When Life is too Busy

Let’s face it. Life is busy. But, no matter what season of life you are in, if you feel like your busy life is controlling you, there are ways which you can gain back some of that control and overcome the “busy-ness.”  Here are some suggestions which may help:

What must be done each day? Most people have a time of the day when they are most productive, so focus on getting those daily tasks done at your most productive time.

Prioritize. Maybe some of the “to-dos” on your plate don’t have to done during this busy season of life. For example, if you garden, take a year off. Or, maybe you have had great intentions of getting a craft project done, but the project just keeps staring you in the face making you feel guilty about not having time to get to it. If so, this obviously is not the time in your life to do crafts. There will be another time; not just now.

Do as much ahead of time as possible. What times of the day are most hectic for you? What makes it hectic? Can you do any of those tasks ahead of time?

Be organized the night before. This ties into the above suggestion, of doing this ahead of time, but if mornings are busy and hectic, lay your clothes out the night before, pack lunches, and if you have children make sure back packs and childcare bags are ready to go. Do you have coffee or eat breakfast in the mornings? If so, have everything organized the night before for faster prep. Even if you only save a minute here or a minute there, those minutes add up and it can result in less hurriedness and a better way to start your day.

Evening Meals. Evenings are also a hectic time for many people, so meal planning can really help with this, but if you don’t like meal planning, at least have a meal idea in place the night before. Other suggestions: Whenever you make a meal, prepare a double batch (casserole, chili, spaghetti, etc.) for later use. Create a list of quick and easy meals your family enjoys such as sandwiches, canned soup, frozen pizza, frozen meals, or a salad. You could also swing by and pick up some “ready to serve” items at the grocery store. For cleanup, have everyone help. You could also have some cheap paper plates on hand to make clean up even easier.

Put your phone on silent for at least 1 hour (preferably more). Simple turn your phone to silent or enable a silence notification. It’s amazing how much you can get accomplished when you aren’t interrupted by text messages, phone calls, emails, or are tempted to go on social media. Those interruptions are time suckers and they mess with productivity. If someone is trying to reach you, they can wait an hour or two.

Only respond to emails at certain times. This pertains to not only personal emails but business emails. Maybe you want to check them morning, mid-day and then later in the day. You might want to consider turning off email notifications all together, so when you hear that “ding,” you’re not tempted to check it. Those constant interruptions take you away from what you are doing, and this affects productivity.

Limit social media. I just did a quick Google search, and people spend about 2 ½ hours a day on different social media platforms. Think of how much you could get done during that time? Not only is social media addicting, but it often makes people feel bad about themselves. Challenge yourself. For just one week, check social media only twice a day and limit the amount of time you are on there.

A messy house. Dawn from “The Minimal Mom” often talks about how 5 minutes matters. For example, set a timer and take 5 minutes to tidy your house. Often times when the timer goes off, you will want to continue. If a messy house is stressing you out, ask for help from family members. Or, play a game and “pretend” someone was going to be stopping by your home if 15 minutes. This has actually happened to me, and it’s amazing what I got accomplished in such a short period of time.

Start saying no. If your life is too busy and seems out of control, than you need to start saying no. In the past when someone contacted me to help with something, I would always say yes. This changed when I was volunteering for an organization and my “job” was to contact people and ask for help. These were people whom I knew, and I was shocked with how many people said “no” because they were too busy. So, now I have no problem saying no if my plate is too full. Don’t get me wrong, volunteering is important, but you need to take care of yourself (and your sanity) first.

This last comment about taking care of yourself, brings me to my conclusion. Even if life is busy, it’s important to do something you enjoy every day. If you don’t think you have time for this, with all of the suggestions above, you will have banked some time, and taking only 15-30 minutes a day doing something for you, will be beneficial to not only you, but others around you.

Do you have any time savers that have really helped you? Please share in the comments.

Image by Ketut Sublyanto, Pexels.com

Unemployed? 15 Ways to Stay Motivated During the Cold, Snowy Months

When winters are cold, snowy, and dreary it can be hard to keep up your motivation, but especially if you are unemployed or are anticipating a potential layoff. Here are some tips to help you get you through the doldrums of winter:

1. Take care of yourself: Eat healthy, drink plenty of water, get a good night’s rest, etc. This is common sense, but these basic needs are the foundation of everything.

