How to Save Money Easily

Saving money is one of those tasks that's so much easier said than done. There's more to it than spending less money (although that part alone can be challenging). How much money will you save, where will you put it, and how can you make sure it stays there? Here's how to set realistic goals, keep your spending in check, and get the most for your money.

Steps

1

Kill your debt first. Simply calculating how much you spend each month on your debts will illustrate that eliminating debt is the fastest way to free up money. Once the money is freed from debt payment, it can easily be re-purposed to savings. Plus, the sooner you pay off debt, the less interest you'll pay, and that money can be saved instead.



If you choose to start saving before you completely pay off your debt, however, look into consolidating your debts so that you're not paying as much interest.

The only money-saving that should take precedence over getting out of debt is to create an emergency fund (setting aside enough money so that if you lose your income, you can survive for 3-6 months). If you don't already have an emergency fund, you should start contributing to one immediately.


2

Set savings goals. For short-term goals, this is easy. If you want to buy a video game, find out how much it costs; if you want to buy a house, determine how much of a down payment you’ll need. For long-term goals, such as retirement, you’ll need to do a lot more planning (figuring out how much money you’ll need to live comfortably for 20 or 30 years after you stop working), and you’ll also need to figure out how investments will help you achieve your goals.




3

Establish a time-frame. For example: "I want to be able to buy a house two years from today." Set a particular date for accomplishing shorter-term goals, and make sure the goal is attainable within that time period. If it’s not attainable, you’ll just get discouraged.




4

Figure out how much you’ll have to save per week, per month, or per paycheck to attain each of your savings goals. Take each thing you want to save for and figure out how much you need to start saving now. For most savings goals, it’s best to save the same amount each period. For example, if you want to put a $20,000 down payment on a home in 36 months (three years), you’ll need to save about $550 per month every month. But if your paychecks amount to $1000, it might not be a realistic goal, so adjust your time-frame until you come up with an approachable amount.




5

Keep a record of your expenses. What you save falls between two activities and their difference: how much you make and how much you spend. Since you have more control over how much you spend, it's wise to take a critical look at your expenses. Write down everything you spend your money on for a couple weeks or a month. Be as detailed as possible, and try not to leave out small purchases. Assign each purchase or expenditure a category such as: Rent, Car insurance, Car payments, Phone Bill, Cable Bill, Utilities, Gas, Food, Entertainment, etc.

Keep a small notebook with you at all times. Get in the habit of recording every expense and saving the receipts.

Sit down once a week with your small notebook and receipts. Record your expenses in a larger notebook or a spreadsheet program.

There are also many apps you can download to your phone that will help you keep track of your expenses.


6

Trim your expenses. Take a good, hard look at your spending records after a month or two have passed. You’ll probably be surprised when you look back at your record of expenses: $30 on ice cream, $10 on parking tickets? You’ll likely see some obvious cuts you can make. Depending on how much you need to save, however, you may need to make some difficult decisions. Think about your priorities, and make cuts you can live with. Calculate how much those cuts will save you per year, and you'll be much more motivated to pinch pennies.

• Can you move to a less expensive apartment or house? Can you refinance your mortgage?
• Can you save money on gas, or give up a car altogether? If your family has multiple cars, can you bring it down to one?
• Can you get a better price on insurance? Call around and make sure you are getting the best price you can. Consider taking a higher deductible, too.
• Shop the discount racks at clothing stores. Items on clearance are marked down considerably and could save you 50% of the price.
• Can you drop a land line and either only use your cell phone or save money by calling over the internet for free with services such as Skype?
• Can you live without cable or satellite TV?
• Can you cut down on your utility bills?
• Can you restrict eating out? Buy food in bulk? Start using coupons? Cook more at home? You might be able to save a lot of money when grocery shopping.

7

Reassess your savings goals. Subtract your expenses (the ones you can't live without) from your take-home income (i.e. after taxes have been taken out). What is the difference? And does it match up with your savings goals? Let's say you've decided you can definitely get by on $150 per month, and your paychecks amount to $230 per month. That leaves you with $80 to save. If there’s absolutely no way you can fit all your savings goals into your budget, take a look at what you’re saving for and cut the less important things or adjust the time-frame. Maybe you need to put off buying a new car for another year, or maybe you don’t really need a big-screen TV that badly.




8

Make a budget. Once you’ve managed to balance your earnings with your savings goals and spending, write down a budget so you’ll know each month or each paycheck how much you can spend on any given thing or category of things. This is especially important for expenses which tend to fluctuate, or which you know you're going to have a particularly hard time restricting. (E.g. "I will only spend $30 a month on movies/chocolate/coffee/etc.")




9

Stop using credit cards. Pay for everything with cash or money orders. Don't even use checks. It's easier to overspend when you're pulling from a bank or credit account because you don't know exactly how much is in there. If you have cash, you can see your supply running low. You can even bundle up the predetermined amount of cash allocated for each expense with a label or keep separate jars for each expense (e.g. a bundle/jar for coffee, another for gas, another for miscellaneous). As you pull money from a jar for that particular expense, you'll see how much remains and you'll also be reminded of your limit.




If you need to have credit cards but you don't want the temptation of having them available to use day-to-day, restrict that section of your wallet with a note or picture reminding you of your savings goals.

Credit cards are not inherently evil; it's all about your self control. If you use them responsibly (i.e. completely pay them off every month), you can benefit from them. But the reason most credit card companies make money, however, is because people end up spending money that they don't have. Unless you are one of the people who can religiously pay off the balance in full every month, you're better off foregoing the promotions that credit card companies use to lure you in (cash back, introductory APR, airline miles, and so on).


10

Open an interest-bearing savings account. It’s a lot easier to keep track of your savings if you have them separate from your spending money. You can also usually get better interest on savings accounts than on checking accounts (if you get interest on your checking account at all). Consider higher-interest options such as CDs or money-market accounts for longer savings goals.


11

Pay yourself first. Savings should be your priority, so don’t just say that you’ll save whatever is left over at the end of the month. Deposit savings into an account (or your piggy-bank) as soon as you get paid. An easy, effective way to start saving is to simply deposit 10% of every check in a savings account. If you get a check or sum of cash, say 710.68, move the decimal point one place to the left and deposit that amount: 71.07. This works well and requires little thought; over several years, you've a tidy sum in savings.



You can set up an automatic transfer from your checking account to your savings account, either through your bank or with a third-party app. You can elect to transfer a set amount or percentage of purchases at regular intervals (e.g. daily or weekly) from your checking account to your savings account. The advantage of using a percentage is that the amount you save is proportionate to the amount you spend.

Many employers allow you to deduct savings from your paycheck. The money is directly deposited in your savings account so you never even see it on your paycheck.

You can also have investments for retirement taken directly out of your pay, and the taxes may be deferred with this option. Your employer may offer a 401k matching program for retirement as well making it even more worthwhile to save.


12

Don't get discouraged and don't give up. You may not think you can become wealthy but to become a millionaire is possible if you set up a aggressive savings plan and stick to it. You may be surprised how much money you can put away for something far more enjoyable than what you could buy with short term savings. Good things often take time and the longer you save the more interest you will be making on your savings as well!





