Personal Finance Tips for the Credit Crunch

The entire world is facing tough economic times, which has people of all walks of life turning their attention to matters of personal finance.  The holidays are a particularly difficult time, what with all of the things we want to purchase for friends and loved ones. 

However, it is of the utmost importance that people remain vigilant regarding their personal financial situation.  Without some discretion, times could get tougher indeed in the coming months.

Assess Spending Habits

Take a look at where your money is going on a weekly or monthly basis.  Where can excess spending be eliminated?  Is there any other way in which this money can be spent wisely—or even saved?  Spending money is easy; spending money wisely is the challenging part.

Adjust Your Budget

Once you’ve assessed where your money is going, adjust your personal budget.  If you don’t have a monthly budget, you must make one for yourself immediately.  Creating a budget for your personal finances can be an eye-opening experience, especially if you depend on credit to make it through each month.

Use Credit Wisely

Maybe you can even refrain from using credit for a while, unless it is absolutely necessary.  Often, we purchase things on credit without truly evaluating the necessity of the item we are purchasing.  If you really need something, try using cash to make purchases.  Chances are if you need credit to buy something, you don’t really need it.

Avoid Major Purchases

True, there are many great deals out there – but they all have their price tags.  With the volatility of the world economy, there are many people out there losing their jobs from one day to the next.  Now just may not be the right time to make a large purchase, no matter how good the deal seems to be.

Save Your Money

Always a wise decision, saving money can come in very handy when the going gets tough.  If you find yourself in a surplus situation, try putting some money away rather than spending every penny you make.  Who knows, you may end up accumulating some wealth with which you can invest when things get more stabilized.

Financial woes can be attributed to many different factors, but it is ultimately up to you to take charge of your personal situation.  You don’t have to hoard everything away, but spend and save wisely – you’ll thank yourself later.

 

50 Free Online Tools to Discover Your Strengths, Weaknesses, and Hidden Talents

Although it’s important to know all of the talents and weaknesses that you may have, it’s not always easy to be a fair judge of your own abilities. However, there are a variety of tools available that will make simple work of unearthing what you have to offer. Check out these free online assessment tools to get a look at the real you.

Health

Good health is stronger than any other tool you may have, so be sure to check your health with these tools.

1. Health Status: Check yourself for a variety of health conditions through this website.
2. Heart Attack/Coronary Heart Disease Risk Assessment: Using this risk assessment, you can find out your risk of heart disease or heart attack, and what you can do to prevent it.
3. RealAge: Take the RealAge assessment to learn your true age based on how well you’ve maintained yourself.
4. Your Disease Risk: Cancer: Find out your risk level for a variety of different cancers with this resource.
5. Wellness Inventory: Use this interactive wellness wheel to determine your level of wellness.
6. HIV Risk Calculator: With the help of this HIV Risk Quiz, you can determine whether you should take an HIV test.
7. Diabetes PHD: From the American Diabetes Association, this testing tool will help you determine your risk factors for developing diabetes.
8. Interactive stress quiz: Follow this quiz to find out how many stressors you have in your life.
9. Your Disease Risk: Osteoporosis: With the help of this interactive tool, you can find out your level of risk for osteoporosis, without having to undergo radiography tests.
10. Women’s Heart Disease Risk Quiz: Women should take this quiz to find out if they are at risk for heart disease.
11. Stroke Risk Quiz: Using this quiz, you can find out how much you know about the risks of stroke.
12. High Blood Pressure Health Risk Calculator: Calculate your health risk for high blood pressure with the help of this tool from the American Heart Association.

Personality

These tests will get to the heart of your true personality.

13. Keirsey Temperament Sorter: This test will help you determine your temperament and learn more about yourself.
14. Jung Typology Test: Take this test to get an assessment of your personality type, occupations, and relevant degrees that will be good for you.
15. Personality Type: Discover your type with the help of this test.
16. Enneagram Test: Test your personality on nine different factors with the Enneagram Test.
17. Type Focus: Take this free assessment to find out about your personality, and if you’re an introvert or extrovert.
18. PersonalDNA: Use this test to reveal your true personality.
19. Big 5 Personality Typing Test: This test will help you learn more about your traits in extroversion, emotional stability, orderliness, accommodation, and intellect.

Business & Career

Find out good career paths and business abilities with the help of these assessment tools.

