$300 in 30 Days

One blogger meets the challenge

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:12:00 +0000

Amazing! There is a blog post over on The Keyword Academy - "Make Money Online with HubPages Experiment Complete" - that gives a recap of his goal to make 100 hubs in 30 days. He was able to create 40 hubs in the first week, so that gave him a great start, and by the end of the 30 day experiment, his total revenue in AdSense was $475.26! That doesn't even include anything he may have made with Amazon or eBay, if he had included any of those modules on his hubs.

One of his secrets he says was to write long articles - 1,000 words or more - and then to find unique keywords. Of course, everyone always talks about the importance of the all magical keywords, but I guess it does pay off if you are able to write about things that people are searching for!

My goal isn't quite as ambitious - 75 total hubs in 30 days, which will require me to write 25 new hubs. So far I was able to add a new hub on How to Blog using Microsoft Word 2007. I have a list of ideas for future hubs - it's just a matter of making time to write!

Hubpages - 30 in 30

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:58:00 +0000

So a few people are trying a new challenge - 30 hubs in 30 days over at Hubpages. Check it out!

I have just under 50 Hubs to my name, but a few of them are in need of some work! My personal goal is to get up to 75 quality hubs in the next 30 days or so.

What the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights Means for You

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:18:00 +0000

This Friday, President Obama is expected to sign the ‘Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights’ into law. The House of Representatives passed their version of the bill on April 30th by a 361-64 margin. In similar overwhelming fashion, the Senate passed their version of the bill in a 90-5 route.

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Debt Tsunami: The Ultimate Method For Paying Off Debt

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:16:00 +0000

A detailed explanation of a debt reduction method nicknamed the Debt Tsunami. Examines the weaknesses of other debt reduction models and how to overcome them. Provides step-by-step instructions to creating your own Debt Tsunami!

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noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:08:00 +0000

Frugal Blogroll
**join here**

Don't do this!

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:52:00 +0000

From Digg: $62,000 to download a movie? That's what happened to a caller named Alberto, who told his data roaming tale of woe on the air to HLN "money expert" Clark Howard on CNN. Alberto made the grave mistake of downloading Wall-E...

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Personal Finance Tips : Financial Management Goals

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:26:00 +0000

Personal Money Management – 10 Wealth-Building tips

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:22:00 +0000

From Digg: Money may or may not buy you happiness, but managing your personal finance is a vital part of your long-term goals...

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Seven Steps of Managing Money

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:22:00 +0000

From Digg: We think the things that are hard are easy. Meanwhile, we think the things that are easy are hard. Half the battle in fixing our personal finances, then is understanding this human contradiction- and finding ways around it. Once you do that, managing personal finances can be simple, if you let it be. And isn’t that the point of it all: to simplify

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Under 35? Hurray for the meltdown!

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:55:00 +0000

If you're a young adult, the economic clouds have silver linings: You've got time to recover from the market's losses, and you can snag a great deal on your first house.

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Top 10 Reasons to Start a Business in a Recession

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:54:00 +0000

More publicity. Less competition. Talent waiting to be scooped up. Here's why starting in a recessed economy may give your business a better shot. Do you have one good reason to start your business right now? How about 10?

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I Read. Do you?

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:50:00 +0000

Tomorrow (March 2) is Read Across America Day, and I think that is one of the reasons that I have been selling more of my "I Read. Do you?" t-shirts on Cafepress. I had made a few designs about a year ago, and it's kind of fun to still be getting emails telling me I have made a sale. It's not a ton of money, but it is something, and does count towards my goal of $300 in 30 days.

Grocery Savings with Coupons

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:23:00 +0000

So, it's been a few months since I posted about my use of coupons at the grocery store. I am a huge fan of coupons! I am a subscriber to the Sunday edition of the LA Times at a discount rate, since Sunday is the day the coupons are included. Each week I save the ads, clip out my coupons, and store them in envelopes based on where I plan to use them and what they are for. I basically shop at two places - Target and Ralphs, but sometimes there is a trip to Vons or Wal-Mart. I think I have a pretty good idea of which place gives me a better deal on certain items - it would be easier if our Target was a SuperTarget and had a full grocery store, but those don't exist in all areas of California, so I have to split my shopping.

Today I went to Ralphs, and if I hadn't been a Rewards member or used coupons, my total would have been $72.59. After my savings, I paid $35.27 - a savings of over 50%! And combined with a few things I have at home, I figure I can last for a week or so with what I bought.

