Too Much Month At The End Of Your Money?

It just seems part of normal life now that many of us find ourselves in a financial bind from time to time. The following are just some quick ideas that I have found to be helpful in managing a less than comfortable income. I am not an expert on finances, except for my own, but hopefully you will find some ideas that will help.

Be prepared to make some changes (some are very easy to do) and look for opportunities unique to your own personal situation where you can improve and help stabilize your financial situation. It’s always a good time to start because costs are always going up.

It is good to have a credit card or two that can be used to help smooth over some of the rougher financial bumps we encounter. (More than two general expense cards can be too much to handle, especially if you cannot pay the entire balances due each month and carry balances that incur high interest charges.)

Taking control of your income and planning ahead for the whole year's expenses, broken down month by month, together with a tight rein on your cash (or an extra job if necessary) are ways to help stabilize your finances.

Prepare a list of all your necessary expenditures and the dates due. Don't forget to add yourself as a required expenditure (i.e., your savings account). Schedule payment dates right after you receive your income. I have found that some companies will permit you to change your payment dates somewhat if you call and ask. It is a big help in that finances are more easily managed in harmony with pay periods.

List what you normally spend (per each pay period) as daily or weekly (food, gasoline, meals out, discretionary spending, etc.) and take a good look to see what can be budgeted more carefully to stay within your income, and what changes can be made to what you normally do to lessen the cash outlays.

Simple things like purchasing your own munchies or soda by the carton (when you food shop) and taking them to work can save a couple dollars a day or more if you drink just two sodas and buy goodies from a machine or local convenience store. Pay for your gasoline by cash when possible. You should know the amount of the extra monetary hold on your account (when you pay by credit card) before you use the pump (the gasoline charge is separate, and the gas station wants to be sure they get their money, so there is often an extra hold on your funds). This would be especially important when traveling with the need to refuel multiple times. (Banking online is a great way to check on this, especially if the attendant cannot provide a correct answer.)

Search out a financial institution with the lowest fees for checking accounts (or no fees, if you can find it). Sign up for direct deposit if your employer offers it, that is a great timesaver. Create two checking accounts and a savings account (or other liquid money account if you can qualify) all at the same institution and manage these online.

Designate and use only one checking account from which to pay bills through your financial institution. (Paying online is a good way to save on expensive postage and gasoline costs; it can help save your sanity as well and is much faster than handwriting a check and addressing an envelope once you get the basics set up.)

Fund this checking account for bills each pay period for scheduled expenses. You might still want a checking account and a debit/credit card for those places where you need to set up an account at company websites that do not take credit cards, but let you pay by check (electronic debit). Note that most of these transactions are often very, very quick and can appear in your account the same day or next.

You will also need checks for this account to pay certain things, such as various taxes, as that is the only way acceptable for some taxing bodies, especially if you stop by in person to pay a bill, i.e., local wage taxes. Some financial institutions will also tell you not to pay any taxing body online or will not let you do this.

For company websites that you access directly that do let you pay by credit card, you will need the debit/credit card for the account numbers and your special three-digit number on the back where you signed your name on your card. If you have waited too long to send payment online via your financial institution, you will need it.

If you have bills that you pay quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, pro-rate those per month and add them into this account. That way, your monthly expenses are closer to the same each month without great fluctuations that would otherwise send you scrambling. Keep a ledger so you know what your balance in the account is expected to cover and never borrow from this account for discretionary spending.

The checking account that holds your normal daily expenditures (and you should plan those according to your income and needs) will need to have checks available for use when necessary, and a debit/credit card. The advantage of a debit/credit card is that it can be used at an ATM machine as well as used as a credit card when you are purchasing items and won’t need to input your personal identification numbers in front of many strangers.

Keep a small amount of cash on hand each pay period to use for small purchases (and gasoline too if you find your local stations have large holds against your account). The savings account acts as a safety net if unexpected expenses occur (and you can get by without using your general purpose credit cards) as well as a good way to get started saving for your future. Get a separate savings account when you want to save for big-ticket items so you have cash available to pay for them.