20. Small Business Administration: The SBA offers an assessment tool that will help you determine whether or not you’re ready to start a small business.
21. Career Vision Job Satisfaction Survey: Answer these 37 questions to learn your level of satisfaction with your job.
22. ColorCareerCounselor: Use this fun evaluation to learn about successful career paths based on your color preference.
23. True Colors Career Assessment: This career personality assessment will help you learn your true colors and pursue the career that’s right for you.
24. Management Skills & Styles Assessment: Find out if you’re management material with the help of this test.
25. Career Explorer: Identify careers that match your personality, find potential career fields, and more using this test.
26. Career Planner Quiz: Make use of this quiz to get help planning your career or making a job switch.
27. Sales Hunter-Farmer Test: Learn about your skills potential for sales in this test.
28. Sales Personality Test: By taking this test, you’ll find out if you have the right personality to be a sales person.
29. Work Importance Profiler: Use this profiler to find out what is important to you in a job.

Relationships

Find out how your relationship potential stacks up by using these tests.

30. Emotional Intelligence Test: Find out how well you relate to others by taking this test that measures your emotional intelligence.
31. Big Five Compatibility Test: This test will help you determine your level of compatibility with a second test taker.

Intelligence

With these tests, you can find out just how smart you are.

32. Intelligence Type Test: This test assesses the way you learn and use your intelligence.
33. IQTest.com: Here you’ll find a fun, scientifically valid test to assess your intelligence.
34. Mensa Workout: Although the scores for this test are not official, taking the Mensa Workout can help you understand more about the way your intelligence works.
35. The Oracle Exam: This test will help you measure your general knowledge and cognitive ability.
36. Visual Pattern Fluid Intelligence Test: Test your intelligence in visual patterns using this test.
37. Lateral Thinking Puzzle IQ Test: Use these lateral thinking IQ puzzles to find out how well you think "outside the box."
38. MyIQNow: Take this quick 30 question test to get an idea of your intelligence.
39. BrainBall: BrainBall offers an IQ test and mental exercise in a fun mind game.

Skills

With these tests, you’ll be able to put various skills to the test.

40. Time Management Test: Get an indication of how well you organize your time by taking this test.
41. Skills Profiler: Use this 20 minute skills profiler to find occupations that use your current skills, or find out which ones you need to improve upon.
42. Concentration Test: Check out this assessment to find out how well you concentrate.
43. ISEEK Skills Assessment: With this skills assessment, you can find out how important certain skills are to your life and career.
44. Verbal IQ Test: Take this test, and you’ll find out how smart you are with words.
45. Mathematics Skills Assessment Test: Use this assessment to find out how well you do math.
46. Transferable Skills Survey: Find out how well the skills you have already will transfer to a new situation using this survey.
47. Spatial IQ Test: Test your ability to think and manipulate spatially with the help of this assessment.

Miscellaneous

Check out these tests to learn even more about yourself.

48. Right/Left Brain Test: Use this test to find out which side of your brain is dominant.
49. Learning Styles Self-Assessment: With this assessment, you can find out the best ways for you to learn.
50. Word Association Test: Learn more about yourself by finding out how your mind associates with words.

100 Terrific Self-Learning Sites to Boost Your Resume During the Recession

In this recession, job security is waning and the prospects for work are getting slimmer, so if you’re on the hunt for a job, it’s a good idea to boost your resume. Self-learning is a great way to enhance your knowledge and resume so that you’ll have a better chance of getting hired. Here you’ll find a variety of sites that offer self learning, including technology, art, and business, many at the university level.

Universities

Use the open educational resources from these universities to get a high quality education for free.

