With people living longer and healthier lives, it’s important to save adequate funds to be able to live comfortably through retirement. Read about four families stories throughout different life stages and where they should be at financially. See where you fit and if you are on track to be able to retire with the right financial security.20s: Just graduated, starting a career, or a family on the way…Often times college students struggle to save. With so many different college related expenses and student loans, its difficult to put money away. However after graduation and the debt needs to be paid off, people start to think about their futures and what needs to be done to live a financially stable lifestyle. Some are successful, while others continue to struggle. People who just start a career are often using that money to pay past debts so they cant save right away. If one is expecting a family then it is extremely important to have savings in mind.Budgeting, getting rid of debt and starting an emergency fund with up to three to six months of basic living expenses should be enough to live comfortably at the time. It’s important once debt is paid off to not get into debt again, and keep proper funds in a savings account.People in their 20′s should start contributing to a retirement savings plan as well, such as a Roth IRA or if involved in the military you can make contributions to the government’s Thrift Savings Plan.30s: A family, with one child and one on the way, both employed.People that are expecting a family in the future will usually start to save for a bigger home to live in if needed. This often times cuts into saving for retirement. If involved in the military, which has a pension, it probably wont be enough to cover both incomes. People in their 30′s are faced with saving for retirement and their children’s education. It’s important to think about your child’s education but also consider that they might get help through financial aid and scholarships.In addition to retirement savings, people often choose to keep stock mutual funds as well to help reach long-term saving goals.At this point in life it’s important to make sure a will is in place and your life and disability insurance are updated to protect the people in your family.40s: Single but two children with one in school.Divorce is occurring more frequently then ever before, with about half of all Americans going through the process of one. Once people get married, some will agree to have one person be responsible for the finances. If your spouse is involved in the military many will contribute their savings to a Thrift Savings account and if by chance a divorce does occur, it will be split but its still important to have another way of saving money.It’s so important to manage expenses and save for retirement. If you are on your own at the age of 40 expenses are going to be more challenging. Plan to budget around 10-15% of your pre-tax retirement savings and increase your fixed income investment percentage. Be sure to update any estate plans, life insurance policies, and retirement accounts.50s: Getting closer to retirement, spouse and 3 grown children, and one grand child.The question people start asking themselves today are, “Am I going to have enough money to retire, or should I start looking for another job?” Today with people living longer, its reasonable to think if taking another job is necessary.Creating a budget for retirement is extremely important because it will map out if you will have enough money to live off of.People in there 50′s have one of several options. They can continue to work to save more money, reduce the income goal, or increase returns by increasing your risk with a more aggressive portfolio.Get on track at any ageNo matter your age, with time and strategies you can reach your desired retirement goal.∑ Cut back on expenses.∑ Consider tax-advantaged savings through the military’s Thrift Savings Plan or choose to save in a Roth IRA.∑ Review your assets annually and make necessary adjustments as time goes on.∑ Do not take money out of your retirement’s savings to borrow.The road to retirement is challenging but with proper saving and strategies in mind it is possible. Explore your options to find your best choices and you’ll be one step closer to reaching your retirement goals. For more information please visit http://www.militaryfinances.com/.

So you want to make money online, great just go out and buy one of those push button systems that will make you a millionaire over night and your done. I’m only joking, in all seriousness making money whether that’s online or offline does take time and lots of patience. You wouldn’t expect to start a business offline one day and expect it to be turning over a sizeable profit the next, so why would online business be any different? Yes the start up costs are a lot cheaper and there is probably more information on hand when you need it, but, let me make this clear making money is never easy.Now for anyone who I haven’t scared off people can and do make money online and in some cases loads. What they have that most don’t have is knowledge and experience. You can too but it will take some time so to help speed up the process I’m going to give you some tips to get you on your way.1. Find the right strategy for you. There are many ways to make money online for example affiliate marketing, selling your own products and blogging. Each of them can be very profitable used in the correct way. What you need to decide is what your strengths and weaknesses are and what you really enjoy doing. There’s no point in blogging if you don’t like to write. Explore all your options before you decide to jump feet first into something.2. Make a plan. Every business in the world has to have a plan. Some have very elaborate ones while others are a simple get to the point plan. You need to decide firstly what you out of an online business maybe spend more time at home, make some extra money to help pay for bills or maybe you want to become rich. Whatever it is you want you have to know how you are going to get there and a plan will lay it all out for you. Say you want just some extra money all the while working your normal job, a plan will tell you how many hours you need to do and where to fit them into your day. Don’t underestimate a plan it can really get you focused on your goals.3. Take action. Now that you have your strategy and plan you know where you want to go, now is the time to go get it. There is no shortcut or easy answers to help you. You have got to put in the hard work. You should have planned out your day for working on your business, so stick to what you have got to do. Try and do one thing at a time until it is finished the last thing you want to do is start a half a dozen things and have finished none. Keep distractions to a minimum, take regular breaks to recharge the batteries and above all else be consistent in what you are doing. Regularly doing things over and over will see better results than doing them once and awhile.If you follow the tips above you will be on your way to starting an online business. If you have that desire then nothing and no one will stand in your way of achieving your goal. Remember it will take time but every great journey started with one step.If you would like to know more and to get yourself a free internet marketing eBook that will help you to start an online business then please visit http://www.findyourpathtoday.com

