One Sunday harvest from one tomato vine.

The economy sucks. It’s horrible out there. People are losing jobs in record numbers. The “basics” cost more now — a LOT more — than they did just a couple years ago. It’s harder to make ends meet than it has been in recent memory. And, according to the “experts” (and my own gut), it’s not going to get better anytime soon.

So why am I enjoying this mess?

It’s put me back in touch with some of the things that it’s easy to forget… like how to enjoy the simple pleasures. It makes me remember that it’s much easier to save money than to make it. It becomes glaringly obvious how much better life is when people pull together to make things easier instead of wandering apart.

Case in point — I’m cooking again. Dating someone with kids and having my own grown children nearby has expanded my “standard” meal from a quick two-person deal (for my daughter and me this time last year) to a five or six-person meal… often expanded by one or two more than that!

I’m keeping a tight rein on the health aspects of the cooking for varied (and necessary) reasons. I enjoy seeing the differences in the way the people around the table are trimming down, pumping up with energy, and feeling as good as they look. I’m cooking from scratch most of the time. Almost nothing goes to waste.

Despite the tough economic times, I’m not pushing as hard as I once did. My client load has lightened and I’m taking it in stride. I enjoy expanding my “daily” work to things outside the office. I don’t spend 16-18 hours in front of the computer these days. Honestly, it’s nice.

I have a tiny garden to tend. Mostly it’s just herbs, tomatoes and chard (oh, and weeds) … but it’s amazing how much has come out of that little patch of earth. My Roma tomatoes have escaped the blight that many gardeners in the area have endured with their own tomatoes. That one vine has produced enough for us to have fresh tomatoes at one or two meals a day, and I’ve had extras that I’ve used in cooking. The other vines haven’t done much — other than provide some HUGE green tomatoes for deep-south lovin’ green fried tomatoes (only once this year, so far.)

I’ve probably spent less money on fluff in the past four months than I have in years and I don’t miss shopping… at ALL. I like finding ways to make our food budget shrink while our food quality soars. I enjoy scouring Craigslist and the local Goodwill for the things we need or want around the house.

Yeah, I’m nesting. I know this. I have an appreciative audience, which helps enormously. And the best thing about all of this? We all sit down three times a day together and “break bread.” We have family time without a television or even a radio. We sit and eat and talk. Yeah, TALK. We do this several times a day… EVERY day. We are getting closer all the time. It’s nice and I notice the effects on interpersonal relationships around the house.

I think the speed with which we are accustomed to living life has not been a benefit to family life. I think grabbing something at a drive through, munching whatever can be found in the fridge while watching TV and sink-hovering to devour “fuel” for our bodies has starved our souls.

I like working together, pulling together to make life better with less. Yeah, I’m a simplicity girl… but it’s nice to have a whole group of people working together to make the most of everything. It’s truly joyful.

So if you wonder why I’m smiling so broadly while everyone else is cursing the “hard times” — now you know.

I love Hulu. Yeah, I know, I’ve said it alot. I don’t bother with cable, I get all my content online. It’s a good place to be (and is cheaper than paying cable and Internet bills, IMHO).

Google Labs is always coming out with something cool and new (if ONLY they had the same stuff for my google apps paid account!) and now my favorite video site has a “labs” offering too.

So if you want to go check it out, you can play around in Hulu’s Lab too!

Being a remote professional often involves travel and work in… ahem… unusual locations. You may find yourself working on the road, in your car, at a library or coffee shop, onsite with a client, or anywhere in between. Desktops are great,  but they will tie you to a single work spot. They are usually stable and cheaper than the portable alternatives. That is, until recently.

If you are a power-user and you need to multi-task, keep a slew of windows open, and often push the limits of both your CPU and your RAM, your mobile options won’t be low cost.

If, however, you have started using some or many of the online options for thinks like book keeping, email, calendar, etc., a netbook may bridge the gap between portability and pocket-sensitivity.

For under $400 (and even below $300, as of today) you can now get an amazingly lightweight, highly portable, low-power computer with longer battery life than was possible just a year ago.

The first netbooks were rather light on HD size, but there are better options today and 120-250 gig drives aren’t uncommon. Promises of upcoming (June 2009) Ion-based CPUs will make these lightweights heavy-hitters in the remote professional market. Dual-core netbook options are rumored to be in the works and should be available by year end.

Some options have optical drives, others require a USB drive to load software. Alternatively, you can drop the CD or DVD into a network drive and load software via Ethernet or wireless connection.

If you can’t wait that long, look at the sale on the ASUS Eee PC 1002HA 10-Inch Netbook at Amazon (with a $50 rebate) — which has recieved excellent reviews from customers and techies alike. Today, Dell has released their own low-priced netbook called the Mini 1011 Bear with a base price of $299 and several upgrade options, according to a review article on Engadget.

So, if you plan to buy a portable machine in the near future, your options may be more diverse than they were the last time you looked. Weigh all your options and come up with the best option for your needs. If you buy a netbook,  be sure to get a 6-cell battery and max out the RAM options (2 gig minimum), for the best performance in these machines.

Have fun!

Ok, anyone who knows me knows that I love a bargain. I love treasure shopping. I love the “hunt” for cool stuff. I also adore Goodwill and other thrift shops. (I would have been a pirate a few hundred years ago. Not for the stealing part, but for the finding of the loot.)

For years, I’ve said that you can find ANYTHING you want at Goodwill if you look hard enough and are patient enough.

Now I knew there were some exceptions to that rule, but only the obvious ones. I’ve wanted a platinum or 18K diamond ring for awhile now (I love ebay for trying to find those types of items) and I know that Goodwill isn’t hte place to find that… or at least I thought I did.

Last week, while looking for a few final “necessities” for my new apartment with my son… he found some jewelry that appeared to be sterling in the mass tangle of the jewelry basket. I checked it and it was, indeed, sterling.  So we start digging.

