I’m a big fan of goal setting, vision boards, the law of attraction and taking focused actions in order to get where I want to be.  These things have worked wonders for me.

It’s not magic, and I don’t feel that I’m “lucky.”  I don’t really believe in luck.

I’m sure many of you are thinking about what you’d like to do better this year.  You probably want to:

1. Make more money

2. Have less debt

3. Save more, take a vacation, buy a Louis Vuitton, whatever.

Before you set financial goals this year, ask yourself how you REALLY feel about having money.

I took a self-evaluation by a company called Lifebook a while back.  Lifebook is a really cool company that you should check out.  They help people live their best lives.  Their offering starts with an evaluation that examines 12 areas of your life.

After I took my evaluation, Lifebook sent me a 90-minute financial workshop led by the founder of the company.  It brought up some really interesting questions that I recommend you think about before you set your financial goals for 2012.

What do YOU believe about money and wealth?

Let’s back up and start with a founding principle of “the law of attraction.”  Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts determine your actions, and your actions become your reality.

Beliefs -> Thoughts -> Actions -> Reality

We can all choose our beliefs regardless of how we’ve been programmed.  Are your beliefs empowering you?

According to the founder of Lifebook, if you believe money is the root of all evil, you will always sabotage yourself from being financially successful.  If you believe people with money are evil, snobby, selfish, unhappy, self-righteous or shallow why in the world would you ever want to become anything like them?!  Or, if you believe that all people with money are just “lucky” or born into it, you’ll probably never take actions that will get you into a significantly better financial situation because you don’t believe wealth applies to normal people like you.  You’ve already told yourself you’re undeserving before you even started.

You may not have realized it, but your beliefs about wealth may be stopping you from advancing your current financial situation.

Most of us have been taught, “money can’t buy happiness.”  I disagree.  Well, kind of.

Money can’t buy happiness in itself from the store, but money buys us flexibility, education, basic needs, stability, small joys, ways out of emergencies, and experiences which all give us opportunity to make the world a better place.

According to the workshop, “prosperity wipes out human suffering.” It makes sense.

If you feel undeserving of financial freedom and security, consider just a few of the ways that NOT having money affects peoples’ lives:

• Often times it means no health insurance.
• It could mean anxiety and depression over unpaid bills, which may lead to substance abuse or even suicide.
• It probably means fewer opportunities for your children and living in neighborhoods that aren’t as safe.
• Not having money means not being able to help other family and community members who need it.

In many situations, not having money doesn’t bring anything good or happy!  So why are so many of us afraid of having lots of money?  Why do you think so many of us feel we “don’t deserve it”?

Here are some other notes I took on the workshop worth pondering:

• Money flows to those who treat it well and away from those who don’t.  Nurturing, honoring & respecting money will make it grow.  Squandering it on what you want at that moment is abuse, money won’t stick around those who abuse it, just like a relationship.
• Money is an effect, not a cause.  The cause is creating value for those around you.  If you want to earn more money, add more value.  Learn more skills, improve your work habits, etc.  The way to enrich yourself is to enrich the lives of those around you.
• The mastery of money is the mastery of service.  The more I serve others, the more I will attract money into my life.
• Money expands who you already are.  “Sports don’t build character, they reveal character,” says Vince Lombardi. Money is the same way: it reveals who you are and expands it.  If you’re already a happy person, more money will make you happier because it’s expanding who you already are.  If you’re an asshole, well, according to this theory money will only make that problem worse because you were always an ass.

Before you set your goals, ask yourself the following questions and write down your answers:

• What you really want to achieve financially this year?
• Do you feel you deserve it?
• How will your life improve and the lives of others around you improve if you achieve your goals?
• Do you really believe you can achieve this?
• WHY do you want to achieve it?  What will happen if you don’t?
• What specific actions do you need to take to get there?

Good luck and cheers to a year full of health, wealth and happiness.

Nicole

This is the fifth post in a series of 5 posts about blogging: why to start, how to start,how to get readers, how to build community and how to monetize your blog.

There are so many ways to monetize a blog these days.  The catch is that most of these ways require a LOT of traffic.  More importantly, you need a fiercely loyal fan base and a very niche topic too.

In addition, you may have to invest some money customizing your site and having a professional make it look pretty.  Advertisers (and even some of your readers) will have expectations about your site’s looks and the value they want it to deliver if you’re going to have advertisements up there. Credibility is huge if you want to get paid people!

