Brake

Currently my main vehicle is a company car, so it is easy to keep up maintenance because I don't have to pay for servicing, new tyres etc.. However there were always two areas that I would not skimp on even when I was paying for my own maintenance, these were tyres (tires for our American cousins) and brakes. If there was any suggestion of wear on tyres or brakes, I would have them serviced without second thought.
As I plan to acquire a second family vehicle soon, I will be ensuring that tyres and brakes are in pristine condition before even turning the ignition key.

Steel Buildings

As a viable way to add outbuildings to a property, steel buildings can be erected quickly and easily and come in all types of pre-fabricated shapes and sizes.
Building an extension to your home can be extremely expensive, time consuming and highly stressful. Acquiring a pre-made outbuilding that just requires assembling is a cinch in comparison. These can range from a simple garage right up to a prefabricated warehouse, office blocks or even a church!

Speaker Stands

Hi-Fi has changed with the influx of compressed music (MP3), the concept of high-end audio has changed a great deal over the last decade or so.
The most popular form of music nowadays is low-quality and carried around on mobile phones, MP3 players, laptop computers and memory sticks. Yet the market for high-end audio is not dead, it still captures the imagination of the older generation who still remember vinyl.

With audio becoming more 'niche', components have started to look more appealing, even speaker stands have become statements of art rather than mere functional objects. Valves have reappeared in amplifiers with some manufacturers even claiming they put the 'warmth' back into compressed digital music files.

Wrestling Bags

Until I started this internet search today, I wasn't even aware that there were specific wrestling bags that could be purchased. A nephew of mine is into his wrestling in a big way and wanted a wrestling bag for his birthday. When I had completed the search I realised that a wrestling bag is pretty much like any other sports bag, but with subtle differences and obviously the right 'branding'. It is quite amazing how each sport generates a demand for kit, nevertheless, this 'Asics' bag certainly looks the part - I hope the nephew will be happy with it!

End of Financial Year Approaching

With the end of the financial year approaching I am going to make one final change to the way I report income. I have to record income from the end of March to the start of April for tax purposes, and I have been recording income for the calendar year (January to December) for my 'Munny4Hunny' reports - I am going to combine these now and just report income for the financial year. This means that at the end of this month, I will be reporting my annual income - this will be the same figure that I will be submitting on my tax return for the year.
I expect a bumper income this month as I have done quite a few cassettes and quite a lot of paid posting in the last few weeks - watch this space for what could easily be one of my best monthly earnings figures for a long time...

Franchises

There a host of ways to set up a business, from starting a business from home, buying an existing business or investing in franchises. Franchises are available for any type of on-line or offline businesses from cleaning businesses to tutoring businesses and just about anything you can think of.
The advantage of a franchise is that someone has already thought out the business model for you (and it usually works), and it comes with it's own corporate image that you can use. Of course, the down-side is that you will have to pay the developer for the model.
Franchises are not for the timid, they are for people who have determination and a bit of spare cash, but who maybe do not have the sort of creativity that could get a business going from scratch.

Baby Jogger

Although when you first have a baby, you are unlikely to forget to get yourself a pram - it's only when your child begins to grow a bit, and you realise that a pram is actually quite a large beast to drag around, that you appreciate how much easier a stroller like the baby jogger city select would be. We found a stroller to be far more valuable than a pram - it's a lot easier to get onto buses and into the boot of the car, it makes journeys quicker and less stressful, and if there's one thing Mum can do without - it's more stress!

SSDI

If you are struggling to get the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) that you think you are entitled to, or just need some clarification on entitlements, there are online services that can help.
Using an online service can open up resources that you previously were not aware of, and can help you make sense of all the 'red-tape' involved in processing a claim.

Emergency Medical Assistance

Primarily set up for owners of RV's (Recreational Vehicles), 'Good Sam' is now offering emergency medical assistance to compliment it's existing services of breakdown cover and vehicle insurance.

Obviously, you never know when this type of cover is going to be needed, or even if it will be needed at all. What needs to be considered is the questions 'what might I lose by not having cover?'. The answer to this question should then be compared to the cost of the cover... this little exercise should tell you if you need the insurance.

