Are You Superstitious?

Do you dread this day each time it rolls around? I used to be one of those people. I used negative words to describe the day and the outcome was “I got negative results”. I was surprised by the origins of this “dreaded day”:

The origins are as mysterious as the day itself, although it’s thought to stem from two separate fears that amalgamate every now and again to frighten us. Yup, the number 13 and Friday (apparently) have long been considered to be unlucky in their own right.

REALLY, Fridays were considered unlucky too?  I always thought Fridays were GREAT days. Especially TODAY since I am in  NC with my daughter and looking forward to a weekend filled with tailgating and fun.  Yes, I squirreled.  As an employee, it was pay day with the exception of my years at the casinos, so what’s so bad about it? For those with a Monday – Friday JOB, it means the end of the work week and the start of two days of NO WORK! As for those of us in direct sales, Fridays are always good because they are traditionally our busy party nights.  Pay day means people are ready to shop too!

  

As for the number 13, this is what they had to say:

The number 13 has always been seen as a bit of an unfriendly number. In numerology it is irregular, transgressing the completeness of perfect 12 (for example, 12 months of the year and 12 signs of the zodiac).

Okay, I am not sure what to say about this. I do know most builders don’t include a 13th floor in the hotels or skyscrapers to avoid the negative energy it creates in people. I mean, would you rent a room or an office on the 13th floor?

A few years ago, I started changing the way I looked at Friday the 13th. I started thinking of it as just another day – a day like any other day. I LOVE thinking about it as “31” in reverse.  Okay, occasionally Negative Nellie will make a passing comment but overall positive thoughts prevail.

What are you doing on this Friday the 13th? I am hosting a special to my VIP customers and hostesses at Hope’s Purse Closet (as well as those who read my blog):

Better yet, if you place an order of $35 you can take advantage of the AWESOME October Customer special.  You can also kick off you holiday shopping with the NEW Holiday Gift Guide.  

To place an order, you can email, text, call or PM me on Facebook to place your order and receive your discount.  If you place your order online with DIRECT SHIP, I will not be able to give the discount because direct ship orders are being processed as soon as they are placed online.   I am turning a negative into a positive today, what about you?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Is it Possible to Budget on an Irregular Income?

Budgeting – I cringe when I hear those words.  I used to say “don’t know how to budget” so guess what, budgets never worked.  The funny thing is as a grant writer, it was one of the things our funders loved about me.  I was always on budget or under budget.  Now, I am learning to apply it to my personal life……..

As a full-time direct seller, my income can be irregular.  There are months when sales are AMAZING and there are months when sales are less than desired.  I have always used the fact my income was irregular as an excuse not to stick to a budget.  I mean the key to getting and staying out of debt is a budget, right?  So I went on the hunt for some tips to help me (any maybe you) manage your money better when you don’t get a regular paycheck.

Budgets are easy on a fixed income but are a challenge when you aren’t 100% sure how much money you’ll bring in every month.  Honestly, the budget challenge is the fear factor which kept me from working my business full-time.  Not having faith in myself or in God to provide for my needs.  I have monthly bills to pay – old credit card debt and school loans along with the monthly cell phone, cable bill and our grocery bill.  Sounds basic enough, right?  I mean how tough can it be?  Here are some tips I found…

STEP 1: SET YOUR MINIMUM MONTHLY BUDGET

Your monthly bills stay the same, no matter what your income.  The first step is to figure out what your income and expenses were on an average for the last three months. You have to know there the money goes every month to build a budget.

List the bills you pay every month like rent or mortgage; car, house, or medical insurance; groceries, gas, and utilities.  Figure out the minimum number it would take to balance your bills.

STEP 2: SET EXCESS MONEY IN A SEPARATE ACCOUNT

Now you know the bare minimum amount you need to stay afloat each month.  On pay day, pay the necessary bills first, pull out cash for groceries and gas to last the month, and put the rest into a separate account.  Sounds easy right?  The cash system (or envelope system) by Dave Ramsey is a great way to get started.Building up a reserve of cash from your “feast” months, you’ll have funds to rely on during the “famine” months.  I have set up separate savings accounts for my business and personal to “save” for those famine months.  Transferring money “excess” amounts over or even a minimal amount every month allows me to save for those tough seasons.

STEP 3: DON’T GO CRAZY ON PAY DAY

It is going to be tough to not go crazy when you get a large paycheck, especially after a famine month. Resist the urge to spend.  You won’t have money to set aside in your separate account for famine months if you spend excessively on unnecessary things. I’m not saying don’t enjoy a night out, just don’t make it a habit so your account drops to zero.

STEP 4: TRY TO LIVE WITH LESS

There are lots of ways to strip down spending to reduce your budget. We reduced our cell-phone bill, and cut got our cable bill.  I negotiated a lower payment rate on outstanding school loans which reduced the monthly bill.  I found when I went into saving mode, I wasn’t tempted to spend money on things I don’t need.  Now, I am not putting out to the Universe “I can’t afford this” because negative thoughts bring negative actions. BUT what I am saying is “I have plenty of money in my accounts” to bring more positive into my Universe.  When you save, you widen the gap between your minimum monthly budget and how much you have to use during your lean months.

STEP 5: BRING IN MORE INCOME

I know this sounds like a no-brainer, right?  If no matter what your try, you are still having trouble paying the bills in your famine months, it’s time to bring in more income.  Now for those of us in direct sales, it may be working our business a little harder or helping our team reach their goals.

Want something a little bit more concrete?  You can pick up a side job to bring in extra income and pad your bank account for when you need to rely on your savings. Find a way to monetize your skills, gifts and talents to earn some extra income.  Maybe it is being a freelance writer, or if you love graphic design, market your services to websites and bloggers. Maybe you are great at organization and secretarial skills, so become a part time virtual assistant for businesses and websites.  Extra income will help during the famine months and it will help to make them go away faster.

Do you live on a feast or famine income? What is your advice to people struggling to make a budget?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!