If you find you want or need extra work, I have quite a few articles where you can begin your search. If you don’t see something that interests you here, check the other monthly archives on the left side, there are more articles there to help you start. Check back here as well, there will be more articles regarding working from home for more occupations in the future. Legitimate opportunities are out there, but so are scams, so always investigate any opportunity thoroughly.

Work At Home – Write Articles For Online Earnings

Many online publications will pay for well-written, grammatically and factually correct, interesting, original articles with proper use of keywords. You can create articles based on your own ideas or use topics suggested. Websites accepting articles from many authors for pay do so because they earn revenue from other companies, like Google’s Adsense or other affiliate marketing.

Revenue is generated when someone reads your article and decides to click on an advertisement(s) on the same page (oftentimes the advertising will be right inside your article, and your wording will scroll around it). There are various ways that websites can do this. Some are pay per click and some will receive a share of revenue generated or when others sign up for a service.

Needless to say, if there are matters that you do not want to promote on the web, do not write about it or use alternative words that the search engine can still pick up in lieu of the most common words normally used.

Payment to the author is not usually very much, and not all articles submitted will be accepted. I have seen reports from forums on the net ranging from a dollar or two up to $12 or a little more. Some websites pay only by revenue sharing, so the more you write, the more potential or actual income you should receive. You need to know the terms of the particular site to determine how to earn and how much you might receive.

If you have the talent, ability and interest to produce articles that are accepted for payment, then you can earn some extra cash. It would be a good way to put some extra funds away for something special, but for most people, it will not be the way to earn a living.

Websites will require you to accept their terms if you want your articles to be considered for payment. Some will let you choose between exclusive rights and non-exclusive rights. When you give up exclusive rights in return for payment, that site owns your article.

Your article can then be re‑sold to other sites or used on other sites, and you will not receive anything more. You no longer have any rights to use or republish that article yourself or earn any money from it. Read the terms carefully and make certain you can agree to them before you sign up and begin to submit your articles.

If you are a beginning writer and need online exposure, this could be an opportunity for your particular style to be noticed. In any event, when applying for other writing jobs, you can link to what you have written to provide examples of your work.

Here are a few sources below that you can investigate to determine whether or not you want to try writing for them. There are many, many more on the net. When you search, save the website links you find of interest and then search the internet again for more information on them (try Better Business Bureau also).

http://www.associatedcontent.com - wants a minimum of 400 word articles and will consider articles sent for payment or just for publication if they are rejected for payment.

http://www.constant-content.com - lets you put your own articles up for sale as web content.

If you have your own website and it meets their criteria http://payperpost.com – has ways to be paid by writing articles promoting various companies.

http://www.problogger.net - is an informative site that also helps bloggers find blogging jobs. Currently, 451 Press is listed as looking for writers (they have a lot of websites).

Online Transcriptionist, Work at Home

These companies were located on the internet and are unresearched. Please read my previous articles for work at home information to carefully research the legitimacy of any opportunity you find on the internet.

http://www.sten-tel.com/ - Careers currently mention seeking self-motivated, disciplined, conscientious and experienced Medical Transcriptionists.

http://www.chromolumeinc.com/ - Indicate they are always looking for Transcribers to work on an independent contractor basis and when a position is open, they will contact you.

http://www.cyberdictate.com/company/employment - Indicate they use experienced legal transcriptionists.

http://www.moderndayscribe.com/ - Also known as Domenicelli Business Services.

http://www.fdch.com/careers.htm - Also known as Morningside Partners LLC – website indicates they are looking to hire News transcribers but among their other requirements, want people with “bachelor's degree in English or journalism and at least three years of work experience”; and also looking for Financial at-home transcriber.

Happy job hunting.

Work From Home - Tutor Students From Home Online

If you quit work to stay home with your children, you can put your skills to work through online tutoring companies. This would be a good work choice during the school year and you would probably not be busy during the summer. Many work from home moms (and dads, too) work more than one telecommute job so that if one income source becomes sparse, the other(s) are likely to provide work and income. You can find more ideas by searching some of my past articles, both on this page and in the monthly archives to the left.

Make it a point to check the policy of your school district to see what value (if any) would be placed on your work as a tutor if and when you return to teaching full time. Keep in touch with your former district (or those close by) and you might also find requests for tutoring locally that would enable you to work your own hours.

