Ways Blogging Pays Off

Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

If you are like thousands and thousands of people you have your own blog. There are actually ways blogging can pay off. As long as you can write decent, you can make money blogging for other people.

For instance, I have blogged for about five years. I love the interaction with others around the world. I love sharing photos of my friends and family. Also, sharing fun things we do together and reading and looking at online friends photos. You can feel like you have been on vacation in another area of the country or world when you blog.

If you love to blog, why not make money doing it? You can let others know that you blog. For instance, I found some absolutely gorgeous sweaters online on the website Etsy.com. The sweaters were expensive, but well worth it. I let the woman know that I adore her work but please let me know if she has a sale on them as they are out of my price range at this time. I also let her know I do write blogs for other businesses to keep their blog fresh and get information out there to potential customers. She told me she was interested in someone writing for her blog. I was asked to show her samples of my work. Bingo--I can now work for some one-of-a-kind breathtaking sweaters.

A former high school classmate opened up her own soap, lotions, etc. shop. They have an online shop and we talked about bartering services for product. I don’t know about you but I love handmade soaps, lotions, shampoo’s, etc. So I am looking forward to bartering these items. I may even get enough to help with my Christmas shopping and save money.

Of course, you can charge money as well when you blog. Offer to write blogs for $4.00 to $10.00 per blog. Most blogs are 300 words so they are not that difficult to write. Just keep readers interested. Use keywords in the blog to bring each one up in the Googlerank and other search engine ranks and make sure you post the link to their business at the end of the blog. Not only will the reader be able to check out the website you are promoting but the more links the website has listed online, the more important the website becomes to Google’s ranking. The goal is get to page one!

If you love writing blogs, than blog writing to barter services, products or to make money is for you. For more information on ways blogging pays off, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　
　

Go Green and Make Totes

Photo copyright by Danni.

Many people are trying to “go green” and save our Earth’s landfills. If you can sew even a little, you can make your own totes and sell them. Totes will work great for people to take grocery shopping. I have noticed that most totes are small. I would love it if someone made larger totes. Personally I would invest in eight larger totes when I grocery shop. I have a family of five and need to have larger bags to put all of our groceries in.

You can create totes of all different colors. Use different patterns when sewing your totes. Some people love specific dogs, cats, etc. Look and see what the market is out there on collectables. For instance, some women love shoes and totes with different colorful shoes on would make a cute tote.

Once you buy a pattern from a discount store on a normal sized tote and a larger tote (you may have to design your own size), you are ready to get material. Find material on sale at discount stores, sewing stores and online. Check if buying in bulk will save you even more money.

Next sew at least five totes. Let your friends, family, co-workers and the world online know that you are making totes to go green and save the Earth. This will get more and more people interested in purchasing a tote if you remind them of our landfills.

Take pictures of your totes to advertise. Hang up the photos at local businesses such as the grocery store, Laundromat, gas stations, etc. Make a website online. There are free websites for you to use that are all set up and you just add some pages, pictures and information yourself.

You may want to make up business cards and hand them out to advertise your tote bags even more. Before you know it you will see your 'green' totes all over grocery stores and discount stores. You will have a great feeling knowing you have made a difference in the world.

For more information on how to go green and make totes, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　

Going to College- How to Choose the Right Job

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Become a restaurant owner or a chef.

As we all know, times are tough in the job industry. If you are going to college and want to know how to choose the right job, do some research. You will need to choose something that you are interested in so you will enjoy it for the long haul, a job that pays well is an added benefit and a job that has high stability of employment.

A great book loaded with information is “250 of the Best-Paying Jobs.” This book by Michael Farr and Laurence Shatkin, P.h.D., lists the highest paying jobs, the growth of jobs, openings per year for employment, education needed, area the jobs are located in, gender, the age group, industry, personality type jobs (for instant are you artistic? Types of potential jobs listed and loaded with information), part-time jobs and how many people are self-employed in each particular job.

The book is complied of information that the two authors heavily researched. This book can also be for you if you are already in the job market and want to move up the ladder in your field. Or you may want to change careers and you can research the jobs that interest you and make a well-educated choice.

The book is easy to follow as it groups jobs that are related to each other together. All healthcare jobs are listed together, investigative jobs, arts and communications, etc.

Remember that money is not everything. Many people truly enjoy their job even if they do not get paid a large salary. A lot of people are happy doing what they love to do day after day and feel rich and fulfilled in other ways.

You can survive the economy with a great job you enjoy, make fantastic money if this is important to you and know that your job is rated as highly secure.

For more information on how to choose the right job, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　
　
　

Can You Sew? Halloween Costumes

Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

Now is the time to cash in if you can sew. You can start creating Halloween costumes for little ones. Trick-or-treating is just around the corner. There are so many costumes to be hand created. Many people would love a handmade Halloween costume instead of the generic store Halloween costumes.

