7 Income Tax saving tips you might not know

http://www.jagoinvestor.com 7 Income Tax saving tips you might not know : [with Video] : Jagoinvestor

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7 Income Tax saving tips you might not know : Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:18 PM PST Haven't you gotten bored of regular tax saving tips? Are you looking for some tips which are different, kinda unique and not very well known? If yes, then you're reading the right article, mate! I will share some tips which would help you in area of tax saving. Some of these tips will help you in this, current year and some, at some later point. But helpful at some level, they will be  . Below is a video on this topic where I explain those 7 tips. Incase you dont want to watch the video , you can just skip it and move forward to read the tips in text . Let's look at them. If you are reading this article on email, you can watch the video on youtubehere 1. Gift money to your major children and Save tax on Future Income Imagine this, you have Rs 25 lacs. Logically you put this in a fixed deposit or invest in some other financial product through which you get an interest at 8%. You will get Rs 2  lacs as interest which will be added to your income and you pay tax on this income. Not good! Now what? How do we save tax on these 2 lacs? As per income-tax laws you can gift any amount of money to your major children without attracting gift-tax and as their money will become theirs any income arising out of it would be treated as their income, not yours. In case their income is below the limits, there won't be any tax. However there can be times, where you might not feel too comfortable gifting away large amounts of money to your major children, in which case, there is another option of giving them loans. And guess what? you can make interest-free loans to your major children as per the law  . Please note that doing exactly the same thing with your spouse is not possible. Any income you transfer to your spouse which generates any income will be treated as your income only. However, if you are going to be married in some months and you have some big amount of cash, you can gift her right away, as gift given to prospective wife would become hers lawfully! 2. Claim stamp duty and registration fees in 80C Many people dont know this, but the Stamp duty and the registrationfees of the documents for the house can be claimed as deduction under section 80C in the year of purchase of the house. An important point to note here is that you should be in possession of the house if you want to claim these deductions. So in case of under-construction properties, you lose out on claiming this deduction. As per the income tax The stamp duty, registration fee and other expenses incurred for the purpose of transfer shall also be covered. Payment towards the cost of house property, however, will not include, admission fee or cost of share or initial deposit or the cost of any addition or alteration to, or, renovation or repair of the house property which is carried out after the issue of the completion certificate by competent authority, or after the occupation of the house by the assessee or after it has been let out. Payments towards any expenditure in respect of which the deduction is allowable under the provisions of section 24 of the Income-tax Act will also not be included in payments towards the cost of purchase or construction of a house property. 3. Get deduction for rent even without HRA All the salaries class people get HRA from their companies, and hence they claim deductions on that. However, what if you are self-employed professional or working for a company who does not provide you HRA benefit? Can you still claim HRA? Yes! But with some caveats. Under Section 80GG, you can claim deduction of the rent paid even if you don't get HRA. However not many people are aware of this deduction. If you are not being paid any HRA or don't have any housing benefit from employer. You can claim least of following 3 things as HRA a) Rent paid less 10% of total income b) or Rs 2,000 a month; c) or 25% of total income. Note that your spouse or minor child should not own any house with the city limit if you want to claim this benefit , You will have to submit a form called 10-BA that you are paying rent and not receiving HRA. Bonus tip : If you are staying with your parents, you can pay them rent. If they don't have significant income, it would mean you save tax on rent paid and even your parents income does not cross the tax limits, which is a win-win situation. 4. Declare your losses in tax return to save tax in future A lot of people do not show their losses in shares, mutual funds, gold ETFs, real-estate in their tax returns. This is a big mistake, as you lose an opportunity to save tax in future years. You can set-off your losses against profits in current year as well as in the future too. For example : Assume you had sold your real-estate property and made a profit of 10 lacs after indexation. You will have to pay a tax of Rs 2 lacs @20%. However suppose in the same year you have also made a loss of Rs 4 lacs in stocks , you can set-off this loss with your 10 lacs profit and just pay tax on Rs 6 lacs , which comes at 1.2 lacs only. That's a cool 80k in savings! Also if you have only losses this year and no profits, you can show this loss in your tax returns and carry forward and set-off this loss against any future profits for next 8 yrs. For more details read this article. 5. Buy House with Parent or Siblings as joint-owners Yes, if you thought only spouse can be co-owner in the real-estate property to claim the tax deductions, you don't know the whole story. You can have your spouse/parent/siblings as co-owner and all the co-owners can claims the tax deductions of 1 lacs for principal and 1.5 lacs for interest part . So if you take a housing loan with your siblings as co-owner of property and co-Borrower of loan, the loan amount interest and principle paid will be available for tax exemption in ratio of your loan amount. So if you are still a bachelor or a single who wants to buy a house, consider asking your brother, sister or parents to become the co-owner so that both of you can get tax benefits and reduce your tax-outgo. The only problem in this case is that loan-sanctioning companies are very stringent in giving loans to siblings, as their are higher chances of you parting your ways with them later in case of any family issues, however in case of spouse it happens lesser. Bonus Tip : The co-owner who falls in the higher tax bracket should hold a higher proportion of home loan to make sure that the tax benefits are maximised. 6. Use education loan to lower tax for your Children in Future So what, if you have all the money to pay for your children's education fees? It would be wise to opt for an education loan in name of your children's name as you can claim the full interest paid on education loan under section 80E. Note that its only available if you are a parent or a legal guardian . You can't claim deduction for your spouse education loan  The other thing is that you can take education loan on your children name so that after some years when they pay off their loans, they can claim the deductions themselves. Apart from this, they'd be more responsible and this education loan payment from their pocket will make sure that they don't spend to much money in wrong places and you can use your money today some where else! 7. Take unlimited deductions for your second home loan interest payment If you have already bought first home where you are living right now and want to buy another house, the good news is that you can claim full interest paid for the EMIs of second house. As per tax laws, you can claim full deductions for the amount paid as interest on loan for second house. For the first house you can claim up to 1.5 lacs in interest, however for your second house you can claim full amount of interest without any upper limit! . Read some tips on buying real-estate Share your views on which one of these tips is applicable for you ? Also do you know any other tip which you want to share ? So what, if you have all the money to pay for your children's education fees? It would be wise to opt for an education loan in name of your children's name as you can claim the full interest paid on education loan under section 80E. Note that its only available if you are a parent or a legal guardian . You can't claim deduction for your spouse education loan  The other thing is that you can take education loan on your children name so that after some years when they pay off their loans, they can claim the deductions themselves. Apart from this, they'd be more responsible and this education loan payment from their pocket will make sure that they don't spend to much money in wrong places and you can use your money today some where else! 7. Take unlimited deductions for your second home loan interest payment If you have already bought first home where you are living right now and want to buy another house, the good news is that you can claim full interest paid for the EMIs of second house. As per tax laws, you can claim full deductions for the amount paid as interest on loan for second house. For the first house you can claim up to 1.5 lacs in interest, however for your second house you can claim full amount of interest without any upper limit! Which of the above tips were new for you ? Can you share any tip which you know but its not covered here ? Please comment .

