Frugal living is an idea that is about to come into vogue again. With the economy being in the toilet and the future outlook not being much better, many families are feeling the effects of the economy in their wallets and at home.

Sadly, if frugality hadn’t fallen out of vogue, perhaps the economy wouldn’t be in such bad shape but it’s too late for that. So before going on, let’s define what frugality is and then let’s look at some different things we can do to put this lifestyle into effect.

If you watch the TV, you may have the wrong impression about frugal living. One so-called, financial expert suggested that a daily latte at Starbucks was being fiscally responsible if you really value having a latte everyday. Real frugality on the other hand, eschews popular trends and expensive reoccurring costs to maintain budgetary control.

These can include things like making the latte at home for a fraction of the cost or going to the library to read magazines versus maintaining a subscription. A frugal person is also likely to shop in second-hand stores, like Goodwill, instead of buying new.

Some Frugal Living Tips:

Now that the idea of frugality has been defined, it’s time to look at how to put it into practical use. One way is to recognize what is called loss-leader marketing and then avoiding falling for loss-leader ploys. Loss-leader marketing by the way, is when a store of manufacturer, make an offer to consumers where initially, the store or manufacturer will be providing something at a loss.

Louisiana has always has a unique mix of unique culture, great food and wonderful history.  But in recent years the state has thrown financial incentives into the “gumbo” as well.  These film tax credits have provided the “spice” that has propelled Louisiana to one of the top filming spots in the world.


According to state officials, 2008 film production in Louisiana has already outperformed 2007 figures both in terms of total dollars and number of projects.  The news couldn’t come at a better time for Louisiana – a state that has worked hard to find ways to replace the losses in tourism that has hurt the state in the post-Hurricane Katrina era.


Some key facts about Louisiana’s film industry:

More than $2 billion in productions have been filmed in Louisiana since 2002

The total direct impact to Louisiana’s economy is $1.48 billion

The percentage of film budgets spent in Louisiana has risen from 33% in 2005 to 87% for 2007

Film-related jobs in Louisiana have grown at a rate of 23% per year

Over 50 projects were completed in 2007 statewide

An estimated 65 projects will be completed in 2008

Source:   Louisiana Film Office


Success of Key Tax Incentives


The film industry sat up and took notice in 2002 when the Louisiana State Legislature enacted an aggressive film tax incentive program.  Louisiana’s film investor tax credit program offers out of state production companies a tax credit equal to 25% of their spending in Louisiana during film production.  The labor tax credit offers an additional 10% tax credit based on the amount of Louisiana labor employed during the production.

There is no doubt that these are tough economic times. Unemployment is high and credit is tight. Key indicates show that is the worse economy in a generation. Many technology transfer offices have seen potential business partners reduce their innovation portfolios and expenditures. This coupled with a reduction in funding sources, from grants and investors to university sources are blowing the technology transfer research commercialization efforts into the perfect storm.

There are difficulties and challenges, but these times also create opportunities. Here are seven tips to help your technology transfer office succeed in these tough economic times.

1. Maintain a list of problems that are relevant to the research and technologies in the pipeline.

Technology transfer offices typically get involved in research commercialization efforts late in the research and testing process. Get involved earlier in the process and start developing a list of problems of which the research can be applied.

This is really an early brainstorming exercise. Don’t just talk to the researchers. Get business input from those who are not involved with the research or the research teams. Independent ideas can be worth their weight in gold.

2. Develop long-term business relationships.

“Dig the well before you are thirsty.”
-Chinese Proverb

Start developing business relationships with business leaders from a wide range of industries. Do this even before you have any applicable research or solutions for them. These relationships will pay off in two ways.

When you are running a clothing retail shop, there is no reason for you to worry about your profit or where you can shop clothing supplies at low prices. There are several clothing suppliers all over the world where you can avail of the best deals. You will be able to keep most of your income when you buy wholesale fashion clothing. If you are looking for the most affordable clothing wholesale, purchase apparel stocks at Asian fashion wholesale manufacturers. One of these fashion wholesale companies is CausewayMall, which is found in Hong Kong. The best thing about this wholesaler is that it offers its clothes internationally. Hong Kong fashion wholesalers from all throughout the world have the opportunity to shop for clothing supplies wholesale at CausewayMall. Among the major retailers and wholesaler clients of this manufacturer come from countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Thailand, and Singapore.

 

CausewayMall is a wholesale online shopping mall, which specializes in wholesale women’s apparel. It offers its clients with a convenient shopping experience, what with the chance to buy clothes online. All you have to do is log on to the website of CausewayMall.com. It has images of its clothing selections, allowing you to browse for your preferences. This wholesale manufacturer from Asia sells cheap, ladies, wholesale clothing. You will be able to avail of discounted prices when you order clothes in bulk. Most importantly, the designs and styles of the clothing from CausewayMall are very fashionable. They are very sellable to middle-end to price competitive market.