Work at Home Moms - Save Money This Holiday Season

As the holidays approach, many work at home moms begin feeling a sense of dread --

* How will we afford gifts?
* Will I start the new year even further in debt?

Saving money is the same as making money, in my opinion. Either way, you'll have more money in your bank account. Here are a few ideas to help you save money this holiday season as well as earn a little extra cash. I hope these help give you some hope heading into the holidays.

Save on Advertising Expenses
Reduce your Advertising Budget. I hear so often from moms who are using paid advertising as their sole method of promoting their online businesses. Advertising is great, but it is just one of the many ways to promote your business. Enhance your exposure with some of the free ways to promote your business, from press releases and articles to more effective networking. Make an effort to stretch beyond your comfort zone to try new ways to draw more traffic to your website.

eBay - List it Now
People are spending money like crazy this time of year. List all your extras on eBay to earn a little extra cash for the holidays. Outgrown clothing, toys that your kids don't play with, movies, books -- all the items currently taking up space in your home could put cash in the bank. Plus, by cleaning out the house, you'll have more room for the new goodies that Santa brings.

Bartering
Have you tried bartering? You can trade products or services with other work at home moms that you meet. If you have a talent with writing or website design, trade with a mom in Direct Sales for products. It benefits both of you. The mom receives much needed help with aspects of her business that she may not enjoy or care to learn - and gets rid of extra inventory. She may also receive an ongoing customer from the barter, once you fall in love with her products. And, you receive products that you can give to loved ones for the holidays.

You do not need to start the new year further in debt. Plan your business promotions, barter for gifts, and sell your excess stuff. The holidays will be much more enjoyable, knowing that you took efforts to make them affordable.

Nicole Dean invites you to visit www.easyarticlemarketing.com to learn how writing articles like this one can be the most cost-effective way to bring traffic and sales to your website.

(This article is free for reprint. Affiliates of www.easyarticlemarketing.com may replace that link with their affiliate link when publishing this article online.)

Have you Considered Getting Your Degree?

Now is the perfect time for a Stay at Home Mom to get a degree -- An Associates, Bachelors or a Graduate Degree. So many schools offer online and distance learning that it's a great alternative for any mom.

Here's more information about ADULT CONTINUING EDUCATION ONLINE.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Nicole

5 Mistakes you Might be Making when Choosing a Password

Are you making yourself a target for fraud? More and more often I am hearing stories of people who have had their accounts hacked. They have had money stolen, lost sleep, spent hours setting up new accounts, or had their credit ruined. Don't let this happen to you.

Are you making these dangerous mistakes?

Mistake #1: Using the same password for all your accounts.
Please don't do this. Use different passwords for every email account, and definitely use unique passwords for shopping websites where you'd enter your credit card.

Mistake #2: Short passwords
The risk of someone guessing your password is increasingly difficult the more characters are in it. So, go for the gusto and make your passwords long.

Mistake #3: BradPitt, Charlie, Sarah, Princess, Barbie, Gandolf -- Did I guess it yet?
Do not use kids' names, pet's name, nicknames, names from characters in books or movies or celebrity names. Even if I didn't guess it in my list, someone who knows you could.

Mistake #4: Easy to remember English words
Easy to remember is also easy to guess. Passwords should not contain English words found in a dictionary. Non-English words or any words in any dictionary are a high risk as well. And, for goodness sakes, if your password is "password" or "test" then it's a wonder you haven't been hacked yet!

Mistake #5: Numbers are no-no's.
Seriously, stay away from birthdays, anniversaries, addresses, social security numbers or telephone numbers. They are all too easy to guess.
Choose random passwords for banking sites like PayPal. Combine letters (both uppercase and lowercase) and numbers.

If all of this sounds too hard to remember, then consider using a Password program. Most of the good password programs will not only store your passwords on your computer, but they'll generate completely random passwords when you need one.

Here are a few to try.
http://www.fgroupsoft.com/Traysafe/
http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/
http://www.treepad.com/treepadsafe/

It's never a good time to find out that someone has stolen money from you -- or locked you out of your own email account. It's a waste of your time and money. Please protect yourself.

Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane Mom behind http://www.ShowMomTheMoney.com. Are you a Work at Home Mom looking for help in your online business? Take the ShowMomtheMoney 101 Tour - Free! http://www.showmomthemoney.com/free-tutorial.htm

* This article is free to reprint with author information intact. *

WAHMs Gone Wild?!