Hydroponics

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, either growing them in a solution of water and nutrients, or in an inert material such as gravel. This method has been used commercially to grow fruit and vegetables, although almost any plant can be grown in this way.
It is probably best known as a method of growing substances that are not entirely legal, however the method itself is widely recognised as a legitimate growing process.

The truth about making money...

It's worth mentioning (in case you hadn't realised) that although the Internet is always banging on about making money, maximising profits and working your mailing lists blah blah blah..., life is not ALL about money. In fact the truth is that, those who are focusing JUST on making money, will probably fall by the wayside fairly early on in the adventure.
The reality is that it is a LOT easier to make money with a regular job then it is to make money online, and if you pour the required level of energy into online projects, you may forget to actually have a life.
It pays every so often just to take a look at the 'cost' of online earnings, and if family life is suffering, or your health, then the real cost of making a few extra dollars may be too high. This is why I am always looking for passive income that can be left to build itself, although even passive income can be high maintenance at the start.
'Success' is illusory, as is 'failure' - both of these terms are relative rather than absolute. In fact I would go as far to say that success means nothing without failure. I heard a story about a famous Hollywood star who was addressing graduates of an expensive educational establishment. It was acknowledged that these privileged individuals were bound for 'success' because of their background as long as they put a little effort in. However, the point was also made that there is a difference between 'success' and making a positive impact on the world. From one who has demonstrable 'success' in worldly terms, it is poignant that 'positivity' is now regarded (at least by this ONE successful individual) as being far more valuable.
This is true of almost anyone who has apparently 'made it' and explains why there are so many troubled (but apparently successful) souls out there. I firmly believe that the Internet is a good for making money, but I also believe that there are plenty of things that are far more important.

Le Creuset sets

I remember a friend of mine getting a Le Creuset set as a wedding present many years ago, I was envious then, and this iconic kitchenware has lost none of it's appeal over the years.
For anyone that takes an interest in cookery of any type or region, Le Creuset represents an ageless and unique style that I don't think any other manufacturer has even attempted to copy.
With their ultra-solid construction and attractive earthy colouring, in my opinion, Le Creuset kitchenware not only exudes good 'taste', but a sense of fun too.

Chamilia Beads

I have been looking at these stunning chamilia beads as a gift idea for Mother's Day - coming soon in the UK, Mothers Day always seems to sneak up on me and I never can think of a suitable gift.
You string these beads together a bit like charm bracelets that people used to wear, there are all sorts of little characters to collect, letters of the alphabet, decorative ones like the illustration, and figures of vehicles, animals and the like.
You can make up someones name or favourite animals - make it your own private joke and intersperse the meaningful characters with little decorative ones. The perfect individualised and unique gift, and like traditional charm bracelets, you can even add to it year by year.

Acne treatments

Not everyone will need specific acne treatments, although most of us have, or will suffer acne in some form during our lives. In fact, for most of us regular washing with some cleansing lotions whilst fighting with raging hormones for a few short months is enough. For others, acne can be both distressing and disfiguring leading to courses of treatments not only during puberty, but also much later in adult life.
Like all medication, treatments for acne should be thoroughly researched before a course is undertaken, and it is strongly recommended that professional medical assistance is sought beforehand.

Cigar Humidors

If you are looking for that special gift, something a bit different - how about cigar humidors as a gift for the man who has everything (assuming he likes the odd cigar of course). If he already has a traditional box-style humidor - what about the one pictured here, a compact version that carries just four cigars?
Humidors are the essential accessory for the cigar-lover as they are perfect for keeping the cigars fresher for longer.

Making Money Online - 4 years on...