Tips

• Take care of your possessions. In this way, you'll need to replace items less. Also, don't replace items until it's absolutely necessary. For instance, just because a motor in an electric toothbrush breaks doesn't mean it stops functioning as a toothbrush. Continue to use it, and when ready go buy a new one or check the warranty.
• Every time you go to buy something think of the thing you are saving for and the rough percentage of your savings so far that the thing costs and quite often you won't buy it.
• Make purchases with paper money, not exact change, and always save the change. Use a piggy bank or jar for your coins. Coins and change may look insignificant but when accumulated over time they can help you save. Some banks now offer free coin counting machines. When you redeem your coins, ask to be paid by check so you won't be tempted to spend your new found cash.
• Use affirmations. For example, repeat this affirmation to yourself until it sinks in: Debt is not an option.
• Always over-estimate your expenses and under-estimate your income.
• Enjoy the simple pleasures in life. During the Great Depression, people still had fun, just not lavishly expensive fun. Children had soapbox derbies, teenagers had dance contests, and everyone played Monopoly, did puzzles, read, and listened to the radio. Get together to discuss philosophy or pray; play poker or make crazy quilt pillows; play instruments and dance. In those days, it took some imagination and ingenuity, but they had a lot of fun without hanging out at the mall, and you can too. Many of the friendships and alliances formed during the Great Depression on the basis of such activities stood the test of time.
• If you receive unexpected cash, put all or most of it into your savings, but continue to set aside your regularly scheduled amount as well. You’ll reach your savings goals sooner.
• Even if you REALLY want something, ask yourself, do you REALLY need this? More than half of the time it will be a big no.
• Most people can save something regardless of their income. Starting to save a little will help build the habit of saving. Even saving as little as $5 a month will teach you that you don't need as much money as you think.
• If you get paid about the same amount on a regular basis, it'll get easier to budget your money over time. If you have a variable income, it'll be harder to anticipate your expenses because you won't know when's the next time you'll get paid. List your budget categories in order of importance and fulfill the most important items first. Play it safe; assume it'll be a while before you get money again.

Warnings

• If you do mess up don't beat yourself up about it. Just try to do better the next time you get paid.
• Unless you're in truly desperate financial straits (like 10 seconds from eviction and your three children are starving) don't try to cut corners connected to health. Basic preventative care for yourself, your family, and your pets might cost you a $60 office visit or a $30 heart-worm pill today, but the skipping it will contribute to expensive problems and heartache down the road.
• After a long week of working, you may want to indulge in some luxury, telling yourself, "I deserve this". Remember that the things you buy are not gifts to yourself; they are trades, products for money. Say, "Of course I deserve this, but can I afford it? If I can't afford it, I'm still a worthy person, and I still deserve to meet my savings goals!"
• Do not go out "window shopping" with any money on you. You will only be tempted to spend money you cannot afford to lose. Only shop with a predetermined shopping list.
• If you have spendthrifts in your circle of friends, you may need to formulate a list of ready excuses to explain why you can’t go out with them all the time.

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Short SMS quotes on life

Hands in Hands walk an extra mile,
Remember,
On dis earth v r jus 4a while,
Smile n make every1 smile...
Dats d way 2 live Life in style!


Success is like a train.
It has several compartments Handwork,
Focus, Luck, etc.
but leading all those is the engine of confidence.


Nice lines:
Luck decides whom u meet in life,
Ur heart decides whom u want in life,
but,
Time decides who gets to stay in ur life....


"We always Feel that Life of others is Better than us..!!!
But
We Always Forget that We are also Others For
Someone Else...!!!"


Life Is a Football Game, And we are the footballs, Never Mind The Kicks Of People Because Without Kicks We May Not Reach The Goal.


Thought For The Day::
"If Laughter iz The Best Medicine,
Then Why It Gives Pain When Someone Laughs At You..??


Every little smile can touch somebody's heart..No one is born happy!
But all of us r born with d ability to create happiness.
Be happy...cheers keep smiling:-


Dont spoil what you have, by desiring what you don't have.
Bcoz what you have now, is one of the many things you once prayed for ...

Life is the art of drawing without any eraser.
So be careful while taking any small decision about valuable page of your life.
Be a good artist of your life.


Life is Short,Live it.
Love is Small,Flirt it.
Troubles are Momentary,Face it.
Memories are Sweet,Cherish it.
I'm too Good,Accept it.


"Life sometimes takes unknown turn,
Don't be afraid to travel.
Someday that turn may take you to untouched heights on top of the world..!


Listen in such a way that people feel compelled to 'Speak' to you.
Speak in such a way that people feel compelled to 'Listen' to You.
Good day!

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Learn How To Prepare For The Difficult Years Ahead

How should people prepare for the difficult years that are coming? I get asked about that a lot. Once people really examine the facts, it is not too hard to convince them that an economic collapse is coming. But once they accept that reality, most of them want to know what they can do to prepare themselves and their families for the hard times that are ahead. Well, the truth is that it does not have to be complicated. Many of the things discussed throughout this article are things that most of us should be doing anyway. Now is not the time to be splurging on luxuries or expensive vacations. Now is not the time to be going into large amounts of debt. Instead, we all need to get back to the basics and we all need to do what we can to become more independent of the system. Just remember what happened back in 2008. Millions of Americans lost their jobs and millions of Americans lost their homes. Now experts all over the globe are warning that another great financial crisis that could be just as bad as 2008 (or even worse) is coming. Those that don't take the time to prepare this time are not going to have any excuse.

But there is also a lot of sensationalism out there. There are some people out there that claim that the economy is going to collapse all at once and that we are going to go from where we are now to some type of a post-apocalyptic "Mad Max" society almost overnight.

Well, that is just not going to happen. We are not going to wake up next week in a world where we are all fighting each other with sharp pointed sticks.

Just like anything else, an economic collapse takes time. I like to describe what is happening using an analogy from the beach. When you build a mighty sand castle, it is not totally destroyed by the first wave that comes along, right?

Well, it is the same thing with the U.S. economy. It was the greatest economic machine that the world has ever seen, and it is most definitely in decline. But there are stages to that decline.

The "wave" that came along in 2008 did a huge amount of damage. Our economy has not recovered from that.

Now another wave is coming. But that will not be the end. There will be other waves after that.

Eventually, this thing is coming all the way down. Someday America will be such a horror show that it will be hard to believe that it is the same place that many of us grew up in.

But in the short-term, we are going to be facing a major league recession and millions of Americans will lose their jobs. It won't be the end of the world, but for some people it may feel like it.

So when you are talking about "how to prepare", the truth is that it depends on what kind of time frame you are talking about.

In the long-term, a lot of the things that even the hardcore survivalists are doing will not be nearly enough.

In the short-term, there are things that all of us can do to weather the coming storm....

Get Out Of Debt

The global financial system is headed for a massive crisis. Just like in 2008, a lot of people are going to lose their jobs and a lot of people are going to lose their homes.

In such an environment, it makes sense to travel as "lightly" as possible.

That means getting rid of debt.

Some forms of debt are worse than others. Mortgage debt is not that bad. We all need somewhere to live, and not all of us can run out and immediately pay off our mortgages.

But there are other forms of debt that are absolutely toxic. A good example of this is credit card debt. There are very few things that are as good at bleeding your finances as credit card debt is. For example, according to the credit card repayment calculator, if you have a $6000 balance on a credit card with a 20 percent interest rate and only pay the minimum payment each time, it will take you 54 years to pay off that credit card.

During those 54 years you will pay $26,168 in interest rate charges on that credit card balance in addition to the $6000 in principal that you are required to pay back. That is before any fees or penalties are even calculated.

But a lot of Americans still have not learned to stay away from credit card debt. In fact, one out of every seven Americans has at least 10 credit cards.

Ouch.

The truth is that in future years there is a good chance that you may be facing a situation where you are not making as much income, so you want to try to start reducing your expenses right now. Getting out of debt will help you to do this.