As always, perform your own due diligence in properly discerning the value of any link provided here. The ones listed below were located on the internet and are posted to help you start your search. (More links can be found simply by searching the internet.)

http://www.tutor.com employs telecommuters (and if you have your own website, you can set up an affiliate agreement with them and earn on referrals).

Here's another link found on the intranet http://www.onlinelearning.net

Do You Know What You Are Purchasing In An Online Auction?

Online auctions are an adrenaline rush when you win the bid or even manage to stay in the lead as the deadline closes. Millions of us have bought items on auction sites over the last decade. Online auction sites are popular, and for good reason. There are so many items for sale; if you cannot locate what you want nearby, there is a good chance you can find it online at an auction site and just have it delivered to your door. There really are some nice bargains out there. For the majority, most sales seem to end quite happily for both the buyer and the seller.

I have always felt there are some things that should not be purchased online in an auction site without full information or an inspection where necessary, regardless of who the seller is or claims to be (a real company or just someone selling off their excess items).

I recently saw a picture of property for sale in New Mexico on one of the auction sites. The picture was not the best in that it did not show as much of the surrounding area as I would have liked, but I did get the distinct impression from what I could see, that the property was located close to the bottom of a partially collapsed side of a volcano. (Googling information provided confirmed my thoughts as highly likely.)

If the area should ever become active again, the buyer is going to get burned, at the very least, for monies spent.

Caveat Emptor!

This Old House: The Yellow Light Solution

Summertime and the livin' is easy -- or is it? Many of us enjoy the pleasures of whole house air conditioning, dry, cool and comfortable inside, when it is warm and humid outside. Sometimes the weather just wants to make us stay inside, especially after sundown when it's time to turn on the outside lighting, which is a real necessity for us. There are not many street lights here.

Our home is in an area with a lot of woods nearby. Deer are known to roam the streets (or on occasion walk up your driveway so they can check out the yummy plants and trees you have in your front yard), whacky rabbits love to hide in my bushes and rush out in front of you as if on a dare to catch them. Acquisition of a wheeled, locking garbage can finally persuaded the pesky raccoons to search for easier targets elsewhere. We still find snakes, and the occasional skunks and brown bears that have been seen a few years ago not too far away. All the forest critters, large and small are thriving. A neighbor has finally quit feeding the birds in their backyard so the squirrels have moved a few blocks over. There are some newcomers, too, foxes and cayotes have moved into the nearby woods.

These animals love to roam around late at night, so we need some lights on outside to discourage close encounters.

During the winter months we use regular white lightbulbs in our outside lighting fixtures and that works fine. But what we forgot to put on the list for the heat and humidity of summer was new yellow lightbulbs on the lights that are close to walkways or above an entryway. The bigger animals don't try to sneak into your house, but the bugs think they are welcome --you open the door, they fly right inside and this year has been a particularly annoying one trying to catch the ones that do get in, but we'll head out to the store soon and get the yellow ones which seem to be of some help as most bugs prefer the brighter white light.

Got Talent and Creativity? Try Freelancing Your Work To Greeting Card Companies Or Start Your Own Business

Freelancing for card companies is highly competitive. Submitted work must convey a unique, innovative manner of personal expression with regard to particular occasions. They want fresh ideas that people will readily purchase.

It might be difficult for a newbie to obtain work, but not impossible. There are always “occasions” for which sending a card is appropriate – birthdays, holidays, weddings, graduations, get well and so many more. Cards are on sale everywhere. Good taste and great humor sells. Insulting humor, however funny, probably will not sell well, if at all, although it might be read just for the laughs.

Whether you use a directory like Writer’s Market, or trade magazines or research writer’s groups and job market listings on the internet, make certain to read and fully understand all the specific guidelines and other information each company provides. You might have to request guidelines by mail if not posted online or otherwise readily available.

Keep properly categorized files and records of everything you create, submit or sell, and all papers, correspondence, copyright issues, contracts, etc. so you always know where you are in the process or what has transpired. Rejection of submission is always an opportunity to revise, send the batch to another company for review or just realize you need to update your efforts, research the current market trends and go on from there.