What we found, essentially, was an estate collection of sterling jewelry along with a couple pieces of gold. The most impressive piece was found by my son… it’s an 18K white gold band with a beautiful (and perfect) diamond in a tension setting. Simply lovely. He had it checked out at a jewelers and has since “loaned” it to me to wear.

The cost for this treasure? $1.00

So, I have to amend my earlier statement to include everything — not just nearly everything — is available at Goodwill if you look hard enough and are patient enough. I’ve picked up leather coats, gold and silver jewelry, crystal, sterling flatware, designer purses, down comforters and an assortment of other delightful items at Goodwill in my travels. During this economy, it’s nice to know there’s a place you can score a $2,000 ring for $1 — isn’t it?

Have a great day and happy hunting!

With the economy being what it is, we are all budgeting a bit more carefully. Saving money and eliminating waste have become matters of fiscal need for many small business owners.

Making more money isn’t necessarily as important as making the right amount of money and saving whenever possible. Buying in bulk may no longer be the best way to save. Eliminating the need may pay bigger dividends. Elimination of debt in your business is as important as eliminating it in your personal life during “lean” economic times.

Scale back if you must, but don’t go into debt for your business. Pay as you go and weigh all the options carefully before any major (or minor) purchase. Barter and trade for services with your peers. Consider buying reconditioned and pre-owned items when that’s feasible. Check eBay, Craigslist and your local classifieds before buying new.

Sell the things you don’t need and eliminate the time, money and hassle of storage, give away items using FreeCycle, or offer them to your peers and/or startup folks who may need or want them.

During difficult times, the help you give others and the pulling together as a local or online community can make all the difference. And, as a client told me not too long ago…

We are the entrepreneurs. We are the survivors. We are able to recreate ourselves as the market changes to come out on top.

So while other people may have to worry about if they will have a job… we need only consider how we will maintain our edge and better serve the market as it grows, shrinks, evolves and changes. After all, it’s what we do, it’s what we have always done.

The last two weeks have been amazing.

*Shhhh!* (Just saying it may jinx my luck, so I’ll whisper the rest…)

I’ve not even taken the time to blog because I’ve been so busy and so bubbly and I didn’t want the good stuff to end. (Yeah, sometimes I really AM that superstitious.)

Eliminated the Storage Unit

I’ve made so much progress since the first of December, that I’ve been amazed. During the first week, my youngest son came down and spent four days with me, helping me to clean out my storage unit (there are only three items left — and those will be cleaned out by the end of the month). So that’s one monthly bill that’s now been eliminated. I despise storage units. I think they represent the conspicuous consumption in our country.

Having one was a painful prospect for me, but with all the moves in the last two years… one became necessary. Now, I’m glad I had it. My son just got his first (rental) house and with the stuff in my storage unit and at my farm, he’s got pretty much everything needs now. It felt really good to help him get started. That was my combination Christmas gift and housewarming gift for him.

Organized Boxes

Byron also worked with me to organize and clean out the boxes of stuff that needed to be sorted. I donated a slew of stuff to Goodwill and go the farm in a condition that I can begin working on the cabin again. THAT feels really good!

I also “found” some of the things I’d been missing that was driving me crazy… like the charger and extra battery for my camera, among other things.

PurpleStates.tv and CNN

In November I was invited by PurpleStates.tv to be their representative blogger from Kentucky. They invited one blogger from each state to talk about the economy and politics and the impact on the local area. Quite a feather in my cap… and a great deal of fun. Then, my particular piece was picked up by CNN. Nice, huh?

Airstream finds a new home

During this same first week in December, I received a deposit to hold my Airstream for an out-of-the-country buyer. Her representative flew up on a Wednesday (in his little Cesna) to take a peek at Serenity. The details were all arranged and she was delivered to North Carolina today.

The most exciting thing is that the buyer (currently residing in the Bahamas) is shipping her overseas to the UK where she plans to summer in her during 2009. An interior decorator, she plans to completely rework Serenity. I feel confident that Serenity’s found a good home with someone who will appreciate her. Of course my RV is doing more traveling than I am. *shucks!*

Like my purchase of the farm from a lady in Israel, my sale of Serenity has an interesting international twist. God bless the Internet! (The buyer found me on Marketplace on Facebook.)

The Credit Card Bites the Dust

By the middle of next week, my credit card will be paid off and filed away for emergencies only. In the current economic situation, I can’t afford to owe money, so I’m eliminating that as much as possible and as quickly as possible. I’ll be running on a cash basis now.

Too many people owe too much and acquire what they can’t afford and don’t need and hope that they never have to pay more than the “minimum” without any intent to pay off their debts in full. It’s a disease of our society and it’s sinking our country. I refuse to be a part of it.

The Apartment Comes Together

I’ve been living in this apartment for six months. I’ve lived with very little of what I want and need. Why? Because I couldn’t get what I wanted and needed moved in by myself. So, I’ve lived in this limbo-land. I despise limbo… it’s my least favorite place to be.

Byron helped me get things moved in last week in between all the other stuff we did. Last weekend I arranged, decorated and organized everything in the main room. This weekend, I’ll spend the time required to finish the work up.

Pops has agreed to help me build the euro-style sink and cabinet I need to add the final touches. I think we may try to do that in January. I still need to get my final measurements and draw up the plans.

This tiny apartment is becoming the efficient, organized, workhorse that I always wanted to create in a small space. I love tiny houses and tiny spaces. Always have. Now, I’m creating one here. It’s pretty amazing.

My father saw what I’ve done here and informed me that there’s “apparently a whole movement on living in smaller spaces” — duh… really? Go figure! I don’t think that man has ever read any of my blogs. And sometimes I wonder if he actually HEARS me when I speak. EVER.