Ok, this is just getting silly. As you know, I'm a huge fan of
MomMasterminds. It's been the key to my business success.

Well, I think Alice and Kelly are just losing their minds.

They've added the following courses to the
free resources -- members get access to them free.

Internet Marketing Sweetie - $47 value

The Confidence to Act in Business - $46.97 value

Home Business Tax Smarts - $24.97 value

as well as Press Release Profits, Google AdWords from Start to
Finish, Increasing Your Sales Through Online Auctions, 7 Deadly
Website Sins, Building Blocks for Getting Organized and Managing
Clutter, and more.

And, I think I'm starting to catch their insanity. :)

Anyone who signs up for MomMasterminds through my link will not
only get all the items listed above as part of the membership
everything electronic, not the printed materials, but you'll also
receive ...

A Free 1/2 hour of Business Coaching from ME!

Yep. An entire 1/2 hour of my uninterrupted time -- trust me when I
say this is very limited. I'm busy as I can possibly be these days.

I will talk with you on the phone or via IM or email and help you
with the questions that come up after you dive into the resources
at MM -- believe me, you'll learn more in a week in MomMasterminds
than you would in a month of struggling by yourself.

So, sign up through this link -- then email me to
let me know you signed up to claim your free business coaching.

I'll help you by critiquing your site, your ads, or answering
questions that you have about how to make money online with
articles, blogs, newsletters, or anything.

Sign up for the trial here.

Then email me to let me know you've signed up. Once you've signed
up, we'll set a date and time to chat.

I'm only offering this through the weekend. My husband will not be
happy if I schedule 10 hours of chatting, so get in on the offer
now. ;)

Have a great weekend!
Nicole

PS. Don't forget to check out the blog to get more free help.

Free ebook on Article Marketing Tips

I just compiled this new ebook from ideas provided to me from my friends at MomMasterminds. I hope it gives you some courage to try this very effective method of advertising.

FREE EBOOK HERE

Enjoy!
Nicole

Holidays are Coming -- Is Money Short?

As the holidays near, you may be feeling a sense of dread --

* How will we afford gifts?
* Will I start 2006 even further in debt?

I've gathered a few resources for you. I hope these help give you
some hope heading into the holidays.

GET RID OF YOUR ADVERTISING BUDGET
I hear so often from moms who are using paid advertising as their
main method of promoting their online businesses. This is just NOT
the way to succeed.
Kelly McCausey and I have put together a free ecourse to help you
rethink the way you promote your business. Make More & Spend Less.
SIGN UP HERE

JOBS FROM HOME
My friend, Nell Taliercio has a great Telecommuting website
that is full of jobs that you can do from home.
JOBS FROM HOME

5 DEADLY MYTHS OF SAVINGS AND HOW TO SAVE ANYWAY
Enjoy this free ebook from my friend, Dar. It's got great tips
to keep more of your hard earned money in your pockets. (pdf file)
FREE PDF EBOOK

CAN'T AFFORD MOMMASTERMINDS?
Alice and Kelly have put together a blog with tidbits - free. Enjoy!
FREE TRAINING BLOG

If you have additional resources to share, please let me know.
I know this is a hard time of year for a lot of us financially --
and I definitely want to help.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Nicole

Simple, Easy Way to Get Long-Term Advertising

Can you really use articles to get more traffic, make more sales and increase your credibility? You betcha!

This teleseminar will show you how -

Easy Article Marketing - CLICK HERE

Hope to see you there.
Nicole

Sell the Hottest Toys on Ebay for a Profit.

I just finished reading this ebook and I have to say it is pretty informative. It will show you which toys you can easily make money selling on ebay for a profit and how to do it. If you need extra spending money this holiday season, this is a pretty cool way to get it.

Definitely check it out.
2005 HOLIDAY SELLING GUIDE: SELLING TOYS FOR PROFIT

Nicole

Stress Relieving Exercise

Are you ready to fight the holiday weight gain? Here are some fun ways to get some stress relieving exercise --

Team Sports: Join a volleyball, softball or basketball league. Having your team-mates rely on you to attend practice will help you stick with your exercise program.