7 Tax Saving Strategies for Salaried Individuals

Understanding Taxes

7 Tax Saving Strategies for Salaried Individuals

At the end of every financial year, many tax payers frantically make investments to minimize taxes, without adequate knowledge of the various available options. The Income Tax Act offers many more incentives and allowances, apart from the popular 80C, which could reduce tax liability substantially for the salaried individuals. Here are seven smart tips to help you save more and reduce taxes.

           

1. Salary Restructuring

Restructuring your salary may not always be possible. But if your company permits, or if you are on good terms with your HR department, restructuring a few components could reduce your tax liability.

• Opt for food coupons instead of lunch allowances, as they are exempt from tax up to Rs 60,000 p.a.
• Include medical allowance, transport allowance, education allowance, uniform expenses (if any), and telephone expenses as part of salary. Produce bills of actual expenses incurred for these allowances to reduce tax.
• Opt for the company car instead of using your own car, to reduce high prerequisite taxation.

  

2. Utilizing Section 80C

Section 80C offers a maximum deduction of up to Rs. 1, 00,000. Utilize this section to the fullest by investing in any of the available investment options. A few of the options are as follows.

• Public Provident Fund
• Life Insurance Premium
• National Savings Certificate
• Equity Linked Savings Scheme
• 5 year fixed deposits with banks and post office.
• Tuition fees paid for children's education, up to a maximum of 2 children.

3. Options beyond 80C

If you have exhausted your limit of one lakh under section 80C, here are a few more options.

