FINANCE
Investing Small Amounts of Money
There are many different suggestions about how you should invest
your money. Most of the advice that is given is based on
professional experience and opinion. If you are new to investing,
and if you have only a small amount of money to invest then you need
to select an investment strategy that will maximize the value of
your small investment capital and that will also minimize your risk.
Diversify Your Portfolio
One of the most commonly given piece of advice about investing is to
diversify your portfolio. Diversification helps to reduce the risks
of losing all of your money if a single industry takes a turn for
the worse, or if a single company takes a turn for the worse. The
easiest way to diversify your portfolio when investing in small
amounts is to buy mutual funds. Mutual funds come pre-diversified.
Know Your Investment Style
Knowing your investment style is another important factor that you
will want to take into consideration when investing your small
investment capital. If you want to play it safe then you may want to
consider investing in bonds. On the other hand, if you want to take
more risks with your investment capital then you may want to try
investing in penny stocks.
Find Affordable Investment Methods
In addition to taking into consideration the type of investment that
you should make, small time investors also need to find an
affordable method of investing. Most brokers and online investment
services require minimum orders and charge commissions or per trade
fees that exceed $15 per trade. These fees can really cut into your
investment capital, especially when you may only have $100 to work
with at any one time. If you will be investing in small amounts then
you will want to use an online investment service like Sharebuilder
that doesn’t require a minimum account balance, and that also
charges a reasonable per trade fee.
More on Finance & Investments:
•
5 Tips for an Easier Financial Life for Women
•
Tips on Using Credit Cards Wisely
•
An
Emergency Fund: Your First Line Of Defense
RECIPES
Easy Hummus
1 cup chickpeas
2 tbsp. Tahini sauce
Lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until creamy.
Serve with pita wedges.
Makes 2 servings.
More Recipes for Dips:
Olive Dip
Red
Pepper Dip
Corn
Dip
Mexican Dip
PARTY IDEAS
"Winter is a perfect time to throw a party," says Luann Grosscup,
author of "Instant
Parties : Everything You Need for Great Spur-of-the-Moment Parties
"
(Meadowbrook Press). "All you have to do is take advantage of the
weather rather than try to work around it."
Invitations
Call your friends and invite them over for corn chowder and hot
mulled wine. Then casually mention that before dinner, everyone will
be heading outside for some winter fun.
Props and Decor
Bring your sledding equipment. But don't stop at just toboggans,
saucers and sleds. Encourage your guests to be creative. Pool toys,
air mattresses and inner tubes will all slide down a hill just fine.
Offer a prize to the person who uses the most creative sled.
If skating or cross-country skiing is more your style, tell your
guests to bring their own equipment so everyone can hit the frost
together.
Menu
A simple soup, like the promised corn chowder, will be a hit for
everyone who wants to shake off the cold after a day of tobogganing,
skating or skiing. Offer some bread to go with the soup, and have
your guests serve themselves from the hot stove.
Entertainment
Sledding is the easiest thing for everyone to agree upon. Gliding
down on a hill causes even cynical adults to squeal like children
again.
If you'd rather skate, have fun by teaching one another your
favorite moves. Just avoid showing off or trying to teach a novice
how to triple Salchow.
Once you're back inside, continue the theme by
having an indoor snowball fight. No, that doesn't mean piling snow
into the living room. Instead, Have each guest write an activity or
stunt on sheets of paper. Then roll the sheets into balls and start
a "snowball" fight.
More Party Ideas:
Party Themes & Ideas
Party Shopping List
Party Venue Ideas
Party Games
PARENTING
Could I be Spoiling my Child?
Question: We have a six-week-old. When he cries, I go to
him, even if it isn't time for a feeding. I'll rock him a bit, and
he'll go back to his crib. My husband says I'm making him into a
demanding monster. Am I?
Dr. Sana Khan:
Not at this age. You are learning what his cries and demands mean. I
think you sound lovely and attentive. Your husband may simply be a
little jealous, and that's absolutely normal. I call it "gatekeeping."
All adults who care passionately about the same baby are
unconsciously jealous of each other. Talk to your husband about how
he's feeling. As you both learn more about your baby's cries and
needs, you'll come to see that in time he will begin to soothe
himself. But he's not there yet. Usually at about three to four
months he'll be ready to watch a mobile or reach for a toy and
become resourceful on his own. But indulge him now. It's fun!
Question: We have two boys, ages 8 and 10. The older one
says we prefer his brother. The truth is our younger son is a much
easier child, and we probably do say yes to him often, mostly
because he asks for less than his more demanding brother. Should we
change something we're doing in order to make our older son happier?
Dr. Sana Khan:
I'd surely try. Plan a special time with him alone. Then you and he
can get to know each other better, and you can be present to share
his concerns and his jealousy. Talk about your planned time together
all week so he can get the feeling that you feel specially about
him. He is expressing what all older brothers feel (I did, until my
brother was 50). Even if it isn't reality, he knows it gets to you.
So change your pattern to let him know how much you care about
him-even if it's different from how you feel about his brother.
More Situations for
Could I be Spoiling my Child?.
More Parenting Tips:
Tips to Build Self-Esteem in Your Child
Make
Learning Enjoyable
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