Gas rewards credit cards

Feeling down about your rising gas bills? Gas rewards credit cards can help! These cards offer you a chance to earn money back on your fuel purchases. There are plenty of reward plans to choose from. Before you apply, here’s what you need to know about gas rewards credit cards.

How Gas Rewards Credit Cards Work

Gas rewards credit cards are similar to cash back cards. Most operate on a percentage system. Every time you purchase fuel, a certain percentage of cash is returned to you. This usually ranges from 1 to 6%. So if you spend $200 on fuel each month and have a card that offers 5% cash back, you will receive a reward of $10 each month. How’s that for pumping fuel?

Some gas rewards credit cards operate on a point system. You earn points based on your fuel purchases. These points can then be redeemed for dollars. Your cash is returned to you either through a check in the mail or as a credit to your card statement.

Plenty of Options

Gas rewards credit cards come in many varieties. Some card companies offer gas cards that earn rewards only at certain gas stations. If you regularly fill up at one place, this may be a good choice for you. Other companies allow you to earn cash back at any gas station. If you tend to vary where you purchase gas, this type of card will work better for you.

Some gas rewards credit cards also allow you to earn points or cash back on purchases besides gas. These may include a 5% cash back offer on gas purchases and 1% cash back on others. Or they could include a higher percentage back on both gas and auto maintenance purchases. If you want to use your card at a variety of stores and gas stations, one of these plans may benefit you the most.

Most gas rewards credit cards offer an initial introductory period with extra benefits. This might include a 0% or low APR for the first few months. Also, your card may offer extra points or a higher percentage of cash back on purchases for the initial period. This gives you a way to earn extra cash right from the start. If you are traveling more than usual or are already putting in plenty of miles on the road, the gas reward credit card can give your wallet an added boost at the beginning.

What’s Right for you

Keep in mind that most gas rewards credit cards require you to have good or excellent credit. Also, many of them include a higher interest rate than other credit cards. So if you pay off your credit card bills each month, you can reap the rewards. However, if you usually carry a balance from month to month, a different credit card may work better for you.

Evaluate your spending habits and travel budget. If your fuel bill is usually high, gas rewards credit cards are an excellent option for you Look through the different gas rewards credit cards available and find one that will benefit you the most. Then apply online for a gas reward credit card. It is a great way to get some money back for a needed expense.

Teen chat 6 ways to never give up

Hi Teens:

Mike just got back his math test from the previous week. The mark he earned was a “C”. He can barely hold back his disappointment, because he studied for it for a long time. He can’t believe it. He feels it doesn’t seem to matter if he tries hard or not, he still doesn’t get good marks. What is the use of trying?

Granted, it feels very disappointing when things don’t work out the way you had planned, especially when you put in a good effort.

So how to you keep going when the going gets tough? Would you, too, call it quits if you were in Dan’s shoes, or would you continue to study for your tests despite the low mark received in this test?

“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.”

- Tommy Lasorda

1. Keeping An Open Mind

In Mike’s case I hope that you would agree that it is too soon to throw in the towel. It’s important that you keep trying until you get the results you want. When you say, “I quit,” you turn off your inner dynamo and your determination leaves. Giving up is the easy (and tempting) thing to do, but don’t give up! Keep trying!

The one thing that you can do in pursuing your goal is to keep an open mind. You will be more aware of ideas and opportunities around you that could help you move closer to your goal. Once you say “I quit,” you close off your mind from any additional ways of getting closer to your goal and experiencing the necessary breakthroughs to help you get there.

For example, in the math test, if Dan keeps an open mind and chooses to keep studying for tests, he may find new ways of preparing that will help him retain the information. Not everybody learns in the same way. There are more ways than one to do everything!

2. Trial and Error

One thing for you to remember when you get discouraged is that you actually tried in the first place. You made an effort. If you got a result that you don’t like, you will need to adjust your actions until you get a better outcome. Especially at the onset, we may feel overwhelmed at times and think that we will never get there. Yes, you may have temporary setbacks, but if you learn from those and change your actions, you will get what you want.

Colonel Sanders was rejected over 1000 times before someone bought his famous chicken recipe.