Beware: some readers will stop visiting your site or start to make snide remarks once you start to monetize.  This is the strangest thing to me considering that when you keep a blog that is 100% ad-free, they’re your biggest fans.  We all have to eat, right?!  Ask any blogger, this scenario is unfortunately a true story.  Therefore, if you’re new blogger who is writing with the intention of monetizing, you may want to carefully consider how, when and why you are monetizing your site.  Some people have better luck with advertising/monetizing right from the start.  Others do better with building trust and credibility for a few years before monetizing.

Here are 11 ways people make money online and a real example of each method.

1. Information Products: e-books, coaching and/or how to videos.

Info products are the easiest and quickest way to make money online.  If you know more about a topic than the average bear, you can package your information and sell it.  Creating an e-book is a great way to test this out.  You can even recruit others to contribute to your e-book.  Jairek Robbins, the son of world-famous Olympian and motivational speaker Tony Robbins, has some great information products out there.  I even own a few of his pre-recorded coaching programs.

2. Membership Site/Group: a site that provides premium content for a periodic membership fee.  Most membership sites include coaching, discussion forums, how-to video’s, expert advice, social networks and/or premium articles.

Pam Slim’s Escape Cubicle Nation Community

3. Public Speaking: Tony Robbins

Like I mentioned above, Tony Robbins is the man.  He is also a very unusually successful public speaker so don’t assume you can go from blogger to millionaire in a few years.  It may take decades.  For more advice on how to build a career as a public speaker, check out Jane Atkinson‘s blog, books and “Wealthy Speaker System.”

4. Event Host: Hosting networking or niche Meetups & events can be a fun way to make some money around the topic of your blog.

A great example of someone who is rocking in this space is Bump Club Chicago.  They hold luncheons, classes and social events for pregnant women and new Moms.  You can charge a ticket price, get some gift bag donors, food/alcohol sponsors and there you have it- revenue!

5. Online Brand Rep: This model is somewhat of a celebrity revenue model.  If brands and companies think you’re influential enough, they’ll pay you decent money to host Twitter parties, write sponsored blog posts on your blog, be a featured guest blogger on their blog, Tweet, run contests online and give out coupon codes to your following.  Basically you’re like a real-life human endorser for their brand and products.

I’m an example of a real-life (non-celeb) blogger who has done paid brand repping.  I’ve done this type of work and earned a free lap top, free designer clothes and cash!  This role can come in the form of sponsored blog posts (with a few relevant links somewhere within the posts) and hosting Twitter chats too.  Lots of Mommy Bloggers make a big living doing this since companies love reaching Mom’s whoa re typically the shoppers and household decision makers. Note: I only rep brands & products I personally love and would personally buy with my own money. If I can’t honestly suggest it to a friend or reader, I refuse the opportunity regardless of how much it pays.

6.  Dedicated Emails: niche-topic email newsletters that are typically sponsored or include affiliate links (see # 14).

Daily Candy & Daily Worth are amazing examples of dedicated emails. Daily Candy sends an email out daily about a cool store, salon, product or service in your area.  Businesses wait months to get on these emails because they go out to a very targeted audience.  This company makes a killing by promoting companies in a fun and somewhat disguised way to an trend-seeking audience.  Daily Worth is newer on the scene and sends a short (and surprisingly fun & entertaining) daily email on the topic of personal finance. They make money because each email is sponsored by a credit card, credit score or financial management company.

Tip: In any online business, your email list is your most valuable asset, so the earlier you start to build it, the better.  Even more bonus points if you collect demographic info.

7. Online Advertising: Banner Ads, Text Link Ads, Advertising networks

Honestly, this is what most people assume earns bloggers & online businesses the most money but it’s quite the opposite.  I wouldn’t bank on this method to pay your bills but I still need to mention it. Although over time you can earn steady cash from advertising, it may take years to buy more than a few cocktails with ad money.  Plus, no one likes a cluttered and banner-ad riddled site.  I’m not going to bother giving you real life examples of this one because we’ve all seen banner ads.  My guess is that if you’ve seen a lot of banner or text ads, you aren’t a huge fan of the site anyways.

8. Coaching:  If you write about a specialized topic and want to earn money by helping others, this method might be for you.  Although there is no legal requirement to become a certified coach, it is a good idea in many cases.

