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13 January, 2009 |
MEMBERSHIP SITE
Over the holidays I have taken seriously the warm response to the segment "Profitable Hobbies to Take with You into Retirement" (that appears in my midmonth Lifestyle newsletter from my site: retirelaughing.com) and taken it to the next level.
The result is that I am now offering (to a world-wide audience) in-depth case studies on the just created membership site www.HobbiesForProfit.com
You are invited to check it out, and if you become a member, you can expect at least four detailed case studies - every month - of everyday hobbies that have been converted by people (just like you) into micro enterprises.
And we show you how - by using the internet - you can monetarise virtually any hobby.
As a bonus, we pay $20 for case studies sent in by members - provided we can use them.
regards
Bernard Kelly
P.S. If you don't have a PayPal account, just click on the link to Visa/Mastercard at the foot of the signup page Labels: health and wellbeing, healthy living, lifestyle, mental health, micro business, profitable hobbies, retirement, small business, work from home |
posted by Bernard Kelly @ 11:45 AM  |
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09 January, 2009 |
HOW MUCH INCOME WILL YOU REALLY NEED?
Many people underestimate lifestyle costs, medical expenses and inflation.
What is enough? What is not enough? If you’ve given even the slightest thought to retirement, you’ve probably heard or read that you need about 70% of your final salary to live comfortably in retirement. This estimate is frequently repeated … but that doesn’t mean it is true, but at least it’s a reference point.
You won’t learn how much retirement income you’ll need by reading this article. For that you’ll need to meet with someone who can talk common sense about your lifestyle needs and short-term and long-term expenses.
And I don’t mean a financial planner. I mean someone who doesn’t have a vested interest in selling you financial products. I mean someone who can talk common sense.That said, there are some factors which affect retirement income needs – and too often, they go unconsidered.
Health.
Most of us will face a major health problem at some point in our retirement – perhaps even multiple or chronic health problems. We don’t want to think about it, but it’s a reality. And if you don’t have enough money for day-to-day living, you’ll probably end up with a mental health problem. My solution is to find some form of modest employment – even perhaps a “profitable hobby”.
Heredity.
If you come from a family where people frequently live into their 80s and 90s, you may well live longer. Imagine retiring at 65 and living to 95. You would need 30 years of inflation-protected retirement income.
Investments.
These must be diversified, and inflation protected. You’ll need to find a path between carrying too much risk, and being conservative.
Spending habits.
If you’re like most of us, you probably spend 90% or 95% of your income. Will your spending habits change drastically once you retire? Probably not.
Government Welfare (or lack thereof).
Over the years, the government has progressively restricted access to welfare. This can only be expected to continue.
So will you have enough?
Let me know if you’d like me to help you explore your options. Contact me – Bernard Kelly – anytime via admin@retirelaughing.com
With acknowledgments to Bill Losey of Retirement Intelligence Labels: health and wellbeing, lifestyle, mental health, profitable hobbies, retirement, retirement planning, small business, work from home |
| posted by Bernard Kelly @ 2:00 PM |
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22 December, 2008 |
WARNING SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER'S
The Alzheimer's Association has developed a checklist to help you recognize the difference between normal age-related memory changes and possible warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
There’s no clear-cut line between normal changes and warning signs. It’s always a good idea to check with a doctor if a person’s level of function seems to be changing.
1. Memory loss. Forgetting recently learned information is one of the most common early signs of dementia. A person begins to forget more often and is unable to recall the information later.
What's normal? Forgetting names or appointments occasionally.
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks. People with dementia often find it hard to plan or complete everyday tasks. Individuals may lose track of the steps involved in preparing a meal, placing a telephone call or playing a game.
What's normal? Occasionally forgetting why you came into a room or what you planned to say.
3. Problems with language. People with Alzheimer’s disease often forget simple words or substitute unusual words, making their speech or writing hard to understand. They may be unable to find the toothbrush, for example, and instead ask for "that thing for my mouth.”
What's normal? Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.
4. Disorientation to time and place. People with Alzheimer’s disease can become lost in their own neighborhood, forget where they are and how they got there, and not know how to get back home.
What's normal? Forgetting the day of the week or where you were going.
5. Poor or decreased judgment. Those with Alzheimer’s may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers on a warm day or little clothing in the cold. They may show poor judgment, like giving away large sums of money to telemarketers.
What's normal? Making a questionable or debatable decision from time to time.
6. Problems with abstract thinking. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease may have unusual difficulty performing complex mental tasks, like forgetting what numbers are for and how they should be used.