The Wright brothers tried many times before taking flight.

Thomas Edison tried to invent the light bulb over 9999 times. He said that every attempt showed him just another way how not to invent the electric lamp. He didn’t look at them as mistakes, but as advancements towards his ultimate goal. What a powerful mindset to have!

The spirit of “stick-to-it-iveness” (in proper English the word is “tenacity”) is the one that wins! Each time you try again, you WIN!

3. Questions Are the Answer

When you run out of ideas, it’s time to start asking questions. Of whom do you ask the questions? Guess what? YOU! That’s right. Once you start asking yourself questions, you will come up with more answers. The trick is to ask yourself better questions so you will get better answers!

What do I mean by that?

Let’s use the scenario about Mike and his math test. He could ask himself, “How come I never get a good mark? How come I can’t do well in school?” The kicker is that when you ask those kinds of unhelpful questions, you are going to come up with answers that are just as unhelpful, such as, “Because I am stupid, because I’ll never learn it, because I am no good, etc.”

Now let me ask you some questions.

Are those answers going to help you? How are they going to make you feel? Are they going to make you take action and try again?

Here is a better way of asking yourself questions.

“What can I try differently next time to help me study?

Ask questions that are geared towards getting what you want, not what you don’t want. Keep the questions positive.

For extra effectiveness, try writing the question(s) down. If you ask yourself the questions before you go to sleep at night, often times the answers will come the next day. Your brain will have had the time to think about it while you were sleeping.

Sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it? Keep asking better questions, and better answers will come.

4. Guidance

Here is another question. “Who can help you?”

Is there somebody who has already achieved the same goal? Find them and ask them what they did to get there. Asking doesn’t cost anything. If they won’t help you, find somebody else.

Chances are these people weren’t always doing great at first. The difference is that they kept going, no matter how small the action seemed at the time. Once you have the determination to persist until you get what you want, you will become more confident in yourself as well.

5. Excuse Me

A sure way to keep from starting or continuing towards your goal is to come up with an excuse. There is always an excuse ready for you to use if you want to find one. It’s easy to come up with excuses. If you find yourself making excuses, take a minute and you will see that you are really only cheating yourself.

6. Picture It

To make your goals a reality usually requires you to venture outside of your comfort zone. That can be scary, and it will not feel very uncomfortable at first. Keep focusing on the benefit of your goal to push yourself further along.

Take a minute whenever you feel overwhelmed and DREAM about your goal! See yourself already there. Get a clear picture of what you are going to look like, where you will be, and what you will be feeling. It’s fun to dream, and it will help make your dream come true.

You deserve the best in life. You deserve to get what you are dreaming about. You alone can make it happen. It’s your birthright to have it all. Nobody has the right to take that from you, no matter what you have been told.

The truth is that you can do anything you set your mind to do. You just don’t know your own power yet. If you truly desire to get something and you aren’t going to let anything get in your way, if you are creative and keep an open mind, it’s amazing what you can do.

Stay in the game. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Don’t succumb to pressure. You may need to take a breather every once in while to help you get back your momentum, and that’s okay as long as you get back in the game again. Any dream worth having is worth persevering to reach. You have it inside of you to create your dreams and your future. Go for it and make it happen!

“If you can dream it, you can do it!”

-Walt Disney

“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great Surprises, is to find he can do what he is afraid he couldn’t do.”

-Henry Ford

One last note about when it isn’t advisable to keep trying. That’s when you’re trying to change somebody other than yourself. It’s great to help out a friend and do things for them sometimes, but it’s their responsibility to take care of themselves and have their own goals. It’s not going to work in the long run if you do it for them.

This article is part of the Teenacity Teen Chat Guide “Get what you want and break free” – 6 ways to help you unleash your greatness no matter what your life is like now! Go to TEENACITY. COM – The # 1 Place for Teens – Where You Are Accepted For Who You Are – and get your copy now free of charge!

Writing your own powerful affirmations

A common question I see from people just beginning their personal development journey is, "How do I write effective affirmations?" Often they will go in search of existing affirmations that they can apply to their own situation, but they may or may not find something that works for them.