One of my favorite coaches who is truly earning her living thanks to her online presence is Michelle Ward, aka the “When I Grow Up Coach.”  Michelle is a career coach who specializes in helping those who are in creative fields. She offers a free session to new clients in addition to workbooks, workshops, e-courses and she even does paid speaking.

9. Productizing Bethenny Frankel is no doubt the queen of this monetization method!  Bethenny’s mission is to “democratize healthy living.” Most of us know Bethenny for her Skinny Girl Margarita’s (she now has Skinny Girl sangria and White Cosmo’s too!) but did you know she also has shape wear, a cleanse program, personal training package,  books, yoga DVD’s and more?  Bethenny has taken a simple niche & mission statement and created products around it.  Being on a reality TV show was likely what fueled her business success.

10. Lead Generation This method is especially popular for programs advertising going back to school for some type of specialty, career certification or graduate programs.  In addition, insurance companies, credit card companies and credit score websites use “CPL” to pay bloggers and website owners each time someone fills out a form and submits for information.

11. Affiliate Marketing is simply the art of getting paid a percentage of sales each time something is purchased via a link found on your website.  In other words, you place a link on your site that has a special code in it that is linked to you, and the retailer tracks click through and purchases.  You get a percentage of sales or flat commission each time something is purchased.  Some bloggers make a TON of money through affiliate marketing.  Be sure to carefully consider what you write about if this is something you are considering.  Generally, technology review sites make the most with affiliate marketing.  Other high-paying niches include writing about how to make money.  Note: some states have strict laws about affiliate marketing.  Check out sites like Commission Junction to find great products you can sell as an affiliate.

Check out John Chow, ProBlogger or Copyblogger for examples of people who are making a killing through affiliate marketing.  In addition, they also happen to teach people about making tons of money which is ironic.

 How else do you see people making money online?  How do YOU make money online?  We’d all love to know any tips or secrets you have!

A note from Nicole

Thanks to Dave Thomas for his timely and relevant post that hits home for me in a few ways.

1. I’ve had to get my credit checked as a stimpluation of employment during a job interveiw process.  I got the job and worked there for almost 3 years, but the whole process was a surprise to me and something that made me uncomfortable.   Thank God I was on top of things – getting your credit score in order isn’t something that you can remedy very quickly.

2. Since being laid-off/self-employed I can see how one’s credit score could tank during times of uncertain cash flow.  Hello occasional credit card dependence and cash flow paranoia.  For those who are job searching, have you taken your credit card use and general credit score into consideration?  Believe it or not it could make or break your next job opportunity.

3.  I’ve always struggled with trying to live within my means and staying organized with my bills which is why this month’s Ms. Career Girl Connect event is all about personal finance.  It’s a topic most of us don’t want to talk about but most of us really NEED to talk about. The event will have a panel of 4 personal finance experts (a mortgage broker, financial planner, insurance agent and realtor) who are going to get real and honest about women and personal finance.  If you haven’t registered yet, get your ticket here.  For those who are not in Chicago, we’ll be streaming the panel discussion and taking your questions live!

Nicole

Think your credit score will play a role in whether or not you get your next gig? Much to the surprise of many Americans, your credit score can play a role in an employer’s decision on whether or not to hire you.

The legality of whether or not employers can and should be allowed to use a credit score in the consideration of hiring someone has come under scrutiny in a number of states.

More Lawmakers are Standing on Side of Job Applicants

Lawmakers in 19 states and the District of Columbia have been taking steps to prohibit employers from reviewing an applicant’s credit report. Unless someone is under consideration for a job involving finances, doesn’t it make sense to avoid singling someone out as unworthy of working for a company just because their finances hit a rough patch over time?

To date, just Washington State and Hawaii have put in place law to protect job applicants, while Oregon approved anti-credit-check legislation earlier this year, with an exception for positions where fiscal matureness is tied to a certain job.

So, what can applicants with less than stellar credit reports do to avoid potentially losing out on a job because their credit history was revealed?

It is not uncommon in many interviews for the employer to ask a candidate to sign off on a form, thereby giving the company permission to contact one or all of the three major credit bureaus for the individual’s present and former credit scores.

For those individuals who have been out of work for some time now, it should come as no surprise that in many cases, they’ve been living to a degree off their credit cards. When that’s the case and there is no regular stream of good income coming in, it stands to reason their scores will take a hit.

