Archive for May, 2009
Written on May 26, 2009 by Will Irvin
Filed Under: Simple Living
Is the thing keeping you from embarking on a freelancing career the fact that you are afraid you won’t make enough money to meet your needs? Perhaps you should reconsider what is a need, and what is just stuff. I touched briefly on this topic in my article on Simplifying Your Stuff, but I’m going to go into a little more detail here. The basic concept is to look at how much time, money, and energy you have to spend to possess things, and deciding whether or not you’re getting enough enjoyment out of those things to justify it. Read More
Written on May 22, 2009 by Will Irvin
Filed Under: Working To Live
You may be reading the title of this article thinking what the heck is TANSTAAFL? It’s an acronym for There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. When it comes to the world of freelancing and working from home, nothing could be more true. It’s really a nice way of saying that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Read More
Written on May 20, 2009 by Will Irvin
Filed Under: Working To Live
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate Marketing is simply promoting other people’s stuff. It’s really an ideal business model for someone who doesn’t want to keep any inventory, or produce a product, or arrange drop shipping for other people’s products. “All you have to do” is convince visitors to your website, blog, or email mailing list to click on the links or banners that you have provided and buy the product or service that you are promoting. A special code (your affiliate ID) will be embedded in the link, and you will receive a commission from the sale. Read More
Written on May 8, 2009 by Will Irvin
Filed Under: Green Living
Who would have thought that the words of a beloved muppet would ring so true today? I’m encouraged to see the increased number of people with the desire to “go green” today. Whether or not you believe that global warming is real (I do), the only way to provide a more sustainable planet for ourselves and our future generations is to go green, and the sooner the better. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not easy. To fully go green requires you to make some very difficult decisions, and in reality, requires you to make some serious lifestyle changes.
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Written on May 8, 2009 by Will Irvin
Filed Under: Working To Live
If you are like many working people today, you would like to make more money at your current job. Who wouldn’t? Maybe you’ve been on the low end of the spectrum relative to your co-workers when raises are handed out, or maybe you’ve been passed over for promotion while others are moving ahead. Perhaps you’ve seen your workload increase with no corresponding increase in compensation. Whatever your reasons are, you are always entitled to ask for a raise. The keys are how you approach it, and how you handle the answer you get.
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Written on May 6, 2009 by Will Irvin
Filed Under: Simple Living
Once you’ve decided what you need to keep and what you need to get rid of, what do you do with the stuff that has to go? There are several options, actually, which are largely dependent on whether or not the item has any monetary value.
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Written on May 6, 2009 by Will Irvin
Filed Under: Simple Living
“We Have Too Much Stuff”
Have you ever just felt like you have too much stuff? Too much junk? Too much stuff you “might use one day”? I am a self-admitted pack rat, and so is Karen. This aspect has taken the most discipline on both our parts to simplify.
Unless you are independently wealthy, and can afford to buy whatever you need or want, whenever you want, you probably hang on to your stuff long after it is useful, or even usable. Because we work hard for our money, we tend to place more importance on our “stuff” than is really warranted. Upon closer consideration you may discover that you can easily get rid of a large portion of the “stuff” you have laying around taking up space in your home. No only will it make your home cleaner, but you may clear out enough space to turn a room into something even more useful, such as an office, a sewing room, a guest bedroom, or a library. You may clear out enough room in your garage to build a workshop or an area to work on your favorite hobby.
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Written on May 6, 2009 by Will Irvin
Filed Under: Simple Living
Time is the only thing they truly aren’t making any more of. There have always been 24 hours in a day, and there always will be. The quality of our lives depends in large part on how we choose to spend each one of those 24 hours. There are certain things we have to co, such as sleep and eat, but even those are subject to modification to make better use of our time. On the other hand, there are the things we choose to do. It is in these areas that we have the greatest opportunity to make changes for the better.
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