Aspiring millionaire

June - A money making month

2012-05-31T14:01:00.000+10:00

I decided that for June I will be doing a big no spend challenge, but not just avoiding spending, I would also sell off everything I don't need or have been meaning to list. I have boxes of stuff to sell. If I haven't sold it or at least listed it by the end of June I am going to get rid of it.

I feel like a lot of it is just a weight on my shoulders, so really needed to set this challenge to help me clear out my life. Our budget has increased recently and we need to be cutting expenses more and increasing our income. I am looking for a job, so selling off everything kind of feels like a now or never sort of thing. I don't want them to be a focus in my life for much longer.

I have not been going to counselling for myself as my daughters speech therapy was more important to me and quite expensive. I am updating things like our life insurance, want to update our will etc but all these things require money.

As such, June will be spent on things that can save us money, reduce the amount of stuff we have and not actually spending the money we earn.

I'll be blogging about it on my other blog and you can join me if you like.

When expenses exceed income

2012-05-30T10:12:00.000+10:00

I am a little ashamed to admit my budget has gone out the window lately. I have been sick which has meant lots of Dr’s visits, medical tests and things to find out what is wrong with me. My daughter was diagnosed with a severe learning delay and needs speech therapy as well as some other tests, which is costing a lot.

Then of course with me being sick I don’t always have meals prepared and a little take away has snuck in, as well as more convenience foods, which has increased the cost of my groceries.

Back in February I did a money makeover on my other blog, focusing each day on one aspect of the budget and how we could make or save money from it. I realized this week I need to revisit that myself and do everything I suggested in there.

You see, not only has the budget been blown, but the extra expenses I now have are more than I am making on a regular basis. Some of my income is sporadic and there is no knowing how much I will make week to week. So far I have made it through and money has always come when I needed it, but I hate living like that. Worrying if I will have enough money each week.

I try not to focus on the negative and that I won’t have enough money because every time I have done that it has come true. That is whenever I have looked at my expenses and thought “I’ll never be able to pay all of this” I end up not being able to afford my expenses. Instead I prefer to look at it like this “I will make an extra $500 a fortnight” and then proceed to find ways to make more money.

I have been selling more things which has helped and I have other things which would make us money I have put off doing, but now I am going to do it and be good at it. I can cover all my expenses, even if it doesn’t look like it right now, I will make more money.

What do you do when your expenses outweigh your income?

The power of positive thinking

2012-05-28T09:54:00.001+10:00

Some people say it's wishy washy to think your thoughts have any affect on events. For me, I know when I focus on something, set goals or dream big lots of things change and what I previously thought was impossible becomes possible once I start to believe in it and myself.

Looking back over the time I have been blogging when I started I didn't imagine myself becoming a author, freelance writer, public speaker or having more than 1 blog I made any money from. I was just writing about what I was doing and how it would help people. As I went a long I began to see how my life could change and set goals fo myself.

It wasn't just about goals and big things I wanted to achieve though, it was about smaller things. Even little things like handbags. Just before Mothers Day I realised I needed a new handbag as mine was about to break completely. My wallet also needed replacing.

I found the items I liked and nearly bought them for myself for Mothers Day, but at the last minute changed my mind and decided I would find another way as I was not completely in love with the ones I found anyway.

Fast forward a week and a bit and out of the blue I get offered an absolutely stunning leather wallet and handbag worth over $300! I was going to buy a much cheaper bag and wallet, and now instead I am getting an even better set for free.

I know when I am negative about things, think I can't do it or things will never happen everything seems to overwhelm me and nothings happens.

When I focus on things in a positive light, things I need and want to achieve, I find the motivation and inspiration to take action. Things I need or want have a way of finding me and opportunities I never could have dreamed of appear in front of me.

I truly believe in the power of positive thinking, focusing on your goals and desires BUT I also full believe and know you need to to ACTION. You need to be actively doing something to help yourself achieve those dreams and goals.

Free stuff!

2012-05-18T20:21:00.000+10:00

Today I had the opportunity to have a full body massage. It was for 2 and included discount vouchers for our next visit, tea and went for 1hr and 15 minutes. The whole package was worth $338, but I got it for free!! I love free stuff.

I also recently won a Michelle Bridges Crunch Time thanks to Mini Mumma which I am really looking forward to checking out. So far I am averaging winning a blog giveaway once a month which I am happy with. I only enter a few a week and it doesn't take long.

Also lately I have received some free samples, used free stuff I won as gifts and been able to share stuff with friends and family. I am truly amazed at the amount of free stuff there is available.

I have started a new website to track freebies, samples, competitions and things I find and receive to see just how much free stuff I get in 1 year. It's http://freebieyear.com I am still setting up the Facebook page and things, but there is info on there already if you want to check it out.

Making Money Using Clever Storage - Guest Post

2012-05-17T20:22:00.001+10:00

The following is a guest post from Drew Davies.

We all have a overflowing cupboard or a junk room that we never manage to clear out – in a Big Yellow Self Storage survey, 61% of people questioned admitted to hoarding useless items around the house – but did you know that harnessing the space in your home more effectively could also make you money? Here are three top tips to create space and income.

