Don't complain about petrol prices

Don't complain about petrol prices

 

Today I filled up my fuel tank, and I thought petrol has become really expensive after the price hikes. But then I compared it with other common liquids and did some quick calculations, and I felt a little better.

To know why, see the results below you'll be surprised at how outrageous some other prices are!

Price base -Mumbai Diesel (regular) : Rs.42.08 per litre

Petrol (regular unleaded) : Rs.79.51 per litre

1. Milk (mumbai) : Rs.55 per litre (costlier to Diesel)

 

2. Coca Cola 330 ml can: Rs.20 = Rs.61 per litre

3. Cup of coffee at any decent restaurant

150 ml for Rs.25 = Rs. 167 per litre

4. Dettol antiseptic 100 ml Rs.20 = Rs.200 per litre

5. Soup at a Restaurant 250 ml: Rs.55 = Rs.220 per litre

 

6. Radiator coolant 500 ml Rs.160 = Rs.320 per litre

7. Pantene conditioner 400 ml Rs.165 = Rs.413 per litre

8. Medicinal mouthwash likeListerine 100 ml Rs.45 = Rs.450 per litre

9. Red Bull 150 ml can: Rs.75 = Rs.500 per litre

 

10. Corex cough syrup 100 ml Rs.57 = Rs.570 per liter

11. Evian water 500 ml Rs.330 = Rs.660 per litre [Rs.660 for a liter of WATER?! And the buyers

don't even know the source (Evian spelled backwards is Naive.)]

12. Kores white-out 15 ml Rs.15 = Rs.1000 per liter

13. Old Spice after shave lotion

100 ml Rs.175 = Rs. 1750 per liter

14. Pure almond oil 25 ml Rs.68 = Rs. 2720 per liter

And this is the REAL KICKER...

HP desk-jet colors ink cartridge 21 ml Rs.1900 = Rs. 90476 per liter!!!

Now you know why computer printers are so cheap? So they have you hooked for the ink!

The next time you're at the pump, don't curse our Petroleum minister just be glad your car doesn't run on cough syrup, after shave, coffee, Pantene conditioner or God forbid, printer ink!

 

You can find peace in all your problems. I found one in Petrol pricing.

 

Why The Same Goods Have Different Prices Around The World

Taxes and Import Duties
One of the major factors that affects the prices of goods is the difference in taxes and import duties across countries. Brazil, for example, has an extremely high import duty of 60%, which makes imported goods such as cars and phones so much costlier there. Many products are cheaper in Japan thanks to lower import taxes and better wholesale prices.
Even local taxes make a big difference. If San Francisco has an 8% sales tax and London has 20% Value-Added Tax (VAT), this will significantly affect the prices paid by the consumers. When talking about exports and imports, there is a significant difference between the treatment of sales tax and VAT. When exporting a good, VAT is charged on the item, but sales tax is not. When importing a good, the importer pays sales tax on the full price of the item, but pays VAT only for the value added by the importer. If you are importing into a country that doesn't have VAT from a country that has VAT, the product will be double taxed. The exporting country adds VAT, while the importing country charges sales tax.

With respect to oil prices, the prices vary significantly because of subsidies in some countries and fuel taxes in other countries. This is the reason why gas is absurdly cheap in oil producing nations such as Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. In the U.S., the taxes vary from sate to state .
 

Perceived Value
Another important factor is that the prices of items like electronics and cars are not always determined based on the cost of producing them. A product may have a higher perceived value in one country compared to another country. A common brand may have a perceived high value in one country and could be sold as a premium brand there, enabling the company to charge a higher premium. Even the cost of doing business in a country can affect prices. Hiring employees and setting up stores will not cost the same in every country.


The Bottom Line
While these price differences may earn big bucks for companies and governments, the real loser is the consumer who has to bear the brunt of high taxes, expensive infrastructure and high prices for regular goods.

16 habits of highly creative people

If they work for them, they can work for you too!

 

There is no use trying, said Alice. One cant believe impossible things. I daresay you havent had much practice, said the Queen. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes Ive believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. - Lewis Carroll

 

Many people believe that creativity is inborn and only a chosen few are creative. While it is true that creativity is inborn, it is not true that only a chosen few are creative.

