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I am taking this directly from a friend’s blog , here is the link to the article . I have seen that whenever I get a link , I don’t click and read so I am copy pasting whole article here , with her permission and giving her credit .Ask Before MarryingI agree to her views and I feel there are no perfect answers to these questions , these are a good starting point :)Questions to Ask Before MarryingI know for sure for both the genders if they are contemplating a relationship and more so a marriage both arranged or love marriage they have to be on the same page on the following:1. Why do you want to get married?Because it is that age.Because everybody gets married so you are doing no differentBecause your parents want you to get marriedYour singlehood bothers youYour biological clock is tickingYou are affraid of ending up aloneNot good enough reasons. Unless you truely feel you want to be with someone to share your love and your joys with them I guess it wont work, rather it will generate resentment in the coming days.2. How you plan to raise/dicipline kids if you plan to have any?If parents are not on the same page then children play them against each other.If you both are not on same page how you’ll discipline children then of you will use children as human shield to get even with the other when ever there is a resentment on something else.3. How you plan to spend the money they make?Who’ll pay for what and how much is to be saved and how stocks/bonds or property.How you plan to allocate your personal expenses.How much will you give to charity (that is very important to me). A spirit of giving keeps the couple grounded.How you plan to help their parents or siblings if the need be.Seperate accounts each and a joint account is my recommendation.If man is making more so he plans to spend on expensive gadgets or she is making money to pay LuiVuotons. Some balance has to be there.4. How you plan to take care of their aging parents?As a woman I want to have cooperation from my partner to help and care for my parents it is not just my brother and his wife’s responsibility. My parents loved me equally and sent me to the best schools. I don’t give a damn to faceless strangers called log and my partner’s conservative parents who demand I serve them before I think about my parents becuase they are ladke wale. Done one time not ready another time around…4. On what issues can his/her parents give their take.?What is negotiable and what is not. Some in-laws freely give sex advice. See the comments https://girlsguidetosurvival.wordpress.com/dealing-with-in-laws/Few parents think they can walk into the bedroom when ever they want.Strong personal boundaries are recommended.If he says my parents made great sacrifices to raise me I can’t talk back to them or how long are they going to live we need to keep them happy. Or I don’t expect anything from you than other than keeping my parents happy.Check your priorities. He and his folks lack personal boundaries. They will not change because that is how they have been living. And nobody knows how long anyone will live. So are you willing to mortgage your life for indefinite period of time. Least but not last remember you cannot make anyone happy. Everyone owes their happiness to themselves it is not another person’s job.Some women’s parents too have defused boundaries they feel insecure that their daughter is not getting a good deal so they try to tutor the couple.Remember you are two adults in a relationship. You are capable of making your own decisions. If you think you cannot make your decisons without upsetting your parents, relative or sibblings then I guess you are not ready for a relationship.5. How you plan to spen your WE time, vacations?Often guys drags wife and kids to visit his parents and that is called vacation.Other times a couple is glued to TV watching a movie to avoid any meaningful conversation. Been there done that…5. Do you have similar political or religious idealogy?In theory and rarely in practice people can work this out. Not every couple isArnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Schriver.Family that eats together and prays together stays together. Still works.You don’t have to have same religion but your beliefs should be well grounded in kindness and compassion for all humans so that one partner doesn’t emotionally manipulates the other to do something they do not believe in.Political ideology sets the stage for everything if you are conservative or liberal will reflect in your outlook towards the life.6. Do you share a common spiritual practice?Being Spiritual is different than being religious.Something that connects you to the greater universe or world beyond you, me and our family.7. How do you plan to resolve conflict?Taking time out.Make an appointment when you both are willing to talk about the disputed issue.How long are you planning to harp on the issue. Indifinite silent treatment is basically emotional blackmail.If