent swipes. That change, set to go into effect on Oct. 1, adds up to a loss of revenue of billions of dollars for the nation’s banks.

The Banks’ Loss Is Your Loss. 

The banks need to make up that loss of revenue somewhere and many banks have plans to recover it up by hitting you with new fees: checking account maintenance fees, ATM fees, debit card use fees.

Fight Back!

With a little due diligence, you can keep money in the bank without paying money to the bank. Most bank customers — 71 percent — find ways to avoid paying any bank fees, according to a survey by the American Bankers Association (ABA) released Sept. 1. The survey also shows that 82 percent of consumers spend $3 or less in monthly bank fees for services such as checking account maintenance and ATM access.

"It's impressive that so many customers avoid paying any bank fees," said Nessa Feddis, ABA vice president. "It shows that consumers are savvy and able to navigate the new banking landscape with skill. Often, avoiding bank fees can be as simple as maintaining a minimum balance or accepting a paycheck by direct deposit.”

But … the annual survey of 2,000 adults was conducted in mid-August. Many of the new fees announced by some big banks don’t kick in until fall. For example, SunTrust, a major player in the South, will begin imposing $5-a-month charge for debit card use in November. Regions Bank will impose a $4-a-month fee for debit-card use starting Oct. 1. Wells Fargo — a large national bank — will begin charging a monthly $3 fee for debit cards in October for purchases in Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

More Fees Coming

Banks have an assortment of other tactics to get some of your money — charging for a paper monthly statement or receiving a wire transfer. Another example, Bank of America charges a $3 fee if you make more than three transfers a month from your savings account to your checking account. It pays to read the fine print when opening your checking account and asking questions about fees.

What To Do

Getting a deal on bank fees — like finding a deal at the mall — requires a bit of legwork. Online banks still offer free checking and if virtual banking fits you, that is an option. Moving your account to a credit union is another option. Credit unions are nonprofit and typically offer better deals on checking accounts, consumer loans and interest rates on deposits. 

Some resources that might prove helpful when looking for another bank include MyBankTracker.com, Bankrate.com, FindABetterBank.com and FindACreditUnion.com.

You may also avoid bank fees by giving your present bank more business. Many banks offer better deals to customers who maintain a higher checking account and/or savings account balance. You may also get the bank to waive fees if you have an automobile loan or home mortgage at the bank.

Should I buy the iphone 4S or wait till next year for the iphone 5

Image by Witer via FlickrThe iPhone 4S came out on Friday are you going buy one? Already millions have been sold. The market for Apple products seems unlimited. But is it really smart to keep buying a new iPhone every year.

Some people with older iPhones have been waiting for this new release to upgrade. If you have the original iPhone or the 3g or 3gs it makes sense to upgrade. Your phone is at least 2 years old and probably starting to slow down. Apple upgrades its OS fairly regularly and the upgraded software is getting more advanced and is having a problem running on the older hardware. This planned obsolescence forces you to upgrade just to get a phone that runs correctly.

Should I upgrade if I have an iPhone 4?

The iPhone 4 is almost identical in looks and function. The only difference is that it has the new voice recognition software and a better camera. If you have an iPhone 4, the benefits of the new phone aren't reason enough to upgrade. The new iPhone is really aimed at the people who have an iPhone 3 or 3G. They need to upgrade. Still have iPhone envy, according to Apple's track record, The new iPhone 5 should be released next summer.

I want a new iPhone but I am short of money.

If you are short of cash and still want to own an iPhone, AT&T is selling the iPhone 4 for $99 with a two year contract. Want it even cheaper, the iPhone 3gs is free with a new two year contract.

Why You CAN Afford That Overseas Vacation

Image by Kenzoka via FlickrThe worldwide economy is in a state of flux right now, and while this might not therefore seem like the ideal time to take a trip overseas, you can easily make such a trip more affordable by eliminating avoidable costs that can add up to 15% of your trip’s budget. No, I’m not about to start lecturing you on the importance of shopping around to find the cheapest airfare or waxing poetic about backpacking and staying in hostels. Rather, I have a few perhaps less obvious tips that can help you minimize the cost of any trip out of the country. After all, whether you’ve done the miraculous and retired early or simply want to see the world with your kids, grandkids or significant other, we all deserve a vacation from time to time and everyone loves saving money.

Choose your credit card wisely

As you likely know, Visa and MasterCard are the largest card networks in the world and the only ones that are accepted anywhere plastic can be used. What you might not know is that Visa and MasterCard also offer some of the lowest exchange rates possible. According to a Card Hub study, a MasterCard or Visa card can, in fact, save you 14.7% on currency exchange relative to cash converted at an airport kiosk and 7.9% as compared to cash conversions made at a local bank. Still, you cannot simply use whatever Visa or MasterCard card happens to be in your wallet and expect to save that much. Card Hub data shows that over 90% of all credit cards have foreign transaction fees, which are typically 2-3% of any purchase that is processed abroad, no matter where you may physically be located when you make it. You therefore need to get a no foreign transaction fee credit card, not just before you depart on your voyage, but even before booking any flights, hotels or activities.

Plan how you will access cash

Though I recommend using a credit card for the majority of the purchases you make while abroad, given how easy it will be to carry around as well as the piece of mind that comes with knowing you won’t be held liable for unauthorized purchases, you’ll still need cash for some things. You have two primary options for getting your hands on some foreign currency: opening a low-foreign-fee debit card or exchanging cash at a bank before leaving. The debit card course of action would allow you to garner the low Visa/MasterCard exchange rate and simply withdraw cash from overseas ATMs as needed. Exchanging cash at a local bank will result in more money being lost in translation and will force you to travel with all the cash you plan to use on your entire trip. Ultimately, your decision will rest on the debit card offers and cash currency exchange deals you can find.

Say goodbye to your issuer

Before leaving, there are some logistics to take care of in order to “activate” your credit card and/or debit card for international use. If you do not notify your issuer(s) about the dates and destinations of your travel plans, your card(s) will likely be suspended due to fraud suspicions. What’s more, it’s a good idea to get your bank’s international toll-free number so that you have a means of requesting a new card if your original gets misplaced or stolen.

Beware dynamic currency conversion

Finally, once you reach your destination, only pay for things in the local currency. While this might seem like rather obvious advice for cash purchases, when it comes to plastic, merchants may offer to convert your purchase totals to U.S. dollars. On the surface, this might seem like a rare act of kindness, but many merchants use unfavorable exchange rates (up to 10% higher than those offered by Visa and MasterCard) when converting your totals in order to pad their pockets. This is just the kind of extraneous cost that can really add up over the course of a trip, so you’d be best served making sure to only sign receipts expressed in the local currency.


Hopefully, these tips will both help bring your long-anticipated overseas adventure to fruition despite this shaky economic climate and eliminate any surprises on your post-trip credit card statement. After all, your concern should be exactly how much fun you’re going to have, not how much it’s going to cost!