2. Exercise. Part of taking care of yourself is exercise. Even if you don’t like exercising, just take 10 minutes and do some type of exercise (jumping jacks, sit ups, push-ups, whatever). Or, try other ways to exercise. For example, when you drive to a store, park at the end of the parking lot so you have further to walk. Go out to a mall and do some walking. There are many different ways to exercise, so, even if exercising is not your cup of tea, just getting some movement in will boost your mood and increase your motivation.

3. Get outdoors. Yes, even if it is cold. This could even be part of your daily exercise. Just dress warm with layers. Even if you are outside only 5 minutes, being outdoors is good for the mental health.

4. Create a to-do list before you go to bed. Are you the type of person who feels good about crossing off items on your to-do list? If so, you will love this task. Include household tasks, phone calls, computer time, etc. on our to-do list. The sense of accomplishment in checking off those items is a good feeling.

5. Stay scheduled. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Shower and get dressed as if you were going to work. No staying in jammies all day! Also, that to-do list you do before you go to bed will help keep you on track.

6. Make your bed every morning. Starting your day with this simple task will give you a sense of accomplishment.

7.  Network. It’s important to have contact with people every day. Maybe email a former colleague, meet someone for coffee, or telephone or video call someone.

8. Get a job search buddy. Do you know someone else unemployed? Be each other’s job search buddy. Talk once or twice a week to discuss your goals, progress, or problems that may have arisen. Try find a job seeking group in your community and attend this. Social contact is healthy for you; especially if you have commonalities with other people.

9. Bring your computer and get out of the house to job search. Go to a coffee shop or a library where you can see other people, and conduct some of your job search activities there. Once again, the social contact can help you stay motivated.

10.  Volunteer. Volunteering will not only get you out of the house, but by doing so, you will be helping others — which can be very rewarding. Volunteering is also a great way to network with others and maybe even learn new skills! (Don’t forget to add the new volunteer experiences to your resume!)

11. Learn something new. Take a free class online. Enroll in course through your community. Research a new topic on the Internet. Learn something new by watching a YouTube video.

12.  Do something you enjoy. Do you like movies? Do you like to read? Do you have a hobby? Whatever you enjoy doing, carve out some time each day to do what you like.

13. Subscribe to receive some daily emails on motivation, inspiration, etc. Follow these types of content pages on social media. Create a list of your favorite ones, and read them every day.  Also, no matter what situation you are in, there is always something to be thankful for. Everyday write down a few things that you are grateful for every morning.

14. Celebrate achievements. The achievement can be big or small, and it doesn’t have to be job-search related. Maybe you just completed a project around the house or maybe you just landed an interview. Whatever the success, reward yourself with something. It can be as small as a piece of chocolate or it can be something bigger.

15. Looking for some extra cash while you are job seeking? Check out the blog post I wrote on “12 Ways to Make (and find) Extra Money.” Making some extra cash will boost your spirits.

There are many different ways to stay motivated during the dreary winter months. Can you think of any other ways that I missed? Please share them below in the comment section.

Don’t Let a Layoff Catch You Off Guard: 12 Things to do Right Now

As I write this blog post, there is so much going on in the news. Inflation is really hitting us in the pocketbook with higher prices for it seems everything from groceries to health care to insurance to even streaming services. Higher prices are also affecting businesses, and as they look at their bottom line, there is always the possibility of layoffs, because payroll is one of the largest costs for most companies.

Even if you don’t think a layoff is possible, it can happen. I have worked with many clients who were caught off guard, so even if you’re not worried about a layoff, it can happen. Here are 10 things you should do to help you be more prepared:

1.  Update your resume. Include items that will set you apart. For example, did you save money, streamline procedures, solve a problem? Also, ask yourself, “What do I feel most proud about accomplishing these past 6 months?”

2.  Did you receive any thank you or congratulatory emails? Forward them to your home email address.

3.  Have you saved copies of your performance reviews? If not, ask your human resource department for copies. Excerpts of positive comments can be used in cover letters or on a resume and are a great way to set yourself apart. Remember, don’t file them at work; bring them home.

4.  Are you proud of something you created? If so, and if company policies allow it, make a copy and include it in your own portfolio.