Save Money

A shockingly high number of American families are operating without any kind of financial cushion whatsoever....

-According to a Harris Interactive survey taken in 2010, 77 percent of all Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

-According to one recent survey, one out of every three Americanswould not be able to make a mortgage or rent payment next month if they suddenly lost their current job.

This is one reason why so many Americans have lost their homes and why so many Americans have fallen below the poverty level in recent years. They simply had no cushion.

Last year, 2.6 million more Americans dropped into poverty. That was the largest increase that we have seen since the U.S. government began keeping statistics on this back in 1959.

Don't let this happen to you. At a minimum, everyone out there should have a cushion that will cover at least 6 months worth of expenses. Preferably, you should have a cushion that will last you at least a year.

Yes, I know that is a tall order. But you would be amazed at how much money the average American family wastes in a typical month. Almost all of us have areas where we can cut back.

Trust me, in the middle of a major recession you will be really glad that you are sitting on a pile of savings.

Get Independent Of The System

What would you do if you lost your job tomorrow?

Would you have any other income?

How long would it be before you lost your home?

Those are very important questions.

The truth is that the system is failing and so we all need to work hard to become more independent of the system.

So what does that mean?

Well, instead of relying on someone else to employ you indefinitely, you can start up a business in your spare time. Yes, it will cut into your television time, but if someday you lose your job you will be extremely happy that you still have some income coming in.

Another way of becoming more independent is to start a garden.

Yes, you can run down the street and buy giant piles of cheap food right now, but that will not be the case forever.

Store Food And Focus On The Essentials

I might get into a little trouble for saying this, but the truth is that there is not going to be a major famine in America in 2012.

However, that does not mean that you should not be storing food and other essentials.

In the old days, our grandparents always saved up food. It was just a natural thing for them to do. This was especially the case if they lived through the Great Depression.

When hard times come, you will be glad that you have food stored up. Plus, food is never going to be cheaper than it is today. Having food stored up is a great hedge against the rising food prices that we will see in the future.

No, we are not going to see hyperinflation by the end of the year like many of the sensationalists are warning. But someday you will be really glad that you stored up food for yourself and your family.

We live in a world that is becoming more unstable with each passing month. You never know when the next natural disaster, pandemic, war or national emergency will strike.

It only makes sense to store food and other basic essentials that you will need in the future.

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How to Prepare for a Job Interview

A job interview is one of the most drawn-out and intimidating ways of making first impression. However, it’s also your opportunity to get on an employer’s good side, which can give you a distinct edge over even those applicants whose credentials are better than yours. To prepare for a job interview, use these pointers.

Before the Interview
1

Research the company's profile and background. Start by looking into their future goals and plans. Conducting the interview with this in mind will make you seem like a good long-term investment. You should also be ready to talk in depth about the industry, the organization, and the position you are applying for.



Learn your interviewer’s name and job position before going to the interview. You may need to call the company to find out.

Talk to current employees. Show initiative while getting a feel for the office environment. Learn as much as you can about the company from people who work there.

Know as much about the company as possible. You can't change your employment history or your qualifications, but you can work harder than every other applicant by being supremely knowledgeable about the company. Use the company's website, their annual report, and newspaper/business magazine articles to gather as much information as possible.

2

Think of questions to ask your interviewer. Participating actively during the interview gives a good impression of your level of interest in the job. It's a good idea to come prepared with at least three thought-provoking questions to ask your interviewer. (Avoid asking anything that could be easily answered through a quick internet search, or you will simply come across as lazy.)
Ask questions that reflect your interest in future prospects. “Which are new markets the company is planning to explore in next couple of years?” or “What are the chances for professional growth in this job opportunity?” both show that you want to be on the same page as the people you’ll be working for.

Ask questions to bond with the interviewer and project your enthusiasm. Inquire about his/her position and background or how long (s)he has been with the company.

Ask questions about what is discussed during the interview itself. Though you may be tempted to respond to everything with an “Absolutely!” or a “Sure thing!” to show how competent you are, this will actually make it look like you’re not listening. Show that you are paying attention by asking for more details whenever something isn’t clear. (Avoid asking questions for the sake of asking, though, or it’ll seem like you can’t keep up.)

3

Practice with a peer. If you have a friend who is also preparing for an interview, consider preparing together. Not only will this give you a way to structure your preparation, but it will also help you get comfortable with giving answers, telling anecdotes, and using appropriate terminology. Practice giving concise, complete answers and maintaining eye contact with the interviewer(s) while you give them. Make sure you aren't speaking too slow or too fast and that your answers are stated with confidence.
Get feedback from your peer. Even if you think their feedback isn't on the mark, it's something to consider: We don't always know how me come off to other people, and the actual interviewer could share some of the same concerns.

Know basically what you want to talk about before the interview. If you're stumbling and fumbling for an answer on a very basic question, you're not putting your best foot forward. Have your very basic answers down pat, and anticipate some of the tougher questions before you step into the interview.


4

Anticipate questions from the interviewer. It’s best to prepare for a wide variety of questions by thinking about your own career goals, long-term plans, past successes, and work strengths, but you should also brace yourself for the deceptively simple questions that most employers like to throw at their interviewees.
“What’s your biggest weakness?” is a classic canned interview question that many people dread. Answering this question is a bit of a tightrope walk: While you don’t want to be too honest (“I have a really hard time staying motivated”), you won’t fool anyone by trying to spin an obviously good quality into a weakness (“I just can’t bear to do less-than-outstanding work!”). Instead, think of a genuine issue you have as well as ways you have managed to work with/around it (“I’m not naturally a very organized thinker, but I’ve become very organized on paper and in my personal space as a result”).

“Where do you see yourself in five years?” is another common question that can take you off guard if you don’t see it coming. Your panicked reaction might be to blurt out, “Working diligently for you, of course!” but unless you are actually trying to get a job in your chosen career, this probably isn’t a good strategy. If you’re going after what will clearly be a short-term job – or even one that lasts only several years – be honest about what your greater aspirations are (ex. going back to school, starting your own business); ambition is a very desirable trait in an employee – to say nothing of honesty.

“Why do you want this job?” is so straightforward it can throw you for a loop. If you’re going into a field you care about, you will have a much easier time answering this. However, if, like many people, you’re just trying to make ends meet, you can answer the question by using it as a way of highlighting your skills (“I shine in fast-paced, high-pressure situations and would love to have the opportunity to cultivate my talents here”).

“Why did you leave your last job?” is a common question that shouldn’t be hard to answer provided that you didn’t have a major blowout with your previous employer. If you did, be honest (without being bitter or laying blame, as this will make you look ungracious and hard to work with) and try to put a positive spin on things.

Don't be afraid to admit that you don't know something. While you definitely want to seem knowledgeable, don't lie to make it seem like you know something you don't. You probably won't fool your interviewer, and admitting to not knowing something is much more impressive than lying during your interview. If need be, just acknowledge that you do not know the answer but will find out more about it and let them know afterwards.


The Day of the Interview
1

Dress for the interview. As a rule of thumb, you should dress for the interview the way you would for the job itself. (If the job is unusually casual, however, you might want to show up in business-casual clothes to be safe.) Choose subdued colors (blues, browns, grays, black) and make sure that your clothes are lint- and wrinkle-free. Avoid wearing perfume, after-shave, or scented lotion (but do wear deodorant).



Applicants in banking or wealth management, business, academia, politics, and health-related sectors should show up for an interview in business formal clothing unless otherwise noted. For women, this means a skirt suit or pant suit in a dark color, along with closed toe shoes and subtle makeup. For men, this means a dark-colored suit and tie and dark-colored shoes.

