Wise Bread (Nora Dunn)

The First Step to Budgeting

Nora Dunn — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:01 +0000

Why do so many budgets fail? Because the first step to budgeting is omitted. When implemented correctly, it can make a huge difference. When the first step is neglected, intangible and unrealistic budgets are often created — a recipe for disaster.

So, you ask, what is the first step to budgeting?

Keeping Track of Expenses

It’s that simple. But it still requires a process, which is described below.

Once you decide you want to create a budget, you need a starting point. You can’t accurately and immediately forecast what you will spend in the future if you have no historical frame of reference to work with.

The Idea

Right off the bat, all you need to worry about is simply keeping track of your expenses. You don’t judge yourself (or your partner if you are doing this together) for what you are spending. Simply keep track.

You may notice that just as a function of keeping track of your expenses, you already become more budget-conscious and will spend less anyway. But don’t beat yourself up if that doesn’t happen. Just keep track of what you spend — religiously.

Yes, those little cups of coffee count too. Record. Everything.

Format

Using a spreadsheet to keep track of your expenses is best, since it makes for easy calculation of expenses and viewing of running totals at a glance.

However, you may not always be in front of your computer, so use whatever means you need to remember/record each day’s expenditures. You can either sit down to your computer at the end of every day and do it, or keep a notebook handy and record your daily expenses so you can update the spreadsheet every few days.

You can, of course, choose to exclusively use a notebook instead. However, it will be more difficult to analyze your expenses as each month progresses and use it as a barometer for how you are doing. It’s possible, but requires more active and repetitive calculator work.

Pictured above you will see a very basic sample spreadsheet format for keeping track of your expenses. You create the categories along the top as you see fit and as fits your lifestyle, and each time you spend money within those categories, you list the expense. A few rows down, a line of running totals indicate you how you are doing.

If you need more room to list your expenses under a certain category as the month rolls on, just add more rows and keep listing.

If you wish, feel free to add extra columns to add the date of each expenditure. It’s up to you.

At the End of Month One

Once you have a month of expenses recorded, take a look at how you fared.

What did you spend in each category?
Do you feel it was a typical spending month, or were there unforeseen circumstances that altered the outcome?
What is an average spending amount that will work for you?
Are you surprised by any of these spending amounts?
Are there any spending habits you want to change right away?

Now it’s time to add another row to your spreadsheet: a budget row. Certain fixed expenses will be easy to budget for; others will fluctuate and require some flexibility. Don’t worry about these numbers needing to be perfect right away; think of this row as a work in progress.

Month Two

Start with a fresh spreadsheet, and keep recording your expenses every day. (This will ideally become a force of habit that will last for months, so get used to it). This month, as you record your expenses, check your running totals against your budget amounts to see how you are coming along as the month goes by.

As you do this over time, you may find that you’ve tapped out your Entertainment budget early on in the month. With this knowledge, you will either reconsider going out again, or will find money from another category of your budget that you anticipate under-spending on this month for some reason. This is your budget — you get to control how it goes down; keeping track of your expenses is a mechanism for ensuring you spend within your means.

Spreadsheet Extras

Once you start playing with budget amounts, you may also want to insert useful columns for income so you can see how much you are spending versus saving. Pictured here you will see a fuller sample budget spreadsheet, part way through a month:

Ensuing Months

Continue keeping track of your expenses as you have been doing, and if needs be, continue to edit your budget amounts. No two months are the same, and you won’t have a solid budget after only two months. For example, many people find that the upcoming holiday season wreaks havoc with their budgets. Use the flexibility in your own budget to ensure that you stay on track, possibly by finding other areas where you can cut back to compensate.

The Second Step to Budgeting

Guess what? You can stop at the first step if you like. Why? Because by keeping track of your expenses, you have unwittingly created your entire budget. Congratulations!

Simply continue to keep track of your expenses, record income and tweak budget amounts to make sure your finances balance out the way you want them to each month.

Permalink | 7 comments | Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Budgeting

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Cheapism.com: Where Cheap is Chic

Nora Dunn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:14 +0000

By Nora Dunn

Cheap: Once considered a derogatory term, this word refers to the act of trying to save money wherever possible.

Cheapist: Somebody who supports acts of being cheap.

Cheapism: A way of life.

The Premise

Cheapism.com is a free service that helps consumers find the best of the cheapest items, weeding out cheap junk in favor of quality inexpensive items. Just because it is cheap, doesn’t mean it has to be crap.

Max Levitte, founder of Cheapism.com, has experience managing reputable review-based websites for consumers. For Levitte, “Cheap doesn’t have to mean low quality. We’ll give consumers the confidence and information they need to shop wisely during this economic downturn and in the future.”

According to Levitte, Cheapism.com differentiates itself from other services with their "singular focus on low-cost goods and services and the interests of frugal consumers."

And here at Wise Bread, being frugal consumers is a pretty big thing.

Product Research

When you normally research a product, you rarely find any information about cheaper models (possibly because the manufacturers of the cheaper models don’t have huge supplies to give away for publicity). Instead, you learn about all the fancy features of the top-of-the-line netbook or kitchen appliance (for example), without even knowing that cheaper alternatives lie in wait.

So Cheapism.com has in-house reviewers who actually get their hands on the products they review. The reviews are candid and informative, and generally appear to be without bias.

Cheapism.com in Action

Click on a product category, and you’ll get an array of information to help you choose the best model for your needs. The extensive review focuses on product features (with recommendations for what features to look for and what to ignore), analyzes other online reviews, and leaves the reader with some recommendations based on the reviewer’s personal experience. The best models within each category are highlighted, having been sorted for the lowest prices from various online suppliers.

As an example, I took a peek at cheap rolling backpacks, since as a traveler my backpack is akin to my house at times, and I’ve already learned a few lessons about what makes a good travel pack.

The review was incredibly comprehensive, covering off topics like what to look for (in the fabric, wheels, straps, size, and weight), and what to expect (performance, maneuverability, durability, warranty). The reviewer compared a number of inexpensive packs to one another, and it is evident that the reviewer actually handled each of the backpacks prior to reviewing them.