In my experience, it is much simpler to come up with our own personal affirmations because they'll get right to the heart of the matter like nothing else can!

First, let's explore the reasons for using affirmations so we can be clear about our objectives in writing them. An affirmation is most often used to help us think and feel more positive, empowered, and in control of a particular situation. On a deeper level, an affirmation is meant to ALTER OUR EXISTING BELIEFS.

Remember that our current circumstances are a direct result of our past thinking. In order to change our future experiences, we need to change our current thinking. You might find it helpful to first get clear about exactly what your current beliefs are. Think about the various aspects of your life, like your career, financial status, relationships, health, and so on. As you think about these situations, ask yourself what beliefs they reveal. If you have a lot of financial struggles, your existing belief might be, "I don't have enough money," or "I can't stop accumulating debt." Because you believe these things, your outer circumstances have come together in such a way that supports your beliefs.

Affirmations can help us change our beliefs, if they are worded correctly.

The first thing to understand is the importance of wording affirmations in present tense. Notice the difference in feelings you get from saying, "I will eat healthful, nutritious foods and exercise each day", or "I enjoy eating healthful, nutritious foods and exercising each day." The second statement makes the affirmation part of your experience NOW, while the first keeps the reality off in some uncertain future period of time.

Okay, so wording affirmations in the present tense is important, but how can we tell which words will give us the result we desire? The clues lie in our existing circumstances and beliefs.

If you are unhappy with the size or state of your body, you have been holding a belief that you are unhealthy, weak, unworthy, or lacking in beauty. In order to change your negative belief about your body, you must embrace a more positive belief. "I am healthy, strong, lean, and sexy" would be a good affirmation to begin changing this perception, but remember that it will first seem like you're lying to yourself. Even though you are saying the words, you are not feeling the truth of such a statement.

Consistent repetition over time will begin to change that, but it's important to keep up with the practice. There are two times when you should recite your affirmations:

1) Whenever you notice a conflicting belief. If you go shopping for clothes and you see an unpleasant image in the dressing room mirror and your mind begins its litany of negativity, "I'm so fat, oh my god, I can't believe they let a beast like me walk around in public, I'm never going to be beautiful, I should just wear a tent for god's sake!" -- stop yourself, close your eyes and call up an image of yourself looking radiant, healthy, beautiful, and fit. Recite your affirmation ("I am healthy, strong, lean, and sexy") with full faith that it is becoming your reality, moment by moment.

2) All the time. (Or as often as possible.) Don't just wait for negative beliefs to pop up so you can recite your affirmations, say them as often as you can remember! Write them down and stick them on your bathroom mirror, the dashboard of your car, the headboard on your bed, in your wallet, or any place where you are likely to see them frequently. The more repetition you can engage in, the more quickly you will begin to replace your old, limiting beliefs with empowering new ones.

Finally, the MOST important part of affirmations is the intensity of belief you hold while you are reciting them. If you just say the words mechanically and dispassionately, guess what happens? You won't be changing your existing beliefs because the whole time you're reciting affirmations (no matter how great they are!), you will also have an inner voice saying, "Give me a break, who do you think you're kidding?"

However, if you instead CHOOSE to believe your new affirmations with full faith and conviction, you will challenge the validity of your existing beliefs. Two opposing beliefs cannot co-exist in your mind at the same time. It HAS to be one or the other. This is a good thing because it means that the more you shift your confidence in your new beliefs, your old beliefs will fade away and eventually cease to exist. When that happens, your physical circumstances will shift and change in order to support your new beliefs.

Affiliate marketing 5 tips for success

How can you make affiliate marketing work for you? And is it possible to have a successful affiliate marketing strategy to make the effort worth your while? Here are a few tips to keep in mind that will help you on your way to achieving success in affiliate marketing.

1) Identify the Market Demand: Don’t choose affiliates based on trendy products, or ‘of the moment’ items. Do your research, identify areas of demand, and choose your affiliates in accordance with what people want, but also keep in mind your long-term strategy for business.

2) Offer Multiple Products/Services: When it comes to online affiliate marketing, it would be in your best interest to offer a range of products and/or services to clients. Most stores don’t get rich by only selling one thing to people, so why should it be any different in the online world?