Applicants in the service sector are usually invited to wear business casual to an interview, although business formal is optional. For women, this means a simple, knee length dress with conservative shoes (no jeans). For men, this means dark or khaki pants with a collared button-up and leather shoes.

If you're unsure of the customary interview clothing expected by the company, simply ask the HR rep or interview liaison. There's no shame in it. There is shame in feeling horribly over- or under-dressed when you show up for an interview.


2

Show up in the best possible shape. Make sure you know exactly how to get there and just where to park so that you can arrive 15 to 20 minutes before the scheduled interview time. Go to bed early the day (or the days) before the interview so that you look rested and healthy on the big day. Bring an extra copy of your resume, CV, and/or references in case your interviewer wants to go over any points with you or neglects to bring their own copy.
If the interview is in the morning, be sure to eat a healthy breakfast. This is not just an empty suggestion. A breakfast high in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and foods high in vitamin E, such as nuts and seeds, will help improve brain function and leave you feeling more alert and invigorated.

Consider exercising before the interview to annihilate stress and increase blood flow. If you're generally nervous or fidgety before an interview, it might be a good idea to work out before your interview. Go hard for an hour, and give your body at least another hour to calm down. Shower after exercising.


3

Show courtesy to everyone during the interview. This means everyone from the reception staff to the interviewer herself. You never know who has input in the hiring process, and you can only make a first impression once.
Look everyone in the eye and smile. Looking people in the eye will telegraph alertness, and smiling will signal friendliness.

Speak clearly and say "please" and "thank you." Make sure the people you talk to during the interview can make out what you're saying. Talking audibly, with good enunciation, tells people you're confident, while good manners tells them you're considerate of other people.

Don't noodle around on your phone or electronic device while waiting. In fact, leave it in your car. Even though it's practically acceptable, playing around on your phone can communicate boredom and frivolousness (even if that's not the case). Stick with a book or review your notes while waiting.


4

Be honest. Many people think that an interview is the perfect time to embellish. While you want to structure your answers so that your best, most qualified aspects take center stage, you don't want to deceive or outright lie. Companies do perform background checks, and lying about your experience is simply not worth it.




In a pinch, take a cue from politicians. When a politician hears a question they don't like, they simply answer a different question. You don't want to do this all the time, but you can do it in a pinch.


5

Keep things simple and short. Talking about yourself can be very difficult to well: You're trying to convince someone you don't know that you're qualified for a position without sounding too cocky or pompous. Stick to what you know well, and keep things short and sweet.
Structure your answers so that you're talking in 30-90 second chunks. Any less and you're likely to seem unqualified; any more and your interviewer is likely to lose interest in what you're saying. In the "tell me about yourself" question, highlight 2-3 illustrative examples about yourself before wrapping up.

Don't use slang or off-color humor during your interview. It's important not to say "awesome" or "rad" during an interview, unless you're interviewing for the local lifeguard position. It's also a good rule to avoid off-color humor; you never know when someone might take offense, and it's best not to risk it.

Talk about what other people think you do well. Don't add the preamble, "My friends think I'm a competent social organizer." Just go out and say it with the right touch of confidence and humility. Women tend to underestimate their overall job performance, so be aware of that before you second-guess or undercut yourself, because it's unlikely to get you a job.

Don't criticize your former employer. When you're talking about your past experience, be courteous about your former places of employment. Be honest about your experience — what you liked and disliked — but don't indict your former boss unnecessarily. Your class and restraint will shine through.


6

Be personable. Try to come off as a genuinely likable person if you can. If you're cynical, pessimistic, and absolutely disabused of any faith in humanity, try to tone it down during the interview. Being personable is about getting the interviewer's emotional side to like you and believe in you. Employers don't always hire the candidates most qualified for the job, but rather the candidates they like the best.


After the Interview
1

Shake hands with the interviewer and exchange pleasantries. Try to invest some feeling into the handshake and pleasantries, even if you think you bombed the interview. The interviewer should give you a time frame for when to expect to get a callback, if applicable.
Hold your head high and keep your cool. Your emotions are probably teetering at the highest of highs or the lowest of lows, but try to stay measured. Project a cool confidence — not cockiness — and walk out of the interview with your head held high.

If the interviewer does not tell you when they will contact you if you're a good fit for the position, it's appropriate to ask, "When can I expect to hear back from you about the position?" This will prove important later on.


2

Send a thank-you letter to your interviewer and/or liaison. Now is a good time to thank the person you interviewed with, even if it's just a formality. You can say something like:



"Dear [interviewer's name], Thank you for the opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you. I remain very impressed by [interviewer's company], and invite you to contact me if you have any further questions. I look forward to hearing from you about this position."

If you missed any important points in your interview you wanted to stress, you may include one or two in the thank-you letter. Keep the points brief, and tie them into a discussion point that you or the interviewer made during the interview.

If you received any help in getting the interview, follow up with appropriate parts of your network. Inform them that you received an interview, are grateful they helped you in your career search, and would be eager to help them in the future.


3

Follow up with the interviewer at the appropriate time. You should have received some information about when you could expect to hear back from the employer. The standard time is about two weeks, but it can depend. If you've waited past the designated callback date — or the callback date wasn't set and it's been two weeks — follow up with the interviewer in a short email. You can say something like:
"Dear [interviewer's name], I interviewed at your company [at such and such date], and am still interested in the position if it hasn't yet been filled. I'd greatly appreciate any information you might have about my candidacy. I look forward to hearing from you."

While you can't control your past experience or the way someone measures you against someone else, you can control how much of your time you dedicate to showing the interviewer you really want the position. Don't be needy, and don't be greedy, but be persistent and courteous. You'll work harder than at least half the other candidates, and it could be the decisive factor in getting a job offer.

Tips

• Don't munch on junk food while waiting for the interview. You wouldn't want to offer a crumb-covered or sticky hand to the interviewer.
• As you are about to enter the interview room take 2 or 3 deep breaths to calm your nerves. You will do better if you are relaxed and have a calm mind.
• When you are introduced to the panel of interviewers, shake hands firmly with each person, create eye contact with each person & say that you are pleased to meet them, and smile as you say so.
• Your preparation for the job interview should be taken seriously. The competition against another candidate with a better qualification is fierce. Preparation helps you keep what's in your mind, and not slip it when you're in a most uncomfortable position. An interview is the key before a company hires you, so you better discover how to sell yourself before meeting with the prospective employer.
• Start preparing for the interview well before the interview day. Thorough preparation is a prerequisite to success in any interview. Ideally, start preparing about a month before the interview. If that isn't possible, start preparing as soon as you are able.
• Don’t be afraid to be confident. Set your mind to why you are the best candidate for the job. If you truly feel that way, it's likely you'll pass the sentiment on to your interviewer.
• Don't play with your chair while waiting to be called.
• If the venue is far from your place of residence, stop in the washroom when you arrive to reset your hair, tie, etc.
• Don't say something you'll regret later. Think before you speak.

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How to Make A Perfect Pizza

Felicity's perfect pizza. Photograph: Felicity Cloake

Pizza is well worth making at home: it's easy, fun, and perfect to tear into with your fingers. All you need is a hot oven and a light and flavour some dough – the rest is entirely up to you.

