Thursday 27 May 2010

Money doesn't make the world go around

We live in a world where only money matters. Most of the time it seems that money is the only solution to our problems. “Having” is more important than “being”, especially when we face bureaucratic situations.
Many couples do not know what to do when the matter is money. They do not have a cash control to buy only the things they need. It seems they do not have the notion of value, therefore they spend the money buying everything they see. One of the things that contribute to this attitude is the facility of the credit cards. This addiction may be the ruin of the couple. Consequently, the husband becomes a workaholic in order to pay the bills. Generally, the wife is more prodigal than the husband, that’s why she likes to buy everything everywhere. Moreover, she cannot resist a shop-window and buy everything she wants, even if she does not need it. For many couples, the most important thing is the status, which may be defined as: “when you buy something you do not need, for a price you cannot afford, to show the ones that you do not like, to be what you are not.
On the other hand, there are also couples who have responsibility, giving their salary the importance it is supposed to have. They take mutual decisions about shopping, payments and savings for a future unexpected situation. This kind of couple always finds a time for family, also they know how to control their money to spend the whole month with no debts and even remain some money to have fun, relax and travel. What every couple must do, every time they want to buy something, is to ask themselves: Do we really need it?; Is there anything more important to buy at this moment?, What are our priorities?; Will my possessions be damaged if I buy this thing?
We all know money is very important in our lives, it “solves” most of our problems. It’s hard to live in a world where everything has a price. We may take into account the importance of money without forgetting that it must be used when it is necessary. We cannot keep spending money aimlessly. There are lots of things which are not worthwhile to buy. Sometimes we will have to decide between buying one or other thing, the choice may be vital. We cannot shop until the credit card reaches the limit, because we will probably not have enough money to pay this bill. Someone could say: “I do not worry about my credit card because I can pay just a part of the whole value”; in this case, remember that credit cards charges interests which increase the debts more and more.
Always remember, money is very good, however it is not everything in our lives. We must know how and when to use it in order not to be in trouble in the future. Modern couples divide their responsibilities about how to use the money for their benefit. Money cannot be a reason for a home battle. The couple must complete each other with love, caress, companionship and not allow the money be stronger than it all and destroy these feelings.
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Addiction: vício
Aimlessly: aleatoriamente; a torto e a direito
Cannot afford: não ter condições financeiras
Cash control: controle do dinheiro
Charge interests: cobrar juros
Go around: girar; rodar
Home battle: batalha caseira (= briga na família)
More and more: cada vez mais
Reach the limit: atingir o limite
Remain: restar; sobrar
Savings: economias; poupança
Take into account: levar em consideração
Workaholic: viciado em trabalho
Worthwhile: valer a pena

Saturday 15 May 2010

Work and Success

Nothing in life comes for free. That’s why we must fight for our ideals, if we wish to be successful. Most of people think that success and leadership come at birth, however it depends on the efforts they make to get there.
One of the first things we must bear in mind is a goal to be reached. Therefore, we must study hard to accomplish it. Determination is very important because we have to think high. We don’t have to follow our parents’ footsteps if we don’t want to. When we have the know-how and we are able to do this work, then it’s time to start the job we want.
After we have defined our target audience, we must pay attention to the advices from the ones who got there before us, they are very important in the beginning of the job. We also highlight the role of friends and colleagues who may help us in this new phase of life. We must take into account the ins and outs of this job, because there will be many problems to face from this moment on. Success is a constant process and it needs to be improved every day.
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Bear in mind: ter em mente; lembrar-se
Come at birth: vem de nascença (já se nasce com isso)
Footsteps: passos, conselhos de quem já passou por isso
For free: grátis, de graça
From this moment on: a partir deste momento
Target audience: público alvo
That’s why: é por isso que
The ins and outs: as vantagens e desvantagens
To be successful: ter sucesso
To get there: chegar lá
To highlight: destacar
To take into account: levar em consideração/conta; considerar