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TGIF: Introducing the Post of the Week

Posted by Lynnae on November 7, 2008

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What a week it’s been. We have a new President elect, and though I don’t agree with some of his politics, I celebrate the fact that our country has elected it’s first African American President. What a long way we’ve come. Going forward, I hope that Obama can bring together people from both sides of the aisle, so it no longer feels like we have a divided country.

A Couple of Notes

Last week I set the goal of getting back on track with my budget and menu planning. I’m off to a good start, but I’m not there yet. But I haven’t been eating out this week, which is keeping my budget intact. I really need a 48 hour day, to take care of the house, my blog, and of course my family. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who struggles with the budget after move, though. Gibble’s struggling with the same thing.

I know you all have been wanting to see pictures of my house. I put together a video for a message board I post on, and I thought I’d post the tour here for you all to see. Enjoy, and please forgive the corniness of it all. Email and RSS readers may have to click through.

Also, as part of Eleven Moms, I’ve had the opportunity to try out a new “Mystery” shampoo and conditioner. I’m always skeptical to try out new shampoos, but I’m really loving this one. My hair has been really soft and healthy, even in the crazy, rainy Oregon weather.

The mystery shampoo company is offering free samples for you all to try before they reveal the name of the product. If you’d like a free sample, click the button.

Introducing the Post of the Week

I like to shake things up from time to time, and this is one of those times. Instead of doing a full roundup on Fridays, I’m going to highlight one post of the week…something that really makes me stop and think, inspires me, or makes me laugh.

Sometimes I think it’s easy for readers to glaze over a whole list of posts. (I’ll admit that I do it.) By highlighting just one post, I hope you, my readers, will click through to read it, which will reward the efforts of the blogger who wrote the excellent post.

I know there are lots of great posts out there every week, and there are lots of roundups every week, too, highlighting those posts. So I want to do something different.

So without further ado, the post of the week is:

The Myth of Self Discipline at the Wisdom Journal

I picked this article, because I find myself making the excuses cited by Ron from time to time, yet I totally agree with his view. Furthermore, this article inspired me to do better in the self-discipline department.

That’s it for this week! See you all back here on Monday!

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Filed Under Roundups | 15 Comments

A Magazine to Save Money

Posted by Lynnae on November 6, 2008

Sometimes you can spend money to save money. This is one of those times.

Email and RSS readers may have to click through to see the video.

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Filed Under Frugal Tips | 15 Comments

How to Make Ends Meet When You Can’t Find a Good Job

Posted by Lynnae on November 5, 2008

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You need to get creative to make ends meet, while you’re looking for a job.

The following is a post I wrote for My Two Dollars a year ago. Fortunately, a lot has changed for my husband and I since last year, and my husband once again has a good job. And I bring in extra income, using the skills I learned during that difficult time.

When my husband lost his job three weeks ago, we had no idea how long he’d be out of work. We also knew we didn’t want him to take just any commissioned sales job that wouldn’t pay much or last long. At the same time, our emergency fund is running low, and we need some form of income while we’re waiting for a good long term job opportunity to come along. Here are some suggestions for finding income that have worked for us.

Declutter your house and sell what you can on Craigslist. We have a lot of stuff. Too much stuff for our house, actually. So we’ve begun the process of decluttering, and we’re going to sell what we can on Craigslist. So far we have a lot of toys and a piano ready to go. I’m also eyeing our large collection of CDs, VHS movies, and books. These things won’t bring in a lot of income, but when you’re unemployed, every little bit helps.

Look for freelance writing gigs. If you’re a blogger, you can already write. Check out the job boards at Problogger.net and the list of freelance jobs at Freelance Writing Jobs. Another option is to rewrite some blog posts and submit them to Associated Content as non-exclusive articles. Again, it doesn’t pay much, but it’s not much work either.

Scour Craigslist for short-term jobs. My husband just applied for a job presenting wine at a wine tasting event. It’s part time for a week, but at $20 an hour, the pay isn’t bad. He’s kind of excited about the change in pace from his normal sales job, too.

Contact former employers, if you have a good relationship with them. My husband contacted a radio station he used to work for, just to see if there was any work available. His old employer hired him to run the board for high school basketball games. The pay is pretty good, and my husband really enjoys the radio work. He also contacted his former employer at an advertising agency, and the owner is now looking for some freelance copywriting opportunities for Jim.

String together a couple of part-time jobs while you look for full-time work. Jim will be starting a part time seasonal job soon, in addition to his radio work. They pay isn’t great, but between the two jobs, we should be able to survive until something better turns up.

A few more ways to find a small paycheck are:

~In-home childcare
~Your local school district as a substitute assistant
~Temp-Agencies
~Blogging, though it could take a while for the money to show up
~Give lessons (music, tutoring, any skill you have that someone else may need)

You need to weigh the pros and cons of each opportunity for your own situation. You need to ask if you are better off working part-time or drawing unemployment from your last job. You also need to find out about any state or city regulations in regard to anything you do out of your home.

The point is, though, if you are willing to think outside the box, a lot of times you can make ends meet, even if you can’t find an ideal job right away. And who knows? By exploring unconventional opportunities, you may just pick up some skills that help you land a great job in the future.

Photo by cogdogblog.

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