A lead on the truck

I bought a truck a few months ago that needs a new transmission. It’s been sitting and waiting for me to find the time and the money to get it up and running. The only thing I wish that it had that it doesn’t (other than a new transmission) is a manual transmission. Last night, while talking to some family, they told me that they knew of a truck of the same model that was for sale. It was priced right because the body isn’t great. The engine and the transmission (a manual, btw) are both in great shape.

Long story short, I’ve asked them for an estimate on taking that truck and transferring the transmission to my truck. It will be alot less expensive than getting a new transmission and I’ll have the extra parts to help keep my little old truck running. It’s not that I relish the idea of having a “spare parts” truck around… but as the times get leaner, I’m sure that would be more welcome.

Chances are good that I’ll have the truck I wanted with the manual transmission that makes me happy, an extra engine and extra parts all for less money than it was going to cost me to get the current transmission fixed. Now isn’t that sweet?

I just have to find a place to properly store it on the farm so I don’t end up feeling like (or looking like) a hillbilly…*where DID I put those cement blocks?*…

Selling on eBay

I may spend this weekend getting some of the extra stuff I’m ready to discard put on eBay. I’ve been planning to do that for ages, but always have a good excuse why I’m not doing it yet. I’m too busy, there’s too much else I need to be doing, it’s a drag, maybe I should rethink it… etc., etc.

I’ve noticed that as I have made progress in these areas that are so important to me, it’s given me the stamina to forge ahead and do even more! So, maybe after the open house this weekend (a Christmas thing that my landlady is hosting), I’ll be able to do that.

(My landlady is awesome and is so impressed with what I’ve done with the little place, she asked if I would be willing to let her show it off during the open house. I’m flattered to the point of distraction and, of course, agreed.)

So, I’m going to take a couple of the boxes of stuff that need to be listed on eBay and try to get them up this weekend so they will sell before Christmas and I can get them shipped out for holiday delivery. I’m actually excited about this.

Buying on eBay

I’ve been evaluating what I want in life lately. And at the ripe old age of 42 (almost 43 now), I can honestly say that there’s very little on my “want” list. And many of the things I do want I now have or have made plans to achieve… like getting out of debt, fixing the truck, finishing the cabin, etc.

Other than these big items the rest are smallish things. I made my list. I want a nice pair of diamond stud earrings — not too small, not too large. Good quality, preferably in platinum with screw on backs so I can wear them without worry. I know it’s not “living small” but I don’t care, I want them. Besides, if I have those I can sell most of the ones I currently own on eBay, right?

I want a pair of black leather boots like the ones I wore out a few years back. They were Cole Haan, western styled and made me feel ten feet tall, bullet-proof, and a just bit cocky whenever I wore them. You simply can’t wear that kind of boot without exuding attitude. The replacements will probably have a less slick sole so I can wear them on a bike, but they must easily lend themselves to the creation of that aura of attitude.

I want a bike — one larger than the beep-beep. Probably about a 650 cc — and I want it with the running board styling rather than traditional motorcycle styling. I want it to have a comfortable seat for Alex. And I want a thick leather jacket to extend the riding season a bit. Now would be the perfect time to buy it since it’s off season, and since gasoline is now down to about $1.50 per gallon… but I’m cash poor, so it will have to wait.

This week I nailed one of those items. I bid on and won a pair of tiny diamond studs. I took a chance on them, despite the fact that they were smaller than what I wanted. I figured they would work well until I could afford the size I sought. Thankfully, the size was misquoted. The seller quoted them as just under a quarter carat for both… when in fact they were EACH right at a quarter carat. In platinum, acorn style screw backs and good quality stones… all for *drum roll*…

$76.00!

I’m a jewelry lover and this kind of find was, well, amazing. The seller received them from an old flame and said it was “time to move on” so she was selling them. It’s probably the best deal I’ve ever made on eBay! I have priced them out based on the size, clarity, color and setting. Value for these little gems is between $600 and $900! Currently they are securely screwed into my earlobes where they will stay for a very, VERY long time.

Popping the cork

Over a year ago I bought a bottle of champagne. I purchased it in the hope of drinking it soon… when things started to turn around and life got good again. It’s now been in my refrigerator for over 12 months… waiting. Tonight, I go against my “never drink alone” rule and pop the cork on that baby. It’s not an expensive bottle… but it does have a cork and that’s good enough. (I have absolutely NO “taste” when it comes to wine and such because I despise most of what other people tell me is “the good stuff” — but that serves my budget well.) *I just hope that it’s not so old that it has turned to vinegar*

So tonight I relax in my newly redecorated tiny apartment, sip a glass or two of bubbly and reflect on the fact that despite the crumminess that has been 2007 and 2008… that ALREADY 2009 is looking a bit better!

And all this… ALL of it… has happened since December 1st!

(Pretty photo courtesy of razvandm)

I’m loving Hulu. If you haven’t discovered it yet, go there now. If you have finished with the Thanksgiving meal and need a little kick-back time (and you aren’t a sports fan), Hulu will come to your rescue.

I’ve registered so I can keep the cool stuff I find in my queue — and so I get automatic update emails when a TV show I’m following has a new episode, but you can view without registration.

Right now (since I don’t watch TV) this is where I watch: Bones, Chuck, Lipstick Jungle, Terminator, The Starter Wife, Heroes, Burn Notice, Crusoe, Valentine, and Battlestar Galactica. (There are also complete seasons of cancelled series and others I’m not currently following).

And I recently added a few great movies to my queue as well. There are some second rate titles on Hulu, but there are also a great number of top movies (and old favorites).

As a few examples, the ones currently in my queue include: The Professional, A River Runs Through It, Requiem for a Dream, GhostBusters (because my daughter has never seen it… ditto for Xanadu), Kiss The Bride, Sense and Sensibility (because it’s been awhile), Hans Christian Anderson (also for Alex), and Rob Roy.

(I only wish I could view this over my wi-fi on my iPhone. That would make it even cooler!)

If you want an all-night horror movie fest to go with your indigestion, this may be the best place to get those too. Why get out to go rent something when you can stay in and save time, money and gas?

