Use Your Hobbies to Save Money & Gain Additional Income

Saving is key and hobbies can be used to save money or gain additional income. Cooking, sewing, hair braiding and farming are just some ways to save more.

Today, people want to stay ahead of their monthly bills and commitments and also want to want to travel or treat themselves and their families. Sometimes, regular income may not cover all of the outgoings so that any treats can be enjoyed. However, there are some hobbies that can help the family to save or generate additional income to make the treats or trip a reality.

Grow Food to Make & Save Money

Fruits, vegetables and herbs are always in demand in the home. So if someone has a container garden with herbs, these fresh herbs can be used in the kitchen and there will be no need to purchase them from the supermarket or other places.When there are excess fruits and/or vegetables, the extras can be sold aroundthe neighborhood or to a Farmers' Market or hotel or restaurant.

Design Greeting Cards

For persons who like to design and have a knack for crafts and creativity, greetings cards can be created for special occasions rather than spending at the stationery store. This hobby requires a good printer, card stock paper and any scraps of cloth, colored paper, shells and any other creative scraps for decorative detail. The cards can be made for birthdays, anniversaries, Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, weddings, Christmas and any other special occasions. If other family members or friends express interest in the cards, then this can grow into a business where special cards are made upon request.

Culinary Enthusiasts Can Bake & Cook to Make Money

Baking at home saves money from purchasing store-bought breads or cakes which sometimes have exceeded the shelf life. People who love to bake can also offer to bake cakes, cookies, pies or tarts for special functions as a way to make extra money. For those who enjoy cooking, submitting bids to cater for small functions can be profitable but it is important to weigh the expenses so that costs are covered.

Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting Generate Income

 Having a sewing machine and knowing how to operate it well can help a family save money especially if any family member wears uniforms. By sewing for the family, it is easy to gather a few customers in the neighborhood, at the children's school or at the workplace. Knitting and crocheting are excellent hobbies to create items such as doilies, dresses, sweaters, wall hangings and other items which can be used at home or sold. These items can also be entered into exhibitions or fairs in competitions which may have cash prizes.

Hair Braiding at Home

In the Caribbean, most of the primary or elementary school-aged children wear braids or cornrows of their natural hair (without extensions) to school. A braided hairstyle for a child can cost a minimum of US$20 at most hair salons. It is much more cost effective for women to braid their children's hair at home. If the braiding skills are good and the talents extend to the braiding of extensions or sewing of weaves, then additional income can be generated from family and friends who need their hair styled.

While hobbies can help a family to save and attract extra income for the family, it is important to keep a balanced home life. If a hobby starts to take over the time spent at home or at work, then the hobbyist would have to decide to take the hobby to a small business level.

Music from 2000: My Name is Joe by Joe Thomas

Fans of R&B are quite familiar with Joe Thomas and his melodic music. My Name is Joe was released in 2000 with songs like "Stutter" and "I Wanna Know".

Released in 2000 via the Zomba Recording Corp., Joe Thomas gave fans a thrilling journey with My Name is Joe. Fourteen tracks comprise this album including hits like "Stutter", "I Wanna Know" and "Thank God I Found You". For this sophomore album, Joe incorporated artists like NSYNC, Nas and Mariah Carey to give this album a fresh musical twist.

Joe's Discography

Joe Thomas first debuted in 1997 with All That I Am with songs like "All The Things (Your Man Won't Do)". And Then... was released in 2003 with "More & More" and Ain't Nothin' Like Me and Better Days in 2007. A compilation titled Greatest Hits came in 2008. Follow-up albums include Joe Thomas, New Man (2008), Signature (2009), Joe Live From Japan (2010) and The Good The Bad The Sexy (2011). **The Songs of My Name is Joe** Joe co-wrote several of the tracks on My Name is Joe and also co-produced it with Josh P. Thompson. The tracks include a short "Intro", "Table for Two", "Black Hawk", "So Beautiful", "5,6,3" and "Get Crunk Tonight".

• "I Wanna Know": Joe, J. Skinner and A. Gordon co-wrote this sultry love song that states "I wanna know what turns you on…I wanna know what makes you cry, so I can be the one who makes you smile". In 2000, that was a strange request coming from a male and this is why the ladies loved this song. "Girl he never understood what you were worth, and he never took the time to make it work" start the second verse.
• "Treat Her Like a Lady": "Tell me when was the last time you brought her roses home from work" start off this track that asked all men to take care of their ladies. "Treat Her Like a Lady" contains a portion of Isaac Hayes' "Bumpy's Lament" and all the instruments were arranged by Steve "Stone" Huff. In the bridge, Joe admonishes men by singing "if this don't apply to you, then keep doing what you do".
• "I Believe in You": Joe collaborated with the then boy band NSYNC which included members like JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick on "I Believe in You". Allen Gordon, Jr., Joe and J. Scott Skinner wrote this song that affirms that agape love can exist. The men sing "I believe, I swear that forever from today, no one will take your place…and I believe our love will last always" in the chorus."
• "Thank God I Found You": "Thank God I Found You (Make It Last Remix Edit)" comes from the original "Make It Last Forever" performed by Keith Sweat. Joe collaborates with rapper Nas and Mariah Carey to give this classic R&B track a hip flavor. "Your touch is wonderful, your love is so marvelous…nothing, no one, could compare to what we have" are a sample of the lyrics.