How to Fix the Problem

In the event you are applying for a job and are asked to agree to a credit report, what should you do?

First off, know that not every potential employer is going to ask for such information. Unless you’re going to have direct access to a company’s purse strings, most will probably not care if you overspent on that new dress or went a little overboard on your last vacation.

Secondly, skirting the issue is like being asked to provide references or asking why you left your last job and not being able to satisfactorily deal with those matters.

If a business asks for permission to run a credit check on you, I would say go ahead. In the event you’ve been hit hard by the recession and/or had major credit card bills due to medical matter, divorce, etc. explain that ahead of time without going into great detail. There is a good chance the man or woman sitting on the other side of the table from you during an interview has had some financial issues of their own over time, so they should be able to appreciate your circumstances.

Lastly, even while financial times may be tough, do all you can to bring down any credit card debts, car payment loans, mortgages etc.

Most importantly, continue to your best ability to make on-time payments. One potential red flag for an employer is discovering that you’ve been late with payments on more than one occasion. The first thought that may pop into their head is what else will this individual be late with if I hire them for my company?

While it may not be a fair world we live in, checking one’s credit before potentially hiring them is becoming more common in today’s work world. Give credit to those who know how to handle the situation.

So, have you ever been asked to sign off on a credit report when interviewing for a job? If so, what was your reaction and did you ultimately get the position?

You have just a handful of chances to dramatically increase your earning power.  No, it’s not when annual review time rolls around.  Demanding that your boss match a counter-offer won’t work either.

The best chance of increasing your lifetime earning potential is before you even start a job—when you’re at the negotiating table, striking the deal.

When asked to name the greatest invention in human history, Albert Einstein simply replied, “compound interest.”  Think about it.  If every time you get a new job you negotiate a salary 5 – 10% higher than the original offer, over time you’ll earn significantly more as raises and bonuses are compounded on top of your current salary. Not negotiating your salary could mean you sacrifice half a million dollars of earnings!

As women, we’re often conditioned by our families and our cultures to be cooperative rather than competitive. Of course, cooperation isn’t a bad thing. But in this case too little competitive drive can lead us to accept salary offers that are less than what we’re worth in the marketplace, putting a drag into our overall earning potential from the very beginning of our careers.

When you next sit down to discuss a new job offer, keep the following tips in mind:

• Have realistic expectations – Think ‘realistically high.’ Use research on websites like Salary.com to discover the appropriate range for negotiation, then start on the high-end.  You need to drive the salary parameters by setting a high bar.
• Tactfully decline to reveal your current salary – Never show your cards.  This is especially true if you know that you’re currently below average in pay. Leave the salary fields on job applications blank and have a polite answer ready when asked: “My current salary is competitive.” If significantly pressed, be honest, but don’t give away this information easily.
• The first person to say a number loses – When asked what salary you expect, say something general, such as: “I’ll require a salary in line with what I am worth in the marketplace.” If you voice a number too early, you risk undercutting your worth. For example, if you say that you won’t take less than $65,000 and the employer was prepared to pay $85,000, they may make you an offer for $70,000. You’ll think you got a great deal, but in reality you could have started at a significantly higher level.
• Be prepared to walk – The best time to look for a new job is when you already have a job.  The confidence that you’re professionally secure will give you the position of power during a negotiation. If you’re unemployed, do everything you can to instill yourself with self-assurance. If the new offer doesn’t meet your expectations, be ready to turn it down. There will be an even better offer down the road. Don’t settle!
• Prepare, practice, and prepare some more – Salary negotiation is a learned skill. Read a book like The Smart Woman’s Guide to Interviewing and Salary Negotiation and research career advice websites. Enlist a friend or colleague to help you role play a negotiation scenario.

By intentionally and carefully preparing to negotiate the best possible salary for yourself, you’ll be making an investment that pays compound dividends over the course of your career. Never leave money on the table!

By, Patricia Briggs

In the US, many (if not most!) students are forced to take out loans in order to manage their college expenses.  Student loan debt outweighs credit card debt and is growing at a rate of $90 billion a year. Paying off student loans takes years.  Therefore, formulating a repayment plan outside of minimum payments is important.  Believe it or not, there are some innovative ways to pay off the student loan debt.