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

I just switched over from Accessline to Kall8 for my 800 number. I wanted to save a few bucks and I read all their online materials. It looked like a good move. Since 1-800-WICKED-8 is one I’ve had for forever, I wanted to retain it. I like it. It’s cool. So, it was worth trouble to fill out and fax the forms and wait for the transfer to retain it.

Now I have Kall8 and today, I try to get my first fax. Uh-oh…

After five calls (all of which charged me, of course) I discovered that unlike the previous service, Kall 8 doesn’t differentiate between a fax and a voice call. Result? I get fax calls forwarded to my main line, which then forwards to my cell.

I try to log on, using my welcome email. It says to save it, since it has the login information I’ll need. Only problem is… it doesn’t have it. It’s not on there anywhere!

So, I call support.

I’m cut off after ten minutes of hold time… TWICE. (Now, I’m agitated.)

They do call back fairly quickly, however, and tell me that the only way to make that work is to set the account to zero settings… meaning I get no voice calls either. She tells me if I need both, I should get a second 800 number. (Kinda negates the whole “all-in-one” concept, doesn’t it?) *sigh*

I had looked through the website and saw nothing indicating this little issue. So, I asked where that information was listed online, or in any correspondence I’d received. She confirmed that it wasn’t on the website. (Isn’t that nice?) I sent her the email I’d received. She couldn’t find my login info on there either, so she gave it to me.

I request to be transferred to a supervisor and (of course) had to leave a message.

Assistant Manager, Craig Becker, calls me back late that afternoon. I explain my concerns and tell him how inconvenient it is to have to log into the website, move my rings to zero seconds, wait for a fax, then log back in and bump it back up so I can get voice calls.

He says I can try setting it to 10 seconds and just don’t pick up the phone when I’m expecting a fax. I told him that I would not have switched to this service if I’d had this, very important, information beforehand. He said there was no way for them to know what every user might need and to cover that in the marketing materials.

I feel that this is rather important since his competition offers this automatically. He also said that he had no idea what his competitors were offering. I said, “You don’t keep up with what features your competition offers?” (this seems incredible to me, but what do I know?) He said no.

Hmmm…

And it’s not exactly false advertising, since you can have voice and fax on the same number, just as long as you don’t expect it to be handled like other services handle it. Theirs is a manual system. I miss not having to even think about the difference, much less juggle the two call types and determine if I need to answer the phone or check the caller ID to determine if it’s a client or a fax.

The settings are now changed to 10 seconds on my account. This might work, might not, since it’s forwarded to my main number. We shall see. I’ll give it a little while to see if it’s worth the hassle to switch back. I never had a problem with Accessline, BTW. Great customer support too… but a stiffer cost per month.

So, if you are planning to move to another service (not just Kall8) and expect that you will be able to use it for both your fax and voice (which you may be accustomed to doing), be sure to ask that question specifically.

If you don’t, you may be enjoying the same view I’m gazing over at the moment. *grimace*

It’s not so pretty from here.

(Note: Cool phonebooth photo courtesy of Grafixar on MorgueFile.com)

With the market like it is right now, you may want to take the time to build up marketing impact when the daily work of real estate isn’t all-consuming. Are you interested in finding new ways to advertise your listing online to improve that home’s chance of selling, while boosting your own visibility?

Featured Listings
Here’s a list of a few of the best online resources for advertising yourself… er… I mean your listing. Be sure that you have your listing FEATURED on your own home page. By doing this, any incoming links “for more information” will lead to the index page of your website. So, even if the home sells, you still have a link that’s live and is helping you. And when you sell a home, you will have other “featured” homes listed for the incoming traffic to review.

Landing Pages
You may want to add a landing page that gathers the “from” URL and customizes your website to say, “If you were seeking the featured home from Craig’s List, it’s already sold… but we have these great homes still available! And then list the home you do have featured in a thumbnail format so they can click for more information.

Localized Online Classifieds
Most popular websites for free (or extremely low cost) real estate classified ads today:

http://www.kijiji.com
http://www.craigslist.com/
http://www.backpage.com
http://www.tenant.com/
http://www.nfafn.org/
http://www.usfreeads.com/
http://www.freeclassifiedads.com/
http://listsomething.com/
http://www.nocostclassifieds.com/
http://www.postlets.com/
http://www.facebook.com (Free “MarketPlace” ads)
http://www.trulia.com/
http://base.google.com/
http://www.oodle.com/
http://www.local.com/
http://www.propsmart.com/
http://www.vast.com/
http://byownermls.com/
http://www.livedeal.com

Many of these websites have an expiration day- so don’t forget to renew!

(photo by mconnors of morguefile.com)

My blog may still be unfocused, but I’m starting to gain a bit of that elusive edge in my life. I’ve finally quit straddling the fence on what I plan to do next with my life. I’ve spent my last multi-hour session on eBay salivating over RV options for the foreseeable future. I’m no longer going to be visiting all the forums and blogs dedicated to the “on the road lifestyle” and conversion vans will no longer catch my eye… at least not for a few years.

Last week I bought a small truck. It’s an old one, but it’s solid. I will be replacing the transmission before long, but the body, interior and engine appear to be in fantastic shape. If I get a wild hair, I may paint it. Time will tell. (I always have wanted a seriously purple truck!).

Confession: I love driving a small truck. It makes me happy. I prefer a stick-shift, but this little automatic is still pretty darn sweet. The truck gets excellent gas mileage and I don’t believe in keeping up two vehicles, so once the truck is on the road, I’ll be selling my car.

With that truck and a relatively inexpensive topper, I can do most of the travel/camping stuff I want to do — without the need to purchase an expensive RV and learn to maintain all the systems onboard. I’ll go more simple in my plans and will actually be able to begin the traveling (at least the shorter trips) sooner.

