One thing about being the age I am now is that I don't have some of the problems that beset younger women. On the other hand, I have new ones that only come with age. High blood pressure, aching joints, and tired feet at the end of the day. I also don't have young children or teens to look after anymore.
I miss those days. The days of diaper changes and breast feeding. The days of baby's first steps and baby's first words. The days of baseball practice and Sunday School programs. Even the days of teenage independence slathered with acne treatment.
If you are in the midst of raising your children, these are the days to treasure and make mental notes about. You can't retrieve them once they're gone. Savor every day and every accomplishment of your children while you can. Far too soon, they are gone and building their own lives.
Rabu, 30 April 2008
Job news
Things haven't gone quite the way we'd hoped as far as the home purchase goes. So, it looks like we'll be renting again, at least for awhile, until we can figure something else out. In the meantime, I'll just keep working and budgeting and hoping for a place we can call our own.
I've been transferred to another store and I'm glad of that. Just as many hours but far less stress in the new location. This means I'll have more energy to devote to other lines of income and get them developed. I've got plans for an eBay store and need to get that up and running as soon as possible.
The job transfer could open doors for me to move up in the company and make more money. As long as I'm working, I might as well shoot for being a salaried manager instead of an hourly one, don't you think? We plan to move a little closer to that location so the drive will not be so bad, and that will give me more time for my online auctions and other income ideas.
I've been transferred to another store and I'm glad of that. Just as many hours but far less stress in the new location. This means I'll have more energy to devote to other lines of income and get them developed. I've got plans for an eBay store and need to get that up and running as soon as possible.
The job transfer could open doors for me to move up in the company and make more money. As long as I'm working, I might as well shoot for being a salaried manager instead of an hourly one, don't you think? We plan to move a little closer to that location so the drive will not be so bad, and that will give me more time for my online auctions and other income ideas.
Senin, 28 April 2008
Photography
My sister uses her computer for her home business. She's a photographer and freelance journalist. This could be a good option for some of you. Sis took college courses and got a degree in journalism, which included photography. She learned about taking good pictures, various photography techniques, darkroom, and history.
Doing this work has meant she needed to bump up her dell memory to accommodate all the photographs she loads to her computer for editing. She takes her photography equipment just about everywhere with her, ready for the odd photo op that may present itself.
She also interviews people in the counties around her for articles of interest in the newspaper. She's learned a lot of the history of her area doing this and earned money in the process.
One other thing she does is teach in the public schools under a special program in our state, known as Artists in Education. These are classes that last about two hours a day for a week and may be anywhere in the state. She is compensated for her time, her materials, and given an allowance for staying over in the area for those days.
You may have an interesting field of work that you could use in this manner and earn some extra money through it.
Doing this work has meant she needed to bump up her dell memory to accommodate all the photographs she loads to her computer for editing. She takes her photography equipment just about everywhere with her, ready for the odd photo op that may present itself.
She also interviews people in the counties around her for articles of interest in the newspaper. She's learned a lot of the history of her area doing this and earned money in the process.
One other thing she does is teach in the public schools under a special program in our state, known as Artists in Education. These are classes that last about two hours a day for a week and may be anywhere in the state. She is compensated for her time, her materials, and given an allowance for staying over in the area for those days.
You may have an interesting field of work that you could use in this manner and earn some extra money through it.
Work schedule
Scheduling at work has been crazy lately. People who are on the schedule and don't show up will tell me, when I call them, that our general manager said they could be off. However, the GM didn't make a notation of it nor did she replace them with other workers. This makes it very difficult to work effectively. I don't have enough crew people to do the work.
All I can do is step in at various points and fill in the gaps as best I can. By the end of my shift, I'm so exhausted I can barely walk and I'm never sure if I've gotten everything done that I'm supposed to as a manager.
This also makes me a bit grumpy because I feel "under the gun" too much of the time. I've expressed my concerns about all this to my GM, but it hasn't really changed for the better.
All I can do is step in at various points and fill in the gaps as best I can. By the end of my shift, I'm so exhausted I can barely walk and I'm never sure if I've gotten everything done that I'm supposed to as a manager.
