Archive for November, 2007
The race is on. Christmas is now less than four weeks away. Officially, we will be surviving on my income at the first of January. My office is getting smaller as my jobs continue to multiply. But the more I face, the more I am determined to overcome.
1. Less is more this Christmas. We are focusing on making gifts for family and friends – which will help dramatically with my budget. The children are getting one big gift (from mom and dad) and some fun (and requested) stocking-stuffers. All and all, we will get through this Christmas for around $250 total! Wow!
2. January was my target date to have a full time income from my writing, and I am ahead of schedule to make that income. It was originally my idea to save that extra money so my husband could leave his job in May, but things change. You have to be flexible. I’ve made a schedule that includes sending out job resumes, print queries, book queries, writing blogs, AND writing novel work – every week. I even set aside time to do the writing work I am bringing in with all these resumes (smart, huh?). As a family, we are working on the land and preparing for the spring (when we will begin selling our plants). It’s daunting to go from a full-time salary (with benefits) to my writing income, but the quality of our family life has improved so much that I wouldn’t change a thing.
3. As for office space, I’m limited there. I have a corner of the kitchen (and I’ve expanded that corner about as far as it can go. I think with one more filing cabinet I could get everything orderly – but I dream of the day when I will have a writing room all to myself. The only other thing I MUST do is put up a bulletin board that I can keep a running record of upcoming deadlines. The more things I start juggling, the easier it is to lose track.
Any one can do it IF you are willing to look past the modern way society does things and turn back the clock to a time before credit cards, retirement, and 9 to 5. Thinking outside the box may not make you a millionaire (although that is still a possibility 
). It will give you and your family a life that most people only dream about having together.
November 29th, 2007
Growing up with a big brother can be tough – especially when you are a girl. I am 3 ½ years younger than my brother. That means when he was a senior, I was a freshman. To make matters more difficult, he ran around with several of the guys from the football team. Technically, I had LOTS of big brothers (and no dates) when I was a freshman.
It wasn’t all bad. Those guys watched over me and protected me. No matter what the situation might be, I knew it would be okay. They had my back and that was comforting.
This morning while I was reading scripture it struck me that Jesus is my big brother. I had never looked at it like that before, but it’s true. He was the first born (making him the oldest) of many heirs (meaning me). It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling and a new understanding of how he is my advocate. It’s nice to know that one who has such great power has so much concern for my life.
I remember something else about my earthly brother. As the years crept passed and we were no longer forced (because of age and living arrangements) to be around each other, we drifted apart. Although he would still be there if I called, the relationship is not the same – mainly because I haven’t invested in it.
My relationship with Jesus is the same. He will always be there for me, but I may not feel comfortable calling out if I haven’t spent time on the relationship. It is my investment that shows Him how valuable His investment is.
It all comes back to a personal relationship. Without that, you are just strangers.
November 28th, 2007
Sometimes it is tough to wait on something we want. I wanted my husband when I first went out with him, but it took us eight years to work through the mess of our lives before we found our way back together. It was worth the wait.
On the flip side, it can be easier and quicker to manipulate the system to get something now! The house that we live in was small before I got the addition I wanted. It cost us another loan and LOTS and LOTS of headaches, but I got it. It’s not exactly what I envisioned, but it is better that what we had. The thought that haunts me is – what if you had just waited.
Patience is a virtue for a reason. It helps you get to the right place and at the right time. It keeps you from speaking the wrong thing in the wrong way. It protects you from your own stupidity or confusion. Patience is a vital tool to any situation, but particularly to your budget!
My printer has been acting up. With the first sign of trouble, the office supply store began calling out to me. The only thing to do was to go look at the printers and see what I could get for my money. After talking with the salesclerk, I decided to walk away. I needed more time to think and research what was available.
Last night, my printer all but announced its retirement. I went to the website of the store I frequents and low and behold, the printer I wanted was on sale. PLUS, I had just received a rewards check that will cover most of the cost. By having a little patience, I’m going to get my new printer almost for free.
