List Items You Want to Sell for Free--(Discovered by Accident)

Did you know you can list stuff you want to sell for free? So you get to keep more of the money you make off of an item because you're not paying for an advertisement. I actually got an unplanned lesson in this, though I ended up being grateful for it later. I have to tell you how this all happened:

We have a purebred Black Lab. Her name is Shonie and she's nearing six years old now. When we bought her, we couldn't afford to pay full price for her, so the guy we bought her from made a deal with us. He really liked her bloodlines, so he asked that we let him breed her one time, and he would cut the price in half.

Since he was willing to work with us and seemed like a responsible breeder (he didn't even want to consider breeding her until she was at least two), we went for it. There was no way we could walk away from her after seeing her, so we were hooked. She's beautiful! So, long story short, we never got her spayed. She was pretty good about sticking around, and she's also an alpha female, so even when we did the agreed upon breeding, she had to be held in place since she thought she was supposed to...um...be the one on top--sorry for the visual folks. Haha!

Now, let's fastforward a few years. Since Shonie hadn't been very cooperative with the male, and we kept a pretty close watch on her when she was in heat, we hadn't rushed to get her spayed, mainly for financial reasons.

I admit though, I watched Oprah, and saw that show she did on dogs. So I was thinking maybe I should stop populating the earth with more puppies when there are so many dogs out there needing to be adopted. I had the plan that as soon as we had some extra cash (which wasn't looking like it would be soon with the bad economy starting), I would take her in and get her spayed.

God had other plans. Shonie went into heat again. I wasn't sure at first, but thought I noticed the signs. I let her out one afternoon, and then opened the windows so I could hear her. I sat by the window and started to nurse my baby. A few minutes later, I heard yelping and jumped up quickly, with my poor baby trying to figure out why her meal was interrupted.

I started yelling like a maniac when I saw she was....um....connected.....to another dog. "Why?!" I screamed. Why was this happening? What was I going to do now? I put down the baby, told my preschooler to stay there with her little sister for a moment, and ran outside. I was going to get that dog. I noticed he was wearing a collar and planned on giving his owner a call.

Turns out, the dog traveled three miles to get to our house, went around to our back yard and laid in wait for our dog to come out to greet him. I don't know how I missed him when I let her out. The good news was (yes, there was good news) he was a purebred Chocolate Lab with decent bloodlines.

We were able to sell every puppy without paying a cent in advertising. I did a search on free online classifieds. The popular one in my area that sold better for me is KSL Classifieds, but I also got calls from listings I made on: Go County, Kaango, Kijiji, Superads and Domestic Sale.

You can use these links I've given you, or you can do a search for free online classifieds in your area by typing in "free online classifieds" and your state. We sold all our pups in less than two weeks from the time we listed. We also made some much needed cash at a time when we definitely needed it. See? Even if we don't always understand God's plans for us, He knows what He's doing:)

So, the point of this post is: if you're looking to make some money from selling something you have at home, don't pay for that ad, list it for free!

Stay strong and have faith!

*I do have to add one caution and that's to watch out for scammers. There are some people who lurk in these sites and will tell you they're from out of state, working in some profession or other that will make you think they're honorable, and they'll offer you a deal that's too good to be true--because it is. They'll offer to give you more than your asking price, ask that you keep some for your trouble and ask you to send the rest back to them. It's a scam and you won't be making anything. In fact, you'll be losing whatever you send them, plus whatever the fees are for the bad check. So be leery of email-only inquiries, or Relay calls.

Find out about Your Credit for Free

This is such an important subject, and one that is too often overlooked by so many people. Do you know what's on your credit report? There was a time, I'm ashamed to admit, that I could actually say no to that question. Once I set out to change that (when we were interested in buying a house), I had a crash course in credit bureaus, credit scores and credit repair.

You can go to www.annualcreditreport.com and get all three of your credit reports for free, without having to get out your credit card or subscribe to a service. This site takes you to Equifax, Transunion and Experian. You can do it all in one visit, or you can spread it out over the year. Since it takes you directly to the credit bureaus' sites, you can also take action immediately if you find errors on your credit report. You can use this site to gain access to your reports once a year for each credit bureau.