My Name is Joe is classic R&B from 2000 that which including infusions of hip hop, soul and R&B. Joe is an artist who has made an impact in the music industry and his music is respected.

POEM: Surviving

My spirit is alive
and my heart continues to thrive
because as I open my eyes
I am enticed by the new sights
the new ideas and fresh promises
aware of the specifics
of getting by and surviving
sticking hard and fast and striving
I know that I have hills to climb
but these are the days when life is sublime
because even with the ups and downs
a smile or a hug can turn it around

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Government Running Like a Household

Crisis is surrounding us more and more all over the world. We have problems in the Government, in the homes, in the churches and in the schools. The streets have another set of issues, however the streets also has its own form of justice. What troubles me is the lack of common sense in human behavior. I think back of the tough decisions that I have had to make in 2011 and even further back. I think of the many sacrifices I have had to make to keep afloat. I watch many others with their lavish lifestyles, fancy rides and over the top looks and I just smile, applaud and stay focused on my goals.

I think the many governments need to run the public’s business like a responsible household. It is really the same concept – manage the assets and minimize the liabilities while seeking opportunities for growth. However, most Government officials pretend like their countries finances are a bottomless pit of wealth. Too many are crying deficit right now and it brings a foul air of uncertainty for their constituents.

It crawls my blood to hear officials talk about layoffs, pay cuts and the like when they remain on their wealth level. What message are they sending to the youth – get yours and don’t care about anyone else! I feel for example that the BVI Govt needs to hold on festival celebration event in 2012. They would have to show me a significant increase in government revenue around the festival time to show me that there needs to be a festival in Virgin Gorda in April, Cane Garden Bay in May, Long Look, Cane Garden Bay and Road Town in August. If the various communities can fund these festivities then let them go ahead but when festival becomes more important than education – I can’t stand it.

It’s either that we are going to wake up or die in poverty.

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The Well is Running Empty

I am sometimes astonished at the way educated people behave. I am further dumbfounded at the way politicians behave. They enforce rules and break them or have their cronies break them. The only people they are hurting are the hardworking taxpayers who provide the sugar to fatten their bellies. In many instances, the politicians are educated people who were voted in by a set of educated people as well.

Throughout the world, we are facing layoffs and cutbacks. However, the politicians never cut back on themselves. Their salaries remain the same and also their perks and their cronies’ too. Many of the persons who were elected to run the governments in the Caribbean are greedy, wicked and nonchalant when it comes to the publics’ purse.

I find that in many of the nations, there are an excess amount of representatives but yet the people’s cries are not answered. In times of crisis, we see large contract given to colleagues. On the other hand, in one territory, a school had to be closed and in another, the teachers ask parents to bring toilet paper and paper towel to school because the relevant department had not sent the requested items as per their mandate.

We see persons heading departments going on wild spending sprees and there is no one to stop them because they feel that they are invincible holding on the treasury’s purse strings. For too long, there has been a lack of accountability in our countries. There are no watchdogs to keep an eye on the finances and to curb the corruption. I honestly feel that many of these officials are fully aware of the many underhanded things happening in their countries but they cast a blind eye. It seems like no matter who we elect, it is always the same game.

I just feel that many of the leaders are not serious enough to make the tough decisions from early on. We simply have to put measures in place and get our countries back in order. All the unnecessary contracts should be halted and never revived. The over-bloated cost of construction puts would-be homeowners in a spot where they can never get a home. Something needs to be done because the people are suffering. We are threatened on our streets, victimized on the job, robbed in the daylight and our daughters are prostituting themselves for a snort of cocaine just to take them to a place where there are no worries – until the high wears off.

We shall continue to pray but with God’s guidance, POSITIVE action will have to be taken on all levels to get our place back in shape.

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POEM: New Sight

Until we wake up and realize
that the climbing and mounting size
of the criminal assizes
is all related to the love that was lost
how we've been living at any cost
when we cry when another brother gets shot
then we are truly like ostriches
living in pretense on false wishes
holding our lives together with broken stitches
we must arise and do different
live right and to the wicked – be resistant
by striving to be good citizens
we need to have a universal mindset
and instill in our children good concepts
so it means some of us may have to reset
the way we think and perform
cause life is no longer just the norm
we have to be prepared to weather the storm
cause life was not meant to be easy
some days the load will get heavy
but we have to remain steady
be on alert and stay ready

© Linette Rabsatt

The Micromanager?

Is micromanagement a sickness? It is a symptom of having a large ego? It is a passion for the power hungry? I simply can not fathom why anyone would want to control so many things. If President Obama applied that type of behavior - trying to run every state and every facet of the central government, he would not get anywhere. I think that is why the 'system' is designed with several layers of management, castes, hierarchies etc.

I find it absolutely annoying watching a micromanager in play. This person has no trust for others. You can micromange your home but that still can alienate your family members. So imagine a workforce of 30 people? The manager can not dabble into every process - he will get burned out. However, he should not totally ignore any employee or issue. However, empower supervisors and allow them to function.

I am not the best person or manager but I truly feel that micromanagement is not the best management philosophy. I'll still with that opinion too!

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