What's normal? Finding it challenging to balance a checkbook.
7. Misplacing things. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places: an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
What's normal? Misplacing keys or a wallet temporarily.
8. Changes in mood or behavior. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease may show rapid mood swings – from calm to tears to anger – for no apparent reason.
What's normal? Occasionally feeling sad or moody.
9. Changes in personality. The personalities of people with dementia can change dramatically. They may become extremely confused, suspicious, fearful or dependent on a family member.
What's normal? People’s personalities do change somewhat with age.
10. Loss of initiative. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may become very passive, sitting in front of the TV for hours, sleeping more than usual or not wanting to do usual activities.
What's normal? Sometimes feeling weary of work or social obligations.
Labels: health and wellbeing, healthcare, healthy living, lifestyle, mental health, retirement, retirement planning |
| posted by Bernard Kelly @ 2:14 PM |
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18 December, 2008 |
AVOID ANY RELIANCE ON GOVERNMENT WELFARE
The consultation paper on retirement incomes – as part of the Henry review into the tax system – notes that there are now five people of working age for each person over 65.
However by 2047, this ratio will fall to only 2.4 persons.
The consequence of having relatively more of us retired and less of us in the workforce will mean that the cost of the age pension will increase from 2.5% of the gross domestic product to 4.4%.
In addition there will be larger demands by the health sector to pay for the ever increasing cost of caring for an increasingly older population and ever increasingly costly medical equipment and drugs.
The economy will simply not be able to sustain the pension as we currently know it.
A likely scenario is that we will only have access to the pension, and the Pharmaceutical Benefits scheme etc., once we have exhausted our super.
So plan now to avoid any reliance on government welfare, as it may not be there when you’ll need it.
If you would like me to help you explore your options for 20-25 years of dignified retirement, contact me – Bernard Kelly – any time on admin@retirelaughing.com Labels: health and wellbeing, healthcare, healthy living, lifestyle, retirement, retirement planning |
| posted by Bernard Kelly @ 12:38 PM |
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27 November, 2008 |
VOLUNTEER ABROAD
Volunteer in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India, Latin America, Thailand, Vietnam
Strengthen your mind, heart, and soul by giving your time to others.
Volunteering abroad is a wonderful way to provide a service, integrate with the local community, and earn a sense of personal reward while travelling.
You can make a difference in the lives of the people you meet, and they will certainly make a difference in yours!
CulturalEmbrace.com currently offers volunteer opportunities in
Africa, Australia, India, Latin America, New Zealand, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Cultural Embrace pre-arranges your volunteer placement so you can maximize your time abroad.
They offer a wide variety of volunteer projects, including environment/ecology, social services, orphanage & shelter assistance, construction/ maintenance, health/medical/dental, administrative, public policy, economy/business, education/tutoring, and more.
Not sure what you want to do, but know you want to do something?
Well, select projects and destinations that best fits your schedule, budget, skills, needs, and goals.
Programs include guaranteed placements, housing, visa and travel assistance, travel insurance, and pre-departure and local support.
Projects range from one week to long-term.
Foreign language and technical skills may be required for certain projects.
Language lessons are available at most sites.
Discover the Similarities - Share the Differences!
Labels: health and wellbeing, lifestyle, mental health, retirement, retirement planning, social networking |
| posted by Bernard Kelly @ 12:32 PM |
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20 November, 2008 |
image - courtesy Teacher Resource Exchange UK
NATIONAL CAREGIVERS MONTH
November is National Family Caregivers Month, and people will pause to recognize individuals who dedicate a large portion of their life to caring for a family member.
Of the estimated 50 million family caregivers in America, nearly 10 million are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease.
This is a responsibility that is often very demanding and can take an extreme physical and emotional toll on the caregiver.
As the leader in Alzheimer care and support services, the Alzheimer's Association is launching two new tools in November to help caregivers cope.
The Caregiver Stress Check is a first-of-its-kind, interactive checklist that helps caregivers identify their symptoms of stress and provides them with a tailored list of helpful referrals and resources.
Symptoms can include denial, anger, anxiety, exhaustion and irritability. Take the Caregiver Stress Check at www.alz.org/stresscheck.
"Understanding Alzheimer's: An introductory guide" and "Alzheimer's and Safety: A guide to planning and preparation" are two new educational programs on one DVD.
These segments feature individuals with dementia, family caregivers, physicians and healthcare experts discussing dementia basics, expectations, diagnosis, treatment, care, and home and transportation safety.
Order the DVD in mid-December at www.alz.org/shop.
