Between being sick, and my other obligations as a college student and a freelance writer…. along with the death of my step-grandmother, and my little sister’s birthday this past weekend, I am a little in over my head.
I wanted to let everyone know I have not fallen off the radar and I do not intend to forget the blog. Just be patient with me as I get back on track!
So, this week has been a little hectic for me as I have lined up several paying gigs. But, I didn’t want to neglect the blog, so I want to talk to you today about scheduling your time.
Time is something people can’t seem to get enough of. There never seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything we need to get done, actually finished. So, the best way to overcome this obstacle of time, is to budget your time the same way you would your money, and stick to it.
First, you need to layout all of your tasks. Include everything from all the cleaning duties, to making time for your kids, and all of your projects. Break these down in importance in each category. Now, schedule your day based on each of these categories and what needs to be tackled.
If you have allotted time for all your cleaning, and have made time for your kids and your projects, you are through half the battle. The other half is making sure you stick to it. Look at this example schedule:
5:00AM: Wake Up, Check email and reply
5:30AM: Work on Project for Client 1 (Closest Deadline First)
6:30AM: Get kids up and fed. Play with them for a little bit.
8:30AM: Clean up the house.
9:00AM: Work on Projects
10AM: Break to Entertain Children
11AM: Start Prepping Lunch and cleaning
12PM: Serve lunch, kids down for nap
1PM: Work on Projects, Check email, surf the net, relax
3PM: Kids up from nap, entertain them/run errands
5PM: Prep Dinner and serve.
6PM: Clean up Dinner, play with kids
7:30PM: Bath, Story and Bed prep
8:30PM: Kids down for the night
8:45PM-whenever you crash: Finish Daily activities, prepare for next day!
Schedules like this make sure that all of your duties are met, and you don’t do too much of one thing for long to keep your day interesting. If you don’t plan and schedule, you’ll never make it!
I’m simply at a loss of words this week. I can’t seem to find motivation or topics to cover and I’m not sure why I’ve lost so much steam lately. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I’ve come down with something that closely resembles the flu, thought I had some profitable writing opportunities come my way, only to have them be scams, or entirely not worth my time…. Whatever it is, I am still going to plunge forward with this blog and try to keep my spirits up.
So today, I thought about covering a site that I have been using for work at home jobs. The website is http://www.VirtualVocations.com. There is a $15.99 subscription fee each month, but it can be reduced if you purchase a longer subscription period initially. Now, I was skeptical at first, as the general rule is that you should never pay for job listings, but I think it’s worth it. All of the jobs listed on the site either point you to the direct listing, or provide contact information for the job. None of them requires an upfront payment. The job leads are found from a variety of places and are updated at least daily, sometimes frequently thought. I tried it for a month. While I did not find anything profitable, I know that I could if I kept at it, but this month the $16.00 seemed more important in my pocket.
And, you can even take a look at the jobs without having to pay to subscribe. The subscription is only required to view the contact information or the application. So, you can even look and judge for yourself as to whether or not it is worth it to you.
Best of luck in finding a work at home opportunity, and maintain your dream of staying home with your children.
In an effort to show appreciation for the opportunities that have spawned from my becoming a content producer for Associated Content, I have compiled a list of reasons as to why I love them so.
Establishing a Name: Starting a freelance career is rough. In freelancing anything, you need experience to show to potential clients, and it can be bothersome trying to get it all together. In fact, I am still working on my freelance web design career, and for now, the writing is proving more fruitful. With freelancing, you need examples of work completed, and in many cases, that is hard to do. Using Associated Content, you can write about anything and everything and use it as a portfolio later to market yourself to a variety of clients seeking various topics.
Freedom of Topic: Unlike many paid writing positions, Associated Content offers you the freedom to choose your topics. This gives you the ability to write about what you know, leading to increased productivity because you do not have to research the topic (as much) as you would for another project.
Freedom of Schedule: Associated Content places no deadlines, (excluding the Calls for Content), no minimums, and no maximums, so you are free to write whenever you want, as much or as little as you want. When you need some extra cash, write a few articles. If you get busy, or find another writing project that will prove more profitable, it is okay. You should though, write at least one article every three months, to keep the account active.