De-clutter and rent out a room

In the same survey, just under a third (26%) of us have a whole room in our home filled with junk and over a third (41%) would definitely rent out a room to make money to help in these tougher financial times. The first step is to empty the spare room. Re-locate anything you really want to keep (to an attic or self storage unit, for example) and then sell the rest of the items online. Two tips for selling on eBay – invest in good quality photographs, and always calculate accurate postage weight ahead of time to stop any nasty surprises at the Post Office.

Before you start letting out your room, however, you may need to tell your mortgage company and home insurers. Also, make sure your home meets safety regulations – ideally with smoke alarms and a gas safety certificate. Make sure the room you are renting out appeals to the right sort of paying guests. Take good photographs to help with marketing and have a clear idea of whom you want to share with. Always ask for references - and check them. Once you've decided on the tenant, agree on key ground rules from the outset, covering other guests, access to rooms and tidiness. Request half the rent before the tenant arrives so that if things go wrong you have protection, and ask for the remainder on the last day of the rental period.

If you don't like the idea of someone living in your house full time, consider short lets for local events. For example, with the Olympics bringing an influx of visitors to the city this July, many Londoners will make extra money by renting out a spare room over the summer. Have a look at what events in your local area will mean an increase of visitors and you could easily make extra money for a short lease.

Prepare your house for sale

Making your home inviting to a potential buyer can really help the process. When you are giving people the tour of your home, the last thing that you want is to make it look a lot smaller by failing to clear out any extra items.

Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them too. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don’t want buyers scratching their heads and saying, “What is this room used for?”

Create a home office

With overheads a real concern for small businesses, many professionals are relocating to a home office. Turning a spare room into an office space can cut down on travel and rent costs, but a balance needs to be found to make it a productive place to work. Clearing out anything unneeded is a must and finding a secure way to keep files, documents and invoices for tax returns is vital too.

Drew Davies writes for Big Yellow Self Storage in the UK. To find out more storage tips, please visit their website or blog.

How much can change in a week

2012-05-08T12:34:00.000+10:00

2 weeks ago I set some deadlines fo some goals of mine. 1 week ago I got incredibly sick and am still sick now. It has come in waves with some times when I am better (so I was able to attend a baby shower in good spirits), but I am not going so well now.

This experience combined with many other things happening in my personal life has made me reassess what I do, how I live my life and my goals. So much so that I will be pulling back on all of them.

I am barely awake most of the time at the moment. I cannot eat or function properly. My daughter has a learning delay and needs extra care as well. These two problems, among other things means my million dollar challenge and the other mini challenges I have set myself mean nothing to me.

All I care about is my family and my health. I want to help my daughter to overcome her delay. I want to be healthy again and I can be. It will take a while as there are tests to do and if it is what they think there will be surgery, but thankfully recovery should be quick, it is just a matter of how soon I can get in.

As much as I have wanted to move back to Canberra I am kind of glad this is happening here in one way. I prefer the hospital here to the hospital in Canberra. Also my dr, all the tests needed and after care is free here whereas in Canberra I would have to pay.

But on the other hand my family is in Canberra and I would have more help and support.

My life is so all over the place at the moment with so many things happening which is why my challenges, while they will continue in some way (I am not exactly sure how or when at this point), and I will continue to blog intermittently because I love blogging, my passion and drive for much of this has shifted to my family and my health.

I know I will be fine, I am just really sick at the moment and I know my daughter will improve (she has been doing really well already). It is just that in this point in my life they are my priority.

Make Money Every Day

2012-05-03T06:37:00.001+10:00

Other than going to your normal job if you have one, have you ever thought about trying to make money every day? As in doing just one thing every day to make some money?

It might seem an impossible task but since there are so many ways to make money it shouldn't be too hard to do one thing a day to make money.

You might try selling something. Facebook groups are great for selling things instantly. Look for a garage sale group in your area, take photos of things to sell and list them. You could of course also sell things on eBay, etsy (if they are handmade), Gumtree and places like that, but for doing it super fast I found Facebook to be best.

You don't have anything to sell? What about doing mystery shopping or an online survey? They won't make you rich but are a simple way to make some money which can be done from home.

Do some babysitting, either on a regular basis or even just as a one off.

Mow someones lawn, clean their house, do some ironing, mending or other little things that often need doing but people don't have the time or they like to outsource it. Sometimes people want these things done as a once off because they have family coming and they don't have the time. If you let friends and family know you are willing to do things like this on an as needed basis, so there is no pressure to use your services again, you might be surprised how many people have little jobs for you to do.

Have a garage sale. There is a fair amount of preparation involved but on the day you hold the sale you can make a lot.

Send off some jokes, pictures, puzzles or a story to a magazine which pays for them. If yours gets used you will get between $25 and $2,000 usually.

Enter competitions. It is not money you win usually but if you win something you would have bought otherwise it is a saving. Also you can always sell your winnings or use them as gifts.

Pot some plants to sell using cuttings or seeds. Once they are developed you can sell them.

Join a party plan. You do need to book parties to make the money though, so it is a long term thing, not a one day thing.