To contrast this with something I know almost nothing about, I took a peek at what Cheapism.com had to say about GPS devices. In so doing, I learned a whole lot about what to look for in a GPS device, and how to get the best value from one — both in terms of price as well as features. Had I been serious about buying a GPS device, I would have been prepared to invest in one with only a minimal amount of cross-checking and further research.

Extra Value

Combine Cheapism.com with other efforts at receiving free shipping or online discounts, and you can save even more money.

Coming Soon

And for the upcoming holiday season, Cheapism.com will offer guides for inexpensive quality gifts.

Note: The author has no vested interest or affiliation with Cheapism.com

Permalink | 3 comments | Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Shopping

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19 Tips to Cut Costs by Using Your Oven Efficiently

Nora Dunn — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:00:10 +0000

By Nora Dunn

Saving money is made all the sweeter when you also rest assured that you did your part to save power and energy. And although using the oven is not nearly as efficient as sticking to the stove-top, sometimes you just have to bake that casserole or cake. So take a look at these 19 tips to help you maximize your oven’s energy-efficiency, as well as to cut your cooking costs.

Multitask

Your oven is pretty big, and probably has multiple racks. So make the most of your cost of power by chucking more than one thing in the oven. For example, baked or roasted potatoes are a good match for that meatloaf, along with a tray of vegetables for roasting. Or if you’re an irreverent baker like me, you can throw dessert in while dinner is cooking.

Jump the Gun

With the exception of certain baking items, temperature can be pretty negotiable. So instead of waiting until the oven is fully preheated, use the oven to warm up some part of the meal or get a head start on the cooking.

No Peeking!

Resist the urge to open the oven door, especially while baking, since you lose a disproportionate amount of heat (approximately 25 degrees) in doing so. Instead, stick to your timer, the oven light, and your nose to see if it’s done.

Know Which Rack to Use

Don’t be afraid to move the oven racks around, and to arrange your food accordingly.

Top Rack: Watch anything on the top rack, since it is meant for high-temperature and quick cooking.
Middle Rack: Best for moderate temperature cooking.
Bottom Rack: Use this for slow cooking and low temperatures.

Go Convection

You can save 20% of your oven-related energy costs by using a convection oven, which utilizes a fan to force the hot air around the oven. Not only does this mean shorter cooking times and lower temperatures, but your food will cook more evenly too.

Keep It Clean

Similar to cleaning the back of your fridge, keeping your oven sparkly clean will direct the heat at your food and not the burnt stuff caked to the bottom. Keeping it clean also ensures that it’s easier to clean each time (saving your own energy and the cost of caustic cleaning products), and keeps your home smelling like what’s cooking, instead of what burnt last week.

Use Efficient Baking Dishes

Glass or ceramic baking dishes hold heat much better than their metal counterparts, so you can turn down the temperature up to 25 degrees and the food will cook just as quickly. (The same applies for cooking with glassware on the stovetop too).

No Foil

Some people line their racks with foil to increase cooking efficiency with the aid of reflection. However, the foil stops air from flowing freely in the oven, which actually makes your oven less efficient.

Turn It Off Early

Similar to jumping the gun and putting your food in early, consider turning off the oven and using the residual heat to finish off your meal. Again, this is best tried with less temperamental foods and non-baking items.

Stagger Pans

If you are using multiple pans in the oven, try to stagger them on the racks to maximize the air flow. The more the air flows through your oven, the quicker it will cook your food.

Do a Double Batch

By preparing a double batch, you are maximizing your oven’s capabilities, and now you have leftovers that can quickly and easily be reheated with much less energy.

Self-Clean After Cooking

If your oven has a self-cleaning option, turn it on after you have used the oven so it can use the residual heat to get started. Although the self-cleaning itself uses a fair amount of energy, self-cleaning ovens in general are better insulated and will use less energy while cooking.

Use Smaller Appliances When You Can

An oven can be a cavernous space and inefficient use of energy if you are preparing a smaller meal. If the toaster oven or microwave will do, use it and save the energy (and cost). Don’t forget about slow cookers, steamers, rice cookers, and pressure cookers (heck — even hot boxes), which all use less energy than an oven — especially if you are cooking over an extended time. An electric skillet not only performs a number of cooking functions, but can also double as a serving dish in the end (saving the washing energy and cost too).

Start from Fresh (or Thawed), not Frozen

Where possible, thaw your frozen foods in the fridge before you cook them.

Check the Door Seal

Give your oven the once-over regularly to ensure it is in top working condition. If your door seal is broken or loose, heat (and your money) will escape out the sides. Even simply keeping the door seal clean can make a difference in efficiency.

Isolate the Kitchen

By isolating the kitchen when the oven is on, you will:

Contain the extra heat to one room only in the summer, saving on cooling expenses throughout the house.
Warm one room of the house efficiently in the winter.
Also, when your meal is finished cooking, leave the door open during the winter and use the residual heat in the oven to keep the kitchen cozy. (Obviously, be careful doing this if there are children roaming freely).

Calibrate

Calibrate your oven by getting an inexpensive thermometer to ensure the oven’s temperature setting is accurate. Cooking at the right temperature will not only save your food, but can also save your money if the oven is set high.

Cover It

Although not everything you cook in the oven can be covered, do cover it with a lid or tin foil (which is reusable) when you can.

Gas or Electric?

And if you are in the market for a new oven, here is a tool to help you determine whether to choose a gas or electric oven next time.

Permalink | 11 comments | Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Food and Drink, General Tips, Green Living

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Three E-Books to Help you Make Money, Travel, and Change Your Life

Nora Dunn — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:00:03 +0000

By Nora Dunn

It’s no secret that many of us are looking for something different in life. And one of the biggest things we can change about our lives is how we work. If we are not tied to a desk all the time, the options for how — and where — we choose to live open up dramatically.

Following are profiles of three e-books that feature a different aspect of making money, traveling, and changing your life.

Although each e-book is very different, they share the following commonalities:

The authors all make a full-time living with their unconventional professions.
The authors practice what they preach.
The authors have time for extensive travel (although not all of them are full-time travelers).
Each e-book is jam-packed with concrete resources to get you going, as well as lifestyle design tips to keep you inspired.

