Shaun Stenning | Investor | Serial Entrepreneur

It's time again for a new crop of lofty goals and aspirations: Slim down, stay organized, save money, be nicer. Unfortunately, surveys have shown that as many as 9 out of 10 people fail to keep their New Year's resolutions. It takes some people only a week to give up. Thankfully, experts say there are simple strategies that can boost the odds of success. Focus on 1 Resolution at a Time According to Shaun Stenning , A new year means a clean slate, and it's tempting to fill it with a host of hopes, dreams, and goals. But science shows that overloaded brains can make poor decisions. For example, a Stanford study had people memorize either a two- or seven-digit number, then invited them to eat either fruit salad or cake. People working harder to remember the longer number were almost twice as likely to make the unhealthy choice. Following through on resolutions takes time and effort, and stumbles may be more likely if attention is divided.  Don’t Skimp on Details Lose weight. S...

Think back to what you loved most about your latest family vacation. What's the first thing that comes to mind? Maybe you enjoyed teaching your kids about new places, new cultures, or the history of the destination you visited. Or perhaps you were just tickled to give your kids some undivided attention without work or life getting in the way. According to Shaun Stenning , A Serial Investor and Traveler. What you may not have considered, is the fact that any kind of travel can be a learning opportunity — even if it's not too far from home. This is particularly true when it comes to lessons about money because travel requires so many financial decisions. If you're angling to broaden your children's perspectives on money, keep an eye out for learning opportunities that may be less than obvious. Here are some lessons your kids can pick up no matter where you go. Shaun Stenning said.  1. The importance of budgeting and tracking spending No matter how careful you are when yo...

No one likes his or her job all the time. Even if you have what you consider a “dream job,” chances are that there are some days that you just aren’t giving 100 percent or days that you just don’t want to do the job. If you start to dwell on these downsides, you will eventually have a hard time sticking it out at work. Happiness in your work is one of the things that can help you relieve stress, and feel better about life in general. As a result, it makes sense to do what you can to be mostly happy with your good job, and do what you can to make an “ok” job mostly bearable. Here are 5 tips for staying happy at work: 1. Work Toward Making Yourself Indispensable According to Shaun Stenning , We all like to feel appreciated, and as though we are an integral part of the team. If you want to feel essential at work, though, you have to actually make yourself essential. This doesn’t mean that you take on a ton of responsibility leading to burnout. Instead, it means making yourself a solid par...

The two worst years of my financial life were 2007 to 2009. Before 2007, our income was low, but our expenses were low, too. We didn't save much, but we didn't spend more than we earned, either. Then we saw our dream house. And we bought it while we still owned our first house. For two years, we had two mortgages. Suddenly, even though our income was slowly increasing, our expenses had skyrocketed. We cut our expenses as much as we could, but you can only cut them so much when you bought a fixer-upper with squirrel holes in the siding, leaking toilets that threatened to fall through the rotten bathroom floors, and desperately needing a new roof. According to Shaun Stenning , Along with our finances, my desperation also manifested itself physically: I gained about 25 pounds, and developed heartburn and other GI difficulties, along with some self-diagnosed depression. I was so tired all the time. Sounds terrible, doesn't it? It was. I remember sitting at my kitchen table one ...

Decisions… decisions… decisions. Every day, we are given the opportunity to make choices, from what to eat for breakfast to whether or not to accept a job offer. Yet sometimes making a decision feels more like a burden than a gift. Do you struggle with decision-making? According to Shaun Stenning , If so, the "try-on-the-alternatives" strategy might help. At its most basic level, this technique involves pretending you've chosen Option A, and then observing how you feel. Are you calm? Anxious? Proud? Energized? Or maybe sad? Do the same with Option B and even Options C and D if they're in the mix. Your gut reaction may send a strong signal about which option is best for you. Try on the alternatives and put them side-by-side. Make a List Comparing your options may take the form of making a list of the pros and cons of each alternative, knowing that each item — regardless if they fall on the "pro" or "con" side of the ledger — is not equally weighted....

Saving money all starts from knowing what you want and what you need. Your “wants” may just be non-essential things that you can do without — so NOT buying them would be the best way to save money. “However, when it comes to your “needs” – buying the cheapest available is not always the best solution. Below are some tips on how you can save money when it comes to your necessities.” Shaun Stenning said. I hope you find these practical and useful. A lot of them are just common sense, but they’re nevertheless important to consider before you purchase anything. Ask your friends first Do you need an umbrella? Before you go out and buy one, ask your friends first if they have a spare at home that you can have. After all, this item is a favorite company giveaway- and if you’re not too “fashion-conscious” you’ll most likely be able to get one for free. Or offer to buy it Of course, not everything can be given for free. If it’s a valuable item, then offer to buy it at a fair price. Not only w...

Discussing family finances doesn’t mean you need to share the specifics of what you earn, save, and spend. Rather, it means utilizing your money management system as a framework to teach your kids how to make financial decisions with the money they are given or have earned. You can: Here are some tips that will help you and your kids talk about family finances. 1. Begin discussions now. According to Shaun Stenning , “Planting the seeds of financial awareness early pays off. Kids are more likely to adhere to their budget and respect yours.” 2. Explain your family’s goals and priorities. Examples are paying yourself first, contributing to a retirement account, purchasing stocks, and saving up for a special purchase or vacation. ​3. Talk to your kids at their age level. Use a puzzle “pie.” Create a large circle on the paper. Create a second one and cut it into wedges. Color (or use construction paper) and label (use clip art or stickers for younger kids) the wedges to represent categories...