things go really bad are you willing to seek professional counselingIf either of you cheat then what would be the consequencesIf there is violence verbal, emotional, spiritual or physical who goes to the cleaners (determine the consequences in the begining so that you know what you’ll do instead of shrinking in shock like I did).8. If a guy or girl is rushing to take the conversation or relationship to next level and you are not comfortable consider it a red flag because he or she is not able to keep up the hype any longer.https://girlsguidetosurvival.wordpress.com/take-a-quiz-are-you-abused/In the folk wisdom it is said engagement should be short and marriage should be long. Short engagement means rush the things up because either party is affraid the skeletons in the closet may jump out.Take your time. A broken engagement is better than broken marriage.8. Women, if he asks you will you consider taking his last name after marriage.Check your priorities because this man is subscribing to gender stereotypes and will expect you to do more gender role specific chores and caring in the relationship.His arguments will be very convincing like, “I always thought my wife to be called Mrs. X .”It is convenient for legal purposes. In legal parlence a woman is still not natural guardian of her biological child she is only a guardian. so do not even entertain this reasoning.It will make my parents happy. Won’t you like your brother’s wife being called Mrs. so and so…It is your right to live in peace and peace requires every one to make an effort. Happy Married Life…

I started travelling from a very young age to various states primarily since my dad had a transferable job. As years passed by, I developed a curiosity to explore the ever diverse cities of India and have been fairly successful in covering many of them. Here’s the list.Chennai - Hometown. Spent half of my life so far in this beautiful city. Did a part of my schooling and Undergrad. Had my first Job Posting here. No matter where life takes me, the everlasting bond with Chennai and its people will always make it No.1 in my ‘Best City’ list.Mumbai - Moved to this bustling city at the age of 3. Learnt Hindi even before I could learn Tamil, my mother tongue and I don't regret it since Hindi has helped me overcome the language barrier during my travel across various states. Loved the weekend getaways to Lonavala, Pune and Mahabaleshwar. Not to forget the legendary Vada Pavs and Pohas. In fact Poha has become a staple food in my home.Bangalore - Did my Secondary Schooling here. A truly diverse and cosmopolitan city with unbelievable acceptance amongst the people. The Bangalore that I remember was much much greener and pleasant than what it is today. Traffic Jams at KR Puram and Tin factory were unheard of and these areas were considered outskirts ( I used to live there). The city has expanded by leaps and bounds and needs to take care of rising pollution and traffic.Pondicherry - Though I haven't technically lived in Pondicherry, I used to visit my Dad who stayed there for work while we lived in a nearby town called Cuddalore ( 20 kms from Pondy). Pondy has become another weekend getaway destination today with some of my best friends living there.Hyderabad - Anoyher city that's as diverse as Bangalore. The biggest turn off is the Scorching heat during summers but the people that I met here were insanely friendly. Paradise and Bawarchi Biriyani’s will top your food palette. Have been here a couple of times since my organisation was head quartered in this city.Tiruvananthapuram - A popular tourist hub with some kickass beaches, backwaters and temples. Been here a couple of times with family and friends for vacation. The drive from Kanyakumari to Trivandrum with coconut farms on both sides of the road is a very scenic one.Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad - Was in this city during my 11th Std to attend a science congress and didn't get to explore the city much. Now that UN has declared Ahmedabad as a Heritage city, I need to bring it back to my checklist.Chandigarh - Known for its well planned and well designed architecture. My parents used to live here while I was in College. Had a tough time navigating through various sectors since every sector is very identical. Was not a very big fan of its weather though. It used to be 40+ degree C in summers and 4–6 degree C in winters.Shimla - Located at just 100 kms from Chandigarh, Shimla used to be our weekend getaway. My Mom and Sister had a great time visiting Shimla whenever there used to be fresh snowfall. Kalka- Shimla toy train offers some picturesque views during the ascent. ( Takes close to 6 hours )Kolkata - Been here as a backpacker and explored most of the city. The mouth watering Street food is legendary and there's still loads of stuff that I'm yet to try. I should've taken the advice of visiting Kolkata during Durga Pooja to experience the city to the fullest. Will be back here soon!Guwahati/Dispur - I’d proceeded to