On the brighter side, this might be a good time to create your own line of greetings, copyright your work, and sell it yourself to retail markets, via the internet or promote as fundraisers. Churches, schools, and groups everywhere are always using fundraisers.

There is opportunity for those who can create special niche products, and are capable with designs (photographs or artwork) and have a way with words to fit the occasion. If you are truly capable, there are a great many ways you can promote it yourself. If you are just the artist or person who has a way with words, find a family member or friend with that talent you do not have and go work on plans and ideas.

Starting your own business and holding the copyrights could open up other market ideas for you, T-shirts and clothing, buttons, bumper stickers, coffee mugs, writing paper, decals, or designing for others. The opportunities are only limited by your abilities (and legalities). It is not necessary to start this as a full-time major business. If you want to test your abilities in the marketplace, part-time is always an option while you keep your day job to see how it works out for you.

Use resources such as Café Press (you send them the design and wording) and they take care of sales if you can refer customers. There is also Etsy, Ebay, many others and just tons of free advertising sites available to you on the net. Join groups both online and offline, and put on some demonstration of your work. Get and promote a website (or start with a blogspot.com) to bring in customers. Put your web address on your car (do something readable and removable) and do not be afraid to pass out your business cards.

Write and film a humorous infomercial clip and post it on your website, use sound. Team up with other merchandisers such as those who offer gift baskets to include your work where appropriate. If you cannot find a company that wants to participate, offer your own work in a gift basket with other theme items, preferably ones you have done.

Offer personalized greeting cards created from pictures sent to you with many choices of greetings outside and inside, or use the ones sent if requested. Those would also make great holiday cards and birthday greetings from a group. Find out what holidays and occasions or situations that are not well represented (and especially the kind that people cannot just create themselves at a photo kiosk); perhaps you can find your niche there as well.

Once you are publishing, selling, and have created a demand for your work, you might reconsider submitting some of your creations to greeting card companies, especially if you have created a demand for your products and your talent is recognized in the marketplace.

The links below were located via a search of the net to help you begin gathering information and determining whether or not this could be of interest to you. These looked like good places to start, but it is up to you to make the determination if they are worthwhile or not.

In the meantime, start creating your ideas and putting them on paper so you have something to work on and develop.

http://www.recycledpapergreetings.com
http://www.psgreetings.com
http://www.designergreetings.com
www.etsy.com – and an interesting article from Business Week -http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2007/sb20070611_488723.htm
http://www.cafepress.com

Mystery Shopping Might Be Fun And Fit Right In With Your Lifestyle

If you love to shop and eat your meals out, you might be able to do these same activities as a mystery shopper, and be paid to do them. There are all kinds of shops to fulfill, from coffee and donuts, fast food, better dining, overnight stays at a hotel, purchase and return items and many more. This is done as an independent contractor.

Before you begin your searches (and any applications) get another e‑mail address strictly dedicated to this alone. It will help you get and stay organized. Check and adjust the e-mail filter if necessary.

Locating companies that claim they do this type of research for their clients is not difficult. Many, if not most all of them, are on the internet. Finding legitimate, dependably paying companies that utilize shoppers in your particular area can be a little more time consuming. The companies that use mystery shoppers vary widely in their niche markets, areas served, and shopper requirements. Some will even want you to be able to take and send them photos. Most shops are done totally as undercover work and confidentiality is required.

Fully research every company before you apply. Check with the Better Business Bureau even if they claim membership, and any other organizations to which they claim to belong. If you do not recognize the organization, research it as well to be sure it, too, is legitimate. If membership in MSPA (link below) is claimed, you can search on site for membership.

Do searches of the business name on the net to see what others have said, especially on boards and forums. Take into careful consideration any warnings or complaints you find there, but make the final decision yourself. Do a “who is” search. Make certain you understand and can fulfill all their terms and conditions and shopper requirements – or they will refuse to pay you if you do not. Et Cetera. Be certain of the legitimacy of any company before you apply.

