My Weekend Journal

"Times are tough." We commonly hear this line from housewives who are responsible in taking care of the household budget and that do not exclude me. With the increasing prices of common commodities and the monthly bills, I do find it hard to adjust the family needs according to our budget. With my great desire to augment our income, I browsed the internet for sidelines or part-time job. There were so many opportunities available but choosing the right one was not as easy as it seems. I was lucky enough to find one that perfectly fits my skills, interests and time. While I was doing my online job hunting, I found an excellent opportunity for mothers and students. I feel much obliged to share this income opportunity as I know and feel the need for one. This opportunity allows us to sell textbooks . What really got me interested with this opportunity is that we could sell our own used textbooks through legitimate online bookstores. I've seen people sell used textbooks at...

Congratulations to all the graduates! You are now a step closer to your dreams! My most memorable graduation day was my high school graduation. It was both the happiest and the most painful celebration I ever had. It was the happiest because finally, after four years in high school, I will soon be in college and I would be closer to my dreams! It was the most painful because I know I won't see some of my precious friends after graduation. Most of my friends will go to other universities for college and I will be left on my dear alma matter. However, some would stay in the same university but it is still sad because we would not be complete anymore. Everyone who had been in high school would surely know how high school friends bond together and understand the feelings of leaving each other behind. My friends took engineering, accountancy, education, occupational therapy and, most of them, nursing courses. My passion for nursing is not as high as them. It is not because I don...

[photo: express.howstuffworks.com] Got this from The Wall Street Journal and thought of sharing this to you. I agree that teaching kids about money will help them become responsible when they grow up. Understanding the stock market at an early stage is not really a kids' stuff so I would better wait for them to grow much older. However, we could always teach our kids some ways on how to earn money. There are many ways for kids to earn money and a good example is selling food item kids would love. When I was in grade school, I sell chocolates, chocolate-coated biscuits and yemas . My classmates were sweet lovers and they always buy from me. At the end of the day, all my stocks were sold and I'm left with an empty chocolate container and a box full of money. Pretty cool! Ryan Snook Adapted from "Piggybanking: Preparing Your Financial Life for Your Kids, and Your Kids for a Financial Life." Copyright 2010 by Jeff D. Opdyke. Published by Harper Business, an imprint...

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of IZEA . All opinions are 100% mine. I joined SocialSpark last February 5th. I was enticed to sign-up after learning that there are great writing opportunities here and the pay is better than any other pay to blog sites. Signing up was quick and easy. I only spent less than 15 minutes filling the required information about me and my blog. The most basic and important step is to claim your blog and update your profile. Just follow the simple instructions and you are good to go! As excited as I am, I then browsed the opportunities. The first opportunity on my list is writing about my experience here. This opportunity is open to all new members like me. It is like a welcome gift to anyone who just joined. However, at that time, there were no available slots for me. This did not cause me to worry because I could still request for a slot. I just clicked an icon on the sidebar and I was on queue. All I have to do is to wait. While ...

In our homes, we rely on electricity to power our lights, appliances, and electronics and to provide our homes with hot water, heat, and air conditioning. As we use more electricity in our homes, our electric bills rise. In these tough times, any energy saving tips would be of great help in cutting down expenses and energy bills. In my search on ways to save energy , I found Microsoft Hohm. It is a beta application that uses the advanced analytics licensed from Lawrence Berkeley Labs as well as the home energy simulation calculator devised by the Department of Energy, and incorporates over 200 variables in its estimations. I signed up for a FREE account and with just a few clicks, I started to learn many ways on how to reduce my home energy and save on my energy bills. It provided me suggestions and energy-saving habits to improve my home’s energy efficiency based on my current home profile. There are several ways to reduce electricity use in your home and save on energy bills. Y...

Times are tough. With prices of common commodities constantly on the rise, most homemakers, even those with regular jobs, find it hard to make ends meet. Planning the household budget is not an easy task but it is imperative to have a good budget plan. I do admit that I am one of those people who have less fascination with financial management. I spend on a daily basis without keeping track of the expenditures. Now I realized the significance of having a monthly budget plan since we are earning on a monthly basis. The planning method shared to me by a great mentor is so basic. You do not need to hire a financial planner, as this would only become an addition to your expenses. All you need are envelops! Yes, envelops each labeled with the household expenses like food, house amortization, electric bills, water bills, education, transportation allowance, groceries, etc., and the most important but the often-neglected part of the budget, savings! If you need money to spend for the f...

Good financial management is one of the best things that we can do for ourselves. Today is a perfect time to start fresh with good financial planning and money management that will pay off throughout the year. Here is some practical guide for homemakers like me. May this help you set up a plan to reach your financial goals and eliminate roadblocks to your success. 1. Check your accounts at financial institutions like banks, credit unions, brokerage firms, credit card companies, etc. and update your contact information to reflect any changes in your mailing, physical and e-mail addresses. 2. Review all your insurance policies and ensure that they are consistent with your insurance needs. Update your coverage, contact information and beneficiaries, if necessary. 3. Check your credit scores and correct any discrepancies reported on your credit report. You may request your free credit report online or request your credit report through mail. 4. Get in the habit of balancing your...