Author Archive
Plan Where And How To Live In Retirement
Posted by: | CommentsWhere you will live in retirement is a question worth careful consideration. We keep hearing that retirement is getting further out of reach of many seniors and many retirees are not retiring with the original plans they made intact. A financial plan that they may have thought would give them a decent standard of living through their retirement years. Where you live can be a huge factor in how you’ll live!
If you are over 50 you know that you’ll have some major changes ahead of you and you’ll probably have already figured it out that the older you get the faster time seems to go by, keeping that in mind it’s best to plan ahead of retirement where and how you will live to get the most benefit or at least what you hope will be your retirement date.
For many seniors there will be lifestyles changes ahead that will probably mean downsizing your living space and having one that is more adaptable to your needs and personal lifestyle. Besides the practical logistics there’s the financial aspect too, you’ll most likely want or need to reduce your living costs. A lot of people wait until they are past really benefiting from making a sensible living plan, they stay in a home that is too big, needs too much care and attention and eats up too much of their income until one day they are forced to make the move. Some struggle with the maintenance of the home until they can no longer physically do it, others scrimp and save and go without necessities to pay higher bills that are unnecessary when they could have been living more comfortably. It is important to look at the big picture and don’t put off something that can make all the difference to your future. Read More→
10 Tips to Handling Credit Card Debt
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s almost impossible to not have a credit card today. If you want to make online purchases, book a hotel room, or a vacation you really need to have a credit card. Credit card debt can soon become a real problem and end up controlling your life. It’s easy to get into the debt but often seems impossible to get out of it.
The real problem begins when you start to use your credit cards for everyday living expenses, or get carried away with shopping sprees and don’t pay off the balance within the month, so you start getting hit with high interest rates. These interest rates can be astronomical and before you know it debt gets out of control.
One credit card maxed out often leads to getting another card and then another, and before you know where you are things have totally spiraled out of control and your drowning in debt. It is not uncommonfor many Americans to have as many as 9 credit cards.
Credit Card Debt
So what can you do to help your situation if this happens to you? Well first of all you have to acknowledge that this is a problem that needs a solution that you will take action on. Here are some of the most important things that you have to do in order to get your finances under control.
1. Cut up all your credit cards bar one. As already mentioned you do need a credit card for certain things but you must put this one credit card away and use for emergencies only.
2. Add up the total of all of your debts – you need to know what you are working with. Knowing things have got out of control and feeling doomed a lot of people don’t even open their bills because they know they can’t do anything about it. You have to know what you owe.
3. If you have more than one credit card list them all and how much you owe on each one and what the interest rate is charged on each card. Once you have done that you are going to contact the credit card companies and request a lower interest rate. If you find one with the lowest rate see about transferring the total amount to this one credit card company. Don’t be afraid to ask as all these credit card companies are in competition with each other for your business and are used to offering incentives to get business.
4. What you are trying to do here is to consolidate your debt so that you have the lowest interest rate you can get and have only one payment rather than multiple payments. When you are paying the very minimal amounts on your credit cards you will take forever to pay off the debt. If you don’t get satisfaction with the credit card companies or this method doesn’t really help your situation make an appointment to speak with someone at your bank about debt consolidation. In the long run having one payment will end up costing less than multiple payments. Read More→
Singles Over 50 Cruise and Vacation Tips
Posted by: | CommentsFew of us like traveling alone and yet there are so many single people today many of us have done so at some time. Considering the demographics and an ever increasing demand more over 50s and singles cruises and vacation options are available. If you’ve always had someone to travel with before and now facing the prospect of going alone you may find it a daunting prospect . You probably have a lot of concerns too. But these days you don’t have to go it alone and you can let someone else like the best singles travel agents do all the trip planning for you.
If this is all new to you once you see how many options there are you’ll discover that when it comes to taking a vacation you don’t have to do what you’ve always done in the past. With so many options open to you now it’s time to choose what type of vacation you want and what you actually enjoy doing while you are on vacation. You need to decide if the idea of a single’s cruise appeals to you more or a vacation on land. Do you want to vacation in a US destination or international? Will be a relaxing getaway or action packed adventure?
Two single friends of mine both in their 60’s recently took a short vacation. It was a 4 day cruise and then 4 days in one destination. They didn’t actually choose a singles trip because they had each other for company but during this trip they did learn a lot about what they liked and didn’t like for future reference. Read More→
What Concerns Women Over 50 Most
Posted by: | CommentsWhen you are young you never think what life will be like at age 50 – 60 or older. It seems such a long way off that middle age and beyond don’t even enter your head. And then suddenly one day you look in the mirror and here it is your 50th birthday or even maybe a 60th. The things we worry about change at different ages but most women over 50 find that they are facing real concerns that at one time were never even on their radar screen.