Play Time: Grab your kids and a ball and head out into the yard. Teach them all the games you used to love. I’ve gotten some of my best workouts playing freeze tag with my son in my front yard. The workout was fun and cost a lot less than buying a piece of exercise equipment. Jump on a trampoline, pogo stick, or grab a hula-hoop. It’s all good.

Quiet Time: If you enjoy quiet time, bike riding, walking, kayaking, rollerblading, cross-country skiing, swimming or hiking – any of these will encourage your mind to s-l-o-w down.

Shake it Baby: There’s a new trend in workout videos. From Ballet and Hip Hop to Belly Dance and Breakdance, you’ll find every kind of dance workout video available.
SHOP FOR VIDEOS HERE

Take the time to take care of you. Now, get moving! There's no excuse not to get some much needed stress-relieving exercise.
Nicole

WAHM Perspective from an 8 year old.

Here's what my 8 year old said when I asked him "What does Mommy do?"

That's my sweet boy!
:) Nik

You can record Audio to your Blog, too!

What does Mommy Do?

Here's a little audio I recorded of me asking my 4-year old what mommy does...

You can record audio directly to your blogger blog, too, for free. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.

Have fun!
Nicole

PS. If you want to record audio for your website, then this is the service I use for ShowMomtheMoney - AUDIO ACROBAT FREE TRIAL

Frugal Food: Don't Waste Money this Holiday Season on Fast Food

As the holidays approach, it gets harder and harder to keep up with everything that needs to be done. You may end up spending a lot of extra money on things like Fast Food, just because you're too busy to cook.

Here are some great articles for Frugal Meals for Busy Moms. I hope they give you some ideas and save you some money.

Talk to you soon.
Nicole

PS. I'm a huge fan of Once a Month Cooking. I don't mind giving up a few hours and making a freezer full of food. Check it out.

Dazed and Confused by the Gurus?

Are the Gurus confusing the heck out of you? I know the feeling!

I consider it my job to act as a translator and help toss out the hype and break things down into bite-sized pieces. If you have questions you'd like to ask about being a WAHM - either post them to my blog or leave a message on my phone line.
(214) 231-2905 ext 4487

I'll be answering questions in upcoming notes. Thanks much!

I am Thankful for My Blessings...

Happy November! Thanksgiving is around the corner in the United States. Are you counting your blessings?

As WAHMs, we have so much to be thankful for. What other career would allow us the opportunity to express our creativity, set our own hours, network with wonderful people, and make money while doing it?

AND, most importantly, we get to spend time with our kids, too. Wow.

It doesn't get any better than this!

If you watched Desperate Housewives last night you may have been as disgusted as I was when Lynette's boss mocked her suits during the meeting (even pointing out spit up!). Then, I was horrified to hear her boss say "Dance Puppet Dance"! UG -- you probably felt as lucky as I did to be a WAHM.

I was thinking about what I am most thankful for business-wise this year and the things that have most impacted my business in 2005.

I wanted to share my short list with you of my Top 5 Resources I am thankful for in my business .... These are tools, not people. The list of people is coming soon. ;)

1. Google Adsense & Chitika -- Thank goodness for Pay per click. If you aren't using it and you have a resource site -- get moving! It's money in the bank.
MORE INFO

2. MomMasterminds -- I've got access to the best resources online in one place. I've been a member of MomMasterminds since February and I feel like I am so much further now than if I had tried to learn on my own. I spent enough time struggling. I only wish I had been less stubborn and joined 6 months before I did.
MORE INFO

3. LadyPens.com is over 100 women strong and growing... I'm very excited for this new resource. I hope you'll find it helpful.
More info on how writing articles can help your business - Excuse my scratchy voice if
you listen to the audio. I'm fighting a nasty cold.

4. As you know, 'I (heart) my autoresponder' so I won't get into that again. ;)
MORE INFO

5. Teleseminars. I'm listening to teleseminars during my walks. Thanks to mp3 audios, I'm learning how to write a book, promote my website, and more. And, I get to share all my
new-found knowledge with YOU! :) Stay tuned...
More info on my cheapo mp3 player

What resources are you thankful for this year? I hope that 2005 has given you more business blessings than you can count.

Please remember those who may not be feeling blessed this holiday season, and help however you can --

Donate Money - http://www.redcross.org/
Send words from home to a soldier http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/
Prayer
Volunteer locally
Give blood

Thank you so much for sharing this year with me so far.
Nicole

PS. Please share your blessings as a WAHM in the comments section below.

