Get an automatic pay raise at work without asking

If you're leaving an employer match to your 401(k) at work on the table, you're denying yourself an automatic pay raise.

I saw a stat from benefits company Hewitt that found almost one in three people are eligible for an employer match in their 401(k) but don't take advantage of it.

Here at the radio station, our employer offers a match of 50 cents on every dollar up to the first six percent you sock away. I cannot believe how many people don't contribute a cent to their 401(k) at work. Why would you give up a raise at a time when you can't scare one out of your boss?!

Think of an employer match like a bribe to get you to save money. I want you to take the bribe.You'll also be happy down the road that you put that money aside because it will be there to grow for you over the years.

My executive producer Christa started saving in a 401(k) at work when she was 22 at her manager's suggestion. Now she's sitting on a nice nest egg in her late 30s.

If you feel you couldn't possibly do a 401(k) because there's no room for any savings, I want you to start by saving just one percent. Then, six months from now, bump your contribution up by just another one percent. After five years of that, you'll be saving 10% of your pay before any employer match!

But by doing it one percent at time, you won't notice the difference in your paycheck because it's all little baby steps.

cool littlejobshop.com has simple jobs for extra cash..

I Need 50 Short YouTube Videos Downloaded For $10 (by chris)

I Need transcription For $5 (by kevin)

I Need 3x3 garden shed put up For $5 (by Natalie88)

I Need to advertise my website www.jobsdecade.com For $10 (by amitchouhan)

I Need customers who want to rent a car in dubai, uae For $5 (by dubai1978)

I Need hand-written equations to be ported to LaTeX For $5 (by Formulas2LaTeX)

I Need hand-drawn figures to be ported to Adobe Illustrator For $10 (by Formulas2LaTeX)

I Need my small website to test For $5 (by btneeraj)

I Need Web Programming For $5 (by udaysingh)

I Need employee For $5 (by bhaskar)

I Need a verified paypal account For $5 (by isabel)

I Need real introductions to quality hypnosis clients For $5 (by keithanthony)

I Need 2000 word essay done on Quantum Physics for For $10 (by ncscash)

I Need a logo for LDK Sportscards For $5 (by lauireds)

Hits4pay.com getting paid to post ads

What is Hits4Pay?
This is a site that I cam across a long time ago. At first, I was very weary of the site’s legitimacy, but since they changed their design, it looks a lot more professional and user friendly. Hits4Pay is a website that allows you to earn small increments of money by reading advertiser’s ads. These ads are sent to your email and you read them through Hits4Pay.com.
How’s the pay?
The fact that led me to sign up with them was the free $10 they give to you for just signing up. It looks like now they are offering $5. That money definitely comes in handy with a site like this because you aren’t going to make a lot of money with it. I think the pay range per email ad read varies since I know I have read some that are 0.04 cents and some that are 0.02 cents. In any case, the pay is low; however, you could have X amount of email ads sitting in your account and it can definitely add up.
Is it going to take me forever to cash out?
It really depends on the availability of email ads and also your diligence. I haven’t kept up with it for a while, but I am getting back into it. I definitely could have made payout if I paid more attention it, but when I signed up with Hits4Pay.com, I had many other things going on in my life. The cash threshold is $25 and payments are made via PayPal between the 15^th and 25^th of each month. If your account has less than $25, then that amount is rolled over onto the next month and will continue to do so until you reach $25.
You Can Increase Your Earnings With Referrals!
This information is directly from Hits4Pay.com FAQs regarding referrals:

1. You will earn up to $0.02 for each email that you personally read. During advertiser promotions direct earnings will be $0.01 per validated email.
2. You will earn $0.01 for each validated email that your direct referrals read.
3. You will earn $0.01 from each validated email that your direct referral’s referral reads.

And when you visit your account page to look at your referrals breakdowns, it will resemble a structure like this:
Hits4Pay’s compensation plan is a two level plan. That means…

1. Direct Earnings: You earn up to $0.02 for each email that you validate. During advertiser promotions direct earnings will be $0.01 per validated email.
2. First Level: You earn $0.01 for each email that your direct referrals validate.
3. Second Level: You earn $0.01 from each validated email that your direct referral’s referral reads.

There are guidelines to follow when promoting your referral link:

1. No Spamming Of Any Kind – Please do not use unsolicited email marketing to promote hits4pay. We take SPAM complaints very seriously. If you are not sure what SPAM is, please educate yourself by reading the current SPAM laws here.
2. No Multiple Accounts - Please do not create multiple accounts. We monitor all accounts carefully before approval. Only one account per household. Do not sign up from a Internet Cafe or local library.
3. No False Advertising – Misrepresenting a company and it’s program is illegal.Hits4Pay is NOT:
   - an employment opportunity.
   - a get-rich-quick scheme to make money. 
   What Hits4Pay is:
   - a way to earn some extra cash by viewing email ads from our advertisers.
4. Do Not Charge A Fee For Hits4Pay Membership - Hits4pay is completely free for anyone to signup. Members are not allowed to charge a fee to introduce hits4pay.