So without further ado…

The Unconventional Guide to Working for Yourself

The author of this e-book, Chris Guillebeau, has a wildly popular web site called The Art of Non-Conformity, which is a template for living life outside of the box by challenging our ethos and ideas. Chris also has great business sense, and regularly shares the details of his ongoing entrepreneurial ventures with his readers.

The Unconventional Guide to Working for Yourself is a guide to starting your own very small business. Chris shares his personal experience of breaking free from the 9-5 cycle to run his own businesses, in an effort to escape the cubicle-lifestyle and to set his own course through life. Since the age of 20, he has worked for himself in one capacity or another, so he has lots of experience — good, bad, and otherwise — to share with you.

(Incidentally, Chris is currently fulfilling a mission to visit every country in the world by April 2013. Because he works for himself, he is able to incorporate such travels into his life, and has already visited 119 of 197 countries.)

Who this e-book is for:

You want to start an online business and generate a source of revenue without having to quit your job.
You are prepared to work for it.
You are not overly familiar with various ways to make money online, and need help getting started. (Online marketing gurus need not apply.)

Here are some of the business ideas and possible streams of income profiled in the e-book:

Blogging — and how to actually make some money with it (which most people don’t)
Ebay selling
Stock photography (and other ways to make money with photographs)
Consulting
Information products
Continuity programs
Affiliate income (and why most affiliate programs don’t work)
Maximizing Adsense revenue
Chris encourages you to come up with your own ideas, and even discusses a few wacky unconventional career ideas, like speaking on cruise ships

The e-book also goes into lots of detail about the logistics of running your own online business, as well as the pitfalls you can avoid to ramp up your success even faster. Chris shares his personal experience throughout the book, which adds character and humility to the writing along with a good dose of inspiration.

Each chapter ends with an action plan that is easy to follow and implement right away, complete with specific actionable steps. Chris provides the practical tools required for moving forward; I enjoy the personal testimonials of online products and services he uses and how he uses them (sometimes unconventionally) for his benefit. It has already helped me to better monetize my own online streams of income.

This e-book is not a roadmap to instantaneous riches, as many e-books of this nature tend to try to be. Chris is realistic about the amount of work required to start and maintain a business of any sort, and makes no bones about it to the reader. If you want to start an online business to generate some extra income (and maybe escape the conventional 9-5 working life), then The Unconventional Guide to Working for Yourself is a great launching pad.

The Unconventional Guide to Working for Yourself

E-Book Length: 54 pages

Bonuses: 3 audio MP3 teaching sessions (25 minutes each), a 26 page guide to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), plus free email updates to the guide as new information becomes available.

Cost: $58 US

How to Make Money With Your Travel Blog

The author of this e-book, Matt Kepnes, may be better known as Nomadic Matt; a 20-something traveler who has been on the road full-time since 2006. He started a travel blog (like just about every other traveler on the planet), and expected to be making money hand over fist before long with his tales of adventure.

It didn’t happen.

After sifting through many of the “make money online” courses, Matt learned through trial and error how to make their internet marketing strategies applicable to blogs (which are different from static web sites), more specifically — travel blogs.

Now, he makes over $3,000 US/month with his travel blogs and web sites. And if you recall what the cost of full-time travel is, you’ll know that this sort of income is more than enough to pave the way quite nicely.

How to Make Money With Your Travel Blog teaches you how to create a money-making travel blog, from conceptualization to monetization. The e-book is very specific about how to do it, providing precise instructions for each step along the way.

Who this e-book is for

You want to start a blog that will make you money, or already have a blog that you want to monetize.
You understand the basic principles of blog management and know what SEO stands for(!), but you don’t know exactly where to start or how to put it all together.
You are interested in the travel industry.
You want extra income on the side.

Although the e-book is very travel-centric, many of the principles taught in this guide could apply to any blog. However Matt is very connected within the travel genre, and one of the benefits he offers his e-book readers is access to advertisers and other travel-friendly SEO tips.

A random selection the interesting things I read about in the book include:

Specific Wordpress themes and plugins that are suggested to maximize SEO
Various techniques for attracting new traffic, along with an evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of each technique
The finer nuances of Stumble Upon (although I have been a Stumbler in days past, I only now realize I haven’t even begun to maximize its potential)
How to find advertisers of all shapes and sizes
A huge number of services and systems that you can use to get links to your site (henceforth: pagerank, henceforth: popularity, henceforth: advertisers, henceforth: money!)

Of the six sections of the e-book (Setting up Your Blog, Creating Your Blog, Increasing Traffic, SEO Tips, Monetization, and Putting it All Together), the one entitled Search Engine Optimization Tips is the beefiest and jam-packed with specific resources to help you promote and evaluate the effectiveness of your blog.

If you aren’t interested in learning all Matt’s lessons by trial and error, then How to Make Money With Your Travel Blog will help launch you well beyond the learning curve. Had this e-book been around when I started my own travel blog, I might not have had to reinvent the wheel as many times as I did.

How to Make Money With Your Travel Blog

E-Book Length: 37 pages

Bonuses: The author will tap you into his private link networks to generate SEO-friendly traffic to your blog. He also has a list of advertisers looking to place ads on travel blogs, and by purchasing this e-book you will gain access to these advertisers.

Cost: $27 US

X Marks the Spot: The Indispensable Guide to Living and Working from Anywhere You Choose (2nd Edition)

Lea Woodward and her husband Jonathan have been living a location independent lifestyle since 2007. In that time they have stayed in various destinations around the world for a few months in each place, and can prove that traveling the world with a location independent career can actually be less expensive than staying home and working the traditional 9-5 career.

X Marks the Spot is a guide to living location independently, from taking the initial plunge, to organizing the logistics along the way, to finding and developing a location independent career. Both the intangible emotions as well as the concrete logistics of becoming/being location independent are balanced throughout the e-book — since such a lifestyle change entails a lot of emotional groundwork.

Who this e-book is for

You are considering — or are creating — a location independent career and lifestyle..
You want to know if being location independent is for you.
You need help with the logistics of living location independently.
You want to understand the cost of living abroad.
You need a location independent business idea.