What could you do today to make some money?

Just go for it

2012-04-25T19:32:00.002+10:00

I made the decision the other day that I should just go for it. Go for what? Moving.

I have talked about it. I do not want to stay where I am and it is just getting worse. I tried to like ti, I made new friends and worked on our house etc but I am still really unhappy here. You should not spend your life living somewhere or doing something that makes you unhappy.

So I decided to start applying for jobs where I want to live. If I get one I am moving. Taking this step and deciding to just go for it has motivated me to finally finish some projects around the home to make it easy to sell.

Deciding to just go for it has given me the motivation to go through the house and get rid of things we do not use and I do not want to move.

I borrowed my parents trailer last week when we went to Canberra so I have about a month to get as much as I possibly can done which I will need the trailer for such as clearing our garden, getting new doors and things like that.

I want this house gone. I want to move. I want to live somewhere I love not somewhere I have to.

Have you ever just jumped right in and decided to change your life?

Completing goals

2012-04-20T05:52:00.000+10:00

I have some goals and I am not completing them. I have so many things on the go that I really need to complete and set deadlines for. I have blogging to be a great way to keep me on track and since these things all relate to my ultimate goal of becoming a millionaire I thought where better to list them then here?

Blog To Book eBook
I have been meaning to complete this eBook since October 2011! I had it almost ready to go and my computer crashed, taking everything with it. I was pretty devastated, then ended up supremely busy with other projects so it got pushed back, and back. No more. I have decided I will be launching this eBook in 2 weeks. I have finally got my butt into gear to finish writing it. It is a complete guide on how to go from blog to book (as this is what I have done and spoken about at a couple of conferences now.)

I need to organize the cover art, get it edited and formatted, work out my marketing plan and set that in motion but I WILL launch it in 2 weeks!

50 + ways to make money from your blog
This is a post that has been at the back of my mind for sometime, then I discussed at the Digital Parents Conference that I was going to post it soon. That was 3 weeks ago. I will be posting by Friday 27^th April 2012 on KylieOfiu.com

Fast Money eBook
This is another eBook I have been meaning to finish. It has been in the works for over a year. How bad is that? I am great at starting things, not so hot at finishing them it seems. I sort of lost my passion for this project for a while. I will be launching this by June 30^th 2012.

Freebie Blog Launch
I have been working on a new blog for just over a month, then was close to launching and managed to kill it. I was aiming to launch it this week, but had to rebuild it this week. This I will have finished and ready to go by May 1^st, 2012.

Ways To Make Money Site
My book 365 Ways To Make Money came from a post I did entitled 1,001 ways to make money. I have actually thought of even more since I wrote that post. I kept meaning to post them on another site or something, but as with so many other things, too many projects sees none of them actually happening. I will have this site done by 31^st July 2012.

It will not really be a blog like my other sites, but more a static site with all the ideas up there, so more like a resource site.

Sell 1,000 Things
This challenge has been going on for way too long. I wanted it finished by now and it is actually starting to bug me. I have sold over 700 items and have a bunch of stuff to sell. I have decided that it will no longer be a focus for me. I feel it is actually holding me back now.

At first it was great as I had so many things to sell, and I do still have plenty to sell. Now I feel the time it takes me to list, sell, post or arrange pick up it is just wasting my time. I would rather spend that time completing my other challenges. I find this difficult to let go. I will sell things at different times when I feel like it, but I am no longer going to pressure myself into completing this challenge within a timeframe.

Other niche sites
There are a few other niche sites I have wanted to set up. I have the domain names it is just a matter of getting it all together. My aim is to have these completed by 30^th September 2012. I think that is realistic given how many projects I need to complete before then.

I am also analysing where I spend my time, where I want to focus my efforts and am changing things I do both in my personal life and with my blogging.

How about you - do you have goals and projects you need to set deadlines for?

Wealth Management

2012-04-16T08:06:00.002+10:00

We all have different ways of managing our wealth. One of the most popular ways I have heard of is something called a ‘money tree’ or the envelope system. This is basically where every pay your money is divided into different envelopes each labeled something such as groceries, petrol, rent etc. and once the money in those envelopes is gone, it is gone and you cannot spend anymore.

These sort of systems are a great tool for wealth management, but there is just one thing I think you could do to improve your wealth management and that is to use accounts instead of envelopes.

Some things are good to get out in cash and if you know you are not great with a card, even a debit card then definitely do things in cash. If you do your groceries weekly, or need to fill up the car weekly or anything else you do weekly then cash is good. For other things such as quarterly or annually bills I think a better move is to either sit it in your redraw facility or offset account if you have a mortgage and if you don’t to open a high interest savings account so you earn interest on the money.

The principle is the same. Every pay put aside the money to cover, say your land rates or electricity bill. Instead of putting it in an envelope you are putting it somewhere it will work better for you and earn (or save) you money instead of doing nothing.

Most banks let you set up an extra account or 5 for no extra charge so you can manage your money better. You can usually name these accounts as well so you could have your every day account, an annual bills account for land rates, insurance and things, then a quarterly account for electricity bills etc. and finally a high interest savings account for your savings.

