Archive for February, 2008
My husband often complains that I spent $40,000 (probably much more once you figure in interest and misc. expenses) getting a degree and all I have to show for it is a diploma on the wall. Try as I might, I never seem to get him to see how my BS in Leisure Services (yes it’s a real degree) helped me run the house, teach the kids, and do all of my extras stuff (like garden clubs and women’s groups).
Even though I don’t have a “real” job, I still find plenty of ways to put my degree to work and now I’m even making some nice money along the way.
1. Birthday parties – I spent my internship and many of my college years planning social activities. It just naturally rolled over into the children.
2. Grants – Part of my education involved learning about grants (how to research and write them). Today I am using that knowledge to help others (for a small fee 
).
3. Fund raising – During my college years, there were many times I had to call companies to ask for discounts, donations or contributions. Asking for help is more comfortable because of my past experience.
4. Internet content writing – Leisure Services (yes it’s a real degree) requires a wide variety of information. Now I have a lot of bits and pieces that wander around my brain. It’s perfect for short, quick articles that I can use or sale online.
5. Making connections – Meeting with the Dean of Students, leaders of companies and officers in the military made me comfortable talking with people of position and people I did not know. Today I use that to get new clients for my grants or writing and to make connections for other needs as well.
My husband was deluded into believing that if you go to college and get a degree you will get a good job. That’s one of the main reasons he complains about me not “using” my degree – or I should say he DID complain. Over the last few months he has been around to see how my degree is put to use daily and how it is adding income to our bank account.
When you are stepping out in life (or pushing your children in that direction) make sure you encourage them to go to college for the educational opportunity and not for the degree. With education under your belt you will be able to do anything you set your mind to do. With a degree you will just have another picture on the wall.
February 9th, 2008
The more I procrastinate, the more I have to do. You would think that it would all pan out, but instead the chores and need to’s dam up (usually at the end of the week). In the end, you either have to give up all your free time or else give up some of the tasks.
I have always been an expert procrastinator (just ask some of my teachers). There was just something about waiting until the last minute to do a project or report. There are people I know today that say they work better if they wait until the last minute. That was my feelings at one time. Now I know the truth.
Sitting for ten hours staring at or thinking about the same project does not mean the work will be better. It doesn’t even mean the work will be faster. It just means that you will have to sit for ten hours in the same spot.
Waiting until the last minute doesn’t mean that you had free time up until then. It just means that you have no room for error (in what you are doing or in the estimation of the time you will need) or else you will be giving up free time, sleep, and possibly even food until you can get the project done.
I have learned my lesson. Although I had been getting much better over the last several years (especially since children happened into the scene), I wasn’t quite there yet. Now I’m there. The projects I have due at the end of the month I will start on today. A little of this and a little of that will keep me from getting burned out (or having to burn the midnight oil) in the long run.
1. Work in increments. If you have a large project then do just a little here and there until it gets done.
2. No more excuses. Set specific times to work and actually work during those times.
3. Be realistic. Ask for deadlines that you can actually meet without straining something.
4. Stay on task. If IM’s or emails get you distracted then turn them off until you are through.
Staying on track is easier and much less painful in the long run. The more you procrastinate, the more the tasks build up and the more you end up having to do. Spread it out and make it easier to tackle in the end.
February 8th, 2008
Oprah had another show on today about de-cluttering your life. I was taking a break, and I thought it would make a good choice for letting my mind relax and recharge (and those clutter shows, particularly with Peter Walsh are a great motivator for me).
I was enjoying the show quite a bit and even making a few comments to the TV. Just as I get into my grove, my husband starts yelling “amen’s” from the other room. My motivation time is now over and I just want to throw a shoe at his head.
Our home is NOT cluttered, at least not to the degree you see on all the different shows. We have the odd box of clothes here and there, but mainly because there is no place to store them because my husband complains any time he has to go into the attic. On the flip side, I don’t have my home where I want it to be. There are still things that I want to release so that I have more space (and more money when the stuff is sold).
