How to Write a Popular How-to Article

If you're writing how-to articles for income, the popularity of an article can play a major role in the number of hits you receive on-line or the chances of it being accepted for print. While I personally don't make popularity the only reason I write an article, I don't ignore it either. Here are some ideas to consider that I've found helpful.

1) First of all, I think writing how-to articles is very similar to inventing a new product in the aspect of the popular saying, "See a need, fill a need."

Inspiration for how-to articles is unlimited because there are many people out there who want solutions to problems or want to learn something new.

2) Keep your titles simple for articles you want to appeal to a mass number of people, especially if your topic is fairly general.

A long title won't impress people unless it's addressing a specific problem or topic, where you're likely going to have a smaller audience. (This isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if little has been written on the topic). What I've noticed however is when I change a long title to something more simplified, I get better results as far as hits.

3) Do a little "homework" and thinking before you begin writing.

Be observant of the world around you. I pay attention to what people are talking about and what topics are popular in larger works such as recent nonfiction book best-sellers. I read a lot as well, and sometimes an article comes from having a different viewpoint or approach to the same topic or problem. I keep notebooks at home, in my car, and at work so when an idea hits me I won't forget it.

More Tips:

• Another great thing about writing how-to articles is that you can learn something new as well. I know since I've first started writing articles that I've learned a lot of new things in the process of researching topic ideas. From an income standpoint, you're getting paid to educate yourself and help other people! That's a very fun combination.
• Don't try to write on topics that personally aren't interesting to you. I've tried that before, and the quality of your article suffers no matter how hard you try to force it. With articles, it's not totally "Write what you know" but "Write what you want to know."

How to Start a Web-Based Freelance Writing Business

Though writing on the web is a fairly new field, it is growing and a great option for writers of all ages and backgrounds. In this article, I want to give you tips and direct you to resources that would get you off to a good start.

1) The first thing to do is to give some thought into what you would like to write about.

This is because some websites may be better suited for you than others. For example, eHow is a fantastic site for writing how-to articles and pays well in my opinion, but their format does not fit creative writing such as short stories or poetry.

In any type of business, it's almost always to your advantage to have a niche or specialty. That doesn't mean that you can't do other things, but it helps from a marketing standpoint. If you write on a particular topic really well, that can be carried across different formats including articles, blogs, and even books.

2) Next, do a search for websites that will pay you for the content you want to produce.

Read the fine-print and terms of working with these websites carefully. I personally work with sites that pay for non-exclusive rights, meaning that the site is paying you to display your work but you still own it.

If you don't know where to begin, I have a short list of general sites I work with at Web Writer Central. This information is free, and given enough time you can figure more out on your own once you understand how these sites generally work.

3) Begin building up an inventory of content.

I began making money with my articles and short stories the first week I found a set of paid writing sites. It took about six months however to generate an income that I consider significant. In less than a year, I'm not too far away from being able to do this full-time without needing a job. It's just like any other business, but in this case your creative work is your product.

4) From a financial standpoint, I find it easier to have one bank account to send your earnings that's separate from your personal account.

Speak with the person who does your taxes, and they can give you more information on what records you need to keep and what is and isn't considered tax deductible with your expenses.

5) Something that I've found very helpful is connecting all of my articles and stories to each other, so if a reader likes one thing I do they will continue to read more.

More Tips:

• Though it may seem counter-intuitive for some people, networking with other online writers is helpful. The more you help other people, the more it comes back to you. I learned that from business experience in general.
• Another aspect of this business you can grow is writing for company and individual websites. It's just a matter of letting people know what you do.
• Don't get discouraged by the pennies you make in the beginning--it does add up!

Resources:

Web Writer Central
Ehow.com
Hubpages.com
Squidoo.com
Writing.com
Constant-Content.com
Gather.com

How to Be More Organized

Something I've realized about everyday life is that the average person is so busy that organization has become a big priority. I used to tell myself I was too busy to really get myself organized, but I've learned that taking the time to do some basic things will help most people have more time long-term.

1) First, I think the most important step in all of this is taking the time to look at your daily routine.

What are your biggest daily hassles? Do you find yourself forgetting where you placed something or remembering appointments at the last minute? I'm not a big fan of organization for organization's sake (alphabetizing my CD collection is not big on my list because my time is limited), but if you give it some thought we all have areas we could focus on that would improve our lives and reduce stress we wouldn't otherwise have.

2) Finances are a big area of life that it's helpful to improve your organization.

You can start this by creating a simple budget. It doesn't have to be complicated but will let you know where you stand on things. Below I'm including a helpful budget template below from Dave Ramsey's website.

Another thing my husband and I did was buy a marker board, where we could list out when everything was due and how much needed to be paid. Put it somewhere you'll see it on a daily basis but not where guests will typically see it. We chose the hallway between our bedroom and our bathroom.

3) A few years ago, I started carrying a small notebook with me.

It was originally to help me keep track of writing ideas before I forgot them, but I found it useful for just remembering things in general. Keep one with you in your car, your home, and at work. For less than $5, you have a great organization tool. I'm a high-tech person in other areas, but storing things in my cell phone honestly didn't work as well for me. A PDA or PDA-like phone probably would work better if you're willing to keep track of it.

4) Periodically it's good to go through your home and get rid of clutter.

This way when you go to find something you need, you have less to deal with. I'm pretty quick with this process and do a little at a time. You just need two trash bags, one for things to give away and one for things to throw away.

More Tips:

• If you hate junk mail, consider canceling mailings of pre-approved credit card offers by contacting the three major credit card bureaus. This cut our junk mail significantly after about two weeks.
• Realize that this is a process and not something you just have to come up with overnight. I think a major mistake people make is that they treat organization like a fad diet and quit after a few weeks of trying--instead, you need to make minor changes that you can live with and then gradually work your way into being more organized. Over time, you'll notice a major difference if you just work on this a little each day.

Resources:

Dave Ramsey's Free Budget Template

How to Get a Good Night's Sleep (Without Medication)

A few years ago, I used to have a hard time falling asleep a night on a regular basis. If you're having this issue, I want to share some ideas that helped me. Hopefully they will be helpful to you as well.

1) First of all, the most important thing you need to determine is why you're having trouble falling asleep.

Not being able to fall asleep can be caused by physical situations (what you're eating a night, your mattress, etc) or psychological situations (stress and worry over something).

2) If the situation seems to be from a physical cause, you can try several things.