Of course this is only smart money management if your bank is not going to charge you fees on these accounts, so look into it carefully.

How do you handle your money?

Money Making Challenge

2012-04-16T07:46:00.000+10:00

On my other blog I have started a moneymaking challenge where you start with nothing and eventually have a whole lot more. It might sound silly, but I really think it is doable. You start out by finding money, so looking for it on the street and things for a few weeks to a month, then do what you can to double that money.

I found more than most of my readers, which was not intentional. I started with over $20 and so far have managed to spend $4.95 and turn that into $13, which I am pretty happy with. The aim is to double your money each time. So if you found $1, do something to turn it into $2, then that $2 into $4 and so on.

Obviously the higher you go, the harder it gets, but I do think it is possible and there are lots of opportunities and things out there. You just need to set your mind to it and the opportunities will flow.

I decided for the smaller amounts my best bet is probably buying things to resell so that is what I have been doing. I got a few items of brand name kids clothes from a second hand store, washed them and listed them for sale on Facebook. I love selling on Facebook because it is free and so much quicker than eBay.

I joined a garage sale group on Facebook in my area and it has been fantastic not just for selling but for finding things we have wanted for our home for very cheap.

I think the hardest part about this money making challenge will be not spending the money. So far, most of the money I have made throughout my journey to become a millionaire ended up getting spent last year when we had pretty much no work and high expenses. I am grateful I had that money to fall back on, but it feels like I am starting from scratch in a way, but at the same time it feels like I have just been setting the groundwork for the past 2.5 years and now things will flourish.

On the one hand I may not be that close to my millionaire goal, but I now have more income streams and opportunities, so it has been worth it.

So are you interested in joining in the money making challenge on my other blog?

Risk Free Investing

2012-04-15T07:35:00.000+10:00

The following is a guest post.

Risk-free investing is a bit of a misnomer. Other than government-insured savings accounts, every investment carries some risk. It may not be the level of risk involved with taking out online loans but there is some risk. However, there are several types of investments where the amount of risk is negligible.

Savings Accounts

When it comes to no-risk investing, the gold standard is a savings account. These accounts are offered by banks and credit unions and are insured by the U.S. government up to $250,000 per signature per account. That means that if you and your spouse have a joint account, it's covered up to $500,000.

Savings account interest rates, even those that advertise themselves as "high-interest" accounts, are very low compared to other investments. These days, you might have better luck getting no-interest online loans than finding savings accounts with decent interest rates.

One alternative is a certificate of deposit, or CD, which offers slightly higher interest rates and is also government insured.

The drawback to CDs is that you have to agree to tie up your money for a specific period of time, such as one year. If you withdraw money early, you may have to pay a penalty, which can wipe out any interest you have earned. Generally, the longer term you commit to, the better interest rate you will get. There are CD terms that go as long as five years, which is about as long as you would have to pay back online loans.

Although the U.S. doesn't have an equivalent to the British ISA, where anyone can stash away cash tax-free, you can increase your earnings if your savings account or CD is in an individual retirement account.

Of course, a big drawback of an IRA is that the money must stay there until you are at least 59 years and six months and even then you will still have to pay taxes on the money when you withdraw it.

Bonds

Another very low-risk investment is government bonds. This includes savings bonds, Treasury bills and Treasury notes.

These investments are not government insured, but they are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. That basically means that for you not to get your money, the U.S. government would have to default, which is something that has never happened.

You also can invest in the bonds of other countries, but you need to make sure you are investing in countries with high credit ratings that are unlikely to default. Canada, Australia and several Western European countries are generally considered safe investments.

Municipal and corporate bonds can also be good low-risk investments. Municipal bonds are bonds issued by cities, states and counties for infrastructure projects, such as new jails or schools.

As long as you invest in bonds from municipalities with high credit ratings, these investments are considered to be very low risk. Another advantage of municipal bonds is that some may qualify to be exempt from federal taxes, which increases your earnings.

Corporate bonds are a bit more risky, because unlike municipalities, which can simply raise taxes if needed to pay back bonds, corporations have to rely on their earnings.

That means a recession or cyclical downturn could put the company in a precarious position. The good news is that bondholders are higher in the payback pecking order than shareholders.

Again, you should invest in companies that have high credit ratings, which indicates they are unlikely to default.

Another way to invest in bonds is to do so through a mutual fund. Mutual funds take funds from many investors and pool them together to invest in certain investments or sectors of the economy.

The funds are managed by professionals, which lessens the risk. A further way to lessen the risk is to invest in conservative funds. The more conservative the bond fund, the less likely it is to lose money. Investigate potential funds and also check out their past performance before investing.

Other "safe" investments

Although savings accounts and government bonds are generally considered the safest investments and about the only ones where the risk of losing some of your investment is zero, there are some other investments where you are unlikely to lose any money.

One of these is a money market fund. Money market funds are similar to savings and checking accounts because they are technically securities and your money is not insured by the government.

Money market funds invest in short-term financial instruments, such as commercial paper, which keeps the risk low. The accounts pay you interest and sometimes a dividend.