For a peek into another Halloween sewing woman’s Etsy business and to get ideas, please visit:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/etsy-finds-little-shop-of-handmade-horrors-5261/

Other ideas to use are popular movie characters and popular TV characters. Do some research and find out what is hot. You may even want to do a poll with your kids and your friend’s kids. Once you know the hottest characters or types of Halloween costumes for this Halloween--you are ready to get sewing.

You can let all of your friends, the elementary schools in your area and family know that you are offering one-of-a-kind handmade Halloween costumes. People may ask if you will take orders ahead of time and specific Halloween costumes. It is up to you if you choose to do so.

Find your material for Halloween costumes on sale at discount stores, online, fabric stores or craft stores. Purchase buttons, zippers, etc., on sale as well.

Advertise your sewing talent at local grocery stores, put your items on Etsy.com as the sample above is, make your own website, newspapers, etc. Once you get one phone call and order, word of mouth will spread like wildfire. People love to have their little kids in adorable or scary Halloween costumes. Parents and grandparents take many photos to save the precious memories of their children and grandchildren.

Enjoy making costumes, selling the costumes and making money. Once you get started, you may have other sewing requests besides Halloween costumes. People know fabulous work when they see it.

For more information on how to make and sell Halloween costumes, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money Writing Poetry

Photo copyright by Kelleys-Creations.

If you love writing poetry there are ways to make money from it. You can submit your poetry to a website called AssociatedContent.com. You will not get money upfront but as people click on your poetry, you will get paid. It is not a lot of money ($1.50 for 1,500 clicks) but if it is something you love to do, you can get published online and make a little money.

You need to write short poems for greeting card companies. How many times have you read a poem and thought you could have written that---or something even better? Now is your chance to make money writing poetry!

The easiest way to get started is to do some investigating. Go to discount stores and greeting card stores and read the greeting cards. Check which ones you think are your style. Then get out your pen and paper and write down the greeting card company’s name as well as the manufacturers and publishers.

Once you return home, do some research online on the companies you have jotted down. The companies that have information about submitting your work will have directions on how to do this. (Not all companies will have this since they do not accept freelance submissions so make sure you jot down a lot of names.) Make sure you follow the directions carefully so you submit your correctly and have a great chance at being accepted. Make sure you hand in edited work only so you look professional and your work is accepted.

Don’t give up if you are not accepted on the first, second or even third attempt. Persist!

The third way to make money writing poetry is to make your own handmade greeting cards or online greeting cards. You can make them for friends, family, coworkers and sell them at craft fairs.

For more information on how to make money writing poetry, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Christmas Ornaments and Make Money and Save Money

Photo copyright by Nik.

A great idea to make money and save money is to make homemade Christmas ornaments. You can use a variety of items to create your ornaments.

When I was a child my aunt would buy cheap Styrofoam balls to decorate. Some of the Styrofoam balls had material on them while others did not. The ornaments with the material on were so gorgeous and I usually reached for those. Mainly they were a cranberry color.

We would use plain silver stick pins or stick pins with a white bead on the end, gold and silver sequins, plastic pony beads and strings of scrap material. The ornaments were cheap to make and turned out absolutely stunning. Most of them fit on a tree that is decorated with all different types of ornaments or a more sophisticated Christmas tree that is perhaps Victorian.

You and your family can enjoy spending time together making Christmas ornaments. These will be great to sell at upcoming holiday craft fairs or bazaars.

The Christmas ornaments will make excellent gifts for family, friends, co-workers, bosses and teachers. You will save a mint on gifts by giving your homemade Christmas ornaments as the gifts. People will appreciate your hard work and thoughtfulness in giving a handmade gift as most people do not have the time to make items these days.

1) Get started by purchasing your supplies from discount stores, craft stores or online. Check for the best deals.

2) Call local areas or check online for annual craft fairs and reserve a table now. Let your friends, co-workers and family know you are taking orders of your Christmas ornaments. Before letting them know, you may want to take a few photos of your Christmas ornaments so that they can get an idea on what your ornaments will look like and/or choose which ornament they want to purchase from you.

3) Make once or twice a week family craft night to get together and create your masterpieces to sell and give away as Christmas gifts.

For more information on how to make Christmas ornaments to make money and save money, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　　

Apartment Mangers--Make Money & Save Money

Become an apartment building manager to make money and save money.

Need to sell your home? Tired of paying rent? If you truly need money and you are handy you can check out the wanted pages for apartments. There are many jobs available for apartment managers.

