A Small Chinese Beggar (14 pictures)

It's sad to see these kids become begger in such a young age...

Top 10 Money Tips For Almost Everyone

1. Invest early
Time is the greatest money earner. If you start by saving $200 per month for the next 50 years, you will have a much more considerable sum than saving $1000 per month for the last 10 years. This is due to the help you are getting from compounding the interest that you will get from consistently having your money work for you for a long time. The Golden Rule is to start saving and investing yesterday!


2. Pay yourself first
Always put investing and saving ahead of purchases. We live in a consumerist world. Spending and enjoying our purchases is our lifestyle. What better way to skip out of the loop than hiding a portion of your paycheck away when you get you monthly paycheck. Setup an automatic separate account(Time Deposit or Money Market) to hide your money away on the day you get your paycheck. What you do not see, you do not want to use.

3. Do not take on high interest debt
Debt can kill you. Once you take on high interest debt, you are essentially taking on a job at the bank. Spend less and get away from high interest debt. Skip installment plans also. Most of them have hidden fees that pounce on you once you miss a payment.

4. Buy only correct insurance
Not all insurance is important. Generally health, disability and term are recommended. Avoid Life, Extended warranties and Investment Linked Policies.

5. Budget!
Keep track of your expenses. At the end of the month, do a tally and see where your money is going. It is likely to be different from what you had perceived before. Shave off the excesses and put the money into the investment account. For the next month, set a spending budget that you are comfortable with. This way, you are bringing down your spending cap and helping yourself survive on less.

6. Invest in something, anything!
Don't put your extra money in a time deposit or a savings account forever. You need your money to be working for you. The average return on stocks is around 10% a year. It might seem little but you get to double your money every 7 years. If you put it in the bank, you will be losing money to inflation instead. When investing, it is recommended that you diversify. There are plenty of safe investment options like funds, bonds, REITS. Get a knowledgeable friend or join an investment club to learn more. In the meantime, just put your money in an index fund like Vanguard's Total Stock Market Index to ride on the performance of the stock market while you decide on where to put your money.

7. Have a cushion fund
Sometimes you can get caught in a sticky situation where you need some cash. Withdrawing from investments usually take 3 days and this in eternity when an emergency strikes. Aim for a 6 months worth of income to act as your emergency fund. Open a time deposit account that enables you to break open the deposit whenever you need access. Of course breaking the deposit will forfeit the interest accrued so far, but accessibility to the cushion fund is still the most important.

8. Don't look at your investments
If you had no time to learn about investments, don't track their returns everyday. You will just be suckered into the herd mentality and end up incurring a lot of trading fees. Have faith that over the long term, it will rise. Ignore the financial news and live your blissful life. Ignorance is bliss.

9. Delay large purchases
20% of our decisions regarding money make up 80% of the money we actually spend. For large purchases(i.e more than 20% of your monthly salary), take a week to think over the purchase. After a week, you might not find the purchase so desirable after all.

10. Tax
In certain countries where tax is every high, it is worthwhile to sit down with a professional accountant to work out a way where you can pay least or no tax. However doing this requires planning and some amount of work throughout the year. Most people never get this done since it seems so troublesome. At the very least, talk to someone versed in the field and see how much you can save by planning for tax correctly.

Oktoberfest 2009

The 176th Oktoberfest started on Saturday the 19th, kicked off by Munich Mayor Christian Ude, tapping the first keg with a cry of "O'zapft is!". With predictions of over 6 million visitors heading to Munich, the festival runs until October 4th. This year, a traditional liter of beer will cost visitors about 8 euros (11.75 dollars). And new this year: Oktoberfest iPhone apps, including a dictionary, ordering assistant and a blood-alcohol calculator. Collected here are a few photographs from the first couple of days of Oktoberfest 2009.

Words of Wisdom

Remember throughout your whole life .......

15 Irresistible Ice Cream Truck Treats

No matter what part of the country you spent your childhood, you likely grew up hearing the same easy-to-recognize sound of the neighborhood ice cream truck. Today that iconic vehicle still blares the familiar summer anthem, and that’s not all—after all these years, you can find the same beloved assortment of creamy desserts inside the blue-and-white truck. From the ever-present Strawberry Shortcake to the cleverly delicious Choco Taco, take a trip down memory lane and revisit 15 goodies that never fail to bring a smile to your face.