Everyone is born creative. In the process of growing up, educating yourself and adapting yourself to your environment, you slowly add blocks to your creativity and forget that you had it in the first place.

The difference between a creative person and a person who is not so creative is not in the creativity that they were born with but in the creativity that they have lost.

How can you enhance your creative ability? One possible way is to observe the habits of creative people, identify the ones that you feel will work for you and then make a plan to cultivate them.

Here are 16 habits of creative people. If you cultivate some of them, you will feel an increase in your level of creativity. In the process, you will also feel tickled by life!

 

 

1. Creative people are full of curiosity.

Creative people are wonderstruck. They are tickled by the newness of every moment. They have lots of questions. They keep asking what, why, when, where and how. A questioning mind is an open mind. It is not a knowing mind. Only an open mind can be creative. A knowing mind can never be creative.

A questioning stance sensitizes the mind in a very special way and it is able to sense what would have been missed otherwise.

 

 

2. Creative people are problem-friendly.

When there is a problem, some people can be seen wringing up their hands. Their first reaction is to look for someone to blame. Being faced with a problem becomes a problem. Such people can be called problem-averse.

Creative people, on the other hand, are problem-friendly. They just roll up their sleeves when faced with a problem. They see problems as opportunities to improve the quality of life. Being faced with a problem is never a problem. You get dirty and take a bath every day. You get tired and relax every day. Similarly, you have problems that need to be solved every day. Life is a fascinating rhythm of problems and solutions. To be problem-averse is to be life-averse. To be problem-friendly is to be life-friendly. Problems come into your life to convey some message. If you run away from them, you miss the message.

 

 

3. Creative people value their ideas.

Creative people realize the value of an idea. They do not take any chance with something so important. They carry a small notepad to note down ideas whenever they occur. (I usually type it in my mobile/laptop whichever available.) Many times, just because they have a notepad and are looking for ideas to jot down, they can spot ideas which they would have otherwise missed.

 

 

4. Creative people embrace challenges.

Creative people thrive on challenges. They have a gleam in their eyes as soon as they sniff one. Challenges bring the best out of them reason enough to welcome them.

 

 

5. Creative people are full of enthusiasm.

Creative people are enthusiastic about their goals. This enthusiasm works as fuel for their journey, propelling them to their goals.

 

 

6. Creative people are persistent.

Creative people know it well that people may initially respond to their new ideas like the immune system responds to a virus. Theyll try to reject the idea in a number of ways. Creative people are not surprised or frustrated because of this. Nor do they take it personally. They understand it takes time for a new idea to be accepted. In fact, the more creative the idea, the longer it takes for it to be appreciated.

 

 

7. Creative people are perennially dissatisfied.

Creative people are acutely aware of their dissatisfactions and unfulfilled desires. However, this awareness does not frustrate them. As a matter of fact, they use this awareness as a stimulus to realize their dreams.

 

 

8. Creative people are optimists.

Creative people generally have a deeply held belief that most, if not all, problems can be solved. No challenge is too big to be overcome.This doesnt mean they are always happy and never depressed. They do have their bad moments but they dont generally get stumped by a challenge.

 

 

9. Creative people make positive Judgment.

A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn. It can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a right mans brow a businessman Charles Brower

The ability to hold off on judging or critiquing an idea is important in the process of creativity. Often great ideas start as crazy ones - if critique is applied too early the idea will be killed and never developed into something useful and useable. This doesnt mean there is no room for critique or judgment in the creative process but there is a time and place for it and creative people recognize that.

 

 

10. Creative people go for the big kill.

Creative people realize that the first idea is just the starting point. It is in the process of fleshing it out that some magical cross-connections happen and the original normal idea turns into a killer idea.

 

 

11. Creative people are prepared to stick it out.

Creative people who actually see their ideas come to fruition have the ability to stick with their ideas and see them through - even when the going gets tough. This is what sets them apart from others. Stick-ability is the key.

 

 

12. Creative people do not fall in love with an idea.

Creative people recognize how dangerous it is to fall in love with an idea. Falling in love with an idea means stopping more ideas from coming to their mind. They love the process of coming up with ideas, not necessarily the idea.