This also makes me a bit grumpy because I feel "under the gun" too much of the time. I've expressed my concerns about all this to my GM, but it hasn't really changed for the better.
Minggu, 20 April 2008
Sparse furnishings
Our temporary digs at a friend and co-worker's house are pretty bare-bones. Not a lot of furniture. Nothing much on the walls. No end or occasional tables to set a cup of coffee on. Well, except for the cube table that's being substituted for a tv mount, that is. The TV sits on the side of the room opposite the sofa, so using that table for a cup of coffee would be mighty unhandy.
I may not be much better off when we get into our house, but I do have a nice coffee table I can use.
I may not be much better off when we get into our house, but I do have a nice coffee table I can use.
Extended work hours
I'm not really sure when I get a day off again. As far as I can tell by the schedule, I won't have one for a few more days. I wind up working 6, 7, and up to 10 or 12 days in a row without a day off due to the lack of managers available for all shifts. Some of our managers are part-time or are students, which means that those of us who are out of school or don't have other commitments wind up working extended hours and more days to fill in the gap.
I have to admit, though, that if I don't get some time off then I might need to look for term life insurance quotes, because my feet are killing me!
I have to admit, though, that if I don't get some time off then I might need to look for term life insurance quotes, because my feet are killing me!
The work goes on
I'll be closing at work again tonight, but at least we close at 11 PM instead of midnight as we do on Friday and Saturday nights. Last night was particularly difficult. Business didn't slow down at all so it was hard to do pre-closing tasks. Add to that the fact that three people didn't show up at all, and you have a recipe for disaster. However, we made it through and finally closed a little after midnight. Yes, people were still coming in and ordering food right up till midnight!
There are tournament ballgames going on, which is what is keeping us so busy. Before and after every game, the store is overrun with young athletes and their parents, siblings, grandparents, and long lost uncles and cousins, seeking a meal.
I'm thankful, though, that I do have a job. Many in this area have seen layoffs in the past few months including layoffs from one of the biggest employers around here.
There are tournament ballgames going on, which is what is keeping us so busy. Before and after every game, the store is overrun with young athletes and their parents, siblings, grandparents, and long lost uncles and cousins, seeking a meal.
I'm thankful, though, that I do have a job. Many in this area have seen layoffs in the past few months including layoffs from one of the biggest employers around here.
After you're gone
Now that I'm involved in buying a house, I am going to have to get serious about buying term life insurance, too. If something were to happen to me, I'd want my debts to be cleared in full so that none of my kids has to pay them off. This includes the house. I don't want to leave bills behind when I pass on.
I can tell you from experience, it's hard enough when someone you love passes away. But when you are haunted and hounded by the bills they didn't pay, and they didn't have life insurance, it makes the loss even more difficult.
I can tell you from experience, it's hard enough when someone you love passes away. But when you are haunted and hounded by the bills they didn't pay, and they didn't have life insurance, it makes the loss even more difficult.
Cost of moving
I wound up spending more in the past couple of weeks than I normally do. Why? Because of moving my stuff from my old residence to some storage units.
First, I had to rent another unit.
Then, I had to rent a moving truck. I intended to have the truck only 24 hours, but we couldn't get it all loaded and moved to the unit in that time period due to our work schedule. I wound up keeping it 48 hours instead, which added to my cost.
Another cost was that of boarding my dog for a week while we moved things. She was getting pretty upset with all the activity. Plus, she needed some veterinary attention. Boarding her for a week and having her needs taken care of wasn't cheap, but it was worth it in the long run. She was in a stable place while all the other activities were taking place.
Those three things nearly depleted my bank account. Thank goodness I get paid on the 20th!
One of the pluses is that the deposit on my electric bill has accrued so much interest over the years that the electric company will owe me money after the final bill is taken out of it. It should be enough to easily get the power and water turned back on when we move into a house.
First, I had to rent another unit.
Then, I had to rent a moving truck. I intended to have the truck only 24 hours, but we couldn't get it all loaded and moved to the unit in that time period due to our work schedule. I wound up keeping it 48 hours instead, which added to my cost.
Another cost was that of boarding my dog for a week while we moved things. She was getting pretty upset with all the activity. Plus, she needed some veterinary attention. Boarding her for a week and having her needs taken care of wasn't cheap, but it was worth it in the long run. She was in a stable place while all the other activities were taking place.