I don't really have anything as grand as a strategy, but the scatter-gun approach I had at the beginning of my quest to make money online has become a little more refined over the years.
Also trends change, and what worked once, often starts to lose momentum (as I am finding with Adsense earnings at the moment).
My current 'business plan' consists of having a steady but small income from paid posting, usually made up entirely of opps from 'PayU2Blog', added to which a combination of fixed and contextual adverts pays me about £20 a month.
This fairly regular but small revenue is supplemented by my mail-order service (converting tapes into CD's) which is extremely variable - anything from about £10 to a couple of hundred is possible. I have one or two other insignificant 'strings' to my revenue bow, which includes eBay partnership and one remaining survey company. I had decided to cease doing surveys altogether, but I think I may well keep the one remaining survey company (YouGov) as out of all the survey companies, I find they pay the best.
For the future, I have plans to extend my money-making base which will give me reason to drop some of the less well-paying (and more time-consuming) schemes. My future plans are geared mostly towards passive income, as this is the type of project that makes the most sense to me in the long-run. It would be nice to be able to sit back and watch the money rolling in without having to make any effort - I'm sure most people can see the sense in that!
Currently, my best months are those where I get a good number of cassettes to do, and when I get 'extra' opps from PU2B. If you fulfill your quote of opps quickly with PU2B, you frequently get chances to complete extra opps that have not been completed in time by others. Right now, I have about 13 posts to complete of this type which will be a real boost to earnings. I am well aware that the time spent doing these could be spent completing outstanding projects, but I am using the 'bird in the hand' philosophy - ie. I can make money now, and worry about progressing projects when there is no money to be made by other means...
In the next few months, I need to be close to gathering my last remaining site under my one 'umbrella' multi-site hosting plan - this will mean that I must be doing a bit of work in the background, but the benefits in saved hosting charges will be tremendous - this represents a major re-working of how my cassette to CD operation works, but I fully intend to use the opportunity to open up more avenues for passive income.
It will mean buying more domains, but for the savings I will make in hosting fees, I can afford to buy plenty of domains...
I will be posting more about my 'unlimited' hosting plan in future posts as this will soon become the central hub of all my sites (apart from the blogs, for which I am grateful to 'blogger' for their free hosting).

Horse-play

All your equestrian needs can be met online through specialist outlets regardless of your location.
Whatever your pastime, a special trip to a neighbouring district is no longer required since we are all part of a global village. Even purchasing from another country has become a lot easier, so it is possible to get different equipment and to get the keenest global pricing.
This is great news for UK consumers who are able to easily buy equipment from US suppliers who offer high quality goods at low prices.

Creative gifts

Some people are notoriously difficult to buy gifts for (I think I am probably one of those people), but fortunately, there is a website out there that can help...
Personalcreations.com offer personalised gifts by the bucket load... You don't just buy her a dolly, you can buy her a dolly with her name on it (or even the name of her imaginary friend..). From child and baby gifts, mementos for Christenings etc.. right up to Golden Anniversary gifts, all personalised for that added special touch.
I couldn't even guess how many gift ideas they have in their catalogue, but you are sure to find something suitable - whatever the occasion.

Tanzanite Rings

Native of Tanzania (hence the name), tanzanite rings are made using the rare gemstone Tanzanite. The stone gets it's familiar blue-violet hue when heated in a gemoligical oven, when freshly mined, it would normally be reddish brown in colour.
Jewelery manufactured with Tanzanite stones is very popular due to the attractive colourings of the stone. Occassionally Tanzanite will come in other colour hues such as greens, but these are usually referred to as Zoisite rather than Tanzanite.

Father's Day

If there's one topic in which I can take a personal interest in, it's fathers day gifts for dad. Although it must be said right from the start that truly, it is the thought that counts... there's nothing wrong in showing your appreciation for your old Dad by getting him a great gift!
There are some great gifts that you can get your Dad, some of them are guaranteed to raise a laugh, like the beer holster in the picture. Let's face it, most Dads are quite difficult to buy something for, so try searching online for some gifts that will bring a smile to his face on Father's Day.

Rifle Sights

Set your sights on Holographic sights, the lastest thing for the rifleman in your life...
I had no idea of the level of sophistication that goes into gun sights, but I guess anything that improves accuracy of a high-powered rfile has to be a good thing in the right hands...
A holographic sight is preferable for log-distance spotting, and has the added benefit of reducing eye-strain, and is ideal for adverse weather conditions.

Free software alert!

I am always on the lookout for free software, and think I have found another winner!
'LogMeIn' provides a free service for remote access to a PC, for instance, so that you can access your home PC from work, or your work PC from home (assuming you have permission from work to do either of these things..).
In the past I have used Radmin and have been very pleased with the results - however you have to pay for each new PC you add to your Radmin account. This rivals the service 'GoToMyPC' which charges quite a steep monthly fee (in my estimation).

