New Years Resolutions 2016!

I love lists. I'm a chronic list maker...there I said it, it's my dirty little secret. I guess that's why I love making New years Resolutions. With the New Year, I feel revived...like I can leave last year behind and start with a clean slate. This past year was jam packed full of joys, disappointments, new beginnings, broekn relationships, mending relationships and working really hard on my goals that I set many years ago. Every year I feel like I get closer and closer those goals I set a long time ago. While some have been checked off the list, I still add more and never feel like I will ever be quite where I want to be, I feel like there is always room to learn, grow and improve. What do I feel like I got done this year? I think the last few months were by far the most productive. I feel like I got more comfortable with being divorced, after being in a relationship it has been weird having my own place after an 18 year relationship. I feel like I have made a lot of progress professionally. The first part of the year started off with me working as a sales rep for a technology company. After my youngest son getting really sick, being hospitalized and my other son being diagnosed with Autism, I decided to make some serious changes this summer. I quit my job and started writing, working on side businesses like ebay and etsy more and built some websites, got into youtube, I also got more into social media marketing and have found love in graphic design. I started new business ventures, I started mommiesfrugalfinds.com with very little help which I am proud to say I now love wordpress! I'm feeling more and more like I computer nerd. I'm getting into video editing, which I love! I also wrote several ebooks. I also went back to school to finish my B.A in marketing and finance, a goal that was put on the back burner after personal issues like divorce and moving. Overall, it was a pretty well rounded year. I do feel like I could have worked harder on building and maintaining relationships though. I think my mind has been so consumed with work that I can't think about anything else. Once I have the foundation built then I can take a step back and well, breathe. Right now my main focus is on social media marketing, affilate marketing, and fine tuning everything I have in place. Here are some goals I have for this year. I hope they inspire you in some way if you are also looking for ways to transition into freelancing or starting your own business venture. #1 Continue working on building multiple steams of income as well as building passive income streams #2 Finish degree #3 Maintain blogs and websites and hire one person to help with that #4 Write more ebooks on money saving and work at home opportunities #5 Buy a new car #6 Go on a real vacation (probably to L.A.again) #7 Go to Fincon (may or may not happen) #8 Take on more writing work and blog work #9 Write an ecourse on building multiple streams of income #10 Get better at youtube and video editing as well as social media marketing #11 save more money #12 Become a better writer and blogger and make more connections within the field.

Creating Multiple Steams of Income ( my journey)

After writing Mommies Frugal Finds for so long (a money saving blog). I came to the conclusion that it was important not only to address saving money, but, making money! Sometimes you have to look at your life and decide which of these two needs your main focus should be. Should I focus on saving money? Or do I just need more income? Really the answer probably is both but for me right now my main focus is creating more long term income. Yes, i still bargain shop and use coupons as well as many other money saving techniques (see mommiesfrugalf inds.blogspot.com for more on that). Let's ask you a couple questions that can help you decide what your MAIN focus should be right now. Do you always feel like there is never enough time in the day? you probably already work a lot so saving and budgeting is probably the answer Do you feel as though you are living paycheck to paycheck? this could be either Do you feel like you over spend? the answer is probably a better budgeting plan Do you have more time than money? The answer is probably working more and/ finding more ways to generate income Ok so lets get down to it. If you work a lot of hours and theres no time left in your day. You need ro cut your spending first focus on your excess spending. Does your bank break your spending into catergories to track spending? If not find another banknor use a website like mint.com Track your spending for a solid month then see where you can scale back. Your fixed expenses like your mortgage and car payment (if you have one, i don't, more on that later). There usually are only a few that are set in stone. Then you have some that are a little more flexible, or negotiable, like credit cards, student loans, medical bills, etc. meaning you could pick up the phone and get a lower payment, more time to pay, etc. depending on your negotiating skills. Then there are things like food, clothing, and household items that you can cut back on. Maybe eat out less, meal plan, use coupons, for clothing shop at consignment stores, garage sales and thrift stores. There are so many ways to save. The first step is setting up a realistic budget that will work for your lifestyle. Next, lets talk about making more money. How do I do that you may be asking. Think about what your hobbies are. If you won the lottery tomorrow. How would you spend your days? Would you be traveling? Would you be reading. Writing that best selling novel you've always dreamed of writing? maybe you love being in front of the camera. Could you be the next youtube star? The key is find your passion and turn that into profit. I love to write. So I blog your myself and others. I love to help others and I find joy in writing these posts. I write for Amazon self publishing. I have written for ehow until it was sold to Demand Media. If you write there is a plethora of opportunites to make money at home, and build long term income. I eill do another sepearte post on this and maybe a vlog. I love to sew, so design, sew and sell clothing and accessories on etsy. I am thinking about taking this in a new direction with my own website but I also considered setting up an ebay store. Ebay, this is something that you can do as well to bring in extra monthly income i only make $100-$200 but money is money, it all adds yo. I probably spend about five hours a week on it. If you think about it thats a pretty nice hourly wage. If I deducated more time to it i could really build a decent side income. I have made enough fr ebay for a vacation so it is possible. Babysitting. I personally don't do this but if you are a stay at home mom. It's worth considering. Direct sales. This is something that I'm really looking into Ones I'm considering.... Nerium Avon Scentsy Younique Beach body There is not one way to make extra money. Do your research. It depends on your skills. The time you have. As well as how it will work with your lifestyle. I will be doing more posts on this subject soon.