It’s not right that my husband (who is in no way perfect himself AND who has his own stuff that he doesn’t deal with) makes the comments he does. Even if it’s about other people and their homes and not about me, I can still tell that he is talking at me – if that makes sense.
It’s not fair that I have struggled to change my habits and my thinking and my actions so that my family can benefit, and my husband still sees the negative.
There are a lot of things the situation may be, but the truth is that just doesn’t matter. It all comes back to me. I have to do what I know to do AND I can’t let people, or situations, or television shows suck my energy away. In the end, one excuse is just as good as the next.
So, I didn’t throw my shoe or throw my husband out. Instead, I got up and started back doing what I should have been doing in the first place. Working, writing, and making my dreams come true.
February 7th, 2008
There are many websites that promise if you will just spend your time writing free for them then you will get money in the long run. You know the sites I mean, you register, post, and then sit around and wait for your numbers to add up so that you can get paid.
These are some of the sites that I started out on when I first began writing online. It offered me at least the hope of some cash sometime down the line. Besides, my writing got posted on someone’s site and that’s what was really important, right?
Here are a few of the sites that I would recommend IF you want to try your hand at pay per click postings:
• eHow.com – It’s rather a simple lay out and you can write about any thing that requires steps (like How to Make a Peanut Butter Sandwich). Just make sure you sign up for the Writer Compensation program.
• Associatedcontent.com – Write what you will and then see if they will buy it. You can sell all your rights, or retain the rights to print the article elsewhere (which means they won’t pay you in advance). I’ve known a few people personally who have made some money off this site, but not enough to pay the phone bill much less the mortgage.
• Helium.com – Click on a subject, write and post a response and then spend some time rating other people’s articles (the more you read the better you’ll do).
There are probably plenty more sites that let you post your hard work and get paid pennies for it. These three sites are ones that I am personally registered on and have made money using (eHow has been the most lucrative thus far). I don’t recommend you rely on it for your main income, but one of these sites could be a fun way to make a few extra dollars here and there.
February 7th, 2008
Forget all the expensive gym memberships. Box up you collection of dusty exercise videos. Today is the day that you start losing weight without doing one moment of exercise.
1. Clean the house. Take a broom and a mop and get to work. Sweep the entire house from top to bottom and then follow up with a good mopping. It’s an amazing upper body work out (and you can really burn up the calories if you see how fast you can get it all done).
2. Mow the yard. Forget the riding contraptions that cost more than my first car did. Invest in a quality push mower. Pushing that machine around the yard, twice a week, will not only tone up your lower body but will also help you to appreciate pavement. For the best work out around, invest in a self-propelled mower.
3. Play with the children. Whether you jump on the trampoline, take a hike with the whole family (and inevitable carry the toddler on your back) or just run around kicking the soccer ball, you are bound to get a great work out in muscles you had forgotten you had.
4. Play with the spouse – enough said!
5. Wash the windows (inside and out). Climbing up and down the ladder to reach the top corners of the many windows in your home is going to tone more in your lower body than any expensive Stairmaster ever could.
6. Plant a garden. Between the digging, plowing, stooping, weeding and hauling you will get a full body work out that you will not soon forget. If you really want to put your muscles to the test then rent a sod cutter and clear some area in your yard for a NEW garden (be sure to till well before doing any planting).
7. Volunteer to keep the toddler room at church. You’ll do plenty of lifts and squats and maybe even a few presses. Rolling around with the kids can be the best exercise in the world.
The great thing about these activities is that they help keep you moving. That is one of the most important keys to losing weight. Besides, if you are up and going then you aren’t vegging in front of the television eating.
Instead of spending your time (and money) at the gym, let go of some of the conveniences around your home and you will find that you can lose weight without doing any exercising.