I’m already planning a woodworking project with my father, the moment I have the truck and topper ready to travel. He’s going to help me build a bed-frame in the back with storage space underneath for holding all the camping stuff. I’ll be able to fit a marine-grade cooler, my kerosene cook stove and my good-sized tent under one side with food, clothing and supplies under the second half.

At some point in the future, I may invest in one of those tents that connects to the topper to make a “living space” while retaining the truck bed for the sleeping area. I’m not sure at this point that it offers anything worthwhile over having one of the two tents I already own pitched right beside the truck. Heck, since I prefer the one that is large enough to permit me to stand up, I may give the smaller one to someone else. After all, simple camping will soon be possible without even PITCHING a tent! I’ll only pitch the tent if we are staying put or more than a couple of days — at which point I’ll prefer a larger one with more creature comforts.

If I’m feeling particularly inspired while building my little travel thingee, I may even do long “drawers” so there’s no crawling back in the hole to pull out stuff — and so nothing gets lost. I already have a memory-foam mattress that I think will make the sleeping experience pretty darn awesome. And if I like it and use it alot, I may even insulate it for more “all season” use.

It should also break down easily for storage outside the truck, so I can still use my truck to haul wood, move furniture, bring in fruit trees for planting and whatever else inspires me.

I figure the truck will buy me quite a bit of independence/automomy without much sacrifice. It has three seatbelts, so Alex and Prince (my puppy) and I can travel in comfort — and if it’s necessary, I can squeeze in one extra person from time to time.

I’ve listed Serenity, my airstream, on Craigslist and will (hopefully) have her sold within the next few weeks. I posted her on Facebook marketplace a few months back, but had continued to battle with the “do I want to sell, do I want to keep” decision. There was basically no traffic on the marketplace, so I was able to continue with my internal battle. It was a tough decision, but selling her is the right one for me now. I’m simplifying!

With my new emphasis on the 80/20 rule as it applies to my life… I figure using the truck and setting it up like this will give me 80% of the joy of being able to travel, camp, take off and be free at a moment’s notice with only 20% of the expense, effort and hassle.

One major life decision down, a few dozen more to go!

I’ve looked at other “simple” clothing lists and I find them to be too extensive for my needs and desires. I’m going to lose weight … someday… but for now, I’m tired of waiting for the “right” wardrobe. Now, I’m ready to simplify what I have and get rid of what doesn’t fit, isn’t flattering or isn’t comfortable.

I figure when I do lose weight (note the “when” is not an “if”) that buying new clothes will be a treat instead of a chore.

After pruning my wardrobe (again) and after trying to determine what I REALLY need in my closet to do my work, feel comfortable, and have what I need for any “event” without needing to dash out and buy something new — I’ve settled on the following list of basics.

Shirts/Blouses

• White pin-point tailored oxford button-down shirt
• Long-sleeve natural linen (ethnic) tunic top
• Silk patterned suit blouse
• Plain white t-shirt
• Black “Attitude” T-shirt (Janice Joplin one right now)
• Long-sleeved button-down shirt (lavender mini-check)
• Lavender long sleeve crew-neck cotton shirt
• Bright 3/4 sleeve shirt, princess seam button-front with collar (solid red)
• Black silk (washable) or Khaki tunic-length tank top
• Sheer, flowing patterned shirt with butterfly sleeves (for over tank and camisole tops)
• Black short sleeve Mock-turtleneck (for hot weather) / Black classic turtleneck (for cold weather)

Sweaters

• Cotton fine-cable twin set (in Oatmeal)
• Black V-neck all-weather fine-gage cotton sweater
• Black short-sleeved collared sweater (ribbed)
• Dark sleeveless sweater (chocolate brown or black)

Bottoms

• Pair of Jeans (yes, just my favorite pair)
• Pair of casual black/dk brown twill pants
• Pair of khaki slacks (cold weather) or long khaki shorts (warm weather)
• Long indigo skirt (Denim or Tencel – my preferred fabric)

Sets/Suits/Full Outfits

• Swimsuit
• Scrub suit (for lounging and painting and remodeling)
• Tea-length machine washable patterned sheath tank dress
• High Quality Basic Black All-Season suit (jacket, long skirt, slacks)

Unmentionables

• Sleepshirt
• Four camisole bra tops (brown, white, black, lilac)
• 3 pair white socks/5 pair black socks
• 2 pair of tights/hose (one light, one dark)
• 2 white bras/2 black bras
• 10 pair undies (5 each black and white)

Accessories/Other Stuff

• Black leather organizer purse
• Go-bag (electronics/mobile office or weekend of clothes)
• Keen Sandals (or tennis shoes)
• Pair of basic black leather heels
• Boots (work, hiking or western)
• Silk scarf (multi colored/patterned)
• Leather coat – stadium length
• Leather gloves

By most standards, this list is sparse. That’s ok. It’s not colorful. That’s ok, too — I prefer basic. By modern “norms,” my housing desires are also small.

I don’t want multiple closets or a huge one and I prefer to hang everything because I find that folded clothes seldom look as good on as hung ones do. It’s easier to find what I’m looking for in the bleary-eyed a.m. hours if everything is hanging in one place. (It’s also faster to hang clothes than it is to properly fold them, and I’m all about the efficiency.)

The way I see it, I have a washer and a dryer, and I’m not afraid to use them. I prefer NOT to have enough clothes that I don’t have to keep things done up. I don’t like having mounds of dirty clothes and with my most recent purge, I can’t. I may cut back more in the future, but this is good for now.

Now, I have only the clothes I really love. I have just a few of them and all is right with the world.

While gasoline prices top $4.00 per gallon and the economy pundits’ projections dip and sway, I’m glad that my business is already established and runs from a home office.

I’m also pleased that I’ve taken the time to evaluate my clients, services and my business expenses and trim them all back neatly. My next big “trim” will be the number of days I work per week. I’m preparing for it now and hope to implement my new, shorter workweek by the end of July.