I already live location independently, and I still found this book useful and inspirational. Lea provides dozens of useful resources with regards to ongoing business management and administration, including some that particularly intrigued me (and helped me realize that being location independent doesn’t have to be difficult):

Global wireless internet service
Online faxing service
How to search for suitable accommodation from abroad
Remote mailing/scanning services

With brutal honesty, Lea shares her victories as well as her mistakes. She outlines their exact finances for each place they lived in, and compares them directly to the cost of living in the UK and other western countries. She encourages you to ask some tough questions of yourself to determine where you might want to live, and helps you through the process of becoming nomadic with sage advice on everything from luggage to immigration.

This book is less about the sheer mechanics of making money, and more about how to make money with a location independent lifestyle. If you have made the decision to become location independent, or want to know more about it, then X Marks the Spot will be the book for you.

X Marks the Spot: The Indispensable Guide to Living and Working from Anywhere You Choose

E-Book Length: 82 pages

Bonuses: You can order both the 1st edition and 2nd editions for the same price as just the 2nd edition. (The 1st edition contains much more of Lea’s personal journey to becoming location independent, which may be quite appealing to some people).

Cost: £15 (approx $25 US)

“Some people feel like a “real job” is their security against the economy. Entrepreneurs know the opposite: their competence is their security.” — quote from The Unconventional Guide to Working for Yourself

Review Disclaimer: I received these e-books free for review, and the post includes affiliate links.

Permalink | 8 comments | Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Making Extra Cash

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America Is the No Vacation Nation

Nora Dunn — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:30:45 +0000

By Nora Dunn

Here is a frightening (or enlightening, depending on how you look at it) passage from Wanderlust and Lipstick about the American approach to vacations:

A 2009 survey from Expedia found that 1/3 of employees don’t take all of their vacation time. While this speaks (to a certain degree) to how individuals make personal choices, there might be something else underlying our reluctance to hit the road.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research calls the U.S. the No Vacation Nation. In a 2007 study, they determined that the U.S. is the only advanced economy in the world that doesn’t guarantee paid vacation for employees. That means you can take a job, work your 40 (or more) hours a week, and it’s considered a bonus to be given paid vacation time.

But when we are blessed with vacation time, what keeps us from taking the time off we earn and deserve? According to the Expedia survey, people who don’t take their vacation time do so for several reasons. They hope to receive compensation for unused time, they have a hard time planning ahead or their partner can’t travel during the same time period. What’s worse? One in five respondents admitted to canceling a vacation because of work.

No wonder we have so much trouble balancing work and life. No wonder a buzz term such as “work-life balance” even exists; why is “work” considered a separate entity from “life” to begin with? From my travels, I have not found that other western cultures maintain the same distinction.

I am currently traveling and living in Australia, where my boyfriend landed an entry-level job with seven weeks of paid vacation per year. Seven. Weeks. This is not an isolated perk in this area of the world either; an Aussie friend recently enjoyed 14 months of paid long-service leave, then he cut his hours down to two days per week for a year, and now he is taking five more months off (at half-pay), then fully retiring…at the age of 50.

How long do you have to work at a company in America before earning seven weeks of vacation time per year? And would you suppose that a paid leave of absence on top of it is too elaborate? In other places, it is not unheard of.

When I vacationed to South Africa many years ago and was chatting with the European-influenced locals, the common question asked of me was “how many months are you here for?”

I looked at them like they were crazy for asking such a question. Who on earth can get months off from work at a time?

They in turn, looked at me like I was crazy. Who on earth travels all the way to South Africa from North America for only a few weeks (according to them)?

These are people who have business or work obligations; they are indeed rooted in reality. One fellow worked for a chiropractor in England, and traveled to South Africa for four months out of every year. He struck an arrangement with his employer to allow him the time off, with the proviso that he would do a few small side projects during his time in South Africa. No problemo.

So where is the disconnect? Why is America fostering a population of people who are tethered to their desks for life, with no respite? Although you might think that America at least dominates the world in productivity given all these hours spent at the office, recent studies indicate that it’s not necessarily the case:

Americans may take less vacation, but are they really more efficient than their European colleagues? Figures from the World Economic Forum certainly show the US remains the world's most competitive country. Yet other data, including countries' GDP per hours worked, reveal Europe still gives America a run for its money. That means many parts of the Old World are at least as productive as the US, if not more, with the added bonus of up to eight weeks off a year.

So why are Americans more committed to their jobs than to themselves? You may know — or be — one of these people if you have heard them say they don’t have time to work out or eat well because of their work schedule.

Do we accept extra work being dumped on us because the company is laying people off and we consider ourselves lucky to have any work at all? In this economic climate, this could be possible. It doesn’t, however, speak for the same work ethos that existed when economic times were better.

Are we working all those extra hours to pay off our consumer debt? (And what of the extra hours worked by salaried employees who don’t receive overtime pay)? I wonder if we are caught up in a lifestyle based on consumption, which in turn perpetuates people’s need to work hard — to earn enough money to pay off their last (or their next) purchase.

Do we opt out of taking vacation time because we can’t afford to go anywhere anyway? Maybe a "staycation" or frugal vacation is possible, or just relaxing and reading a good book for a few days. It doesn’t have to be “work or bust”.

Why do some people brag about having accumulated months of vacation time by not having used it over the years?

Do we burn the candle at both ends because we truly love the work?

Or have we simply lost sight of the forest through the trees?

It seems from the opening quote that there are three core issues which indicate a lack of balance in American society:

We are not using all the vacation time granted to us.
We are not granted nearly the same amount of vacation time that most of the rest of the western world sees.
We (or at least some of us) are prepared to cancel our vacation because of work.

This does not appear to be a sustainable model, and I wonder if we are already seeing signs of its breakdown in the form of depleted health and happiness. It is my hope that by redefining what the workplace — and work — is, we can find out how it fits into our lives in a more balanced way.

Permalink | 44 comments | Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Career and Income, Lifestyle

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HERmail.net: Connecting Female Travelers and Mentors Around the World

Nora Dunn — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:17:22 +0000

By Nora Dunn

“Where – oh where – can I get a decent haircut in Mumbai”? You just may find the answer to this question via HERmail.net.

