I am a lucky person. I don't know anything about "The Secret" or quantum physics, but I do know that I am observant and imaginative. At least some part of luck seems to be paying attention and noticing things AND imagining the possibilities. A practical example would be (similar, I believe, to many of the postings on this blog)--noticing that something will be available (something is being thrown away/is on sale, or someone is moving and getting rid of something) and imagining a way to process those things to make something marketable.
Along the lines of Carrie's post, knowing what you want can increase your luck--but only if you are paying attention. A few times in my life, I have made a list of the exact requirements of what I wanted in a new job--and found/got hired for that job within a short time--including one time when there was a typo in the advertisement and I was the only person who was able to track down the hiring party and apply for the job. But that was only because I KNEW from my list that it was exactly what I wanted. I felt lucky, but it was knowing what I wanted, paying attention, and following through.
I would like to add that good planning sometimes enables you to take advantage of good luck when it happens.
For example, my husband got turned down for a competitive college program ("bad luck") because of his college performance 10 years ago, and we figured he would be at home or perhaps working this semester. I convinced him to go to the college and argue his case since he now has a great GPA. He did, and they took him ("good luck!") just a few days before classes started!
We are a low-income, one-income family. But since we have been diligently saving and holding down debt, we easily paid cash for his sudden "good luck" tuition, books, and transportation. We will get financial aid but it would have arrived after the due date for payment.
It's a tiny blip on our financial radar, but for many people it would mean high credit card debt or worse, might even prevent this opportunity! I know many people who earn far more than me with fewer savings for emergencies.
I feel truly blessed. As Americans, we live better in poverty than many people in foreign countries who have a relatively high income. In this kind of environment I think most people can make their own luck and happiness.
I've walked away from used car dealerships after I thought they would go no further and had them run after me shouting another price! Your exactly right. You gotta be prepared to walk away.
It's funny, no matter how long I am in the business, I learn something new every day. It's almost overwhelming trying to keep up with the zillion different things you can do to make money. If you have a list you've created in a previous blog that is similar to this post but perhaps written in a list format, can you point me to it?
That's the British English spelling of Down Syndrome. But that still doesn't excuse me, as I missed out the apostrophe. A lesson learned...I won't cut and paste from online dictionaries anymore! (I would change the title, but it may have been linked to from other blogs...sorry).
Great article! I don't make a living "online" but one reason I got into blogging was to add another stream of income to the mix. I have about half a dozen regular freelance clients, and probably half a dozen irregular ones, which has been great, because when inevitabl work dries up for one client, it's not a disaster. One thing I'll add is that you should invest a little bit of your working time looking for new sources of income to replace clients, customers, web sites, or whatever that peter out.
As usual, I'm loving all the ideas and tips from readers. My father-in-law raised beef cattle for a short period of time. He only ever slaughtered one, but while it lasted, it was great to have such high quality meat for free. (They were kind enoug to give us all we wanted.)
The grocery delivery plan sounds great. $125 is a great deal for a week's worth of food.
Check with your local Extension Service(under your state university) for varieties specific to your area, also for container gardening. Also the library for books on container gardening.
Here in our 55+ community we can only grow in containers - having always been an avid gardener, we grow in pots, Earth Boxes, lidless or cracked totes. We grow tomatoes, peppers, swiss chard, romaine, sugar snap peas, pole beans, basil, oregano, green onions, parsley, basil, sage, lemon balm. Indoors I sprout thru-out the year. Try to have a pot or two of a bee/butterfly attracting plant so it will help with pollination.
For weight purposes you might want to consider a soil-less mix. Wet soil is extremely heavy.
Johnny's Select Seeds, Nichols Garden have sections on seeds for container growing. Also, Le Jardin du Gourmet has tiny packets of seeds, perfect for trying a bunch of stuff inexpensively.
Something I've had luck with- but I've never grown tomatoes so you might want to search around for it- is soaking seeds in weak tea overnight and then germinating the seeds in damp paper towels (or coffee filters, or newspaper might work as well). The tea softens the seed's outer coating so it's easier for the root to poke out (it worked REALLY well for sunflower seeds). If you put seeds on a damp surface and keep it moist (like in a plastic baggie or container) for a few days the little roots will pop out and you can plant just the seeds that sprout.
Contact the hospital, doctors, etc and see if they will eliminate the debt. Check with your local Medicaid about getting insurance as you never know when you will need it. Try to fina good social worker through a local charity, hospital, or nursing home. You may want to contact you state health & human services. They may be able to help with getting him on disability and may have other suggestions to help. Sorry I cant be of more help but I hope someone out there can.
Alot of these so called free sites require the credit card because if you don't cancel after say 30 days they will charge you every month untill you do cancel.
There is a site called Gardenweb.com that has many state-specific gardening tips, including what varieties of tomatoes people in that area have had success with. It has a container gardening section also. It has been very helpful to me.