You have practiced the spinning hooks hundreds of times and sparred with your friends over and over but still you are not sure about clearing the upcoming martial art test, then you are not alone. Many people who learn martial arts feel anxious before they take on the test.With right preparation and proper guidance you can take on the test with confidence and earn the coveted belt that you have been eyeing on. The following martial arts training tips will be help you prepare your mind and body for the challenge.1. Pack in more cardiovascular exercises in to your routines as they will help you endure the jumping drills and squats.2. Talk to your instructor and know the key metrics on which you will be rated. The key metrics will differ from one school to the other. Also, discuss with people who have gone before you (seniors), you might extract some valuable tips from them.3. If possible watch a real test or watch videos of tests on YouTube this will help you get accustomed with the process.4. Perform Katas in front of your friends and ask them for feedback. Do this on a regular basis and compare the feedback at the end of the week to see where you stand. Ask your friends to be critical in evaluating your moves.5. Eat and exercise regularly and keep your body in an optimal condition. Test your endurance everyday by climbing a flight of stairs up and down several times while increasing the number of times day by day.6. Mentally visualize performing Katas in front of judges and earning the belt. Many peak performers in sports use this technique to be at their best. This is called Neurolinguistic programming or NLP in short. You are programming your mind for the upcoming event so that you don’t feel anxious on the day of the test.7. Brush up your knowledge on Katas, martial arts belts and martial arts moves by discussing with your friends and by searching on the internet.8. The night before you take the test, make sure the uniform is neatly pressed and is clear of spots to make a good impression.9. Arrive early to the test to avoid any last minute stress10. Be nice to everyone you meet at the test and answer questions politely. Remember your attitude is also rated in a martial arts test.I hope you found the above tips helpful. I would like to add a few general pointers about taking the test. A martial art test is conducted to test both your physical and mental strength, so try to strike balance between both forms of training. Practice regularly and don’t try to cram more hours when the test is just a few days away. Prepare in advance and if possible write down your exercise regimen on paper and paste it on a wall or refrigerator where you can see it everyday. This will help you stay on track and will increase your self-confidence to take the test.

In the past our gardens were simply considered to be a separate entity. People usually had outdoor garden furniture made of plastic or wrought iron that would beautify their landscape without any particular design or pattern.Earlier people would consider their garden only as a picnic spot or would use it to read a book on a bright sunny day. Thus, least attention was given to the fact that the garden was also a natural and vital extension of their house.Today, however, their outlook towards the garden and the garden furniture has changed. The garden owners have today started considering their gardens as a vital extension of their home that just happens to be outdoors. Today people are making an extra effort to extend their home environment to their garden area. They are thus trying to integrate their home furnishing design with the outdoor furniture to be placed in their garden. This way they try to add their personal style to their garden which helps in creating a soothing retreat for everyone who wants to experience nature and its benefits.For instance, if your home furnishing within the interiors of your house reflects French styling then the most obvious and the most natural way to extend that styling to your garden is by decorating it with all weather garden furniture that is of yellow and blue color scheme. As it is all about French styling and taste, again the wrought iron furniture in this color scheme will result in a natural and elegant transition of the interior of your house to your garden.Further to reinforce the French sense of styling you can also add to your garden the patios and the stone walkways. It will add a European nostalgia to your contemporary garden decor. For sure, garden decor is not only about garden furniture. To seal the French theme further you can add the antiquities which will blend with and compliment the overall effect.If your home is designed in an oriental way then also you can extend that style to your garden area with the help of perfect outdoor garden furniture and garden accessories. You can either choose from bamboo furniture’s or granite furniture in order to add the orient theme to your garden area.Thus no matter what is the design and decor theme of your house, you can always extend it outdoors to your garden area. There are many options available when it comes to garden accessories which will perfectly blend with and compliment the interiors of your home.