3) Promote a 2-Tier Program: If possible, try to steer yourself toward developing a two-tier affiliate marketing program in your business. By using sub-affiliates, they can do the hard work for you – promoting the products – and you can sit back and wait for the commission from their sales to roll in. You’ll need to keep them motivated, of course, and be very attentive to managing your sub-affiliates. Done well, this can be a very rewarding strategy.

4) Deliver What You Offer: When it comes to sales, your products or services need to be delivered in a timely manner, meeting or exceeding the customers’ expectations. This is how you develop long-term relationships with buyers, and keep them coming back for your products time after time. Delivering exactly what you offer will also help when it comes to word-of-mouth advertising – something very valuable in the online world.

5) Be Honest: If you can, review what you’re selling! Obviously in affiliate marketing, this means that you’ll have to buy and try the product yourself, but an honest and unbiased review is always more appealing to a potential buyer than just making a cold purchase. People want to hear opinions from other real people before they buy something, especially if it’s a large or unusual purchase. Give the pros and the cons – just talking about good things will make you sound like a commercial. Be honest, be thorough, and watch your affiliate marketing program grow into the successful business you want!

Compare retirement planning software-how to spot the best software

So how can you compare retirement planning software to find out which one is the best for you? The great thing about today is that there are literally millions of websites on the Internet to help you achieve your retirement planning goals. Unfortunately, this vast amount of competition can make finding the right retirement planning software rather difficult, because there are so many to choose from.

So how can you cut through the clutter and find the best retirement plan software for you? Quite simply, this process is not as hard as it may seem. First of all, keep in mind that there are many paid retirement planning software programs on the Internet; while some of these may be worth it for you depending in your situation, most of them really are unnecessary.

In fact, a simple Word or Excel document will pay huge dividends in helping you to keep track of your income and expenses. Remember, the most important part of your retirement planning software is to help you track your income and expenses, and make sure you have enough money to retire.

It really doesn't require a lot of elaborate retirement planning software to do this process. Simply set up your income and expenses in the form of a balance your income statement, keep track of them each month, and you will have done more than most people will ever do in their lifetime.

You see, the simple practice of tracking income and expenses is a lost are in today's world. Also, having a plan for retirement planning is a huge step in this process. Without having the right plan, you'll never know how much money you will need for retirement, and therefore you will not be able to spot the right investment to get you there.

Would you ever get a car and start driving without knowing where you want to get too? Unfortunately, all too many people take this approach with their retirement planning, and are surprised when they don't have enough money upon retirement.

You see, most people are not financially educated in schools, and simply don't know how to manage their finances. By simply keeping track of your finances, you will have a huge jump on most people.

Remember, no matter which retirement planning software you opt to go with, remember that the absolute most important part of this process is to have a plan beforehand before you begin using it. it will do you absolutely no good to use software without even knowing where you want to be when you retire.

The only way this software will benefit you is if you know exactly what you want to achieve in your golden years, and have a plan in place to do that. Therefore, in order to compare retirement planning software, simply map out a plan that you want to achieve for your retirement, and find out which software will be best for you. Follow these tips, and you will be able to live the dream lifestyle you’ve always wanted in your golden years.

Gap year in italy the ideal program to study abroad in italy

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Once again, Scuola Leonardo da Vinci, one of Italy's largest provider of in-country Italian courses in Italy, is announcing the new programs for the year 2006 presenting innovative plans to promote the learning of the Italian language. Now, universities, colleges, community colleges, high schools and students worldwide are invited to read about our wide choice of Italian language and cultural courses.

This year following the great success of the inaugural Academic School Year in 2005, Scuola Leonardo da Vinci will feature the Academy School Year course in Italy in all its school centers (Florence, Milan, Rome and Siena).

The "Academic Year" is a 32 week language and culture course for students who wish to experience living and studying in Italy. The course combines not only language courses with Italian culture classes at the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci but the syllabus also incorporates the fundamental elements of level C2 of the European Language Portfolio. "All in all, the course offers students the opportunity to see at first hand the various aspects of Italy’s rich history and culture", said Chiara Poggi, the Head of Studies of the Italian School in Florence.