5.  Did you attend any seminars or trainings? Don’t file those certificates at work, bring them home.

6.  Network Inward. Maintain your current network of connections. Send an occasional email, forward an interesting article to them, or go out for coffee or lunch. Then, if something happens, you will have an immediate network to draw upon and will not have to re-establish a relationship.

7.  Network Outward. Always work on building new connections. Get to know the “connectors” who are the people who know everyone. Participate in local clubs/organizations, and volunteer in your community.

8.  Build your LinkedIn Presence. Social media is also another great way to network outward. On LinkedIn, update your profile and make sure the content matches your resume — you don’t want any discrepancies. Join LinkedIn groups, participate in discussions, and work on building your connections. Finally,ask for recommendations on LinkedIn. Excerpts from these recommendations can be strategically placed in your cover letter or resume.

9.  Have you thought of creating a second revenue stream? For example, one of my clients, who was an auto technician, started to take on some repair jobs (which he did in his garage) for friends and neighbors. Another client, who had a very part-time job in direct sales (selling jewelry), decided to ramp up that business when she learned her company may be having layoffs. Having a second source of income like these individuals can be very helpful if you become unemployed.

10. Cut Unnecessary Expenses. Ask yourself, “If I lost my job today, what expenses could I cut immediately?” For example, daily stops at the coffee shop. Or, could you switch your cell phone plan? I have heard several YouTubers like Under the Median talk about Mint Mobile and how they spend only $15 a month and are very happy with the service (unlimited talk and text, free mobile hotspot, etc.). Personally, I have not used it, but I believe they use T-Mobile’s network, so if T-Mobile works well in your area, it might be worth checking it out.

11.  Build Your Savings. I am not a financial expert, but this is common sense, even if you don’t get laid off. If you’re looking to save money immediately, there are actually some pretty easy ways to build your savings, which you could even start today. I wrote about this in my blog post “12 Ways to Make (and Find) Extra Money” which will give you six tips to cut expenses and six tips to make extra money. (Note: One tip is to make more money is to ask for a raise, which you obviously don’t want to do if you’re concerned about a layoff!)

12.  If you have any inclination that your job may be ending soon, don’t just sit around and wait; follow your gut and start taking action. Begin looking at job openings within your line of work, and if there is something that interests you, apply for it. By doing so, you will (1) learn how many openings are available in your field; (2) find out how marketable you are; and (3) may possibly have an opportunity to practice your interview skills and learn more about a potential job that would be a great fit.

If you don’t have a plan in place, it’s time to start one. Don’t be caught off guard like some of my clients were. Be proactive, not reactive.

Image by Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels.com

10 Resume Tips for the Older Worker

Throughout the years as I’ve worked with clients who are over the age of 50, they often express concerns about their age and how it will affect their job search. In addition to their fears, when I take a look at their resumes, I often see many red flags that clearly point to the fact that they are a “mature worker.”

To overcome these fears and red flags, I’ve developed some resume tips to help the older job seeker be more competitive in the job search world:

1.  Don’t Include Your Year of Birth as Part of Your Email Address:  It’s time to get a new email address if the email you are using is janedoe1960@email.com.

2.  If You Have a Landline, Only List your Cell Number on the Resume. There are still some people who have both a landline and cell phone, and these people tend to be older individuals. In fact, my guess is you would be looking a very long time to find someone 50 or younger who has a landline (although if that person lives in a rural area with not good cell connection, they might have one.) By listing both on your resume, you are announcing you are an older worker.

3.  Reconsider Using an Old Email Address from the 90s:  If you are using one of the first email addresses available from the 1990s, then you may want to consider using another service such as Gmail. I had never thought about this tip before, but a client who was in his mid-20s, commented about an older email address stating, “People still use those addresses?”

4. List Your LinkedIn URL in the Contact Info. It’s important, however, to not start out the URL with “www” like http://www.linked.com/in/janeyjobseeker/. Back in the 90s when the Internet was gaining popularity, everyone would say or list www before citing a website. If you do this, it will definitely announce you are an older worker. Also, here’s a LinkedIn tip: if you have a bare-bones profile, I would suggest you updating it and making sure that the info and dates on your LinkedIn profile match your resume.

5. Do Not Include Your Mailing Address in the Contact Info. This was a practice of the past, but the trend now is to not include it for a variety of reasons including safety, privacy, and discrimination based on location. (For example, if you live in an area where it is known to have older families.) You could still list your city and zip code if you want, but I would suggest not using your mailing address.