I know some people out there are able to say "I spent $20 a week on food", but I think I've made significant progress over what I used to spend. I used to think that $60-70 a week was good, and that was when I was eating out more and the $60 didn't cover all of my meals. Now I am down to $40 or so and covering just about every meal. It's exciting!

If you want to subscribe to a newspaper, click here. The Sunday editions are usually the best, but other days may include coupons as well.

HubMob

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 07:53:00 +0000

I've mentioned the site HubPages before, and how occasionally there are different contests and incentives going on to help inspire new Hubs. One that I found recently is called HubMobs. Each week they select a new topic and then make a Request where you can answer with your hub or hubs on the topic. One user creates a list of all of the hubs (this week it is St. Patrick's Day HubMob - Better Than Green Beer!) and it goes from there.

My contribution this week is The 2009 St. Patrick's Day Parade in NYC. Check it out!

How to Save $419.50 in Less Than One Hour

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:41:00 +0000

Great tips on how to find places to save money in your budget.

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9 Ways to Save Money While Staying Fit

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:38:00 +0000

Two of the most popular New Year’s resolutions are to get in shape and save money. It’s unfortunate, then, that these two goals often seem to contradict each other. After all, it costs money to join a gym, to eat healthy, and to buy fitness gear. These nine easy ways to get started without breaking your budget.<

Tax season!

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:33:00 +0000

It's that time of year again! For those of you who like to get your taxes done early, this is a great time to get going! You have until April 15th, but why wait?

And for those of us in California, it's best to get them filed before February 1st to avoid refund delays! The state is out of money, so any refunds after the 1st may be delayed.

"Nickel and Dimed"

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:34:00 +0000

I had some free time at work today and read a book that I had been meaning to read for some time now, but probably wouldn't have remembered I wanted to read it if I hadn't seen it on the shelf in our mini-library. It's called Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in Americaby Barbara Ehrenreich, and it tells her story of an attempt to get by on a low-wage job and find a place to live in a new town. She moves to three different locations as part of her "undercover" journalistic study, and in each place she learns lessons and sees the realities faced by people who do not choose to live a low-income lifestyle, but nonetheless find ways to survive.

The book got me thinking of my own situation in work and that I should probably be looking at ways to make a higher wage, but the idea also hit me tonight as I was typing this that if I had time to read the book while at work, my job probably isn't all that bad!

Let the new year begin!

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01:00 +0000

It's 2009! And it's going to be a great year!

This is the year that I accomplish my goal of $300 in 30 days. This is the year that I finish the year closer to being out of debt than I began it. This is the year that I take charge of my personal finances and apply the lessons I have learned. This is the year!

As I have been thinking about ways to approach the new year, I am somewhat torn between two approaches. This afternoon I have been sorting through all of that stuff that you pile away and plan on sorting through someday, and separated out all of my bank, credit card, and other financial statements. The plan was to organize everything and figure out what exactly happened in 2008 and then come up with a plan of attack for 2009. But as I was in the kitchen preparing my mac & cheese dinner (I've learned to budget, but haven't quite hit the healthy part yet!), it hit me that maybe I should just throw all of it away and start fresh. Start from today. That doesn't mean that I don't have to face my debt and my past mistakes, but I don't need to dwell on them and categorize them to death - just recognize them, establish exactly where I am at today as I start the new year, and move forward.

Kiplinger: The Six Best Budgeting Sites

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:37:00 +0000

With the slow economy and fast-approaching holidays, keeping track of your money can be like a stomach-churning roller-coaster ride.

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SingleGuyMoney Savings Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:35:00 +0000

A new challenge to put money away in a savings account, and then being able to use that money to give yourself a "loan" when needed.

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Circuit City #3157 - Black Friday Door Open

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:13:00 +0000

Good times on Black Friday!

Squidoo

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:57:00 +0000

I have updated a few of my lenses at Squidoo recently:

My Favorite Christmas Movies
The Amazon Kindle e-book Reader
NBA Teams (This is still a work-in-progress!)

Piracy In Somalia - FAQ

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:55:00 +0000

This link will take you to a site that has tons of info on the Somali Pirates. I think the pirate stories in recent days are fascinating!

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Somali Pirates are a Result of Highly Organized Business

noreply@blogger.com (lifeincali) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:50:00 +0000

Somali piracy has become a major news item, and most are blaming Somalia’s chronic anarchy. In truth, the pirates have become a highly organized business that originates in the stable civic society of Puntland in the north, not the chaos of the warring south.

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