Thursday, July 31, 2008

Quote of the Day

" Great quotes are like great medicine; they can cure us when we are down."
Getting Grease Stoves Clean

I hate cleaning my electric oven I have tried all different kinds of products and can not find one I really like. So I tried some inexpensive alternatives and found that they work much better than those expensive products.

Depending on how dirty your electric oven is here are 3 things that will help keep that oven clean.
  1. To loosen the grime on an electric oven: Make sure the oven is off. Heat 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Keep water at arm's length, pour in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of ammonia. Immediately place the pot in the oven and let sit overnight. The steam will carry the ammonia through the oven, loosening the grease and dirt. The next morning, wipe the oven clean, scrubbing any heavy soiled areas.
  2. To clean grease build up off oven racks, give the racks a bath. Put enough hot water in the bathtub to cover the racks, then mix 1/4 cup of dishwasher detergent an 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Stir to dissolve the detergent. Wait an hour or so, then rinse and dry the racks. Drain the water from your tub right away, or you will get a nasty bathtub ring.
  3. To prevent grease build up on oven walls, wipe them occasionally with a cloth dampened with a little vinegar and water.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Quote of the Day

" Don't look at obstacles in life as things getting in your way. Rather look at them as steps falling in place to give you a step ahead on the path to the top."
Cricut Machine

I recently bought a Cricut machine and even though it was a bit expensive it was worth it. You can do so much with this machine. You can use it for scrapbooking, home decor, cards, posters and signs the possibilities are endless. The various cartridges can be expensive but I have found a website called Oh My Crafts and they have great prices on the cartridges and sales all the time. You can also check your local craft store for great sales on all Cricut items.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Quote of the Day

" A good day can be a good day every day but is up to you to make the good decisions and choices to make a good day a better day!"

Beware of Mortgage Scams

A close friend of mine is really struggling in this economy. The job she had for 20 years has closed it's doors. She is on the verge of loosing her house and has had several unknown companies promise her that they will help her. I advised her that she needs to research every option presented to her. I did some research and found out the most recent scams that are being used and I wanted to share them.

1. Rescue Scam Option #1: The homeowner is told to sign certain loan documents that will take care of the impending foreclosure. But what the homeowner does not realize is that the documents actually sign the house over to the scammer. Then then the homeowner is still left with no house and is still responsible for the mortgage.

2. Rescue Scam Option #2: The homeowner is told that the scammer will make the payments and take care of the foreclosure, and the homeowner can rent the house until he/she is able to buy it back later. The end result is the homeowner is evicted when the scammer collects the rent, defaults on the payments or sells the house to someone else and pockets the profits.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Quote of the Day

" It's fine to have your head in the clouds, as long as your feet are firmly on the ground."

SCAM

I had a rather interesting experience the other day I received a call to do books for a brick and morter company online. I was not home to receive the call and the gentleman left a message. I called back and left him a message and instead of calling me back he sends an email that he wants to do the interview via Yahoo messenger. That threw a flag up but I went ahead and did it anyways. I was curious to say the least. As we are doing the interview via Yahoo messenger I started asking questions how about the job and the pay. I then went on to ask about the background of the company. The job seemed fairly simple because basically I was pulling the information from a POS database and entering into Quickbooks. The only thing that I really had to do over the phone was to call on anyone that may have a delinquent account. Now here is were it gets good. The gentleman then tells me that the checks will be sent to me and I was like why would they not be sent to your company? He then proceeds to get real nasty with me and say how can you say that you are a bookkeeper if you will not receive checks. I said look you may think I am stupid but you have picked the wrong person to scam . Then there was silence. He would not answer any of my IM's. I waited and he finally came back. So I proceeded to say I currently do virtual bookkeeping and also have clients that are local. I do not deposit any of there checks into my personal account. I asked him what kind of scam he was running on innocent people. He never responded to me again. I wonder how many innocent people he has got to work for his company.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Quote of the Day

" The hard part of doing a difficult job is getting started."

