Even though the cars are not kept in there, we enter and exit our house through the garage.  In inclement weather we are protected while we put our shoes on and off and stay a little warmer while Dad fumbles with the house keys trying to get inside.  We also keep all our shoes out there.  Our bare feet and socks often meet the garage floor when we walk out to find the perfect footwear, and dust from the garage floor often sticks and finds its way into the house later.  At least is USED to until my husband painted the garage floor.  I don't know what it is - maybe because it is smoother it sweeps up better and doesn't collect dirt - but our socks are staying cleaner and so is my house.  The painted garage floor looks so much better too. I would actually love to have a big mud room or some other place big enough to keep all our shoes and get our feet ready to go. Until then, the garage is the best I've got.

I am not a big fan of diamonds, as I mentioned before, but I do like jewelry.  Blingy jewelry, simple jewelry, costume jewelry, cheap jewelry - it's all good to me, especially if it SAYS something about me. My favorite gift of the holiday season was an $8 ring my daughter surprised me with from Target. 

Even though I love the look of the ring, the real gift is that my daughter knows me so well that she picked out something that represents me so perfectly with the blingy black, silver, and pearl peace sign. What was your favorite gift of the season?

 

In the game area where we play Wii the tv stands free on a flimsy cabinet and I worry that in the heat of competition, someone is going to knock the tv right over and smash it it to bits like the Youtube videos I have seen. And laughed hysterically at.

So far we have managed to control ourselves but it does get pretty active. I am looking for a more sturdy entertainment center before our luck runs out.  I wonder if there has been an increase in broken televensions since the popularity of the Wii. Have you had any close calls?  What precautions do you take?

What would you rather have... a Samsung led hdtv? Or a flu free winter?

Doesn't that sound like a dumb question? There is nothing more important than our health. We spend billions of dollars on it each year on doctor appointments, therapy, prescriptions, diet aids, etc.  Who would sacrifice all that for a television?

I totally would! I also believe that in a time like this of stressed economy and cutting back - cable TV is too important to let go.  Cut back on your package maybe, but don't say goodbye!

We're making all kinds of sacrifices.  Bill collectors are calling. Were fighting with our spouses.  We NEED levity in order to carry on. When I feel like giving up, a quick does of Will & Grace, or Ellen, or a music video is what zaps me out of my funk and sends me off to work or clears my mind so that I can come up with the solution to whatever problem has me down.

I am not even a tv junkie. I don't don't have time to watch it on a regular basis.  But when I need it, it is there. In high def clear picture with a zillion channels.

What tiny, simple thing keeps you going when things get tough?

I have tried a lot of home businesses and money making opportunities and in my opinion, even the work at home scams are legitimate, if you are willing to put i  the time and effort.  Many of the scams are deemed such because they are misleading about the ease of the scheme. Bot if you actually DO the work, you can earn money. How much and how quick is up to you.

That said... there are a lot of things that although legitimate I either do not enjoy doing or do not feel good about doing. This should be considered when contemplating work from home opportunities.

My best investment in work at home business was the medical coding training courses I took in 1996.  By the time I adopted my children in 2003 I could no longer keep up with the work without an assistant and bigger office and I was bringing in $3,000 a month working for myself.

Heres the nitty gritty of it though. When I took the classes we were told we would make a TON of money (red flag #1) and that is would be super simple to do that a monkey could do it. (red flag #2) Even this class that set me on my entrepreneurial way could be called a scam because it was only partially true.

First of all - before you can do the easy monkey work you have to get clients. Try walking into a doctor's office with zero experience in the medical field or any coding experience and see what happens.  I had experience in both of those things and I had to beg, schmooze and barter to get business.  But then, the more business and good referrals I collected, the easier each new client came.

Secondly - although the act of typing forms or plugging in fields on the fancy schmancy software is a breeze A) You have to have an understanding of th terminology and practices because despite what your instructor tells you, the doctor is not always going to give you all the information you need to file the claim. S/He he wants a biller that HE can count on for advice.  and B) Once the claim is perfectly submitted you have to learn how to fight with the insurance companies to actually get paid because they will reject them for no good reason. 

Thirdly - An entrepreneurial spirit is a plus. I didn't make all that money just from filing insurance claims.  I had medical and office management experience.  Medical billing got me in the door and I spun that into temping and consulting. 

If you have familiarity in tome area of the medical field you can definitely build a career from medical billing.  If you don't have experience you still can but you have to have patience and it will depend on your ability to sell yourself.  

What is your experience with home based businesses?