In case you didn’t know, I moved from Michigan to Calgary  just over a week ago with my husband and we’ll be here for 7ish months for a temporary assignment for his job. I didn’t bother applying to practice as a dietitian in Canada because it can take up to 3 months to review my . . . → Read More: From Salary to Minimum Wage]]>

In case you didn’t know, I moved from Michigan to Calgary  just over a week ago with my husband and we’ll be here for 7ish months for a temporary assignment for his job. I didn’t bother applying to practice as a dietitian in Canada because it can take up to 3 months to review my transcripts before I’d even be allowed to take the Canadian board exam. I only have 7 months total and no one wants to hire a dietitian for 4 months. I started applying to a million positions about a week before we got here and even landed an interview as an employee wellness coordinator for a huge energy company downtown. I got to share about the worksite wellness initiative I developed at my last job and it seemed like I hit it off with the interviewers besides the HUGE part about me only being here for 7 months. No call back. Back to applications.

My church back home is considering buying space downtown and opening a coffee shop that would give proceeds to an organization we would ‘adopt.’ I decided to apply to Starbucks because 1. They had an opening at a store just a 10 minute walk away and 2. It would be sweet to learn how to make all the snazzy drinks so I could volunteer at the shop my home church starts up. I got an offer on the spot and am now officially a full time barista at Starbucks. I’ll admit one of my first thoughts was “I’m going from a salaried, bachelor degree-required job to a minimum wage job serving coffee.” Dietitians really don’t make that much to begin with, but that thought didn’t stick around long because I have a more positive approach to this circumstance.

Derek shared a TED talk last month about inspiring action and creating wealth. I finally got around to watching it and was intrigued. Between this talk and a sermon I heard at a great church in Calgary, it helped me to see the bigger picture of the “WHY” that will affect these next 7 months will look like. As a follower of Jesus I am considered his ambassador, representing Jesus to others on his behalf. While I can’t do this perfectly because I’m not Jesus, by God’s grace I get to be a light on a hill to a big city that is like many others- chasing after money, beauty, and status. If you watch the TED talk, my “WHY” is much greater than “Because I want to make money.”  I won’t get rich off of a minimum wage job, but I do get a free pound of coffee every week. I’ll at least be rich in coffee.

Since the purpose of my job won’t be to make the big bucks, it will be spent building relationships. I was told that there are a lot of regulars who frequent Starbucks. They’re the folks with big bucks. Everyone wears a really fancy suit here. I even saw a slogan in front of a popular store in the mall “Can I really get a nice suit for under $1,000?” Over time these regulars will pick up that I’m from Michigan, that I’m a dietitian, that I have a blog,  and that I love Jesus. It’s not like I will preface every “What can I get for you?” with “Did you know I’m a Christian?” or “Just a heads up- I’m a dietitian, so don’t disappoint me with your order.” Through building relationships I might draw a crowd to my blog which will help more people learn how to eat healthy with real food. Through building relationships I might have an impact on people’s lives. Sounds like a great 7 months to me.

What is your “why” for why you do what you do?

Is money tight? Do you ever wish that you could earn some more money from home? As I’m getting older, I have more and more friends that are starting a family. They would absolutely love for their wives to stay home with their children, but in order to make ends meet, many of those new . . . → Read More: 10 Ways to Earn More Money From Home]]>

Is money tight? Do you ever wish that you could earn some more money from home? As I’m getting older, I have more and more friends that are starting a family. They would absolutely love for their wives to stay home with their children, but in order to make ends meet, many of those new moms need to drop the kids off at their parents house and go out to work a few times a week. Wouldn’t it be great if those new moms didn’t have to leave the house? Wouldn’t it just be a dream to make the same amount of money or more from home? Let’s explore some of these options!

1) Sell Your Jewelry – Do you currently make jewelry that people are constantly asking for? Why not start charging for your gift? If it costs $5 to make, charge $15 or $20 to your end customer. If you have enough demand, you could easily earn a grand each month!