When you become an apartment manager you will take care of small items that need fixing. For instance, if a person living in the apartment building has a problem with their kitchen sink, he or she will call you to come and take a look at it. You will be expected to fix the sink. You may have to go to a discount store or a hardware store to pick up parts. You will save the receipt for the apartment owner to pay you back.

Some apartment owners want a couple to become the apartment managers. This way the two of you can take care of all of the important managing duties. With two people instead of one, the people living inside of the apartment building will have a better chance of getting a hold of one of you sooner.

Other duties will most likely include vacuuming and sweeping the hallways. Keeping the laundry area clean. Making sure the washing machines and dryers work. If available, making sure the laundry soap machine is working. Shoveling snow if you live in an area that snows. Keeping the sidewalks shoveled and salted when snow and ice occur.

By taking care of the apartment building most owners offer free rent, free utilities and possibly some wages as well. You may be the manager of more than one apartment building and your benefits will help to determine on how much work you will have to do.

For more information on how to become an apartment manager to make money and save money, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money by Making Ceramic Tiles

Both photos copyright by Tinkertiles.

Just about everyone has a touch of creativity within themselves. You do not have to be the best drawer, painter or creator to make money by making ceramic tiles.

If you are not that good at drawing, your ceramic tiles will still be adorable. Your ceramic tiles will be whimsical. A lot of people decorate with the whimsical style and truly love it.
You can cut out your ceramic pieces as well. For instance, cut a fish out of the materials. Paint the fish. It would be wise to invest in a machine that will glaze your ceramic tile pieces.
The sky is the limit on what you can create with ceramic tiles. You can make cats, dogs, scenes, small signs, zoo animals, people, bikes, sport’s items, etc.! Think of items that people really enjoy and then get creating!

You create the ceramic tiles and your customers create what they will use them for. Some people may use them to make three dimensional murals on their walls, as cabinet knobs, wrapping gifts and using them for a special gift along side the tag, scrap booking, jewelry and more.

You can sell your ceramic tiles online. The best place to start selling your ceramic tiles is on Etsy.com. Etsy.com is where many people sell their handmade items. Etsy.com is very simple to sign up for and navigate. Before you know it, your items will become a hit. You may also want to create your own website. You can either create your own using free websites or websites you pay for. You can hire someone to make a website for you as well.

Make money by making ceramic tiles by giving your ceramic tiles to friends, family and co-workers for gifts. Word of mouth is a fantastic way to advertise.

For more information on how to make money by making ceramic tiles, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Word of Mouth: How it Can Help You & Your Business

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Keep your word-get more business.

Word of mouth is a very important part of business and that is why you should always do an outstanding job on any type of work you do for a living. From keeping in touch with the customer to doing fabulous work to starting and completing the job on time.

Here are two examples of word of mouth contractors I personally hired to do work around my home or cabin:

The first person I got raves about to hire ended up six months late in starting our house. This irritates my husband and I! We were going to have our home sided, a remodeled front porch, minor repairs by the back deck and new doors put on.

We waited…and waited….we missed putting out our Halloween decorations for the kids. They were disappointed but we were told that the contractor was coming to work on our house! Finally right before Christmas our home was complete!

The second word of mouth contractor I thought I’d try so he could install new carpeting and wood floors in two of the three bedrooms. I didn’t plan on having contractor number one do the work! (Although we did want an estimate from him as his prices were reasonable.)

So contractor one came in and measured the living room, stairway, hallway, and two bedrooms. He said he’d get back to us. Sure he would. Never heard from him. I even called him and left a message. When doing business with him the first time, I did immediately pay the bill--so it's not that!

Contractor 2 showed up in two days as scheduled (so I could do a little cleaning!), measured everything. He told us he could start in one week. Before hiring him, I told him it’s very important to us when you say you are coming to work that you actually DO! He assured me. He told me they’d be done in three days with everything. Contractor 2 kept his word! We were highly impressed with everything.

We just bought a cabin that needs extensive remodeling. Which word of mouth contractor do you think is going to get the job?

For more information on word of mouth and how it can help you (or hurt your future business!), please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　　

Pay Cash to Get Deals

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. The sky is the limit -pay cash to get deals!

Who says money doesn’t talk? If you have the cash you may be able to get a bargain. If you are looking to purchase big ticket items such as a living room set or fifty inch flat screen television, take your cash to the store. In these tough economic times you may be able to wheel and deal with stores. From the stores perspective, a discounted sale is better than no sale at all.

Two years ago I tried this pay cash to get deals theory with my husband and bought a vehicle for less cash. We walked into the dealer as we knew which vehicle we wanted to purchase ahead of time. (Sundays are a great way to shop ahead of time with no salesmen around trying to get your attention.)

