Kicking off

If I'm going to reduce the amount of hours I work at an outside job, and try to do more work-from-home or a part time job, then I'm really going to have to be looking for cheap insurance for my vehicle. It's almost paid off, which helps a lot, but I've got to make sure I can survive off a much more limited budget.

I need to take care of a few other things, too, such as setting up a real home office so I can write off part of my house at tax time. Also need to get a yard barn put out here to store things I want to sell online, if there are a lot of them. That can also be written off.

I'll be starting my online sales venture by getting things out of boxes and bags, and seeing what has potential to be sold. I already know I have some items, so there's no cost for start up there. Other things will be good only for throwing away.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Technorati Tags: ebay,online auctions,sales,entrepreneurism

Items to sell on eBay

Right now, I'm looking for products that I can sell on eBay. I might start by finding them at local yard sales and flea markets, maybe even at the $1 stores. In the past, I've really done very well this way because we have some things in this part of the country that aren't always found in other parts of the country. This opens up a market base for unusual or rare items, even unique kitchen gadgets.

Upon looking at eBay items for sale on the eBay site, I've found dietary supplements as well as other odd things. It makes me wonder if weight loss supplements like Lipofuze could be sold there, or if there are restrictions on the sale of such items.

Regardless, I'll be keeping a close eye on things so that I can acquire items I can sell online and earn some extra income. I'll keep you updated.

Technorati Tags: ebay

Job change possibility

It looks like I'm going to be searching for new employment. No, I didn't get fired. i didn't even quit. I just think it's time to move on to something less stressful. When my time-off thoughts revolve only around my job and nothing else, that says something.

The stress on the job causes me to be so exhausted that on my days off, I can barely function at home. My house is a mess and I have little energy to make it better, though the mess gets on my nerves a lot. I haven't been eating right - just snacking here and there - and we all know that regular meals are a must for a healthy lifestyle. Some days I have no appetite at all. I feel like I've been taking diet pills.

Well, things are about to change. I might not make as much money on another job, but money isn't everything if I don't have some peace in my life.

Technorati Tags: job

Term or whole life?

Most of you probably already understand the difference between term life insurance and whole life insurance. I really didn't until recently. So, for those of you who are like me, I want to try to explain the difference and the advantages and disadvantages.

Usually, term life insurance rates are much lower. Unless you are very old, term life will fit most families' budgets better. It pays a given amount in the event of your death, regardless when that may happen. Some plans are level, which may cost you more each month but will not increase as you age. Others are variable, which will cost you less when you're younger but will increase as you become more aged.

Whole life insurance, on the other hand, is part life insurance and part investment program. While at the outset this may seem like a good way to force yourself to save money for your retirement years, keep in mind that the investment part depends on the markets, and whether they rise or fall. Also, this insurance can be expensive for people on small or limited budgets. You can get cash value for your insurance if you decide to drop it, but it may very well not be even close to the amount you've spent on it.

Of course, it's up to the individual to decide which is best for them. If you have a large income, you might want to use whole life as a way to plan your estate so that your heirs will receive money that doesn't carry with it the tax burden of simply assigning part of your wealth to them.

Technorati Tags: insurance

What's it worth?

Sometimes you can find bargain priced items for your home to use in unusual places. Other times, though, it's less expensive in the long run to just purchase higher end items, like good glass tile, so you can have them for years to come.

In my view, if I have to replace items year after year, then I really haven't gotten a bargain at all. A good example would be coffee makers. If I have to replace a cheap coffee maker after only a few months of use, then why not spend a few more dollars and get one that can give me years of service instead?

I've had my laptop almost three years now, and it really is time for a newer, more powerful one. Three years for a computer is like an eon for the technology! But, the very fact that it's still working and still doing a good job for me means that I made a good choice for myself as far as brand goes.

Longevity is also why I buy real leather purses and shoes, when I do buy them. I purchase only styles that have lasting power, because real leather will outlast most fads. Keeping to simpler styles ensures that I will be able to use them without looking out of date.

Technorati Tags: style,shopping

Father's Day

Father's Day is coming up soon, and many of you will be doing some shopping. It depends on what the Dad in the household does for a living whether you will be shopping for mens ties, tools, or other work related gear. Maybe you should really be shopping for things that will give him something to look forward to when he's not at work, and I don't mean lawn and garden tools, either.

I mean things like a collection of movies by his favorite actor or director. How about supplies for his favorite hobby? Or music CDs?

Give Dad something for what he loves, not just what he needs.

Technorati Tags: gift

Giving back

It's been raining all night, and there is more rain predicted for the rest of the weekend. However, I'm keen on going to the local Master Gardener's annual plant sale in Big Town. I might find some very nice plants and varieties I haven't got in my gardens yet.

Supporting plant sales such as this is a way to keep local groups going strong. They depend on contributions and sales to do community work and to teach others. Giving back to the community where you live is important. After all, if you don't do it, who will?

