25/05/2009 by FeedCrazy.

We all make money mistakes from time to time. Much of the time, we are vaguely aware that we are making a mistake, or it is even obviously an error the moment we make it. But the science of behavioral economics is showing just how subtle these things can be. Are you making either of the following money mistakes?

Money Mistake - Mental Accounting

A term used by researchers in the field of behavioral economics, mental accounting refers to how we treat money from different sources differently. For example, if you work hard to save $2,000, you might be very careful in how you spend it, while a $2,000 tax refund - which seems like a lottery win - might be treated as less important. Of course, the amount is the same, and you are free to use it any way you choose, but a “windfall” is typically treated differently from earned income.

I used to see extreme examples of this when I dealt blackjack in a casino years ago. Most players had a mental category they called “house money.” This was the profit that they had made, or at least the amount that they were ahead at the time. A man might be very cautious betting with his “own” $200 bankroll, but once he had $600 of winnings in front of him, he would start betting more and playing with less caution. He would say that he was playing with “house money.”

Of course, the reality is that once he won the money in the first place, it was all his money. He was free to walk out that door and do anything he wanted with the $600 profit. In fact, he might have stopped before he ever lost $600 of “his own” money, but this was somehow different. The result was predictable. If some common sense prevailed, he might lose only $500 of it, and still leave with more than he started with. More often, he would lose the $600 AND the $200 he brought.

You might think that this is not a problem you have. But what if you won $1,000 on a lottery ticket, or got a $1,000 bonus from your employer? You could take your windfall and put it into your retirement account or your child’s college fund. But do you really treat such money the same as if you worked weekends to make an extra thousand? This is an easy money mistake to make.

Money Mistake - Integrating Losses

This is another tough one to avoid. When you buy that new car, do you suddenly feel like an extra $400 for a better car stereo isn’t much money? Of course, it doesn’t seem like much when you are spending $22,000 for a car - and that’s why that salesman will push these things. But if it isn’t too much, why did it seem like a lot to buy such a stereo for your previous car? Just the day before you might have thought $200 was too much.

This is about the psychology of making large purchases or taking large losses. This is another classic habit you see in gamblers. $100 was too much to lose at the start of the night, but once he is suckered into losing $2,000, it seems easier to throw that last $100 out there all at once. This is not a phenomenon limited to gamblers or new car buyers, however.

Suppose you are having a new house built. The builder gets you all excited about the latest refrigerator, which he can include for only $3,000 extra. The day before, that same refrigerator might have been worth just $1,800 maximum to you. In fact, you might buy one for just $1,500 if you wait until you move into the home. But when you are spending (or borrowing) $300,000 to have a home built, $3,000 just doesn’t seem so outrageous.

You have to mentally step outside of the situation for a moment to avoid making this money mistake. Ask yourself if the proposed expenditure is one you would have felt good about a week ago. Ask what other options you have. Finally, just wait. A month later - after a large purchase - you might be in a more rational state of mind to decide what something is worth to you.

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25/05/2009 by FeedCrazy.

Dog enthusiast will often encounter situations that are tough when owning dogs, especially when they are at the puppy stage. This article provides the information needed to deal with the issue of puppy biting. Puppy biting often starts at the onset of playing with your puppy and without your realization quickly forms into a habit. Bite training puppies can however be done in a nice way.

When puppies are young they are teething and this is a natural part of their development. They will in this phase bite almost anything including your skin and human parts such as fingers and toes. At this stage they are curious about their environment and will need to learn acceptable and unacceptable actions. This can be a tedious task to go through but is a needed part of the “how to stop puppy biting” process.

The faster puppy biting problems are solved the better it will be for further training of your dog. So, how to stop puppies from biting? Is this process hard to do? The answer is no, the process of stopping puppy biting is a trainable task that can be completed easily.

Always remember that you have to let your puppy know that your serious about stopping this bad puppy habit, which ever process or dog training skill you use.

Puppy biting is a common problem and one of the best methods to correct this is by the use of guilt. This is done where the puppy is made to believe that pain is caused when they bite. Puppy biting dogs are able to learn from this method as it is a natural part of their learning process. As puppies when they bite one another in play they stop when a yelp is heard from another puppy. Making use of this behaviour utilizes this natural learning process. As pet owners, when bitten, no matter how lightly, we must make it appear that we are hurt. This can be done by using words like ouch and Arrhhh to our benefit and even by removing play and affection when bitten. With repetition, the puppy will soon learn that the behaviour is not acceptable and results in the removal of niceties.

As long as you identify the puppy biting problem pretty early on in his/her life, it will usually be quite easy to stop the puppy biting from happening.