You might not think that there would be errors on your credit report, but you could very well be wrong. We found out, by doing this very check-up, that there was another man, living in our state, who shares my husband's exact name. I only wish I were kidding. We found hospital bills, cell phone bills and judgments against this other man on my husband's credit report. It was easy enough to fix once we found it, since the social security numbers and birthdays didn't match up, but if we hadn't fixed it, it could have prevented us from getting any credit.

Errors do matter and they can affect whether or not you get a job, how much you pay for insurance, whether or not you're approved for a loan and even whether or not a landlord will approve your application for renting a place.

If you find an error in your report, you don't have to hire anyone to fix it. It's so easy to fix it yourself. You dispute the item online (which can be done at the credit bureau's website), or even over the phone if you prefer. You will also want to call the company that is involved in the item you're disputing to make the updated report go through faster (and in your favor).

We had so many errors in our report, that by the time I was finished disputing and making phone calls, our credit rating went up about 100 points. This dramatically lowered the interest rates we qualified for, and our home and auto insurance rates were dropped quite a bit as well.

Also know that if you have been turned down for credit, refused insurance or lost out on a job because of your credit, this automatically entitles you to a free credit report. So don't be afraid to get yours ASAP!

Here are the credit bureaus websites. You cannot access your free yearly credit reports by using these though. For that, use the link I gave you at the beginning of this blog.

www.experian.com
www.transunion.com
www.equifax.com

For more information on credit issues, check out this site I found:
http://www.completecreditservices.com

Free Magazines for Parents of Babies and Toddlers

This little tidbit is especially for expectant parents, or parents of babies and toddlers. I know that when I learned I was going to be a parent for the first time (and also every time after that), I wanted to gobble up all the information there was out there. The easiest and most available source seemed to be parenting magazines. But since we also had much to buy in preparation of our little bundle of joy, we couldn't spend a lot subscribing to all those baby magazines out there (though I probably would've if I could). It was very refreshing to learn I could catch up on the latest parenting and baby news without emptying my pockets.

Luckily, it's pretty easy to get all that information, and it doesn't cost a thing. You can get American Baby magazine (http://www.americanbaby.com/) and Baby Talk (http://www.babytalk.com/) for free. All you have to do is go to their websites, find the link to subscribe, enter your information, and they'll give you your free subscriptions. You can also do this for a friend.

You can also read a lot of other magazines' content online for free. My favories were http://www.parents.com/ and http://www.parenting.com/ (who also puts out Baby Talk). The free magazines have great websites too. There's even some tools on there to help you keep track of things.

In this same line, if you're familiar with the What to Expect...books, you'll know they have a lot of valuable information in each of their books. As it turns out, they also have a wealth of information online too (http://www.whattoexpect.com/). They also have some great forums (as do the other sites I've mentioned here.

So if you're feeling overwhelmed with the idea of spending a lot of money to help you become a better parent--don't. You can spend the money you have on more important things, without losing out on the parenting tips.

Let's cut some more dollars out of that budget

It seems I've constantly got money on the brain: or at least how to spend less of it. I've found ways to cut my groceries (http://www.ehow.com/how_4800520_save-money-groceries.html), a way to cut my satellite bill (http://www.ehow.com/how_4804929_lower-rate-satellite-bill.html) and I even cut my phone and internet bill (http://jugglinghomemaker.blogspot.com/2009/02/lower-your-monthy-bills-without-losing.html). I then canceled our dairy service (some would say we should've done that first, but I really loved their milk--which is saying something since I'm not a big milk drinker to begin with), and I now spend half as much for our milk at the store.

Since my husband's hours aren't looking like they're picking up anytime soon, I'm looking for more ways to cut our spending. We just knocked our thermostat down to 66 degrees for our heating. We were at 68, which was already saving us money over last year's gas bill, even with the rate hike Questar was granted.