Choco Taco

Who wouldn’t love a waffle cone shaped like a taco? Especially when it’s packed with vanilla ice cream containing fudge swirls, then smothered with a milk chocolate coating and peanuts. Created by the Jack and Jill Ice Cream Company in the 1980s, it was later acquired by Breyers and marketed as “America’s Coolest Taco.” This is one slogan we can agree with.

Strawberry Shortcake

Good Humor’s Strawberry Shortcake on a stick is filled with vanilla ice cream and strawberry goodness, complete with a crunchy cake coating. It has been around since 1960, making it one of the longest-lasting and most popular ice cream truck indulgences of all time.

Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice cream sandwiches are so simple, yet so delicious—two chocolate wafers “sandwich” a serving of creamy vanilla ice cream. Many people believe the first one was made in New York City around 1900, but no one knows for sure. Regardless, many brands have caught on, creating their own versions, but never messing with the classic formula.

Chipwich

There’s nothing better than chocolate-chip cookies…except for the Chipwich, of course! Consisting of vanilla ice cream wedged between two soft chocolate-chip cookies and rolled in mini–chocolate chips, this delicacy was invented in 1980 by the former CBS-TV engineer Richard LaMotta.

Screwball

This very unique ice cream creation materialized in the 1970s and consisted of fruit-flavored ice cream packed in a plastic cone-shaped cup with a gumball at the bottom. Kids and adults of all ages still find this concept fascinating, and part of the fun is getting to the bottom of the cone to discover the flavor of the gum.

Chocolate Éclair

The basic chocolate éclair pastry was taken to the next level with this ice cream treat. The creamy chocolate center is surrounded by vanilla ice cream, then dipped in chocolate to create a hard shell and, finally, rolled in a cake crunch, making a layered delight that is hard to resist.

Mickey Mouse Bar

Once upon a time, you could find these treats outside of the magical walls of a Disney theme park. With chocolate ears and a vanilla face, there is something here for a person that appreciates both ends of the ice cream spectrum.

Flintstones Push Up

A go-to staple at the ice cream truck, the Flintstones Push Up was originally just filled with swirls of sherbet, but now comes in ice cream–inspired flavors, such as cookies and cream and mint chip. Regardless, the bright colors and yummy flavors still give kids something to “Yabba-dabba-doo” about.

Orange Creamsicle

This favorite fruity Popsicle with a surprise of vanilla ice cream in the center is definitely a winning combination. We don’t know which part we love more: the tangy-sweet orange goodness or the luscious cream on the inside, but we’re sure glad we don’t have to choose.

Snow Cone

With hundreds of flavors, it’s no wonder this shaved ice creation has been around since the early 1900s. You can usually find them on street corners and beach boardwalks all summer long in mouthwatering fruit flavors like raspberry, grape, orange and lime.

Fudgsicle

Frozen fudge bars—what more do we need to say? These rich yet refreshing treats have evolved into healthier forms—fat-free, sugar-free and lowfat versions all exist—but we still love the original.

Drumstick

This ice cream sundae in a cone is packed with vanilla ice cream, dipped in chocolate and then topped with peanuts. All we can say is thank goodness for the I.C. Parker Candy Company, which developed this frozen sensation in 1928. Today this treat is manufactured by Nestlé and comes in many varieties, including with chocolate ice cream, without the nuts and in mini-portions.

Firecracker

There’s nothing more patriotic than munching on a Firecracker Popsicle on the Fourth of July. This red, white and blue “rocket” is a scrumptious combination of cherry, white lemon and blue raspberry flavors.

Snickers Ice Cream Bar

Snickers bars remain a candy-aisle favorite, but when you add some ice cream to the mix it turns into a whole new level of obsession. Creamy caramel amidst fresh peanuts on top of vanilla ice cream, all dipped in chocolate—it can’t be beat.

Klondike Bar

First introduced in the 1920s, this scrumptious treat of chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream is easily spotted due to its iconic silver foil wrapper with the polar bear mascot. Nowadays, there are 11 different flavors of ice cream, and some even have chocolate coatings that are thicker than usual, yet the question remains: “What would YOU do for a Klondike bar?”