 

 

13. Creative people recognize the environment in which they are most creative.

Creative people do most of their thinking in an environment which is most conducive to their creativity. If they are unable to influence their physical environment, they recreate their favourite creative environment in their minds.

 

 

14. Creative people are good at reframing any situation.

Reframes are a different way of looking at things. Being able to reframe experiences and situations is a very powerful skill. Reframing allows you to look at a situation from a different angle. It is like another camera angle in a football match. And a different view has the power to change your entire perception of the situation. Reframing can breathe new life into dead situations. It can motivate demoralized teams. It helps you to spot opportunities that you would have otherwise missed.

 

 

15. Creative people are friends with the unexpected.

Creative people have the knack of expecting the unexpected and finding connections between unrelated things. It is this special quality of mind that evokes serendipitous events in their lives.

Having honed the art of making happy discoveries, they are able to evoke serendipity more often than others.

 

 

16. Creative people are not afraid of failures.

Creative people realize that the energy that creates great ideas also creates errors. They know that failure is not really the opposite of success. In fact, both failure and success are on the same side of the spectrum because both are the result of an attempt made. Creative people look at failure as a stopover on way to success, just a step away from it.

Buying Bonds from Secondary Market – Go through the checklist

 

As trading in bonds catches up in India, you should gear up for gaining by focusing on the following important elements of the game

 

Bond markets have always been shallow for retail investors in India. In spite of the fact that bond (debt) markets globally are two-thirds of total securities traded, in India in a stock exchange like NSE total traded amount for bonds in the capital market segment is hardly Rs850 crore compared to an average volume of Rs1.25 lakh crore in the derivatives segment and around Rs15,000 crore in the cash market. CCIL’s NDS-OM segment has a huge volume in debt market but this market is largely accessed by institutional investors.

However, things have started changing gradually. With more and more bond offers hitting the market and getting listed on stock exchanges, the opportunity for retail investors has started increasing in this segment. IDBI has started a portal called Samrridhi which gives opportunity to retail investors to buy government bonds from the secondary market. In every auction of dated securities, a maximum of 5% of the notified amount is reserved for non-competitive bids by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in which retail investors can participate and buy bonds in primary market

These bonds can be subsequently sold in secondary markets.

While the opportunity in bonds market continue to increase and generate prospects of decent returns, it is important to be educated to buy these bonds. A wrong selection of bonds can be as risky as a wrong selection of stocks. Hence due care needs to be taken to buy bonds from the secondary market. Some of the most important factors to be considered while buying the bonds in secondary markets are as follows:

 

Understand clean price and dirty price: Bonds trade at clean price and dirty price in different markets. In India, bonds trade at dirty price in the NSE corporate segment. Dirty price is the price of a bond with accrued interest. This means that a bond trading in the NSE corporate segment has accrued interest included in it. Accrued interest is the interest that has got accrued on a bond from last coupon payment date. As a buyer of the bond, you are supposed to pay accrued interest to the seller of bond.

In CCIL NDS-OM segment on the other hand, bonds are traded at clean price and when you buy the bonds you pay clean price plus the accrued interest separately. So when you see the price quoted of a bond on CCIL NDS-OM, do not get misguided by the lower price as it does not include accrued interest. So the dealer through whom you buy these bonds will ask you to pay accrued interest separately and hence your effective cost of the bond will be accrued interest plus clean price which is equal to dirty price.

 

Coupon of a bond is not your return: If a bond offers a coupon of say 10% and you decide to buy this bond on basis of the coupon, you may end up making a wrong decision. In secondary market, you should look at the yield of the bond. Yield is your return and not the coupon. A 10% coupon bond may give 8% return only, if the bond price has gone up since the time it was issued, while an 8% coupon bond may end up giving 10% return if the bond price has fallen since the time the bond was issued. In bond market, an inverse relationship between the bond price and the rate of interest exists. Thus, while deciding to buy a bond from the secondary market, look at the price of the bond and its yield.