You won't catch me without my long sleeves, even in the house. Haha! But really, it hasn't been too bad. It's not a real noticeable difference, and when I cook (which I do a lot of to save money), that warms up things a bit. We also turned our water heater down, which means we're using less gas to heat our water. Now we just add less cold water while filling the bath or sink. That's going surprisingly well for us (even with a family of six).

We're also on the budget plan, so we pay the same amount monthly, but I see that we have a good amount still left in the reserve they set for us, so that amount should be going down shortly with our lessened usage. I'm excited to see how much it will go down when they do our review!

If you haven't signed up for the budget plan (also known as the equal payment plan) for your utilities, I recommend doing so. It makes it sting less in the times you use more, though that also means you pay more in the times you use less. The companies that offer this feature generally review your account periodically to make sure you're not being over or under charged. Having this feature makes it easier to make up your household budget too, since you know what you're going to be billed each month.

Anyway, we've also switched out more of our light bulbs for the energy efficient ones. Of course, we're also making sure that we're all turning off the lights when we're not using a room, or opening the shades on a bright day to help us to cut our electric costs too. While the initial cost for the bulbs is more than the standard ones, they last much longer and cost less to use. They also have the added bonus of being the more environmentally friendly choice. We've actually been switching them out gradually (as our old bulbs burn out), so that we don't pay so much to switch them all out at once.

Once the weather gets warmer, we're going to make sure we don't crank up the central air too much, resulting in a high bill. We plan to open our windows in the morning when it's cool, and in the evening. During the day, when it's hot, we'll have our windows closed, and the ceiling fans going. With this, I think we'll be able to keep our air set at 80-83 degrees without feeling too much of the heat. I'll also keep the ice water handy.

I've made my loads of laundry larger, using less energy to run fewer loads. I've also made sure to not run the dishwasher unless it's full. I'm finding I'm also using less detergent, fabric softener and rinse aid by doing this. This also means I'm running up and down the stairs less, since I'm doing laundry less frequently. I still have to do laundry daily though, living in a house with four kids!

All of these money saving ideas also happen to be green, so that's a plus. For more ideas on going green in your home and saving money, check out this article by ethoslogos: http://www.ehow.com/about_4807537_green-home.html. I think it's great that his ideas are not only good for the environment, but they're also good for your pocket book.

Well, I wish you all well in your endeavors to save money. Please feel free to share any of your tips here as well.

Don't Forget about What You Do Have

Everyday I seem to read another article, or hear another news piece about desperate people in the news. People are losing their jobs, which often means losing their insurance and yes, even their homes. For some it comes quickly, before they even know what's happening. For others, they watch everything they work for gradually slipping away.

Whichever way it happens, there's no question that it's stressful. It's no secret that one of the main fights in a marriage, which can often lead to divorce, is about money. And in this bad economy, I'm just hoping our already high divorce rate doesn't sky rocket even higher.

If you've experience jobloss, or a paycut, and are finding yourself fighting more with your spouse, make an effort to stop. I found a great article with some insight on this issue on ehow by joni04: http://www.ehow.com/how_4804454_other-neither-one-of-working.html

Times are tough and, yes, too many people are losing a lot, but many of them still have a lot, too. Don't take it for granted if you have a spouse by your side, standing by you you through this hard time (it was for better or for worse, right?).

Don't take it for granted if you have a loving and supportive family, doing their best to be with you in your troubled time. This family I speak of can include close friends who would give you the shirt off their backs if you needed it.

Don't take it for granted if you have a child, or children, who look up to you, and don't care if you're feeling like a failure--for them, you are the most important person in their world. They're learning from you how to be an adult. You want to show them the best way to deal with the worst situations.

So often we lash out at the ones we love. Why? Perhaps it's because we feel safer with them than anyone else. If you bottle up all of your fears and put on a happy face for the outside world, you might find yourself exploding on your family at home when it all becomes too much.

Your family loves you unconditionally, and that's no small gift. I often find myself thinking that I don't know what I would do without my family around me. They lift me when no one else can. They love me at my worst, and they support me without question. I think that kind of love and loyalty deserves payment in kind.