When you sign up for 'LogMeIn' (www.logmein.com), the PC's you add will automatically be assigned to a free trial (30 day) of LogMeIn Pro. However, at the end of the trial, I am assured that these will revert to LogMeIn Free if I choose not to purchase a licence for the Pro version.
The Pro version offers file transfer and other features which I do not think I will need, so I fully intend to let my account become downgraded to the free version - I will post again about any short-falls I detect in the Free version, but so far I am impressed with this free software.
I am particularly impressed with how easy it is to add PC's to your account. With Radmin I had to set port forwarding on my router, no such issues with LogMeIn - just download the software onto the PC you want to be connected to remotely (even if it's on a network) - it's that simple....should I be worried about that??

February 2014 - update about LogMeIn free service

Health Care Jobs

Even when health-care is going through a shake-up, and the economy is in flux, employment opportunities are usually available in the health care sector - and these opportunities cover a very wide variety of jobs.
If you check out a health care job site, you will find jobs ranging from the obvious clinical roles, to support staff, admin and IT jobs. Some employment web-sites will even cover dental and veterinary opportunities too.
If you are currently on the lookout for work, you should consider a role within the health-care industry, whatever happens in the economic fallout over the next few years, there is sure to be a continuing demand for good health-care workers.

Car Insurance

We have not yet decided which site to use for cheap car insurance, but we have been promised a budget car from a friend which will allow us to have cheap insurance for a couple of years to build up no-claims bonuses.
I would like to get the car of my dreams, but have now come to the realisation that I cannot afford to insure just any car that I desire.. I have a company car at the moment, so don't have any 'no claims' of my own. My cunning plan is to make do with a small, inexpensive car in the short-term, one that can be insured 'third party' only. This should help to build up bonuses so that I can afford to insure something that I really like.
I can see this plan falling flat because ever since I have had a car (25 years now...) I have always had 'make do' cars, and I have kind of got used to it. No surprise then, that I am about to do the same again...

Social Security Benefits

Most people are getting the social security benefits they are entitled to, but alongside the perennial problem of people trying to get more than they are entitled to, is the problem of those who are not actually claiming their proper entitlement.

There are a number of organisations set up that will offer help to those claiming benefits, they have expertise in claims procedures and entitlements, and can help to ensure the proper benefits are distributed. These organisations tend to offer online and telephone support because they are aware that many claimants cannot call into a local or regional office.

What makes a good Blogger?

I don't claim to be any sort of expert, but when I look back, I realise that I have been blogging for four years now - and have five blogs, so that must count for something... On this blog alone (admittedly this is the blog on which I am most 'prolific'), I have passed the 1000 post mark... I have done more than 830 posts over the other 4 blogs - all hosted by 'blogger' by the way.

I think I would claim to be a good blogger, without going so far as to claim to be anything more, but I have learned what attributes are required to be good at this game:

• Writing skills - keeping typos and grammatical errors to a minimum helps to create the right impression.
• Creativity - being able to write with a unique 'voice'.
• Opinions - being able to make an argument without being so extreme as to lose sight of fair judgment.
• Consistency - consistent themes and standards that mark out your blog as both unique and worthy of scrutiny.

These are by no means the exhaustive list, and I also don't claim to have them all in abundance - but if you are planning to use a blog for making money online, you should at least understand these principles, because if it just all about the money, it just won't last.

Rustic furniture

I love pieces of rustic furniture, in fact, although I like clean modern lines too, I do think rustic has more longevity, and is more welcoming too.
The beauty of timeless rustic furniture is that you can't tell how old it is, whereas modern stylized furniture dates very quickly. I am one of those people who would rather scour second hand shops or antique shops than modern furniture stores.
There is something ruggedly honest about roughly cut timber assembled with care into a bed or a sideboard that adds a touch of simplicity to a room.

Coupon Codes

Everybody loves coupons... and ProFlowers have made it easy by building a dedicated site with their coupons in case you forgot the code that you saw on an advert earlier.
Of course, even if you didn't even see the ad, you can still get the ProFlowers coupon codes from their site. Right now, there are half a dozen active coupons that you can use to get a hefty discount, free flowers added to your order or even a free vase.
Everybody loves coupons, everybody loves flowers... and everybody loves a free discount.

