Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
Every year, my family and I throw a huge party for about 120 of our closest friends and family get together—usually to celebrate the unofficial start to summer.
I fire up my smoker and grill, we set up a 200-foot water slide down the hill in our backyard that leads into the park, and everyone brings a side dish to share. Naturally, no party would be complete without music.
My wife and I have very differing views as to what is needed for our party music. As far as I’m concerned we could tune the radio to the hard rock station, put the volume on about 3 or 4 and let it roll.
My wife, on the other hand, wants the music to be more interactive. She wants our guests to be able to make requests, tailoring the music to the wants and needs of the party goers.
Freelancing has also become popular among stay-at-home parents, who are now able to supplement their family’s income on their own terms.
There’s no doubt about it: having a freelance business can be great. You get to pick your own hours, choose what type of work you do, and be your own boss.
I’ve been freelancing for around a year now, and I’m constantly examining my progress to see how I can improve.
In my year of freelancing, here are the three biggest things I’ve learned:
It’s that time of year again. The kids are out of school and you really want to spend time with them and make wonderful memories, but a vacation is out of the question. You can’t get away and, even if you could, it’s way out of your budget.
Uncle Sam took more than his share, or your calculated share, anyway. Credit card bills are bleeding you dry, and you can’t put more on plastic. So you crawl under the covers and hide, wishing a solution would surface.
Here it is.
Look on the bright side, sunshine. For a beautiful time creating memories with your loved ones, you need only two days and some imagination.
Try these staycation ideas for a grand time (without spending a grand!). [ continue reading… ]
The flexibility of freelancing is what’s most appealing to me. I can get assignments done in my sweats or at odd hours of the night.
But while freelancing does come with a lot of flexibility, it can be hard to juggle a self-made workload while you’re pregnant. The harsh truth about running a freelance business, is that there are no paid sick days, and you don’t get a paycheck just for showing up.
During my second pregnancy, I was able to do a lot more freelance work than I was my first pregnancy. I am not sure if I just felt better this time around or if I developed more productive time management skills.
Here’s what I learned about how to balance your workload as an expectant mother in the freelance market.
None of us like to think about our own or our loved ones’ mortality, but ignoring that eventuality will not make a stressful situation any easier. When a family member dies, it’s important for you to know what responsibilities you might be facing.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect if a family member dies and leaves debts behind:
I am volunteering one day a week as a lunch room helper at my kids’ elementary school this school year. After a few weeks, I can share these observations with my fellow parents:
After a morning spent sitting still and paying attention, most kids would rather talk than eat. This is especially true of the younger children (the older ones are better at multitasking!)
The lunch period passes quickly! Getting the children to and from the lunchroom takes quite a bit of time. If you’re at the end of the line, you’ll have to be fast to eat all of your food.
A lot of food is thrown away. Not just the purchased school lunches, but entire sandwiches, pieces of fruit and other sides. Not surprisingly, the less healthy choices tend to be eaten first.
Seeing this has changed the way I pack my children’s lunches. Like most parents, my goal is to send my children to lunch with a healthy meal that is also easy on the family budget. Here are a few of my best tips: [ continue reading… ]
Free signup to get a free ebook on How to Save Money on Everything! Constantly expanding, it will be the biggest money saving ebook available, and it's FREE! →
(I hate spam and promise that your information will never be shared.)