Prepare a file on each company: When you do decide to apply, always print out the application you fill out (page by page if necessary) and do not forget to print out the particular terms and conditions you are required to accept as you go along. Bookmark the site. On an additional sheet of paper, write down the URL of the site, and especially the one where you access shopper information, your login and any password(s). Print out any information they send you where you are permitted to do so and where necessary for your records. Basically, anything and everything you would need if your computer ever decides to self-destruct.

Keep records on all your shops, dates, times, places, exact mileage driven and other pertinent identifying information of the shop (things such as job number and if assigned to you by a particular person, etc.). Also, keep receipts (or copies) of your expenses incurred and any income received in each file. You will need this information for taxes or in case you need to provide the company with information if they have made a mistake in your records (particularly payment owed to you).

Never pay a fee for a list of mystery shopping companies. The information is free on the internet and many forums. Never pay a fee to shop for any company – you are the one that should receive payment if you perform the requested services.

According to boards/forums I have seen, you do not need to be certified to mystery shop, although some companies may have a higher preference for those with silver or gold certification. Working with a legitimate company, where both the company and you fully perform all obligations and requirements is probably more the key to success.

Be professional when you make your report. Proper capitalization of words, spelling and punctuation are important. Make certain you answer all the requested information fully and coherently. Fulfill all requirements, or you might not be paid for the shop and/or have your expenses reimbursed.

Mystery shopping is, after all, work, even if you find it enjoyable. There are strict requirements to fulfill so that you get paid and are reimbursed for your expenses. Make certain that you are in agreement with the requirements. You will need to remember all that you have been requested to do so that you can prepare all the paperwork (mostly filling out forms on the company website, although some companies will still require you to print out and fax it to them) to submit at the completion of a shop. When you leave for a shop, this means that you will need a good memory and have to be very organized. Paperwork must be completed and submitted within a short timeframe after the shop, so this would not be suitable for anyone who procrastinates.

Mystery shopping is not a way to earn a living, but incidental income (and on which you as an independent contractor) will have to pay taxes. Most shops do not pay a lot, but if it fits in with your lifestyle and where you live, it can certainly be a way to get paid to do some things you were going to do anyway without being a mystery shopper. Actively participating with multiple companies who have shops in your area would be a way to earn more income.

From what I have seen on boards/forums, people do sign up and provide services for multiple companies and try to organize their shops into the same trip or nearby where they are going on some other errand.

BEWARE OF SCAMS: Not all companies on the net are legitimate or what they claim to be. One of the current scams involves a “mystery shopping company” that sends you a check to deposit into your new or existing account and then you send the money elsewhere, sometimes offshore, sometimes not. You are paid immediately by keeping a portion of the money as your fee. Do not participate, even if your bank checks the company on which it is drawn and says they are legitimate. You are the one who will be held responsible for these funds and reimbursing them.

Read more about that scam here at http://www.mysteryshop.org/news/article_pr.php?art_ID=73. This scam is making its rounds in many different ways.

Here are a few of the mystery shopping companies found on boards on the internet. Any links posted here are totally up to you to research their legitimacy and I do not post any here as recommended as I do not personally know anything about them. They are for your convenience only in getting your search started.


http://www.customer-1st.com/shopper/default.asp
http://www.shopnchek.com/
https://www.experienceexchange.com/
http://65.119.21.227/shopper_application/welcome_letter.asp (Pacific Research Group)
http://dataquestonline.com/, apply at http://dataquestonline.com/mystApp.html
http://www.nwlpc.com/
http://www.jmridgway.com/shopperoverview.htm
http://www.gapbuster.com/xec/default.aspx?culture=1033 (Gapbuster Worldwide)
http://www.mysteryshops.com/ (Corporate Research International)
http://www.beyondhello.com/secure/index.htm

Blogging Will Resume Soon

Blogging has been interrupted due to injuries resulting from an accident and will resume soon.

For all of you who visit searching for possible work at home ideas so that you can spend more quality time with your family, there will be a lot of information coming soon, some of which will be in a more direct format than in the past.

In the meantime, please read some of the past articles to see the suggestions made on ways to check on any company offering work at home employment. There are many legitmate offers out there and many you should not consider.

Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe 4th of July holiday.

April