1. MIT OpenCourseWare: MIT offers an incredible collection of lecture notes, exams, videos, and other resources for self learning.
2. Open Yale Courses: Open Yale Courses provides self learning students with a quality education in a variety of subjects, including economics, religious studies, history, and astronomy.
3. The Open University: With the Open University, you can study a variety of subjects for free.
4. UMass Boston: UMass’ OpenCourseWare is full of useful subjects, including critical and creative thinking, math, performing arts, and public policy.
5. University of Washington Lecture Slides and Video Archives: Here you’ll find Computer Science and Engineering learning resources from the University of Washington.
6. TU Delft OpenCourseWare: Delft University of Technology provides courses in engineering, nanoscience, and beyond.
7. Utah State OpenCourseWare: With Utah State’s resources, you can find high quality learning in languages, economics, and more.
8. The University of Nottingham: This university offers a variety of podcasts on social issues and beyond.
9. Osaka University OpenCourseWare: Visit Osaka University’s OpenCourseWare site to find an impressive array of open courses to study.
10. Connexions: Visit Rice’s Connexions to find excellent learning resources in just about any topic imaginable.
11. UC Irvine OpenCourseWare: UC Irvine offers a number of courses that have practical applications.
12. FETP OpenCourseWare: Fulbright School of Vietnam offers excellent economics courses through this resource.
13. Notre Dame OpenCourseWare: Self learners will appreciate the excellent educational resources available through Notre Dame’s OpenCourseWare.
14. ParisTech "Graduate School": Find graduate level courses through this French school.
15. Tufts OpenCourseWare: Visit Tufts to study with the School of Dental Medicine, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, the School of Arts and Sciences, and other top notch resources.
16. OpenCourseWare at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: In this resource, you’ll find education for world health and public health needs.

General

These sites offer learning in a wide array of topics.

17. Hodder Education: Hodder Education offers a variety of self-learning courses, including sports, music, and health.
18. Sofia: "Sofia" is the sharing of free intellectual assets, including eight courses about programming, geography, typography, and more.
19. Schools of Non-Institutional Education: This organization offers education at the primary, secondary, and university level.
20. listeningtowords: This project makes it possible for you to listen to a variety of educational podcasts available online.
21. Open of Course: Open of Course provides visitors with a community portal of free online courses and tutorials.
22. I Can Learn Anything: On this social learning site, you’ll be able to learn from people with experience, as well as share your own knowledge.
23. Wikiversity: Wikiversity is home to nearly 10,000 free learning resources.
24. Google Knol: Google Knol offers units of knowledge written by experts on a specific topic.
25. BBC Training and Development: BBC offers free online courses in journalism, health and safety, radio, and more.
26. Self-Directed Learning: With the help of this website, you can find resources for learning on your own.
27. Independence Cafe: Here you’ll find a wealth of resources designed to help you create a positive self-learning environment.

Sources of Information

These websites are great places to research and pick up practical information.

28. SoYouWanna: Learn just about anything you might want to do through SoYouWanna.
29. Refdesk: Find excellent reference resources full of facts and news through this online desk.
30. Infoplease: Visit Infoplease to find an encyclopedia, almanac, atlas, and other reference tools for learning.
31. HowStuffWorks: HowStuffWorks offers information on food, money, science, and more.
32. Learn2: Check out this e-learning superstore to find programming, business skills, and more.
33. The Internet Public Library: Find an incredible amount of learning resources through this reference site.
34. TeacherTube: Check out TeacherTube, and you’ll find a wealth of teacher video lessons.
35. Instructables: Instructables offers instructions for how-tos, DIY and other creations.
36. eHow: eHow offers expert advice on how to do just about anything.
37. Wikipedia: Wikipedia offers a fountain of information, contributed by both experts and peers.
38. SuTree: SuTree offers instructional videos explaining how to do just about anything.
39. Tutorials.com: Find a variety of courses and tutorials through this website.
40. How To Do Things: This website will teach you how to do just about anything.
41. ViewDo: Gather some know-how by watching the videos on ViewDo.
42. About.com: About.com features a wealth of guides on everything from travel to photography.

Technology

Make sure your technology skills and knowledge are up to date with the help of these learning sites.

43. @ONE: @ONE will teach you how to use a variety of technologies, particularly those for online learning.
44. How-To Geek: This geek will help you learn to do anything and everything geeky.
45. Becoming a Computer Tech: Will teach you everything you need to know to fix basic computer problems.
46. SAE International: Use SAE to learn about automobiles, aerospace, motorsports, and more. 
47. W3Schools: W3Schools provides learning for an extensive amount of web-building technologies.
48. actDEN: Check out this resource to find software tutorials and online courses for technology learning.
49. In Pictures: Visit In Pictures to get free computer tutorials full of helpful photos.
50. Killersites: Killersites offers lots of great information for web design and hosting.

Art

Develop your artistic side using the resources from these self learning websites.

