Another year is drawing to an end & I have often wondered how other folks were able to general income during this very challenging year for us all.

I am hoping that we can help each other with ideas, advice and suggestions - whatever term you want to label this...

I am one that likes to LEARN how other folks are doing what I want to do, and this time, it is about "financial independence"...

Not so much about becoming rich, but getting to point that at age 53 I am not constantly wondering from "week to week" what bills will be paid(lol).

Hi Everyone:

I just got a "volunteer" position as a moderator for the unemploymentforums.com site. Started May 9th and it has been so much fun deleting all the SPAM that had taken over.

It is ironic that they would ask for my help - hey, it does not pay but it is good experience - just like the time I spent on this site as the Writing Forum Editor last year. That was also unpaid, but it was the beginning of my travels as a moderator.

See folks, stuff has a way of working out for the best when you jump off and take a chance on something totally NEW.

We may not realize this fact, but EACH of us can sometimes save a child from abuse.

Pay attention to when family members or just someone says they are "stressed" or their child or children are "pissing them off" = these are possible signs of someone that needs you to perhaps offer to give them a break from their kids. Not that they are bad parents or hate their kids - just need some time to regain their sanity.

With times being hard and a lot of single parents not having family nearby, some kids get the tail end of their parent's anger, frustration or just plain depression.

Hi Everyone:

This has been in my heart for a while and finally decided to post it. Being unemployed has enough stress attached to it without having folks presuming you are at home with your feet "propped up"...

Is it just me, or has anyone else experienced the NERVE of some folks to call themselves "visiting" with their kids in tow - then leave without them (lol)?

Before I moved in with my boyfriend, I did not have this issue. But now I am dealing with his family and all these women who lay around having babies and then want to "drop them off" at someone's house (lol).

I hate it when "innocent" people get caught up in the IRS drama. And by this I mean, the ones that really did not know they could save on their taxes or broke some law they did not know about.

I had to learn the hard way that they have up to 3 years to "audit" your return. Thank goodness I kept mine and saw that it was an "oversight" on my part - I do my own. In spite of me not meaning to create this error, I had to pay back the $300 I was overpaid by. At the time I was unemployed and thankfully had been saving my "unemployment" checks (lol).

My Blog: A Story of Hope!