5 Tips on how to reduce your student loans

1. Make extra payments towards your loans so that you can pay off the owed amounts in less time. Review your budget plan to track where you can curtail to pay off the student loan debt.  Even a minimum payment of $20 extra every month can significantly lower the total owed amount.

You can either distribute your extra payment amount to each student loan or solely focus on paying off one debt at a time.  If you choose to focus on one loan, there are two common ways of looking at it.  Mathematically, you’ll pay less interest if you put your extra payments toward the loan with the highest interest rate first.  But for many, paying off the smallest loan first allows you to see your progress which is more psychologically rewarding.  Choose whichever method you feel will help you sustain your extra payments!

2.  Consolidate your multiple student loan debts. Low interest consolidation loans help eliminate your student loan debt quickly. You can combine your multiple debts into a single low interest loan to make your monthly payment affordable. 

3. Consider student loan forgiveness programs. Get information from your state or federal government on whether you qualify for the student loan forgiveness program. The Peace Corps and AmeriCorps are agencies that offer assistance to people who are under student loan debt. But their eligibility criterion is that the person seeking help has to commit to serve with them for a specific period of time. There are several programs out there, do your research and see if one is a good fit for you!

4. See if your employer offers any benefits to people with student loan debt. Some employers contribute a stipulated amount annually to employees who have student loan debt.

5. A Ms. Career Girl favorite, you can also take up a part time job or start a side-business in order to put more money towards paying off your debt more quickly.  If you get bonues from your present job, consider putting the money toward your student loan debt if it is in line with your short and long-term goals.

Today’s post is by Gabriela Vega.

In today’s society with the numerous magazines covering the world of women’s fashion, countless television shows featuring vain reality stars and limitless red carpet coverage scrutinizing the clothing of celebrities, it is easy for a woman to get overly-wrapped up in concerns about her clothing, jewelry and shoes.  Our society seems to be dedicated to the acquisition of stuff.  However, focusing all of your energy on such acquisitions can have negative effects that, in the long run, influence your quality of life.

Now, I am the last person to tell others how they should or should not comport themselves.  Growing up in my family, as new immigrants, we lived simply. My mother would buy us some new clothes at the local discount store at the beginning of the school year and then add winter pieces during Christmas.  My parent’s motto to financial education was, “we cannot buy that, period.”  No further explanation was given.  Needless to say when I got to college and discovered the world of credit cards and “free money,” well, I thought I was on my way to making it.  Now, I was never Confessions of a Shopaholic bad.  But, last month as I paid off the last of my credit card debt, I realized the numerous ways in which acquisition mode effected my life.

Emotional Effects

I’m sure you have experienced it before; your boss is a pain or you are in a dating black hole and you decide that you need a ‘pick me up.’  The quickest way to turn your frown upside down is to head for the nearest department store shoe (or purse, or make-up, or clothing) section for a little ‘shop therapy.’

You step inside, smell the new leather and see the rainbow of colors and array of styles.  You pick up a pair of red, four-inch stilettos and all of a sudden all of those words that you could not say to your boss or the guy with whom you just broke up disappear.  You try them on and they make your legs look incredible.  You know that you have to experience this feeling again.  Because you don’t get paid for another two weeks, you decide that you will put them on your credit card.  You reason that this would have been the amount that you would have paid for a therapist or that they are an investment that will ultimately help you land that next job and you take them home.

Unfortunately, come Monday you still have to deal with the same boss or when the weekend comes, you don’t have a date and you are back in the same spot.  Spending money, can give you tremendous high, particularly when there are other things that are trying to bring you down.

Eventually, in order to get the same satisfaction you must spend more and do it more often.  Guess what?  That is the sign of an addiction.  Unfortunately, over-spending is accepted and, even at times, encouraged (anyone remember President Bush saying it was patriotic to spend?)

The reality is that the shop therapy good feelings never last and you must still face that which is bothering you.

Financial Effects

If you have ever put anything on a credit card that you could not immediately turn around and pay off, you must know that the big ticket purchase you made will cost you more than the price tag (I’m not a mathematician but here is a simple example.)  With interest rates and even annual fees, a $1,000.00 purchase can eventually cost you anywhere from $1,150.00 to $1,220.00 (for credit cards with interest from 15% to 22%, which are average rates of interest) and that is just for one year.