If you find yourself becoming so angry, you're lashing out at the ones you love, find someone you can talk to. If you do have an insurance plan, many of them offer some kind of counseling services over the phone for free. Also, don't be afraid to talk to your close friends, and especially your spouse, about your fears. They might be able to help you come up with a plan, but even if they can't, talking about it can help you vent some of that stress in a good and calm way.

You could also talk to someone from your church. The church I attend encourages its members to come in and talk whenever we need to. Most churches have this same policy.

If you don't feel like you want to talk to someone at the moment, but still need to vent, try writing. Sometimes putting your thoughts down on paper is an excellent release. It can also help you clear your thoughts, and possibly help you come up with a new plan.

Please don't act out of desperation. If you're feeling overwhelmed, reach out for help. Don't do anything you might regret later. Believe me when I say that there are people out there who understand what you're going through. And no matter what you may think right now, things can always be worse, so try to remember the blessings you do have in your life.

Don't lose hope. Don't lose faith. Keep your loved ones close and don't hesitate to ask for help.

Are Medical Bills Dragging You Down?

I know first hand how medical debt can put a strangle-hold on you. In our family we've experienced: 3 appendix surgeries, 1 gall bladder surgery, 1 surgery to repair a hernia, 1 laparoscopy, 2 ear tube surgeries (the second was a replacement one with adenoid removal) and 1 foot surgery on two feet. Add to that having 4 babies, emergency room visits and the normal doctor and dental care, and you've got a lot of medical debt, even with insurance.

At first, I thought that I just had to pay the bill in full, without question. Then it became apparent, as things racked up, that it just wasn't possible for us to do that. That's when I started making calls. The first ones were for the bills my insurance was refusing to cover. In one case, they'd refused to cover an emergency apendectomy performed by a doctor out of their network. This is what I told them, "I went to a covered hospital in severe pain and feeling extremely sick. I figured I was safe since they were listed in your network. I'm sorry that I didn't think to ask them when they told me I was having emergency surgery if the doctor performing it was covered by my insurance. My appendix was about to burst." They paid the bill.

As for the bills that weren't covered by insurace, I called the doctor's billing office myself and asked if they would discount my bill, since my insurance wasn't going to cover any of it. All of them did--some of them by as much as 50%!

Another thing I was able to do was set up payment arrangements for the bills I couldn't afford to pay all at once. If they suggested an amount that I couldn't afford, I told them a lower number that I could manage. If they hesitated, I would tell them that I would love to pay more, but I had a long list of other bills, all of which I'm having to make payments on, and that was the best I could do. They all accepted that.

Also know, that as long as they are accepting your monthly payments, they aren't supposed to send you to collections because you are showing a good effort in repaying your debt. If you are sent to collections by mistake (which happened to me once) call them and tell them. If you are patient, but insistent, chances are they'll take the account back out of collections (Yes, this is possible).

One thing that helped us was that several of our bills were for the same company (Intermountain Healthcare), and when I called them about all of my bills (I had six with them at the time) they combined them all in one, with just one affordable monthly payment that was much lower than the six payments I had been making. So if you notice that any of your bills are for the same provider, or medical institution, see if they will do that same thing for you.

Another thing that some of them are able to do, but they don't advertise, is write your bill off. If you are having a rough time financially, and unable to pay your bill, explain your situation and ask them if they are able to write any of it off. Some of them are allowed to do that with a certain number of accounts each year, and it doesn't hurt your credit. Many of them also have programs for low-income families, which will help you to take care of your bills. It doesn't hurt to ask.

Make them an offer. If you do have most of the money you need to pay for a certain bill, ask if they will accept that lower amount. A lot of them will! I did this last year when I got my tax return. I called my dentist's office and asked if they would discount the bill if I would make the lowered payment in full and they did! I saved over one hundred dollars that time.

The bottom line is that most of your providers will be willing to work with you. Also, don't necessarily take the first answer from your health insurance if you think something should've been covered. Appeal it. Lots of people get their way when they do this.