If you want to succeed with your budget then work on your patience. That one little virtue can stretch your dollar all the way to a new and improved printer.
November 28th, 2007
This morning I re-evaluated my budget. It wasn’t planned to happen until January (I review my budget once a quarter), but with the income situation taking such a shift, and with the finances falling squarely on my shoulder, I want to know EXACTLY what I’m facing.
Many people would completely panic in my position. That’s the normal reaction. We’ve already established that I’m a bit on the peculiar side, so it should be no surprise that I’m feeling a mix of excitement and fear (kind of like I use to feel before a big race). I’m looking for ways to make more income and also to cut expenses.
1. What do I love to do? For years, I have been planning, planting, and tending my flower garden. It’s time to put that to work. By the spring, I will have an online (and on premises) business selling my excess and maybe using the garden for pictures or wedding.
2. What are we doing any way? We live in the woods and we have a fireplace. Every year, we cut and split wood. If we took a few days and did that with all the wood we have just lying around the property, we would be well stocked and could sell off the excess.
3. What are we not using? This land is only being used as a place to mow. We haven’t done anything constructive with it – just yet. With a little creativity, and a lot of muscle, we could put up a fence for almost no cost. Then we would be able to take in animals.
4. What can I do to expand what I’m already doing? I have a friend that develops websites. I could call him and see about writing content for the sites he’s developing. Who knows! Also, with my grants, I need to get out a letter to the non-profits in the area letting them know that I am available. And, I have to QUERY if I want to get published.
5. What can I cut? The best thing I know to cut is the television (I know, it hurts me to think about it). It will not only save me about $300 per year, but it will save me more hours than I care to admit. Besides, there is really nothing on worth watching anyway. I’ll stick with movie rentals.
6. What can we sell? There are not many antiques in our house, but we do have a few. And I have some jewelry that I don’t ever wear. There are also some tools and things that are just taking up space. If we sell what we don’t use or need (or maybe even want) we could build up a nice nest egg.
The number one key to making this work is to think outside the box. We may not be on a traditional income anymore, but we make money. By budgeting wisely, being flexible, and especially being creative, we will not only survive but we will prosper!
November 27th, 2007
My blog is still not paying my rent. It isn’t even buying me a pack of gum now and then. It is one year old, and there are days when I feel like a monetized blog is as much of a myth as Jack’s magic beans.
The truth may not show in the dollar signs – YET! But I have grown as a writer and as a blogger. One year ago I knew that blogs existed, but that is about as far as I could have gotten in a conversation about the online oddities that are blogs. Today, I am still learning and growing and even sharing, but there is still a ways to go.
1. Understanding the lingo – Cpanel, SEO, mega-tags are just the beginning of the new words in my vocabulary. I’ve taken time to understand the building of the blog not just the writing. It makes it easier to make changes, redo designs, and create things that are unique (and peculiar) to my site. There are many sites that can help you find your way through this new language.
2. Improving the writing – I have heard that if you see an adverb you should kill it. Because of the length that most blogs have, writing must be crisp. I have been learning to trim the fat and find the perfect word to express all that I need (instead of rambling on and on about something that doesn’t really mean that much to the piece any way). I’ve also found jobs writing on other blogs and the insight and editing ideas that the owners have has lead to changes in the way I write for my own blog. Amazingly, blog writing has drastically increased my print writing techniques as well. I’m selling to national magazines (which pay EXTREMELY WELL) partly due to all I’m learning online. Monika has some great suggestions for beginners on how to write and on getting started in writing as a career at The Writers Manifesto.
3. Making the connection – Even online, it is not what you know but who you know. Meeting people online has led me to other people and other sites where I learn more and make more connections. It’s an amazing internet world and I’m learning that socializing online is as valuable as it is in any industry. DoshDosh is just one of the many sites I try to visit and comment on in order to meet and connect with new bloggers.