We don’t want to put a downer on living life over 50. We want it to be a great and special time in life but we also have to be realistic and look at what is on the mind of many women over 50 that are one day hoping to retire.
There’s no one particular concern that fits all over 50s women. There are numerous concerns depending upon your personal circumstances. Regardless of being single or married, financially secure or poor the one thing that most women over 50 do worry about is their health. And for those that are not financially secure, they worry whether they will they have enough money to see them through.
Besides the prospect of ill health itself many women are stressed out about the ever increasing bills, and worry if one day they could become one of the homeless statistics, which they fear could happen if they get sick and can’t pay their bills. There are genuine concerns that if something happened that prevented them from making an income they could end up living in their car. It’s a fact that the older you get the greater the risk of health problems, so finding ways to get and stay healthy is essential
If you are a woman over 50 married to someone that is successful and financially independent you are going to have different concerns than a single woman that is struggling to make ends meet. I’ve heard women jokingly say that they can’t afford to get old because they just won’t have enough money to see them through to old age. It’s sad to say that although this is said in a joking manner there is definitely some truth and fear behind their words Read More→
Your New Life Can Begin Over 50
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are concerned about getting older and know that you need to make some changes in your life, it’s time to stop thinking and start doing. It’s time for your new life over 50 to begin. So don’t waste your time feeling bad about getting older because it’s not a bad thing. Now that you are over 50 and have more life experience you’re probably a good bit smarter and wiser too. Put this wisdom into action and look at this as an exciting opportunity to create a new chapter for you. It’s true that your new life can begin over 50. In fact even if you’re over 60 or 70 it’s not too late for change either.
You may be thinking that you’ve made some mistakes, maybe that you haven’t always taken the right path in life when you had choices to make. You are not alone most of us would have done at least some things differently given the chance again. Often when we have to make choices we are not sure which one is going to be the best for us in the long run. At the time we make our decision it’s based on the best knowledge we have right then. Everything changes, we change, our needs change and situations change. You have a far better chance of getting what you want in your life over 50 when you take control, make a plan and have direction.
If you seriously want to make some changes you need to set some SMART goals which means they need to be:
Specific – You need to know exactly what you want. Be specific with what you want and not wishy washy.If you decide that you want to have better health for life over 50, well you need to know what that means. Do you need to lose some weight, lower your blood pressure, increase your energy level, need more stamina, or stop smoking? Better health can mean a number of things and be different for each one of you.
If you think that you need a make-over what needs making over? Do you look way older than your 50s when there is no need to? Is it your wardrobe, do you need a different hair cut and style, make-up, skin care or all of the above. Do you need to be more organized? What needs to be organized?
If you need an exercise plan to keep you fit over 50 what type of exercise plan is it to be? Do you prefer to work out alone or with a group, at home or at a gym? How many times a week will you exercise and for how long? Are you going to be training for a specific event like a charity run, a half marathon or are you planning on taking a cycling or hiking holiday? These are all factors in making the type of changes you need.
You get the idea of being specific
Measurable – While you are working on making your life over 50 changes you need a way to measure your success, where you are in the process of your goals of making change. If it’s not measurable how will you know when you achieve it? If your goal is losing weight you can set a number of lbs you want to lose or you may have a specific pair of jeans or a dress that you want to wear. This is measurable. You will know that you’ve reached your goal when you can wear the item or reach the weight that you’ve set for yourself. Finding a way to measure your success will help to keep you motivated and on track. It’s easy to get discouraged if you think nothing is changing and it actually may be but you are not measuring so probably not noticing yet.
Accountable – Be accountable and take responsibility for your actions. If you’ve said that you are going to do something and you don’t do it don’t make excuses or blame others. Whether your over 50 or any other age when you are accountable you will be able to pick up the pieces and get back to your original plan. We all suffer setbacks the key is to not use them as an excuse to whimp out. You will be glad that you kept going when you get the success that you want and deserve.
Realistic – Be realistic. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unattainable unrealistic goals. Give yourself a chance of success. Sometimes we get carried away and set goals so high we haven’t a hope of achieving them. This is your life over 50 now and you are not 20 so things will be a different in a number of aspects and so should your expectations of what you may be able to do. If you want to lose 30 lbs in a month, honestly what are the chances of that happening? It’s possible to have a good chance of success if you say to lose 5 lbs in a month and a 30 lbs loss over 6-8 months. It’s still going to take effort and commitment on your part but at least that’s doable. So being realistic is required when making change. Read More→
Hair Loss In Women Can Be Prevented
Posted by: | CommentsHair loss in women is a huge and growing problem, it can occur at any age. Each and every year there are hundreds and thousands of women that suffer from excessive hair loss. Besides those that are genetically predisposed to thinning hair there are a number of other reasons why excessive hair fall happens.