Guwahati from Kolkata and I'd never forget the 20 hour tortuous train journey sitting on the floor of a Sleeper Coach. Failure to book tickets at the right time resulted in this nightmare. The mighty Brahmaputra and the sheer velocity of the water will leave you spellbound. Watching the Sun go down from Kamakhya hilltop was spectacular. Also started developing an affair with Momos and Chowmien here.Shillong - The gateway to an Untouched Paradise called Meghalaya. Amazing street food at Police Bazaar and extremely friendly locals. I envy the residents of this city for they get to be so close with nature. With exotic locations in a few hours’ reach, these people are truly gifted.Srinagar - The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Contrary to media exaggerations about violence and terrorist attacks, Srinagar in its truest essence displays brotherhood and humanity. Never have I met such compassionate people who proved everything wrong about my perception towards Kashmir and its people. This is what happens when 1% is reported and 99% is hidden. I was fortunate to be in Srinagar for Eid and it was overwhelming to see everyone happily exchanging wishes, gifts and food.Panajim- There's technically nothing in Panajim for Travellers but it's the gateway to the party hub of the country. I'll leave it thereNew Delhi - Starting from Historical Places of importance to World Class Institutions in every field, New Delhi serves as the crown of India. The infrastructure is Top notch and I really hope every Metropolitan city gets to witness the kind of development happening in Delhi and NCR.I've got 18 more to go. Hope to strike them all off someday!

It seems like this answer is being asked a LOT on Quora these days!I’ve answered this question several times over the past few weeks, so I’ve copied and pasted my answer below.Hope this helps…Although there are plenty of gurus out there who try to make financial freedom sound so complicated that it would require an advanced degree in differential calculus just to get started, it’s actually quite simple.In fact, there are only three ways that you can achieve financial freedom:Increase IncomeDecrease ExpensesLeverage High Return Opportunities by Creating a “War Chest”That’s it.Let’s dive in.(Note: This content originally appeared on my blog Knowledge for Men. If you’re interested in reading the article in its entirety just click here)Simple Strategies for Increasing Your IncomeBefore we can dive into the different strategies for increasing your income, let’s go ahead and get one thing straight…You cannot save your way to wealth.Sure, you can cut back on your expenses and invest the difference into a mutual fund or something similar.But at the current rate of inflation, it’s unlikely that you will be able to save enough to retire on, let alone to live your dream life.Unfortunately, this is how most people go about their financial journey.They trip over dollars to save pennies when they could just ignore the pennies and pick up the dollars.Just think about it…Even if you lived the most barebones quality of life (which for the record is not good for your health, longevity, or future earning potential) and you were able to cut your expenses back to only $1,500 a month on a $3,000 a month salary, you’re still sacrificing 80% of your quality of life for a fractional financial gain.If you spent the same amount of energy on doubling your income that you currently spend on scrounging for deals and clipping coupons, you would be able to enjoy a quality of life that is more than twice as high and still invest an additional $2,000 a month into your Roth or 401K (which I don’t recommend, but we will get to that).Do you get the point?Living below your means is necessary for financial freedom.But unless it is combined with a steady increase in your income, it will never be enough to break free from the system and live the life that you truly desire.With that out of the way, here are a few of my favorite ways to increase your income.1. Start a Freelancing/Service Based Side HustleThe fastest and easiest way to make up some extra cash is to use your existing skill set to find new clients that will pay you on a per-project basis.This could be anything from writing sales copy, designing marketing campaigns, remodeling homes, working as a personal trainer, or editing videos.It really matters what you do.If someone will pay you for it and you are able to charge a reasonable rate, you can turn just about any interest, skill, or hobby into a healthy side income.To get started, I recommend that you check out Chris Guillebeau’s Side Hustle School and start jumping into as many online communities and social media masterminds as you can.There’s money to be made with just about any skill set as long as you know the right place to look.2. Start a BusinessFor those of you with the patience to make it to profitability, starting a business is an excellent way to boost your income that will allow you to create automated systems to