I wish you all luck in lowering your medical debt this year! Let me know if this works for you, or if you have any other tips to help.

In the Interest of Making Money

Today I've been mainly focusing my efforts on getting this blog off the ground. Why? Because done right, it can bring in a pretty decent income. The last few days I've been searching what seems like every inch of the internet on how to make a successful blog (meaning one that earns me some much needed cash).

There's no simple answer on what makes a blog successful. You have to talk about something people want to read about. You have to know what you're talking about (or eventually people will find you out and lose interest), and I think you also have to enjoy doing it.

Once you have a topic and the knowledge to get going on it, you have to find where you want your blog. Obviously, I chose Blogger (http://www.blogger.com/) and so far I'm happy with my choice. There are plenty of free sites to publish on, and you get decent tools to build your page with.

Those first steps are certainly the easiest part. After you get going on your page, you can monetize your site with adsense. Google puts in ads that sponsor your site, and that's where you earn revenue. The only thing left is to get people to come. It's not as simple as sending out an email to all your friends and family, telling them to come see your site.

Before you get them to come though, you have to have something to keep them coming. It's a good idea to have your site ready before you open the floodgates to traffic. You have to have a friendly layout, good widgets and enough information to keep them reading. Here are some sites I found to help you on the gadgets needed for blogging http://www.bloggertipsandtricks.com/ and the know-how to make it profitable http://easycashrake.blogspot.com/.

The next step is you have to list with search engines. Some sites will do multiple listings (such as http://www.submitexpress.com/, http://www.selfpromotion.com/ and http://www.addme.com/). I found a lot of useful information about web marketing on http://www.philiphumbert.com/WebMarketing.htm.

Be sure, once your site is ready and listed, that you don't leave it at that. You still need to network. Find forums to discuss your blog. You can connect with other bloggers and get your site known. Here is a site giving you ideas on how to do that: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1388889/how_to_boost_your_blogs_popularity_.html?cat=59

None of this is really difficult to do, but it does take time. I think the hardest part for me was the fact that I do still have to perform my mommy duties while working on this. But once it gets going off the ground, it should be much easier to maintain.

The best part of all of this is that I get to make money doing two things I already love doing: researching and writing.

Give Gifts without Going Broke

Times are tough now for everyone, making it more difficult to give to those you love. The days when my mom would buy a gift for my friends' birthdays are long gone. Now I get to be the mom doing the buying, and believe me when I say that there's definitely not a lack of opportunities here.

Being the mother of four children who have more than their fair share of friends, and also being someone's sister, daughter, friend.....yeah, you get the point--I've been in the position numerous times where I needed a gift for someone. I don't have the benefit of limitless funds, but I don't want to come across as being a scrooge or a cheapskate either. So what are my options?

Surprisingly, there are several, and they are just as appreciated as their more expensive counterparts:


Find out what books they want to read. Try The Children's Book of the Month Club (http://www.cbomc.com/), or Double Day Book Club (http://www.doubledaybookclub.com/), or The Literary Guild (http://www.literaryguild.com/). You can get good deals on books at all of these sites. They're always offering specials, which makes them convenient to use at any time. If you're just signing up, you get a great deal on enrollment. If you give them your email address you get better offers than by snail mail. You do have to buy a few books (not necessarily at regular price) over the course of two years. Once you do that, you can cancel your membership so you don't have to respond to the featured selections. If you did end up cancelling you could even re-enroll at a later date and get the enrollment deal all over again.

How about a movie? With Columbia House (http://www.columbiahouse.com/) you can get a great deal upon enrollment too. They also give the best deals (such as Buy One, Get One Free) if you give them your email address, and sometimes you even get free shipping on top of that. They also have a certain number of DVDs you have to purchase over the course of two years.