I recently discovered an amazing service for female travelers to connect with women who live in the country they plan to visit. They can share their respective cultures, travelers can learn tips for being in a different country, and sometimes even a free place to stay is offered. The service is called HERmail.

Oh yeah, and it’s free.

Who Uses HERmail

In this age of technology, online chat rooms, social media, and instant messaging services, it is actually surprising that HERmail is as popular as it is, since it is a fairly simple email-based service. But with over 15,000 women in 35 countries who have signed up for HERmail as mentors who are willing to offer their sage advice, any eager female traveler would be amiss not to attempt to connect with one of these women.

How it Works

HERmail is the brain child of JourneyWoman, a very popular travel resource and newsletter for women. HERmail is an email-based service that uses a database to connect travelers who have questions with local mentors who (hopefully) have answers.

Are you traveling? Then simply visit HERmail and enter the city and country you are visiting, along with your query (be it for weather information, packing tips, questions about good places to stay and eat, or a decent place to get your hair cut), and the database is searched for up to two mentors in the area who can answer your question.

Are you interested in connecting with female travelers to your area? Great! Sign up to be a mentor. When a request comes your way through the database, you can reply as you wish.

Judging by user responses, HERmail often goes beyond connecting travelers and mentors for the purposes of answering specific questions. Many mentors relish the chance to meet another female traveler and will go out of their way to get together for a local tour, a meal, or even offer up their place as free accommodation.

“I was delighted when I received an email…a few short days after I had signed-up looking for someone living in Rome. She gave me many suggestions for my visit and even offered to help with my Italian. When I arrived in Rome I was able to actually meet her and she went out of her way to make it happen. She is a wonderful person and I am grateful for having a new friend. Thanks, HERmail!” -Barbara, Cape Cod, USA

Security and Privacy

No email addresses are listed publicly on the HERmail database, as it is searched internally every time a traveler request for information comes in.

HERmail initiates the first contact between mentor and traveler using online message forms so that identities remain private. After the initial contact, the traveler and mentor can exchange email addresses and continue their correspondence privately if they wish.

As for the safety of meeting a “perfect stranger” in a foreign country for lunch or even a place to stay for the night, here are some basic tips for staying safe in any hospitality exchange scenario:

Exchange as much (or as little) information as you wish via email prior to meeting. This is the best way to get to know your companion, shy of a telephone conversation (which could be pricey depending on the distance involved).
Meet in a public place first. If either of you get bad vibes, then don’t proceed with any plans that would compromise your safety. (And don’t worry about hurting somebody’s feelings either…your safety is paramount).

HERmail in Action

Woman requesting a mentor wrote:

I am a Journeywoman living in the UK. I work in the arts and theatre world and soon I will be leaving the UK to go and work in a Cultural Centre in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I was wondering if there is any way to connect with women who live and work there? This is my first time away from home so far and in a country of a completely different language to what I have ever known. I'm a bit nervous and wanted to meet people as soon as I get there, so I can make friends, etc.

The mentor who answered her wrote:

Dear Journeywoman, I am very pleased to know that you are coming to Sao Paulo. I'm 57 years old; my 30 year old daughter is an actress and eventual singer, my 35 year old son is an architect who has just spent one year working in London. I'm crazy about arts, I've been twice this year to England, I love your country, I will LOVE to know you, escort you and help you in whatever you need here. How old are you? When are you coming? And for how much time? Don't worry, we are here! Big hugs.

…And if this first email conversation above can end in “big hugs”, I can only imagine how huge the hugs will be when these two women meet in Brazil, thanks to HERmail.net.

Permalink | 4 comments | Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Art and Leisure

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Cheap Passport Pictures (Part Two): Online Ordering

Nora Dunn — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:23:48 +0000

By Nora Dunn

A year and a half ago, I wrote a post about how to fashion your own passport photos for under a dollar. It seemed that I wrote it at the dawn of the popularization of online passport picture organizations. Now, the process for making your own passport pictures on the cheap is much easier.

Below are four online passport photo companies, each offering varying levels of service (with corresponding costs). Wise Bread readers attest to their happiness with the first two organizations, and any readers who have tried the other two are welcome to chime in with comments.

ePassportPhoto.com

Basics

Upload a digital photo, use their sizing assistance to crop and position the shot, and they arrange six shots onto a 4x6 photo as a jpeg file for you to print (or get printed).

Cost

The basic service above is free.

For $6, you can select the Premium service, which includes a professional compliance verification to ensure your photo will be approved with the passport application’s latest standards (99% approval rate), printing on high-quality paper, and shipping to any address (either US or international).

Countries Covered

ePassportPhoto makes a huge range of international passport photos available (more than 60), as well as visa and citizenship photos for some countries.

Delivery

Because it is largely an online service, anybody anywhere can use ePassportPhoto. Users in the States will also appreciate same-day availability for pick up at Walgreens.

Tips

Follow the guidelines for how to take a good passport photo carefully. There is no editing available; only self-serve cropping with cross-checks to ensure your photo will be compliant.

PassportPictures.org / PassportPhotosOnline.com

Basics

Upload a digital photo, they will edit it as necessary to eliminate background flaws, shadows, and adjust lighting, and then they will produce passport pictures for you in a variety of formats depending on your location and preference.

Note: PassportPictures.org was launched in 2007, and the recently launched PassportPhotosOnline.com is an affiliate carrier. The services are the same between the two sites.

Cost

At $15 for 6 photos, it is not the cheapest service around, but the post-processing service may be worthwhile if you are struggling to take the perfect passport picture at home.

Countries Covered

Passport photos can be produced for any country in the world (except Canada, where the the photographer is required to sign the back of the photo). Travel visa and citizenship photos are also provided for a variety of countries.

Delivery

Completed passport pictures can be emailed to the user for printing. Pictures can also be mailed to a US address, or made available for same-day pick up at Walgreens.

Tips

Despite the editing services, certain requirements must be met in order to produce a valid passport photo. The photo must be good enough to begin with that the subject (ie: you) does not need altering or modification.