Linkedin

If you haven't yet looked into 'LinkedIn' as a way to either publicise yourself, or your business, then you should give it some serious thought... I have added myself to LinkedIn mostly because other people suggested I should, since then I have linked in with a few friends and looked up their work history. You can also find company profiles on LinkedIn such as Linkedin ProFlowers profile.

LinkedIn uses a social networking type model, but is strictly about business and recruitment. In most cases, people add their work history to their profiles so that prospective employers might find out more. Businesses can now also use the service to raise their own profile and put something like a mission statement online, or a description of what area of business they operate within.

Zero-turn mowers

It's that time again! Time to start cutting the lawn... I have been looking at zero turn mowers for sale because the lawn we have is too small for a standard ride-on mower.
However, I'm not sure my gardening budget will run to a new mower especially as the lady of the house wants to buy one of those garden swing sofas this year too..
There is a load of stuff to do in the garden and I was also tempted to buy some telescopic extending shears to sort out all the climbers clinging to the back wall.
This years gardening jobs also include replacing the garden gate as somebody kicked ours down in the winter... I do enjoy getting back into the garden, but I can see some back-breaking jobs coming up...

Virus and Malware problems

I run a fairly tight ship when it comes to the PC's that I use on a regular basis - I have regular use of two laptops and two desktops, and they all have plenty of applications to fight 'nasties'. I have noticed recently that a lot of friends and colleagues are reporting viruses, particularly of the kind that pose as anti-virus, tell you that your computer is infected before offering to remove the infection if you hand over your credit card details...
I really hate this type of enterprise, so I thought I would share some knowledge on how to combat it.
First of all, get yourself some great free anti-virus/anti-malware software you can use either:
'AVG Free' or 'Microsoft Security essentials', both of these self-update and run scheduled scans, but MSE gives wider cover for Malware - since the last AVG update, the two applications no longer run on the same machine (shame on AVG for adding that 'tweak' to their latest version...)
I would recommend a belt and braces approach by also downloading Malware Bytes (MBAM) - you have to update and run this one manually, but it is extremely effective at ridding your PC of nasties.
The problem with 'clever' malware, is that they are able to disable your existing antivirus, and won't let you download anything or run MBAM - so what do you do now???
All is not lost, there are two courses of action, Firstly download the latest copy of MacAfee 'Stinger' onto a memory stick using a separate PC, run this on the infected PC. If the malware does not stop it in it's tracks, it will find any dodgy stuff and you can opt to delete the files. Job done...
Some malware will 'know' to stop Stinger from working, so there is another option...
Visit the 'bleeping computer' forum and download 'Rkill' - in all it's seven formats. Rkill will attempt to halt the 'processes' that the malware uses, meaning you can now run MBAM, MSE AVG or any other previously affected anti-virus. Please note that it does NOT make any changes whatsoever to your computer setup - your anti-virus must do that, if you restart your computer, the virus will reappear if you did nothing to remove it.
Rkill comes in many guises in order to fool the malware into thinking is is not 'Rkill' - if the standard Rkill.exe file does not work, there are more versions of the same thing with different names, some of which are named to look like common PC files like 'iexplore.exe'.
If all this is new to you, then use a search engine to search out any of the software files below that you don't have - store them somewhere and every so often update them with the latest versions:

• RKILL - bleeping computer.com
• STINGER - MacAfee
• MSE - Microsoft
• AVG FREE - AVG
• MBAM - Malware Bytes

Once you have this lot in your arsenal, you will be well-equipped for any attack of the 'nasties' - you could even fix PC's for your mates too.

Daybed Covers

You can spruce up your 'spare room' with new
daybed covers and achieve two goals with one easy purchase.

New covers means that the spare room becomes a more usable space to entertain friends and family. It also means that the room looks nicer when you have guests to stay. They might be your closest friends, but everyone wants to show their living space off in it's best light when visitors come calling.

You may even have a day-bed in what you lovingly call your 'office', new covers will mean that you won't even be ashamed to entertain clients in your office space. Sadly my office is nowhere near big enough for a bed of any sort (which, on reflection is not such a bad thing if I want to get any work done!).