The Money: Okay, I would be lying if I did not mention that I like the money. It is not going to make me rich, but you can earn money while you establish your name. It is better than writing for nothing at all, right? And, of course with the new payment system for page views, you can earn money continuously on articles you write, even after the upfront payment. This will build up slowly, but if you are good at internet marketing, you should be able to earn even more money that way. The pay is always given to you on time, and there is no minimum account balance to maintain before payment (except that the Calls for Content which require a minimum of $1.50/month).
The Community: Not only does Associated Content have plenty of articles to keep you entertained and plenty of room for more that you write, they have a forum, which allows you to connect with the admin, and other fellow writers. The forums help you learn about AC, and you can meet other members to subscribe to and earn yourself some page views.
The Calls for Content: This feature of AC is great for getting some page views, as most of the calls are for the hot search engine content. And, it’s even better for you if you are suffering from writers block and have no clue what to do. Many of them though are performance payment only though. That may sound like a turn off, but I earned an incredible amount in page views just from one article done from a Call for Content.
There are many other reasons to sign up and enjoy Associated Content, so get started right away!
Many of us are on a seemingly constant quest to get more money, save the money we have, or stretch it further to make it last longer. For several of us, it is a losing battle. With that being said, come along with me to take a look at five tips to reduce your grocery bill. If you reduce your overall grocery expenses, then the difference can go to another bill, or even better, in the bank for emergencies or a rainy day.
Plan your Meals: The most important thing to do before taking a trip to the store is to survey your cabinets. This way you can plan your meals around what you already have in stock, and prepare if you are running low on staples. This lowers your bill by purchasing less items, and eliminating extra items that you come home to find hidden in the cupboard. Planning meals will save you time too, and we all know everyone can use an extra few minutes a day for other activities.
Comparison Shop: Look at what is on sale and where. Many stores have online versions of their store circulars, so you can take time to look as you are making your list. Before you even leave your house, you will have a plan of action, knowing what items you are going to get from where. This will save you money on the items you have to buy, and you can save even more by planning your meals based on the best sales in the store, and the online browsing is yet another time saver, too.
Purchase Generics: Okay so this one is a no-brainer right? Well, not for all people, but if you pay close attention to the product labels of a brand name and a generic, many times you will find that they are the same thing. Granted, some items you just cannot forego the taste, but for the most part, the taste difference is negligible. If you have a fussy eater in the house, try putting the generic in the brand name container and watch for a reaction. I will bet you will not get one. In most cases, you are paying the extra money for the fancy packaging. Sometimes though, store sales will make the brand name cheaper than the generic, so I always fall back on the basic principle of buy whatever is cheaper. Unit price is another factor, because cheaper item does not mean better deal. If you can afford it and know you will use it before it goes bad, spring for the larger container because it will last longer, therefore reducing the overall bill.
Cut Corners: Follow your list. Do not purchase the impulse items. If it is not on your list, you do not need it. If you planned right, then you will not need something that is not on your list. Also, buy frozen juices, koolaid packets instead of the stuff with the sugar already mixed, etc. You are paying extra for water, sugar, and the container. You could just as easily add the sugar, water, or whichever ingredients to your own container and you have saved money. Also remember—with things like cleaning supplies, stretch them. Dilute your laundry detergent (liquid, anyway), dish detergent, etc. and reuse dryer sheets up to three times each. I am sure I have left some items off this list, but you know what you can get away with to make the money go further.
Make the Most of your Trips: Pick a frequency of your trips. Basing it on your pay period is the best way, because you will have the most money then. After setting aside your bill money, make groceries first priority so that you do not overspend on other items and sell yourself short. Make your list, double and even triple check it. Stick to it. No extraneous, unnecessary items. Little shopping trips will add up over time and you will seem to go through it even faster. Take the extra time while you are in the store to make sure you have everything you need instead of having to take another trip out to get it.
Following one or any of combination of these five tips will reduce your grocery bill. If you do not actually see a decrease in dollar amount being spent, you should see an increase in the amount of items you have on hand or decrease in items to purchase. Put these tips to the test and see how you do.
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