That Blozzz

I have always been quite interested in the Foreign Exchange Market and how people make money from trading currency. That is why I was a bit excited to do this sponsored review of a Forex website. Prior to checking out the website, I knew almost nothing about online Forex currency trading and this was supposed to be an informational site.

The first thing I noticed when I went to the Fab Forex site was that there were a lot of articles. This is an informational site and though the articles are not written by the website owner, he does credit the articles to the proper author. There are articles about all aspects of Forex trading including from the basics all the way up to more advanced levels.

Trading currency is not for the weak at heart and it is risky. However, as I found out on this website, the rewards are worth the risk if you can afford the risk. I read through some of the articles on this site and they are well written with quality information to help you understand the process of Forex.

The articles range from how to make money to how to spot scams. The one article I liked the most was a guide of sort to online currency trading. It gave a wonderful description on how the market works and some details on how to make money with Forex. There are even a few articles about the stock market and day trading.

This website is a collection of articles from all over the Internet and placed in one neat organized place. There are many off topic articles mixed in so when you use their search engine, you may end up with stuff you do not want. However, it was very easy to find the information I needed to learn about Forex.

As with any investment, the key is to do your research. If you are looking for a new investment opportunity and want more information, this website will be a great help. The site is not trying to sell you anything, it is just a no nonsense collection of information that is provided free of charge. I have provided the links for you to decide for yourself.

As for me, the site achieved what I wanted it to. It educated me. I now have a good overall understanding on the Foreign Exchange Market. I think if I decide to enter this market, I am well informed on risk and rewards. I also know what to look for in potential scams and they even had a currency converter to keep check of the rates. What more can you ask from a free website?

There are many many blogs on the Internet and you may be one of the many who want to start a blog. Well you have come to the right place.

Basically a blog is a place where anyone can write about anything they want to. I mean anything your heart desires rather good or bad. This gives a whole new meaning to freedom of speech. However, you do have to be careful in what you say as far as hate speech or stuff against the law because unless you own you own server, you could lose your hosting account and your blog be taken down.

To start a blog, first you need someone to host your blog. This can be free or it can cost you money. If you want to be a serious blogger and hope to some day make money on advertising, you want to go the paid route. However, I am jumping a head a bit. Let me first discuss your free option.

There are many free hosting services for blogs on the Internet. I will only address the two biggest ones. The first is blogger.com (blogspot). They are owned by Google and their service is user friendly and so easy that you could have a blog up in a matter of minutes. There is no cost and if you choose to put Adsense ads up, they make it very simple to place them where you want them. Since they are owned by Google, chances are they will be around for a long time.

The first step is to sign up and register a name for your site. This is anything you want as long as it is available. The name will be your web address on the Internet (URL). Choose carefully because you want the best name possible. The final address will be a sub domain and look like this thenameyouchose.blogspot.com . You now have a home on the Internet.

The next step is to choose a template or design of your site. There are quite a few to choose from but limited compared to what you can find elsewhere for paid hosted blogs. Chances are you can find one you like. If you are a web designer or coder or you know one, you can edit and change the design to fit your needs. I am not a coder so I went with what was offered by blogger.

The next step is to add elements to your site. You can add all kinds of good stuff like ads, links and other things from the template tab in the dashboard of your account. I could have pages about stuff to add but it is best to explore for yourself.

The final step to get you up and running is to add fresh original content to your site. Try to add often and keep people interested in coming back. Some bloggers use copied material, I suggest you write everything yourself or at least approve it yourself if you have someone else write it. Bam, you have yourself a blog. They do also have a feature that if you own your own Domain Names, you can point them to your blog and eliminate looking like a sub domain.

Word Press is the other free hosting site for blogs and they are located at wordpress.com . The process is similar to blogger but there are some features like categories that blogger.com does not offer. They also have a better selection of templates. I still prefer blogger.com because it is much easier to use for beginners and much easier to add adds and stuff. To be honest, I have never used the free version of Word Press, but my wife has and she thinks blogger is easier to use. If you use the free version of Word Press, you get a sub domain like blogger gives. You site will look like this : yourname.wordpress.com .

If you decide that free is not the way you want to go, the next step would be to purchase your own hosting account. This can range from $1 a month up to about $9.95 a month depending on who you use. You may want to look at some hosting reviews to see what other think before you buy.

