Why is it so hard to manage credit? That answer is easy!

Why is it so hard to manage credit? That answer is easy!

Inspiration
Have you decided that it is time to file bankruptcy? Before moving forward, take our Udemy class - Going from Bankruptcy to 800 Credit Score, It Can Be Done - first 10 free expires 4/22/21 I admit it. I, small business owner/writer/computer programmer, have been through bankruptcy. I survived, though! I did not take the approach of ditching the debt and the problems because that is also ditching any responsibility. I paid approximately $1500 per month for quite a few years until it was finally discharged. Although it is still on my credit report for another year or more, I am now able to have a credit card. That credit card has just under a $1,000 balance and a minimum payment of $27. The question asked in the title of…
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Surviving Bankruptcy: Keeping Your Sanity, Part 2

Surviving Bankruptcy: Keeping Your Sanity, Part 2

Inspiration
Have you decided that it is time to file? Before moving forward, take our Udemy class - Going from Bankruptcy to 800 Credit Score, It Can Be Done - first 10 free expires 4/22/21 Pay certain bills in the largest installments possible to avoid additional charges You may have an option to pay bills such as auto insurance in monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually. These options will generally incur a fee with each payment for the additional processing that is necessary. If you pay auto insurance annually, if at all possible, these additional charges can be eliminated. This is a large payment to make once per year. Most people considering bankruptcy or involved in one cannot afford such a lump sum payment. Even considering that fact, this is an extremely…
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Surviving Bankruptcy: Keeping Your Sanity, Part 1

Surviving Bankruptcy: Keeping Your Sanity, Part 1

Inspiration
Have you decided that it is time to file? Before moving forward, take our Udemy class - Going from Bankruptcy to 800 Credit Score, It Can Be Done - first 10 free expires 4/22/21 Find a bank with no service charges and a rewards program Does your bank charge a fee for each check beyond a certain number per month? Do you have service charges for using your debit card as a credit card? Will your bank pay you on a quarterly basis for normal purchases? Work with your banker to decrease fees and increase rewards. If you are paying service fees to your bank this is money that could be used to purchase food or other necessities. This is also additional money that can be used to pay down…
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You Can Start Your Own Business: 5 Tips for Success

You Can Start Your Own Business: 5 Tips for Success

Inspiration
Have you recently lost your job and need to do something that will produce some income? Do you have plenty of experience and knowledge that you can draw upon to produce the desired salary? You may already be associated with a core group of people who will become your initial customers. What type of business should I start? This is the easiest decision if you have years of experience in a job. You can harness that experience and be your own boss with a bit of effort and commitment. Experience in corporate advertising could result in your own advertising firm. With years of computer support and training you could start a computer consulting business. First steps: You should contact your city or county and state where your business will be…
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Excellent Tips: Stretching Your Dollar as Far as Possible in a Stagnant Economy

Excellent Tips: Stretching Your Dollar as Far as Possible in a Stagnant Economy

Inspiration
In a pandemic situation, as is the case during the memorable years of 2020-21, you need to find ways to cut back on expenditures. If you were fortunate enough to remain in employment and/or working from home, it is a good idea to save money while planning for potential speed bumps down the road. If your pandemic situation resulted in job loss or cutback, immediate budget adjustments and planning is necessary. Follow these steps and come up with your own to survive this worldwide crisis. We will see the other side of this! The biggest tip for budgeting your money to last through the month is to save on your grocery bill. There are many ways to accomplish this. We use coupons whenever possible. A few excellent sources for this…
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Becoming a Programmer: Five Tips to Kickstart Your Career

Becoming a Programmer: Five Tips to Kickstart Your Career

Inspiration
Are you ready to begin some hands-on development? Take our Udemy class entitled Complete Applications Using C#, VB.Net, Java, VBA, LO Basic, first 10 free expires 4/22/21 I have been working with computers for well over 25 years and have programmed since DBase 3. These tips come from those many experiences. The belief is that you are a current student or have newly graduated from school. Get an education - This is the most important tip that you can get from anyone if you are in a high-tech career. On this point I speak from experience with a 20 year span between an AS degree in programming and a BS in business. That span included periods of un- and under-employment and extended lengths of time between interviews. Immediately after getting…
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Interesting Job Interview Technique: This Can Help Older IT Workers

Interesting Job Interview Technique: This Can Help Older IT Workers

Inspiration, Productivity
Yes, I have to admit it, in my 40s I was an older unemployed IT worker. Because I work in many varied languages I do not test well when asked to code something in a specific language. I have uncovered a method that seems to work quite well and am giving this to you. First, dissect the job description to uncover all of the various areas that may be covered in the interview. The example that we will use here includes .Net, C#, T-SQL, and Sharepoint design/server. I have a laptop, as many people will, so there is an additional opportunity to show samples of my code and programs. The first interview that you will be likely to have is the HR interview. This may be with HR personnel or…
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All Titles From “You Are the Potter’s Clay” Series Now Available In Paperback

All Titles From “You Are the Potter’s Clay” Series Now Available In Paperback

Books, Inspiration
Yes, you heard correctly! All titles from the series are now available in paperback format. You can choose to read them in order from Proverbs to Acts or you can read them in any order that you choose. All of the covers are shown below and clicking on them will take you to the book page on this site. You can then choose the format desired (paperback, Kindle, Nook, Smashwords, Google Play) and make your purchase. Enjoy your scripture studies!!
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CreateSpace – Designing Your Own Cover

CreateSpace – Designing Your Own Cover

Books, Inspiration
In a previous post about publishing through CreateSpace, I mentioned how easy it is to design a cover using their Cover Creator tool. The only problem that I have found is when you have a full-sized cover already designed, perhaps for an Ebook, and that has the book name and author name already blended in. You can hide many elements using their tool, but I could not find a template that would let me hide the title. The next option was their cover template which gives you a pre-formatted template based on the number of pages in your document. The problem with using that is, because I am not a graphic designer, I do not have the proper tools to edit a PDF. That took this tool out of the…
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You Can Create Your Own Cover For CreateSpace, Part 2

You Can Create Your Own Cover For CreateSpace, Part 2

Books, Inspiration
You can design your own cover, but should you always do so? Compare the two covers above, and decide this for yourself. The cover on the left is one that I had created after purchasing the graphic that was desired for this book. I was working with someone through Fiverr and the process was going a little slowly, so I tried my hand at creating a cover. As you can tell, the investment of a total of $26 for this cover was well worth it. The cover comparison shown above is my first attempt at creating a cover, and I must say that I learned from it. Recently, I was making five more books from a series available through CreateSpace (I already had one with a cover purchased through Fiverr).…
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