 

Map the maturity of a bond to your investment needs: Bonds are available with different maturity periods in the bond market. Very few of us would be aware of the fact that bonds with 30 years maturity are available in the market today. The RBI had issued a 2041 GOI bond with 8.83% coupon which currently trades in the market. This bond still has 30 years left for maturity which means that you can continue to receive 8.83% coupon on a semi-annual basis for this bond for next thirty years. However, as mentioned above, the yield of this bond is lower than the coupon. Some bonds are maturing just next year i.e. 2013. As an investor, you need to map the investment needs with bonds maturity and returns. It is important to note that bonds with higher maturity are impacted more by the interest rate changes both on upside side as well as downside. This means high-maturity bonds are more volatile than low-maturity bonds.

 

Look at rate of interest pattern in the economy (yield curve): Though yield curve is a hard nut to crack, as a retail investor you can look at trends in the rate of interest. In a falling interest rate environment, bond prices go up and you can benefit by selling bonds that you hold. So the ideal time to buy bonds from the secondary market is when rate of interest has peaked. For an investor holding bond till maturity, the change in rate of interest does not matter.

 

A high coupon bond may command low price:You will be surprised to know that Muthoot Finance N6 series bond which was issued at a face value of Rs1,000 and coupon of 12.25%, currently trades at around Rs960 while a mere 8.2% coupon bond of NHAI trades at a price of above Rs1,040. This price difference is important to understand. The bonds trade at different prices because of the risk perception of the market about these bonds. So a person who had bought Muthoot Finance bond from the primary market will make a loss if he sells the bond in the secondary market now while a NHAI bond holder will make gains while selling bonds in the secondary market.

As a retail investor it is important to understand and invest in bond market. Bond markets are low risk investments compared to equity but the risks of the bonds are good enough to cause loss to a small investor.

21 ways rich people think differently

1. Average people think MONEY is the root of all evil. Rich people believe POVERTY is the root of all evil.

 

2. Average people think selfishness is a vice. Rich people think selfishness is a virtue.

 

3. Average people have a lottery mentality. Rich people have an action mentality.

 

4. Average people think the road to riches is paved with formal education. Rich people believe in acquiring specific knowledge.

 

5. Average people long for the good old days. Rich people dream of the future.

 

6. Average people see money through the eyes of emotion. Rich people think about money logically.

 

7. Average people earn money doing things they don't love. Rich people follow their passion.

 

9. Average people believe you have to DO something to get rich. Rich people believe you have to BE something to get rich.

 

10. Average people believe you need money to make money. Rich people use other people's money

 

11. Average people believe the markets are driven by logic and strategy. Rich people know they're driven by emotion and greed.

 

12. Average people live beyond their means. Rich people live below theirs.

 

13. Average people teach their children how to survive. Rich people teach their kids to get rich.

 

14. Average people let money stress them out. Rich people find peace of mind in wealth.

 

15. Average people would rather be entertained than educated. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained.

 

16. Average people think rich people are snobs. Rich people just want to surround themselves with like-minded people.

 

17. Average people focus on saving. Rich people focus on earning.

 

18. Average people play it safe with money. Rich people know when to take risks.

19. Average people love to be comfortable. Rich people find comfort in uncertainty.

 

20. Average people never make the connection between money and health. Rich people know money can save your life.

 

21. Average people believe they must choose between a great family and being rich. Rich people know you can have it all.

The Top 7 Mistakes New Employees Make

Have you ever wondered how some people can begin a new job and seem like they fit in immediately? What about those new employees that seem to hang themselves before they have had a chance to get their feet wet. Below are the top 7 mistakes new employees make that can make them look bad.

1. Talking about your personal life.

This is never a good idea. Even if other employees talk openly about their lives, unless you are asked a question, keep it to yourself. I know a woman who was honest to a fault. She was young and very social and would openly talk about her children, lack of income, car trouble etc… She was unfairly labelled a poor worker who had to many personal issues to be dedicated to her job. Although she worked hard and got along with everyone, she ended up being bullied by her manager and left the company feeling miserable.

2. Looking unorganized.

You know that employee who has a completely messy desk? They might be getting their job done, but the impression left is that they are not efficient and lack the ability to do assignments well.

3. Gossiping.

A new employee might feel good when other workers invite the new employee into their group. Even if this group openly gossips and you just throw out a mildly negative thought about the company or another employee, you will look like you are starting drama. Plus you don’t want to be linked to the group that gossips anyway.