These accounts attempt to keep their share values at $1, but there is no guarantee and you can lose some or all of your principal, although this is rare.

Another relatively safe investment is an annuity. Annuities are contracts in which you invest your money with an insurance company in return for a steady stream of income.

Most annuities guarantee you a certain rate of return. However, there are several different types of annuities and they can be very complicated, making them harder to understand than online loans.

For example, some annuities may require your money to sit for several years before you have access to it. Your annuity may also make a lot more than your guaranteed rate of return, meaning you miss out on valuable appreciation.

Annuities are generally considered safe investments. Although they are not insured by the government, the only way you would lose any money is if the insurance company that holds your money became insolvent.

As you can see, there are many choices for safe investments that allow you to earn a small return without risking your principal, which won't leave you broke and needing to apply for online loans.

Investing in shares?

2012-04-13T07:33:00.000+10:00

I have been thinking more about shares and investing in things lately. I do not have a lot of free money since my daughter now needs speech therapy which costs almost as much as half my mortgage payment a week, so is a fair chunk of money. But I figure I could start doing some research on companies and things now.

Previously when picking shares I just selected Bluechip shares as they are safe and easy, well relatively safe. I am well aware of the financial situation across the world over the past few years and the drop in value for many etc. This time around I would like to know a little more about companies and things instead of just picking strong companies.

I was shown a site this week, which I really think would help. It is a UK based site so more relevant to my UK readers or those wanting to know about UK companies. It shares all the info on companies house directors with over 20 years of financial history and things too. A site like this I think is very valuable when doing research not just for shares, but for starting a business or comparing things with your competitors. With many businesses aiming to venture overseas sites like this can help you determine how well a company is doing and see if it is worth your while trying to establish your business elsewhere. It can help you see the history of companies to determine if you want to invest in shares (like me) or you can check out the directors to see if they are the sort of people you want in charge of the company you are looking at.

What are your thoughts? Have you ever done much research or used sites like this to know more before investing in shares? Or have you ever considered using a site like them to launch your business overseas?

3 years to go

2012-04-10T17:00:00.002+10:00

Today marks exactly 3 years for me to complete my goal. That's right, I turned 27 today. Looking back over the last 2.5 years part of me feels like I should be much further along, but another part of me knows I have learned so much on this journey and it is not really about becoming a millionaire, but more about being financially free.

I am in a better financial position than I was when I started my goal. My house has increased in value, been renovated slightly, we have the car we always wanted (nothing flashy, just a Camry) and I have developed a few streams of income.

I am now an author, blogger, freelance writer and public speaker. I earn money through all of these plus am finding more opportunities.

I have been a landlord, a single parent, dealt with bad tenants, been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and now just found out my daughter has a disorder surrounding language development delays and will need a lot of treatment to help her catch up to her peers.

I have experienced a lot, learned a lot and am not as far along financially as I would like, but at the same time I feel I am well on my way. I would not be able to be earning money from home like I am had I not set my goal back when I did.

I am happy with how I am doing. I aim to do more and continue to improve. I know the areas I can improve on and will.

3 years is not a lot of time to some, but to others it is plenty of time. I have been laying the ground work for a few projects and I feel like things are starting to come to fruition.

I want to be an example to my daughters that if you set a goal and stick to it anything is possible.

Lack of preparation is costly

2012-04-02T13:14:00.000+10:00

I went to a conference on the weekend. This is the only image of a little suitcase I bought for my carry on luggage. You see our plan was to cram everything into 2 carry on cases and then take the 3rd empty to fil up for on the way back. Problem is we left that carry on at home!

That was not our only stuff up.

It started with the flights. I didn't read them correctly and booked us on cheap flights that were so cheap because they didn't go to the main airport and you had to pay for a shuttle back to Melbourne.

That wasn't too bad as the cost of the shuttle to near our hotel was the same as the cost of the Skybus from Tullamarine airport to near our hotel. Problem is I had already book and paid for Skybus tickets. So we had to pay for transport twice. Luckily Skybus tickets are valid for 3 months and you do not put in a set date so they can be used any time.

If we had done a little more research into the public transport at our location and places to eat I am sure we could have saved a little more there too as we used taxi's a bit and ate whatever, whenever we felt like it.

All up it would probably be $200 or so I could have saved had I been more prepared. But I had a great time, so I don't mind. And the carry on suitcase was on my list of things to buy soon anyway, so not a huge issue.

Have you ever spent more than you planned because you weren't prepared?

Letting go and starting fresh

2012-03-20T20:08:00.000+11:00

I have changed tactics a little recently with my million dollar challenge and my life. I decided to drop some projects I no longer felt motivated or enthusiastic about. I had been holding off letting go of them because of the time, effort and money I had put into them but I felt they had run their course.

So I let them go.

As soon as they were out of my life it was amazing how relieved and refreshed I felt. Even though they were no longer really taking up my time, they were obviously weighing on my mind and with them gone and the decision made to not focus on them anymore I felt so much lighter.

What is even more interesting is that the very next day I received emails for 3 opportunities I had been longing for, but given up on. Now I have 3 new projects that require less effort, are more exciting to me and are not weighing me down. I think long term these projects are much more beneficial.