Ballpoint Ink Removal Tip

I am constantly getting ballpoint pen marks on my clothes no matter how hard I try to be careful. I found a trick that works really well. Aerosal hair sprays will some ballpoint ink stains from clothing. Hold a rag under the fabric to blot the ink that comes through on the otherside, then aim and spray. You can also remove ballpoint ink stains by dabbing them with alcohol.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Quote of the Day

" Opportunities are like morning dew. To catch one, you have wake up early while the world is busy sleeping."
Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

What Is Identity Theft?: Identity theft occurs when a criminal uses a person's identification information and pretends to be that person. Identity thieves use that information to make withdrawals from the victim's bank accounts, to apply for credit cards in the victim's name, and to apply for credit to buy cars, furniture, electronics, and other items. Identity thieves may also use other people's personal information to get a driver's license and Social Security card. This makes it easier for them to cash checks, charge credit cards, and hide from the law.

How Identity Thieves Operate: There are a number of ways that a criminal can get enough information to carry out the crimes mentioned above. They can go through the victim's garbage and get information there. They can get into the victim's mailbox to steal credit card and bank statements. They can pose as the victim's bank or creditors and call to ask for personal information to "update their files". They can pose as telemarketers or charity fundraisers to get your credit card number or bank account number. These bogus telemarketers and fundraisers also ask for their victim's social security number and say they need it for "verification purposes". Identity thieves sometimes pose as employers or landlords to get a copy of your credit report. Some theft rings pay dishonest employees at restaurants, stores, etc. for personal information on their customers.

How To Prevent Identity Theft: While it is impossible to be 100% safe from identity theft, there are a number of ways to greatly reduce your risk of becoming a victim.

1) Shred or tear all documents with personal information before throwing them away.

2) Bring all outgoing mail to the post office.

3) Make sure there is a lock on your mailbox.

4) Never give personal information to a stranger on an incoming telephone call.

5) Use your check cards as ATM instead of credit because the store employees won't have access to your information and there is less paper floating around.

6) Check your credit report on a regular basis (Every 6 months or every year). Check for transactions you did not initiate and monitor who has ordered your credit report. If your credit report has been ordered by "you", but you didn't order it, then someone is probably trying to steal your identity.

What To Do If You Are An Identity Theft Victim: Contact all of your creditors immediately and ask them to call you before authorizing any changes to your account. This way, the identity thief won't be able to order checks, charge your credit card, change your address, etc. Also, contact the fraud unit of the three major credit reporting agencies and ask them to place a fraud alert in your credit file. Ask them to include a statement to creditors asking them not to open new accounts or change existing accounts without calling you to verify that you initiated the transaction. If you discover that your identity has been stolen, you should file a police report in addition to taking the steps mentioned above.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Quote of the Day

" We're always searching for something better when everything we have is all that we need."
Credit Cards

The other day I was going through my credit cards and decided it maybe time to shop around for credit cards that give you a better interest rate and even cash back rewards especially on gas.
I found several different websites that I looked at were you can compare credit cards and find the best ones to suit your needs. Here are some of the websites I used and was even able to apply on line .

www.creditcards.com

www.creditcardguide.com

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Quote of the Day

" Enthusiasm is the mother of all the efforts. Without it, nothing great is ever achieved."

HERE ARE SOME TIPS THAT COULD GIVE YOU BETTER GAS MILEAGE:


  1. Give your car regular tune ups.
  2. Change oil regularly.
  3. Upgrade your air filter
  4. Use a fuel injector cleaner or complete fuel system treatment occasionally
  5. Check air pressure in your tires every week.
  6. Clean out any unnecessary items in your car. If you have heavy objects in your car that you don't need, remove them. If your car is lighter, it will use less fuel to get where you're going.
  7. Remove unneeded racks. If you have a bicycle or ski rack, remove it when you're not using it. It causes drag and lowers mileage.
  8. Do not make fast starts or sudden stops.
  9. Buy the lowest grade of gas appropriate for your car.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Quote of the Day

" If you do whatever it takes to get to where you truly desire, it will be worth it. I promise!"
I am so tired of the unsolicited pre-approved offers I get in the mail. It is ridiculous how much pre-approved garbage will fill up your mailbox. I did a little research too see if there was a way to stop receiving these offers.

I found the following 2 options are available:


1st Option:

You can opt out of receiving pre-approved credit materials for five years or stop receiving them permanently by contacting the credit bureaus. Call toll-free 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit OptOutPrescreen.com.