When the salesman met us, he asked us what we were looking for. We described the vehicle we wanted but nothing too pricey. Lo and behold he led us to the vehicle we wanted. We did not act excited but let him know that we liked the vehicle. We knew what the sticker price was ahead of time. We purposely brought a lesser amount of cash along with us. (This way we would not get sucked into falling for any sales tactics and later regret it.) When the dealing part came at the desk we told him what we could spend and we had the cash right in our wallets. Of course, the salesman went to “the boss” to discuss our situation.

The salesman actually came out and accepted our cash offer. We were elated!

Granted, not everyone will have cash to purchase a vehicle but smaller ticket items you may. It is worth a shot. Just be careful to safely keep your cash with you at all times. Now is not the time to leave your purse where someone easily can take it.

For more information on how to pay cash to get deals, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　　　

　

*Check your state laws to make sure it is legal to be on the car lot "window shopping" on Sundays.
　

Invest in Your Child's College Future

Invest wisely in your child's college future

It is that time of year again and many college kids are going back to school. With the state of the economy it is harder and harder for college-aged kids to get student loans. Due to this situation, college kids are asking their parents to co-sign for a loan. Do not fall into this trap! If you are a parent and co-sign for your child’s loan he or she will end up paying around 12% interest on this type of loan.

A better option is to take out a PLUS loan. You, as a parent, will take out the PLUS loan in your name or names. The PLUS loan is only averaging around 8.5% interest rate. This is a HUGE savings for your child. With the cost of books, food, school supplies, clothes, etc., you will be helping out your child immensely. The two or three of you can come up with some type of plan where your child pays you back weekly or monthly if you so choose.

If your child or children are not in college yet but will be within the next five years, make sure that you are invested in a fixed-interest option or options instead of stocks. The market is just too risky at this time.

If you have a 529 college savings plan, go over your plan with the person you hired to invest for you. Go over this plan very carefully so you do not lose any more money. The 529 college savings plan has lost a lot of money in the past few years as well as other college savings plans. You can help to prevent anymore loss by going over this with the person you hired.

For more information on how to invest in your child’s college future, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　　　
　
　
　

Why You Should Not Open Anymore Store Credit Cards

Photo by http://abduzeedo.com/29-great-free-textures

Most of us have done it. We take up the offer to open a new store credit card to save 10% off of the purchase we just made. I know I am guilty of it especially if I am buying a new computer or a lot of furniture. Anytime there is a big ticket item you can save a lot of money by taking up the 10% off your bill if you open a credit card.

You will find out you really are not saving money. If you keep opening up these credit cards you will find yourself paying more monthly if you cannot pay off each month’s bill. When you open a credit card that gives you a one time only 10% off your purchase, you are most likely paying a higher price on interest rate. The average rate for these types of credit cards is 21% or higher. The store makes up the money you “saved” pretty darn quick.

Or maybe you know you want to save money by opening up one of these credit cards so you try to find the products that you want to buy or think you need to buy and spend $500. Add 21%+ to that and you are in the hole.

Another reason you should not open anymore store credit cards is that the more store credit cards you have to the limit --the worse your credit rating will be. No one wants a bad credit rating or you will not be able to get loans for a home, car, etc. If you do get a loan on a home or car, you will be paying more since you have a bad credit rating.

Insurance companies will look at your credit rating and if it is not good you will pay more for insurance.

When applying for a new job it is pretty much a given that the potential employer will check your credit history. You may not get the job you really wanted or needed due to your credit history.

This holiday season stay away from stores offering you to save 10% off of a one time purchase if you open a credit card as it paints a dire picture.

For more information on why not to open anymore store credit cards, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　　　

Save More Money for Your Future

Photo copyright by Nik. Save More Money for Your Future--Now

If you are looking for ways to save more money for your future, check out your profile at the company you work for. If your company offers a 401K or retirement plan and matches what you put in, put in as much money as possible. That is like free money for your future. Once you reach the maximum amount, that is enough. Do not put any more money in your 401K or other retirement account that is available to you at your place of employment.

You should not put any more money in the 401K or retirement account because interest rates are very low at this time. A better idea to save more money for your future is to put it in a Roth IRA. You will still be taxed on a Roth IRA at this time but Roth IRA’s do not get taxed as they grow. That is right tax-free money…that does not happen that often in this day and age!

After investing with the Roth IRA for five years or more and you are 59.5 years old or when you turn 59.5 years old you will not be taxed on the Roth IRA if you need to use some of the money from it.

If your situation is to keep the Roth IRA locked in for many, many years you will do excellent as you will not be at risk for higher income taxes.

By following the above steps you can save more money for your future which is very wise planning. You need to learn how to save money now for your retirement so you can live comfortably. You most likely want to keep the lifestyle you have now or even better yet, live even better than you are now.

For more information on how to save more money for your future, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.