Makes 6–8 depending on size

• 500g pizza flour (or half 00 flour and half strong white flour)
• 10g fresh yeast (or 7g instant dried, made up as on packet)
• ½ tsp sugar
• 320ml warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• Your chosen toppings
• Olive oil and semolina flour, to serve

1. Mash together the yeast and sugar and leave for 1 minute. Stir into the water, then add to the flour and mix in a food processor on the lowest speed for about 4 minutes, until it comes together into a soft dough. Add the salt and then turn the speed up slightly and mix for another 4 minutes. Alternatively, mix them together with a wooden spoon, then turn the dough out on to a work surface, add the salt, and knead for 10 minutes.

2. Put the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, and turn over to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, or cling film, and leave in a warm place for four hours.

3. Divide the dough into satsuma-sized pieces and roll into balls on the worksurface using the palm of your hand. Put on a lightly-oiled baking tray, cover and store somewhere cool until you're ready to cook (if you don't want to use it all, the dough should keep at this point for about a fortnight if properly sealed, but don't divide it up until you're going to use it).

4. Turn the oven to its highest setting, and add your seasoned (a new stone should come with seasoning instructions) pizza stone, terracotta or heavy baking tray. Allow to heat for about an hour to make sure there are absolutely no cold spots.

5. Dust a worksurface with a little flour and put a ball of dough on to it. Flatten it using your hand, then knock the air out of it with your fingertips. Lift it up on to your fingertips and rotate it, stretching it out as you go until it's as thin as possible, leaving a thicker ring of dough around the edges.

6. Slide on to a rimless baking tray or pizza paddle dusted with semolina, and, working as quickly as possible, add the toppings and a drizzle of olive oil. Slide on to the hot surface and cook for about 8 minutes, keeping an eye on them, until crisp and golden. Devour immediately.

Do you prefer thin and crispy Roman style pizzas, soft and chewy Neapolitan ones, or the hefty American versions – and what do you like to top them with? Has anyone any top tips for success, or sourdough recipes they'd like to share ... and will anyone admit that, actually, ham and pineapple is a pretty good combination?

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How to Gain Weight Quickly

Do you need to put on a few pounds to make a sports team, better your health, or simply to bulk up? Most people are out to lose weight, but you can reverse some basic dieting principles to gain some girth.

Eating for Weight Gain

1

Determine how much more you need to eat to gain a pound or a kilo. To gain a pound, you'll need an excess of 3500 calories above your resting metabolic rate (RMR) — that is, you Calculate your RMR. Your resting metabolic rate is the amount of calories per day that your body requires to maintain your existing weight. Here's how to figure it out with the Mifflin - St. Jeor formula




Convert your weight from pounds to kilograms. Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. The result is your weight in kilograms.

Convert your height from inches to centimeters. Multiply your height in inches by 2.54. The result is your height in centimeters.

Plug your information into the formula. The basic formula is RMR = 10 * weight(kg) + 6.25 * height(cm) - 5 * age(y) + x. For men, x = 5; for women, x = -161.

Understand that the formula calculates how many calories you would burn if you spent the entire day resting. You probably burn a few hundred more than your RMR during the course of a normal day — this is just a rough estimate to get your weight-gain diet started.

2

Account for your activity level. Since you (hopefully) do not sit still in bed all day, you must account for the calories you burn through activity. Once you have your BMR, use the Harris Benedict Formula below to determine your total daily calorie needs depending on your activity level. To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor:
If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2

If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : BMR x 1.375

If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : BMR x 1.55

If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : BMR x 1.725

If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports and physical job or 2x training) : BMR x 1.9

For example, a 19-year-old woman who is 5’5” and 130 pounds would plug her information into the calculator and find out that her BMR is 1366.8 calories. Then, since she is moderately active, exercising 3-5 days per week, she would multiply 1366.8 by 1.55, to equal 2118.5 calories. That is the number of calories that her boded to add to your diet. Now that you have an idea of how many calories your body burns in a day, you can calculate how many more you need to gain weight.




Aim for one or two pounds per week. More than that could lead to a cycle of crash dieting, in which you gain and lose weight quickly.

At first, try adding 500 calories a day to your diet. For instance, if you need 2300 calories a day to maintain your current weight, strive to consume 2800 calories daily. This should be an extra 3500 calories over the course of a week, which will lead to one pound of weight gained.

3

Eat three meals per day, as well as two snacks. Eating on a regular schedule can help you make sure you're getting enough calories every day. Aim to have generously-portioned breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as two snacks in between.

4

Focus on hefty foods. You don't have to exclusively eat high-fat foods to gain weight. Actually, you'll gain weight more steadily and safely if you adjust your diet slightly to include denser foods and extra condiments. Consider these options:

• Drinks — Try protein shakes, juices or whole milk. Avoid diet sodas.
• Breads — Hearty and dense breads, such as whole wheat, oat bran, pumpernickel and rye, are more nutritious than white bread. Cut thick slices and spread generously with peanut butter, jam, honey, hummus, or cream cheese.
• Vegetables — Look for starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, corns, carrots, winter squash, beets). Avoid vegetables that are mostly water (broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, cucumbers).
• Fruit — Choose dense fruit (bananas, pears, apples, pineapple, dried fruit) over watery fruit (oranges, peaches, plums, berries, watermelon).
• Soups — Go for hearty cream soups instead of broth-based soups. If you have trouble with edema or high blood pressure, you may want to avoid store-bought soups that are high in sodium.
• Added oils — When you're cooking, add a generous amount of oil to your food. The healthiest oils are unrefined (extra virgin) oils such as olive, coconut, canola, palm, and (of course) butter. Less healthy but still acceptable sources of oil are those high in omega-6 fatty acids (pro-inflammatory) such as safflower, sunflower, and peanut oils. Unhealthy oils that contain trans fats include shortening and soybean oil (aka vegetable oil).
• Spreads — Spreading delicious calorie-rich toppings on toast, crackers, pitas, and any other carbohydrate source is an excellent way to increase caloric intake. Some good high-calorie spreads are guacamole, olive oil, cream cheese, hummus, butter, nut butters, sour cream, cheese slices, and mayonnaise. For even more calories, mix these with shredded meats like chicken or fish.
• Supplements — Some nutritional supplements are designed specifically for weight gain. Investigate brands and products that are suggested for people suffering from illnesses that lead to weight loss, such as Crohn's disease or hyperthyroidism.

5

Avoid trans fats. Trans fats can increase belly fat, as well as inducing unhealthy insulin levels. Steer clear of margarine, shortening, packaged snack foods, and processed meats.

6

Eat more protein. A lack of protein in your diet can lead to the loss of lean body mass, even if you're consuming excess calories. Here are some foods to consider. 

• Boiled soybeans
• Soy or whey protein powder 
• Peanuts or peanut butter
• Steak or hamburger
• Chicken
• Tuna

Building Muscle to Gain Weight
1

Start weight training. Building muscle through weight training will not only convert your extra weight into lean body mass, but it will also stimulate your appetite. Consider these points before you begin:




The extra muscle will increase the speed of your metabolism, so you'll need to consume more calories to maintain or gain weight.

During the first month of weight training, you may experience tremendous gains if you are faithful to your schedule. However, also expect this to level off after this initiatory period (known in the bodybuilding world as a plateau). You overcome this by re-evaluating your weight and muscle mass, while altering your diet to include more food and heavier weights.

When you start a new training routine, you will often experience extreme muscle soreness, called DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). This soreness is completely normal and should not prevent one from keeping to their weight training schedule. It goes away in 3 to 5 days.

2

Lift heavy weights for maximum muscle gain. To achieve hypertrophy (or large muscles), you should be lifting weights that are as close as possible to the maximum you can handle.