2) The Art of Sewing – Fewer and fewer people know how to sew these days. If you have the ability to create clothing or fix rips and tares, I bet you’re in more demand than you think. Put your name out there and see what happens. After all, what’s there to lose?

3) Make Blankets – Depending on the style, blankets can be fairly simple to make. But, everyone needs blankets right? So, just make a few and try to make some sales. If your customers are satisfied, make some more. Who knows, if could turn into a consistent money maker!

4) Build Cabinets/Refinish Furniture – If you have the talent of building, perhaps you could make some cabinets and post them for sale. Or, if you have the ability to refinish old furniture, you could find some incredibly cheap pieces, update their look and sell it for a hefty profit.

5) Graphic Design – Do you have a talent in graphic design? Can you alter photos, create logos, or design T-shirts? Your skills could very well be in demand.

6) Write Articles or an eBook – Has anyone ever complimented you on your ability to write? I currently employ staff writers because I have taken note of their ability on their own sites. If you have a passion for a particular topic and if you have writing skills, contact one of the websites you enjoy to see if they’re hiring. If they are, you could start earning between $15 and $40 per article. If you are even more ambitious, I would encourage you to write an eBook. It costs nothing to write it and who knows? Maybe it will be a huge success!

7) Design Websites – If you have designed websites in the past, I would suggest that start charging for your skills. Get together a few of your references and put your skill on the market. Heck, I could even use a graphic designer pretty soon!

8 ) Start Your Own Blog – I obviously like this option since it is how I made my extra money from home, but it is definitely not easy and it’s not for everyone! But, if you have a passion for a particular topic and there is a market for future advertisements, get started today! You could be earning hundreds of dollars each month after only a few months of effort. And after that, the sky’s the limit.

9) Daycare – If you want to stay at home with your kids, why not offer to watch your friends’ kids as well. Sure, you won’t be able to give 100% of your attention to your children, but at least you don’t have to send them off to someone else for hours at a time. Plus, this way you can earn a few bucks.

10) Start an Online Store – For this option, the key is to think of an item that costs a couple hundred bucks and is fairly small (since you’ll be keeping inventory at your house most likely). If you can think of something that would be good to sell, start a website for $40 and post your items. It might even allow you to earn more than you previously thought!

Are you interested in earning more money from home? How do you plan to do it?

As much as I don’t want to admit it, today is my birthday! On May 19, 1985, I came into this world as a chubby 8lb 14oz kid. Twenty-eight years later, I look back on my life and realize that I’ve already achieved a lot. Of course, it hasn’t gone exactly as planned, but I’ve . . . → Read More: May Goals Update and Weekly Round-Up]]>

As much as I don’t want to admit it, today is my birthday! On May 19, 1985, I came into this world as a chubby 8lb 14oz kid. Twenty-eight years later, I look back on my life and realize that I’ve already achieved a lot. Of course, it hasn’t gone exactly as planned, but I’ve been learning from my mistakes and happy with my successes. There aren’t too many 28 year olds out there that have already had three promotions in their career at a very successful company, not to mention ownership of my own internet company, a seat on the Executive Board of a local non-profit, and on a path to receive my MBA by April, 2014. I’m thankful for all my blessings thus far, but hope to have many more worthwhile experiences in the future.

Ok Ok, that’s enough about me. I’m just trying to make myself feel a little better about my aging, and apparently I thought you should come along for the ride. Let’s talk about this website and the progress I’m making this month!

May Goals

Once again, this week has been busy. I’m doing my best just to keep up with my article writing, which typically captures an hour or two of my evenings every day. I think I’m going to have to up my price from $10 to $15 or $20 to slow things down a little. Either that, or I might take on some staff writing jobs that pay a little more and are consistent. Either way, things have been a little hectic so I’m not expecting to knock these goals out of the park, but let’s check the progress none-the-less.

1) Bring My Alexa Rank Down to 85,000 – Well I’m not quite sure how I did it, but my Alexa Rank is currently at 84,966! I did it! Now the trick will be to keep it there and decrease it even further next month. Stay tuned for that saga.