You also would need to purchase your own domain name. I highly recommend namecheap.com because they have been the best that I have found. You will be looking at around $9 a year for a domain name. Pick one carefully because this is what people will see first when looking for or at your site. Try to find one that fits your topic and the smaller it is the better it is to remember. This is hard because most really good names are taken but you still find some good ones, or you can search around for one that someone is willing to sell.

Once you have these two things you will need to point your domain name to your hosting account. This is done by changing the name servers on your domain account. You should receive your names servers from your hosting provider. If not, ask them for the name servers.

Now you need to install a blog software script. This is pretty easy from your hosting package if they have Fantastico. This might be something you want to check before buying a hosting service. It is much easier to install this way than through the web page of the software provider.

Most bloggers use the Word Press software on their own hosting account. It is a little harder than if you used one of the free hosting sites but you can do so much more. There are many plugins or addons that you can install for free that will make life easier and add cool features to your site. I have a few on here that improve things. There are also thousands of templates you can find at wordpress.org or other places on the Internet. Make sure that the theme (template) is widget ready and that it works on all browsers. I downloaded one before and it worked great on Internet Explorer but did not work on Firefox or many other browsers. Another plus is that the side bar is on the right side, this is better for the search engines. Once you have the right theme and add your content, you now have a blog ready to go.

If you want people to read it, you need to make sure you advertise the blog. This can be done by telling people on related forums, adding links in directories, adding it to social bookmarking sites like Stumble Upon and word of mouth. The more you advertise, the better the traffic will be.

This short guide should be enough to get you up and running with your first blog. If you have something to add that would help others, please register and leave a comment.

If at first you fail, say That Blozzz and try again!

I have recently started expanding my Online writing and now I have the time to take on more writing jobs. I just recently added a page here on the blog with information with my rates for anyone who needs to hire a writer. I can do both article writing on various topics and I can also do forum posting for anyone looking to build their forum.

I make a pledge that all my writings will be original and not copy and paste or rewrites.

The page is listed in the side bar with all my rates.

First, let me start by explaining for those who do not know what Adsense is. Google Adsense is a pay per click program that is way for advertisers or webmasters to advertise all over the Internet.

As a website owner, you can apply to Google with your website or blog to become a publisher for their ad network. It is a simple process where you provide honest information to Google about your self and your site. They then evaluate your site to see if it qualifies to be included. Most sites will be included as long as they have some quality to them and the you offer some original content on your site.

Once you are approved, you are approved for all your websites and you do not to reapply for each one. You must carefully read the Terms of Service for Adsense so you make sure that you are following the rules and that your sites comply with the rules.

You first step is to log in to your Adsense account with your chosen email and password. There you will find many things that may overwhelm you at first. It is not as overwhelming as it looks. There are four main tabs; Reports, Adsense set up, My Account, and Resources.

The first tab is the reports, you will not see nothing much here yet but you will as you earn. This tells you how many views the ads on your sites have had, how many clicks, and how much you earned. You can check for various times. If you have channels set for each site, you will see what sites earned what. I will explain channels further down in the article. You can also get advanced reports for extended periods of time breaking down in several ways. You can play around and see the reports that best fits what you are looking for.

The Adsense setup tab is all about setting up your ads. Here you can get the code, which is a java code, for all the ads , search box, and referral products that Google offers. You can change the size, design, and filter out things you do not want on you site like an ad from your competitor. At this tab you also can add channels.

Channels are simply a way to track an individual ad or a website URL, By setting these up, you will know which of your sites are making money and which ones you need to work on. They are easy to add and delete and I highly recommend you do one for all the sites you use Adsense on.

The third is My Account, which is a place to edit your main information like name address, email, etc… The final tab is a resource tab of other tools and services that Google offers.

Once you find what ads you want and where to place them, all you need to do is place the code in your website template or in the code of your website. Depending on what kind of coded site you are using will depend on how you do this.

If you are using a self-hosted word-press, it is best to install an Adsense plug- in to place the code on the sidebar as long as your template is widget ready. For the header and footer, you will have to place it in those files. I am not a coder so I will not give too much advice on that.