One of the most common causes of hair loss in women is due to hormonal imbalance. This makes pregnant and menopausal women prime candidates for female hair loss. You may be pleased to know that there are safe natural remedies available to help with your hair loss no matter what the cause is
Often the hair loss in women is only temporary so once the issue that initially caused the hair to fall out is dealt with the excessive hair loss should stop and things could be back to normal quite quickly. Stressful situations can cause hair to fall out. It could be due to divorce, loss of a loved one, being involved in an accident or even being in place where a natural disaster occurs.
Hair Loss in Women
An example of this is a Study was done that showed in aftermath of the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand hair loss in women increased quite dramatically. Many stressful situations like this even though they may be very challenging are only temporary when it comes to female hair loss. However not every woman dealing with hair loss is because of a stressful situation. Those that are losing their hair both women and men alike are looking for answers to this problem!
When you have health issues or injury it’s possible to lose more than the normal 40 – 150 hairs that you shed on a daily basis. Research shows that hair will fall out to allow the blood flow that would normally go to the hair cells to go to areas that require the extra blood flow for healing. It’s a fact that we do not need hair for our survival. However our hair does protect us from getting our heads burned from the sun and helps to keep us warm during the cold winter months. It is also a fact that hair goes through phases of growth and rest, while some hair is growing other hairs are resting and after a period of time the resting hairs will fall out as a part of the normal hair loss in women and men. Read More→
Anti Aging Products To Help You Achieve Great Skin
Posted by: | CommentsOur skin starts to age as early as our twenties so by the age of 50 most women have researched or experimented with a number of anti aging products. Maintaining great skin will surely give a more youthful appearance which can be further enhanced with a healthy lifestyle, the right hairstyle, b-glowing anti aging creams, serums and makeup plus an appropriate wardrobe.
In recent years more anti aging devices for home use have come available. Treatments that were only available in clinics and spas are now available in your own home at a fraction of the cost.
It’s interesting and fitting to see how many men are becoming more open to taking better care of their skin and overall appearance too. As more males have treatments like manicures, facials, and waxing a growing number of them are now more aware of what women have been doing for years in the name of beauty and trying to maintain a more youthful look.
By the time they are 50 many individuals are starting a new phase in life and want to do it in style. They want to look younger and feel good about themselves. By this time of their life many of the over 50s have a lot going for them with regard to wisdom, life experience, knowing what they want, a decent career and financially more stable than they may have ever been in their life. They have the desire and the resources available to take better care of their own needs without feeling guilty about doing so.
Although looks are only a small part of being youthful and attractive, when you know that you are at your best you automatically feel better about yourself, have a better attitude, more confidence and it shows on the outside too. For a lot of people the way to great skin is good nutrition, adequate sleep, fresh air and exercise but there are others that need a bit more help than that to get the results that they want, so here are some anti aging products that can help you achieve great skin. Read More→
How To Change Your Life At Any Age
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Author Shirley Price
There are the many different phases of our life that we have gone through, times that we don’t usually even think too much about until we get older. We flow from one period to another, most of the time the changes happening whether we are ready for it or not. The initial stages of a new life chapter usually starts with at least some apprehension and doubt, as well as some degree of stress but somehow we learn to adapt to our new circumstances.
Stop for a minute and take a trip down memory lane, just look back at what you’ve done with our life to date. How have you changed, who has touched your life, who’s life have you touched and made a difference to?
Feeling great!
Where have you been what changes have you seen? Are you satisfied with the life you have lead so far or is it time to change your life?
It’s a long line of changes from childhood, from the first day stepping into the big world of school. Going through the different learning experiences, grades and teachers, then maybe on to college/university and into a career, relationships, financial responsibility, and on it goes. Plus there are all the personal and emotional changes that we go through that are a given.
Even for those that are generally happy with their lot experience times when life can become humdrum leaving you feeling there has to be more and that it’s time to change your life.
There are certain times in life when things go along quite smoothly, times when you may feel happy and fulfilled, but unexpected and sometimes bad things happen to the best of us. Changes that we never saw coming can completely change our view of the world and the way we feel about ourselves. For some people it’s losing a loved one that can change your life forever. The loss of a loved one can take a lot of coming to terms with. It takes time, a lot of time especially when it’s your child or spouse. You have to be prepared that life will be different but it’s important to also remember that you still have a life that only you can live. A life that needs to be used responsibly and enjoyed as much as possible!