• Section 80D – Deduction of Rs. 15,000 for medical insurance of self, spouse and dependent children and Rs. 20,000 for medical insurance of parents above 65 years.
• Section 80CCF- Deduction of Rs 20,000, in addition to the Rs 1 lakh under 80C, for investments in notified infrastructure bonds.
• Section 80G- Donations to specified funds or charitable institutions.

  

4. House Rent Allowance

Are you paying rent, yet not receiving any HRA from your company? The least of the following could be claimed under Section 80GG.

• 25% of the total income or,
• Rs 2,000 per month or,
• Excess of rent paid over 10% of total income
• This deduction will however not be allowed, if you, your spouse or minor child owns a residential accommodation in the location where you reside or perform office duties.
• If HRA forms part of your salary, then the minimum of the following three is available as exemption.
• The actual HRA received from your employer
• The actual rent paid by you for the house, minus 10% of your salary (this includes basic + dearness allowance, if any)
• 50% of your basic salary (for a metro) or 40% of your basic salary (for non-metro).

 

5. Tax Saving from Home Loans

Use your home loan efficiently to save more tax. The principal component of your loan, is included under Section 80c, offering a deduction up to Rs. 1, 00,000. The interest portion offers a deduction up to Rs. 1, 50,000 separately under Section 24.

 

6. Leave Travel Allowance

Use your Leave Travel Allowance for your holidays, which is available twice in a block of four years. In case you have been unable to claim the benefit in a particular 4 year block, you could now carry forward one journey to the succeeding block and claim it in the first calendar year of that block. Thus, you may be eligible for three exemptions in that block.

 

7. Tax on Bonus

A bonus from your employer is fully taxable in the year in which you receive it. However request your employer for the following.

• If you anticipate tax rates to be reduced or slabs to be modified in the subsequent year, see if you could push the bonus payment to the subsequent year.
• Produce your tax investment details well before, to prevent your employer from deducting tax on bonus before handing it over.

 

A Final Word

Keep in mind the below points, to avoid the hassles of last minute tax planning.

• Give your employer details loans and tax saving investments before hand, to prevent any excess deduction.
• Check the Form 16 received at the end of each year from your employer thoroughly.
• It is important to start your tax planning well before 31^st March, and to file your returns before the 31^st of July each year.

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"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
Albert Einstein
                      

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals."

Zig Ziglar

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FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE

The Moral's are oh so true*   Lesson 1:  A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.  The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbour.  Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'  After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.  The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.  When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'  'It was Bob the next door neighbour,' she replies.  'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'  Moral of the story:  If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.  Lesson 2 A priest offered a Nun a lift.  She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.  The priest nearly had an accident.  After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.  The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'  The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.  The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'  The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'  Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.  On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'  Moral of the story:  If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.  Lesson 3 A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.  They rub it and a Genie comes out.  The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'  'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'  Puff! She's gone.  'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'  Puff! He's gone.  'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.  The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'  Moral of the story:  Always let your boss have the first say.  Lesson 4  An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.  A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'  The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'  So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.  Moral of the story:  To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.  Lesson 5 A turkey was chatting with a bull.  'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'  'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'  The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.  The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.  Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.  He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.  Moral of the story:  Bull Sh*t might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..  Lesson 6 A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.  While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.  As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was.  The dung was actually thawing him out!  He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.  A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.  Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.  Morals of the story:  (1) Not everyone who sh*ts on you is your enemy.  (2) Not everyone who gets you out of sh*t is your  friend. (3) And when you're in deep sh*t, it's best to keep  your mouth shut!  THUS ENDS THE FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE

 

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Regards,
Hemal Kansara

http://hemal.mp

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Regards,
Hemal Kansara

http://hemal.mp

Point Book For Year - 2011

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile. 

Personality: 

11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. Society: 25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

 

Life:

32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Six biggest health dangers facing residents

... and what you need to do to stay clear of them

By

• Bindu Suresh Rai

Published Sunday, November 21, 2010

With stressful lives giving way for more illnesses to knock on our doors. (SUPPLIED)

If you too have witnessed the increase in public health awareness campaigns in the UAE in the recent months, then it is simply because the government and health authorities are taking action at the alarming figures that are rising around us.

With stressful lives giving way for more illnesses to knock on our doors, Emirates 24|7 takes action by listing the top six killers in the country and how you can give yourself a health check to reduce your risk.