February 7th, 2008
My father is a salesman, has been for as long as I can remember, and may have been born with a gene that helps him be persuasive. My brothers and I can all sell anything if we set our mind to it. It could be because we were surrounded with sales and techniques from early one, but I still say there is something genetic to it as well.
I was introduced to books like The One Minute Salesman and Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude almost as soon as I started reading. Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglar were household words, and I even had the opportunity to attend some of their programs.
Now that I have my own home and family (and no of us are salesman per se) I still have a copy of many of the books I was introduced to so long ago. Recently, I started opening them again. I remembered why my father had placed such value on these books, and why after all these years they methods (and the people) are still so popular. Self-help books (programs and seminars) really can make you rich. There are just a few things required of you.
1. You have to be ready and willing to change and eager to learn. Most people don’t read self-help material for the entertainment value. Reading the books (or attending seminars) is just a way to meet the hunger for something different.
2. You have to be willing to act on what you learn. Knowledge is useless unless action is applied. And wealth will not find its way to your door (no matter how many books you read) if you don’t get moving and do something to bring it there.
3. You have to look for (and find) the silver lining in every day. Wealth likes to hang around positive people – so does everyone else for that matter. Start training your mouth to speak positive things by repeating positive things until they become natural.
4. You have to train your mind to look for new opportunities. There are so many success stories of people who became wealthy just because they were willing to think outside the box. Take 15 minutes each day to think about your goals and how you can meet them in new and different ways.
5. You have to learn to trust and believe in a higher power. All truly successful people will tell you that they did not get there on their own.
Your success depends on you – not on your job, not on your education, not even on your abilities. If you can dream it, and you are willing to put the energy into reaching for that dream then you can become it – what ever that it may be.
February 7th, 2008
Working online is a great way to control your own employment destiny. The hours are up to you. The work load is up to you. The price is up to you – sort of.
Online writing is notorious for low pay. Many “writers” are accepting jobs for $2 an article (around ½ of 1 cent). I assume it is because they either want to write so bad they don’t care how much they make or else the buyer doesn’t care about the quality of work received.
I was a cheap writer for the first few months online. As a matter of fact, I made all of my money writing posts on forums for a whopping 15 cents per post. It didn’t make me feel like a writer, but I was learning about the internet, making a few connections, AND getting some money along the way.
As I began to understand the online world of writing and I started getting more regular work, I determined that I am worth more than I was charging. Now when I bid for work, or a potential client asks for a fee, I have a genuine idea of what to charge (I start at 6 cents a word, which I know is still cheap). There are some things you have to do to be able to ask for more.
1. Start writing online. If you have a personal blog, be sure to make each post quality content that you would be proud for an editor to view. Other wise, visit some other sites and inquire about doing a guest post for them. Even if you don’t get paid, you are building up clips for editors (and potential employers) to see.
2. Evaluate your pay before accepting a job. Set a per hour limit that you are willing to accept and don’t go below that. Instead of accepting $2 jobs, use that time to build up clips on other sites and to tweak your own site as well.
3. Meet your deadlines. The internet lends itself to an extremely casual work environment, but meeting deadlines is not where you should be lax. Do what you say you are going to do, on time, and with quality.
4. Ask for an increase. As you continue to work for the same person repeatedly, as for an increase in pay. If you are doing a good job, consistently, then you just might get what you ask for.
5. Be willing to learn. You may have little (or no) knowledge about parrots, but don’t turn down a job because of that. Put a little time into research. You’ll learn something AND make money along the way.
6. Overlap jobs. If you can do the same research for several jobs, you will end up making more money per hour. Use your time wisely.
7. Look to print. Use some of the articles and ideas from your online work to query print publications. DO NOT submit the same material you sold to someone else (unless you have a contract saying you retain control). Create new material from the information that you now have stuck in your head.
Working online is a great way to make extra income or start a new career. Remember to charge what your worth. Selling yourself short cuts into your ability to make an income but don’t over price yourself out of the market. Look for some solid opportunities to stretch you gifts and talents and then ask for compensation that you and the site owner can both live with.