The phone number and website are operated by the major consumer reporting companies. You will be asked to provide specific personal information, including name, home telephone number, Social Security Number and birth date. The information will be kept confidential.

If you have a joint credit account, like a mortgage or car loan, your partner, spouse or co-signer will have to opt out also.

Requests to opt out are processed within five days, but it may take up to 60 days before you stop receiving pre-screened offers. If you change your mind and would like to receive pre-screened solicitations, you can use the same phone number or website to change your preferences

2nd option:

To stop direct mail from many national companies for five years is the Mail Preference Service maintained by The Direct Marketing Association (DMA). The DMA is a trade association for businesses in direct, database, and interactive global marketing.
After you register with this service, your name will be put on a “delete” file and made available to direct mail marketers. Additional information is available online at
www.the-dma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.html.

I am definitely going to try it these options it can't hurt.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Quote of the Day

"There is no challange to great for those who have the will and heart to make it happen."
My best friend is always a telling me about these great beauty secrets and I would like to share these with you.

Do you need a quick glow to your skin and all over healthier look? Bend over at the waist, as far as you can possibly go, and hold to the count of thirty.

For cellulite, scrub the skin with a bristle brush or loofah. Brush in slow sweeps, always toward the heart. There are gloves and mitts available to do this, but they're not necessary. Try to do this at least five minutes every day.

Also for cellulite - Copy the expensive herbal wraps offered by top spas. Mix a cup of corn oil with 1/2 cup of grapefruit juice and 2 teaspoons dried thyme. Massage into hip, thigh, and buttock areas. Cover with plastic wrap to lock in body heat. For extra results lay a heating pad over each area for five minutes.

Right from the can, Crisco is a big secret among beautiful women. Use it to remove makeup and as a highly effective moisturizer. Hospitals even use it to treat psoriasis and eczema.

Raw potato slices contain potassium to take away dark circles under the eye.

To lighten age spots and sun-damaged skin, mix the juice of 1 lemon, 1 lime, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 2 ounces of plain yogurt. Gently massage into each spot. Use at least once a week.

The best leave-in conditioner for your hair is nothing other than laundry room fabric softener. It's very strong, so be sure to dilute it. Suggestions: 1 cup water, 1/2 cup fabric softener.

Parsley is rich in chlorophyll. It is a major ingredient in leading breath fresheners, such as Clorets and Certs. Don't spend lots of money for internal breath fresheners, eat parsley!

Create your own tinted lip gloss. Simply mix any of your favorite lipsticks with a dab of Vaseline.

A little bit of red or orange in the center of the lips makes them look fuller.

To make the whites of your eyes look brighter, use a light blue pencil under the eyes. Blue eye shadow lightly applied under the eyes works just as well.

When coloring hair - Color hair that has not been washed for 1 day. The natural hair oils will assist in making the hair color application more successful. The color will cling better to hair that is not dry.

To alleviate puffy, swollen eyes place bags of frozen peas under the eyes.

Degrease oily hair with witch hazel when you don't have time to shampoo. Apply to roots with a cotton ball.

To help relieve dandruff, add 30 plain aspirin to a full bottle of your regular shampoo. Apply and rinse as usual.

To make you own facial mask, mix a handful of 100% all-natural kitty litter with a 1/2 cup water and apply a facemask.

Manicure - Mix one cup of warm water and the juice of one-half lemon. Soak your fingertips for five minutes. Rinse and pat dry, pushing back cuticles. Rub lemon peel against your nails, back and forth vigorously. Finish by buffing with a soft cloth.

Your nail polish will always be smooth and easy to apply it you store it in the refrigerator. Frosted nail polish will not separate. However, if it has hardened or is gummy, place the bottle in a pan of boiling water. The polish will be like new.

Oily skin holds perfume scents longer than dry skin. So, before applying perfume, rub a very thin layer of Vaseline or petroleum jelly on your skin and you will smell delicious for hours.

To remove the redness from pimples, rub a tiny spot of visine on the pimple.

Worried about cellulite? Rub used coffee grounds where the problem exists (cellulite cream is mostly caffeine based).

To raise the ph level of shampoo, add aspirin to it.

Need an emery board and can't find one? You can use the strike plate on a book of matches.