There are lots of ways to give back to the community that gives so much to you

• volunteer at the animal shelter
• adopt a stretch of road to clean up
• join Master Gardeners or another local group for group projects
• donate to women's shelters or halfway houses
• donate to Goodwill or Salvation Army

Mostly, give yourself and your time.

Technorati Tags: charity

Gardening - cherry tomatoes

Since I don't have to be at work until 2 PM, I'll have some time to not only get some laundry done, but also some gardening. I bought some plants the other day that I've been babying along till I can get them in the ground. Today, I'll plant them and enjoy the vitamins and other benefits of gardening at home.

I don't have time or space for a large family garden, like I used to have. And since it's only me here now, I just plant those things I really love. Top of the list are Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes.

Those cherry tomatoes produce when by all rights they shouldn't - through drought and on up to the last hard freeze of the season. They are delicious and sweet, as the name suggests, and they freeze wonderfully. I just pick them and put them in freezer bags whole. Later, when I'm ready to use them, I thaw them a little and put them through the food processor to make sauces, soups, stews, or chili. The skin is tender enough even after freezing to incorporate completely into the processed mix.

One or two plants is enough to supply even a family with enough fresh tomatoes for snacks, salads, and sauces plus enough for freezing. If you planned to can them, you'd probably want to slip the skins off but because they are small, this would be time consuming. This is why I prefer to freeze them.

The main thing is to make sure you give them plenty of off-the-ground support so you don't lose them to rot, cats, or turtles. (Yes, cats will eat ripe tomatoes.) You might need netting over them if birds or squirrels begin harvesting before you do.

I'll be planting marigolds in between them to help ward off harmful insects. If tomato worms come along, I'll pluck those off and drop them into a bucket for disposal. I don't use any pesticides or chemical fertilizers in my gardens. I am going to eat this stuff and I don't want to eat chemicals! I also don't want to kill beneficial insects or animals such as frogs, bees, lacewings, ladybugs, or others that contribute to a garden in so many wonderful ways.

Technorati Tags: gardening

Pluses of home Internet and domains

Having internet at home means more than just convenience for me. I was having to drive about 12 miles to get to the nearest wifi hotspot, but now I can do all my blogging and surfing right from the comfort of my own home.

Most of you already have this convenience, I know. I had it a couple of years ago but big bills forced me to cut out some things. No sacrifice, no gain, you know.

Anyway, even though this is an added bill each month, because I do online business, it's something I can write off at the end of the year. So, having that little light at the end of the tunnel helps a lot. Also, I'm making more money now than I was a couple of years ago, so it's easier to meet this bill monthly.

My next step will be to get domain hosting again. You see, whether you post eczema pictures or write recipes, you can make more money with your own web site or blog that's on your own domain. I know after filling out my taxes, that I made a lot less money after I dropped my domains and hosting. Plus, domain costs and  hosting costs can also be written off if your focus in your online business is writing or advertising.

I also like the fact that I have more content and graphic control when I have my own domains and sites.

Technorati Tags: internet,domain

Home Internet service

I finally "bit the bullet" and signed up for Internet service at my house. I have actually been wanting to do this for quite some time, but until now just didn't have the start-up funds. Now I do, and it's so nice to be able to sit in my own living room and go on the Web.

Now, I don't have to wait until I get into town to surf for alli reviews or read my sister's blog, or connect with friends or family on a particular social networking site. I can do all this from the comfort of my own home.

Of course, I'll still carry my laptop with me when I go to town in case I want to connect to the free wifi there. But at least now I don't have to make an extra trip to do that, or feel like I have to stay in town more hours than I'd like after work. The money I save in gas should more than pay for the home-based Internet service.

Technorati Tags: internet

Cuttings for your garden

Monday was a day off for me and I wound up sleeping until after lunch. The last few days have been trying, and I haven't gotten a lot of sleep, so I guess I was catching up.

When I finally did wake up, I got ready for the day and headed outside into the warm, sunny day to take some cuttings off of some of my plants. My niece wants some mints and other herbs to plant, and herbs love to grow so cuttings are a good way to share with friends and family.

Buying herbs can be expensive to purchase already potted up. I've gotten some nice plants for my beds through cuttings or diggings from the yards of other friends and relatives, and they didn't cost me a dime.

Seed sharing is another way to have new kinds of plants in your garden beds without the cost of buying packs of seeds. For me, a whole package of seeds can easily be too many for my purposes. So, taking seeds heads from other's gardens is a way for me to add variety to my garden without incurring a high cost in the process. In turn, I collect seeds from my plants, bag them in small zip bags, and store them in the freezer for sharing with others.

You can find seed sharing sites online if you'd like to experience the friendship and camaraderie that can occur when you ship seeds to and receive seeds from folks across the country. Keep in mind that not all plants do well in all parts of the country.

Technorati Tags: gardening