Determining how much I should make this year made it easier to look at how many days a week would be required to make that target income and to plan accordingly. It’s also made me re-evaluate my original numbers and trim them back even more.

I credit the price of gasoline for encouraging me to take some steps that are improving my business and my life.

Dovetailing Errands

I’ll be spending one day out of the office per week to get the things done I need to do. I visit with my parents once a week and spend the day. They live two hours away. On the way up, I run errands for the business and pick up anything I need that’s only available in their city while I’m there (that way the trip can be expensed). They have an office supply store and a general merchandise super-store there. I don’t have either of those here.

I get an early start so I can arrive at their house between 9 and 10 a.m. In the late afternoon, I head back to the house and do my grocery shopping and other personal errands on the way home.

Living a deliberate life

It means I only get out once a week now, but it also means I accomplish the bulk of my non-client related to-do list on that one day. These choices aren’t purely financial. I’ve actually started recycling. (Dropping it off is another item on my errands list each week.)

My new push to live life more deliberately and to think things out before jumping and running helps me to minimize the ecological impact of my life. I watch the extra packaging and purchase fresh foods locally as much as possible.

I’m actually saving money

Making sure that I never make a trip out for just one or two things requires me to plan ahead, make lists — and an unexpected bonus is that I’m avoiding impulse purchases and using less gas every week. By doing the shopping on my way home from my parents’ house, after I’m already tired, I’m not tempted to participate in “entertainment” shopping.

I don’t stay in the store long enough for the bright packaging and the multi-million dollar ad campaigns to do their job. I go in, get what I need and get out. My shopping lists are pretty basic and fairly healthy.

An improved way to measure success

For years, I emphasized making more money. It was a “marker” of my success. It helped me to feel that my little cottage industry was real, sustaining and important. It meant that leaving my corporate job was the right decision.

Now, I’ve changed my approach. Now, I look at what I really need and am honest about what can do without. I weigh my purchases more carefully and I bundle all my travel into a single trip. Now, I realize it’s not how much I make that really impacts my quality of life — it’s how much I spend. (more…)

Want excellent local media coverage? Want to get your business name spread across the Internet? Want to do it all for free? It’s possible!

There is no such thing as a free lunch, but it is possible to secure free media coverage if you plan ahead. Maintain a strong interest in your niche industry and stay flexible enough to jump quickly at any opportunity, and you can bask in the glow of free publicity.

Serve the media and it will serve you

Media professionals rush for a living. They are constantly under impossible deadlines. They get assignments, have news that breaks, and sometimes they just need to fill space. They always have to do these things five minutes ago. So, if you become a dependable resource for them, they will call.

If you want to get the “breaks” with the media, if you want the inside track with the local, regional and national outlets you have to become a great media resource.

A Great Media Resource:

• is always available
• alerts media professionals to changes in the industry
• will jump through hoops to help THEM meet their deadlines

It’s difficult to be always available when you are juggling multiple projects. Don’t let a nervousness about being interviewed turn into a hesitation. Make sure your primary number forwards to your cell phone and always return calls promptly. Not all media folks will identify their industry when they call. Even if you are overwhelmed with work, call back every lead – potential customer, referral or media professional and do it immediately.

Often, media workers will gather a list of potential interviews and will begin by calling the list from top to bottom. They will stop when they reach someone they can interview. You need to be that someone.

If they call (or email) and can’t reach you — they move on to the next person. They don’t have time to wait.

Courting the media

Media professionals like having an “insider” in the industries they cover. If you send them updates, press releases and statistics regularly with the statement “I’m available for interviews” in each one, you may become one of those insiders. Become a “go to” resource for the media in the same way you are that resource for your clients.

How can you do that?

If a you read an article in a local paper and it’s missing an aspect or a bit of information that you can provide, take that opportunity to email the reporter. Let them know (in a non-threatening, helpful way) that you are willing to serve as a resource for future articles.

Dear Jane -

I really enjoyed your article on the impact of the housing crunch on the local market printed in today’s paper. I work with real estate agents across the nation and try to stay on top of the local, regional and national trends to better serve my own clients.

I noticed that you mentioned the increase in the inventory this year over this time last year. The increase is pretty dramatic and the local figures in the databases I use indicate a 47% increase over this time last year in the $200-400K homes. However, the inventory has actually dropped 7% in the $800K+ homes, so there is some light in that segment of the market.

If you plan to do similar articles in the future and need figures or another resource to quote, I would love the opportunity to help. You can call me at 800-123-4567 anytime.

Thanks again for the great articles, I love reading your work!

Jan B. Smith
TheOutsourcingPro.com

When news is happening, like a new company coming to the area, stay on top of the news as it develops. Use Google email alerts to flag topics related to your area of expertise, so you know the moment something happens. When the announcements roll in, email the reporters you are courting with the fact that it’s just been announced and tell them you are available if they have any questions.

Distributing press releases and writing articles

Press releases by themselves are not a marketing plan. They are, however, an important piece of a good plan. Press releases shouldn’t be self-serving, “look-at-me” pieces of fluff. They should provide actual information about what’s going on in your target industry and why it’s important to media readership and your clients. Make sure your information lends itself to use in an article, a feature, or another media format.

Three free PR venues I like:

• PRLog.org
• free-press-release.com
• powerhomebiz.com/BizNews/pressrelease.htm

When you send out your free online press releases, don’t forget to send those same releases into the business editor of your local paper and other papers in your region.

Look for magazines and other publications that serve the same industries you serve. Know the editorial schedules of publications that will help you (these are usually available on their website). Email the editors and offer to write an article in your area of expertise.

Get some confidence!

If you don’t feel confident in your ability to write an article, call in some help. Many industry experts have personal writers that help them to look good. Find someone you like who will work with you to provide you the presentation polish your knowledge needs.