4. Finding mentors – Through the connections and jobs, I have found some people that are guiding me to a better website. Even among them, they have different ideas or ways or special tricks that they use and I’m trying to incorporate them all (at least a little). Learn from the Best is a blog post that I stumbled upon that takes this idea a little farther. The point behind both what Lisa says and what I am saying is that you need to look to people with the experience in order to avoid the traps and mistakes they have already fallen through.
5. Writing for a niche – This site started as a place to just write (that’s what a blog is, right?) and it has slowly become more focused on moms and their issues (personal growth, family – dealing with husbands 
– finances) and writing as a work at home business. These are the two things I am most passionate about and the areas that I can help out from experience. Plus, I have a vast amount of ideas to write from every single day!
The dream of having a blog that pours money into my bank account is far from dead. The realization that like any business, blogging takes time and effort before it pays out, is finally coming to life. The more I learn, the more I know I need to learn and the more exciting the journey becomes. I just have to keep focusing on what’s been accomplished and keep pushing to accomplish more.
November 25th, 2007
The public library is an amazing wealth of information – some of it even useful. On my quest to get out 7 queries (for a novel) by Monday, I made a trip to the library to check out Steven King’s On Writing. I came out of the library with a HUGE stack of books on subjects like finance, Christmas, writings, and being frugal. It’s how things normally end up when I leave the library.
Many of the books are just for reference. These are the ones I just flip through to get some good ideas. One in particular is for reading – mainly because the title caught my eye and it’s not very long. Hundred Dollar Holiday by Bill McKibben seemed like an intriguing concept. I was curious to see if he had kids or other extended family and just how he managed to only spend $100 (Thanksgiving dinner cost us that much this year).
A quick skim through the book and I realize that he’s not going to give me a step by step guide on how to only spend $100. Better than that, he explains why he and his family decided to go that route and how they did it. It didn’t happen in one year, and it isn’t exactly $100. Instead, it is all about bringing the joy back into the Holiday.
That’s an idea I really like. After having spent the last week planning and preparing Thanksgiving with my two oldest boys, I realize how special time together is for all of us. Today, as we set up our advent calendars and wreaths, I’m going to start talking with the family about ways we can have a $100 Christmas.
1. Coupons – you know the kind you make yourself – are a great way to promise a time together and even an activity. Wouldn’t it be nice if you got a coupon that said “Get out of cleaning for one day” or “I’ll do the dishes for a full week” or . . . sorry, I was focused on me for a second there. For my husband, I thought “One night a month out with the guys – no questions and no complaints.” For the children, “cook one meal – your choice of menu.” (They really did a good job with Thanksgiving).
2. Hand-made gifts. In the book he talks about his daughter getting a gift of blocks from her uncle. We have all the tools (and probably the wood) necessary for a project like that. With Christmas still four weeks away, it could be a great gift for the older boys to do for the baby of the house. Plus, it will be time together cooperating and time with Dad – things that always make for great memories.
3. The thought process – it will take far more thought to spend no money (or very little) than it will to spend a lot of money. It’s still shocks me how that works. It even takes more time to spend less, but it will be worth it in the end.
The main goal of Hundred Dollar Holiday is to take the pressure off each other and the bank accounts. It will be far more memorable to spend time together than to have yet one more remote control toy that they kids rarely get out.
November 23rd, 2007
It’s time to give thanks. According to experts, people who focus on the things they are thankful for will live a longer life. Even if it’s not accurate, the truth is that when you focus on the good, positive, and uplifting you will live a better life!
1. My Spiritual Life – although I’m not where I want to be, I am so far from where I use to be that I can’t help but be thankful.
2. My Husband – he was my first love, my high school sweetheart, and it still catches me off guard some days when I think about us being married (it’ll be 14 years this Dec).
