Queercents

There is a new TV show on TLC called “Extreme Couponing.”  The people featured in this show have taken coupon clipping to the extreme. They spend several hours a week collecting coupons and preparing for a shopping trip in order to maximize the amount of money they can save at the grocery store.

I’m all for stretching your food dollar, but I have mixed feelings about spending so much time collecting coupons. I agree that it makes sense to look at the food ads each week, and to only collect coupons for items that you typically buy. Purchasing an item simply because you have a coupon for it doesn’t save you any money if you are buying something you don’t want or need. I also think the advice to look online for coupons and to write to companies to request coupons for items you like is a great idea – and one that I never would have thought of myself. But how many of us have six to eight hours a week to dedicate to coupon clipping?

Queercents reader have offered their own mixed reviews of coupon clipping in the past. One of the tips that readers have shared resonates with me: generic store brands are often cheaper than the name brands, even with a coupon. The ultimate key to maximizing your grocery savings and sticking to a food budget is being aware of food prices so that you can know when you’re getting the best deal. I used to keep notes in a little binder that I kept in my coupon organizer (see – I’m not TOTALLY averse to clipping coupons) where I could write down the prices of items that I frequently purchased. I would note which store I was shopping at so that I could compare prices while I shopped. I don’t need that little notebook anymore, because the numbers are pretty cemented into my brain at this point. But if you’re just getting into setting healthy food budget habits, this is a trick that might work for you.
Read the rest of this entry »

Many of us have set New Year’s resolutions to get in shape, both physically and financially. But getting in shape doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are some tips and tricks to help you trim expenses while you slim your waistline.

Free Online Food Diaries
Many of the major weight loss programs are offering New Year’s “savings” in order to attract new customers. For example, Weight Watchers is currently waiving its registration fee and offering a 20% discount for both the online and in-person programs. The only qualification is that you have to pre-pay for three months to get the online discount, and five months to get the in-person discount. However, if your membership is already paid for, it does eliminate an excuse not to actively participate in the program.

If $10 a week isn’t in your budget, though, you can use free online food diaries to track what you eat. The Lose It app for the iPhone uses a similar tracking paradigm as Weight Watchers. You can look up foods to find out the calories, carbs, and fat, and you also get credit for physical activity. Sex even counts towards your fitness plan, so how bad could it be? One of the nice things about the iPhone app is that when you track calories, it just looks like you’re checking e-mail or texting.

If you don’t have an iPhone, there are web-based food diaries that you can use, such as MyFitnessPal.com (which is free). If you need help researching the nutrition information of food, including common items from restaurants, try the Nutrition Data page at Self.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Even though we’re still smack dab in the middle of the winter holiday season, it’s never too early to start planning for the coming year.  As 2010 comes to an end, what are you looking forward to saying goodbye to, and what are your hopes for the coming year?

One of my new year’s resolutions is to start putting money in my retirement account again.  This was a rough year for me financially, and I didn’t make any contributions to my Roth IRA account.  One of the basic rules of financial planning is pay yourself first, and this is going to be high on my list of goals for 2011.  I turned 30 this year, and it’s time to start thinking about what’s going to happen if I get to 60 and have nothing to show for it.

Last year I had a shredding party with some friends to say goodbye to bad financial habits that had crept up over the previous year.  For instance, one friend had her house go into foreclosure.  Another friend had to short-sale her house.  And another friend had wracked up several thousand dollars in credit card debt.  Say goodbye to your debts and bad habits by putting the bills in the shredder.  You can bury the shredded paper in the backyard, burn it with some sage, or just throw the paper shreds out in the recycling bin.  You could plan a solo party, or do it with your partner or some friends.  But a shredding party is a fun, symbolic way to prepare yourself for a financial new year.

I also plan to read several books in the coming year.  I’m going to re-read Suze Orman‘s Women & Money, Get a Financial Life by Beth Kobliner, and The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.  Even though I’ve read all of these books before, they all have excellent tips about framing your thoughts about money, focusing on the abundance in your life, and setting a goal to put yourself first.  These are always useful tips, and good tips bear repeating. Read the rest of this entry »

Brian Cole Miller is the founder of Working Solutions (Workingsolutionsonline.com), a consulting firm that helps leaders build effective, successful teams. He has worked with all kinds of teams in many different types of organizations. Miller is the author of five books. His latest books is called Nice Teams Finish Last, which argues that when teams try to play nice, they are actually undermining themselves. I caught up with Brian to ask him Ten Money Questions.