Those three things nearly depleted my bank account. Thank goodness I get paid on the 20th!
One of the pluses is that the deposit on my electric bill has accrued so much interest over the years that the electric company will owe me money after the final bill is taken out of it. It should be enough to easily get the power and water turned back on when we move into a house.
Sabtu, 19 April 2008
Spring opening
The days are definitely getting longer and with that comes less reliance on electric lights in your home for extended hours. Opening window blinds and curtains to let the natural sunlight in will help you reduce your electric bill during these pleasant spring days. Opening windows to freshen the house also cuts down on your cooling bill and sometimes even your heating bill.
If your house cools down a lot at night and is well insulated, then warming it up a bit in the morning may just be a matter of opening the windows and letting the warmer air in.
After being shut up all winter, the house needs a good airing out anyway. Unless you have terrible spring allergies and must have your home climate control running at all times, letting the spring air in will work wonders for your home's freshness levels. It will also work wonders for your own sense of well-being. There's something emotionally and spiritually refreshing about spring breezes blowing through open windows that's hard to explain.
If your house cools down a lot at night and is well insulated, then warming it up a bit in the morning may just be a matter of opening the windows and letting the warmer air in.
After being shut up all winter, the house needs a good airing out anyway. Unless you have terrible spring allergies and must have your home climate control running at all times, letting the spring air in will work wonders for your home's freshness levels. It will also work wonders for your own sense of well-being. There's something emotionally and spiritually refreshing about spring breezes blowing through open windows that's hard to explain.
Rapid Refund payday loans
OK. Show of hands: Who used a Rapid Refund to get your tax refund back faster?
Why?
A "Rapid Refund" is not your tax refund at all. It is a high interest loan on a short term basis. It's tempting to want to get all you can as quickly as possible, but unless you are having an emergency situation, I recommend going through the normal channels to receive the refund.
You'll pay exorbitant fees to get your refund in your hands. Fees you could use in your own budget instead of lining the pockets of both the lender and the tax preparer. These are worse than payday loans in that they prey on people's desire to get fast cash.
To me, it's pure insanity to pay those high interest rates and fees. If you get your returns in early enough and e-file, you'll get the money in your account in a reasonable amount of time anyway. Couldn't you use that extra money yourself?
Why?
A "Rapid Refund" is not your tax refund at all. It is a high interest loan on a short term basis. It's tempting to want to get all you can as quickly as possible, but unless you are having an emergency situation, I recommend going through the normal channels to receive the refund.
You'll pay exorbitant fees to get your refund in your hands. Fees you could use in your own budget instead of lining the pockets of both the lender and the tax preparer. These are worse than payday loans in that they prey on people's desire to get fast cash.
To me, it's pure insanity to pay those high interest rates and fees. If you get your returns in early enough and e-file, you'll get the money in your account in a reasonable amount of time anyway. Couldn't you use that extra money yourself?
Senin, 14 April 2008
Keeping good records
You know, it doesn't matter if you sell Avon cosmetics, create crafts to sell online, or are involved in Branson real estate, keeping good records is a must. This includes every little expense that is associated with running your business, from that package of paper clips to a new computer. Document it all, even things you aren't sure about. Your tax prep guy will let you know what's acceptable or you can visit the IRS website and try to decipher what they have there for rules and guidelines.
If you don't receive a 1099 from places where you earn money, then you must be sure to document the income carefully, missing nothing.
I keep a 12 pocket folder so I can add receipts and other paperwork to it each time I have something that's business related. Then, I create a monthly rundown of income and expenses. The past few months I've worked so much and driven so much that I didn't allow time for perfect record keeping, but I still download my bank account transactions daily and my PayPal transactions monthly so at least they are on my computer when I get ready for them. Because both the bank and PayPal only keep these downloads available for a limited amount of time, it's vital to do those in a timely manner.
If you don't receive a 1099 from places where you earn money, then you must be sure to document the income carefully, missing nothing.