Needless to say, lessons are taught only in Italian from the very start. "At the end of the course, the student is ready to write a final dissertation on a topic related to Italian culture (art, history and business Italian)", said Wolfango Poggi, director of the Italian language school Leonardo da Vinci in Milan.

Created to provide an opportunity for motivated and deserving students to experience the magic of study abroad one year, the Academic Year Program in Italy aims to:

• progress from the Beginner and/or the Elementary level to the Intermediate stages, working on the basics of Italian grammar (articles, prepositions, present and past tenses) to more complex subjects such as the subjunctive.
  
• develop speaking and listening skills through daily conversation classes.


• give an introduction to the everlasting beauty and charm of Italian art.


• take you through the world of business and current affairs and the world of fashion: a sector where Italian artists are at the leading edge, where we aim to reveal some of the secrets behind the “Made in Italy” label.


• allow you to understand the mixture of tradition and change which characterizes contemporary Italy.

When asked about her experience, Sanda S., who studied in Milan with Scuola Leonardo da Vinci last year, commented: "I was delighted at the chance to travel to Italy and attend Scuola Leonardo da Vinci for 32 weeks. I believe the programme helped me to improve my Italian in a friendly and supportive environment. I really enjoyed meeting people from around the world. Being able to study in Italy also helped me gain an understanding of the Italian culture. It was certainly an experience I will never forget and intend to repeat in the future."

Program details and supporting information, including students opinions and histories on the Academic Year Experince in Italy, may be found on the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Web site at scuolaleonardo. com/gap-year-in-italy. php. Next Starting dates, as written on the Web Site, are 02 January, 08 May and 25 September 2006.

For 29 years, Scuola Leonardo da Vinci, the market leader in in-country Italian language courses, has been exclusively dedicated to the teaching of Italian to foreigners. Each year the company welcomes students from 60 countries to its schools in Florence, Milan, Rome and Siena. The company’s Web site, scuolaleonardo. com, an Italian language portal offering informations and pages of Italian language courses, culture and resources on 12 languages, receives more than 3,000 visits daily.

For general business-related questions, contact the Marketing Office of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci.

Information and Registration Center (Florence, Italy)
Tel.: +39-055-29.03.05 - Fax: +39-055-290396
scuolaleonardo. com - scuolaleonardo@scuolaleonardo. com

Investors may not be as diversified as they think

When more than 1 million college graduates entered the work force last fall, they began the first of what could be seven job moves during a 40-year working career, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics1.

In fact, according to a recent study by Fidelity Investments, one-third of today's new work force could be compiling a series of stand-alone retirement savings accounts, which may not be as diversified as they think2.

With each job change, millions are faced with the increasingly challenging task of managing their workplace retirement savings accounts.

"As American workers continue to change jobs, our survey tells us that approximately 32 million have left behind retirement accounts with past employers," said Jeffrey R. Carney, president of Fidelity Personal Investments.

"Our research also shows that 41 percent of investors with multiple retirement accounts believe that maintaining separate accounts makes for a more diversified portfolio. While Americans are more savvy about investing, many have lost sight of what 'diversification' really means -; spreading out money over different types of investments such as stocks, bonds and cash to manage risk -; which can't be assured simply by having multiple accounts."

In reviewing the portfolios of nearly half a million investors over the past year, Fidelity found that many need to be reminded of three basic tenets for managing a diversified portfolio: Know what you own; know how much you're paying; and know when it's time to seek guidance.

Many investors who maintain multiple accounts don't realize the makeup of their overall investments and may be heavily overweighted or underweighted in a specific type of investment sector or security.

Keeping accounts scattered not only creates additional paperwork, it can cost more when maintenance fees are assessed by multiple providers.

"Many investors are surprised to find that they are holding a variety of mutual funds with above-average expenses or paying more in fees by maintaining several smaller balance accounts," Carney said.

Managing and monitoring multiple accounts through numerous statements and Web sites can add increased layers of complexity for investors. In fact, nearly a quarter of those with multiple accounts reported trouble keeping track of them.