The weights should be so heavy that you hit "failure" (or the physical inability to lift again) after 12 or 13 reps.

Use forced reps. With the assistance of a spotter, you can do 2 or 3 more lifts after the point of failure. Forced reps increase the stress placed on muscle fibers and overload the target muscles, making them work harder than ever. Have your training partner assist you in the last few lifts.

Up your weight as soon as you need to. If you can do 15 lifts without hitting failure, you need more weight. It's vital that you keep increasing the weight of your lifts so that you can stave off plateauing.

3

Supplement your diet with more protein. A protein-rich diet can help you gain mass while you're weight training. Try to eat a meal that's heavy on protein shortly after you finish exercising.
Avoid "rabbit starvation", which can result from increased physical activity coupled by a diet focused almost exclusively on lean protein. Make sure your diet still has plenty of fat in it.


Troubleshooting
1

Don't get your hopes set on gaining weight in one spot by eating more. The way your body distributes fat is largely determined by genetics, and can't be changed by diet alone. If you usually gain weight in your stomach but you want to gain it in your butt, your best bet is to build your gluteal muscles instead of trying to eat more.

2

See a doctor. If you can't gain weight in spite of following the above steps, schedule an appointment with your family physician. You may have a medical condition that prevents your body from absorbing fat or building muscle.





3

Weigh yourself at the same time each day. Because your weight can fluctuate throughout the day, try to set one time at which you'll step onto the scale. Many people prefer to weigh themselves first thing in the morning, before eating breakfast.





4

Avoid binging. Cycles of binging (or overeating) and fasting have been shown to have negative effects on glucose and insulin levels, as well as potentially damaging metabolic processes over a long term. Instead of pigging out at one meal because you want to consume as many calories as possible, try to spread that intake out over the entire day.

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How To Lose Weight Fast

Working on weight loss? Then you probably want results -- fast.

Let me save you some time: skip the fad diets. Their results don't last. And you have healthier options you can start on -- today!



You can safely lose 3 or more pounds a week at home with a healthy diet and lots of exercise, says weight loss counselor Katherine Tallmadge, RD.

How to Lose Weight Fast
If you burn 500 more calories than you eat every day for a week, you should lose about 1-2 pounds.

If you want to lose weight faster, you'll need to eat less and exercise more.

For instance, if you take in 1,050 to 1,200 calories a day, and exercise for one hour per day, you could lose 3-5 pounds in the first week, or more if you weigh more than 250 pounds. It's very important not to cut calories any further -- that's dangerous.

Limiting salt and starches may also mean losing more weight at first -- but that's mostly fluids, not fat.

"When you reduce sodium and cut starches, you reduce fluids and fluid retention, which can result in up to 5 pounds of fluid loss when you get started," says Michael Dansinger, MD, of NBC's The Biggest Loser show.


Diets for Fast Weight Loss
Dansinger recommends eating a diet that minimizes starches, added sugars, and animal fat from meat and dairy foods. For rapid weight loss, he recommends focusing on fruits, veggies, egg whites, soy products, skinless poultry breasts, fish, shellfish, nonfat dairy foods, and 95% lean meat.

Here are more tips from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet :

1. Eat vegetables to help you feel full.
2. Drink plenty of water.
3. Get tempting foods out of your home.
4. Stay busy -- you don't want to eat just because you're bored.
5. Eat only from a plate, while seated at a table. No grazing in front of the 'fridge.
6. Don't skip meals.

Keeping a food journal -- writing down everything you eat -- can also help you stay on track.

"Even if you write it down on a napkin and end up throwing it away, the act of writing it down is about being accountable to yourself and is a very effective tool for weight loss," says Bonnie Taub Dix, MA, RD, author of Read It Before You Eat It .

Besides jotting down what you ate, and when, you might also want to note how you were feeling right before you ate it. Were you angry, sad, or bored? We often focus so much on foods and calories, but our emotions are a huge part of our eating habits.

If you see a persistent pattern in your emotional eating, please consider talking to a counselor about it. They can be a big help in finding other ways to handle your feelings.

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How to Partition Your Hard Drive on Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Mac OS X Snow Leopard makes it easy to partition your hard drive, which is a handy way to organize files and folders. If you find yourself needing another volume on a disk, or if you need to resize the total space on existing volumes on a disk, the Partition tab within Disk Utility offers partitioning controls.

You can’t monkey around with the partitions on a start-up disk because Mac OS X is currently running on that disk. Also, if you resize an existing volume, you may lose files and folders on that volume. Disk Utility prompts you for permission, but it’s always a good idea to back up a partition before you resize it!



1
Choose the Applications folder and then open Utilities.
The Disk Utility opens.




2
Choose the disk to partition.
From the Partition panel within Disk Utility, click the disk icon (left side of the pane) that you want to partition.




3
Specify the number of volumes you want.
Click the Volume Scheme pop-up menu and choose the total number of volumes that you want on the selected disk.

4
Click the first volume block in the partition list (under the Volume Scheme pop-up menu).
The volume is selected.

5
Name the selected volume.
Click in the Name field and enter the name for the selected volume.






6
From the Format pop-up menu, choose a format for the volume.
Use Mac OS Extended or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the Format menu unless you have a specific reason to use the MS-DOS file system (for compatibility with PCs running Windows) or the UNIX file system (for compatibility with UNIX/Linux machines).

7
Specify the volume size.
Type a total size for this volume in the Size field.

8
Select the Locked for Editing check box.
This prevents additional changes to your new volume.

9
(Optional) Create additional volumes.
If you’re creating multiple volumes, click the next volume block to select it and repeat the creation steps for additional volumes.

10
(Optional) Click the unwanted volume and then click the Delete button.
This deletes any unwanted partitions.
If the partition is locked, clear the Locked for Editing check box before deleting it.

11
(Optional) Click the desired volume and then click the Split button.
Some folks create multiple volumes so that they can boot from multiple versions of Mac OS X. If the partition is locked, clear the Locked for Editing check box before splitting it.



12
Click the Apply button.
If you suddenly decide against a partition change, click the Revert button to return to the original existing partition scheme.


The Revert button is available only before you click the Partition button!

If you have more than one partition, check out the bar(s) with a handle separating the volumes in the partition list. If you leave all your partitions unlocked (by leaving the Locked for Editing check box disabled), you can click and dragthese separator bars to dynamically resize the volumes. This makes it easy to adjust the individual volume sizes for the disk until you get precisely the arrangement you want. If a volume is locked, it can’t be resized dynamically in this fashion.

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How To Partition a Hard Drive in Windows 7

Simple Volume Wizard in Windows 7

To partition a hard drive in Windows 7 means to divide the hard drive into parts and make those parts available to the operating system. It's also possible for an entire hard drive to have a single partition, which oddly enough is actually the most common way to partition a hard drive.

This might seem very technical but don't worry. Partitioning is a necessary step before you can use a new drive so Microsoft has made it extremely easy to partition a hard drive in Windows 7.