1. What inspired you to write Nice Teams Finish Last?
The fact that so many teams are too darn nice. On the surface people get along. Team meetings seem blah. Decisions are made rather quickly. Disagreements are rare and/or short-lived. They keep up this illusion of “teamwork.” But in reality, it’s anything but a well-functioning team. People don’t give each other honest feedback (for fear of hurting feelings), so they talk about each other behind their backs. They don’t ask for what they need (so as not to seem too aggressive) so they create work-arounds to avoid difficult situations or people. They don’t disagree with each other openly about ideas or approaches (for fear of creating conflict) so they agree passively, and then (at best) mildly support the mediocre decisions, or (at worst) sabotage the decisions. All this in the name of being nice. Too many teams suffer from too much “nice.” Decisions are made, but then have to be revisited because they didn’t have the honest exchange of different opinions to make the BEST decision. Processes are created to work around conflict or difficult people rather than deal with them directly and sensitively to RESOLVE things and become more efficient. I just figured someone needed to stand up and call out all this dysfunctional “nice” behavior that most people are misled into thinking is appropriate.

2. In your experience with Working Solutions, how important is team building to a company’s bottom line?
Vital. I wouldn’t be doing what I do if I felt otherwise. In today’s environment, technology and materials are pretty much universally available across the board. Everyone seems to agree that human capital is the only way to differentiate, the only want to excel. Well, the only way for humans (emphasis on the plural, there) to succeed together is to work as a team. Sadly, those team skills are rarely taught in school; rarely taught in the home, either. So my mission is to help develop those skills in teams anywhere and everywhere. My goal is to help an organization to learn how to team so well that they no longer need my help!

3. What’s your first significant memory related to money?
Allowance raise day at the Miller home. Despite not having much money at all, my parents felt it was important to teach my six siblings and myself the value of money very early. We each got a small allowance, commensurate with our ages. Every year in September, we had a family meeting where we were told what our new allowance would be. Sometimes allowances went up by a nickel, sometimes a dime, but sometimes just a few pennies. I would then plan out the new stuff I could buy with all that extra dough! Truth be told, though, I rarely followed through with those fun plans. I was a saver from day one. So most of the raise was put into my piggy bank for Christmas presents I’d have to buy in a few months, or to save up for something extra special for myself. Read the rest of this entry »

An article over at Forbes has me scratching my head. What Your Holiday Gift Says About Your Relationship gives conflicting financial advice. On the one hand, author Jenna Goddreau says that couples shouldn’t go into debt purchasing holiday gifts for one another, because debt can be a source of conflict down the road. On the other hand, Goddreau’s suggestions for romantic gifts, vacation tickets and jewelry, are both big ticket items. This frugal gal is left to wonder: are expensive gifts more romantic than a frugal or DIY gift?

Goddreau does make a point about the thoughtfulness of the gift. Making a DIY present for your partner shows that you’ve put thought and time into the gift. Buying some cheap piece of crap that you found at the last minute does not. So maybe the rule of thumb here is Plan Ahead. Hanukkah starts today, so for those of you who light the menorah, I hope that you’ve already done your gift planning. Those who celebrate Christmas, however, still have time to find a great deal on a thoughtful gift, or to make something that will make your sweety smile.

Instead of a romantic getaway for two, you could plan a romantic “stay-cation” at home. If you’ve got kids, find a friend or family member who can take the toddlers for the weekend. Make your own romantic dinner for two. You can plan simple meals of comfort food, or something more elaborate such as fondue. The key is to plan around your partner’s preferences. Even if you splurge on some of the ingredients, you’re still going to pay less money by cooking at home than by going to a four-star restaurant. Read the rest of this entry »

Many of us cashed in on killer deals on Black Friday – one friend told me she got a new laptop at Best Buy for only $199. With the big box stores slashing prices in an attempt to lure in customers, it’s easy to give into temptation. But as we head into the holiday shopping season, local retailers are asking shoppers to buy local, rather than online or from the big chain stores. In fact, last Saturday was dubbed Small Business Saturday, as a piggy back on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in an effort to highlight the importance of supporting local businesses. Buy Local Week (which is an initiative of The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) extends that mindset by encouraging people to support small businesses from November 26th – December 5th.

Shopping at small businesses provides several benefits for local economies.  For example:

• For every $100 spent at local businesses, $73 returns to the community. When you shop at a non-local business, only $43 returns to the community.
• For the past 10 years, small businesses have accounted for 60%-80% of new jobs created.
• Small businesses generate 75% more tax revenue for state and city budgets than non-local businesses.
• Small businesses also account for 50% of the US’s non-farm GDP.