3. My Children – they are a blessing in their words and their actions. Each one is unique and special and they make my days much brighter.
4. My Family (yes, this includes in-laws) – they are a bit on the peculiar side, but that makes them a perfect match for me. There are days when I would have a hard time getting by without their love, support, and assistance.
5. My Friends – I almost put them under family, because that’s how it feels, but I decided to give them their own category. These are my walking sticks – the people that get me through when nothing else possible could (and sometimes when I don’t want them).
6. My Writing – I’ve always dreamed of being a writer, and last year I finally began pushing that dream towards reality. The more I do it, the more I know I have to do it.
7. My Home – Our family has been blessed with a secluded home nestled against a creek along the bottom of the mountain. There are hundreds of trees (some a hundred years old) that shelter us and keep us cool in the summer. The kids run and play and mom has a great place to garden. It’s our own little paradise, and it is truly an inspiration to me almost every day.
8. My Dreams – Each day I can get up and look forward. I know that I am going someplace and I know that the outcome is good (even if I don’t always know the details).
9. My Pets – Technically, they are almost worthless, but they make me smile. The dogs don’t bark at strangers or cars (the only way I know there is someone in the drive is from the dogs running around back to chase the squirrels – even the pets are peculiar in our home). The cats are good at catching mice (which is extremely important when you live in the woods) but they love to leave them somewhere you are most likely to step on them. Still, when they lay down to let you pet them, or curl up in your lap purring, you tend to forget all the rest.
10. My Body – It’s important for me to value what I have, even if it IS a work in progress. My body may not be as tight as it was in college and it may not be as thin as it was when I got married (things that I am determined to bring back) but it gets me where I need to be and helps me do what needs to be done.
Taking an inventory of the things that I am thankful for will help me avoid the negatives. This morning started out fine, but I quickly fell in to a funk – no rhyme nor reason, just blah – but writing out these 10 items not only pulled me back to positive but it actually helped me deal with some issues that have been creeping up and causing me distress.
My life is blessed, and for that I am truly Thankful.
November 21st, 2007
Christmas is quickly closing in on me. I’ve put off shopping as long as I can. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and the crowds will expand exponentially when the sales hit the floor. With our monetary situation tighter than expected, I’m looking to make a few cuts in budget. I still want to be a blessing, but I’m going to have to do it at a discount.
1. No Christmas cards this year. Even when I make my own, the postage is rough (I usually send out about 70). Instead, I’ll aim for Easter – no one expects a card then.
2. Let’s talk turkey. Most years, I cook and prepare the Christmas bird. This year, I may bow out and let someone else take the lead. The sides or desserts can be done with things already stocked in my pantry and frig, so my contributions won’t have to cost any additional money.
3. Check Your Stash. I have always kept a gift chest (for those unexpected occasions) so this year I will hit it before I hit the stores. I know I can find some great stocking stuffers hiding away. There are probably even some gifts for the family that I have forgot all about (like I’m the only one who bought something months ahead and then completely forgot I bought it).
4. Bake and freeze. There are now four full weeks before I have to package and send out Christmas gifts. This year I foresee lots of baked goods. By starting now (and freezing for packaging later) I will not be overwhelmed at the end of December).
5. One per customer. Normally, we do three main gifts for each of the kids, but this year we will probably stick with one. This will leave plenty of room for all the stuff the grandparents pour over them.
6. Keep it all natural. This means not electronics. First, they tend to loose interest in these toys the fastest. Second, the accessories (batteries, remotes, etc) could break any bank. Third, they are just not as durable. We’ll stick with the Legos, Lincoln logs, and K-nex.
7. Cut down on the travel. If you are going to do in-store shopping, then make it all in one trip. The same goes for delivering gifts (even better, have a central home that everyone can drop of and pick up gifts – if there is lots of extended family involved). Gas is getting too expense not to figure into the Christmas budget.