1. Heart disease

According to statistics released earlier this year by the Ministry of Health, over 25 per cent of deaths in the UAE are caused by cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol levels, which are a major cause of heart disease.

And it's not just the expat population that is at risk here. In a presentation on Preventive Health Measures and Public Health: The Role of Primary Care, Dr Cother Hajat, section head, public health programmes at the Health Authority Abu Dhabi, revealed that at least 71 per cent of Emiratis, averaging 35 years, have at least one risk factor. Meanwhile, eight per cent males and two per cent females are at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in the next 10 years.

Take action:  To minimise your risk, some lifestyle changes are important:

- Don't smoke, and no, cutting down does not count.

- Limit your intake of alcohol.

- Start weight control immediately.

- Exercise regularly, even at home if the gym is not possible.

- Control high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.

- Opt in for regular health checks, especially as you grow older.

- Meditate, or take up some breathing exercises

2. Diabetes

Over the last 10 years, the number of diabetes related deaths have increased by 45 per cent in the developing world, with the UAE in the forefront.

Recent figures from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) suggest that 285 million people are living with diabetes, worldwide, with an alarming five GCC countries featuring in the top eight countries in terms of diabetes prevalence as a percentage of the population.

In the UAE, diabetes currently affects 18.7 per cent of the UAE adult population, the second highest prevalence worldwide after the Pacific Ocean island of Nauru.

Studies into the death rates indicate that diabetes is generally under-reported, particularly in the cases of older persons with multiple conditions such as heart disease and hypertension. Because of this, the toll of diabetes is believed to be much higher than officially reported.

 While Type 1 diabetes is something you can be made aware of earlier in line, many people first become aware of Type 2 diabetes only when they develop one of its serious and life-threatening complications such as heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, blindness, sexual dysfunction and more.

Take action: To survive, people with Type 1 diabetes must have insulin delivered by injection or a pump. Many people with Type 2 diabetes can manage their blood glucose by doing the following:

- Follow a healthy diet.

- Exercising regularly.

- Losing excess weight, as research shows that by shedding just five per cent of your weight can cut your chances of getting worse by almost 90 per cent.

- Stop smoking

- Eat more fibre and slow-releasing carbs, which can lower cholesterol

- Read up on symptoms and if you feel your body has been acting out of sync lately, then have a fasting blood glucose test to confer.

3. Breast cancer

One out of eight women get diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today (after lung cancer).

 According to WHO, more than 1.2 million people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year worldwide, with the American Cancer Society estimating that around 213,000 women in the US will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year.

 Though much less common, breast cancer also occurs in men. An estimated 1,720 cases worldwide were diagnosed in men in 2006.

Take action:

- Get into the habit of performing self-examinations monthly, around the same time.

- Once you cross 40, annual mammograms are a must.

- If a member of your family has been diagnosed with breast cancer, then start the mammograms 10 years early.

- If unsure how to progress, consult a doctor.

- Cut back on alcohol and stop smoking.

- Start working out.

4. Obesity

The UAE is on the brink of a widespread obesity epidemic. As harsh as it may sound, the country's penchant for unhealthy food has led to expanding waistlines, or so say studies, which reveal that approximately 20 per cent of the country's population suffers from obesity — rising at a much higher rate than the US.Obesity is higher among females than males in the UAE with a ratio of 30/20 per cent, ranking the country fourth globally in terms of highest obesity ratio among women. The statistics showed that around 31 per cent of women are obese compared to around 18 per cent men.

Qatar and UAE were among the countries with the highest levels of adult obesity, with 45 per cent and 31 per cent of females considered obese, respectively.

Blame it on the sedentary lifestyles, the environment, the stress, the traffic or even the weather, but the sad fact is that we are going obese and doing just about nothing to prevent a health disaster.

Take action: Cut out the fat, and reach for a fitter lifestyle. Here's how:

- Get moving. Climb the stairs, walk around the malls, run on the beach or even skirt around the parking lot on foot, but do it now.

- Daily dosage of shawarmas, burgers, pizzas and manakishes will only pile on more pounds. Pack a lunch from home, or switch to soups, salads or anything with more fibre and less fat.

- Low-fat, low-fat, low-fat.

- Join a gym or exercise at home but do it.