** I really would like to get my Alexa Rank below 70k (ultimately)! If you’d like to help me achieve this, please download the Alexa Toolbar! Not only will your visits then count toward my rank, you’ll also be able to see the rank of every site you visit! **

2) Create a Member’s Only Portion of my Site – Time keeps on tickin’, tickin’ tickin’….into the future….. If you don’t know that song, I’m sorry. If you do….still sorry . But seriously, the time just keeps slipping away on this one. I have made absolutely no progress on this over the past week. This upcoming week will be different though, I can feel it. Be ready to read an amazing report next week.

3) Continue to Write Every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – Had a close call on this one last week actually, but I still got that Sunday post up. Today has been a little better, and Monday, Wednesday, Friday are typically a piece of cake. As I’ve said before, I love writing for all you readers.

Weekly Round-Up

Once again, here are some of the best financial articles from last week! Enjoy!

The Truly Best Jobs in the World @ Financial Samurai

Why I Shut Down My Profitable Online Business @ DebtRoundup

Signs You Are Carrying Too Much Debt @ Beating Broke

Teaching Kids About Money @ See Debt Run

How to be Clever With Credit Cards @ Finance Inspired

Why Budgeting Will Change Your Life @ Wise Dollar

How to Create an Asymmetric Investment @ One Smart Dollar

My Weekend With Warren Buffett Part 2 @ 1500 Days to Freedom

You’re Credit Cards are Paid Off, Now How Do You Stay Out of Debt @ Eyes on the Dollar

How to Become a Minimum Wage Millionaire @ Krant Cents

A Momentary Lapse in Discipline Almost Ruined My Dream @ Luke_1428

Having a High Income Doesn’t Make You Rich @ Johnny Moneyseed

What You Might Want to Know as You Improve Your Credit Score @ Modest Money

Are You Curious About Money or Just a Money Voyeur @ American Debt Project

How Investors Lose Out to Emotion @ All Things Finance

Credit Score Statistics @ Money Counselor

Recently, a very dear friend began to confide in me about her financial situation. Over the course of the past few months, I had begun piecing together that things weren’t going so well for her, but I had no idea just how bad it was until she slowly started to talk about the numbers. Before . . . → Read More: Advice for My Friend, The Financial Disaster]]>

Recently, a very dear friend began to confide in me about her financial situation. Over the course of the past few months, I had begun piecing together that things weren’t going so well for her, but I had no idea just how bad it was until she slowly started to talk about the numbers. Before I continue, I must say that I’m in no way passing an ounce of judgement on my friend–especially because I’ve been in financial dire straits in the past and I know how hard it can be to make ends meet when there’s much of nothing coming in.

Sharing is Caring

I share a bit of her story and what we’ve discussed because I’m genuinely interested in hearing your advice for her–and I know firsthand that reading about someone whose financial situation is different than yours is a fantastic way to entice you to look over your own budget, spending, and saving habits. I also have to admit that I’ve wanted to write about this on my own blog, but I haven’t had the heart to lest she finds the post and clams up now that we’re making some serious progress in helping her through this latest chapter of hardship.

This story is being shared in the spirit of helping; not embarrassing, judging, or shaming.

Head in the Sand, Credit Card in Hand

One of the biggest issues my friend is struggling with is her inability to manage her spending. A while back, she lost her full-time job for a variety of reasons. In the months that followed, she continued to spend as she had while still working–pricey dinners out, new clothes when she wanted them, expensive hair cuts and colors, etc.

I could see that she was clearly depressed and in denial about her situation, but I didn’t have the heart to say anything because I didn’t want to alienate her. Instead, I pushed frugal ideas such as cooking at home (I bought the groceries and wine and had her come over) and exercising as a way to socialize. This worked well, except for the times we weren’t together (which is every day of the week minus one!).

I’m not sure reality hit her for months until one day when she found herself unable to make the minimum payment on her credit card (and with zero dollars to give her roommate for her share of the month’s utilities).