AFAIC, tomatoes are the easiest things in the world to grow from seed--especially if you have good seed. They like to have it about 70 degrees to germinate, so even if you eventually plant to put them out on a windowsill, a slightly warmer spot is good while they are germinating (which should take about 7 days). The top of the fridge is a good spot. The extra warmth will speed up germination on everything you mention, but the herbs will be much slower to germinate, so be patient.
When your seedlings are little babies, light is the thing they need most desperately. So, as you're thinking about containers, think small for now, so you can crowd your whole collection under a small fluorescent light.
Wish you guys had the 'get additional comments' button here, I wasn't aware this thread was ongoing... thought it was kind of strange that you didnt respond to my remarks, ha.
For me, I think it's important that you make the distinction between professional advisors (CFP or not) that are compensated for their advice vs. not (the legions of personal finance bloggers that talk 'their book.' etc.)
When you use the term 'financial advisor' I take it to mean someone who does it for a living. I would be a bit more descriptive going forward, so the 'believe what they read' segment won't be confused about who you're referring to.
I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY PEAK KRISSY,I HAVE 2 PEAKS B BKRISSY AND MISSY MISSY DOES NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM THANK THE LORD........BUT KRISSY DOES AND I FEEL SORRY FOR HER WHEN SHE GETS THE INFECTIONS I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING, BUT I WOULD NEVERRRRRRRRRRRRRWANTRR HAVE THAT DONE TO HER I BELIEVE ITS MEAN.IF YOU HAD THAT PROBLEM WOULD YOU WANT SOMEONE TO PUT YOU THROUGH THAT....... YOU JUST DIDNT WANT TO DEAL WITH IT DAY IN AND DAY OUT SO THATS WHY YOU HAD IT DONE NOT FOR HIM FOR YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Granted, saving might be the "financially wise" thing to do. That is saving money builds wealth and gathers interest. However, many folks might claim that they plan on saving it but I would imagine that these same well-intended people say the same about their tax return. Though we often find something that we could "really use" but might be slightly out of reach financially. All it takes is a little boost in income to make that want a reality. This is just my thought, I have to stats to back it up.
Wow, this stuff is disgusting!! I eat absolutely NO food out of cans.
:P
Someone once told me that Luck is when "Preparation meets Opportunity"
I am a lucky person. I don't know anything about "The Secret" or quantum physics, but I do know that I am observant and imaginative. At least some part of luck seems to be paying attention and noticing things AND imagining the possibilities. A practical example would be (similar, I believe, to many of the postings on this blog)--noticing that something will be available (something is being thrown away/is on sale, or someone is moving and getting rid of something) and imagining a way to process those things to make something marketable.
Along the lines of Carrie's post, knowing what you want can increase your luck--but only if you are paying attention. A few times in my life, I have made a list of the exact requirements of what I wanted in a new job--and found/got hired for that job within a short time--including one time when there was a typo in the advertisement and I was the only person who was able to track down the hiring party and apply for the job. But that was only because I KNEW from my list that it was exactly what I wanted. I felt lucky, but it was knowing what I wanted, paying attention, and following through.
I would like to add that good planning sometimes enables you to take advantage of good luck when it happens.
For example, my husband got turned down for a competitive college program ("bad luck") because of his college performance 10 years ago, and we figured he would be at home or perhaps working this semester. I convinced him to go to the college and argue his case since he now has a great GPA. He did, and they took him ("good luck!") just a few days before classes started!
We are a low-income, one-income family. But since we have been diligently saving and holding down debt, we easily paid cash for his sudden "good luck" tuition, books, and transportation. We will get financial aid but it would have arrived after the due date for payment.
It's a tiny blip on our financial radar, but for many people it would mean high credit card debt or worse, might even prevent this opportunity! I know many people who earn far more than me with fewer savings for emergencies.
I feel truly blessed. As Americans, we live better in poverty than many people in foreign countries who have a relatively high income. In this kind of environment I think most people can make their own luck and happiness.
I've walked away from used car dealerships after I thought they would go no further and had them run after me shouting another price! Your exactly right. You gotta be prepared to walk away.
I've been writing in my spare time for a few years now, and I had no idea about some of those great resources. Thanks so much Kate, a rivetting read.
It's funny, no matter how long I am in the business, I learn something new every day. It's almost overwhelming trying to keep up with the zillion different things you can do to make money. If you have a list you've created in a previous blog that is similar to this post but perhaps written in a list format, can you point me to it?
Thanks again,
Cully
That's the British English spelling of Down Syndrome. But that still doesn't excuse me, as I missed out the apostrophe. A lesson learned...I won't cut and paste from online dictionaries anymore! (I would change the title, but it may have been linked to from other blogs...sorry).
Great article! I don't make a living "online" but one reason I got into blogging was to add another stream of income to the mix. I have about half a dozen regular freelance clients, and probably half a dozen irregular ones, which has been great, because when inevitabl work dries up for one client, it's not a disaster. One thing I'll add is that you should invest a little bit of your working time looking for new sources of income to replace clients, customers, web sites, or whatever that peter out.