If you are a person that must continuously shop to repeat the same emotional high described above, your debt can quickly get out of control. Without careful monitoring, you will end up maxing out one or more credit cards.  Add that to only the minimum payments and you have dug yourself a nice hole.  After all, the minimum payment is only enough to pay that month’s interest rate plus a little extra.  Thus, you continue to pay on the same debt without seeing a significant drop.  As a smart, professional woman you would never let a business operate in this manner and you know what?  Neither should you.

Creating a Recovery Plan

All of this happened to me.  Finally, I got to the point that I decided that I would not allow myself to continue on the same cycle.  For me, it was additionally difficult because unless I had monthly amounts automatically debited from my checking account, I would sometimes forget to pay on time, which only led to more fees.  So here is what I did.

1. Accept that you are going to feel ‘poor’ for a while.

If you are committed to becoming debt free, you may have to come to terms with the fact that you may not have disposable income for a while.  Thus all of those wonderful extras to which you have become accustomed to must go.  Monthly manis, pedis and facials, gone.  A new pair of shoes every month or dinner and drinks with your friends every Thursday night, gone.  But, and this was important for me, realize that this is your choice and that you are on your way to true financial independence.  This will give you the resolve and strength to say no whenever your friends want to meet for a lunchtime pedi.

2.  Begin to pay everything on time.

Whether you are like me and you need things to be placed on automatic withdraw or not, making timely payments is critical to success because otherwise you are stuck with extra fees that ultimately begin to incur interest themselves (debtors are so clever.)

3.  Pay more than just the minimum.

Whatever your minimum payment, resolve to pay a minimum of three times above that.  For me, it was beneficial to actually seeing amounts cut down at a rate that made me feel like there was a light at the end of the tunnel.  Plus, the more you see your debt reduced, the more you likely you are to become even more aggressive and pay quicker.

4.  Pay the cards with the highest interest rate quicker.

As I stated before, I am not a mathematician.  But, it doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that if you have a credit card with a 22% interest rate and one with a 15% interest then the 22% credit card has to become your top priority.  For this reason, if you need to shift the amounts you send, say four times above the minimum rate and two times the minimum rate then by all means, go for it.  Once you pay off the higher rate card, send all of the money that you were sending to that credit card to the other(s.)

5.  Consider Interest-Free Credit Cards.

If you receive a viable offer for a “no interest for a year” credit card then consider transferring all or a bulk of your debt to that card.  Once that is accomplished, determine how much you need to pay each month before the end of that year and pay it.  For example, if you have $5,000.00 of debt transferred to an interest free for a year credit card you will have to pay $416.67 per month in order to get it paid within that year.  But, beware of these cards, as sometimes they will add all of the interest back if you do not pay them off within the year.

Whatever, you decide to do remember you are a smart, strong career girl and as with all trials and tribulations that you have faced, this one too shall pass.

What tips do YOU have for those struggling with debt?

Today’s post is by Stephen Cline.

There are many questions to ponder when one decides to brave the world as a freelancer; a position free of the entanglements of a nine-to-five job.

One of the primary considerations is whether it will be worth the effort in the long run, and, if so, how Uncle Sam will look at your efforts.

No, the government won’t be applauding and offering congratulations, nor extending a box of tissues with which to wipe away your tears, in the event of either your success or failure. But your ‘Uncle’ will express interest in the money that freelancing brought to you.

Accordingly, it’s important to determine whether your freelancing efforts qualify as a small business, complete with the rights and obligations that that status implies. There are some questions and answers to consider.

Do you qualify as a freelancer?

If you work independently of another corporation’s guidance – what is often referred to as being self-employed – and receive check stubs from various companies for the work that you do, you’re a freelancer.

You could be a window washer or a computer programmer; the occupation makes little difference. But, as you buy materials with which to operate, you’ll start to accrue expenses. Here’s where the tricky part arrives, because, as a small businessperson, you’re entitled to tax write-offs for both expenses, and losses.

Do your activities provide earnings?

A freelancer shouldn’t be suffering losses. After all, they get a paycheck, rather than hoping for a profit, as most business owners do. Still, there are mitigating factors. If the expenses involved in being a freelancer overwhelm the meager paychecks, a loss occurs.

Few people set out to make a loss, but they do happen, particularly when one is starting out and acquiring business related equipment. And that’s a key phrase: business related equipment.

Do you purchase things for use only when you’re freelancing?