generate money without your direct input.Even though it took almost five years to work out the biggest kinks (and I can promise you that it is an ongoing process), I’ve built Knowledge for Men to the point where I could generate 6-figures+ per year while working fewer than 15 hours a week… If I wanted to.If you have the time, patience, and capital to dive into the world of part-time (or full time) entrepreneurship, these are a few of my favorite interviews to help you get started. (note: head over to my website to view these interviews, I’m not including the links due to Quora’s crackdown on external linking within answers)Pejman Ghadimi – Millionaire by 25 and the Founder of The Secret EntourageMJ Demarco – Author of The Millionaire FastlaneCameron Herold – Author of Double DoubleSean Ogle – Founder of Location RebelAlex Charfen – 7-Figure EntrepreuerJay Samit – World Renowned Consultant and author of Disrupt YouThese interviews will provide you with more than enough juice to get started down your journey to entrepreneurial freedom and if you take action on this content in conjunction with a few of the top business books, I promise you that you can achieve your entrepreneurial dreams faster than you ever thought possible.3. Negotiate a RaiseThe final way to increase your income is simply to negotiate a raise at your current position.Depending on your field, this could be as easy as talking with your boss for 15 minutes this Friday or it could require 3-6 months of working overtime and proving your worth.I don’t know your specific field and I have no idea what your manager’s temperaments are like, so instead of trying to give you a blow by blow checklist for negotiating a raise, I’ll provide you with a few tried and true principles that can help you increase your annual income by 10-40%.-Timing is Everything:If you ask for a raise during the wrong season or after an expensive reorganization then you will be shot down every single time. Try broaching the topic of a raise during your company’s highest grossing months or after some sort of positive event like a successful product launch.-Request a Raise on Merit, not Tenure or Market ConditionsYou can’t expect to receive a raise if your performance at work hasn’t earned it. When you go into negotiations, be sure to focus on the quality of work that you’ve been providing not the length of time you’ve been with a company or the salaries that the competition is paying.-Manage Your State During NegotiationsOne of the worst things you can do is to show up to your salary negotiations with weak and defeated body language. I know that these meetings can be tense and awkward, but maintaining an upbeat and positive attitude will make a “Yes” much more likely.-Figure Out the Number BeforehandIf you go into salary negotiations without a clear understanding of exactly how much of a salary increase you want and why you deserve it, you’re going to fail. If you bid too high, you’ll offend your employer and seem like a bit of a narcissist. If you go too low, the increase won’t be substantial enough to matter to you or your employer.-Handle Rejection GracefullyIf your manager or employer says “No” the first time around (and this is very likely), don’t get discouraged. Simply thank them for their time and ask them “What specific outcomes would be required for me to receive this raise within the next 3-6 months?” If they can’t answer this question, you should probably find another employer.How to Reduce Your Expenses without Sacrificing Your Quality of Life“Spend extravagantly on the things that you love and cut costs mercilessly on the things you don’t.” ~Ramit SethiAlthough increasing your income is the best way to move closer to financial freedom, in and of itself, it is rarely sufficient.Most people tend to spend whatever they earn and, without the proper systems in place, increasing your income will result in less financial freedom and more payments on pointless crap that you don’t need.Embracing Minimalism and an Experience-Driven LifeThe first and most important step that you can take to reduce your expenses without sacrificing your quality of life is to commit to the minimalist lifestyle.Ever since the 1950’s and the inception of the “American Dream”, our society has become hell-bent on owning and accumulating lots of “Stuff”.We spend $5,000 on our couch, $2,000 on a new TV, and $400 for a freaking nightstand.But when you stop and think about it, is this really the best way to spend your money and achieve happiness?I’m not saying that you shouldn’t want or buy nice things. But there comes a point where materialism can detract from the experience of living life.When you are mired in credit card debt and have more than $1,000/month in payments for things that you’ve financed, it makes it difficult to spend time and money on the things that really matter in life.So I want to encourage you to become a minimalist.Spend your money on things that will really matter in the long run.Would you rather have:A couch from