This service also boasts a customer support phone number which connects you to a representative who can answer your questions as necessary.

OnlinePassportphoto.com

Basics

Upload your digital photo, they will edit it for background, exposure, and lighting/shadow flaws, and they will produce passport photos for you in a number of formats depending on your location and preference.

Cost

$6 will get you 6 passport photos. In other countries, they will produce up to eight photos for $6.95.

Countries Covered

Although not fully comprehensive, the list of countries for which passport and (some) visa photos can be produced for is not bad, and they will make every attempt to fulfill your request if the country you need is not on their list.

Delivery

The final product can be emailed to any address, mailed to US residents, or made available in as little as 24 hours at a local Walgreens or CVS store.

Tips

Since not all digital photos will suffice for compliance purposes (even with editing), they recommend that you email them your photos for pre-approval. Once they receive a photo that they believe is usable, they will email you an invoice through Paypal.

If the photos are rejected for any reason, OnlinePassportPhoto will either give you a refund or provide another set of photos at no cost.

portraitbooth.com

Basics

Upload your photo, crop it, and make a jpeg sheet that you can download and print (or have printed).

Cost

Free.

Countries Covered

Only US passports are truly covered, but there are a few sizing options which may suit the country’s passport or visa requirements that you are after.

Delivery

Being a fully online service, you could be anywhere to download and print your spiffy new passport photos.

Tips

There is no editing service available shy of self-serve cropping, so pay special attention to taking a picture that heeds the specific requirements for your passport photo (ie: background, lighting, proportions, etc).

These are but four of what could be many online passport picture services out there. Does anybody have experience with these four companies above, or any others you would like to mention?

Permalink | 10 comments | Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Frugal Living

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Balancing Spending with Saving: Being Frugal but not Miserly

Nora Dunn — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:00:01 +0000

By Nora Dunn

Check out your thesaurus, and you may discover that “frugal” and “miserly” share many of the same words as their cousins. Let this be our warning: take frugal too far, and we can become miserly before we even know what hit us.

Are you being frugal? Do you watch your expenses, learn new ways to save money, and stave off impulse purchases?

Or are you being miserly? Not going out to your friend’s birthday dinner because you’d have to spend money to be there, or cutting your heat off to live in frigid squalor so you can save some extra money?

The examples above illustrate my own definition of the difference between frugal and miserly, but those are subjective definitions. Like I said above, frugal and miserly share many similar verbal cousins in the thesaurus who don’t recognize such a big difference between the two.

Case Study: Balancing Saving with Spending

I write this article because I recently did some budgeting exercises with my boyfriend, and we are in “savings mode.” We are utilizing a unique opportunity to work abroad in Australia, and are taking some time here as part of our full-time travels to work and save extra money so our future traveling is not predicated on finding as much work along the way. When we travel through less work-friendly and more foreign countries, we know the extra savings will come in handy.

Although our cost of living here in Australia is minimal, there are still expenses we bear to stay here that we might not pay as much for if we were actively traveling, such as: rent, car insurance and maintenance, power, internet and telephone hook-ups, etc.

So we are once again walking the fine line that so many people around the world do every day – stretching a regular paycheck between the chasm that spans spending and saving.

Woah. I forgot just how hard this stuff is.

When there isn’t much room to wiggle after your basic expenses are covered, saving for a specific goal can be consuming. All other aspects of life go on hold while saving for “x.” But what is your quality of life in the meantime? Can you honestly say that during your time of saving, you have balance?

Within my own context, I still see myself as a traveler, despite having taken some time to settle in Australia and work. I enjoy weekend road trips, continued exploration, climbing, hiking, and camping in a country that is foreign to my own. I also realize that I could spend 100% of what I earn here without trying too hard, leaving me with no Aussie savings to pad further travels.

Does this sound familiar? Most of us could easily spend all the money we earn, and have nothing left over for any of our financial and life goals – retirement, making a major purchase, or investing.

So I need to be frugal. Frugal – but not miserly, if I can avoid it. For example, when I eat out with friends (such as I did on Taco Tuesday), I don’t spend a lot of money on the experience, but I’m still there joining in the festivities (in moderation) and benefiting from an enriching social experience. Had I been miserly, I would simply have stayed home.

Where I have trouble in differentiating between being frugal and miserly is in the following examples:

I missed out on seeing the Great Barrier Reef in northern Australia – partly because of time constraints, but mostly because of the money. I might get a chance to see it again, but I might not. Getting back there from where I currently live would cost money (and lots of it: I just priced out a three-day trip, which would cost well over $1,000 per person).
People back home who have visited Australia as tourists have many recommendations for me, including remote trips and tours to places like Ayres Rock and the Yellow River. Again though – the cost to get there is exorbitant, and a basic road trip could still run thousands of dollars.

It’s like somebody new to the United States living in New York and being told that they “absolutely must” see California, or Hawaii, or Alaska, or even Puerto Rico. It’s not as easy as going for a Sunday drive, especially if you are on a tight budget.

The above activities are important things to do if you visit Australia as a tourist. Then again – as a full-time traveler, I don’t try to specifically avoid the tourist trail; but sometimes the cost to be on it is prohibitive. (Then again, there is a reason why people travel to see tourist sights…they may just be worth seeing.)

If I chose to do all the activities above, I might not be able to afford to travel much beyond Australia (and I haven’t even touched on half the places I want to see in my global travels yet), but I could have a whopper of a time while I’m here.

Translation: I could live really well now by spending everything I earn (couldn’t we all), but it would be at the expense of my future goals.

And what of my upcoming trip to New Zealand, where I’ll be taunted and tempted by all sorts of extreme – and extremely thrilling – sports and activities that are right up my alley – but also upwards of $100 a pop? I could stand to lose a giant chunk of savings by doing these activities along with my boyfriend, but then again, I could stand to lose a giant chunk of life experience by not doing them.

So what do you think? If I keep my head down for the next while and work hard to save money for future travels, am I forgetting about the beauty of where I am right now?

Or if I spend everything I earn in Australia and have to return “home” for lack of funds before I’m happy to, did I lose sight of the ball?