4. Not staying for a full shift.

Life can get in the way of staying for a full shift. You are ill, a child has an appointment or you have finished your work for the day might all be valid excuses. The problem is that you look like a slacker when you miss time at work. Do your best to work around issues that may come up. Find some back-up support and a plan in case something unexpected were to arise.

5. Not participating in company activities.

I am not a fan of using up my free time by going to company events. The company picnic, Christmas party or charity bowl-a-thon might not seem like a big deal to miss, but it is. Management likes to see their employees taking not only their job, but the company seriously. Plus, you get an opportunity to connect with employees that you might not get a chance to speak with on a regular day-to-day basis. Who knows how valuable that might be when you are looking to move into another position.

6. Avoid personal time while you’re working.

Personal phone calls, friends or family stopping by or balancing the checkbook are not looked upon favorably by management or other employees. Save personal activities for lunch break or better yet, at home.

7. Decorating your desk.

It’s one thing to put up a family picture or have a favorite motto at your desk. It’s another thing completely to decorate your desk with funny little toys, a candy jar and several pictures. Look it’s understandable that you want to feel some comfort at your desk. You spend so many hours at work that it might give you a bit of relief. When you don’t have space to do your work because your desk has to many knick-knacks, it’s a problem. Toys in general don’t give off a good impression to management. It looks like you are more likely to goof off instead of getting your work done.

When you are beginning a new job, be extra respectful of your environment. Be that hard worker who doesn’t spend company time gossiping, playing with toys or attending to personal matters. Be a team player even after work hours. These days jobs are harder to come by. Having an attitude that is professional is a sure way to make your new job a lasting job.

7 Rules of Management

1. Stay calm.
Never react in anger or blow your stack. If you're so POd that you can't trust yourself to be calm, then go away and come back when you can. The workplace is no place for that kind of behavior, period.

 
2. Attack the problem, not the person.
When you criticize or attack someone personally, you risk burning a bridge. Focus on the real issues at hand. You know, what the company actually pays you to do.

3. Be open and honest.
The second you grit your teeth, cross your arms, and close your mind, you give in to stubborn childish behavior. But if you remain open and keep your wits about you, you'll manage to do the right thing in a tough situation.

4. Don't lose perspective.
Try to remember that you're being paid to do a job, not to fight a war. The workplace is about business. You know, customers, products, that sort of thing. It's not about you or him.

5. Try to be empathetic.
Put yourself in other shoes and try to understand her perspective. If you can't or you're not sure what it is, then ask; you're assumptions may be wrong. If she does the same, next thing you know, you have detente. Click Here to learn more.
 6. Take the high road.
That doesn't mean be quiet when something needs to be said. It means say it at a time and place and in a manner that's reasonable and respectful of all present. If you kick yourself afterwards, then you probably didn't do it right.

7. Have faith in yourself.
The workplace is no place for yes-men. You were hired for a reason, and it's not to blindly march along with the pack. If that's what management wants, you work for a crappy company

5 Daily Brain Exercises

Many men are devoted to exercise to bulk up their bodies, but the phrase “use it or lose it” applies to more than just the muscles in our bodies -- it also applies to the neural pathways and connections in our brains. There are a variety of exercises and activities that can successfully work each of the brain’s five major cognitive functions on a daily basis. In addition to the tasks you can perform daily.
Our minds consist of five main cognitive functions:

• memory,
• attention,
• language,
• visual-spatial skills,
• and executive function.

It’s important to challenge, stimulate and effectively exercise all five areas to stay mentally sharp as our brains age. Here are 5 daily brain exercises that can help you do this.

1- Memory

Memory plays a crucial role in all cognitive activities, including reading, reasoning and mental calculation. There are several types of memory at work in the brain. Taken together, these are the cognitive skills we may notice most when they begin to fail. To maintain a good memory, you need to train for it, which can be easier than you think. Listening to music is not only enjoyable, but by choosing a song you don’t know and memorizing the lyrics, you boost the level of acetylcholine, the chemical that helps build your brain, and improve your memory skills. Challenge yourself even more by showering or getting dressed in the dark or using your opposite hand to brush your teeth. These challenges help build new associations between different neural connections of the brain.