One is to look at what you're eating before you go to bed. Even if you're avoiding caffeine at night, there may be some other food or drink that's affecting you. If you're hungry at night, consider soothing foods or drinks with protein including milk, turkey, or peanut-based products.

3) Check and make sure your mattress, bedsprings, or pillow is not making you uncomfortable and causing you to toss and turn all night.

Rotate your mattress periodically and consider purchasing a new one if needed. It's worth it when you consider how much sleep can impact your life.

4) If you're having trouble sleeping due to overall stress or a particular stressful situation, you're going to have to find ways of either dealing with the tension in a healthy way or resolving the issue.

This is going to vary according to how much of the situation you can control, and it's something that doesn't always happen overnight. Stress is your body's way of telling you something isn't right in your life, which is why trying to mask the symptoms alone with medications won't help long-term.

More Tips:

• Exercise helps a lot as well, especially if your daily routine has you in front of a computer all day. Just 15-30 minutes a day helps a lot.
• The environment of your bedroom is very important. My husband and I don't keep a TV in our bedroom for this reason. Ideally you want it as dark and quiet as possible. Sometimes relaxation music isn't bad, but anything else will likely just keep you awake.
• There are physical sleep disorders that you should consider seeing a doctor about if you've tried everything you can and nothing seems to be working. I just worry about people jumping to medications first to treat symptoms without addressing the core of the problem.

How to Remember People's Names

Have you ever had a situation where you're quickly introduced to someone and then later can't remember their name? What's worse is when the other person remembers yours and later keeps inserting it into the conversation! Most likely what has happened however is the person is using a memory technique to help remember your name. In this article, I'll give you ideas that can help you use memory techniques as well.

1) First of all, you have to learn how to be prepared for situations where you may be introduced to some new people.

I think part of the issue is we're sometimes caught off-guard with introductions when we really shouldn't be. If you're in a new job situation or a party, know ahead of time that you're going to meet some new people. This will cause you to pay attention.

2) Hopefully when you meet the person, his or her name relates somehow to someone you already know.

For example, I've had people say to me that my name was easy to remember because they have a sister, aunt, cousin, etc. with the same time. If you can relate the name to someone already familiar to you, the familiar person will be easier to bring up in your memory.

3) To help the person's name sink in, picture it visually (written out) as well as saying it out loud.

Basically when you meet the person, you can say, "Great meeting you, (name here)." Don't overdo it, but saying people's names a few times that same day in conversation will help you as well.

More Tips:

• I know it's a little embarrassing, but when you forget someone's name it's all right to ask the person again within a short time frame. They may be experiencing the same situation and ask your name again!
• If you forget a person's name at an initial introduction, you can sometimes pay attention to see if anyone else calls the person by name.

How to Develop Self-Confidence

A healthy level of self-confidence can play a major role in your success in life. In this article, I will discuss ideas that have personally helped me over time and that I believe can help other people as well.

1) Don't worry about being "perfect."

Perfectionism and excellence are not the same thing. Worrying about embarrassment over any minor mistake can keep you from taking good opportunities that can challenge you and help you grow as a person.

2) Don't fear failures.

In school we're often taught that failure is a horrible thing that should be avoided. In reality, failure is a way to learn. It's often not the most fun way to learn, but if you study successful people you'll find that they fail more than the average person. This is how they find success.

3) Learn how to develop a positive attitude.

Two people can have the same exact skills and abilities, but attitude will set them apart in how far they get in life. This isn't an overnight process but something you have to do over time.

4) Count your blessings.

We've all had times when we're harder on ourselves than we really should be. Sometimes it takes setting down and assessing the good in our lives to appreciate what we really have and what we have to offer.

5) Grow a little each day.

Dramatic changes in life are few and far between, but it is amazing when you look back over the course of a year or two when you're making small daily changes to improve your life. Daily habits and attitudes do matter.

More Tips:

• I used to think self-confidence was something you either had or didn't have. Even if you think you can't be confident, you have the potential to change that regardless of your personality type. It just comes down to deciding to work at it.

How to Negotiate With a Car Salesman

Being good friends with a former general manager of a car dealership, I've learned a lot of both myths and facts about negotiating with car salesmen. These tips have saved my husband and I quite a bit of money over time, and I hope they will help you as well.

1) First, I think it's very important before you set foot in a car lot to do your homework, both on the car you're interested in as well as the dealership itself.

Two good places to start on learning a car's true value are Kelly Blue Book and N.A.D.A. I'm going to provide links to both below. As far as learning the reputation on a dealership, ask as many friends and family members that you can about good and bad experiences they've had.

2) After you have a good idea of what you want, the next step is going to the car dealership itself.

The main thing to keep in mind here is your body language. Trained salespeople can recognize an impulse buyer by their behavior, no matter how much they verbally say, "I'm just looking." You also want to be polite but say very little in the beginning. This tends to throw salespeople off guard a little, making the "talking" types more likely to tell you possible things wrong about the car you wouldn't even think of asking!

3) This doesn't happen as much anymore, but don't fall for the "I need to discuss this with my manager" technique (where the salesperson is really taking a coffee break for 5 minutes).

This is sometimes used when you make an offer, and the salesperson comes back to you and says "Sorry, I tried but that's not good enough." If the salesperson is not the decision maker when it comes to offers, ask to speak directly with the person that has that power.

4) If at all possible, have cash for the vehicle (see some of my other money articles if you're tired of being in debt) so you have a visual of what the salesperson is going to lose if you walk away.

The ability to walk away is your strongest negotiating tactic as a customer. You don't have to be mean, but you should be firm enough that you know the value of your own money and what you want to do with it.

More Tips:

• The best time to buy a car is late in the month (dealership trying to make quota) and on a weekday morning (typically slower).
• Realize that newer cars generally drop in value at a higher percentage than cars 5 years and older. Don't get yourself in a situation where you're "upside-down" (where what is owed on the vehicle is more than the value of the vehicle itself if you sell it).
• Consider this same technique when it comes to furniture, which has a much higher mark-up than cars as a percentage. One of the things that amazed my friend is that people are willing to talk a car salesman down in price but will then pay full retail for their furniture!

Resources:

NADA Website
Kelly Blue Book

How to Prepare a Home First-Aid Kit

A first-aid kit is one household item you don't want to be lacking when you need it. There are pre-made kits out there that are perfectly fine as far as their contents, but you can save quite a bit of money by creating one yourself.