I keep a 12 pocket folder so I can add receipts and other paperwork to it each time I have something that's business related. Then, I create a monthly rundown of income and expenses. The past few months I've worked so much and driven so much that I didn't allow time for perfect record keeping, but I still download my bank account transactions daily and my PayPal transactions monthly so at least they are on my computer when I get ready for them. Because both the bank and PayPal only keep these downloads available for a limited amount of time, it's vital to do those in a timely manner.
Filing day
I will be going to see my tax preparer in just a little while. It took me some time to pull all my records together, print them all out, and print out a summary of income and expenses, but I did finally get it done. I had to do all this in between packing boxes and taking things to the storage units.
I am hoping that I've spent enough in '07 to not have to pay in any taxes. Naturally, getting a refund would be great, but right now just breaking even would make me happy, too. Of course, filing means I'll also get the tax rebate that's been all over the news. I don't know how that will work. If I do wind up owing taxes, I'd love it if they could just take it out of the rebate!
I am hoping that I've spent enough in '07 to not have to pay in any taxes. Naturally, getting a refund would be great, but right now just breaking even would make me happy, too. Of course, filing means I'll also get the tax rebate that's been all over the news. I don't know how that will work. If I do wind up owing taxes, I'd love it if they could just take it out of the rebate!
Furniture shopping
As always, I'm on the lookout for the best deal so my purchasing power is at its best. Because we're moving, I'll be looking at furniture catalogs, sale papers, and the classified to get the furniture I need to fill in the gaps in the new residence. I may only be able to add one piece at a time, but eventually I'll be surrounded by things I love to live with.
See, I believe in having the furniture and artwork around us that appeals to us personally, whether or not it's the "latest fashion". Furniture is such a big purchase that we need to only buy those pieces we'll enjoy for years to come. If they are too faddish or aren't cozy, we begin to eye them with disdain and regret having spent the money on them. Nothing irks me more than wasting money!
See, I believe in having the furniture and artwork around us that appeals to us personally, whether or not it's the "latest fashion". Furniture is such a big purchase that we need to only buy those pieces we'll enjoy for years to come. If they are too faddish or aren't cozy, we begin to eye them with disdain and regret having spent the money on them. Nothing irks me more than wasting money!
Minggu, 13 April 2008
Sunglasses
Over the past year, I bought quite a few sunglasses to resell. The problem is, I haven't actually attempted to market them yet and I really need to get going on that. What I have on hand is enough to get me started, and although they aren't beautiful vintage sunglasses, they will work just fine. I wear a couple of the styles myself and always get compliments on them.
Since it's springtime, I think I'll get out what stock I have, start taking pictures of them, and perhaps begin marketing them.
Since it's springtime, I think I'll get out what stock I have, start taking pictures of them, and perhaps begin marketing them.
Work hours
It looks like I'm going to have to check out how many hours I've got in at work so far. I don't think they've got them all accounted for and I want to make sure I do get paid for all of them.
This past week of working and moving has me pretty tired, but I can't stop now. I've got to keep forging ahead and making progress. But, it's not real progress unless I get paid for the working part!
This past week of working and moving has me pretty tired, but I can't stop now. I've got to keep forging ahead and making progress. But, it's not real progress unless I get paid for the working part!
Sabtu, 05 April 2008
Home based business
Without a doubt, the ideal home business is based on the internet. Either through selling at auctions, freelance writing, or telecommunicating for your regular job, using the world wide web lets you stay at home to work or do your work from St. John villa rentals while you're enjoying a lovely trip. But to work on the internet means you do have to discipline yourself to actually work and not waste your days.
Be prepared to:
Be prepared to:
- Engage in social networking online
- Schedule your time just as you would for any job
- Take notes throughout the day of your ideas and thoughts regarding your business
- Keep meticulous records of expenses, income, travel, and time allotted for your business
Planning for the unplanned
I do all I can do to ensure I have sufficient income to pay my bills plus get a few things extra. That works out pretty well for me. But without medical insurance, all the other plans I make could go straight down the drain. Illness and injury are definitely things we never really plan for, aren't they?
Medical insurance is the exact thing we need if we are working for someone else or working for ourselves because either way, not being able to work and paying high medical bills can cost us more than we can imagine. With insurance, at least we know the medical stuff is fully or partially covered.