Rubbing Pepto-Bismal® on your skin is a better facial than peel off masks.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Quote of the Day

"Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it ! "
Ways to Save at the Grocery Store:

1. Eat before you go grocery shopping so you won't be tempted to make impulse purchases.

2. Don't forget to buy the generic or store brand for those items where a brand name is not necessary: sugar, flour, toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, etc.

3. Stock up on food staples when they are on sale.

4. Buy store-brand cereal instead of national brands. If your household goes through a box or more per week, you can save over $100 per year by purchasing store brands.

5. When buying pre-packaged fruits and vegetables for a flat cost, i.e. 5 pounds of potatoes for $1.88, actually weigh the bags and find the bag that weighs more than 5 pounds.

6. Check out the price per ounce/pound/piece. Just because it is a big box, doesn't mean it's cheaper! Sometimes two smaller packages are cheaper than the big box. Compare prices ounce per ounce.

7. Stretch the food that exists in your cupboards. I bet you have enough odds and ends to last you at least a week in meals if you're creative. I have learned to make wonderful meals out of rice and beans, noodles, and herbs.

8. When you cook a meal, cook twice as much and freeze the leftovers. This works great with cookie dough too.

9. The weeks when the sales are not so good could be light buying weeks. If you have some food in reserve, on these light weeks the extra food is like money in the bank. If you ever hit a rough patch, you might have enough to carry you through that time.

10. Only bring the cash you allocated for grocery shopping with you. This is one way to ensure you do not go over you budget.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Quote of the Day

" If you can imagine it, you can acheive it. If you can dream it , you can become it."
MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION

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Saturday, July 19, 2008

Quote of the Day

" It's not what you accomplish in life that matters; it's what you overcome."

The rising cost of gas and electric

With the cost of Gas and Electric going up this year. I thought I would list some tips for saving energy to help reduce some of the cost.
Heating and cooling

To save energy, set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer. You save 3 percent on the day’s heating or cooling costs by setting your thermostat back one degree (higher for cooling, lower for heating) for that 24-hour period. Maintain those settings and you save 3 percent all season!
Clean or replace heating and cooling filters once a month or as needed. If your filter is in a cardboard frame, it needs to be replaced monthly during the heating season. If your system doubles as a central air-conditioning system, also clean or replace the filter monthly while the cooling system is in use.
Clean air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed. Make sure they're not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season. If in doubt about how to perform this task, call a professional.
Use kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans wisely. In just one hour, these fans can pull out a houseful of warmed or cooled air. Turn fans off as soon as they have done the job.
During the heating season, keep the draperies and blinds on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow sunlight and heat to enter your home.
Close drapes at night to help reduce heat loss.
During the cooling season, keep the window coverings closed during the day to prevent the sun from heating your home.
Make sure drapes don't block registers and air returns.
Close off unoccupied rooms.
Install individual room controls to heat and cool rooms only when you use them.
Have your heating and cooling systems serviced once a year to ensure peak operational efficiency.
Saving water and water-heating energy
Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators.
Insulate long runs of hot-water supply pipe, especially sections that pass through unheated spaces.
Repair or replace leaky faucets. The drips add up fast and represent dollars going down the drain. A hot water faucet that leaks one drop per second wastes more than 2,300 gallons of hot water per year, which could cost as much as $36. The replacement washers needed to repair a leaky faucet costs only a few cents.
Lower the water heater thermostat to 120°F., or raise the temperature and install a cold water-mixing valve to the line. Water reaching your tap will be 120°F., will be safe enough to avoid scalds, and will save you money.

Laundering

Wash with cold water whenever possible.
Wash and dry full loads to maximize efficiency.
Don't overload dryers. Overloaded dryers use more energy, cause clothes to wrinkle so they may need to be ironed, and wears out clothes more quickly.
Use suds savers and front-loading washers for maximum efficiency.
Always adjust the water level to fit load size. Overloaded washers don't clean clothes as effectively so they even may need to be rewashed.
Clean the lint filter after each drying cycle to maintain dryer efficiency.