1) Start with your general equipment and utensils.

These include a bottle of water, bulb syringe, candles, chemical-activated hot and cool packs, CPR face mask, flashlight, latex gloves, matches, scissors with curved tips, small blanket, small towel (serves as buffer to hot and cool packs), soap, thermometer, and tweezers.

2) Next, you'll need to add a variety of bandages.

Things you'll need in this category include adhesive tape, elastic bandages, roll of gauze, sterile cotton balls, sterile gauze pads, and safety pins for wrap bandages.

3) Third, you're going to need medications and lotions.

These including aspirin, ibuprofen, antacids, antihistamine, decongestant, acetaminophen, sugar or glucose solution, calamine lotion, insect repellent, syrup of ipecac, and sunscreen.

4) Fourth, you'll need antiseptics.

Have a bottle of rubbing alcohol (70%), alcohol wipes, hydrogen peroxide, and insect sting swabs.

5) Last but not least, buy a small notebook

This is to serve as a place to store important contact numbers outside of 9-1-1(such as your family doctor and your local poison control center) and medical information such as allergies and a list of medications anyone in the family is taking. While traveling, keep a similar list near your driver's license as well.

More Tips:

• Be sure to check your kit periodically for anything that expires. Since we all have busy lives, pick specific times of the year such as daylight savings time or when you change out your smoke detector batteries. If you have an opportunity, taking a first-aid/CPR class can be very helpful knowledge as well.
• To save money what my husband and I did for our kits was buy all the needed supplies at once at a wholesale club store, allowing us to create one kit for our house and one for each of our vehicles for slightly more than it costs to buy one pre-made kit retail. By buying in bulk, you can split up a lot of boxed items such as bandages, alcohol wipes, etc.

How to Learn More About Media Careers

Due to the continued growth of the Internet, careers in areas such as broadcasting, public relations, advertising, and writing for media have also continued to grow. In this article, I will direct you to resources to help you learn more about media careers.

1) In every one of the career articles I'm writing, I'm directing people the Occupational Outlook Handbook website which is operated by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Here you can find specific information on average pay, future growth, and typical working conditions for many careers. I'm including links below related to several media careers.

2) Something I really wish I had done when I was in college was gotten an internship with a TV station (I was a broadcasting major).

What isn't always told to students is that practical experience has a high priority, sometimes even over formal education. To be successful, you need a healthy balance of both.

3) Make efforts to find someone in the field you're interested in that can tell you more about their everyday life.

They can give you information on what to expect and help you determine if the career has the lifestyle that you want.

4) Another great resource to explore are conventions and expositions held by media organizations where you can meet experts in the field.

These usually range from free to less than $100 according to the length of the event and if it is sponsored by a corporation. I'm aware of NBS (National Broadcasting Society) and NRB (National Religious Broadcasters) for my field but doing a Google search on National (insert your field here) Society will likely help you find more information. These conferences are fun, and be prepared to carry away bags of free stuff like pens, mouse pads, sticky notes, etc. from vendors. I've even met famous authors in the field and received free autographed books before!

Additional Tip:

• I think something important to remember about media careers in general is that they're constantly adapting to new formats. I think the future is heading to where Internet-related careers are going to equal or surpass where most of the jobs are now. Now is a good time to get on the leading-edge of that if you can find the right opportunity.

Resources:

Occupational Outlook Handbook
Advertising, Marketing, and Promotions Information
News and Journalism
Career Search

How to Learn More About Administrative Careers

One of the problems I remember encountering in high school and college was finding good information about different careers. This article is the second in a series where I've researched basic information about careers, in this case administrative positions. I hope you find the information useful and helpful.

1) First, there is some research on accounting careers that you can do at home or at school. A good place to start is the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

I've included links to areas of the site you may find useful specifically for administrative careers at the end of this article. Feel free to explore the site yourself as well, which is operated by the U.S. Department of Labor. You can find information such as average salaries, educational requirements, typical working conditions, and expected future growth of many careers.

2) If you're still in high school or college, see if you can arrange an internship where you can work with an administrative assistant or manager.

This will help you test drive the career and see if you'd actually like it long-term.

3) If you can't find a long-term opportunity, an alternative is getting permission to spend a day with someone.

While you won't get the same amount of experience out of it, it's better than leaping into the career without knowing what to expect.

More Tips:

• Administrative positions vary widely, so if possible while you're planning or attending college you may want to research the different areas that interest you the most. This way you can pursue those options and not spend as much time on aspects you don't enjoy.
• Realize that your career is a process and that you don't have to know everything in your late teens and early 20s. Having an idea of what to expect however can help you decide if something interests you or not.

Resources:

Occupational Outlook Handbook
Secretary and Administrative Assistant Information
Occupation Search

How to Learn More About Accounting Careers

When I was in high school and college, I was interested in many careers but wasn't quite sure where to find good information. In this article, I'll provide you links and ideas on exploring the possibility of a career in the accounting field.

1) First, there is some research on accounting careers that you can do at home or at school.

A good place to start is the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Useful information available includes average salaries, typical working conditions, and career growth projections.
I've included links to the online version of this book you may find useful specifically for accounting at the end of this article. Feel free to explore the entire site yourself as well, which is operated by the U.S. Department of Labor.

2) If you're still in high school or college, see if you can arrange an internship through your school where you can work with an accountant.

This will help you test drive the career and see if you'd actually like it long-term.

3) If this is not possible, at least try to find an accountant (possibly one that is self-employed) who will let you spend a day with them for a shorter experience of what the position is like.

More Tips:

• Realize that creating a career for yourself is a process. You don't have to know everything in your late teens and early 20s, but it's better when you're well-informed and know what to expect.
• If you're Generation Y or younger, you have to expect the possibility of having multiple careers during your lifetime. This should be something to consider when setting career and education goals.

Resources:

Occupational Outlook Handbook
Accountants and Auditors Information
Occupation Search

How to Protect Your Small Business From Identity Thieves

Second to individuals, small businesses have the potential to be very vulnerable to identity theft scams. Working in the charge back department of a credit card processing company, I personally seen the impact of this problem for small business owners. In this article, I want to share tips that I hope will help you reduce your risk with this issue:

1) Read all the materials given to you by your credit card processing company.

If you're not given information on how to reduce your risks of being scammed, call them up and ask them if there's anything available that they can provide you. Being proactive may help you get extra materials that may not get sent out in your welcome packet.