- Cut back of drinking, because if you are obese already the last thing you want is a bloated stomach thanks to the alcohol calories.

5. Stress

Inflation, soaring rents, extra hours at work, family squabbles and traffic all play an integral part in creating a stressful existence for us. With stress-related illnesses, including high blood pressure, insomnia, heart disease and early aging, creating an even more stressful environment, it's time to nip the stress syndrome in the bud.

Take action:

- Take up meditation or yoga to relax you.

- Leave work later, by going to the gym to give your body a healthy workout and beating traffic.

- Start eating healthy, as energy foods emit beta-endorphins in the body and these feel-good hormones go a long way in reducing stress levels.

- Take a holiday. Even if you can't get away for a few weeks, the weekend is a great time to spend time with the family and go away from the daily stresses.

6. Lung cancer

Statistics released by Al Ain's Al Tawam Hospital reveal that 71.5 per cent of the lung cancer diseases patients in the UAE are males and 28.5 per cent are female. Also, 60 per cent of the lung cancer patients are in advanced stages and the majority of them are in their fifth and sixth decades

According to the Mayo Clinic, US, lung cancer has fast become the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world, with speculation showing that it just may even overtake heart disease in the near future.

Yet most of these lung cancer deaths can be prevented, because smoking accounts for nearly 90 per cent of lung cancer cases, with shisha smoking contributing to the increasing numbers.

Although your risk of lung cancer increases with the length of time and number of cigarettes you smoke, quitting smoking, even after many years, can significantly reduce your chances of developing the disease.

Take action: To minimise your risk, incorporate the following lifestyle alterations:

- Don't smoke, or at least start cutting down now.

- Avoid places where you can be a victim of passive smoking.

- Limit your intake of saturated fats.

- Exercise regularly.

- Control high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

- Get screened regularly.

JunaidTahir
http://mjunaidtahir.blogspot.com/
http://ae.linkedin.com/in/mjunaidtahir

--
Hyderabad Masti
 
http://tinyurl.com/bx5z5d

--
Regards,
Hemal Kansara

http://hemal.mp

Ant's Philosophy !!

 

 

Tips to Improve Self Confidence

 

Tips to Improve Self Confidence

 

 

Here are some quick tips to improve your Self Confidence. If we are committed to have a healthy self confidence there are many things you can do every day to boost your self confidence, each small steps that will help you to reach your goal. The good news is that self-esteem is not fixed and can be improved, try some of the steps below to boost your confidence and self-esteem.

1) Identify your successes. Everyone is good at something, so discover the things at which you excel, then focus on your talents. Give yourself permission to take pride in them. Give yourself credit for your successes. Inferiority is a state of mind in which you've declared yourself a victim. Do not allow yourself to be victimized.

2) Look in the mirror and smile. Studies surrounding what's called the "facial feedback theory" suggest that the expressions on your face can actually encourage your brain to register certain emotions. So by looking in the mirror and smiling every day, you might feel happier with yourself and more confident in the long run.

3) Exercise and eat healthy. Exercise raises adrenaline and makes one feel happier and healthier. It is certainly an easy and effective way to boost your self-confidence.

4) Turn feelings of envy or jealousy into a desire to achieve. Stop wanting what others have just because they have it; seek things simply because you want them, whether anybody else has them or not.

5) When you're feeling superbly insecure, write down a list of things that are good about you. Then read the list back. You'd be surprised at what you can come up with.

6) Don't be afraid to push yourself a bit - a little bit of pressure can actually show just how good you are!

7) You can try taking a martial arts or fitness class/course (or both). This will help build confidence and strength. Invest in some new clothing and donate some of your old clothing to send a message to yourself that you both look sharp and feel sharp.

9) Try to make yourself talk positively at all times. When you hear yourself saying you can't do something, stop and say you can. Unless you try, you will never know whether you are able to or not.

10) Don't get wrapped up in your mistakes and dwell on bad points; they can contrast your good points or even give you something to improve. There's no feeling like being good at something you were really bad at.

11) Don't confuse what you have with who you are. People degrade their self worth when comparing possessions.

12) Surround yourself with nurturing friends, not overly critical individuals who make you feel inadequate or insecure. This could do great harm and damage to your self confidence.

Always remember "There is hair line crack between success and failure" Be sure to push yourself a bit, who knows that bit may lead you to success