Medical insurance is the exact thing we need if we are working for someone else or working for ourselves because either way, not being able to work and paying high medical bills can cost us more than we can imagine. With insurance, at least we know the medical stuff is fully or partially covered.
Rabu, 02 April 2008
Financial update for March
Of course, I'm not going to give you a lot of fine details for this update, but I just thought you might like to know about the progress that's been made. It might inspire you to stretch your own boundaries!
Besides my regular job at McDonald's as a manager, where my pay is pretty good according to the pay of most jobs around here, I also do some freelance writing assignments that I'm paid for. I average around $400 a month with those. I also occasionally sell on eBay and ThisLittlePiggyStaysHome auction sites, though not as much as I used to. That's something I've got to change, and I will as soon as this move is over and I'm settled into my new home.
For some fast cash, last night I sold two old vehicles I had here. It was only for $50 each, but that's $100 in my pocket. The guy will come back and buy the other one in a day or two, and I will have cleaned up my yard and made money in the process. I might also see if he wants any of the other scrap metal around here. I figure $30 or so should be enough for it, and it gets even more stuff off the property.
I did actually get in some overtime at work, which is very unusual. But with the opening of a new store in the Other City, and the resulting lack of managers and crew to man the store, several of us were able to get extra hours in by working there. I don't count on overtime, so I'll probably just take that amount and sock it away for a rainy day, and operate on my normal budget with the regular pay.
- McDonald's Stock - So far I've invested a little under $400, having it taken out of my pay at the rate of $20 per paycheck. This means I'm investing only $40 a month for now. As of today, my dividend earnings are under $20 and that is reinvested right back into stock. When I accrue enough stock and earn a more substantial amount, I'll have at least part of it sent to me or direct deposited. For now, I'll just let it ride and let the dividends work for me. Next pay raise, I'll up my contribution.
- McDonald's 401K - With my last pay raise, I added 401K to my investments that are directly deducted from my paychecks. It was tempting to pass on this so I'd have a few extra dollars in my pocket, but I decided I'd rather have the extra dollars later in life, when I'll really need them! I'm only contributing $15 per paycheck right now, but may change that to a percentage of my pay so that it's more variable but still works for me.
- PayPal CashBack - I'm very careful to use my PayPal debit card as a credit card so that all purchases through it are awarded the CashBack Bonus. It's only 1%, but over a month's worth of purchases it does add up and bump up my PayPal balance a bit. My CashBack Bonuses for March totaled $6.59, so that's pretty decent. Can't get rich with it, but it's better than getting nothing in return. Besides, that amount only lacks .40 covering one month's hosting on one of my blogs, so using the debit card is almost as good as getting a hosted blog for free!
- PayPal Money Market - This is quite variable as it depends on the current money market rates plus the available balance in my PayPal account. March Money Market only paid $1.19, but that's $1.19 I didn't have before, so I'm not really complaining. It's paying at 2.96%, which is half what it paid when I first joined. I'm really hoping this goes back up again.
- Bank debit points - My debit cards accrue points now. This started in November. I can get some points using them as debit cards, but more if I use them as credit cards. For each account, I've earned about $20 worth of points. I'll check it again later in the year and maybe I'll have earned enough to finance Christmas purchases!
Besides my regular job at McDonald's as a manager, where my pay is pretty good according to the pay of most jobs around here, I also do some freelance writing assignments that I'm paid for. I average around $400 a month with those. I also occasionally sell on eBay and ThisLittlePiggyStaysHome auction sites, though not as much as I used to. That's something I've got to change, and I will as soon as this move is over and I'm settled into my new home.
For some fast cash, last night I sold two old vehicles I had here. It was only for $50 each, but that's $100 in my pocket. The guy will come back and buy the other one in a day or two, and I will have cleaned up my yard and made money in the process. I might also see if he wants any of the other scrap metal around here. I figure $30 or so should be enough for it, and it gets even more stuff off the property.
I did actually get in some overtime at work, which is very unusual. But with the opening of a new store in the Other City, and the resulting lack of managers and crew to man the store, several of us were able to get extra hours in by working there. I don't count on overtime, so I'll probably just take that amount and sock it away for a rainy day, and operate on my normal budget with the regular pay.
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