2- Attention

Attention is necessary in nearly all daily tasks. Good attention enables you to maintain concentration despite noise and distractions and to focus on several activities at once. We can improve our attention by simply changing our routines. Change your route to work or reorganize your desk -- both will force your brain to wake up from habits and pay attention again. As we age, our attention span can decrease, making us more susceptible to distraction and less efficient at multitasking. By combining activities like listening to an audio book with jogging or doing math in your head while you drive forces your brain to work at doing more in the same amount of time

3- Language

Language activities will challenge our ability to recognize, remember and understand words. They also exercise our fluency, grammatical skills and vocabulary. With regular practice, you can expand your knowledge of new words and much more easily retrieve words that are familiar. For example, if you usually only thoroughly read the sports section, try reading a few in-depth business articles. You’ll be exposed to new words, which are easier to understand when read in context or easier to look up on a dictionary site if you are reading the news online. Take time to understand the word in its context, which will help you build your language skills and retrieve the word more readily in front of your boss in the future.

4- Visual-Spatial

We live in a colorful, three-dimensional world. Analyzing visual information is necessary to be able to act within your environment. To work this cognitive function, try walking into a room and picking out five items and their locations. When you exit the room, try to recall all five items and where they were located. Too easy? Wait two hours and try to remember those items and their locations. The next time you’re waiting on your coworker or friend to arrive, try this mental exercise. Look straight ahead and note everything you can see both in front of you and in your peripheral vision. Challenge yourself to recall everything and write it down. This will force you to use your memory and train your brain to focus on your surroundings.

5- Executive Function

Without even realizing it, you use your logic and reasoning skills on a daily basis to make decisions, build up hypotheses and consider the possible consequences of your actions. Activities in which you must define a strategy to reach a desired outcome and calculate the right moves to reach the solution in the shortest possible time are actually fun activities you do daily -- like social interaction and, yes, video games. Engaging in a brief visit with a friend boosts your intellectual performance by requiring you to consider possible responses and desired outcomes. Video games require strategy and problem-solving to reach a desired outcome -- like making it to the final level. “It’s not just Halo, honey; I’m exercising my executive brain functions!”


http://www.happy-neuron.com/brain-games/play/visual-spatial/entangled-figures

9 Tips To Make Effective Decisions

 

 

 

Its true that you are the product of your own thoughts and decisions. Whatever you decide on daily basis, whatever you do in your routine life is directly or indirectly linked to your future. That means you are making the foundation of your destiny with your decision and actions in your routine life. So by looking at the bigger picture, it is right to conclude that decision making is critically important for your success and achievements of lifetime goals. Given below is the list of insightful factors which you need to considere while making decisions.

1. Consider the short term and long term consequences: Whether the decision is materialistic or a sensitive family matter. You have to consider short terms and long terms benefits.

2. Cost Vs quality if applicable. If you intend to purchase something, consider cost, quality, warranty perspectives. Usually cheep products have less life and bad quality but is not the case always. To cope up with this, define your budget and then carefully analyze all the options which are falling within your budget.

3. Need Vs wants analysis: Are you purchasing for pleasure or it is your long term need. Remember this is a difference between pleasure and happiness. Sometimes pleasure dost not last long so you don't want to spend a lot for the sake of short time pleasure. If you are in Need of something then consider point-1 and point-2.

 

4. Consider emotions: This is quite sensitive aspect. You have to put yourself in everyone's shoes to understand his/her emotions. You don't want to hurt someone with your decision, instead you want to keep your stake holders emotionally satisfied. Emotional Intelligence is an art; learn it by reading on internet. To understand people you have to have true sense of judging people

5. Consider Win-Win: A balanced approach in which everyone gains is always recommended.

6. Consider all options: Don't stop your brain on one idea or approach. Think about more options. Seek advice from others on different possible solutions of the given situation/problem. to the problems which need decisions.

7. Ask for criticism: If possible ask for criticism before implementing the decision. Although it's never too late to ask forcriticism even after your decision. Feedback always helps in your future.

8. Learn to differentiate between Urgent and Important tasks. Read my article Urgent and Important.

9. Closely observe others: Think about what your friend/colleague/acquaintance did under a specific condition. A wise man always learns from the mistakes of others.