Follow these steps to partition a hard drive in Windows 7:

Time Required: It usually only takes a few minutes to partition a hard drive in Windows 7

Here's How:

1. Open Windows 7 Disk Management from the Computer Management utility.
   Note: You can also open Disk Management from the Command Prompt in Windows 7 but doing so from Computer Management is probably easier.
2. As Disk Management opens, you should be prompted with an Initialize Disk window advising that "you must initialize a disk before Logical Disk Manager can access it."
   Choose MBR if your new hard drive is smaller than 2 terabytes or GPT if it's larger than 2 terabytes. Then click OK.
   Note: Don't worry just yet if you don't see this window. We'll know in the next step if something could be wrong with the physical hard drive installation.
3. With Disk Management open, locate the hard drive you want to partition from the graphical drive map on the bottom half of the screen.
   If the hard drive is brand new, it will probably be on a dedicated row labeled Disk 1, or some number other than zero, and say Unallocated.
   If the space you want to partition is part of physical hard drive that is already partially partitioned, the Unallocated space will be next to that space.
   Note: You may need to maximize the Computer Management window to see all the hard drives on the bottom. An unpartitioned drive will not show up in the drive list at the top of the screen.
   Important: Don't see the hard drive you want to partition? Look again, but if you're sure the hard drive you've installed is not there, there may have been an issue when you installed it. Shut down your PC and check to see that the hard drive is installed properly.
4. Once you locate the drive, right-click somewhere on the Unallocated space and chooseNew Simple Volume....
   The "New Simple Volume Wizard" should appear.
5. Click Next >.
6. In the Specify Volume Size step, click Next > to confirm the size of the partition.
   The size displayed in the Simple volume size in MB: field should equal the size listed as the Maximum disk space in MB:. This means that you're creating a partition that equals the size of the entire hard drive or unpartitioned space.
   Note: If you want to create multiple partitions in this unpartitioned space, change theSimple volume size in MB to the size of the partition you'd like to create and repeat this and the following steps to create another, or several more, partitions.
7. The next step, called Assign Drive Letter or Path, does just that, since your new partition will need a drive letter.
   Windows 7 automatically chooses the next available drive letter (skipping A and B) so if that drive letter is OK with you, just click Next >.
   Important: It's best to commit to this drive letter. Deciding later to change a drive's letter in Windows 7 can cause problems if programs are installed on the drive.
8. Next, Windows 7 gives you the option to complete a format of the drive immediately after partitioning it. Since this tutorial is focused at partitioning a hard drive, let's wait to formatthe drive until we're done creating the partition.
   Choose Do not format this volume and then click Next >.
9. The Completing the New Simple Volume Wizard page displays a quick summary of the partition options you chose.
   Check that the settings shown are similar to this:
   • Volume Type: Simple Volume
   • Disk selected: Disk 1
   • Volume size: 2045 MB
   • Drive letter or path: E:
   • File system: None
   • Allocation unit size: Default
   Note: The Disk selected, Volume size, and Drive letter or path values will differ depending on your specific setup. File system: None just means that you've decided not to format the drive at this time.
10. Click Finish to begin Windows 7's partition of the hard drive.
    Your cursor will turn busy for a few to several seconds. Once your new drive letter (E: in my example) appears in the drive listing at the top of the Disk Management screen, the partition of the hard drive is complete!
11. At this point, Disk Management prompts Windows Explorer to open your new drive.
    However, since the new drive is not yet formatted, Windows Explorer gives you the following alert: "You need to format the disk in drive E: before you can use it. Do you want to format it?"
    Choose Cancel and follow the directions linked in Step 12.
    Note: If you're familiar with hard drive formatting, you're welcome to instead click onFormat disk and use the directions in Step 12 as a general reference, instead of a specific how-to guide, to performing the format right now.
12. Now that you've partitioned a hard drive, you must format it so Windows 7 can use the drive
    :

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How To Format USB Flash Using MS-Dos

Hey Friends today we will see how to format usb flash drive using MS-DOS. Manny times we need to format our usb drives, people find it difficult so today reading this article you will be able to format you usb very easily,lets see the steps.

1) Click Start > Run, and type cmd in the box then Click OK

2) The command prompt window appears.
3) Type the following command:

 format X:

Note: Replace “X:” with the letter of your USB Flash Drive.
You can use “diskpart” to list all drive letters.

4) If you want to format it as FAT32 then type:

 format X: /FS:FAT32

5) After that type  the above command, press Enter.

6) When it asks for pressing Enter again, just press it to confirm.

7) It will prompt you to enter a name for the drive, write it and hit Enter

8) Thats it you are all done by Now.

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How to format a USB stick on a Mac

For a reason that is far beyond my levels of technical know-how, USB sticks can sometimes display less free memory available than you know to be true, even after you've deleted everything on it. When this is the case you need to format your USB to fix the problem. This is where we should you how to format a USB stick on a mac. 

How to format an USB stick on a Mac

How to format an USB stick on a Mac

Step one:

Once you've put the USB stick into your Mac, you need to open the Applications folder, which can be located in the Finder - or by pressing ‘cmd’ and ‘spacebar’ keys together then typing "applications".

Step two:

In Applications, scroll down to the Utilities folder and open the Disk Utility application.

Step three:

Once in the Disk Utility application, you need to select your USB drive in the column to the left of the window. Once you have done this you need to select the Erase tab, which is found at the top of the large column to the right of the window.

Step four:

When in the Erase tab, you need to make sure the Format dropdown box is displaying “MS-DOS (FAT)”. You can also give your USB stick a personalized name in the field below.

Step five:

Then next and last thing you need to do is press the erase button and you will have formatted your USB stick - it will then go back to displaying it’s full capacity as being available.

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How to Make Nigerian Cake

Nigerian cake is simple and sweet. There's not a lot going on in the cake but it tastes delicious. No chocolates, to whipped cream but Nigerians love it and they are always searching for that unadulterated Nigerian Cake recipe for that cake that melts in the mouth.

Whether you are looking to bake a Nigerian wedding cake, a Nigerian Birthday cake for your kids or you just want to bake a cake that you will store in your freezer and munch on from time to time, the Nigerian cake recipe detailed on this page is the basis for all Nigerian cake recipes. All you need to do is add a little twist to yours. But don't go too far with it else you ruin it :)

Nigerian Cake Ingredients

The quantities of ingredients listed below are what I used for a cake that I baked with a 10 inch diameter and 2.5 inch deep cake pan. When done, the cake had a diameter of 10 inches (of course) and a height of 2.5 inches with a slight dome.

• 500g/1.1 lbs. Plain Flour
• 12 Medium Eggs
• 500g/1.1 lbs. Butter (NOT Margarine)
• 400g/0.88 lbs. Granulated Sugar
• 3 teaspoons of Baking Powder
• 3 tablespoons of Vanilla Extract
• Half cup of Brandy

Tools You'll Need to Bake a Nigerian Cake

The following are the minimal tools you'll need to bake a Nigerian Cake:

• An oven with top & down heating capability. Buy it in USA | in UK
• Cake mixer. Buy it in USA | in UK
• Kitchen scale: Buy it in USA | in UK
• Sieve or Sifter
• Egg Whisk. Buy it in USA | in UK
• Bowls Buy it in USA | in UK
• Spatulas
• Cake Pan: 10 inches in diameter and 2.5 inches deep. Buy it in USA | in UK

More information about the Nigerian Cake Ingredients

The flour to use for your Nigerian Cake

You MUST use plain flour for you to have success with the Nigerian Cake recipe detailed on this page. I do not know what using a self-rising flour will do to your cake if you use it. The problem with self-rising flour is that they never state the amount of the leavening agent (in this case, baking powder) they added to the flour. This is why I prefer plain flour so that I have more control over the amount of baking powder that I add to the cake recipe.

The butter to use for you Nigerian Cake

For those living in Nigeria, please use baking butter NOT margarine. You should be able to buy baking butter from any shop that sells bakery ingredients. For my US audience whose butter comes in sticks. I don't know the weight of 1 stick of butter. Maybe this is written on the wrapping so you can check it and then know how many sticks correspond to 1.1 lbs.