This technique involves redirecting the biting from you the human to some other object - e.g. from your hands to a chew toy or a bone. When your puppy starts to bite your hand, you say a stern “”No!”" and then quickly replace your hand with the bone or chewable toy. If the puppy is very young this simple skill maybe all thats needed to change and break the habit.

This guide includes some of the best tips to stop a puppy from biting that you can quickly employ and do immediately. Enjoy them.

You can locate further information to stop puppies from biting in the Dog Training / Obedience resource area of the website DogTrainingCompare.

In order to make puppy stop biting you may need more training resources and one area to check is the Dog Training Product Industry Reports.

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25/05/2009 by FeedCrazy.

There are nine basic steps in how to make soy candles.  Each step needs to be carefully followed.

First: Measure

The first step in how to make candles (soy candles) is to decide what type of candle to make because then the soy wax has to be carefully measured out according to the type and amount to be made.For the purposes of this article, the center will be on votive candles, which need about two ounces of soy was per candle.  It is always easiest to work with even numbers, so making eight votive candles at a time requires sixteen ounces of wax, or one pound.

Second: Melt

The next step in how to make soy candles is to melt the wax.  There are two ways to do it.  The first is to buy a wax melter, which can be found in almost any kitchenware section for as little as twenty dollars.An additional choice is to use a double boiler, which works but is a much slower method of heating the wax.Wax have to by no means be melted directly on the stove since it has a flash point (290 degrees) where it will burst into flames.

Third: Dye

The third step in how to make soy candles is to add the dye to the wax and to stir it in with a wire whisk.  The dye must be candle dye, not food coloring or it will damage the final outcome of the candle.  Crayons may also be used to color the candle, but it takes more time since the wax has to melt into the soy wax.

Fourth: Fragrance

The rule of thumb for adding fragrance to the candle wax is about one and a half ounces of fragrance for every pound of candle wax.  When adding the fragrance, the candle wax should remain at about 170 degrees in order for the fragrance to bind properly to the wax.Mix the fragrance for two minutes before moving on to the next step.

Fifth: Reducing Heat

The fifth step in how to make candles (soy candles) is to reduce the heat from 170 degrees to 150-155 degrees.  The votive candle molds should also be warmed in the oven to just barely above room temperature to ensure a smooth release from the molds after cooling.

Sixth: Pouring Candles

When the wax is cooled properly, pour the wax into the molds using either a Pyrex measuring cup or a pour pot.  Fill each holder to the top.

Seventh: Wicks

Once the candles have cooled to the point that there is a thin skin over the top of the holders, it is time for the wicks.  Make sure each wick is straightened and ready to insert.Grip the wick at the top and shove the bottom of it all the way to the base of the container.  Make sure it stays straight and centered. 

Eighth: Smoothing Imperfections

Even if the candle maker is careful in pressing the wick into the candle, there is still s slight depression made in the skin that had formed over the top.The only method to level the flaw is to hold a flame over the top of the candle to re-melt the wax.  This has to be done carefully or the wick will become scorched as well. 

Ninth: Candle

The final step in how to make candles (soy candles) is waiting about five hours for the candles to cool and set.Once the time has gone by all it takes is a mild tug on the wick and the candle comes right out!

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25/05/2009 by FeedCrazy.

Since the day it has entered into our life, the Internet has been playing a very major role in every step of ours. We are now not only able to buy products online and subscribe to services instantly, we can also participate in different community portals and discussion boards to share our thoughts, views and feelings and listen to those of others. Going one step further, we can also upload as well download video and audio files in different formats. There have also emerged a number of sites whose forte is to offer you different interactive platforms so that you can be in complete touch online besides fulfilling the dream of making your online presence. Do not know as a result of the so-called Web 2.0.0 so that the World Wide Web a more interactive and user-friendly. An search engine optimization agency has also a big role to play in this aspect.

Web2.0 refers to the collective is a new generation of Web-based service is designed to provide the advantages of participation in decision-making and exchange of ideas and documents much easier and exciting. With platforms like wikis, blogs, social networking sites etc., Web2.0 all the powers to make your online more fruitful than all the navigation and production.

Security file-sharing and interoperability of the main advantages of Web2.0 platform in addition to the fun factor. Web2.0 and Search Engine Optimization share a very close relationship at the present moment. In order to succeed, the current, Web, you need to retain some of the activities of the traffic pulling power of your online. As some of web 2.0.0 platform for the work of the Savior of your site, you can not ignore any of their. Whether Web2.0 content management systems or AJAX technologies, tools or Flash, or video podcasts, you can only for you, so your traffic reaches your site. A search engine marketing consultant therefore critically assesses all these factors before setting out on any SEO services friendly Web2.0 journey. In the USA itself, you will find hundreds of SEO USA firms whose consultants can run a Web2.0 strategy for you for your business.

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