2) Check Identification.

Sometimes you can get so excited over a big sale that the idea of offending someone by asking for ID may come to mind. This mistake can cost you a lot of money and could possibly ruin your business financially later on.

3) For on-line purchases, make sure to get verification through an AVS code of Y or a CVV Match of M (both would be better).

If you're not familiar with these methods of verification, call up your credit card processor and ask them for more information. Most business owners may be given this in an initial packet but may not know that these will at least give evidence that the use of a credit card was not fraud. Also if these don't check out, don't force the sale. You'll have a high chance of getting a charge back down the road.

4) When shipping, use the most accurate form of proof of delivery as you can.

Again, this will help you if you receive a charge back for the item not being delivered or the claim that the purchase was made with stolen information.

5) Be skeptical of large purchases coming from overseas countries where you have no established business ties.

Ask your credit card processor for a list of primary countries where these scams are originating from. Basically you'll receive a request for a very large purchase from your company and to send it to an overseas address. The credit card goes through, and you send the merchandise. Problem is the information was stolen. Not only do you get hit with lost merchandise but you'll likely lose the income from the sale.

More Tips:

• Make sure your employees are trained to check ID as well and that they don't let it slip. Obviously they're going to know regular customers over time, but I'm thinking more along the lines of busy times of the year such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• Obviously it's hard to cover every situation that can happen in one article. My best advice is to work with your credit card processor and do your homework when it comes to this issue.
• Another common scam that was used against merchants was the customer calling their "bank" to authorize a purchase after a credit card didn't verify correctly. In reality, they were calling an accomplice. In those situations, ask for the name of the customer's bank, and you personally look up the number in a phone book. Use your phone and not their cell phone.

How to Do Interior Design on a Budget

While I definitely don't look down on people who hire interior decorators, with your own home you may want to try doing it yourself. Here is what I consider to be a good list of alternative actions a person can take to get a nice look on a budget:

1) Before you start, take the time to gather resources and information for your project.

This can include watching home and garden cable networks (which have shows hosted by professional designers), consulting design magazines for ideas, and seeing what resources you can find on the Internet. I believe just because you're doing something yourself doesn't mean you have to go into a project not knowing what you're doing. If possible, you want to have people somewhat surprised that you did it yourself.

2) Consider the look you're wanting, along with the purpose of the room.

A room can look very nice and still not make guests uncomfortable about moving a throw pillow two inches to left and "ruining" it. I've actually laughed at some covers of interior magazines I've seen after picturing a real family living in such a pristine room. There's organized, and then there's impossibly organized. I think when it comes to this we all have to find a happy medium.

3) Prior to any action, get input from everyone else who uses the room.

For example, a desk may look nicer in a certain part of the room but may be too far away from a power source for your family member to use it for their computer very long. There are little things you may not think about where you need feedback just to be considerate of other people who use the room.

4) As with anything you do yourself, give yourself room to learn and even make mistakes.

I think when it comes to our homes, it's more important that we enjoy living in them than becoming frustrated with trying to create the "perfect" look. It's really comes down to a personal decision on what you want and how much time and energy you're willing to dedicate.

More Tips:

• Many home and garden websites not only have general tips put project documents that you can print and download for free!
• Consider looking up design principles such as color theory and perspective as well. While they're mainly in the general art field, they are helpful.
• With things such as paint and wallpaper, always get samples and check to make sure you like them in different light conditions. Just tape the sample to the wall and check it throughout the day. Otherwise it may cost you extra time and money to change it again.

Resources:

HGTV's Website
HGTV Pro
DIY Network

How to Reduce Stress in Your Life

Stress can be a very odd thing sometimes. When it comes to business or a job, it can sometimes motivate you to do better than if you weren't under pressure. Taken to the extremes however, it can paralyze your decision-making and be very unhealthy over long periods of time. In this article, I will discuss ways to reduce the bad form of stress in your life.

1) Develop a positive attitude about life in general.

This doesn't happen overnight but is something you have to put effort into on a daily basis until it becomes habit. Ways you can do this include reading books, hanging around other people who have good attitudes, and avoiding people and situations that drag your mood down. Doing this won't make you become exempt from having challenging situations coming into your life, but if you gain maturity in this you'll know how to handle things better.

2) Have a place you can go for at least 15 minutes quiet time during your day.

This could be at work or your home, depending on which is less hectic. Sometimes when a lot of things are going on, you just need a place to rest and clear your head for a moment. If you can, it helps to do this more than once, especially on busy days. Though it seems to take away time where you could be doing something, you'll find you're more efficient and organized when you get focused. Some days I just come home from work and take a short 15 minute nap so I can shift from what I was working on earlier in the day to something totally different.

3) Laugh on a daily basis.

There is some truth to the saying, "Laughter is the best medicine." Ever notice when you get done laughing with a group of friends or after a funny movie that you usually feel really good for a long time afterward? Your body physically reacts to laughter, and it's a great way to reduce stress.

4) If you have the money, splurge on a back massage or trip to the spa.

I honestly grew up near the poverty level, so my mom never got the opportunity to do stuff like this. About a year ago however I was invited to go to a spa with a group of friends.

This is not something I can afford to do a whole lot right now, but I was surprised that the cost to go to one with a group (something you may be able to arrange with several friends) wasn't as much as I thought it would be. I don't think I've ever been so relaxed, and it was worth it.

An alternative that's little less draining on the budget is to take a warm bath with relaxing music playing. In either case, be prepared to likely fall asleep.

5) Exercise.

Exercise is really good for getting the tension from stress out of your system. I like to exercises in general, but as far as stress relief it seems to be the most helpful when you're frustrated about something.

6) Work toward doing things that you really like as far as your career.

I think jobs are the top stress producers for a lot of people, especially for people who are in a career for the wrong reasons. I've found over time that if I enjoy what I'm doing, any challenges are worth overcoming. Work doesn't have to be such a terrible thing, but people can let it take over their lives and overpower other parts of their lives.

We've had to be extremely careful about that in our situation, but for the past few years my husband and I have been working on businesses together in addition to our jobs. In that way, it's not been a whole lot different than spending time together in any other activity. We're just making money at the same time, and we have fun.

7) Keep your priorities in check.

I think this idea encompasses all of the previous ones. Life is very rarely free of any stress, so you have to set priorities on what matters to you most. In this way, you can get through a lot of obstacles that would have bothered you a lot more otherwise. I think this cuts down on the stress that a lot of us tend to generate from our own thinking that's not necessarily as bad as it appears to us.

