Forget a 5-day week!

Yesterday I had a very interesting conversation with a friend, who works in a 9-5 job. No, the conversation wasn't enlightening in any sense of knowledge exchange, but one thing struck me.
When I mentioned we had to go as we work 7 days a week, I was faced with disbelief.

Yes, we do and I don't mean we carry around a sack of potatoes 8 hours per day, seven days a week.

We work even harder, as our work involves thinking and planning. And it takes a lot of effort, mental effort. We call this time: "Our Brainstorming Session". Whatever comes to our minds, we write it down to be evaluated later on. I had an idea which we are investigating further, to see if it's viable.
If it is, it's going to be changed into business, to add another string to the bow. And to make money, of course.

Consulting and intervention

Everyone has a unique skill or talent that can be turned into profits. The most difficult thing is finding out what you are really good at and turning your skill into business. I do it myself on my own terms and when I want to. How bad is that?

A word of warning: you must be good at what you are offering. Any half-baked ideas shouldn't be presented to the public unless you know what you are doing. At the same time, don't wait until you become a top expert. Make a start and decide to devote, let's say an hour a day, towards self-improvement. Read the books written by people you admire. Learn from them. Know where you want to excel, then get your head (and hands stuck into it).

And if you cannot find out an idea for an additional business, to compliment what you are already doing, ask your friends, relatives. Go back in your memory and try to remind yourself of all the events that brought you admiration of others. Follow your passion to the bank.

Being frugal with clothes

Lots of savings can be made on clothes. If you have children, you can save or spend a fortune on clothes. A thing to remember: designer label clothes are getting as muddy when you are playing football as cheap ones. What's more: your children can enjoy freedom of getting dirty when they know that you are not going to scold them for getting messy. Plus you will save yourself money by not ruining branded clothes. Unless you are a loaded celebrity, it makes no sense to dress the children in top gear. But it's my opinion, which you don't have to agree with

The same thing applies to grown-ups. Obviously, for office work you need to dress smartly, but you still don't have to go over the top. If you spend on clothes as if there was no tomorrow, don't be surprised when you see your credit card bill. And once you are sucked in by interest payments, you are losing money constantly. That's the beauty and ugliness of compound interest. It's always better to have it on your side than against you.

Anyway, it's the attitude to clothes that counts. Some people judge others by what they are wearing.
To be honest, I treasure my second-hand jumper most. It was given to me by my friend, who, even though she can afford to buy new things, purchases clothes from charity shops, simply because she wants to support them. It's pretty obvious I don't wear it everywhere, but the point I am trying to make is: don't buy clothes for the sake of buying. Fashion comes and goes. Debt on cards stays.

Earning £1 or saving a pound?

I'll ask you the question: is it easier to earn £1 or to save it?

It's easier to save a pound. Savings can be performed effortlessly without downgrading your life style.

Questions you need to ask yourself: are you living within your means? Do you know the value of each pound? Are you frugal with living expenses?

If you go for grocery shopping and  throw away rotten vegetable or fruit, you should be looking at it as if you were throwing cash into the bin.I am not asking you to eat food that went off, but to plan ahead and eat it before it goes off. Throwing food away is awful. It's wasteful and immoral considering there are people who suffer from hunger. Your first saving can be made by not buying what you are not going to eat. Stop falling for marketing B.S. that encourages you to buy everything you see. For a month, whenever you go food shopping, stick to the list and refuse to buy in excess. Don't waste any food. Keep all your bills and at the end of the month see how much you saved. You'll be amazed.

Find money in rubbish being dumped

For the last few years we are complimenting our income with money "found" in discarded items. The truth is what is being thrown away, with a little effort, adds to our pile of items that can be turned into cash. No, I am not suggesting rummaging through dustbins, but looking at a bigger picture and asking yourself: what can I recycle and bring in money? While my husband is delivering some items, collecting "rubbish", I sort it out, leaving "gems" to exchange them for money. In the UK you are required by law to possess a licence to discard rubbish and to get paid for scrapping, but providing you have a legitimate business, getting a permission is only a formality. If you think it is not worthwhile, just wait for a right opportunity. I will make some money in the meantime.

Hidden treasures

Half-term I spent redecorating my son's room. As much as I didn't enjoy the process, I was pleased with the final result. Anyway, to cut a long story short: I found lots of rubbish, I admit, but also a few treasures. Meaning items that could be turned into money. And I am not talking about top range smart phones, as nobody in my family has them, but about some toys, collectables, anything still in good shape that can be turned into cash. You wouldn't believe what people buy on eBay! This thorough cleaning allowed me to think about some more steps I could take to make money.

 My idea of going through "junk" is not new, but hardly any people can be bothered to do something about no longer used items that are just taking space at their home, garage, attic. Even no longer wanted books can be put on Amazon for sale. It may take some time before they are bought, but as long as you don't need room immediately, it's worth putting them aside ready for sale.

 The way of working changes all the time. Supposedly secure jobs are gone at a wink, so it is by far and large better to keep your eggs in a few nests instead of relying on just one stream of income. As soon as you are made redundant, your world collapses, as you have no other plan to live and earn. You are constantly dependent on your 9-5 job, feeling nice and cosy until something happens. Your thinking is limited to the job you are doing. You concentrate on it and are happy when the pay-cheque arrives. But when it doesn't? Immediate panic, unless you have some money put aside for a rainy day. How many people have it though?

 So do what I do. Keep your job, but at the same time start thinking "outside the box". Whenever I walk around my house or strolling outside, I keep on thinking how to turn opportunities that appear into gold.

Then I take action.

Am I always happy with the results? No, unfortunately not, but by doing something instead of sitting and complaining I stand more chance of success. When you discover what works, concentrate on it and dump whatever takes your time but doesn't bring any results (=money).

 Do it now.

Go with the flow

Last month I received a notification of payment due. After a couple of days another notification landed in my inbox. I couldn't figure out the amount until I received an online statement. It gave me a kick to do more in the same field. If it works, why try to reinvent the wheel? Funny thing, when I mentioned this way of bringing money in to somebody from my team, I was faced with the statement: "There is too much competition." Competition is everywhere. You really have to be lucky to come up with something very unique that people are really hungry for. For most of the time, everyone is fighting to win the customers. Why you need to do it? Give the customers what they want, what they need. Don't expect them to be interested in e.g.basketball only because it's your favourite game. Listen to your customers and give them what they want, even if it's totally out of your comfort zone. I have a number of books on Kindle. The best sellers are not what I expected. But as soon as I discovered what people are after, I gave it to them. So go with the flow. Give your customers what they are asking for. Money will follow.

Consistency pays off!

It's been ages since I visited my blogs as I was busy doing other things. Things that bring money. Not huge amounts all at once, but consistently dropping a few pence here and there.
While the nation is slumped in front of the TV watching some more rubbish, I am working.
Do I see the results immediately? No, unfortunately not. It takes a lot of effort to start the momentum. Once you start, though, there is no stopping you.

Let's face it: you will not make a fortune within seconds or days. If you want to be rich, you need to plan, you need to have a vision of what you want and what you are prepared to give in return. There is nothing free in this world, so stop dreaming and get yourself moving.

There is nothing more encouraging than the notifications that come into your inbox telling you about a payment that is due to you. A few years back, I thought it was fiction, another marketing strategy to get clients and offer them false ideas. It's happening now to me. And it gives me this little push to do some more. To resist the temptation to watch another brainless program in favour of working.