Tag Archives: use your talents

How to Earn More to Balance Your Budget

Many people feel intimidated by the thought of having to do something outside of their regular job to create more cash to pay bills or save more for the future. However, like any other money skill, you can learn the simple steps that are required to generate income independent of your employer.

Preparing a comprehensive budget is the first step in the process of increasing your earnings, as you need to have a realistic target of how much money is required to meet your needs. You can download a budget at www.financiallysmart.org which will allow you to input all your bills and income sources.

After using your budget to calculate the exact amount of your shortfall of income over expenses, you need to break down that monthly amount into a weekly or daily figure that will be easier for you to work with. Therefore, if your monthly deficit is J$24,000, your daily income need would be about J$800. Continue reading How to Earn More to Balance Your Budget

Money Lessons from Home Decorating

Recently, I got involved in a home decorating project, which saw me creating custom-made curtains for some bedroom windows. In a former career life, I used to produce and market a line of ladies’ clothing and accessories, but I had shelved my sewing machine and design skills for nearly 15 years.

It seems that a change of environment had rekindled the dormant fire of my creative talent. I became inspired by a scrap of leftover fabric which had been used to reupholster a chair. Convincing myself that I could turn this remnant into fabulous window shades, I set about bringing my vision into reality.

I knew it would have been challenging to pull off this feat, since I was a little rusty in recollecting some sewing techniques. However, just like riding a bicycle, there are some things that you never really forget. In the end, I was rather pleased with my designing effort and even more thrilled that I had used what I had on hand to achieve my objective. Continue reading Money Lessons from Home Decorating