How to Start a Business With No Prior Experience

Having your own business has a lot of benefits, but it can sometimes feel overwhelming on where to even start. I just want to share with you some things that have worked for my husband and me and hopefully give you enough advice to where you'll know what you need to do next:

1) Know why you want to have a business.

Having a business is very different from being an employee, and you have to have enough drive to get you through when things get tough. Otherwise, it's very easy to give up when results don't initially appear. Everyone's "why" is different, and sometimes it changes as your life situation changes. The point is everyone needs a reason to motivate them.

2) Educate yourself by reading practical business books.

Sometimes when you're new in business it feels awkward just approaching an owner at random and asking, "How did you do it?" Starting out I didn't know that most business owners usually don't mind telling you their story, as long as you're not going to use the information to become a direct competitor.

So in the beginning I did the next best thing, which was browsing business and financial books at retail bookstores and libraries. There are going to be authors that "click" with your goals and personality, but a few of my favorites include Napoleon Hill, Robert Kiyosaki, Dan Miller, Dave Ramsey, and John Maxwell. I also read autobiographies of business owners, which can be useful in learning how they think.

3) Find a good mentor or mentors.

The best way to become successful in business is to get around other successful business owners. You can do this by working for one (preferably a small business where you get time with them) or by joining a local business group.

4) Don't limit yourself to one business or income source, especially with the Internet.

I personally believe there is more business opportunity out there than there ever has been in history. Right now, I'm only 24-years-old and have at least 7 income sources that I personally work on. That's not including my husband's job and projects he works on. When you "diversify your career" as I call it, not only do your finances become more stable but you make more money. It takes time and you have to be patient, but it works.

5) Realize that developing a solid business or set of businesses is a process.

You need to go through a time where you educate yourself before making the leap into business. Every business owner makes mistakes and has failures, but if you do what I suggested in the previous steps it will help your chances.

6) Enjoy the rewards of your work.

A really great moment is after a lot of work, things begin to pay off more than you ever expected. For us, I'm going to be able to stay home when we have kids. We've also been able to give what used to take us 1/3 of the year to just earn at our jobs. Being a business owner is very fun in a lot of ways, and it's wonderful when things get stable.

Life is short and very precious, and I want to encourage you that if you want to do this, start taking steps in the right direction. You don't have to know everything, and you're always going to be learning something new. Taking action now is a whole lot better than having regret 10, 20, or 30 years down the road. I wish you the very best and hope this has been helpful to you!

More Tips:

• I personally don't suggest to people that they go into debt to start a business. Not only does it hurt your business financially from the very beginning, but it takes away the opportunity to be creative and figure our a way to full it off. In business, your mind is a whole lot more valuable than initial capital!
• Be sure to talk with your tax accountant and make sure you keep good records. Doing this from the very beginning is very helpful, especially if you're coming from a situation where you've always been an employee.
• Don't get frustrated from the initial lack of instant results. I've had situations where the financial payoff from effort into my business didn't show up until weeks or months later.

How to Know When to Close a Home-Based Business

Should I close this business? It's a painful question to ask yourself, whether the business is home-based or traditional. You've worked hard and have done everything you know to keep the business afloat, but all the symptoms still seem to tell you the business is failing. It's hard sometimes with such a strong emotional tie to know whether to keep moving forward or cut your losses.

I want to walk you through some ideas that may help you decide what to do. The final decision is yours, but it always helps to have an objective person look at the situation. I do suggest you do that in addition this article, not with just any objective person but with people who understand business. The following are general areas of business you need to look over on why the business isn't functioning correctly:

1) Find out if the failure a debt issue you can't fix.

The immediate picture that comes to my mind is when people go into too much debt to try to make a business work. Interest payments end up offsetting any profit to the point you never get ahead. Your overall idea may have been sound, but you have to picture debt as dropping water on a fire--eventually the flame is going to go out.

You also never want to get to the point where you're leveraging your home, 401k, or any other assets to make a failing business work. People create businesses to help them financially, not harm them. It's easy to forget that sometimes when you feel in the middle of it all.

2) Determine if you have a cash flow issue.

There are also situations that there just isn't enough of a market for the product or service to be worth your money and effort. Your income simply isn't going to catch up with your expenses no matter how much you put into it--there's this feeling like you're spending $1 to make 99 cents over and over. Unfortunately, a slow leak is still a leak. The only way to turn this around is to fix the expense side of things.

3) Is it a time issue?

If you're in a position where you're having to work a lot of hours just to keep the business afloat and sincerely don't see any hope of changes, you probably need to still shut the business down just for the sake of your health and sanity. That's usually a personal call to make, but just realize that your time may be better spent on another project.

4) Lastly, are you only going on because of emotion?

None of us like to fail, but there are some cases where shutting down may be your best option until you can recover and try again. Something I've never seen factored into business failure statistics the people who keep trying-sometimes it just takes a few failures to learn enough to be successful long-term. Most successful people have failed more than the average person in their field. They learn from the experience and move on to better things.

Additional Tip:

• Either way you decide to go, just don't let fear or denial of the situation rule your decision-making. Confront the situation head-on to either change its course or let it go. It's the best thing you can do for yourself and your family.

How to Succeed in Self-Employment

When people make a transition into self-employment, there's a lot of things they need to consider as a new self-employed professional. Even though you often still have a lot of the same skills as an employee in the same field, you need a different thought process to succeed. Here are some things I think are helpful to someone just starting out:

1) Get Yourself on a Schedule That Works For You:

One of the biggest advantages of self-employment is flexibility. When you're getting paid by the project instead of by the hour, a 9 to 5 and Monday-Friday format may not work for what you do. It may be easier for example to have 4 long days of 12-14 hours, but then you have 3 days off to do what you'd like. You may be more productive at 2 A.M. in the morning than most people are during the day. Factoring in the nature of your business, try to experiment and find what works best for you.

2) Always Be in a State of Learning About Your Field and Business in General:

When you work for yourself, often you don't have anyone directing you toward what you need to learn. You need to be very proactive about this. Subscribe to magazines and buy books related to your field. Go to seminars and workshops. Also, be sure to check with your accountant to find out what can and can't be considered business expenses as far as your taxes.