Catherine Shaffer
Wise Bread Contributor
As usual, I'm loving all the ideas and tips from readers. My father-in-law raised beef cattle for a short period of time. He only ever slaughtered one, but while it lasted, it was great to have such high quality meat for free. (They were kind enoug to give us all we wanted.)
The grocery delivery plan sounds great. $125 is a great deal for a week's worth of food.
Catherine Shaffer
Wise Bread Contributor
Wow, that was a really good article. I can not wait to try some of your suggestions. Being a blog newbie I love to learn new things.
Great story, Paul. Thanks for sharing. I bet the Good News Network would like to hear about this guy.
Please note, however, it's Down syndrome, not Downs.
Check with your local Extension Service(under your state university) for varieties specific to your area, also for container gardening. Also the library for books on container gardening.
Here in our 55+ community we can only grow in containers - having always been an avid gardener, we grow in pots, Earth Boxes, lidless or cracked totes. We grow tomatoes, peppers, swiss chard, romaine, sugar snap peas, pole beans, basil, oregano, green onions, parsley, basil, sage, lemon balm. Indoors I sprout thru-out the year. Try to have a pot or two of a bee/butterfly attracting plant so it will help with pollination.
For weight purposes you might want to consider a soil-less mix. Wet soil is extremely heavy.
Johnny's Select Seeds, Nichols Garden have sections on seeds for container growing. Also, Le Jardin du Gourmet has tiny packets of seeds, perfect for trying a bunch of stuff inexpensively.
Enjoy!
That's one of the best articles I've read in a while, Kate. Thanks!!!
You said to be frugal, then tell people they can buy a useless table for a collectible. Nice
Something I've had luck with- but I've never grown tomatoes so you might want to search around for it- is soaking seeds in weak tea overnight and then germinating the seeds in damp paper towels (or coffee filters, or newspaper might work as well). The tea softens the seed's outer coating so it's easier for the root to poke out (it worked REALLY well for sunflower seeds). If you put seeds on a damp surface and keep it moist (like in a plastic baggie or container) for a few days the little roots will pop out and you can plant just the seeds that sprout.
Contact the hospital, doctors, etc and see if they will eliminate the debt. Check with your local Medicaid about getting insurance as you never know when you will need it. Try to fina good social worker through a local charity, hospital, or nursing home. You may want to contact you state health & human services. They may be able to help with getting him on disability and may have other suggestions to help. Sorry I cant be of more help but I hope someone out there can.
check the statute of limitations in your state first usually 3 to 10 years depending on where you live.
Alot of these so called free sites require the credit card because if you don't cancel after say 30 days they will charge you every month untill you do cancel.
There is a site called Gardenweb.com that has many state-specific gardening tips, including what varieties of tomatoes people in that area have had success with. It has a container gardening section also. It has been very helpful to me.
AFAIC, tomatoes are the easiest things in the world to grow from seed--especially if you have good seed. They like to have it about 70 degrees to germinate, so even if you eventually plant to put them out on a windowsill, a slightly warmer spot is good while they are germinating (which should take about 7 days). The top of the fridge is a good spot. The extra warmth will speed up germination on everything you mention, but the herbs will be much slower to germinate, so be patient.
When your seedlings are little babies, light is the thing they need most desperately. So, as you're thinking about containers, think small for now, so you can crowd your whole collection under a small fluorescent light.
Hey Phil,
Wish you guys had the 'get additional comments' button here, I wasn't aware this thread was ongoing... thought it was kind of strange that you didnt respond to my remarks, ha.
For me, I think it's important that you make the distinction between professional advisors (CFP or not) that are compensated for their advice vs. not (the legions of personal finance bloggers that talk 'their book.' etc.)
When you use the term 'financial advisor' I take it to mean someone who does it for a living. I would be a bit more descriptive going forward, so the 'believe what they read' segment won't be confused about who you're referring to.
I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY PEAK KRISSY,I HAVE 2 PEAKS B BKRISSY AND MISSY MISSY DOES NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM THANK THE LORD........BUT KRISSY DOES AND I FEEL SORRY FOR HER WHEN SHE GETS THE INFECTIONS I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING, BUT I WOULD NEVERRRRRRRRRRRRRWANTRR HAVE THAT DONE TO HER I BELIEVE ITS MEAN.IF YOU HAD THAT PROBLEM WOULD YOU WANT SOMEONE TO PUT YOU THROUGH THAT....... YOU JUST DIDNT WANT TO DEAL WITH IT DAY IN AND DAY OUT SO THATS WHY YOU HAD IT DONE NOT FOR HIM FOR YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Granted, saving might be the "financially wise" thing to do. That is saving money builds wealth and gathers interest. However, many folks might claim that they plan on saving it but I would imagine that these same well-intended people say the same about their tax return. Though we often find something that we could "really use" but might be slightly out of reach financially. All it takes is a little boost in income to make that want a reality. This is just my thought, I have to stats to back it up.
I don't know how old you are, but I vaguely remember that commercial. I think I was in elementary. Cool.