So, this opportunity is not something where you can depend on it fully, but like many other cash reward sites, you can earn a little here and there. I really like opportunities like this because I am always making money in some way.

Please Note: There is a referral link in this post.

Can you Make Extra Cash by Ad Posting?

If  you have ever visited a work at home forum, then you have seen these types of threads. Individuals are looking for people to post ads for them on various sites. The most popular site is probably Craigslist, although there are other reputable ad listing sites out there. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the whole ad posting scene. You simply post an ad and you’ve made an extra couple of bucks. There are things to look out for when inquiring about these types of positions:

• Are you promoting spam? Recently, I started an online business relationship with a person who wanted me to post ads on Craigslist. It was a good deal, but the ads looked so weird. Most of them didn’t make any sense, the English was horrible and I kept thinking who the hell is going to click these? Just be careful when selecting which clients you want to post ads for. In all honesty, I really don’t care what the ad looks like or what it is for as long as I get paid. Now, if the ad was completely vulgar or went against my personal beliefs, then that is a different story.
• Never use your personal email address! I learned a long time ago to never use my personal email address on Craigslist. Even if it was from ad posting or me personally wanting to sell something, you will or can be bombarded with spam and these types of emails can be harmful. Consider making a new email address specifically for the ad posting position with Yahoo or Gmail to protect yourself.
• Follow your instinct. This one is simple. If your gut is telling you something is off about the person or the ad itself, then simply walk away from the opportunity. Even though ad posting isn’t going to make you rich, dealing with a difficult individual who won’t pay you is frustrating. If you’re getting bad vibes about anything at all, tell the person you are no longer interested and start looking for other ad posting positions.

How much can you make?
The pay that comes with ad posting is not a whole lot. I believe I am right to say that the typical pay range is between 0.10-$1.00. It really depends though on the client who is hiring you. If you are getting paid an extremely low wage, then it’s probably okay to assume that the client doesn’t have a whole lot of money to start out with. Take this into consideration about your future work with the person. If the ad posting requires a lot of time on your part, such as making the ad or inputting pictures, then ask for a higher wage. I am pretty happy with a $1.00 because for me, it doesn’t take that long to post an ad. I’ve gotten use to the Craigslist realm and know my way around it.
The clients I’ve dealt with usually pay with PayPal. I would highly advise to use this method of payment simply because your personal information is secure.
Some advice about Craigslist:
Since Craigslist is probably the most popular choice for posting ads, then you will need a telephone to validate your posts. All that is required is your phone number to authenticate who you are, so Craigslist doesn’t think you are some kind of bot posting the ads. From my experience, my phone hasn’t been bombed with spam calls. The only trouble I have is not being able to use my phone number more than once. Craigslist has this holding period for each phone number you use, so be sure to use it sparingly.
There are other easy positions like ad posting available for us work at home warriors! I currently post comments on a website and get paid 0.25 per comment. It’s not a whole lot of money, but it’s still money! These types of opportunities are out there and it does take some searching to find the legitimate ones.
Consider adding ad posting to your daily work at home regimen. It can be easy work and some easy money that can be made. Just be mindful and careful, as with all work at home opportunities!

Working at Home: Realistic Goals & Outcomes

When I began to work from home, I was introduced to a rude awakening. I realized that in most positions, I would have to hold back my own taxes and that most clients do not pay you what you are worth (just in my experience). So, I found that setting income goals for myself was very challenging. My ideal income was roughly $1,000 a month. That money would barely cover my bills, but I knew that was what I needed to make to stay a float.
I have to be honest – still to this day I am sometimes confused when trying to make an income goal for myself and I’ve found that daily goals left me feeling pretty crummy at the end of the day. Starting this month, I am implanting a new goal structure for myself. I have set a monthly and weekly goal. Since I would like to make $1,000/month, I figured that I needed to bring in $250 each week. It’s a bit scary thinking of such a big number, when before I had a reasonable number to work with when I was setting daily goals; however, I really feel like this going to work for me.
Here are some strategies I am going to be doing in order to succeed my goal:

• Utilizing Cozi.com – If you have never been to this site, it is amazing! It’s an online calendar service, but it offers so much more. Ideally, it is for those who run a busy home schedule with kids, sports and events. It allows you to easily insert things, upload photos, color adjust certain events and so much more. What I had done was printed off this month’s calendar (which I absolutely love how it printed! Most sites give you a plain looking calendar, but this one is lively!). At the end of each week, I wrote: /$250. Above the slash, I plan to input my actual income amount.
• I’m not going to set myself up to fail any longer! I am such a procrastinator that it isn’t even funny. I have my good days where I can finish all I want to do and then my bad days …. Where I feel like a total failure. Well, I’m over that. I know what I need to do so that I don’t feel like a failure. I need to accomplish the work I have set out to do for each day and complete it. No ifs, ands or buts about it! I have a handy planner where I write down all the work I have that needs to be completed and in previous posts, I’ve talked about the use of a bulletin board. I haven’t been using mine as much as I should have because right now it’s acting as a barrier to my wires so my puppy doesn’t get back there. I’m going to pull it up and place it on my wall and write down my goals on that as well. I’m also in the mood for locating inspirational quotes to bring me out of the funk I have some days!
• Properly managing my time & organzing! This is a big one for me. I can’t tell you how many times I will sit down at my desk ready to work yet find myself sitting here for hours doing mindless things. I am going to start using the timer on my phone to properly manage my time. I’m going to allow myself breaks and what have you, but from now on they are going to be timed.

I think my biggest problem is adjusting to this whole scene. Working at home is as tough as working outside the home and over the last few months, I have really felt that. I need to start acting as if I am actually working, regardless of the negative comments I receive about “not doing anything all day.”
So, who’s with me? Are you ready for a change this month? What do you want to make? I believe in the power of encouraging others, so please leave a comment explaining your goal or what you would like to change this month about your work at home routine. Together we can help each other and become stronger!
UPDATE 10/1/11 – I may need to increase my monthly goal. I recently found out that my boyfriend and I are getting kicked out of our house. We currently rent off his Uncle and for some reason, he failed to let us know he promised this house to his mother-in-law in about, oh 2 MONTHS! This is my 5th time moving in 4 years … I’m getting pretty tired of it. But, I won’t let it lessen my spirits and I shall work harder on my goals to succeed!

Free Lance Writing Pros and Cons

Writing can be both difficult and rewarding.  It is certainly a creative outlet, but there is also a technical aspect involved in any linguistic pursuit.  So it takes a particular type of mind to really make a career out of writing.  It can bring about feelings of euphoria (when you’re on a roll) or total depression (as the nefarious writer’s block strikes at random), but it is almost never boring.  However, freelance writing, in particular, has its own special challenges and benefits.  So before you leap at the chance to be your own boss (to an extent), examine some of the pros and cons associated with becoming a writer for hire.

1. Work from home.  PRO:  The major benefit of contract writing is that you can do it from the comfort of your cozy office.  You can formulate a routine that works with your lifestyle and avoid the constant interruptions inherent in an office setting.  Bonus: appropriate attire includes pajamas and you’ll avoid the morning commute!  CON:  You will literally have only your cat for companionship.  Freelance writers can become very isolated if they don’t make an effort to get out of the house once in awhile.  You also face constant distractions like pets that need attention, a house that could stand a little cleaning, and your evil arch-nemesis, daytime television.
2. Set your own schedule.  PRO: If you want to go to lunch with friends, sneak in some time at the gym, or take in an afternoon movie, there is absolutely no reason you can’t schedule it in.  The flexibility is what draws most people to at-home work.  CON: You are solely responsible for how your time is allocated.  That means you have to be diligent when it comes to setting work hours and sticking to them.  If you thought you could earn a living by rising at the crack of noon and working for a couple of hours in the afternoon, you were dreaming.  And there is no one to blame but yourself if you can’t pay the bills.
3. Variety.  PRO:  The great thing about freelance writing (as opposed to other types) is that you will enjoy a constantly changing palette of subject matter.  This means that you will most likely be learning new things all the time and you can avoid the boredom of expounding upon the same topics all the time.  CON:  Freelance writing requires you to be a sort of pen-slinging jack of all trades since at any given time you might have to tackle a vast array of topics from computer technology to nursing degrees to eco-friendly home-building to shopping for wedding dresses.  It all depends on the work that comes your way.  For an individual who is not comfortable with research or has a hard time elucidating subjects on which they lack expert knowledge, this can be an extremely challenging and stressful aspect of the job.
4. Multiple clients.  PRO:  Since you are basically your own boss, you can take on as few or as many clients as you wish, and only accept repeat business from the ones you like, ensuring less stress and good working relationships.  CON:  One problem with taking on several clients is that you are bound to get some bad apples.  You will have to deal with people who are demanding, irrational, and disrespectful, and you must remain professional throughout if you don’t want to risk a negative review.
5. Freedom.  PRO:  This is the absolute best reason to pursue a career in freelance writing.  If you want to work 20 hours a week you are free to do so.  Planning a vacation does not require anyone’s consent or the rearranging of a schedule.  And once you are established, you can virtually pick and choose which jobs to take.  In essence, you are in full control of your life and your time.  CON:  As much as this can be a blessing, it can also be a curse.  Freedom, in many cases, equates to personal responsibility, so if you find yourself spending all day at the beach only to realize that you’ve missed a deadline, you may not have self-discipline required to make a living as a freelance writer.