If you are using a free blogger.com blog, it is even easier to install the code. All you do is go to your dash board and find the layout and you can just add your AdSense with a few clicks by clicking add page element and dragging it where you want it.

For all other pages, you need to add the code in the appropriate files where you want the ads to be.

Once you have the code installed, Google will find you, there is nothing else you need to do. The ads will be based of main keywords from your content. If you chose to include both links and image ads, you may see a picture ad once in a while.

You get paid a small percentage every time someone visits one of your ads, purchasing or sign up for a product or does a search through the search box. If it is an image ad that is placed on your site, you will get paid a small amount for every 1000 people who view the ad.

Many people have made some huge amounts of money using Adsense. The key is to have a large amount of traffic and to follow the rules. The more popular your site, the better the chance people will click on the ads and you will earn money.

Once you earn $50, you will be sent a PIN number through the postal mail to the address on file. You will need to confirm this number before you can ever receive a payment. You can not get paid until you have reached $100. It takes up to a month depending on your payment method and where you live to receive payment following the end of the month you reached at least $100.

I recommend direct deposit but they will mail a check or in some parts of the world they will send Western Union but this involves a fee.

A few things that are not allowed by Adsense are:

No Adult sites

You can not click or ask others to click your ads

You can not alter the code

You can not display an image with the code

No Pop-ups

You can not try to hide the fact that it is a Google ad

You can not list them as a sponsor of you site

You can have only three of any one kind of ad on your site

There are many other rules that you should take the time to read carefully. If you break the rules, there are no second chances, you will be banned and that means banned for life.

If you try to open another fake account or even with your same information, you may get approved. However, they will catch you prior to paying you any money. Just do the right thing and follow the rules from the beginning you should be fine and hopefully make some good money.

If you apply once and you are turned down, don’t get upset, say That Blozzz and fix your site and reapply.

Here in the United States we have for several years lived by the seat of our pants when it comes to money. We are use to having the best and are often not willing to settle for less. Earlier people were not as materialistic as we are today but we have become a spoiled society.

The problem is that prices of everything have gone through the roof. We are seeing record increases in items we need every day. Our recent fuel oil bill for our house was $532 for three weeks. Gas has jumped to $3.26 a gallon and our grocery bill has climbed up about 20% a year.

We are fortunate in the fact that we have decent household income but many are not as lucky. However, even with a nice income, we struggle every month to make sure we have enough to cover all the bills with a little left over for the occasional fun stuff.

People in other parts of the world have faced these prices for many years and we are now seeing the effects in our own country. The jobs are getting scarcer and the cost of living is going up faster than the income is. It is a scary thought of the way things are going.

There are way to fight off the costs. One is to plant a garden. You can supply your family with healthier produce for a small cost of money and some good old fashion physical work. The garden offers you many benefits. You can quit paying those gym memberships because the exercise you get from the garden is some of the best exercises available. You save money on your food bill. You save on medical expenses because you know where the food is coming from and it is healthier than anything you buy in the store. Gardens also offer great family time without the added expense of finding things to do. A garden is a win win.

Another way to cut cost is to barter with others. The old ways of neighbors helping neighbors has all but faded out but it can be reborn. In my neighborhood, one neighbor has a tractor and he does all my tilling in the spring. In exchange, I help out where I can when him and his wife go out of town. I also have a neighbor who is a mechanic and I pay him much less than I pay a commercial garage but often times, I trade computer work by me for him fixing the car.

Another way to save money is to cut down on eating out. Also pack your lunch instead of eating out everyday. Instead of expensive coffee out, make some at home and add favors if that is your thing. When you do eat out, drink water instead of soft drinks. That alone can save you $2-$3 per person plus it is healthier for you.

When grocery shopping, use coupons. The Sunday paper cost anywhere from $2-$3 most places and you will get much more than that in savings from the coupons. Also when possible, buy things you use often in bulk. Use stores like Sam’s Club and BJs to save you money. Just be careful, some items cost more in the big packages than it does in the small.

Other ways to save is to buy used when possible. Yard sales are great places to find bargains and you can cut your cost by 75% or more on items you need. Shopping your local classified ads can land you a super bargain. There are now also numerous sites like eBay, half.com, craigslist, and more that makes it easy right from home to find a deal.