Please do not melt the butter. Bring it out from the fridge the day before you make your Nigerian cake. This way, it will be soft enough for creaming on the day you'll bake the cake.

Sugar

If you think your granulated sugar is too coarse, you can grind it with a dry mill (the one used for grinding egusi, ogbono, etc) before adding it to the butter for creaming. You only need to grind it a little bit to reduce the size of the grains of sugar. This reduces the creaming time.

Flavour

The job of the vanilla extract is just to add a vanilla flavour to the cake. If you want another flavour such as butterscotch (used in wedding cakes) etc, please use it to replace the vanilla flavour and add it when I add the vanilla flavour.

Dry Fruits

If you want to add dry fruits such as raisins, please soak these in brandy for at least 1 week (up to 1 month for Nigerian wedding cakes) before adding it to your cake. This is so that the fruits will not make the cake go bad or taste funny after some time especially for Nigerian Wedding cakes which people like to keep for a longer time.

Brandy

The brandy is a preservative for the cake. With all those eggs in the cake, it can go bad before the event if you don't add brandy to it. But please do not go overboard with the brandy. You don't want people to feel tipsy after eating your cake.

Before you make the Nigerian Cake

1. Make sure that all the utensils and appliances you will use for the cake are clean and dry.
2. Check, check and check that you have all the ingredients you will need to bake the cake.
3. Print out the Nigerian cake recipe and keep it close by. For those who prefer using the video, bring your laptop close enough LOL
4. Everything ready? Let's go!

Making the Nigerian Cake: Step by Step

1. Cream the butter and the sugar

Put the soft butter and the granulated sugar into the mixer and start creaming.

I used the highest setting on my mixer which is a 300 Watts appliance and the creaming took me a total of 1 hour.

Please follow the instructions in the user manual of your mixer when creaming. For my mixer, the instruction says that I should not run the appliance for more than 10 minutes at a time. So, I cream for 10 minutes, stop to let the mixer rest and cool down, I run it again for ten minutes etc. And it took me a total of 1 hour creaming time (stoppage time NOT included) to completely cream the butter and the sugar. Your own time may be more or less depending on the type of mixer you have and the size of the grains of your sugar.

A well-creamed sugar/butter mix should look much whiter than the butter you started with, softer (it should be able to drop from a spoon, see video) and you can barely feel the granulated sugar when you taste the creamed butter and sugar. Some granulated sugar may be stubborn and you can still feel the grains but it's OK so long as the butter/sugar mixture is as white and soft as possible.

2. Prepare your baking pan

When you are almost done with the creaming, prepare your cake pan by rubbing the insides with soft butter. Then put some flour into the greased pan, making sure the flour touches every part, then pour out the flour.

The greasing and flouring of the insides of your cake pan will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan thereby making it easy for you to bring out the cake from the pan when done, without denting the cake.

3. Beat the Eggs

Break all the eggs into a big bowl and whisk them to a smooth blend.

4. Add the eggs and mix

Before you do this step, you should make sure that your butter and sugar are well creamed.

If your mixer is big enough to accommodate the creamed butter and sugar with the whisked eggs, add the whisked egg into the mixer. Mix till you have a smooth fluffy blend of the creamed butter/sugar and the eggs.

If your mixer is not big enough, transfer the creamed butter and sugar to a bigger bowl. Add the eggs and use a hand mixer to mix the two till you get a fluffy smooth blend. My mixer is quite small so this is what I did in the video below. This took me about 5 minutes with my 300 Watts hand mixer which is extractable from my mixer.

5. Turn on your oven to preheat

It's now time to turn on your oven to 150°C or 302°F so that it can start heating up while you finish mixing the cake. You should also switch it to the up & down heat setting.

6. Add the ornamental ingredients

Add the vanilla extract or any other flavours of your choice, add the brandy and pre-soaked dry fruits (if any) and stir with a wooden spatula till everything is well incorporated. Add some browning if you are baking a Nigerian wedding cake. This is what gives the cake the dark colour.

7. Add the plain flour with the baking powder

• Now, add the baking powder to the plain flour.
• Put the mix into a sieve or a flour sifter. Add small quantities of the flour through the sieve/sifter into the bowl where you already have other cake ingredients.
• Stir very well with the wooden spatula. Add another small quantity of the flour with baking powder. Stir.
• Repeat this process till all the flour is incorporated. I warn you, this procedure can make your arm die a bit so be sure you are ready for the arm exercise before you start :)
  
  Notes:
  
  It is advisable to stir the cake mix in one direction, in a folding fashion, when adding the flour because most cake experts say that when you stir in the opposite direction, air bubbles will be trapped in your cake mix and your cake will have holes in it when done.
  
  It is important to pass the flour through a sieve or sifter so that you are sure that the flour that enters the cake mix in its finest powder form. You don't want to have small lumps of flour in your cake do you? This also ensures a very smooth cake mix.

8. Pour the cake mix into the greased cake pan

• Once every ingredient is well incorporated, it's time to pour the mix into the greased cake pan.
• If you want to make a multicolour layered cake then you should at this point divide the cake mix into the number of colours you want. Put these into separate clean dry bowls. Add the colours to each, stir well and pour into the cake pan one after the other. You should make sure you level out each coloured cake mix as much as possible before pouring another one.
• Once you've poured in all the cake mix into the cake pan, gently lift and drop the cake pan several times to level out the cake mix as much as possible (see video). Don't worry if the top is not so smooth, as soon as the heat of the oven gets to it, it will level out.

9. Baking Time!

• Transfer the cake to the preheated oven, placing the rack halfway between the top and the bottom of the oven.
• Bake for at least 2 hours before attempting to open the oven door to check the cake. It took my cake 2 hours to rise to maximum and if you open the oven door before the cake has fully risen, you have interrupted the baking process, the cake will stop rising, may not be evenly cooked when done and it will be harder than normal when done. There are endless things that can go wrong with your cake if you do not wait for it to rise fully before opening the oven door. That it smells like cake does not mean that it is done :)
• Even though mine took 2 hours, you should keep an eye on yours till you notice that it is no longer rising before attempting to open the oven door. All ovens are not the same so you should use my baking time as a guide only.

10. Check the Cake

• After 2 hours, when I'm sure that the cake is no longer rising, I check it by driving a knife into the center of the cake. If the knife comes out with smears of the cake mix, then the cake is not done. If it comes out clean and dry, with only a smear of butter (oily look) then the cake is done. If the cake passes the knife test, I go on to do the other tests.
• The second way I check the cake is to take a look at the sides of the cake pan. The cake should be separated from the pan or at least not stuck to the pan.
• The third way I check that the cake is done is to dip a wooden skewer (stick) into the middle of the cake. Wooden skewers are a bit rougher than knives so they tend to pick up smears more. So if the wooden skewer comes out clean, the cake should be done.
• Even when my cake passes all of the above checks, I still carry out the fourth test so that I can be doubly sure that it is done before bringing it out of the oven. Nobody wants to end up with an undone cake. The fourth and final check I carry out is to gently push the cake down at the middle with my open palm. If the cake springs back when I lift my palm and there is no impression of my palm on the cake, then the cake is done.

11. Cool and Decorate/Refrigerate

Once you are sure that the cake is done, bring it out of the oven and leave it alone for only 5 minutes then take out the sides of the pan. Then leave to cool down completely before decorating the cake.

You can also cut it up in desirable sizes and store in the freezer.

That's how the Nigerian Cake is made. You can serve it up as a snack with a chilled drink or eat it as a dessert. When decorated, use for birthdays and weddings.

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