ok some simple but effective ways to make money

Ways to Actively Make Money:

1. Clip coupons from the newspaper for items that you already buy.
2. Check to see if any stores in your area offer double coupons.
3. If you have good enough credit to get one, use a rebate credit card and pay it off every month. You must not spend more than you can afford to pay off each month, or you will pay more in interest than you get back.
4. If you have the money to pay, use 0% financing and keep your money in an interest-bearing account. Be careful of minimum monthly payments and pay the balance electronically or mail it early enough that they can't "lose" the payment and find it just after the due date.
5. Get a second job.
6. Rent out a room in your home or get a roommate if you rent.
7. Sell some of your old stuff on ebay

top 10 hardest jobs to fill

Okay I know this blog is mostly about making money, but I saw this article this morning and wanted to share it.. pretty interesting  for those of who are unemployeed

The Top 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill

By John Rossheim, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

The economy is sputtering, and companies say they will make nothing but perfect-10 hires. Meanwhile, Baby Boomers are retiring by the millions -- and everyone wants to be a millionaire, not a wage earner. Where does all this leave employers and workers in their never-ending struggle to tip the balance in the American labor market?

annual survey commissioned by staffing firm Manpower, these dynamics yield a number of occupations for which openings are hard to fill. Among white-collar jobs, the following positions make Manpower’s 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill list: sales reps, nurses, technicians, restaurant/hotel workers, managers/executives, doctors/other clinical practitioners, engineers and customer service reps. And on the blue-collar side, skilled tradespeople and drivers make the top 10.

But labor-market power has shifted toward employers with the soft economy. In the prerecession year of 2007, Manpower’s survey of 2,000 US firms showed that 41 percent of employers reported difficulties filling positions; however, the 2010 tally found only about a third of that percentage of companies -- 14 percent -- reported recruitment was a struggle.

And many experts, especially labor advocates, take issue with the Manpower study’s conclusion that all these occupations are in shortage. “Our starting point at EPI is where most economists would start: If you don’t have low unemployment and rising wages, you don’t have a shortage,” says Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

So if you work in one of these occupations -- or want to -- what’s the real story? Let’s take a look at the survey results and get some perspective on what the shortages really mean.

White-Collar Occupations Blow in the Winds of Economic Change
With fuel prices spiking and oil and natural gas exploration heating up, demand for petroleum engineers is rising. Offshoring notwithstanding, “engineering is going to be around for awhile,” says Melanie Holmes, a vice president at Manpower North America. “Oil companies have employees averaging in their late 40s.”

Eisenbrey says EPI data shows labor shortages in a number of white-collar niches, from healthcare workers to librarians, farm managers, engineering managers and environmental scientists.

Some Blue-Collar Jobs Go Unfilled Even as Their Numbers Drop
Even after decades of manufacturing decline, employment of machinists is expected to drop another 5 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the BLS.

“We’re at the very beginning of that decline; we haven’t necessarily gotten there yet,” says Holmes. “Even if machinists are declining, applicants are in short supply. Kids are not getting excited about going to tech and vocational schools.”

Labor advocates paint a different picture. “Employers are still not willing to pay what’s required,” says Eisenbrey. “It’s a shortage only at the rate that employers want to pay.”

The skilled trades rank high among blue-collar jobs that are hard to fill, according to the Manpower survey. Carpenters, welders, plumbers, electricians and masons are in demand, the survey says.

But Eisenbrey questions the validity of these conclusions. “It doesn’t make sense that jobs for construction workers and laborers are hard to fill,” he says. “Wages are declining in most of these occupations." While the Associated General Contractors of America reports that 40,000 new construction jobs -- many due to stimulus projects -- were added between February and April 2010, that's a far cry from the more than 2 million construction jobs lost over the previous three years.

Even in our digital age, stuff still needs to get from here to there, whether the trip is across the warehouse floor or around the world. That’s why jobs for laborers such as freight, stock and materials handlers are projected to increase by almost 250,000 positions from 2004 to 2014, according to the BLS. Many of these jobs require few skills but pay $12 to $15 an hour, about double the federal minimum wage, which rose to $7.25 per hour on July 24, 2009.