These are just a few ideas of how we can adjust our spending so we can afford it. Current prices suck and they can end up getting you down. You can sit and bitch and complain all day or you can use our philosophy, say That Blozzz and stand up and do something to save your family money.  

I am in the processing of planning my gardens for the spring. I have all my seed catalogs and other information spread out on my desk. I love to get a jump on planning so when the work begins I am prepared for it.

This year, I am planning start a for profit pumpkin patch. Last year we did some experimenting and I grew some rather nice looking Jack-o-Lanterns. This year I am expanding and dedicating a little over an acre to just pumpkins.  We have all the manure we need between our chickens and my families Alpacas, so the main cost will be seeds and manual labor. I am hoping to make a small profit the first year so we can expand in the future. This will be our first for profit farming venture and I am hoping to make it a great season.

I would love to expand into other connected adventures and I am thinking of creating a flea market on my 85 acres.

Well that is what I am up to on the old homestead. Be safe and enjoy the New Year.

As always when you are dealt a rotten apple, say “That Blozzz” and move on to fresher fruit.

I love to write,. Recently as you read in earlier posts, I have more time to do so. I do all sorts of things to earn money with my writing. Here are just a few ideas to earn as you write.

One way is to help new forum owners build on there forum. There are people willing to pay you to post on their forum to fill it up. They need members to attract members and this is the best way to do it. The rate they pay can be as low as $.02 a post but the common rate is more like $.20 a post. It is not great money but if you love to write, it can earn you some extra cash.

Another way is to write articles. If you are lucky, you can get a gig with a magazine and earn some decent money. The most common on the Internet is to write for websites. They often need new content to add to their sites. If you are good and put out quality work, you can build a nice income from  this a lone. The rate for this varies from $.01 a word up to a $1.00 a word for more qualified writer. The average rate is around $.07 a word.

The third way is to join sites that pay you to write. There are many Online that have good payouts. One such site is Gather.com. With them you can build connections and join groups and post whatever you desire. You will not get rich but there are many people earning $200 plus a month. The key is to have lots of connections and spend a couple of hours a day on the site.

There are more sites that offer pay to post type and there are sites that buys articles from you like associatedcontent.com.

If you love to write and have the time to do so, there is no reason why you could not make some extra money every day from what you love to do.

If you of any other good sites, please leave a comment with your recommendation.

Buying a home is a big decision that takes time and research. Jumping in to home buying without doing your homework is like jumping from a plane with no parachute.

First thing you want to do is find a good reputable bank. This should be the bank you do your banking with or at least a local bank if possible. Avoid places like Beneficial and Countrywide Loans for you will pay more than you need to and they will add little fine print that has you hooked. They pray on the poor creditors and the less educated people and give you the best loan possible (For them). Even with local banks be sure to shop around, all banks are not equal and many offer no closing cost, free appraisals and more. Just make sure you know what you are getting and what the loan will cost before you sign.

Once you find the right bank, get pre-approved for a mortgage. Most banks will give you a pre-approval amount before you look for a house. This is important because you will have a better idea of what you can afford and it will save the embarrassment later of being turned down for a higher amount.

Once you know you have the loan approved, it is time to start looking for the home. Be practical in what you need. Do you really need a $100,000 house if a $60,000 house will satisfy your needs? It is easier to start smaller and step up later than to buy bigger now and not be able to afford the payments. Many smart home owners started in a small house and as it appreciated in value, they sold and bought something bigger. This is the smart way to go and can save you thousands later in life.

When you find the home you want, do not jump at the first advertised price. Have a home inspection done, and than negotiate the best price you can get. Real estate agents work for their client. If you have no skills at negotiating, hire your own agent to act on your behalf. The fee you pay them could save you much more money in the deal they will get you.

If you decide to negotiate on your own, ask questions and stay informed. Often times just having a conversation on a personal level with the real estate agent can land you valuable information which you could use. For example, when I purchased my first piece of real estate, I saved $9,000 off the price because I chatted with the agent and it came out that the buyer was desperate to sell and needed the money fast. I use to be in sales and I used the number one tip for a salesman, make the person your friend and they will buy anything from you. That agent really liked me and let her guard down a bit, I used that to extract the information I needed.