I have one client that gets a call from the media and immediately calls me. He calls and says things like, “I need to write an article on the use of routers for wireless networks in real estate offices and have it to an editor in 48 hours, can we do it?” And, of course the answer is always “Sure!” So while he’s driving back to his office, we are talking on the cell phone and I’m “pulling” the information from him and typing it up as we chat. By the time he reaches his office, I’ve polished up a first draft for his review.

A good media “helper” can also help you prepare for upcoming live interviews and help you write up exceptional responses to email interviews.

If you manage to “click” with a good writer, you can get this type of help on the fly. It will give you the polish and the confidence you need to shine when you are in the spotlight. And if you are just getting started in your business, you may be able to trade off your services with a writer who needs help in other areas.

Media is your star client

Always treat members of the media with the same dedication and service you offer clients. After all, they ARE a client. Make arrangements to be able to offer them what they need to meet their deadline – even if you have to juggle to do so. Like your other clients, they will come back if you make their lives easier – and will recommend you to their peers.

Good media coverage is a self-propagating process. If you are featured in an article, a TV station may pick you up as a resource, industry magazines may ask you to write an article, local event coordinators may ask you to host a session or sit on a round-table.

The more you do in the public spotlight, and the more you work with the media, the more you will be asked to do.

I’m taking some serious steps to simplify my life. Yeah, yeah, I know, I say that all the time. But seldom do I actually start pulling out my possessions and start listing them on eBay. I’m doing that now. I’m selling sterling silver flatwear, pewter pieces, and I’ll soon be adding jewelry and other trinkets.

If this first week of throwing out my “eBay net” works well, I’ll be digging into storage and pulling out more stuff to sell. I’m tired of being tied to so much stuff. Yeah, I have less “stuff” than most people I know and YES, I’ve sorted through it and managed to keep only the ‘best of the best’ from my collections.

But it’s still too much. I’m tired of the responsibility of it all.

My biggest desire right now is to be out of debt. COMPLETELY out of debt and it’s close. I’m almost there. So what’s the purpose of having all this stuff and having to put in extra hours to keep it insured and protected, dry and safe, to worry about it disappearing in a fire or by theft?

Life is too short.

After all, my dream is to travel light. And right now, I’m travelling pretty heavy through this life. So, if the first 7-day auctions go well, I’ll add more and continue to simplify my life. I’ll do it. I can and I will!

How much money do you need to make in 2008? How much do you want to make? Have you budgeted for expenses? Have you planned for vacation time away from work?

I just finished and filed my taxes. Yeah me! But the cooler part of that equation was that I took the tax software for 2007, and ran a few numbers for fun. Yes, I said “for fun.”

I hate taxes and bookkeeping more than the average joe… probably a lot more… but I found this process quite enjoyable. Why? Because it gave me a perspective that all the personal business planning to date hasn’t managed to offer.

How so? Let me explain…

After my taxes were complete, I saved that file for posterity (and for future reference, if needed) and renamed the file so I could play, without re-entering all the information.

First I gave some serious thought to the larger purchases I need to make for the business this year. For instance, going from a two-monitor system to a single one with my new Linux computer has been difficult. Within the next two months I plan to purchase two wide-screen monitors and a graphics card to push them to improve my efficiency when I’m online (and to eliminate any of that pesky extra deskspace I might otherwise enjoy.)

I reviewed my expenses for 2007 and determined which ones would be about the same and which ones would increase and which ones I could whittle down. I plugged my best estimations onto each category. (Which also gives me a de facto operating budget for 2008 neatly organized into tax categories, now printed out in my budget notebook!)

The next thing I did was max out my retirement contribution for 2008. (Note that IRA contributions will increase from $4000 in 2007 to $5000 in 2008, and take that into account with your final numbers.) With my expenses and my investments calculated, I then tweaked some of the other numbers to determine exactly how much money I need to make in 2008 to meet my income and savings goals without increasing my taxable income dramatically.

There are a few little spots in the income category that really bump up your taxes – to the tune of 30%+. Personally, I don’t want to work to make an extra 10K, if that means that the federal government will take $3300 of that off the top. I’d rather have a little more time to call my own.

You can also use this tool to determine how much you should put into your IRA contribution… for 2007. I found the “sweet spot” in my own contributions by plugging in various IRA contributions until I found the amount that benefited me the most in taxes without breaking my budget. Since you have until April 15th to fund that IRA, it’s crazy to pay more taxes than you must, if you can pay yourself instead!

I decided this year that rather than simply trying to make as much money as possible, I would employ the 80/20 rule. I determined the optimum income for my personal situation. I’ve been working as an independent, remote professional for eight years now. I wanted to get a bit smarter about it. I love my business, but I’m tired of it constantly encroaching on my life. I’m ready to have my cake and eat it too! Being self-employed is a tough balancing act, but your income is still merely a tool to live – even if you adore your work.

So, I decided how much time I wanted to take off this year for personal days, vacations, etc. In 2007, I took off the entire month of December. Granted, I had to move from the city back to the country during that month, but I also enjoyed a cruise vacation. As a result, I’ve decided that vacations are wonderful! Yes, I should have known that before, but I only managed to take “working” vacations in the past. I’ll not make that mistake again. Live and learn.

I deducted the number of weeks I wanted to take off this year from the available 52 to determine the number of working weeks for me in 2008. I even padded that figure a little for personal illness days, personal mental health days and days when the kids may be sick or other members of the family may need my help.

I took the number of dollars I wanted to make this year (from the tweaked numbers on the tax program) and divided that by number of work weeks I determined I would have to give me the amount of money I needed to make per week.

Then, dividing that figure by my hourly rate, I knew how many hours I needed to bill per week to meet my goals. I was surprised at the figure… and thrilled.

I also was honest enough with myself to know that I work 2-3 hours for every billable hour. Yes, I should be more efficient, but I spend many “non-billable” hours writing articles, doing research and staying on top of the industries I serve and the technologies they use. I also have an unquenchable personal thirst for such things, so I’m not as disciplined as I should be. Knowing your weaknesses and working those into your budget will make your numbers more accurate.