Prescription Glasses

With the advent of online buying, there is no need to be limited in your choice of prescription glasses when it comes to replacing your spectacles.
I have damaged my reading glassses recently, but cannot afford to get a replacement pair from my opticians. My requirements are fairly common, so I can easily pick up a pair of reading glasses from a supermarket, but for those with more specific requirements, online prescription glasses are a great choice as long as your prescription has not changed.

Health Savings Account

Health care has become an important matter for debate and change recently, and our attitudes towards health care are being challenged. For instance a Blue Cross Blue Shield health savings account can help you to build up savings whilst gaining a tax-advantage. These savings can then be used for future health care expenditure.
This is a completely different concept to insurance where the money paid in may bear no relation to the care received, and which does not get any tax breaks.
The folks that take out insurance are made up of net winners and net losers - you may pay in a couple of years of premiums and get treatment for the rest of your life. On the other hand, you may pay in for years and never get any benefits at all.

Google Update

Some sites have been hit hard by the Google 'Panda' update designed to filter 'low-quality' sites out of search results.
The speculation is that ratio of adverts to content is being examined, possibly 'above the fold' content being particularly targetted. The intention has been to root out 'shallow' sites, but there may well (as with any update) be undeserved consequences for some sites.
I have tested a couple of my own sites and have yet to see any effects, but then I don't build link-farms, and I try and provide good content even when I am trying to optimise revenue from adverts.

Apparently one of the acknowledged losers of the update has been 'Suite101' a site that pays writers for content and then optimises the page for revenue. If they have suffered frim sticking their head 'above the parapet', then it is possible that those trying to make money online from Suite101 could see a fall-off in revenue. Google themsleves seem to be happy to acknowle that Suite101 has been a target, along with 'eHow' and other similar sites.
As ever, the actual algorithm of the update remains secret - which implies that there are some things that you can do that could manipulate the system to your advantage.

It should always be true that a decent site should not fall foul of the Google updates, but there is always a buzz when the updates happen and folks start to see an impact. All-in-all, I haven't been very aware of any massive changes although I am happy to acknowledge that Adsense rate of earnings seems to have dropped since my last payout. Kind of ironic that it is the Google advertising scheme that takes the brunt - after all if I am making less, there is a chance that Google is making less too.

Term Life Assurance

There are many items in our budget that we have trimmed over the years, and some expediture such as  life insurance has come up for discussion. Although there is no immediate benefit in paying insurances of this nature, you would have to consider very carefully before deciding to step out without adequate insurance especially if you have acquired more dependants (as one tends to do...).
I question the need for insurance to protect income in the event of simple job-loss because I would rather force myself into a low-paying job rather then have an insurance paying me to sit on my back-side. I know an instance where a young man found himself unable to work without jeopardising his insurance which was paying a large mortgage for him..
However, insurance that provides cover for serious illness that will prevent you ever working again is certainly worth keeping up even in stringent times. I know of anither story where a young man in the Navy was injured overseas, the Navy dismissed him because of his injuries, but were not automatically going to award a pension as he was off his ship at the time of the accident - he had no compensation even though his injures were horrific, and because he had Navy accomodation his family were also evicted from their house...
Insurance is a bit of a pain until something like that happens to you...

Earnings February 2011

Not a bad month this month, profit of around £118, mostly from cassettes, and I have more cassettes to do during March too. Not so much from blog posting, but that tends to come all in a rush and earnings have been above average since November. Actually blog posts were well down, but I added in my 'paid to survey' earnings (£25.50 from PureProfile).
I have already done some blog posts for next month payout too, including a 'blogsvertise' opp on a different blog. Altogether I have four blogs on which paid posts may appear, if I had time to do more, I would probably submit it to PayU2Blog to see if I could double up on those earnings. The only down-side of PU2B is that you HAVE to take every opp that is assigned which means you have to be prepared to pepper the blog with paid posts. My other three blogs are more niche focussed and it would probably not be appropriate to put PU2B posts on them, although now I think about it, I could probably sacrifice one of them... I'll give this strategy some thought...
I am in the dangerous position of now having nearly £100 sitting in my PayPal account - I keep bidding on eBay 'toys', but fortunately, so far have not been successful in winning anything...