Salena's comments

Traveling Single Parent, is Homeschooling a Good Idea? - Blog Entry

11 Feb 2007 11:23 PM

She is failing becuase she travels with me and her attendance is poor. Her comprehension level is very high.

Is she depressed probably. She wants to be homeschooled, she wants to be with me as she knows I am, in her mind the only "one" she has left.

She is pushing me too. The Cleveland school system, even the private schools are in a miserable state of decay. I have a 5 year substitute certificate in the state of Ohio and I am constantly traveling and I need, many tiomes, to take her with me.

And finally, I am selfish too. I want her with me, I want to travel with her and I want to be with her. I am constantly fighting the fear that she is going to end up alone ( which is sooo very illegal at her age) becuse I was in Cinci when my car broke down and now I need to spend the night. I cannot drive at night as for whatever reason, I have recently gone blind in my left eye ( and no, I have NOT gone to the DR. yet to finds out why, frankly I am terrified he will say my career, or even worse, my life is over (ie:cancer, displaced or detached retina....no better way to kill a MS career then to never be able to drive again) so getting home would be a death sentence since I cannot see out of my left eye.

Nonetheless, I want my daughter with me, she is my best friend and sole companion becuase I am a mean nasty person that is opinionated and no one else can tolerate except her....and the guy who is stalking me ( seriously) . I don't want to miss out on one second of her life and I am missing out on all of them when I travel...every day.

Five Tips to Help You Stop Using the Credit Cards - Blog Entry

11 Feb 2007 11:07 PM

Hi Miriam,

What a great blog. I have a way that was sure fire for me, and I've posted it in other forums here.

No matter how many you have, just one month, just one...Pay them all off in full. No matter how hard it is to do, no matter how hard it destroys your budget.....

I do it every month now. I went from 3 cards to one. I wrtoe my 36th consecutive check to the ONLY card I kept today and the check amount was for 650.00$. Do I spend that much every month, HECK NO, becuase who wants to do that kind of amount EVERY SINGLE MONTH.?

This was an unusual month, oh yeah, I use my card every month for something. But the very fist time I pais it off in full was ( as a extremely well kept rule) the last time I maxed it out for A LONG LONG time. Like I said, some months are still exceptions and for everyone there will be. But if you adhere to the adage if you can't pay it off in full or pay cash for it on the spot, well you can't afford it, believe me, you will STOP using the cards so fast it will make your head spin.

Just a thought.

All About Me- a New Blogger in Town - Blog Entry

09 Feb 2007 11:02 PM

Unfortunately, as a full time mystery shopper and auditor, I started Ebaying to make extra money to ween mystelf off of some of the demands that staying awake and filing reports ona continuous basis. I have been full time auditing for about 2 years now. I was using EBAY to ween myself a little from the incredibly rigorous demands of trying to make a full time living auditing. There are only so many times people are going to find me slamming my head into my car horn becuase I reached a site 10 minutes too late and the store was closed, or I realized that I read the guidelines of a shop wrong and shopped my location wrong and now I would NOT get paid for it, or, even worse, I floundered all day (like today) and drove all over PA and Ohio and made NOT ONE CENT because I was a day late and a dollar short ( for lack of a better explanation) at every location.

I think that my advice to you, even though you are the blogger, is to find a happy medium between the two ( Which I have done, becuase EBAY really can be a huge, fall behind, get negative feedback stretch your sanity to a breaking point huge demanding Yard Sale!!!) . I know that when I have a crappy day shopping but come home to find that 2-3 of my items have sold, the day no longer feels like a huge loss.

I also mechandise part time and I have even given thought to doing some "real" work on a very small part time basis.

The Best Mystery Shopping Companies - Blog Entry

05 Feb 2007 12:52 AM

As a full time mystery shopper I can tell you that Julie has listed only a few of the great ones out there. Now here and I are on the same page (as you will be to, once you sign those ICA's) but there is a place you can go that is a web site where all the Mystery shopping companies are listed to sign up with that are approved by OTHER mystery Shopping professionals. Now since I am new to this web site, I would prefer if Julie would give me the OK to post it and If you really need to know, you need to ask Julie if you can email me to give you the web site. I won't list one web site on another without persmission.

What I can tell you is that the best places to sign up for Mystery Shopping is by asking other Mystery shoppers for the names of other companies who have PROVEN themselves as steady payers, ( On a reg. monthly or 45 day basis)

I am signed up with over 60 different companies, including the ones listed above: Here's a few more

Intelli-Shop... They have tons of self assign ( when you can assign yourself jobs, they have a limit to how many you can assign yourself in one month, but you can stock up on a lot)... 90% of them pay more than 12-15 per visit. That is pretty standard in the business.

Global Compliance ( Owned by SI) Great GREAT for audits, especially digital, also self assign... audits ( which require you to take digital photos) pay more, take less time ( since they are revealed) but do require you to be able to upload photos. For some you need to pass a background test ....but they pay for it.

Maritz and Service X and CRS pay more, a lot more in some cases, but are very particular about who they hire. You may need to "Pay your dues" with other companies and estrablish a "name" for yourself in the industry before they will even look at you.

Finally, JUst go to CMS/CRS (Certified Marketing Service) if you really want to make a name for yourself in the biz... It's all self assign, they do all three branches of "Mystery Shopping" Theater, Mystery Shopping and Merchandising. Yes, they pay lower but they have an abundance of jobs, it gives you experience for the tri-fecta of MS-ing and will get your name out there.

Can You Still Save Money if You're Starting a Business? - Blog Entry

04 Feb 2007 10:51 PM

Yes, but it's really, really REALLY hard and you can't DO ANYTHING for about 2 years WITH ANYONE ( no vacations, no extras for the kids etc)\ I have done it and I am still trying to find ways to cut money ( My hreat is currently at 59 degrees inside and it is -5 midwest outside. Wearing Lots of sweaters today), including lots of cutting costs.

But I do keep about 2000-5400 in the bank. I will turn everything off and double my schedule if I drop below 2000. A bad month will kill you.

So, How Much do you Make? - Blog Entry

04 Feb 2007 10:44 PM

I really find that since I started my own business that is a very tricky subject, so, in liu of sounding very tacky, I just tell them.

"Between 2000-4000 a month, do you want a breakdown? I own my home, I bought a new car (paid cash, in full by the way..just FYI) , daughter goes to Private school and I have one CC and I pay it off in FULL every MONTH, and it's worth 1/2 a grand....every MONTH. Would you be interested in my bank balance also? Because I'll bet I my have more in the bank then you have, but I feel that a 5000 minimum in the bank is a requirement, a necessity, not a luxury"

All of the above is true, but I make sure I say it in a really sort of snippy voice. I am an opinionated sort, but then again, I earned it.

That pretty much shut's em up

Homeschooling Professional Children - Blog Entry

04 Feb 2007 09:51 PM

I have a question,

I am a full time auditor Mystery Shopper. I make between 2000-4000 a month and it's not about Money, at all BUT I am always on the computer or traveling. My daughter is simply failing the 7th grade in Private school. When I travel, I need to take my Duaghter with me becuase I have no support. My sister is a Full time teacher and is willing to oversee. Is homeschooling a good idea for my daughter as she wants to travel with me when I go.

No father, he is dead. No support, as I moved 100's of miles from my family, so I can't legit travel without her.

Thanks Salena