Now, I know how many hours I need to work per week, how many need to be billable and how many days off I can take this year without impacting my bottom line. It’s a liberating feeling. It takes the guess work out of being self-employed.

This year, I’m not going to spend my life at the computer and I’m probably going to actually enjoy more of the money I make. Yes, the software I used is based on 2007, not 2008, but it’s probably the best tool readily (and inexpensively) available to make these determinations for the small business owner.

You may want to give it a whirl yourself… after your taxes are filed.

Personally, I use TaxAct… it’s about half the cost of the leading software, it’s downloadable for immediate gratification, and I find it simple to use.

(It also keeps a running total of taxes in the top right hand corner which helps for “comparison” planning for the new year.)

Once this year is winding down, I’ll order the 2008 version and plug in my numbers to make sure I’m on track. I’ve planned my work so I can determine in October how much more I need to make, if I should invest in any additional equipment, and what needs to happen to keep me on track even with the changes in tax law. I’m actually looking forward to doing my taxes for 2008 to see how well this planning works. Me… looking forward to doing my taxes! Will wonders never cease?

Take a walk on the woodsy side with this enchanting tiny house from Whales — built by hand with straw bales, imagination and little else. Simply amazing low-impact housing with a sense of magic and wonder — and all built for 3000 British pounds.

(more…)

The new space-hungry multimedia applications coupled with consumer desire for the convenience of external “plug and play” drives have resulted in a host of new possibilities for data portability and ease of use for the remote professional.

The cost to store data is plummeting. In 2007 I saw the price of a 500 gig drive cut in half in a matter of weeks. Having the “space” to store your stuff is no longer the same issue it might have been a couple years ago.

I just picked up an external terabyte drive for under $250 and a portable drive (about the size of a deck of playing cards) that holds 250 gigs of information and cost less than $140. As an “old-time” geek, I find that incredible.

Many of the newer small portable drives don’t even require external power, so a short USB cord is all you need to carry. Simple “lipstick” flash drives with 16 gigs of storage space can be purchased without breaking the bank.

There are a number of Open Source programs that make it possible to plug in an external drive into a host computer and use the hardware (cpu, monitor, video, peripherals) to run personal programs without leaving a “footprint” behind. (For Apple fans, you can even use your iPod or your iPhone to run the software!)

What does this mean for you? You can now buy an external drive of any size that meets your needs and carry it to a client’s site rather than carrying an entire computer. You can also take it on a trip, to a library, or even to a friend’s house. You can plug it in any usb drive to open and run files, perform diagnostics, access your personal data, send emails, look up your usernames and passwords and never leave any trace of your personal information on your client’s computer. You are simply “borrowing” the hardware to view, edit and manipulate your information – the software programs and data reside on your drive.

If you are new to “portable apps” and would like a basic tour, visit http://portableapps.com/ to get an “all in one” package of applications for Windows OS and Mac OS (Linux is coming soon). My favorites from this line-up are:

• GIMP Portable – an image and graphics manipulation program (it’s the program I use, full size, in my office)
• FileZilla Portable– the best, easiest FTP client I’ve ever used
• Miranda IM Portable – IM from anywhere!
• Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition – my favorite browser in a portable platform
• Mozilla Thunderbird, Portable Edition – take your email with you (get the version with an address book)
• MPlayer Portable – I’ve been a fan of this program since my Treo days, when it was the only program that made movies work seamlessly on my smartphone.
• VLC Media Player Portable – great portable option for multi-media entertainment (and the one I use on my Linux box)
• OpenOffice.org Portable – all the office software basics in your pocket (and compatible with the commercial “big boys”)
• 7-Zip Portable – compression/archiving program to manipulate most common file extensions.
• KeePass Password Safe Portable– I love this program on my main computer and find it handy to be able to take this secure, encrypted file with all my critical data wherever I go.

If you are a rebel and would like to pick and choose your own apps, try any of the following websites to pick and choose your programs for any use:

• http://pendriveapps.com/
• http://www.portablefreeware.com/
• http://www.usbspace.com/
• http://www.no-install.com/ (requires registration)

You may also want to use the portable option to try out new or beta software without risking your main machine’s set up. Lifehacker offers an example on safely trying the Firefox 3 beta from a flashdrive.

If you are interested in running Linux on a portable, check out http://www.pendrivelinux.com/ for more information.

To keep your data secure on these small (and infinitely easy-to-misplace) devices, install a copy of TrueCrypt, a highly-acclaimed opensource “on-the-fly” encryption program – just in case.

Now you know how to work from anywhere by borrowing a computer, rather than lugging your own, without any worry about privacy or confidentiality issues for your data or your client data. And, when you are finished working you simply pull your drive from the USB port and take it with you. Now THAT is portability!

If you (like me) have considered incorporating on multiple occasions, you may be interested in some information about the tax and simplicity benefits of staying ’solo’ in the legal organization of your business.

Learn more about tax benefits for sole proprietorships.

It’s been many weeks since I’ve shared any Friday finds. I’d like to remedy that now. I’ve taken some of the “down” time this week to catch up on what’s going on around the web. Granted, I’ve allowed myself to lag behind a bit in recent months, but I’m back!

Today, I’m sharing a few entertainment finds across the web. (more…)

I am thankful. I’m working on my farm today. I’m getting my cabin ready to move it. It’s a long, arduous process. It refuses to meet any of my self-imposed deadlines, but it is progressing.

How many people can honestly say that the house they inhabit is paid off? How many people own a mortgage — or are owned by one?

My little cabin is tiny, it’s true. It doesn’t have many of the amenities considered “essential” in the modern world of the USA. It has everything I need. It’s warm and weather proof, it has places to go and be alone — with doors to close. It has a good sized gathering-place kitchen that dominates the whole first floor (which isn’t that big, so don’t be too impressed). (more…)