restoration hardwareA brand new LexusA new wardrobe from GucciOr…A four-week backpacking trip across New ZealandA year abroad in Europe with your girlfriendA one-week seminar learning how to become your best selfSome of you may truly prefer things to experiences, but according to the research, people derive the greatest amount of happiness by spending their money on experiences and relationships, not things.I won’t tell you how to live your life or how to spend your money.That’s up to you and the next section will help you create a plan for your finances that is tailored to your personality and values.But I will tell you that becoming a minimalist was one of the greatest decisions that I ever made and I’d encourage you to give it a go for yourself.The Conscious Spending PlanMost people despise the idea of a budget because the method they’ve learned feels restrictive. In reality, however, a budget is simply a plan for spending your money.Since “Budget” has become a four-letter word to many people, I prefer using the term “Conscious Spending Plan” (coined by Ramit Sethi).Instead of having a specific destination for every single dollar you earn, you should have a written system that determines what portions of your income will be spent on what expenses and luxuries.But before you can do this, you need to know where you want to spend your money in the first place.How do you do this? By following your values.There’s an old saying that, “If you show me a man’s calendar you can show me his priorities.” I believe that this is true, but I believe that it’s even truer that “If you show me a man’s spending you can show me what he values”.Your conscious spending plan should reflect your internal values and goals, not meet some arbitrary standard set by society.If you are a single guy who doesn’t spend a lot of time at home, then why in the world should you spend 30% of your income on an expensive apartment?Conversely, if you are a married man with two children, it doesn’t make much sense to spend 10% of your income on car payments if you could simply buy a used car in cash and roll the 10% into a bigger and more comfortable home for you and your family.The only non-negotiable item in your conscious spending plan is your personal growth and development.If you aren’t setting aside at least 10% of your income to invest in coaching, masterminds, courses, books, and seminars, then you are doing it wrong.I’ve spent tens of thousands (maybe even more than 6-figures) on my personal growth and ever single investment I made paid back dividends.So right now, before you go any further in this article, I want you to take a minute and write down the answer to a few questions.What would I do if money was no objectIf I was given a blank check that could solve one problem in my life, what would that problem be?If I was given $10,000 and was forced to spend it on FUN how would I spend it?What is the one thing I would change about my current living situation (housing, cars, clothes, etc.)?Got it?Good. These questions will help you figure out your values and how you should allocate your money.By having a clearly defined set of values, you can decide exactly where you want to spend your money.For example, if you don’t spend a lot of time at home, you can spend less money on your apartment while spending more on dining out and partying with friends.If you are someone who doesn’t enjoy nightlife and prefers to be outdoors, you can create a conscious spending plan that allows you to spend $15,000 a year on adventure vacations and epic trips.Or maybe you are someone with a wide array of interests and you just want to have $500 a month to spend on whatever catches your fancy at the time.A conscious spending plan allows you to do just that!When you cut back on the things you don’t love, you will naturally have more money for the things that you do.Negotiating Lower Payments on Your Biggest ExpensesAlthough I’m not a fan of penny-pinching or scrounging for deals, there are a few key expenses where you can save yourself $1,000/year+ with just a few phone calls.Specifically:RentCar InsurancePhone BillLoans (Credit cards, student loans, etc.)Most people overpay for services and are completely oblivious to the massive number of discounts and specials that are offered by banks, insurance companies, and apartment complexes.For example, if you’ve been insured for more than a year and your premium hasn’t dropped, you should be able to get your insurance lowered with only one phone call.In twelve months, your car has lost a significant amount of value and this depreciation will only be reflected in your insurance premium if you are willing to call and request a rate change.The specific scripts and tactics that you should use to get a lower rate are beyond the scope of this guide, but Ramit Sethi has an excellent article on finding hidden income that will teach you the word by word responses you should use to lower your biggest expenses.The Ultimate Financial Hack: Becoming a Digital