If, for example, you need to buy ropes, harnesses, motorized platforms, and other specifically window washing-related supplies, you can argue very successfully that you didn’t buy this stuff for personal pleasure related uses, but for your business. (How many times can you ride a motorized platform up and down for fun?)

If you’re spending money to make money, you’re in business. If you’re in business, you are a business. And you’re entitled to numerous tax deductions.

Do you aim to make a profit?

This is the government’s acid test. If your interest is not profit motivated, you may not be in business after all. You may qualify as a non-profit organization, depending on what you’re doing, or you may just be a person with a hobby.

If you make a profit, you’re in business. However, if you clean windows for people, but charge nothing because you want people to see the world more clearly, then you’re not running a business. (You may be a bit cuckoo, but that’s another story.)
Use the answers that these questions raise to help determine whether your freelancing qualifies as a small business. If it does, you might want some turbotax coupons to help you defray the costs associated with keeping the records straight.

Even though women, for the first time in our country’s history, represent over fifty percent of the workforce, and even though more women than men hold degrees in advanced education, there still remains a wage gap. According to an Institute for Women’s Policy fact sheet, women earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn. Although experts have attempted to account for the wage gap in various ways, it’s been firmly established that part of the problem is women are much less likely to ask for raises than do men. Here are a few tips:

Don’t follow the assumption that you’ll simply get a raise without asking.

Women especially tend to believe that if they work really hard, at least one higher-up will notice and reward them. Unfortunately, raises don’t work that way. If you want a raise, you’re going to have to ask for it.

Timing is everything, so figure out when approaching your boss would be best.

Finding the right moment to ask for a raise is critical. Do it when it would make most sense, like if you just took on an extra project and successfully completed it, or if you’re up for your annual review.

Be prepared to demonstrate why you deserve a raise.

While asking for a raise is a critical first step in successfully netting one, you can’t just ask for one without bringing your accomplishments to the negotiating table. Figure out how, precisely, you’ve helped your company and don’t be shy in bragging a little.

Research your worth.

In addition to discussing your accomplishments, it also helps to do a little research to find out how much the average person makes in your position with your level of experience. Payscale.com is a great starting point.

Don’t make it all about you.

According to research by Harvard University’s Hannah Riley Bowles, who studies women and negotiation, women may need to take a different approach than men when asking for a raise in order not to be perceived in a negative light. Bowles suggests that women shouldn’t ask for a raise directly. Instead, they should use language and persuasive techniques to demonstrate how raising your salary would be good for the company or good for relationships within the company.

For more tips based on Bowles’ research, check out a New York Times article published earlier this year, “A Woman’s Toolkit for Seeking a Raise“.

By, Rachel Hansen

After reading Nicole’s Credit Card Confessions, I knew I had to chime in. You see, I’m one of those “frugalistas” Target is always, well, targeting. A coupon-toting, ebay-loving, craigslist-furniture-buying cheapskate. And while “cheap” might not have that enticing, where-do-I-sign-up ring to it, I’m here to convince you otherwise.

But before I get ahead of myself, perhaps I should explain: I’m in my twenties, gainfully employed, and really behind this idea of living within your means. Nerd alert, I know, but seriously. Managing money is important to me because it allows me to protect and provide for my family and the things we value.

Fund your priorities – Not your weaknesses

Another thing that is important to me is traveling. I went to one of those cushy liberal arts colleges where they encourage students to study abroad. I’ll hold back the gushy travelogue and just pique your interest (and jealousy) by saying that as an undergrad I traveled to eleven European countries. I know. You’re jealous. So is my husband. He spent time overseas as a kid, but the majesty of Europe has always been at least an ocean away. That’s why (cue drum roll) we’re planning a trip to Italy!

And I’m not talking about idly dreaming about a far off trip that will occur at some unforeseen (read: indefinitely postponed) time in the future when we have our lives “together” and when the stars and our schedules magically align. This is legit. We leave on Friday.

Many people fantasize about lavish, debt-free vacations, but we’re making it happen! I kid you not, each month we sit down with our computers and checkbooks, not just to pay our bills, but to plan out how to spend/save/invest our money for the next month. It’s not particularly sexy, but this diligent grunt work has enabled us to be successful with our savings goals and intentional about where our paychecks go. I know my penny-pinching, brown-bag-lunch-bringing ways are occasionally off-putting. But the discipline is about to pay off. The money doesn’t just trickle away like it used to. And for the last ten months we’ve been growing our Italy fund.