8. Make a list and stick to it. This is a time that impulse buying must be avoided at all costs. Have an idea of what you are getting for each person, where it can be purchased, and stick to that plan.
9. Creative Wrapping. If you don’t buy your Christmas wrapping in January then now is the time to get creative. For children’s gifts, you can use the funny papers – most of them are thrilled by this. For others, use paper bags and let the kids decorate the “wrapping.” (Along the same note – if you do need to send a card to then make it yourself or let the kids do it. Cards from some places can be as expensive as the gift).
Looking back over this list I realized that many of the ideas are great all year through. They are also tried and true methods we have used in the past. Some have even become traditions (no matter what our budget was). The key to a success gift giving season is to keep in mind that it is the thought, not the gift or the price, that truly counts.
November 21st, 2007
There is one way you are sure to never successfully overcome a problem – and that is to try and ignore it. Even if you can bury it for a while, it will find a way to dig itself to freedom. This is especially true with finances.
Recently we went from a household income of almost $4000 a month to one of just under $2000 a month – without warning. I wanted to just push the bills aside and not think about them, but they are spilling out onto my keyboard now and making the financial reality impossible to ignore.
The scary thing is that we haven’t even begun to feel the strain yet. I think it is the idea of the strain that is keeping me from confronting the situation – especially this time of year. Who wants to tighten the belt just when it’s time to splurge on family and friends?
Despite my apprehension, we are staying afloat – and will probably even manage to put back a few buck.
1. Stay on budget. When the ship starts to sink, it’s not the time to splurge. Sometimes we get an attitude of “what does it matter now” that only sinks us farther. Don’t go there. Stay focused on the budget and refuse to give in to temptation.
2. Put a three day wait on all purchases. If you think about something then you may realize you don’t have to get it. For those of us who are bargain shoppers, this may require going to the store BEFORE the sale, but it will be worth it.
3. Think outside the box. Look for bargains everywhere. We recently got a notice from a car dealership. All we had to do was stop in and we’d get a $10 coupon towards a turkey (which was on sale for under $1 per pound at the local grocery). Thanksgiving dinner – almost for free.
4. Pay your bills. When the horizon is looking rather dark it can be hard to let go of any money. The problem is that if you don’t pay your bills on time then you rack up those late fees, which eat even more from your budget.
5. Avoid credit with all that you are. It is too easy to turn to the credit card in time of crunch. If you don’t have the money to pay before the due date, then you are only digging a hole that you might never get out of. It is better to pay cash and do with less.
6. Save something. When the income drops by half (and it seems you were barely getting by even then) it may seem impossible. If you look hard and squeeze tight, you might be able to find a couple of dollars here and there. Having something in savings will help you sleep better at night.
We will survive. Better yet, we will prosper during this transition. We are working as a family and planning each step. There is no way to go but up!
November 20th, 2007
Either I have completely lost my mind, or I have grown in ways even I didn’t know. My ten year old son and my eight year old son are cooking Thanksgiving Dinner (with some assistance from mom).
The Plan
Each of the boys will be responsible for two side dishes and one dessert – not only the cooking, but finding the recipe and purchasing the ingredients. They will work together to roast the turkey – learning all about basting, seasoning, and temperatures. It will be their responsibility to decorate and set the table – and it will require lots of creativity and art work because I’m not buying anything.
In the Beginning
This morning we sat down and planned out the menu. Each son took a turn and then checked the pantry and freezer for ingredients. We made a list of grocery needs and are heading off to comparison shop for all our needs.
In the Future
If I can keep their interest, then everything will be okay. I’ll use the next couple of days to put together casseroles and then do the actual cooking on Thursday. The less I can do on that day, the more likely I will be sane at the end of this experiment.
Signs of Success
No matter how the food turns out, I know this experience will be one my boys will remember for the rest of their lives. True success will mean that they take over the cooking AND wash the dishes, but I’m not yet holding my breath for that one.
November 19th, 2007
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