For more information on Alzheimer's disease, visit the Alzheimer's Association online at http://www.alz.org/
Labels: Bernard Kelly, health and wellbeing, healthcare, lifestyle, medical procedures, mental health, retirement |
| posted by Bernard Kelly @ 12:14 PM |
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16 November, 2008 |
ENCORE CAREER - TEACHING
Teaching appears to be the encore career of choice, judging from the boom in articles and studies about people taking up the challenge of public school classrooms.
“Clearly it’s not for the money,” writes Meg McConahey in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. “For many, it is a calling that went unheeded early in life in favor of a more lucrative career. For others, it is a chance to reconnect with a subject they once fell in love with, whether it be art, literature or history.”
The story highlights Dave Donnelly, who co-founded a successful biotech company, sold it to a Japanese corporation, and returned to his first love — teaching.
“Students are amazing. They’re funny. They have incredible insight. I write down pages of things I’ve learned from students,” the economics teacher at Sonoma Valley High School told McConahey.
Education, and teaching in particular, topped the list of desired encore careers in the MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures Encore Career Survey of 44-70 year olds, released earlier this year.
That finding was confirmed by a survey for the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in Princeton, N.J., which found that 42 percent of college-educated adults ages 24 to 60 would consider teaching as a career.
“There are many people of this generation who are extremely idealistic and who came out of the spirit of all that was going on when they were growing up and had a great desire to make a difference in many different ways,” said John Gomperts, president of Civic Ventures, which publishes Encore.org.
“But a lot of people get diverted, and life intervenes and you end up being something you never thought you were going to be. And yet for some, there is a little flame that still burns with idealism and their dreams deferred.”
Labels: Bernard Kelly, health and wellbeing, healthy living, mental health, retirement, retirement planning, social networking |
| posted by Bernard Kelly @ 9:22 AM |
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10 November, 2008 |
SUCCESSFUL HEALTHY LIVING
Lance Winslow writes:
Despite what you might think success is never an accident.
Oh sure, you might have some luck along the way that puts you in a nice situation for a while, but it's not long term.
Success is achieved by those who capitalize on their luck and reduce their risks or turn-around their failures and challenges.
If you look at some of the most successful folks in the world, you will realize that they often came from nothing.
Many were orphans and didn't even have a pot to use for their bathroom needs.
But how can this be, how is it that someone can have such bad luck and turn all that around and become successful?
Simple, because success is never an accident, many of these people because they worked hard, they had no choice, it became a habit and they just never stopped once they achieved a comfortable lifestyle.
Working hard, working smart, making lots of friends and never giving up were just part of who they are.
These same elements of success are available to everyone, even if so many people choose not to accept these principles.
After all, we have free choice, free will and we live in a free society.
You are allowed to succeed beyond your wildest dreams or fail, but it is your choice.
Success is no accident, no one I know is successful over the long-haul without working to attain it.
No one should feel guilty for being successful, just like no one should make excuses for choosing not to be successful.
The fact is that it is up to you, so please consider this.If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. I'm
Labels: Bernard Kelly, hospital care, lifestyle, mental health, profitable hobbies, retirement, retirement planning, small business, social networks, work from home |
| posted by Bernard Kelly @ 12:00 PM |
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24 October, 2008 |
PROFITABLE HOBBY – SECOND HAND BOOK STALL
From time to time I put articles like this here. I justify this because mental health is very important to us all, particulary as we age. And what better way to keep the mind alert than by having a little hobby business on the side?
Anyone can easily run a second hand book stall at weekend markets.
You source the books you have for sale from charity shops.
You’d buy them for $1 then sell them for $5.
A simple fold-away table is all you’ll need initially for your stall.
Your major expense is the $25 fee that you have to pay to each market, each week, for your space.
In four hours, you should be able to sell at least 20 books (revenue $100).
Your expenses for the day would be $20 for stock, and the $25 fee.Profit $55.
Over a year, your profits would be north of $3000.Labels: health and wellbeing, mental health, micro business, retirement, retirement planning, small business, work from home |
| posted by Bernard Kelly @ 9:33 AM |
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22 October, 2008 |
SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR BOOMERS
BOOMj bills itself as the leading niche portal with social networking and e-commerce serving Baby Boomers and Generation Jones.
The portal integrates content, social networking, e-commerce, and advertising, in health, finance, politics, technology, entertainment, travel, and lifestyle.