3) Learn How to Keep Your Finances in Line:

If you start doing this while your business is small, it makes things easier when you do grow. Take some time to learn how to track your finances and budget your business to where you'll grow with stability. Keep good records and have them all in one easy place such as a designated filing cabinet.

4) Become Active in Your Local Community:

When a lot of people talk about networking, they often make it sound like this cold static event where people shake hands and trade business cards. One of my favorite things about being self-employed is genuinely getting to know other people I wouldn't have met sitting in a cubicle all day.

5) Love What You're Doing:

One of the things I see people do a lot with their jobs is they live their life in compartments of job, family, hobbies, friends, church, and so on. It doesn't necessarily feel like the same life all the time as much as it does a series of roles that they're playing. Self-employment at it's best is more of a lifestyle than a career.

More Tips:

• Starting out, you're probably going to have to work more hours than the average 40 that many employees work. However, as your business develops and grows, things should gradually get a lot easier to the point you're better off than most employees within a few years. It's a trade-off that just involves a lot of delayed gratification.
• From my personal experience, it is better to keep your business debt-free from the beginning and grow slower than it is to leverage yourself into quicker growth that may or may not happen. I run my businesses through a checking account with a debit card and have never had any issues. Your bank statement serves as a back-up to your recorded income and expenses.

How to Create a Resume that Stands Out

When writing a resume, you need to be careful of with overused words and phrases. Probably the best way approach this issue is to put yourself in the position of a hiring manager or HR employee. Can you imagine trying to search through a stack of resumes containing a bunch of self-motivated team players with great interpersonal skills and the ability to multi-task and to adapt quickly in an ever-changing work environment? Sometimes I wonder if they're laughing over the fact that everyone seems to be using the same resume template! The following are some ideas to consider when creating your resume:

1) Keep Your Focus:

The purpose of a resume is to get an employer's attention enough so you have the opportunity to interview. The resumes that have worked best for me personally have not made me look like the generic perfect employee that everyone thinks employers want. I don't make myself look worse than what I am, but there is at least some humanity in it.

2) Show You Have Qualifying Skills:

With your skills section, treat it as a kind of "just the facts" category. You can put things there like your typing speed, computer programs you're familiar with, and any specific skills needed for the position. It's probably the most impersonal section of your resume, but it makes it easier for the employer to know that you're qualified. Be sure to include the specific skills for the position based on the job listing, and that will allow you to double-check that you meet all the job's requirements.

3) Bringing Life to Your Work History:

When you begin listing your work history however, take a few sentences and describe what experience you got out of the position. Even the worst jobs out there have a lesson in them, and it's a way of showing an overall good attitude if you do it right. Just remember to keep it short, as most resumes should not be more than 2 pages total.

4) Don't Forget a Cover Letter:

Take advantage of doing a short cover letter along with your resume as well. This give you some flexibility in that it lets an employer get to know you better and allows you to provide more details to the short sentences you have in your resume. It also helps you stand out, as a smaller percentage of people even do cover letters now.

More Tips:

• Be as specific as you can with details of your duties and the work environment. For example, if I had just put "manager at movie theater," some employers may think that meant I stayed up in a booth all night with a book and had very little human contact. I would want to put that I had a high degree of contact with the public not only in customer service but in advertising and promotions as well. This is especially important in small business positions, where it's not always obvious if you were a Jack(or Jill)-of-All-Trades.
• Don't exaggerate on your resume to the point of lying. You may get the job only to lose it when the truth is found out.

How to Create Income Using the Internet

As someone who makes more than half my income from the Internet, I can tell you that it has a lot of advantages if you're willing to do the work. For most people, it's not something you can just do overnight (it took me 5 years for my Internet income to surpass my job income) but it's not impossible to do either.

1) Getting Started:

If you're brand new to Internet business, I'd recommend starting out in some type of online sales such as Amazon or Ebay just to get your feet wet. You can grow these businesses as big or as little as you want, and they're a great environment to make beginner's mistakes without a lot of risk. Like any business, there's a learning curve to it. Just be patient and learn, and even the average person with no prior business experience can make a nice side income.

2) Try Online Surveys:

These are not bad when you're starting out and want extra money, but the only disadvantage is they do still take up your time. They're very flexible, but to make a decent income you're going to feel like you have another job. I now have this limited to a couple of favorites that pay well and pay quickly. Never pay to enter into these or for a "list" of possible survey companies. That is a scam in the fact you can find the same information on your own.

3) Residual Income Sources:

Ideally, you want Internet income sources that pay residual income. This means you get paid over and over again for a single initial effort. Most jobs don't offer this, and it makes the Internet very appealing.

An example is if you're an expert in a particular field and want to write a short e-book to help people. You only have to write the book once, and if it's popular it can become an income source to you month after month each time it's downloaded. Sites like Lulu.com and others allow you to sell books at no upfront cost to you. They just get a commission every time a book sells.

It just takes some time and experimenting to figure out what will sell. You also have the option of building residual income from freelance writing sites who make money from advertising and share it with their writers. Ehow.com is one of these and is very good.

4) Do More Than Just One Thing:

Overall, to make the most money on the Internet you just need to do more than one thing. Pick some side businesses that you enjoy, and it's really not an extra burden to you. I'm in the middle of repositioning my career to where most of the things I do are online. I like the flexibility and the ability to make more money over time than a traditional job. It does take time and effort, but I think it's worth doing.

More Tips:

• Legitimate network marketing companies are also an option if you enjoy working in group environments. Just check them out with the Better Business Bureau and make sure you understand how they work. Again, just expect to put as much time into them as you would a traditional business if you want them to work for you. You can make money over time, but it's not overnight.

How to Get Out of Debt

When it comes to managing your debt and getting it paid off, there really is no magic quick-fix. Having a system and a plan will help you however, but I don't mean "shuffling" your debt. You can try chasing lower interest rates and moving your balances from card to card, but it doesn't solve the real problem. Here are some starting ideas and resources to help you solve the root of the problem of debt:

1) Realize Debt is a Product, Not a Necessity:

Debt has been so highly marketed to my generation that it is just sad to me. People who don't know any better get themselves so leveraged in debt that almost all of their paychecks are going toward monthly payments. A layoff would wreck their finances within a month.

2) Make a Decision that You Want to Change:

When I first graduated from college, my husband and I felt the financial pressure of a similar situation. We made up our minds that we weren't going to keep living that way. I think making the decision to change is really half the battle. Debt is also something that's difficult to just "try" to fix. If your heart's not in it, no plan will work for you.