Once you find the home and the deal you can live with, get all other ducks in a row. Make sure you read everything prior to signing. Also get everything in writing. If the seller says they will pay for the house to be painted, ask for it in writing. Once they have your money, oral agreements are hard to prove so make sure you have it all in writing.

One big point about the home appraisal, banks often hire appraisers who will get the value of the loan even if the home is not quite worth it. Make sure you have a good idea what the home is really worth. This is where you should do some research. Check into what homes are selling for in that area and take in account any huge jumps in recent times. Markets rise and fall quickly. I live near a huge military base which expanded in the last two years due to the Iraq war. Homes have jumped through the roof. A $40,000 home just two years ago is now selling for more than $100,000. I know the market here will fall again. This keeps me from buying right now and brings me to my next point.

You need to follow the trend of real estate. Do not buy when it is a sellers market. You will be paying for the premium that will settle down in a few years. Real estate sales are cyclic and what goes up will always come down. They may not match pre-spiked times but they will go down if something artificially inflated the prices. Watch for these signs before buying.

This is only a tip of the iceberg in home buyer but it offers some advice from someone who has made some major mistakes when buying real estate.

I will be adding more about buying homes in the near future. Until then, remember you can’t cry over split milk, just say “That Blozzz” and move on.

There are many factors to decide prior to going from a two-income household to a one-income household. What is gained and what do you have to give up?

The first factor is trying to determine what you really earn with the second income. Here is a list of possible expenses that you must deduct from your gross pay income:

1. Taxes
2. Gas Money
3. Increase in car maintenance
4. Child care (If you have a child)
5. Clothing for work
6. Lunch out
7. Misc. Office Gifts
8. Dinners out due to lack of time or lack of energy
9. Other work related expenses (Union dues, etc…)

Once you deduct all of these expenses, you will have a honest picture of what you really make.

The next factor is deciding rather you can live without the benefits. These may include health insurance, retirement account, life insurance, and more. For example, if your job provides the only health insurance for your family, you may not be able to live without that benefit.

The third factor is you are willing to give up some of the luxuries. Your family may have to eat out less. You may lose a lot of the social aspect that comes from the job-site. You may have less money to spend on the extra treats for you and your family.  

The final factor I will discuss, though there may be others in your case, is rather your family can still pay all the bills. If you leave your job and find that your family can not pay the bills, your family will go through an unnecessary hardship until you can become reemployed.  Know what your bills are (write them down) and then see if the remaining income can pay all of them.

If all these factors workout and you decide to go through with leaving your job, make sure your spouse is comfortable and supportive of the idea. However, do not worry what others may think. The decision is a family one and it is nobody else’s business.

Keep checking back for posts on ways to earn money at home and tips to save money.

As always, if life deals you crap, say “That Blozzz” and move on!

 For about 150 years of the United States history and much longer for the rest of the world, housewives were a common place occurrence. Men went to work and women stayed home to tend to the house. Well times have changed and the trend has changed.

Most families must have two incomes to survive even though staying at home could benefit one of them. However, the families that can afford it is not like days of old. Now you are starting to see more and more husbands staying home. Most with kids and some without.

There are many reason for a spouse of either sex to stay home. For me, it was a tough decision. It was the stigma of not working a regular job that was standing in my way. We looked at many factors to determine the final decision. Basically it came down to she was making more and we were both stressed because I really was not happy in my job (most days she loves hers).

We had family obligation that could be handled better if one or the other was home. We looked at how much my job was worth when you removed all the other expenses and we came to teh determination that I would be a stay at home husband for now.

I will write a future post describing the factors we looked at. However, I am here to tell you, it can be done and it can improve your way of life. The freedom to be there to do the things that never seemed possible to do due to time is worth a lot in itself. Money is important and everyone wants more but at what cost to your sanity and health?

In just the week I have been home, I have accomplish more at home than I was every able to do before. My stress level has dropped and I am able to devote more time to writing and working on the Internet.

For anyone, male or female are thinking of staying home instead of working a regular job, consider all the factors and do not let your fear of the opinion of others sway you from doing what is best for your family.

I am here to say,  I am proud to call myself a stay at home husband and if and when I decide to return to a regular job, it will be on my terms.