February 6th, 2008
This is my confession. Rebate offers and cash back plans finally won me over and we got a credit card. For a long time, we paid it off every single month, without question. Having the credit card was a blessing (easier to keep up with spending AND the cash back program paid for Christmas).
The last two months have been tight, and I slipped on my payments. The interest isn’t hurting too much, but if I don’t do something fast then I’m going to negate the whole reason for getting the card in the first place – the cash back program.
1. Stop using the card! Go back to paying cash or using the debit card until the credit card is paid in full.
2. Quit pretending. Once interest starts accumulating the rewards programs become moot. Stop acting like money is being lost.
3. Pay before the due date, and pay more than once. As extra money becomes available or as money gets set aside, pay it on the credit card balance. Interest accrues every chance they get.
4. Go back to what works. If the cash isn’t on hand (in the bank or in savings) then don’t charge it – plan and simple.
I made a mistake (which I still haven’t admitted to my hubby, so don’t you tell him ). Instead of getting all pious about it, I’m just going back to what I know works. It will all be sorted out soon enough if I do. It’s waiting that usually ends up getting you in a mess that you can’t deal with on your own.
February 6th, 2008
It’s hard to make changes. That’s why so many people either don’t make New Year’s resolutions or don’t keep them. Not doing something is easier (and sometimes less disheartening) than failure.
The only problem is that is a Catch 22. If you don’t try to change then you will always need to change. Even worse, your life will never get any better than it is right now. Change might be hard. It might be painful. It might be a struggle. But change is necessary to get to where you want to be.
I am determined that this month will be the beginning of huge changes for myself and for my family. Every day I am getting up and repeating the changes over and over – with enthusiasm!
Until yesterday that is. Yesterday I had to work, quite literally, for the whole day. I did stop to eat meals with the family, but that was about it. Everything else on my schedule was set aside for a deadline.
THIS morning, I was determined to get back to it. But Mother Nature had different plans. Instead of doing what I was supposed to be doing I was watching severe weather creep up and over my area (we are okay though).
I’m currently three hours behind where I should be (and a couple of days behind where I actually want to be) and I almost didn’t get going at all. It’s easier not to start than to not complete what I want to do. I was going to skip the lists, the motivational chants, and the exercise and go right to feeling sorry for myself.
Something changed around the second paragraph of this article. I managed to regain my focus and reignite my determination. You can to.
1. Write out your problems so that you can start to see a solution (or just see how silly you are being).
2. Remind yourself why you are trying to change in the first place.
3. Start now.
Change can happen, but action is required. I refuse to let setbacks, delays, or distractions (like the weather or elections) keep me from reaching for my goals. I know what I need to do, I have the time and ability to do them, and today I’m going to continue to do them despite how my morning started!
February 6th, 2008
Last night I had a huge deadline looming. Instead of working into the wee hours, I stopped what I was doing and worked on a puzzle with my family. I actually walked away from work to be with family – and it was more than worth it.
It all started after dinner when my middle son actually looked at the schedule I have posted and remembered that after dinner is suppose to be family time. “Yes it is family time.” I explained that first he had to finish all of his chores on the chart. The house was then struck by a whirlwind of activity as he and his older brother scrambled around doing their daily chores.
After all that effort, there was no way I was going to disappoint those kids. It may mean that today I will have to push myself harder than I have yet, but spending time as a family it more important than any deadline or paycheck.
• I am going to try harder to say yes to my children more often. Work can wait. The children will be grown up and gone before I blink.
• I am going to volunteer to do more for (and with) my family. Work may pay the bills for the home, but there is no home with out the bond of the family.
• I am going to slow down enough to enjoy what it around me instead of always focusing on doing things to get more.
My work will be better if I am happy. Taking time for my family not only brings me happiness, but it brings harmony to my home.
February 5th, 2008
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