How does a Professional Hobo like me accurately see the world – on a budget – and not compromise too many of my desires in the process due to a hyperactive tendency towards frugality and the desire to save some money?

Then again, what IS travel if it is not getting out and enjoying myself? Possibly buying a round of drinks to pave the way for conversation with locals or fellow travelers? Or enjoying abseiling, climbing, caving, scuba diving, boogie boarding, or bungee jumping?

Linsey wrote this great article to give you a few clues if you’ve gone too far with frugality. So how do you achieve – and maintain – your own balance between spending and saving?

Permalink | 17 comments | Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Personal Finance, Frugal Living

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Save Money on Shaving with These Razor Tricks

Nora Dunn — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:00:01 +0000

By Nora Dunn

Unless we choose to go hairy, most of us – men especially – can’t escape shaving as a necessary evil. And the razor industry knows all about it, so they always give us something new to “need” with constant one-upmanship. I mean, really; who truly needs a razor with five blades, various strips of rubber and moisturizers, and batteries that make it vibrate no less?

Do you also find it curious that nowhere on your package of razors or razor blades does it state how long a razor blade should last? Although the shaving company might argue that a razor’s longevity is predicated on how it is used, I might argue that they do it because people don’t tend to keep razor blades as long as they could.

Here are some ways you can save money on shaving with these razor tricks:

Dry the Razor

One of the most popular theories about the life of a razor blade is that dullness is a result of oxidation, not use. When water sits on the razor blade between shaves, corrosion will make the metal flake off, and the blade itself can become either blunt or jagged.

Exactly how people choose to dry their razors varies, and there are even products on the market to help you (but if you have to buy something to dry your razor and make it last longer, you are probably not being frugal).

Here are the most popular and effective methods of drying a razor:

Blow Dryer

Although it is a pig on power, using a blow dryer will help you to ensure that even the spaces between and behind the blades get dry.

Towel

You can also blot the razor dry on a towel. Be careful of cutting or otherwise wrecking the towel – or your hands – in the process though. Be sure not to rub the razor; just blot dry.

When using either of the above methods, first give the razor a rigorous shake to eliminate all the excess water.

Coat the Razor

Not only water, but oxygen in the air plus the salt from your skin will contribute to a razor’s quick demise. So not only drying but also coating your razor can protect it from the water, oxygen, and corrosion that dull the blade.

Soak vs Dip – Some people advocate soaking the razor in a cup or vial filled with the substances below and storing it this way between shaves, while others indicate that a quick dip will do everything necessary to coat the blades and preserve the razor’s shelf life.

Alcohol (eg: Rubbing Alcohol)

This dissipates the water, encourages drying, and sanitizes the razor for an extra benefit (especially if you are prone to acne problems).

Oil

There are a number of oils you can use depending on preference, availability, and cost:

Mineral Oil – This seems to be one of the most effective oils to use, as it is also good for your skin.

Grape seed / Almond Oil – The cost-conscious might want to use a mixture of these oils instead of mineral oil, which can fetch a specialized price.

Baby Oil – I read about a fellow who actually used baby oil after running out of mineral oil (in an attempt to save money), and apparently even baby oil works well.

Barbicide

This is a purpose-driven anti-rust formula used by hairdressers and barbers for their scissors, combs, and razors. A little bit can go a long way.

Vinegar

Yes, vinegar is even good for your razor. It’s also great at eliminating any mineral build-up on the razor over time. Gotta love the stuff!

Hybrid Approach – Alcohol and Oil

Some people like to dip the blade in alcohol to get the water off, then dip it in oil to protect the razor against the elements between shaves.

Get an Old Pair of Jeans

This razor trick works likely as a function of being an effective way to dry the blade. But from my research, users are very happy using this technique, and have made a disposable razor last up to a year, so there may be some additional benefits to this strategy.

Simply run the razor along the entire leg of an old pair of jeans 20 times in each direction. Apparently the cross-fibers of the jeans do a bang-up job of either drying and/or sharpening the blades to keep them pristine.

Check out this video and article for a better explanation.

Different Shave Products and Techniques

You may be able to extend the life of your razor by using different shave products or changing your style. For example, some argue that the acid content in shaving cream can do more harm than good for your blade. Here are some razor-saving shaving techniques:

Shaving Soap

In lieu of using shaving cream, some people find that using a shaving soap and nice brush is more luxurious and helps get a better shave. A block of shaving soap can go a very (very) long way too.

Hair Conditioner

Hair conditioner is a great lubricant, and is has the added benefit of softening your hair. The razor then won’t have to work as hard to cut your hair, making it last longer (the razor, that is).

Soften the Hair

To take the above theory to the next level, you can apply a moisturizer or conditioner a few minutes prior to shaving. Also, after you apply your shaving soap/gel/cream, leave it on for a few minutes before shaving to allow further softening time.

Store the Razor

The last step in this money-saving razor-longevity equation is in how to effectively store your razor. Since water is the antithesis of all things sharp in the razor world, your bathroom - being the most humid room in the house – is not a good place to store your razor.

If you must, keep it in a re-sealable bag inside a closed drawer or cabinet. Or, simply keep the razor in a drier room of the house.

Added Benefits of these Razor Tricks

If you want to start soaking or coating your razor, you’ll quickly find that the gimmicky razors with “moisturizing strips” and other such add-ons won’t be necessary, and in fact will hinder your razor-life-extending experience. So go on – buy a cheap razor, and see how long it lasts. I’m gunning for a year myself between razor blade changes.

Permalink | 39 comments | Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Health and Beauty

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Ramp Up Your Business by Specializing

Nora Dunn — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:00:02 +0000

By Nora Dunn

As an entrepreneur, you would think that precluding certain types of customers in favor of a smaller – but specialized – market would be akin to shooting yourself in the foot. But interestingly, one of the best ways to ramp up your business and create a solid reputation that will ensure a constant flow of customers knocking on your door is – indeed – by specializing.

You sell widgets. These are widgets that just about anybody can use. But you also know that depending on how your widgets are used, they can be especially useful for, let’s say, alpaca farmers (who we’ll say for argument’s sake, are not terribly uncommon in your area).