6.  Remove Obsolete Technology from Your Resume:  Unless it is relevant to the position for which you are applying, remove any out-of-date technology from your resume (for example, DOS operating system). Keeping it on your resume only dates you.

7.  Do Not Include Your Entire Work History on Your Resume:  Recently, I worked with a client who was in his 60s. When I reviewed his resume, he had included all of his work history since the late 1970s. If you’re concerned about ageism, then you definitely do not want to include your entire career path. Most employers are concerned about your recent experience (10-15 years) and what you’ve accomplished in those positions. Obviously, each client’s situation is different, and sometimes a job seeker needs to include experience from the early years (especially if he/she is changing careers back to an earlier occupation.) This can be very complicated on how to best present yourself on a resume, and in situations like these, it is best to seek out a professional resume writer to assist you.

8.  Do Not Include Graduation Dates on Your Resume – One Exception.  Especially if you graduated 25-30 years ago, do not list the date. The only exception (in my opinion) would be if you were a nontraditional student and graduated from college within the past 10-15 years. Then it may be advantageous for you to include your graduation date on your resume, because hiring managers may assume you are younger than you are.

9.  Physical Fitness:  Typically, personal interests should not be included on resumes; however, if your interest is being physically active, then it may be advantageous for you as an older job seeker to include it on your resume. For example, a walk-a-thon to raise money for a charity could be included under “Volunteer Activities,” but if it is not a volunteer activity (for example a 5K you participated in), then perhaps a heading such as “Community Involvement” or “Community Activities” could be used.

10. Technology.  If it would be helpful for you to improve upon a computer program, so you can feel comfortable listing it on your resume, then take action. Conduct an Internet search to find trainings in your area or possibly online trainings you can sign up for. Another great (and free) option is YouTube. Search for whatever you want to improve upon, and a plethora of videos will come up in the search. I suggest viewing more recent videos, to ensure that the technology is more current. Another option: If you are good at self-teaching and you have the software program on your home computer, create a mini project and get going! Work on honing your skills every day.

Do you have any additional tips for a job seeker who is concerned about his or her age? I would love to hear them!

Could a Cluttered Workspace be Affecting You?

The answer is yes. Simply put, mess creates stress not only in the workplace, but also in our home. There is a plethora of research on this topic, and this article will focus on the negative effects of clutter in the workplace and steps you can take declutter and minimize these effects.

According to the Journal of Environmental Psychology, clutter increases stress, decreases productivity, leads to unhealthy habits, and has a negative impact on a person’s overall well-being.

Look around your workspace and ask yourself the following:

• Is your desk messy with absolutely anything and everything?
• Do you have piles of paper or files on the floor on shelves?
• When you open your inbox, is there an avalanche of unopened emails?
• Do you have difficulty focusing and feel stressed a lot of the time?
• Do you procrastinate on projects?
• If somebody came in your office or workspace and asked to see XYZ, could you quickly find it?
• Do you feel unorganized and embarrassed when you can’t find something right away and have to “get back to” whoever was asking for it?
• Do you find yourself snacking a lot at work?

If you work in a cluttered environment and answered “yes” to a lot of the above, then try decluttering. It might seem overwhelming, but the benefits will be worth it. Here are some suggestions:

MAKE DECLUTTERING EASY

1. Start With Small Chunks of Time. According to Dawn from The Minimal Mom, 5 minutes matters. So, if you don’t have much time during the workday, start with 5 minutes a day. After the 5 minutes is up, you may even want to keep going. Of course, this is flexible. You may want to start with 10 minutes (or more) a day. Do what works for you.

2. Schedule it in Your Calendar. You may not even need to do this, if you decide to declutter at a certain time each day. For example, right away when you get to work, or right before lunch, or right before you leave for the day. If you are so swamped at work and believe it will be hard to carve out extra time each day, then try arriving 5 minutes earlier than usual to work or leaving 5 minutes later than usual.

3. Declutter the Easiest First.  Start with extra pens, paper clips, extra coffee cups or water bottles. These are quick and easy fixes. Next, focus on obvious garbage. For example, snack wrappers or a junk mail that you put to the side when you should have put it directly in the garbage. Just removing these items alone will make a difference.