It is amazing to see how when you let go of something you feel is dragging you down, just how easy it is for better things to come into your life. There is only so much room in your life for things and if it is taken up by negative things, or stuff that doesn't interest you there is not really any room for good stuff to come into your life.

Have you looked at your life lately and thought if there was something that you might need to remove to lighten your load?

Overcoming jealousy

2012-02-27T08:23:00.000+11:00

This weekend I got a serious case of jealousy. I don't normally strongly desire what others have, but there is one particular place where I get jealous and want what they have every time I go there. It is not that I want everything they have. I just want their daughters room for my daughters.

To me it is so pretty and my daughters love it. I know they spent quite a bit on it and it is beautiful. Every time I go there I start thinking about all the stuff I want to buy my daughters for their room and how I would decorate it.

Then I come back down to earth. In reality I don't want to spend that much money. I want to be debt free. I also know they are in a significant amount of debt and often struggle to pay bills. I am not using this as a way to make me feel better about things, but to realise that while things may look great on the surface it is not always so.

This weekend once the green eyed monster reared its ugly head again I had a think about what I could do to pretty up my daughters room to how I want without spending hundreds of dollars. I realised there are many things we have that with a little work would transform their rooms.

Looking at ways I can get what I want or achieve what I want for free or very cheap helps me overcome feelings of jealousy.

A few other things that help me are:
- Reviewing my goals. Will getting what I want in my jealous state help me achieve them or take away from them?
- Make a list. If there is something I want it can go on a list. In a month or 3 if I still want that thing I can look for a way to get it. More than likely I don't want it anymore.
- Experience vs stuff. Ultimately we all have too much stuff. Do I really want more stuff or would I rather have life experiences and teach my kids that we don't need stuff to be happy.
- What sort of example am I setting. When I get jealous I think about the example I am setting my children. How do I want them to grow up and what sort of behaviour do I want them to exhibit?

How do you overcome jealousy?

You don't need a smartphone!

2012-02-18T13:55:00.000+11:00

This is what I keep telling myself. Actually I keep saying "You don't need an iPhone!" I really, really want one and only for one reason - Instagram.

I had a really old iPhone for about a week. It was dying, but I played with it anyway and discovered Instagram. I loved how I could post a pic straight to twitter or Facebook and how easy it was to use. Plus the way I could make my pictures look cool.

I had a HTC Desire HD and did love it for many reasons, but also got a little frustrated with it as the calls kept disconnecting. If it had Instagram I would love it more than an iPhone.

I love smartphones for being able to access the internet easily, for the apps you can have like the Bible (I am Christian and loved being able to read anywhere, anytime). I do miss having a smartphone. But there are many downsides to it.

When I had one I was connected more than I should be. I would check my emails, Facebook and things constantly and I really didn't need to. I would play around with apps and when I was bored I would pull my phone out.

Currently I have a little old Nokia which barely gets Facebook or twitter and I cannot check my email or anything else on it. It is a sturdy little thing and works for what I need - to make calls and send messages. But it is not fancy and I do find myself missing a smartphone every now and then.

It doesn't help that 2 of my sisters just got the latest iPhone. Yes, I am jealous a little. I can admit it. Not insanely jealous, but I would like one too.

So much so that I jumped on and started looking at plans. I have a prepaid phone and never wanted to be on a plan again, but I really wanted an iPhone.

Then I snapped out of it. I do not need one. I do not want to spend way more on a plan than I currently spend a month prepaid and I do not want to shell out a few hundred for a new iPhone. I am getting another HTC Desire from my sister soon and while it doesn't have instagram, I don't need it.

Or do I?

Guest Post - 5 Creative Ways to Fund Your New Small Business

2012-02-16T10:28:00.003+11:00

It takes a lot of guts to run a small business these days. You need to be your own boss, your own IT team, your own cleaning crew and, most importantly, your own accountant. Typically, money is always tight in the first year (or few years for some), and things will only get tougher if you can’t find sources of financing to support your early growth track. The problem is that ever since the economic implosion that started back in 2008, the banks have severely tightened their lending criteria. So, what does a small business owner have to do to find funding for his or her business? Get creative.

To successfully fund your new business these days, you'll have to think outside the box, over the box and sometimes even on top of the box. We’re talking Zappa-style unorthodox here. If you’re not exactly the creative type though, it might be difficult to conjure up creative financing ideas. In order to help you kick-start the thought process, we’ve come up with a list of 5 creative ways to fund your small business.

11) Pitch your business to a local university. Institutions of higher learning just love seeing small businesses succeed. Universities worldwide donate millions of dollars in grants to promising start-ups every year. If you think your company brings something new to the marketplace, why not compete for funding from your alma mater? While you might have to take on a few interns if you win, funding from local universities is a legitimate option to consider.

22) Try ‘crowd funding’. In years past, crowd funding was simply a euphemism for begging. But in 2012, asking strangers for a little bit of money has become all the rage in the start-up community. What makes crowd funding different than investing is that donors don’t expect to receive a stake in the business when they hand you $100. Instead, they typically ask for some sort of recognition or reward. For instance, if you’re opening a bakery, you might give a few charitable individuals a plaque on the wall and free cupcakes for life. On balance, it’s another legitimate source of financing that new small business owners should strongly consider.