Those are quantifiable impacts.  But there are other intangible benefits to consider.  Read the rest of this entry »

Manisha Thakor is the founder of the Women’s Financial Literacy Initiative and the co-author of two critically acclaimed personal finance books: ON MY OWN TWO FEET and GET FINANCIALLY NAKED. Manisha’s financial literacy advocacy work has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, Smart Money, Glamour, Real Simple and Bust. Her national TV appearances include CNN, CNBC, PBS’ Nightly Business Report, HGTV’s Home Rules and The Rachael Ray Show. Manisha earned her MBA from Harvard Business School, her BA from Wellesley College and is a CFA charterholder. Her website is ManishaThakor.com, and her Twitter handle is @ManishaThakor.

1. What inspired you to start the Women’s Financial Literacy Initiative?
SHORT ANSWER: I’m 40 years old. When I look back over my adult life, it’s about 10 hours of personal finance lessons that made all the difference in my ability to be financially secure today. I want to share that information with as many other women as possible.

LONGER ANSWER: As someone who worked for 15 years in the financial services industry, I feel working women are currently under-served by this sector. Most financial institutions are focused on the “high net worth” market – those earning over $250,000 a year. Yet the vast majority of working women earn significantly less than that. With the Women’s Financial Literacy Initiative I want to create a safe place, “where women go to make their money grow.” Specifically I want to teach women the 80% of personal finance basics that are the same for all – and then teach them how to find qualified financial experts to address the remaining 20% of their financial needs that are unique. Since the Women’s Financial Literacy Initiative seeks to help women on a one-to-many basis through online personal finance classes, women can pay an affordable price for that core 80% of their financial education and then work at a higher price point with a qualified specialist for the 20% of their needs that must be addressed on a one-to-one basis.

A key catalyst in my actually moving from thinking about this to actually doing it was reading Gloria Feldt’s phenomenal new book, No Excuses. For quite some time I’ve had the idea to launch affordable online personal finance courses for women – I was just afraid to walk through the door, stand tall, and claim my power and expertise.

2. What are some preconceived notions about money that typically get associated with gender?
It pains my inner feminist to no end to say this – but my experience is that women of all ages, ethnicities, demographics, and sexual orientations can fall pray to “rescue thinking.” It’s that nefarious thought in the back of our brains that tells us somehow it will all just work out – that our princess or prince charming will swoop in and solve everything or “something” will happen to make our finances okay without having to teach ourselves about this potentially dry topic. Men, generally speaking, get non-stop societal messages from an early age that their role and identities are tied up in earning money. We women – get the IV drip of rescue thinking. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the things I enjoy the most about freelance work is the thrill of the chase. I might have a great idea for an article, but unless I’m willing to get out there and sale my wares, those ideas don’t amount to much. That’s where a good query letter comes in handy.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of how to write a query letter, we need to talk about a very important item: Does the publication you want to write for accept submissions from freelancers?  If they don’t, you’ll be wasting you time, as well as the editor’s, if you send them a pitch.  Most publications have information on their websites about the submissions process.  You should also be able to find out if the publication pays for submissions, and what their standard pay rate is.  So be sure to look on the website before you draft the letter.

Think of your query letter as a sales pitch. You are essentially selling your skills to a potential buyer. You will need to capture the person’s attention, pitch what you are selling, and give the buyer a sense that you’re the most qualified person to be selling this product. Here’s a basic outline that will help you sell your ideas.

1. Know your audience. This goes without saying, but you should be familiar with the publication that you want to write for. Curve and The Advocate are both LGBTQ magazines, but they have different target audiences, and they also have a different flavor in their writing style. Go to your library and get some old copies of the publication you intend to query, get a feel for their style, and then keep this in mind as you write your pitch.

2. Write a headline that grabs the readers’ attention. The headline for your pitch really depends on the publication that you’re soliciting.  For example, I wrote an article about a woman’s guide to buying a car for Queercents, but I also pitched a different version of that article to Curve Magazine.  For Queercents, the title was very straightforward: What Does Gender Have to Do With Buying a Car?  Since Curve tends to be a little more edgy than Queercents, I gave the title a dash of sass: Does This Stick Shift Make My Ass Look Fat? How Gender Influences Your Car Buying Experience.  Make sure your headline is specific, but also make sure that it fits the tone of your prospective audience.