Borrowing…from Friends

It was on this evening that she decided to fill me in on the details of her struggles…and the picture she painted was far from pretty. But what struck me the most was that she was sharing because she wanted me to give her money. And she had already collected money from a few of our other friends. While I wanted desperately to help her, I have a strict ‘no money to friends’ policy–I won’t lend a dime because I don’t want the friendship to be marred in money issues (and I won’t give unless it’s to charity because I’ve seen in the past how it becomes a crutch).

However, what I will do is offer food, shelter, transportation; even the clothes off my back if the situation warrants it.

A Cold Dose of Reality

Explaining this to her was not easy, especially while we had discussed how well my new freelancing efforts were going the night before. However, it seemed to be exactly what both of us needed–a wake up call for her that she needed to get a handle on her situation and a way for me to help her without enabling any negative behaviors. Moving on from that night, we’ve since discussed a new budget for her (she set it up the following evening after we talked) and I shared some of the things I did to pull myself out of my own financial abyss years ago.

While I know her future is bright, there are a ton of difficult steps in front of her. I’m here with her every step of the way, and I’d love to hear what advice you have for her so please leave a comment about your tips/ideas for getting out of debt, reducing spending, managing a budget….all of the above!

This post was written by Jen, a staff writer from The Happy Homeowner

I absolutely love the Big Apple, but let’s face it: New York doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being a frugal city. Is it possible to take a budget-friendly New York City vacation? Are the words “NYC” and “cheap” even compatible? I’m going out on a limb to say — yes, you can. Here are . . . → Read More: How to Take a Budget-Friendly (Cheap!) Vacation to New York]]>

I absolutely love the Big Apple, but let’s face it: New York doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being a frugal city. Is it possible to take a budget-friendly New York City vacation? Are the words “NYC” and “cheap” even compatible? I’m going out on a limb to say — yes, you can. Here are 8 tips that can help you visit New York without breaking the bank.

1. Check out free landmarks. New York City is full of history and landmarks, many of which are free or very low budget. If you want to make your dollar stretch during your trip and have a blast at the same time, take advantage of places like Central Park and the World Trade Center memorial area. You can also ride the Staten Island Ferry for a couple of bucks (take the commuter ferry, not the tourist one).

2. Walk on the historic Brooklyn Bridge. This is an awesome way to spend an afternoon: it’s free, it’s great exercise, and it gives you a great view of the Manhattan skyline.

3. Take a tour. One of the most amazing libraries in the entire country is New York’s Public Library. The building is constructed of breathtaking marble and is a feast for the eyes. The library also holds fascinating exhibits for the whole family to enjoy and offers extensive tours describing its history. Another must see tour is of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, tours take you through the gold vault and trading desk. If it sounds like something you might want to do be sure and book a reservation in advance otherwise you won’t be able to get in.

4. Go thrift store shopping. Because New York has an incredibly diverse population you can score some fantastic clothing at a bargain price, and have a fun time doing it. The New York atmosphere will make your thrift store shopping experience truly unique.

5. Save money on food. This may sound impossible in city like New York, but locals will tell you some of the best food in the city is cheapest! There are tons of amazing pizza parlors that offer massive slices for a budget friendly price. Don’t think just because you are in New York you have to spend a fortune on five star restaurants. Instead, eat where the local students and starving artists do.

6. Look for reasonable lodging. Once again, there are quite a few places in New York that offer excellent service and quality for a low price. Check out reviews of the bed and breakfasts in and around the city, which can sometimes be cheaper than standard hotels. Websites like airbnb.com also help you find cheap accommodation — those sites connect residents who want to rent out their homes for a few nights to tourists like yourself.

7. Head to the museum. One of the most famous museums in the states is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Admission is $12 for students and $25 for adults, but you could easily spend a full day inside this museum.

8. Don’t be afraid to negotiate! New York is a city full of street vendors, so if you want to buy something you see on the street, don’t be afraid to haggle. This is the norm in the city, so don’t be shy about asking for a discount!

Kennedi writes for Face & Fitness about beauty on a budget, frugal exercise and other health-and-beauty topics.