33) Sign up for a small business credit card. Small business credit cards have gotten a bum rap recently, but the truth is that these cards can actually be incredibly useful tools for launching and managing the financial aspects of any small business. They provide great options for tracking expenses, managing your cash flow and also provide a great backstop in financial emergencies.

44) Make a deal with the angels. If your business has serious growth potential, an angel investor might be a source of financing to investigate. Angel investors are wealthy businesspeople that are willing to provide capital for promising start-ups. The only catch is that angel investors will require an equity stake in the business, which might require a cut of your profits in the short run, an equity position and a voice in management and strategic direction on a long term basis.

55) Get a microloan. The SBA maintains a microloan program that provides small short terms loans to small businesses. Maximum loan amounts are capped at $50,000 but have an average microloan amount of roughly $13,000. These SBA loans are a great way to fund working capital needs or to purchase inventory, supplies, machinery or equipment. While you won't be able to buy a new lot for that new retro diner you just opened, an SBA microloan might be enough to provide that new grill you’ve had your eye on.

Sources of financing for small business have multiplied in recent years, but you still need a very compelling business model to convince investors that you’re worth their time. The reality is that securing an angel investment or venture capital funding is highly unlikely for the vast majority of new businesses. Guy Kawasaki said, “[The] probability of an entrepreneur getting venture capital is the same as getting struck by lightning while standing at the bottom of a swimming pool on a sunny day. This may be too optimistic.” The good news is that most small businesses don’t really need that type of funding.

In the end, the most credible sources of financing for the vast majority of small businesses will still be a micro loan, crowd funding or a small business credit card, which are all viable financing options. All in all, those options aren’t half bad.

This is a guest contribution from Bill Hazelton, CEO and Founder of Credit Card Assist, a leading pro-consumer, credit card information resource.

Money Make Over

2012-02-09T15:39:00.000+11:00

I have started a money make over month on my other blog and I have been loving it. I decided to look at every aspect of my/our budget and what we could do to either make or save money in each area. Every day I am sharing something different form things like setting a budget right through to making and saving money on entertainment, clothing, bills and more.

Click here to check it out.

On top of sharing my ideas my husband and I have really been cracking down on our finances and what we do. There are so many ways I think we could be doing better, but my main thought it I would like to increase my streams of income more.

I have so many ideas, but I seem to get too caught up in wanting to do them all that none of them happen properly. As such I have written down everything it is that I want to do and will only work on one project at a time to ensure I actually complete each project.

Doing it this way will help me prioritise what projects I really view as worth my time, what I am truly passionate about and hopefully demonstrate which projects are most profitable.

How to cope with increased petrol costs

2012-02-01T17:49:00.001+11:00

This week marked the start of a big increase in petrol costs for us. Our bill will double from now for the next 3 months, or so I thought. I need to drive my husband to and from work now, which is not a short trip.

It is a 30 - 45 minute drive to my husbands work, factor in waiting for him to finish when I pick him up and it is about 3 hours each day he is working I am spending driving him to and from work. Unfortunately public transport is not an option for between our place and his work. And since last year we spend much of the year without full time work, we are not willing to give up his job.

I thought I would see quite an increase in our petrol consumption, but I forgot to factor in a few things.
1.) I drive differently. I don't speed like my husband does, I don't drive aggressively so there are no sudden stops and fast take offs. I am conscious of how I am driving and trying to reduce my petrol consumption as well as drive safely.
2.) No more speeding tickets
3.) I am more aware of how much petrol is in the car and can look out for prices on petrol between a variety of suburbs and fill up accordingly.

I no longer thing our petrol will double. I expect to see it increase but not by as much as originally thought. I was also looking at what is available along the route we drive. Since we don't take the toll roads ($7 each way and it would only save 12 minutes!) we go through some hobby farm areas. Many of these farms have signs out the front selling farm fresh produce at much cheaper prices than the shops in our local area. It is all seasonal and looks to be quite good. There is everything from eggs and honey to potatoes, strawberries even meat.

Another thing I noticed was various plants for sale much cheaper than nurseries. We plan on doing our garden and this will be a way for us to keep costs down.

I am hoping that the savings on groceries and plants will help subsidise the increase in petrol. There are a few other things I am looking into to help take advantage of our current situation. I am trying to make the best of it, despite the fact I do not like all the driving I now have to do.

(Just as a side note, car pooling is not an option, public transport is not an option, a taxi fare would be $100 so not worth it and my husband does varying shifts of 12hours in length, so this is not something I have to do 5 days a week, more like 3 days most weeks.)

Power of positive thinking

2012-01-28T12:21:00.000+11:00

The past few weeks have been a little hard with many things happening that threw me into a bit of a sad state. I was unmotivated, looking at everything negatively and getting quite depressed. I felt like the situation we were in was quite hopeless and why should I bother with things.