4. Continue With the Top of the Desk. Depending on how much clutter is on your desk, you may want to start with one side of the desk, and then work on the other side. Or, you may want to start with certain items, like removing all of the folders off of your desk and filing them away.

5. Move on to Other Spaces in Your Office or Work Area. Do you have clutter in other areas? On the floor or on top of a file cabinet? You’ll find the more you declutter and organize, the better you will feel.

6. Final Areas. Desk drawers and digital clutter. If it’s difficult to find things in your desk drawers and things seem unorganized, you may want to start with this next. Digital clutter (going through and deleting emails, removing yourself from mail lists, etc.), may take a long time, so you should focus on what bothers you most.

7. Keep Maintaining Your Space. Once you’ve decluttered, continue with those brief decluttering periods. If you don’t, the clutter will pile up once again, and you’ll be back to square one.

Clutter affects you even if you don’t realize it, so decluttering your office space will only help you. You will think more clearly, be less stressed, be more productive, and feel better about yourself. Think about it. If someone walked into your space and said, “Wow, this looks so neat and organized,” you would feel great, and that positive reinforcement will make you want to keep it up.

How to Be a Stay-At-Home Mom

Being a stay-at-home mom is a career choice, and if you ever wanted to be one, but thought there was no way you could afford it, there are things to consider.

Probably one of the biggest concerns an individual has is the financial impact on the family. In most cases, a family unit will be going from two incomes to one income. However, there are expenses to working, and when you subtract these expenses, you might not be bringing home as much money as you think. Here are things for you to consider

1. Start by taking your take-home pay and subtracting your childcare costs.

2. Next, what are your transportation costs? Whether you take public transportation or drive to work, subtract these expenses, including any parking fees. If you drive, there are also the added expenses of more frequent oil changes, tire rotations, etc. Check with your insurance agent as well. If you stay at home are not driving to work daily (especially if you commute to a large metro area), it is possible your insurance rates may decrease, but again, check with your agent.

3. Subtract any clothing costs, whether that be uniforms or clothing for work.

4. Are you ever asked to throw in money for gifts such as a baby shower, wedding gift, holiday gift exchange, etc.? Subtract this amount.

5. Do your coworkers ever approach you with fundraisers their children are participating in? If you always seem to buy something out of obligation, subtract this amount.

6. Do you ever have to hire a babysitter for after-hour business events, such as a holiday get-together or a summer event? Subtract this amount.

7. Coffee and lunch costs. Do you purchase coffee ever? Do you buy your lunch? Even if you bring your lunch to work, do you ever wander over to the vending machine? These are all costs that add up. Subtract what you believe your average is and subtract that from your take-home pay.

8. Dinner short-cuts and convenience foods. Are you ever so tired that you stop by a fast-food place for dinner or buy ready-made meals from the grocery store for an easy supper? Subtract these amounts.

After you subtract these “work expenses” from your take-home pay, what do you have left? Is this enough for your family to pay your household bills?

Have you ever considered that there are other types of expenses that are not related to work that you could reduce? Expenses that you can cut from your budget? For example, groceries is one category that is easy to reduce for people, because they have more time to look at weekly ads, compare prices, plan menus around sale items, etc. As far as cleaning products, toiletries, etc., if you follow digital couponers, they will do all the work for you. Two I suggest are Coupon with Alysia and Coupon with Ashley B.  Each week they post deals at places such as Walgreens, CVS, and Dollar General and show you just how to do it. You will save a lot of money following these individuals, but only buy what you need.

For other ideas, I wrote a blog post on ways to make and save money. Check it out: “12 Ways to Make (and find) Extra Money.”

Other Things to Consider.

Many worry that their career will remain stagnant if they are a stay-at-home mom, but being a stay-at-home mom is a career, and there are skills that go along with this. Many individuals volunteer, and these skills can easily be incorporated in a resume if they return to work (organizing fundraisers, making phone calls, entering data in Excel, leading meetings, etc.). When I write resumes for individuals returning to the workforce, I always use these experiences.

Health Insurance and Retirement. If the person who wants to be the stay-at-home-parent is the one who carries the health insurance, then this can be difficult. Is it possible the other parent can carry the insurance? Retirement is another obstacle that one must consider. If you have (and are taking advantage) of a matching 401K, then this is something you will need to discuss with your partner and financial planner.