3) Cap Your Overspending:

You can attack debt on two fronts. The first is to get yourself to the point where you're living below your means and don't have to keep borrowing. This can require something as small as eating at home more and packing your lunch to selling the car you have because the payments are taking up a lot of your cash. Doing this is really hard in the beginning, but as you get your finances back on track you'll be thankful that you did it.

4) Pay Off Your Existing Debt

Next you need to have a system of paying off your existing debt. My husband and I got Dave Ramsey's book The Total Money Makeover, which has a great way of doing this. You can read more details in the book, but the idea of paying off smaller balances first and working your way up (called the "debt snowball") does work. I'm not the spreadsheet type, so the more practical the system the more easy it is to stick with it.

5) Find Ways to Increase Your Income:

A great side-effect of wanting to pay off debt is it made us more determined to find extra ways of making money. Our overall household income has nearly tripled from when we first got married. That is exciting to me because after we're out of debt, that money is going to be available for us to buy a home, fund our retirement, and allow us to do a lot of good things we couldn't have done otherwise.

6) Realize that Getting Out of Debt is a Process and the Advantages of Getting Out of Debt are Worth It:

As I said earlier, mainly what you need is just the desire to get out of debt and the willingness to do what it takes to get you there. For most people it won't happen overnight, but the rewards are worth it. I think it's amazing what a person can do when they have their financial freedom, and I'm personally looking forward to it. I hope you put some thought into it and make that decision for yourself as well.

How to Understand the Breakdown of a FICO or Credit Score

Knowing what makes up your credit score, also known as a FICO score, can help you determine what situations can cause it to go up and down. Here is what I've found listed as the breakdown of a credit score on www.myfico.com:

A credit score is currently made up of five components:

1) Payment History: 35% (This usually goes back between 7-10 years on your report; score drops if you pay late, quit paying, have a bankruptcy or foreclosure.)

2) Capacity (Amount You Owe): 30%

3) Length of Credit History: 15% (Includes unused accounts.)

4) Types of Credit: 10% (Mortgages, credit cards, student loans, etc.)

5) New Credit: 10% (Inquiries and requests for more credit.)

Ethically, if you have credit you should pay things on time and should automatically have a good score because of this.

If there is inaccurate information on your credit bureau, you do have the ability to call the reporting company and have it fixed within a certain time frame.

Companies that claim they can "fix" your credit for a fee however are scams. Time is really the only other thing that will clean a bad score up if a person makes good with past mistakes.

Another thing to realize is that the FICO should never be used as a pulse for your overall financial health, though it's often portrayed that way.

I've known people who would be to the point of bragging about their "great" credit score, but they're just barely keeping their head above water when it comes to debt in comparison to their income. To have a great credit score for a long period of time, you have to stay in debt. That's just the nature of how it's measured at this point, and income and wealth aren't even factors in it.

Obviously, there's no reason to mess up your score on purpose if you already have debt.

Honor your word and pay your debts. However, don't stay in debt for the sole purpose of having a high score. Remember that debt is a product, and sometimes it's more in the banks' interests than it is yours for you to have a high FICO your whole life. It's something you should at least consider when it comes to your financial decision-making. It's more important to have an overall game plan than to let any single piece of information rule all of your finances.

More Tips:

• Sometimes people are surprised to learn that many wealthy people out there have a FICO score of 0, and not just because they were born rich. Some got out of debt (or never got in) and gradually lost their scores over time. They also took the money an average person pays out in interest payments and invested it for their own families. This is short-term sacrifice for long-term gain. It's just debt is so highly marketed that the FICO has taken on almost an emotional attachment to it for some people. This can do more harm than good if taken to extremes.

How to Financially Plan in Your 20s

Making the right financial decisions in your 20s can long-term give you a great lifestyle for the rest of your life. The following are some tips I've learned through seeking out people who were older and wealthier than me:

1) Find a mentor who is good with money.

You may have someone in your family who always seems to have money under control. This doesn't happen to people by accident. Take the time to listen to what they have to say.

2) Read books that increase your financial knowledge, including those traditionally geared for older age groups.

After awhile, you'll begin to notice trends that keep coming up over and over. You may not want to take the advice of every book at face value, but it gives you a great starting point to thinking for yourself.

3) Learn the concept of delayed gratification.

Short-term sacrifices can become huge long-term gains. Most people in society want things immediately, which is why most people are in debt their whole lives. Rich people often do things that average people find uncomfortable. If you take the time to live below your means and eliminate your debt in your 20s, you can easily be a millionaire by retirement (and retire younger) just by saving what you'd be paying banks in payments. At the very least, learn to stop borrowing money as a solution to your problems. It's not always easy, but it's worthwhile.

4) Find ways to increase your existing income.

Most people are raised to be employees, but it's not your only income option. Investments are good as well, with the realization that they usually only work long-term (5 years+) as opposed to short-term. Never invest in anything you don't understand. If you have no debt, a matching 401K through your job or a Roth-IRA are a good place to start.

5) Part-time businesses are also great to explore in addition to your job and can be transitioned into large income sources.

There are a lot of great businesses out there that take very little money to start-you just have to be willing to do the work and get things to the point your physical presence is not required for the business to work. There are general business books that can show you how to do this.

6) Don't be afraid of making mistakes.

I don't mean go out and do stupid things on purpose. It's just sometimes things happen that you thought would work out right but they don't. Instead of letting it bother and discourage you, learn from it and move forward.

Additional Tip:

• If you start several small businesses that bring in repeat income, you can see how those incomes can be "stacked" to create wealth. This is also known as residual or passive income, which can produce you both time and money if you're willing to do a few years of intense initial work. From a personal standpoint, this is what is helping me retire before I'm 30. I can't tell you what's on TV every night, but at this point I really don't care. Getting to do the fun stuff yourself instead of watching other people is great!

How to Start a Business in Your Teens

Starting a business in your teens can be one of the best decisions you can make for your life. The experience you gain will help you financially for the rest of your life, and you will have the opportunity to build wealth at an early age-likely retiring earlier than peers who purely take a job career route. There are a few concepts you need to learn to prepare however, and I want to share them with you.

1) Realize that it's all right to make mistakes, fail, and learn in business.

This may be surprising to some of you, but failure is one of the quickest ways to success--if you learn from it. It's always better to learn from other people's failures first--read business books and talk with any business owner you know who welcomes conversation. They can share with you things they wish they had known earlier.