NomadFor those of you with a location independent income source, or the ability to find/create one in the next 12 months, becoming a digital nomad is the ultimate financial hack.Although more and more people are leaving the country in favor of cheaper locales, it amazes me how few people truly understand the power of geoarbitrage.In the United States, you can expect to spend:$1,000+/month for a single bedroom apartment$500+/month for groceries$200+/month for utilities$400+/month for transportation (Insurance, car payment, gas, Uber, etc.)Oh and 20%+ of your income in taxesIf you were willing to relocate to a developing country like Colombia, Thailand, Vietnam, Nicaragua, or Budapest you could simultaneously spend less money for a greater quality of life.Although prices vary, based on conversations with my digital nomad friends you should expect to spend:$750/month for a luxurious single bedroom apartment in the city center$200/month for groceries$100/month for utilities$200/month for transportation (or less)This is just a rough estimate and I’ve even known guys who have lived on less than $1,500 a month abroad.In and of itself, it’s pretty amazing that you can enjoy a higher quality of life, travel the world, and save money, but the real financial incentive comes from the tax advantages of living abroad.For individuals who spend 11 months or 330 days outside of the united states in a given calendar year, the first $102,000 that you earn are income tax exempt.Depending on the state that you live in, this could be a total savings of more than $25,000/year JUST for living outside of the country!Talk about a life hack.If you can adapt to life on the road, becoming a digital nomad is one of the best financial decisions that you can ever make.And you’ll have a helluva time while you’re saving money.Building Your War Chest: The Keys to the Financial KingdomI’m not a CPA.I don’t have special knowledge about different investing strategies and I couldn’t help you pick out the best index fund for your savings if I tried.However, over the past 10 years, I’ve consistently applied a single tactic that has allowed me to invest in opportunities that 2X, 5X, or even 10X’d my investment.I call this tactic the war chest.Better than a 401K: Why You Should Focus on Your War Chest and Not Your Retirement FundI know that plenty of gurus still preach the importance of investing in low-risk medium yield mutual funds and index funds.But I respectfully disagree.You’re never going to enter into the upper echelons of wealth by earning a 7%/year return on a few thousand dollars.You’re going to do it by amassing massive sums of money and then investing that money into highly profitable opportunities and endeavors.I realized early on that I would never be able to consistently save money if I was putting my hard earned cash into a boring fund or a 1% interest savings account for a “Rainy Day”.So I decided to make savings a game, to make it exciting!So, ever since I graduated college, I’ve been consistently socking away part of my income every single month into my “War Chest”, a savings account that I use exclusively for high yield investments.This war chest allowed me to:Quit my job and build Knowledge for Men for an entire year without needing to make a profitEarn $15,000+ in 14 days during the Crypto-Craze back in November 2017Generate more than $300k in revenue by spending $6,000 on a high-level sales coachInvest in high growth companies like Shopify, Salesforce, Facebook and Netflix before they peaked.Almost invested into a new vegan fast food concept thats got a line out the door everyday (I’m in California).And so much more.But you aren’t going to use your war chest for any investments like these… Not yet at least.For now, you are going to invest the funds from your war chest into one thing and one thing only.Yourself. Invest in books, coaching, seminars, and training programs that will help you improve your skills and become more valuable to the marketplace.From there, you will be able to dramatically increase your income and then intelligently invest your war chest funds into unique opportunities that arise.When you have developed a skillset that can earn you good sums of cash then you can continue to build your war chest.Your war chest is something you build for the rest of your life. Once you make an investment then you rebuild your war chest quickly from your cash flow from your job or business for another investment.This is how rich people get rich they buy assets they understand that either pay them healthy cash flows or yield a very high return.Without a war chest you would not have the opportunity to take advantage of opportunity when it arises.ConclusionThat’s it! I know this was a long response but I hope that it helped you get started on your journey to financial freedom.Let me know if you have any questions about the content or would like to know more in the comments :)Stay Grounded,AndrewLearn more about my work and mission by visiting my Quora profile here