Happy New Year - 2013

photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

Well, well, well... and I sincerely hope you ARE well! Thanks for reading! - Today is January 1, 2013... the first day of the new year... time to revisit and revise the bucket lists.. the short term and the long term lists.

photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

One thing that keeps popping up on my list: SAVE MONEY... as in "PUT MONEY IN SAVINGS" ! That should get crossed off at least once, one would think? Somehow, I maintain a level of pent-up demand such that when I do acquire (earn or receive) a bit of cash, I can immediately find a use for it! Nothing goes to savings, or at least, not for long. So, today, I began reading personal finance articles online to realign my thought patterns with a savings attitude. I learned a few things...

(1.) It is totally possible that I sabotage my savings attempts! There are multiple vices at work, including but not limited to procrastination, weak goal-setting, and lack of accountability.

(2.) I am hoping for a miracle... lotto, Publishers' Clearing House Sweepstakes, super job opportunity, gold strike, etc... when what I really need to focus on is securing a steady income.

(3.) I don't have a budget. Well, honestly, I shunt responsibility on this one, claiming that without a steady income, budgeting is impossible... yet, I still have bills to pay like car insurance and cell phone!

photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

What to do? I have a nice little crochet business going on Etsy.com. I even call it My Little Crochet Shop.  I have one, maybe two, textbooks I can sell on Amazon... might rustle up a few items for eBay, but those are only short term shots. With a steady check, those extra shots could go to savings... did you notice I said "could" ... phooey. Am I still not on board?

So, my most promising hobby right now, until the US government again makes it unlawful to do so, is gold panning. It produces only a little every day I pan (no where near an ounce per week), but with patience, practice and persistence, those little bits will add up. Location is not the limiting factor, oddly enough... but self-discipline.

I just had that AH-HAH! moment... when I've finally put my finger on the problem... I need an accountability partner!

While you were sleeping...

I was up at all hours of the night. Insomnia is a mean devil. It's all about school. I know it is! Classes are going well, and the semester ends next week... but tuition payments for next semester are due at the end of THIS week... and I don't have it. I have been searching careerbuilder.com for job opportunities, applied to a few with no response!! Not even a how do you do?! Not to give up, I started listing everything that is not nailed down on eBay (seller: and_ankhira) ... I have $40. Not even close. So, not giving up, I sent application to the last-resort Sallie Mae... "Aunt Sallie" will allow me to borrow but I have to have a sit down with the university loan officer, AND I STILL NEED A JOB!!
a job, well ... food service is not my cup of tea. I just don't like people. Plus, my hair falls out. Not in big clumps, but a strand here, there... I have to sweep the bathroom daily. I am EXTREMELY concerned when I am dealing with food, especially other people's food... there just isn't enough hairspray in the world.
And, I get flustered or confused easily when I am around others. I get nervous handling money, because I am afraid I will make a mistake. Plus, I worry that I am taking too long and holding people up.
WHAT I WANT TO DO IS RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS... some other students in my class agree. It's what they prefer, too. I guess rock-hounds prefer working with rocks instead of people because the rocks don't talk back, can't fire you, don't require financial transactions, never take too long a break, and if you DO get frustrated with a rock you can take a hammer and bust it!!

All to say I am very anxious. I am excited to be going to school in a program I enjoy, but anxious because I just cannot seem to get my eggs to stay in the basket and be counted!! GOOD GRIEF!!

My New Job

Okay, forgive me for being behind the times.... what exactly should a person blog about? Mundane details of the day? Maybe political rants (I have seen those!)? Am I writing to myself, or to please the reader? See, that makes a difference as to what I would actually include. Hmmm... let's start from the top:

I am no longer 30-something. I have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up (any day now!). I want to be a planetary geologist. I believe that title has been reconstructed to "astrogeologist," for reasons unknown except now the title is one word instead of two. Longer titles make lower salaries? So, to get to that dream career, I learned I need at least a Masters in Geology. Wow. My Bachelor's degree isn't propelling me toward any great-paying jobs, but I CAN use it to fuel my graduate studies. Darn it! Graduate school costs an arm AND a leg! I also need to take the GRE (general requirements/graduate readiness exam different people refer to it by different names). To top it off, my undergrad did not include some of the core courses required for my new academic path. That's okay. The local universities (plural!) offer those courses, so I am safely enrolled for now. .... except I have a hard time working a 9-5 or 7-7 or 8-5 or whatever rat-race hours are out there. I need to work when I can work, and be off on the days I need to study, or go on a field trip, or visit my grandmother, or travel to visit with far away friends and family.

That's when I found PartyLite! I was a guest at a party back in the spring, with no money to actually buy anything. The consultant gave me a free "tealight" candle with her contact information and asked me to check out her website. We stayed in contact through the summer, and when I quit my second job since the party, I asked her to tell me more about this home party business. No startup costs!! I just needed to have a show at my house (or a friend's house) with $350+ in sales, and sign the paperwork! Okay, I also had to call up my friends to get 6 shows in the first month (or two months). I had 3 for the first month, and two for the second month at first, but then I discovered I can easily meet new people and get leads for new parties either at the parties or while I am out and about! If I have at least one show a week, I get a check every week from PartyLite! I control my hours and my income, and I learned quickly that (e)x EFFORT  = (e)xRESULTS!! So, if I put in only a little effort in seeking new prospects, I get small returns on my effort. Contact 3 people, maybe get one party scheduled. Contact 10 people, maybe get 4. Contact 20 people, maybe get 12!! It's not a perfect relationship, but rewarding! I earn from EVERY party, and my host earns a pile of free stuff, too! It's WIN-WIN for me, because PartyLite sends me MORE FREE PRODUCTS every time I meet a sales challenge! The challenges are ALWAYS attainable! I LOVE IT!

Oh, my!! I guess I enjoy my new job?! Ha Ha.. That's a first!
www.partylite.com/sweepstakes code: X77W9T