If you do make a mistake or something doesn't go as planned, it's not fatal. One of the things you have to learn is how to get back up and try something else--the quicker you can do that, the faster you can succeed.

2) Realize that businesses don't have to cost a lot of money to start.

My husband and I own 6 web-based businesses. None of them cost more than $300 to get off the ground. Never go into debt to start a business--if something is going to cost a lot to start, use your creativity to figure out a way to get the money. Debt has a way of dragging you down financially--that includes personal debt such as credit cards as well.

There's also nothing wrong with working a job and starting a business at the same time-that's how most adults start out.

3) Long-term, you goal should be to develop a business that runs as much as possible without your physical presence.

Even adults mess up on this one, basically creating themselves a job instead of a business. With the Internet, you can see how it would be possible to sell something on maybe Amazon or eBay while you're sitting in class. You still had to do the work for the listing, but you're not physically in a store waiting for somebody to buy it. This concept of earning money is called passive income, and you want that as much as possible. This is how people "build" income. They're working on their next project while their earlier projects are earning money for them.

4) Realize that not everyone is going to look at things like you do.

This is mainly something to keep your attitude up. You're likely going to have a least a few friends who think you're crazy "wasting" so much time on a business when you should be a normal teenager and have fun.

To my knowledge, there currently are not any public schools that are teaching kids and teens concepts of entrepreneurship-everyone is taught to go to college (nothing wrong with that) and get a job (which honestly isn't something for everybody). The more you research and learn, it's going to be exciting for you-but not everyone is necessarily going to share in that excitement. Keep a good supportive circle of friends. Also, don't be upset when people tell you how "lucky" you are when you do become successful--sometimes people don't understand the effort behind anything people do in life that's significant.

5) Don't try to rush things and enjoy the process.

Real money is made in business over time, not overnight. When you go into your early 20s and look back, you will definitely see a difference in yourself and your business ability. Don't try to shortcut things when you know the right thing to do.

6) Someday when you're older, you may run across a teenager who is trying to start a business.

Do a little "Pay-It-Forward" and help him or her like I hope this has helped you. Good luck and best wishes to you!

How to Find Nice Gifts for People in Their 20s

Need a gift for someone in their 20s and not sure what to get them? Here is a basic list of what I think are great gift ideas to consider for people my age, which I also hope can fit within most people's budgets:

1) Consider Accessories for Gadgets We Already Own:

Many people in their 20s own either an IPod or similar media player. You can find cases for these (similar to cell phone cases) as well as attachments with different features such as microphones and cameras.

People who have digital cameras (regular and on their cell phones) usually like having extra storage cards, which can be used to transfer files between computers as well. You'll just need to ask what type they have.

2) You Can't Go Wrong With Gift Cards:

These are great, especially if they involve some kind of activity like movies or restaurants. If you know their favorite store, most will have some kind of gift card available.

3) Find Out if They Would Like Tickets to Events:

This is another thing you'd have to ask about if they have a favorite performer who has ticket prices within your budget. That falls into the category of something fun that people may not do for themselves. Just make sure they can make it to the events.

4) We'll Appreciate Anything that Fits Our Hobbies and Interests:

I like it when people are thoughtful and have spent some time finding something that fits me. It doesn't have to be expensive, and the fact you put some time into it shows that you care. Some ideas to think about are what type of music they like, their favorite movies or books, how they spend their free time, etc.

How to Find Ways to Pay for College

It's difficult when finances interfere with your desire for an education, but you need to plan your decisions well if you want to win. With the costs of a college education rising roughly 7-8% a year (compared to general inflation at around 4%), I can definitely understand why many adults can feel divided on the issue of going back and some recent high school graduates hesitate.

Growing up knowing that my parents could not fully afford to pay for my college education, I had to do a lot of planning to be able to go. After going through the whole process, I hope I can offer advice on things I did right as well as thing I wish I'd known about earlier:

1) Stop by the financial aid office of the college long before you plan to start.

With many forms of financial aid, you need to give yourself plenty of time to apply. If you're not aware of it already, you should definitely fill out a Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) to find out if you qualify for any federal or state grants. You can find more information about this at www.fafsa.ed.gov

2) Apply to any scholarship the college offers that fits you.

It's tedious sometimes, but think of it as getting paid a lot of money to fill out some forms-the more you fill out, the more the odds are in your favor that you'll receive some of them. It is also good at this time to research any off campus scholarships or tuition reimbursements through your job. Be careful when researching scholarships on-line and definitely never pay for a service that claims they can do all the searching for you because you can do the same thing yourself for free.

3) Even if you've never bought anything on-line before, it is worth checking the Internet for your textbooks.

Allow plenty of time for the book to get to you if you use standard shipping(at least 2 weeks if possible) as media mail seems to get slightly slower due to high volume during textbooks seasons. E-mail the merchant ahead of time before you order and request postal insurance to protect your purchase if it's over $20.

4) Consider getting your "core" classes at a smaller community college.

If I had not gotten scholarships to a 4-year university, I would have done this. Most states have standards where larger universities will accept credits from community colleges. Often you can get the same courses for half the price and then move on to your major at a more expensive college. This takes some research, so you may have to make some phone calls and talk to people at both locations to make sure things will work out right without any hassles.

5) Find a job that provides tuition reimbursement.

This can vary by field, but companies such as UPS often offer tuition reimbursement to even part-time employees as part of a benefits package.

6) Borrow only if you need it.

Student loans are very low interest, but they can still impact your cash flow as you pay them off. It's better to try to have some money saved up or work while you're going to school if you can handle it. It's harder at the time, but you'll be in better shape long-term.

7) Consider your purpose for returning to college.

Learning is a very worthwhile thing to do in life, and I'm definitely in favor of people going to college if it helps them achieve their goals and dreams. What you have to be careful of however is spending a lot of money in relation to what you're going to get back in return. For example, I've had friends spend $100,000+ on a education and end up with $20,000/yr jobs in that field. That's obviously a harmful situation financially. There are ways of turning it around, but I think a person should factor that into their decision-making.

More Tips:

• Unless you find them helpful, I was able to do without study guides for most subjects. In most cases, the actual textbook will be needed however. Don't risk not getting them and later finding out you need them for assignments.
• If you're really on a tight budget, sometimes college and university libraries will keep spare copies of the textbooks that you can't check out but can use inside the building.