Becoming And Remaining An Informed Citizen

It’s important to achieve many things in life. Staying true to your word, working hard, and being able to manage your finances are all essential virtues that we can all benefit from acquiring. However, it is also very important to become an informed citizen. We might not hold much expert knowledge regarding the current flows and tides of our current political system, but it’s important to understand who the major players are, how policies might affect you, and a range of other essential insights that can help you live more securely and safely in the world.

However, remaining an informed citizen can be difficult. This can be a full time job for the best of people, let alone trying to fit this in outside of your standard career and family responsibilities. With enough effort though, it is possible, and can be achieved through sustained and reasonable dedication. Let us see what that might look like, and how you might fair better from the jump:

Automate Your Consumption Of News

Reading the news can be a difficult process. It’s hard to gain the most context possible from one single source. This is why it’s essential to read those you trust. For example, The Media Line can be your one stop shop for Middle East news, keeping you abreast of all the latest topics. We would recommend taking sources like this and automating your consumption of them. You might set up an RSS feed through the RSS reader app of your phone, and also place many blogs you follow within that same feed. This can help you ensure that all your favorite sources are read, preferably at the same time of day. You might choose breakfast to keep up on all the latest topics. When this becomes a habit, you will be much more able to stay on top of things, as usually one story can inform the next.

Get In Discussions!

It can be worthwhile to test your knowledge of recent goings on, to express your opinion, or to debate with others online. We would recommend using Reddit or other dedicated discussion forums to help you discuss things that interest you, and also those things you might need to know as an informed citizen. For example, someone keeping up on the Brexit drama might choose to comment in the United Kingdom subreddits, discussing policy changes and predicted outcomes. When you are able to test your own knowledge, you can question or reinforce what you believe through justifying your opinions.

Don’t Sweat It

It can be quite worrying to know that you’ll likely never have a full, complete picture of world events. This can sometimes make you think that trying in this direction is a waste of time. But it rarely ever is. Understand that no one can keep a full understanding of everything on Earth, but what matters is keeping abreast of topics and doing your part to try and absorb the things that matter. If you can do this, then you can feel much more comfortable in the news cycle.

With this advice, we hope you’re much better able to become an informed citizen.

Dealing With The Scary Money Matters

How do you feel about your money? Do you think you’re earning enough? Do you think you have enough stowed away in your bank account? Do you think you’re working with the right budget for your household and lifestyle? Do you think you should try investing, to pad out your savings a little bit more?

And are you tying yourself up in knots over the worry your money gives you? Is there a longing inside you to make a bit more, but you don’t know how to go about it? After all, an emergency can strike at any time, and who knows if you’ll be prepared for it.

So, your financial wellbeing is something you probably constantly worry about, seeing as money is the foundation of everything. You save as much of it as you can, and from time to time, you can even feel guilty about spending just a few pennies on some much needed groceries!

Money can be scary, there’s no doubt about that. So let’s go through some of the most scary matters that money can put you through, seeing as they affect most of us at some point in our lives. The more you know, the better off you’ll be.

Income is Rarely Secure

Your income is probably mostly reliant on the job you have. You might love your job, you might not, but there’s no doubt it’s the best way to pay the bills! It offers the biggest lump sum at the end of the month, and it’s something that keeps on paying month after month. There’s quite a few side hustles out there that don’t offer the same kind of longevity.

But what if you lack a bit of job security? A lot of people feel like they can be fired at any moment, and that they daren’t not ask for vacation time, even when they’re owed it. What if you have little to no union options? What if you get a pay cut, out of nowhere? What if your working environment is getting a little bit toxic or choppy? All of these factors adding up can make you very worried about the security of your income stream. Even when you’ve got your finger in many pies, it can be hard to subsidize five different sources of revenue with the one source that pays you the most.

So, even if you do have a side hustle, there’s a good chance it doesn’t pay nearly as well as your main job. There’s also a good chance it took a lot longer to set up, and to start paying out to you! Who knows if you’ll have the financial security, in the future, to do the same thing with another side source of income? If you don’t have a job to fall back on, will you be able to take the time to ensure a monetized blog or an investment portfolio will pay off?

Sometimes You’ll Need a Lawyer

Lawyers are a big deal when it comes to money, and they’re definitely a good line of defence against the institutions and corporations that turn money into a very scary matter. If you’re being accused of tax fraud, or you’ve been shortchanged in they pay you’re owed (and your employer just won’t give it to you!), a lawyer’s office is going to be the best option to reach out to.

But that in itself is scary. If a lawyer needs to get involved, we automatically think of large fines and prison time, and that’s enough to scare off and silence most of us. We think it’s not worth the time and energy to take a money matter to court, even if it’s a small claims case. And that’s because we don’t know enough about the legal side of our finances!

The crux of it is that lawyers themselves cost a pretty penny, and when you don’t have the money to send their way, to enlist their very helpful services, you get stuck! Even when you know you could be due a payout from a tax company, or the government system that deals with relief or benefits, you might need to reach out to a lawyer to ensure you’re paid your dues. It can be a complicated matter unto itself, so companies like mahanyertl.com exist to tell you more about this.

And Who Can Afford to Save?

Saving your money can seem like a pipe dream in the modern day and age. Many things are far too expensive to buy on a regular basis, and too many of us are dealing with a wage gap that hasn’t evolved since the 70s. Anyone who doesn’t work for themselves at the head of a giant corporation, or who hasn’t been working in their job position for at least 15 years now, can suffer at the hands of the job market. It’s these people who don’t have enough money in the bank, because they’re simply not paid enough to be able to put money away!

So, it comes down to some serious budgeting. The less you can spend on weekly expenses like bills and groceries, the more you can put away for a rainy day. And seeing as they’re cropping up more and more, it’s a good idea to stay in for the night, and put the money required for restaurants and nightclubs into a saving account. After all, it’s often a lot more beneficial to save for a proper vacation at the end of the year, compared to forking out for just one night of fun.

How Scary is Money For You?

Money can get very scary, we all know this. The more we spend, the worse we can feel, even if we’re satisfied in the moment! And often enough, it’s not our fault that our savings account doesn’t outrank our checking account.

So make sure you’re aware of the reasons why, and what makes money scary most of all. Remember, it’s much better to be in the know!