Energy-efficient lighting

Use task lighting to target work and leisure activities. This lets you reduce your overall room lighting levels.
Use energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs—especially in fixtures that operate more than two hours a day. They cost more initially but use 75 percent less electricity and last about ten times longer than incandescent bulbs.
Open shades and blinds to take advantage of natural light.
Select bulbs carefully. Look for the highest lumens at the lowest wattage. Wattage is the power needed to make a bulb work. Lumens measure brightness.
Long-life bulbs emit less light than standard incandescent bulbs of the same wattage. Use long-life bulbs only in hard-to-reach places.
Keep light fixtures clean to gain the most illumination.

Refrigerating

Test the tightness of the door seal on refrigerators and freezers. If the seal doesn't tightly hold a dollar bill when the door is closed, it's probably time to adjust or replace the gasket.
Replace old refrigerators. A 1980s-era refrigerator will cost up to 75 percent more to operate than a new super-efficient model.
For greatest efficency set refrigerators at 40º F. and freezers at 0º F.

Cooking

Use your oven instead of your cook top to cut cooking costs. Surface units heat continuously, but an insulated oven normally heats one-third of the time it's in use.
Don't peek. Cooking temperatures can drop as much as 50º every time the oven door is opened, causing the oven to reheat.
Use the oven's self-cleaning cycle only for big cleaning jobs. Start the cycle while the oven is still hot from baking.
Use small appliances such as crockpots, electric frying pans, toaster ovens, and microwave ovens to save when cooking.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Quote of the Day

"Sky's the limit because anything is possible"

Gas Prices

It is just amazing how the cost of gas keeps rising and rising. I am very fortunate that I work from home and don't have to worry about the commute to the work place. My husband on the other hand is one that does have to commute to work. I am always looking for ways to save money. I found a website were you can find the cheapest gas that is close to you. You can search by city, state or zip code.
Check this site out it can be very helpful in finding the best gas prices in your town.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Quote of the Day

"Focus on your potential instead of your limitations."

Staying Focused

I would like to share some tips I use myself to stay focused while working from home.
  • Have a dedicated office/ or spare room with a door.
  • Make a list of tasks that need to be completed for the day.
  • Let your family and friends know when you are working this will avoid an unnecessary interruptions and allow you to complete your work for the day.
  • Time Management - Know when to quit working for the day.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Quote of the Day

Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and of true progress
Customer Service Jobs
ACD Direct - www.acddirect.com
Alpine Access - www.alpineaccess.com
Arise Virtual Solutions - www.arise.com
Brighten Communications - www.brightenemployment.com
Blue Zebra Appointment Setting - www.Bluezebrausa.com
GE Call Centers - www.gecallcentercareers.com
OnPoint @Home - www.onpointathome.com
Progressive Business Publications - www.workforpbp.com
VeraFast - www.verafast.com
VIPdesk - www.vipdesk.com
West - www.west.com
Westat - www.westat.com

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Quote of the Day

The best way to predict the future is to create it.

Scams

My fellow consumers and hard working individuals I like to touch a little bit on the scams that we have all come across. You know that great new product you can try for free or the latest working from home job that will leave you flat broke. We have all wondered if any of the things advertised on TV or on the Internet are even legit. Well I found a great website that I check often called the rip-off report by consumers. I found it to be a great tool for the consumer and hardworking individual. This site has lists upon lists of companies that everyone should be aware of. This site is very easy to use. You can use the search bar to look for a specific company/product or look up the company/product you are interested at the bottom of the website alphabetically.
If you are ever in doubt or it sounds to good to be true check it out on the rip off report.
The website is http://ripoffreport.com

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Taking the big step !

I decided it was time to get away from the craziness of having to work outside of the home. I was tired of just making ends meet and not truly being paid for all the hard work and effort I put in to my job. I was a Office Manager and Bookkeeper for over 15+ years and felt it was time to step out on my own. It was a major decision that was not easy and actually very scary.
But I did it and started my own bookkeeping business and I am happy to say it was the best decision I ever made. I live in Ohio and the economy is pretty bad here right now. So to supplement my income I have picked up various side jobs. I have picked up some virtual customer service jobs, telemarketing, data entry , paid surveys and Amazon Mechanical Turk.
I love having the time to spend with my family and friends that I did not have before.

So if you are unsure about taking that big step try starting out taking baby steps. Get your feet wet and look for opportunities that you can do after your regular workdayor even on the weekends and see if working from home is the right step for decision for you.