Get Paid per Click on Your Website - Chitika & AdSense

If you have a website or blog, you can sell advertising 24 hours a day in your sleep, and get paid for it -- automatically.

Pay Per Click programs are viewed by many as one of the best ways to make money online.

I have two favorite programs I use.

Chitika eMiniMalls

What is it?
eMiniMalls are a pay per click advertisement with a storefront or mall look. It shows individual products with images. I've been using this program for a few weeks and have been enjoying the additional income (very much). ;)

Why choose eMiniMalls?

It's Free to join
Easy to use
Can use it WITH Google AdSense
They have an Affiliate Program to make even more money

Join Chitika here

Plus, as a special bonus enjoy this Free Copy of my Notes on this Program (pdf file)

Google AdSense

What is it?
AdSense is a pay per click program with text links run by Google. Every time someone clicks on an ad on your site, you make money.

Why choose AdSense?

Free to join
Easy to use
It's by Google - you know it's good.

Google Adsense Tips, Articles and Advice

And, if you decide you want to make the big bucks with AdSense, then be sure to check out AdSense Secrets. I own it and it has paid for itself many times over.
ADSENSE SECRETS

Just make sure you read the Terms of Service on any program very thoroughly, and never never click on your own ads or ask anyone else to, as it is theft. So, follow the rules and this is a GREAT way to make money.

Now go make some money.
:) Nicole

PS. Don't forget to sign up for Chitika HERE

I *heart* my autoresponder!

I was thinking of getting a bumper sticker that says

"I *heart* my autoresponder"

Do you think that's too geeky?

I am a woman in love with my autoresponder and I want the world to know! ;)

Ok, I'm joking a little. But all joking aside, an autoresponder is an invaluable tool. I know my business would suffer without mine.

What is an autoresponder?
An autoresponder is a business partner. It sends your messages out automatically easy as pie -- whether you are at your computer or not.

Some examples:
* My newsletter gets delivered to you through my autoresponder.
* If you signed up for my ecourse, you received it through my autoresponder, automatically, whether I was at my computer or playing Whack-a-Mole at Chuck E Cheese.
* If you've ever ordered anything online, you probably received a confirmation email automatically through ... you guessed it - an autoresponder.

If you are in Direct Sales, you might be wondering what this has to do with you. Well, my friend Annette wrote a great article that ran in last month's issue of the WC citing several ways to make your Direct Sales business more efficient and more effective by using an autoresponder.

You see, Annette is a busy lady.
She successfully runs her Direct Sales business. She homeschools. AND she does all the other important stuff that we WAHMs juggle every day. How's she do it? Well, I'll let her tell you about it in her article.
click HERE to read Annette's article
Her autoresponder even trained her downline and followed up with her leads while she was on a company cruise. You can't beat that!

If you own an online business not related to Direct Sales, your business could also benefit from an autoresponder. You can automate your contests, write ecourses, manage all your newsletters in one place (even family ones), follow-up with customers and more.

Here's a free trial for the autoresponder that I *heart* -
CLICK HERE to try the autoresponder I recommend If you sign up and have any questions, just let me know and I'll give you a hand. :)

So now you know why I love my autoresponder.

Speaking of love, I just posted a picture from my vow renewal this summer. See the post below.

Maybe I'll get a "I (heart) my hubby" bumper sticker instead. :)

Have a great day!
Nicole

PS. If you'd like to get more amazing articles like Annette's, then be sure to
subscribe to the WC here.

PPS. Stop by Annette's blog to sign up for her training and learn more about her business opportunity. She's a great lady!

My Vow Renewal

I 've gotten more requests for pictures from our vow renewal this summer so... here you go!

In June, we celebrated our 10 year anniversary by renewing our vows.

Can you tell I love this man?! I told him I'd marry him 100 times if he let me. He said "Sweetie, 2 is plenty." lol.

I wrote a little article about putting together a Marriage Vow renewal. Marriage Vows

And you can also read my whole story here:
You Don't Renew Your Vows at the DMV

Thanks for letting me share my "why". Please share your stories of romance. I love hearing them.
Nicole

PS. Enough chit-chat. Get back to work. ;)