These alpaca farmers are a pretty tight knit bunch of people. They have a strong Alpaca Farmer’s Association with a quarterly magazine. This group also meets bi-monthly to share ideas and business practices, have some good fellowship, and hear guest speakers talk about issues relevant to their industry.

Without Specialization, you could hit the streets and sell a thousand widgets to a thousand passers-by, as long as you put your time in, shaking trees and pounding the pavement. But after you sell those thousand widgets, most of your customers aren’t feeling particularly loyal to you, since they don’t feel you actually understand their needs; you just happened to be selling them something they needed at the time.

So for all the time you spent peddling your thousand widgets, your repeat customers and referrals will be minimal. Hence, selling your next thousand widgets will take almost as much time. And now you have a job where you are trading your time for money. If you have specialization, you can create a business that provides you with at least a little bit of passive income by virtue of all the time and effort you invested.

Specialization Step One: Get Involved and Do Your Research

Instead of peddling your widgets on street corners over and over again to anonymous faces, you decide to specialize. You have a unique angle for how alpaca farmers can use your widgets effectively, and so you decide to focus on them as a target market.

You join the Alpaca Farmers Association as a non-industry member.
You attend their meetings.
You read their magazine – with interest – from cover to cover.
In networking with alpaca farmers and reading their publications, you start to get a sense for what is important to this group of people.
And when somebody asks you what you do, your “elevator speech” is a well-rehearsed pitch about how you provide widgets to alpaca farmers who need them to do “x”. Even if your conversation partner is not an alpaca farmer (and even a potential customer themselves), you say this. Why? Because they might know an alpaca farmer, and if they think you’re a stand-up sort of person, they’ll be providing a referral, pronto. They may even ask you if you would bend the rules and sell them a widget too (even though they’re not an alpaca farmer) – which of course you will.

Specialization Part Two: Become an Advocate and Ambassador

Because you are genuinely interested in alpaca farmers and their needs, you learn that a new regulation has come down the pipe that will restrict their ability to do business effectively. As somebody who has a finger on the pulse of the industry along with a bit of perspective, you decide to write your local member of parliament/council in an attempt to advocate for the alpaca farmers. You may even decide to copy a few of your alpaca farmer prospects or the association leader to show them how much you care about them. You’re not asking for their business – they know what you do by now – you’re just showing them that you are supportive of this group and are with them for the long haul. (It must be noted at this juncture that these actions must be genuine in nature, which means you will have developed a real connection and interest in alpaca farmers; otherwise you could come off as a schmarmy salesperson and get the cold shoulder).

You also gain an opportunity to speak at their association meeting. This is a terrific chance to communicate your message to a lot of people in your target market at one time. You’ll obviously discuss widgets, but you’ll also do it in a greater context that provides additional value to the members. They will see that you actually understand them as a market and people, and their trust in you will continue to build.

Your next step is to write articles for the association magazine. Again widgets can be mentioned in your articles, but the objective is not so much advertising as it is providing useful information. The business will start to flow by virtue of you simply being visible to this market.

Specialization Part Three: Get Business, Referrals, and Continue to Specialize

By now, alpaca farmers have accepted you as a genuinely interested member of their community. You (and they) realize that you can provide them with so much more than widgets, and in return, they will give you their loyalty and repeat business as personal customers – and eventually, friends.

They’re also probably going to refer you to other colleagues of theirs – some of whom will know you from your association activities, and others who will not. Almost all of them will immediately become customers. Why? Because you are the ultimate go-to person for widgets for alpaca farmers. You understand them. They would be crazy not to buy from you.

In so doing, they will also likely see the wider applications of your widgets, and will refer you to their family and friends who are not in the alpaca farming business. You will accept this business – despite your specialization – because these referrals will probably be just as loyal and valuable to your business as the alpaca farmers themselves. Why? Because they sold your product for you, since you are just so darn good at representing the needs of their special little (largely ignored) group of people.

Other Examples of Specialization in Action

I have a travel blog, and like many other travelers who have blogs, I am not entirely proficient at the finer points of running or monetizing it. I get numerous offers from SEO and marketing companies who are offering website services, and I discard most of these offers as quickly as I receive them. Why? Because although I understand that my travel blog doesn’t involve rocket science to make it better, I also don’t believe the people sending these anonymous form-letters truly understand what I need. Bollocks? Yes, probably; any web-related service could do a stand-up job for me. But I don’t know that, and don’t have anybody I trust enough to give them a shot.

That is, until a prominent travel blogger in the industry kicks out an e-book about how to make money with your travel blog. This is a specific product (an e-book) that answers a specific request (make my website better!) from a targeted group of people (travel bloggers). I (and just about everybody else who wants to make money with their travel blog – which is just about every travel blogger out there) see value and buy a copy of the book.

Could this book be applicable to other genres of Web Sites and blogs? Absolutely. But because this author specialized, he gained the trust of travel bloggers (he had already been working on this area of specialization and had the trust of many), and has become a continued go-to resource for them. And word of mouth in the travel blogging industry (as with many industries) is not to be underestimated.

When I was a Certified Financial Planner, I specialized too; I worked with business owners and managers in the plumbing and sheet metal industry. It seemed like an odd market to pursue at the outset, but as I continued to network with these people and be visible at association meetings as the speaker or attendee; as I wrote articles for their quarterly magazine; and as I attended the Christmas party of a client of mine only to be seen (yet again) by some of their sheet metal colleagues at the same party, the referrals poured in.

And business branched beyond my plumbing and sheet metal clients, as it does. I always believed in family participation when it comes to financial planning, and I received referrals to many branches of large families related to somebody in my target market. Eventually I didn’t have to go looking for new clients; they came to me.

Specialized Parting Words

Don’t be afraid. You won’t push away other business (at least not as much as you think) by virtue of focusing on a small target market. Instead you will be perceived as desirable, special, and may be pursued even more for business – even by people who aren’t in your area of specialization. And within your specialized market…you will dominate.

Permalink | 10 comments | Nora Dunn's blog | Channel: Entrepreneurship, Small Business Resource Center

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