3. Give a good summary. Even if a story is already written, you don’t need to send the entire article in your query letter.  But make sure that your pitch gives the editor a good taste of what the article will be about.  Let’s use the pitch I sent for my article about buying a car as an example:

The federal government is offering tax credits to consumers who purchase a new vehicle this year in hopes that this will stimulate the flailing auto industry. However, men and women have very different experiences when it comes to buying a car. When a woman walks into a dealership, she needs to be prepared. Do your research ahead of time and be ready to negotiate like a mafia boss when you get to the dealership. I’ve got 5 tips that will help you haggle your way into a sweet deal on a brand new car. And none of them involves pinch hitting for the other team.

It’s very clear from this summary that the article will be in a list format. It’s also got the element of timeliness, since this pitch was sent during the Cash for Clunkers time period. And the editor also gets a taste for my sense of humor. Your query letter should do the same.

4. Sell yourself. Your final paragraph of the query letter should summarize your qualifications – but those qualifications need to be relevant to the topic you are pitching. Why are you the best person to write this article? Do you have writing clips that are similar to the article you are pitching? Be specific, but don’t be long winded.

Writer John Hewitt has some great tips for crafty in strong query letter on his site Poewar. Here are his tips for writing a strong headline and giving yourself the credit you deserve. John’s site is a great resource for freelancers, because the job board is updated frequently, and there are fun writing exercises, like the 30 Poems in 30 Days challenge. Be sure to check it out.

Do you have suggestions for writing a strong query letter? How do you pitch your ideas? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and many of us are looking for ways to keep our food expenditures down on a holiday built around gluttony. In fact, a new poll from First Command Financial Services reveals that 40% of Americans are tightening up the belt this year at Thanksgiving. CNN Reports that:

“People are looking at areas in their life where they do have some control over the spending and Thanksgiving is one of those areas where people can go overboard,” said household savings expert Jeanette Pavini.

If you’re one of those families that is either cutting back, or a family that always looking to stretch your food dollar, here are a few tips to help you stick to a budget this Thanksgiving.

1. Keep your guest list short. I love a big party as much as the next gal, but cooking for a large crowd is both resource intensive, as well as time consuming. Limit the number of invitations you extend, and you’ll see the benefits add up at the cash register.

2. Go potluck. In years past, I insisted on doing all of the cooking at Thanksgiving. I love to cook for others, and Thanksgiving was the perfect time to go all out with my culinary prowess. No more! If you’re hosting, offer to make the turkey and one or two key side dishes, but ask your guests to bring a favorite dish. Aunt Marjorie will be so flattered when you ask her to bring that green bean casserole of her that you love so much. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you ever feel like people don’t respect your time, or that you’ve been duped into providing a client consult under the guise of a social visit? I know I do! Let me give you an example.

Last week I went over to a friend’s house for beers and chit chat. My friend works for a local nonprofit that is looking for ways to raise visibility about the agency. Since I’m a writer, my friend asked me how I typically find writing gigs, and how much I typically get paid for work. I told her about some freelancing job boards, and told that in general, good gigs pay about 10 cents a word. Everything depends on the publication, and the length of the article. I got the feeling that she was trying to assess if I would pitch some articles about the nonprofit to different publications, with the hopes that the newspaper or magazine would pick up the tab. And while I support my friend’s effort to employ every medium to pinch a penny, I also know that I need to protect my own bottom line as a freelancer.

What can we learn from this case study?

First of all, when a friend asks you about your rates during a social visit, be honest. Don’t minimize your work by offering to cut them a deal. Just tell them what your rate is, and that you would love to talk to them when they are ready to proceed with the project. A recent blog article over on Copyblogger had some advice about handling these types of conversations. (Copyblogger’s daily e-mails are an excellent resource for freelancers, by the way. If you don’t already subscribe, I highly recommend it.)

Secondly, use your standard list of questions for screening potential clients in these types of situations. If the person you’re talking to doesn’t have answers to those questions, you know they’re not serious about they project they’re discussing.

Sometimes it pays to accept free work.

Let me give you another example. I volunteer at a local nonprofit on Fridays. I maintain their blog and Twitter accounts, and I do other copy-writing sorts of projects for them. I volunteer because I believe in the organization’s mission. The volunteer work I do for them helps me to keep my writing skills sharp. And it helps me meet my time management goals by getting me out of my home office every Friday. Working from home can be very lonely, so volunteering also helps me interact with honest-to-blog people on a regular basis. So there are many intangibles that result from this free gig.

How do you determine when freebies are worth your time? And how do you ensure that you’re not giving all the milk away for free? Here are some questions to ask yourself. Read the rest of this entry »