Finally, I’ll share a personal story. Back in the 90s, I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but thought there was no way it would work. What was frustrating for my husband and me, was that he did not have any sick time with his position, but I did. So, financially it made sense for me to be the one to take time off from work and stay home with sick children, bring them to doctors’ appointments, etc., because I got paid. It was stressful, because every time I took time off, I knew this made it difficult at my work place. I could hear the whispers behind my back. So, my husband and I took pen to paper and utilized many of the above ideas and realized it could work. I also started a part-time word processing service at home. Back in the mid-90s, not everyone had computers, so it was easy to find work. I took a skill I had and found a way to make some money at home while caring for my children.

Becoming a stay-at-home mom is a big decision, but if one makes the decision to stay home, it does not mean this will be forever. While most go back to work outside the home eventually, if you find at first that being a stay-at-home mom is not your cup of tea, all you have to do is start applying for positions. If you do decide to stay home and love it, don’t forget to keep up your skills in whatever area your profession. There are many free courses online. And, of course, there most likely will be stay-at-home mom groups in your area. Libraries have programs for children, and you may meet other parents there. The same with religious organizations. It’s a great way to get out and network with others.

12 Ways to Make (and find) Extra Money

People want to make extra money for a variety of reasons. Some people might not have enough money to pay their monthly bills. A stay-at-home parent might want some extra spending money. There may be talk about layoffs, and a person may be trying to build up their emergency fund if that happens. And, there are a plethora of other reasons such as paying off debt, saving for a big-item purchase, putting more money in retirement, etc.

There are two ways to put more money in your pocket. The fastest way is to cut unneeded expenses. The second method is to additional ways to generate more money.

IDEAS FOR CUTTING EXPENSES

1. Cut Unneeded Streaming Services. Do you subscribe to streaming services? If so, and if you subscribe to more than one service, which one do you watch the most? You could begin by keeping the one you use most and canceling all of the other ones. Or, simply cancel all of them. There are plenty of free services, and a few that we use are Tubi and YouTube. In September 2024 TV Guide came out with “The 7 Best Free Streaming Services That Are Actually Worth It in 2024”, so you might want to click on the link to review them. Finally, some services allow you a free trial for the first month but the key is you MUST remember to cancel before the free trial is over.

2. Review Other Monthly (or Yearly) Subscriptions or Membership. Besides streaming services, there are a lot of other types of subscriptions or memberships you may have signed up for. Can you get by without these? If you cancel the service and decide you really miss it and need it, you can always sign up again. Some examples include newspaper or magazine subscriptions, warehouse chain memberships, grocery delivery services, monthly wine clubs, monthly make up subscriptions, and more. Amazon Prime is another membership, which my husband and I use all the time, so we have chosen to keep that one. Prime also provides us with free movies.

3. Cut Daily Stops for Coffee. Do you swing by a coffee shop on the way to work? How much do you spend and how many times a week do you stop? Let’s say you stop twice a week and your coffee costs about $7. If you eliminated those coffee trips, you would save $56 a month. Instead of stopping for coffee, consider preparing it at home. A flavored coffee creamer might do the trick. My sister buys flavored instant coffees. Do an Internet search for DIY coffee recipes. I just did one for DIY latte recipes, and I found a real simple recipe on a site called “Fork in the Kitchen” with no fancy equipment.

4. Be a Smart Grocery Shopper. Cutting back on groceries (or the type of groceries you buy), is one of the fastest ways to have more money in your pocket at the end of the month. Watch for weekly sales. Try generic items. Only buy what you need. Don’t shop when hungry. Compare prices, which is easy to do, because most grocery stores have their prices online. This may take some time, but if you can definitely save some money. For example, I just did a search for a dozen large eggs. I searched three locations and the three different prices were $4.17, $4.99, and $5.99. (Obviously, you don’t want to drive a long distance to save a couple dollars, though.) Finally, don’t assume that large warehouse stores are less expensive. We used to belong to a warehouse club, and found that many items were less (or the same price) at other stores. We decided our savings was not even enough to cover our yearly membership.

5. Cook at Home. Eating out has become very expensive (even at fast food places), so if you can minimize or eliminate these and cook at home, you will definitely save money. If there are nights where you are tired and don’t feel like cooking, having a frozen pizza or throwing together a sandwich will still be less expense.