There are other things that present themselves to change your life, circumstances that at the time may seem like it’s the end of the world but given time it can end up being for the best. It’s usually not until sometime down the road after the event that you actually realize and can admit that something that seemed so unfair at the time could actually turn out to be positive. Read More→
Learn And Master Piano DVD Course
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever started to learn to play the piano but gave up before you mastered it? I wish there were courses around like learn and master piano when I was young and starting to learn to play the piano, although we didn’t have DVDs and computers then either. Like me you may have started taking lessons as a child but had too many other things that you would prefer to be doing than practicing the keyboard and ended up dropping out.
When I was about 12 years old I started to take piano lessons but it was short lived. Of course I later wished that I had persisted. Back then for one thing I just didn’t want to put the time into it. I thought that I had more important
Learn and Master Piano
things to do. My situation is probably very similar to many of you. We were not well off so my parents couldn’t afford a lot but they really wanted me to have piano lessons. A neighbor of ours was a piano teacher so one day my mother proudly announced that she had set up some lessons with her. I wasn’t exactly thrilled about this but I went along with it. One of the problems was the only opening she had to fit me in for a piano lesson was 12.30-1pm Tuesday’s which was during my lunch break from school. It would have been a different story had I had the access to a course like learn and master piano back then. I may have even become an accomplished piano player.
There were just too many obstacles at that time. It was a bit of a challenge to get home, have the piano lesson then eat on the run back to school for my afternoon classes. When I think of it now it’s no wonder I didn’t want to pursue it. Even so in the short time I attended lessons it had its benefits. I learned to play a couple of beginners classical pieces plus having to learn to read music took me to top of my class in my music that year, which was quite an achievement considering prior to that I was in the bottom half of the class.
Regardless of what age you are young or old here’s your opportunity to learn to play the piano without all the obstacles you may have encountered in the past. The learn and master piano course in primarily designed for adults so no excuses! And if you say I don’t have a piano or room for one even that needn’t stop you with the great keyboards available today.
There could be a number of reasons why you may be thinking right now this is the time for you to learn and master the piano. Perhaps you have always wanted to do so but just never got around to it, you may have more time now to pursue your own interests, or you may already know how to play the piano but not to a level that you are happy with. Do you want to be a part of a rock band or other musical group? Or you may have been looking for a new hobby and this fits the bill. All of these are great reasons to learn and master the piano. Read More→
Life Over 50 The Upside And Downside
Posted by: | CommentsLife over 50 can be some of your best years. Sometimes it just depends where you are, nearer 50 or 30 years beyond turning 50. At 50 many people have aged well, they are taking better care of themselves than they ever have., and are more financially secure than they have ever been. They have had time to cultivate their career and many have reached the top of the ladder in their industry. Confidence comes with success to so many 50 years old and over are much more confident and self assured.
We all know people that look better in their 50s than they did in their 30s. They have grown into themselves, they are more relaxed they don’t sweat the small stuff so much, when it comes to their appearance they know what they like, what suits them and what they feel comfortable in.
We only have to look at some of the celebrities that have been around for a number of years to see how good it is possible to look and feel when you make the effort. There are a number of beautiful women over 60 never mind over 50. What a great achievement for Helen Mirren who was recently voted best body of the year at 67 years old. She certainly does look amazing and a great motivator for the life over 50 generation, it’s a reminder that it’s possible to look fabulous over 50. I don’t think she set out to win this type of recognition at this age but it’s wonderful to see that others have chosen her even over some celebrities years younger.
There’s many other celebrities that look amazing consider Madona and Sharon Stone both 53, Olivia Newton John 63, Jaclyn Smith 64, Suzanne Sommers 65, Susan Saranden and Susan Lucci both age 66, and Raquel Welch 71, the list could go on you can’t deny that these women still look fantastic. It’s not just the women either there are some sexy, good looking senior men out there too. Some of my favorites that are living life over 50 are George Clooney, Antonio Banderas, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth you can’t deny that the big 50 looks great on these guys. Simon Cowell 51, Andy Garcia 55, Denzel Washington 56, Richard Geere 61, and Robert Redford 74 and there are a lot more that could join this list.
I know what you are thinking, but these people are celebrities, they can afford personal trainers, treatments, plastic surgery etc, but they still have to put in their own effort too. No one can do it all for you no matter how much money you have. We have seen that even with celebrities, some of the richest people in the world struggle with weight and other issues.
There are lots of everyday people living their life over 50 that can and do have treatments and personal trainers too. There are lots of non celebrities in the over 50s group that are fabulous. When you are healthy, fit and active, looking and feeling great and enjoying your life, age really doesn’t matter. Read More→