Go to www.boomj.comLabels: health and wellbeing, healthcare, medical procedures, profitable hobbies, retirement, retirement planning, social networking, social networks |
| posted by Bernard Kelly @ 6:58 AM |
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21 October, 2008 |
LOCAL COUNCILS UNPREPARED FOR SENIORS
Fewer than 10 per cent of local government authorities in NSW say they have prepared a strategy to deal with the ageing population despite a government report forecasting an explosion in the proportion of elderly people.
While the number of people aged under 64 is expected to jump by about 20 per cent, the over-65 age bracket is set to skyrocket by 111 per cent over the next 25 years.
The survey by the Department of Local Government says only 15 of the state's 152 councils have an ageing strategy in place.
The NSW Council on the Ageing, representing people aged over 50, said it was concerning that only a small fraction had planned for the needs of senior citizens.
The organisation's policy and communications manager, Anne-Marie Elias, said councils should have strategies that covered each age group over 50.
The Planning Minister and former minister for ageing, Kristina Keneally, said the Government would use the new forecasts to plan the locations of transport, housing estates and health services.
Labels: health and wellbeing, healthy living, retirement, retirement planning |
| posted by Bernard Kelly @ 7:19 AM |
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THE NATURAL DIET
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14 October, 2008 |
THE NATURAL DIET
Boomers are increasingly concerned about their health because they know they will pay the price if they fail.
Publishers and food distribution companies see a good vein for this trend to "eat well" and it boosts the sales activity of booksellers, grocers, dieticians .
It could add fourteen years to your life if your daily lifestyle was dotted with zucchini, carrots, apples, bananas, grapes, grapefruit, says Dr. Michael Roizen, co-author of a book (You Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty).
According to Dr. Roizen, having a healthy lifestyle adds years to your life. He recommends:
- eating five fruits and vegetables per day
- have a physical activity
- drink moderately
- do not smoke
For him, "it is never too late, but better start soon."
In fact, "in the space of three years, we can erase the neglect of the past. Even better, after three months of change, we can already expect to have a longer life expectancy! " he says.
I’m Bernard Kelly of www.retirelaughing.com 0414 778 518Labels: diet, healthy living, lifestyle, retirement |
| posted by Retire Laughing @ 6:12 AM |
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MENTAL HEALTH IS IMPORTANT
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13 October, 2008 |
World Mental Health Day occurs each October.
The extensive literature for this project contains the core of the focus for participants:
- Prevention of Suicide and Depression
- Mental Health in Youth and Education
- Mental Health in Workplace Settings
- Mental Health in Older People
Good mental health as a resource
There is no health without mental health. Good mental health is important for individuals as well as for society. At individual level good, mental health enables people to realise their intellectual and emotional potential and to find and fulfil their roles in social, school and working life.
At society level good mental health is a resource for social cohesion, a better social and economic welfare and it facilitates the transition of the nation into a knowledge society.
The burden of mental ill health
Mental ill health is common: A significant share of citizens - studies suggest up to 27% - experiences a mental health problem. Almost everybody will know a person in his/her environment, which experiences or has experienced a mental health problem.
Mental ill health can drastically reduce the quality of life of the affected and their families. It is a leading cause of disability. The most common mental disorders in the EU are anxiety and depression.
In Europe, depression is present in 4.5% of the general population every year. By the year 2020, depression is expected to be the second most common cause of disability in the developed world.
Suicide - a consequence of mental ill health
Currently, in the European Union around 58,000 citizens die from suicide every year; more than the annual deaths from road traffic accidents (50,700). Mental ill health can lead to the act or the attempt of committing suicide.
Up to 90% of suicide cases are preceded by a history of mental ill health, often depression.
Mental and physical health
There is an increasing understanding of the close inter-relation between mental and physical health: For instance, back pain often is the consequence of mental health problems.
Depression is a risk factor for heart diseases. Conversely, persons affected by long term and chronic diseases or physical disabilities are consistently more often affected by a major depression than the general population.
Also, the presence of mental disorder in addition to a physical disorder (co-morbidity) is associated with poorer treatment adherence and outcome.
Social and economic costs of mental ill health
Mental ill health is not only a challenge for the health sector. Beyond its implications for the affected citizens and their families, mental ill health imposes significant costs to society and its economic, educational, social, criminal and justice systems.
Mental disorders are among the top three reasons for absence from work and are a leading cause of early retirement or disablement pension. It has been estimated that the economic costs of mental ill health result in a loss of up to 3-4% of a country’s Gross Domestic Product, largely due to absense from work.
I'm Bernard Kelly of www.retirelaughing.comLabels: health and wellbeing, mental health, retirement |
| posted by Retire Laughing @ 9:54 AM |
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