6. Watch YouTube Channels for Ideas on Easy Meals and Saving Money. I learn a lot from watching YouTube videos, and my two favorite channels for making easy meals are “Frugal Fit Mom” and “Southern Frugal Momma.” There are many channels for easy meals and saving money, but “Under the Median” shares a lot of great content on saving money. Once you watch a few, the algorithm will start filtering similar content for new channels you can explore.

IDEAS FOR MAKING MORE MONEY

7. Ask For a Raise. Before asking for a raise, you need to ask yourself, “Do I deserve a raise?” If you are one to always be on time with projects, go the extra mile, volunteer and step up-to-the-plate where help is needed, then you have reasons to deserve that raise.

8. Declutter and Sell. Do you have any items around your house that you can sell? Facebook Marketplace is a great place to sell (and find) items. There is an added benefit to decluttering. Research shows that people who live in cluttered homes have higher levels of the stress hormone called cortisol, so clutter can affect your health. This article on WebMD on how shares clutter can affect your health: https://www.webmd.com/balance/ss/slideshow-clutter-affects-health

9. Turn Your Hobby Into a Small Business. What do you like to do? What are you good at? Could you turn this into a small business? Maybe you are crafty. Sell items on Etsy or craft fairs. Maybe you are handy. Start a handyman service. Maybe you love animals. You could do pet sitting. A friend of mine loved cleaning, so she started a cleaning business. The ideas are endless, so please comment and share other ideas.

10. Buy and Resell. Do you ever come across a great deal on something? Maybe it’s something used, but you know it’s worth a lot more. Some people take old furniture, repaint it, and then sell it.

11. Side Jobs. There are many different side hustles you could consider. Working part-time at a retail store, babysitting, working for Instacart, being a driver for another establishment, tutoring, typing, being a mystery shopper, mowing lawns, shoveling snow. Can you think of more? Please share in the comments.

12. Cash Back Apps. Some apps I use are Fetch, Ibotta, Upside and Rakuten. With Fetch and Ibotta, you snap or upload photos of your receipts. Fetch accepts any receipt, while Ibotta offers cash back on certain items from certain stores. It takes a while, but you can redeem your points for gift cards. My two favorite apps are Upside and Rakuten. I use Upside when I fill up my car with gas, and the cash back adds up fast. For example, today I could get 21 cents back on a gallon of gas at my local gas station. Rakuten is another favorite. I added it to the browser on my computer. Whenever I go to a website (like Walgreens), a window pops up showing any coupons and also a button where I can activate a certain percentage back from the store. Every three months, Rakuten will deposit money in your PayPal account. If you are interested in Rakuten, click HERE for my referral link and if you would like to try Upside, my referral code is C3UF7.

Hopefully, these ideas will help you if you are looking to have additional money in your pocket each month. Of course, sometimes these steps are not enough, and in those situations, you may need to dust off your resume and start exploring other career options that will provide more income.

Don’t Risk It: Update Your Resume Now

If you’re like most individuals, your resume is not up-to-date; however, by not having an updated resume, you may regret it. Here are five important reasons your resume should be updated sooner rather than later:

(1) An unexpected job loss. If you lost your job suddenly, you have a resume that is ready to go. Sudden unemployment can be difficult, especially during the dreary winter months, but if you have an updated resume, you can start your job search immediately.

(2) An unexpected opportunity. Maybe through the grapevine you heard about a job opening that would be a great career move for you, but the deadline for applying is only one day away. Or, maybe you were approached by a recruiter or an industry colleague about a promising opportunity, but they need the resume as soon as possible. If this happened, you would not have to panic. You would be prepared.

(3) Easier to remember facts. Updating your resume regularly (at least once a year) will allow you to better remember facts, accomplishments, trainings, etc. The longer a person waits, the greater the chances of forgetting something important; something that could set you apart from the competition. An added bonus is that these achievements can also serve as valuable tools in a future performance review and could set the stage for a larger pay increase or a possible future promotion.