50. Paint Shop Pro Users Group: Use this self learning program to learn how to use Paint Shop Pro.
51. Berklee Music: Berklee offers online music courses covering music theory, business, and more.
52. Strobist: The Strobist blog and related resources will help you learn how to light for photography.
53. Teoria: Teoria offers lots of music theory learning resources, including tutorials and exercises.
54. Digital Arts: Digital Arts is full of learning and inspiration for digital creativity.
55. IMDb: Check out the Internet Movie Database to educate yourself about everything movie related.
56. Musictheory: Ricci Adams shares this learning resource with lessons and utilities for learning music theory.
57. PSDTUTS: Here you’ll find a great amount of tutorials for mastering Photoshop.
58. Photography Mentor: Find inspiration, education, and motivation from Photography Mentor.

Language & Literature

Learn a new language or develop your understanding of literature through these websites.

59. Bartleby: Bartleby is a great place to find books online.
60. Learn Spanish Free: This website has helpful lessons, podcasts, word of the day, and more.
61. Bibliomania: Check out Bibliomania to find free online literature and study guides.
62. BBC Languages: BBC offers lots of great resources for learning a new language on this website.
63. Literature.org: Literature.org offers an extensive online library of literature for you to read and study.
64. Chinese Tutorials: With these lessons and video tutorials, you can learn Mandarin.
65. Project Gutenberg: Project Gutenburg offers a variety of free electronic books.
66. American Sign Language Browser: Learn more about American Sign Language with the help of this website.
67. Arts & Letters Daily: Visit this website for ideas, criticism, and debate.
68. Teach Yourself Japanese: This extensive website offers lots of resources for learning Japanese, as well as a message board for help.

Science

With these websites, you’ll be able to learn more about science.

69. Exploratorium: Visit the Exploratorium to learn about science, art, and human perception.
70. The Why Files: Check out The Why Files, and you’ll find out the science behind the news.
71. MadSciNet: This 24-hour exploding laboratory is full of excellent science learning.
72. Science A Go Go: Find science news, discussion, and research through this resource.
73. Inner Body: Explore the human body with the help of this website.
74. SciTech Daily Review: On this website, you’ll be able to learn about developments, innovations, and more.
75. NASA: NASA offers lots of great online learning opportunities, including podcasts and videos.
76. Biology Online: Find lots of learning devoted strictly to biology on this website.

Math

Improve your math skills with the help of these learning sites.

77. SOS Math: SOS Math is a free resource with lots of math review material, including trigonometry, algebra, and calculus.
78. MathVids: Get help learning math with this video instruction website.
79. Math Cracker: Math Cracker offers self learning students tutorials, lessons, solvers, and more.
80. Math.com: Math.com is full of tutorials, problems, and other resources for learning Math.
81. Math for Morons Like Us: If you feel like a Math moron, this is a great place to get educated.
82. Real-World Math Tutorials: Get real-world problem solving in math from this website.

Creativity

Get creative with these sites that feature DIY projects, hacks, and more.

83. MAKE: MAKE and its accompanying magazine offer a variety of creative ideas for DIY projects.
84. Hack a Day: Hack a Day features a fresh new hack every day, including special how-to hacks.
85. Do It Yourself: This website is full of DIY projects that you can take on.
86. Hack N Mod: On this website, you’ll find a wealth of cool hacks, mods, and projects.
87. ReadyMade: Find instructions for everyday creativity through ReadyMade.
88. Hacked Gadgets: Hacked Gadgets features lots of DIY tech inspiration and learning.

Business

These self learning sites will help you develop your business skills.

89. KnowThis: KnowThis is full of learning resources for marketing, market research, sales, and more.
90. Leadership Training Tutorials: This site offers lots of self learning resources for leadership, including tutorials, articles, and a knowledgebase.
91. Laynetworks: Here you’ll find management tutorials, tips, and learning.
92. Business Balls: Business Balls is full of career help, training, exercises, and other resources for learning.
93. Change Management Learning Center: Visit the Change Management Learning Center to get tutorials and articles for being a great manager in the midst of change.
94. Passion for Business Learning: Check out this website to find business learning courses and resources.

History

Learn more about history with the help of these sites.

95. Archive.org: Archive.org houses a wealth of historic music, documents, and even bygone Internet sites.
96. The Rosetta Project: This project highlights an online archive of all documented human languages.
97. Digital History: This project from the University of Houston has excellent multimedia learning resources, including e-lectures, videos, and a visual history.
98. American Memory: Visit the Library of Congress’ American Memory to find US history resources.
99. Biography: Biography provides visitors with excellent biographies of historic and current figures.
100. U.S. Census Bureau: The Census Bureau offers archived photographs, data, and more.