The other night I realised I needed to snap out of it. I knew my wallowing and self pity were not productive and would not help our situation. The only way to improve things is to change your mindset and then actively go out and do things to change your situation.

I know not everyone is religious, but I am. I said a prayer and asked for help to be motivated in the morning to reach a couple of my goals and for our financial situation to turn around. A bit of a greedy prayer, but I did express my gratitude for other things and it was a sincere, heartfelt prayer.

I fell asleep feeling much better about things.

When I woke in the morning I finally had my bloggy mojo back and the ideas were flowing. Not just for my blog but other aspects of my life. We got a letter about my husbands work and everything is good on that front now (he was off work for a couple of weeks) and I achieved a couple of my goals. A few other things happened to make our financial situation a little better.

Since then things are definitely looking up and I feel much more motivated and positive. I doubt very much that if I had continued with my negative line of thinking that things would be going so well. (My husband would still be back at work, but everything else would be as before I think.)

Positive thinking changes your life.

Review my million dollar plan

2012-01-26T13:19:00.000+11:00

Last night I came across the plan I wrote for how I was going to become a millionaire. It was not my original plan as I lost that when my first computer died, but it was interesting to review how I intended to achieve my goal.

Reading over it my thoughts have not changed much. I still want to do everything I wrote down, the only difference is the types of opportunities that have come to enable me to make income to then invest how I would like.

Have you reviewed your financial plan lately? Do you have one?

A financial plan is pretty crucial if you want to achieve financial freedom. Without one you have no real direction and it is easy to get swayed, not invest properly or put your money towards real financial goals. It is easy to waste what you are earning, not save as much as you should and finish up with much less than you would have if you had a plan.

Having a budget is your first step, but have you thought about retirement, where you want to invest later, how you will pay off debts and things like that?

These are all important things to think about. If you don't have a financial plan, now is a good time to look into it.

Tips On Comparing Credit Cards

2012-01-19T10:37:00.001+11:00

If you are looking at credit cards, how do you know which one is the best for you? There are so many deals out there and so many different types of cards out there, so how do you go about comparing them to see what the best deal is? Here are some tips and ideas for comparing credit cards.

What Do You Want Out Of A Card

The first question you need to ask yourself is what do you want out of your card. Do you want a card that has a lot of perks, a card that has a low APR or something that can help you repair your credit? Answering this question will start to guide you toward cards that meet your criteria.

Fees And Interest Rates Associated With The Card

When looking for a card, you should be on the lookout for cards that have the lowest APR and the fewest fees. If a card has an annual fee associated with it, it might be better to look in another direction. While more cards have annual fees these days, do you really want to pay just for the right to hold a card? Remember that your annual fee and other interest considerations will depend largely on your credit score.

Secured Vs Unsecured

If you have poor credit, you might want to look at secured credit cards as a way or re-establishing your credit score. These cards rely on a security deposit to establish your balance and you have fewer and fewer restrictions as you pay the balance on time. An unsecured card relies on your credit score to get you that loan, but if you have poor credit, you could pay up to 20-30 per cent interest.

When looking for a credit card, you should be aware of what your needs and wants are before shopping. This will help you narrow down the cards that you are looking for and steer you in the right direction. Remember that the best card is the one with the fewest fees and the lowest interest rate. The less you have to pay for the right to have the card, the better off you will be in the long run.

*This is a sponsored post

Free and cheap stuff!

2012-01-18T10:40:00.000+11:00

We have scored quite a few bargains in our house lately. We have been doing a no spend challenge this month, so maybe we have been more away of our surroundings and the opportunities out there.

I have desperately wanted a new desk for my room. It didn't need to be brand new, just new to me. I know what I want but also know as long as we have debt I do not want to spend money unnecessarily. At the end of last week I noticed the preschool up the road was getting rid of their office chairs and desks. They were not exactly what I wanted, but they were out for anyone to take for free.

I had no idea how to get one home as it would not fit in my car. The next night there was one desk left as I drove past. I told my husband about it and on the way back from where we were going he told me to pull over so he could look at it. He pulled out all the drawers and put them in the book. Then he said he would carry the desk home for me! How sweet is that!

He is really strong and it was only down the road, so it is not like he carried it for kilometres. I am not saying it would have been easy, it was probably about 700m. We are so happy with our free desk. He still wants to get me the desk I really want, but I am happy with this one for now.

On top of that the other week we scored some fresh produce from a friends garden. Gotta love free, homegrown food.

When I did our groceries some of the items we like were reduced from $2 to 19cents, so big savings there.

Then yesterday we had to duck down to Canberra for my husbands work. It was perfect timing as we were almost out of meat and we get it for extremely cheap from my brothers work GarranTeed Meats in Garran, Canberra since he works there. It is excellent quality. So we were able to stock up again until next time we go to Canberra. We'll be getting some of the organic berries and free range eggs they sell next time too, they look fantastic!

Then finally my parents had some goodies left over from Christmas such as a giant box of chocolates, a big bottle of pretzels, some long life ice-creams and an unopened ham, so we got to take all that home too.

I cannot believe how fortunate we have been.

What sort of bargains have you scored lately?