(4) An updated resume can be an empowerment tool. Sometimes things just aren’t going well at work, and you’ve been having more bad days than good days. While some people might just choose to pick up and move on, you are hesitant for some reason. Maybe you are near retirement. Maybe you have excellent benefits. Maybe you have an excellent salary. In situations like this, it can feel like you are being held hostage to your position and you have no control. But, you can turn that power and control around, and you can take charge by applying for different positions. You not only will be able to see how marketable you are to other companies, but you also may be called for an interview that turns into an unbelievable job offer. You never know. It might turn into the best decision you have ever made.

(5) Things happen. Even if you really like your job and have no plans of changing jobs or careers, you just never know. While it may not be a sudden change, things happen. Companies get bought out. Mergers happen. Bosses change. Work duties change. Hours change. Benefits change. Having an updated resume is good career management, and if something unexpected happens, you’ll be prepared.

It’s important to note that when you update your resume, this should serve as your “base” resume. When applying don’t forget tailor the resume to each position you apply to by including skills and experiences that match the job posting.

Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio at pexels.com

Turning the Work Switch Off at the End of the Day

Do you find it difficult at times to turn the work switch off at the end of the day? Separating work from home is a struggle many people face, so to combat this, I reached out to a corporate health and wellness coach for suggestions.

Kayla B., MPH, who is a Nationally Certified Health and Wellness Coach, shared the following great tips:

• One tip you can try to do as you’re trying to transition from work life to home life at the end of the day is to do literally anything physical. That could mean you walk to your mailbox to get the mail, that could mean going on a 5 minute walk, that could mean spending 2 minutes stretching, that could mean doing 10 squats, that could mean giving yourself a foot massage, that could mean rubbing your hands slowly together back and forth for 30 seconds. The point in doing something physical is to prime your brain to tell it that you are going into the next phase of the day. This will help you turn off work and get into home life.

• Close your computer at the end of the day, and do not open it again until you start work the next day. This might feel like a huge challenge, and if you’re having trouble checking your email after work hours, you need to decide what is most important to you. Is it more important to check your email 10 times after you log off for the day, or is it more important for me to spend quality time with yourself, your partner, and your children?

• Every person’s situation is different, so if it is still important for you to check your email, that’s absolutely fine. What you need to do then is pick a number. “I am only going to check my email two times after I log off at 5:00 p.m.” Stick to this boundary. When you create boundaries you are going to have a happier life.

A strategy that has worked well for me is turning off the email notifications on my phone. I had a really hard time disciplining myself not to check an email when I heard the ding, but turning off the notifications has made a huge difference in my personal work-life balance.

What are some strategies which have worked for you to separate work from home?

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Video Interview Tips

Video job interviews (also called virtual interviews) have been on the rise in recent years, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are relying heavily on video platforms, if not exclusively. In fact, when I spoke with an HR professional recently, she informed me that they have temporarily pulled away from any in-person interviews until a later date.

Even if you have experience with video conferencing with family and friends, a job interview is different, and you might not get a second chance. Below I’ve listed some of the tips I’ve included in a handout I wrote entitled, “Video Job Interviews: What You Need to Know.” If you would like a complete copy, email me at careerproservices@gmail.com, and I will email you a PDF copy. Here are some of the tips:

• Think of the background where you will be interviewing. You don’t want it too busy so it distracts the interviewer. You also want to be sure your background is not cluttered or messy. This is especially important if you’ve stated on your resume that you have strong organizational skills.
• Be sure your device’s webcam is at or slightly above eye level. (You don’t want the interviewer looking up your nose!) You also don’t want to sit too close to the webcam. It’s best to sit back a little; you don’t want just your face showing.
• Don’t forget to check for updates on your computer or device. You don’t want it to automatically start an update during the interview. (Something similar actually happened to a friend. She was giving a PowerPoint presentation, and her laptop started updating during the middle of the presentation!)
• If you’re concerned about the doorbell ringing during your interview, put a note by the doorbell, “Please DO NOT ring the doorbell.”
• During the interview, if you need to glance down at some notes occasionally, feel free to do so. (Tip: use sticky notepads for notes and place them at the bottom of your computer monitor.)
• Technical glitches happen, so have a Plan B (perhaps another device or phone), and be sure these devices are nearby and are fully charged.

Don’t forget to prepare for your virtual interview as you would any other interview. Hiring managers have listed “Not being prepared”  as one of the top pet peeves in my all of the surveys I have conducted, so prepare, practice, and ace your interview!

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