I’m not gloating

Well, maybe I am, but it’s for a good cause. This is one career girl who would love to inspire some of her peers to dream big about their financial goals. So I bring up Italy with this in mind: for what worthy goal are you currently delaying gratification? You can live vicariously through me if you want, but why not get on board and start saving for your own dreams?

This week has given me that “back to school” feeling I always had in Septembers growing up.  After an awesome Labor Day weekend, summer is officially over (well, socially at least).  My online class is back in session, the weather is a bit cooler, I’ve started creating my fall work schedule and I’m starting to wonder where in the world my fall boots might be.

Since this year is flying by, I took a minute to review my 2010 goals to make sure I’m on track for the home stretch of 2010.  The document which contains my 2010 goals also contains my 2008 and 2009 goals- all of which start with, “pay off credit card completely!”  And what is step one to paying off a credit card?  Stop using it.

I stopped using a credit card in February of this year.  And then I relapsed in April.  And then again in July (This time it was because of my love affair with Filene’s Basement and TJ Maxx. Note to self: buying deeply discounted merchandise almost every day doesn’t count as a sale. And at some point, BOGO sales are no longer effective either).

The funny part is that I could teach you the math behind how credit card companies make money.  I was trained on this at my 1^st job after college.  Most credit card companies compound interest daily and before you know it, you are being charged interest upon interest at ridiculous rates.   If I know how credit card companies are charging me interest then why am I still relapsing when it comes to being “credit card free?”

I’m very aware of my bad habit of emotional shopping.  Some of you eat when you are feeling stressed or sad.  Some of you run marathons or sleep a lot.  I shop.  One tiny sale item at a time.  I don’t buy Prada bags, fancy shoes or plane tickets.  Instead, I get caught up buying a lot of little things that are “on sale.”

I’ve asked my boyfriend Thano to remove credit cards from my wallet and keep them until they are paid off.  This only leads me to ordering replacement cards. Which, naturally, leads to me yelling at Thano for doing his job.  Nice girlfriend I am, right?!

Last week I cut up the last credit card I had in my possession and told Thano to cut up the one he had in his possession too.  I’m starting over again on my journey to credit card “sobriety.”  There are only 4 months left in 2010, and I want to live them without a credit card.

In order to do this, I must consider a few things:

• It’s time to follow the HALT principal – Do not shop if you are hungry, angry, lonely or tired (this tip comes from a strategy that is said to be used in AA.)  In my case, I shop when I am bored and when I don’t have a project outside of work (time to get blogging!).
• Find out why I feel I “NEED” to go to Walgreens RIGHT NOW (there is one on every corner) and buy a new lip gloss, another lotion and a candle. Because I know I don’t need new lip gloss.  And why the urgency?
• Stay far, far away from Ann Taylor LOFT. Because it is across the street from my office. And because they are always having some kind of 40% or 50% off sale that lures me into buying several non-sale items.  I find myself justifying purchases by thinking something like, “well, it’s ok because these are work clothes. You have to look good at work.  This is part of your personal brand.”
• I need to get uncomfortable. “Get comfortable being uncomfortable” is my motto for 2010 yet I haven’t applied it to this little addiction. It’s time to allow myself be uncomfortable by saying NO.  You will not die because you didn’t buy new zebra print towels at TJ Maxx.  Yet, I don’t often let myself leave the store disappointed.

I’m sharing these confessions with you because I know a majority of you has struggled with credit cards at some point in your life too.  As much as I joke, I’m very lucky that my spending isn’t as major as it could be.  My credit score is over 800 and at this pace I’m debt free within the next few months (if I stop swiping that is!).

I know many others aren’t as lucky.  Most people struggle with spending because they aren’t willing to talk about their spending habits or debt.  Avoidance seems easier, right?  So they hide their ”addiction” and their problem becomes worse and worse.

I’d love to have your help and I’m sure others would too.  Please consider- anonymously if that’s more comfortable- responding to these questions to cultivate a support system.

• Have you struggled with credit card “sobriety”?  How did you quit?
• What tips do you have for those who are struggling with over spending?
• If so, do you have an accountability partner?  What role do they play?
• Would you ever consider joining forces with a group of local women who also struggle with over-spending?
• Do you consider yourself unable to handle even one “swipe” the way an alcoholic may not be able to handle even one drink?