Clothing? For children I prefer The Children's Place (http://www.childrensplace.com/). You can get quality clothes without breaking the bank. They always have what they call "Monster Sales" where you can get deeply discounted clothing for kids of all ages (up to size 12). Sign up with your email address and mailing addresses and you get an additional discount when they send out their coupons (about 3-4 times a year). You can also enter your children's birthdays and receive an email with up to 20% off all their merchandise during the month of your child's birthday. They also offer a Place Perks Card which gives you additional deals. Add to that the paltry $5 flat fee shipping rate, and you can walk out of there with a lot, paying very little.

You can also get good deals at JC Penney (http://www.jcpenney.com/), Kohls (http://www.kohls.com/), Old Navy (http://www.oldnavy.com/) and the Gap (http://www.gap.com/) by signing up for email with them. They also have clearance sections and send out coupon codes to their customers. So you don't have to skimp on quality just because your wallet is money-handicapped.

You can also go the creative route, if you're handy with the crafts. You can make a baby blanket fairly easy with minimal sewing skills (if I can do it, anyone can). You can create a scrap book for someone dear to you. You can put together a special photo frame collage. The possibilities are endless, and you can also get great deals on the web for the products you're looking for. Try Hobby Lobby (http://www.hobbylobby.com/), Hancock Fabrics (http://www.hancockfabrics.com/), Michaels (http://www.michaels.com/) to get you started. They also send out specials and coupons to their customers.

I just found a great article on eHow by kaseysviewblog that can give you plenty of ideas too: http://www.ehow.com/how_4808520_save-money-gift-giving-part.html?fid=4808520

These are just a few tips to get you thinking. I hope you'll find these tips useful.

Juggling is definitely the right word for it

I've found that writing articles is very much a job. I don't know how I'd ever considered it as anything else. One thing about me is that I always like to give all that I have to whatever job I'm doing. Usually, that means parenting, now it's also writing.

I'm obviously going to have to learn balance. I have found that if I work first thing in the morning on the house and family stuff, that leaves me more uninterrupted time in the early afternoon (well, unless you count a toddler climbing up on my lap every now and then to see what I'm doing and to make sure she's still my priority as an interruption--or my preschooler coming to tell me she wants a snack).

The problem I'm having is turning the article writing part of my brain off while I'm trying to concentrate on kids and homework in the late afternoon. I keep thinking about what I'm going to write next and how I'm going to advertise it. Yes, advertising, unfortunately is a big part of being a successful blogger and in article writing (if you're going the route I'm going with eHow and adsense).

This could be because this is all so new to me. I'm hoping that once I've gained momentum, things will be easier and I'll be better able to change channels. I'm sure that's the case, right?

As for the business side of writing, I found some encouragement, and more tips on this website: http://freelancewriting.suite101.com/topiclist/article.cfm/how_writers_can_create_passive_income
If you have some writing skills and are looking for a way to make some money, I suggest you check it out.

Anyway, on that note, I have another article on eHow. I've already talked a bit about it in my blog here, but it goes into more detail in the eHow article. Feel free to check it out!

How to Get a lower Rate on your Satellite Bill
http://www.ehow.com/how_4804929_lower-rate-satellite-bill.html

But before you go, take a look around here. I've got plenty of money-saving tips to help you out and there's more to come. Don't forget to tell your friends!

How to Deal in a Bad Economy

If you've experienced a job loss or a paycut, then your head is probably spinning from fear and confusion of what to do next. It doesn't help that you keep hearing all over the media about the unemployment rate going up and the availability of jobs going down.

You also probably have the very real fear of losing your home. How can you pay for your rent or your mortgage when you don't have enough money? What can you do? What are your options? I'm going to try to help you in this area.

First of all, if you don't have a budget, make one. You need to write down all of your monthly obligations and total them out. Then you'll know how much money you need. Also, a budget only works if you follow it, so try to avoid any impulsive expenditures.

Of course, you have to have enough money to make your budget work. If you're having trouble in this area due this bad economy, there are programs out there to help you.

My state has a program called The Utah Department of Workforce Services (here is their website: http://www.jobs.utah.gov/jobseeker/dwsdefault.asp). Through this program you can find out how to see if you qualify for financial assistance, food stamps, health care, or it can even help you look for another job. Check your state government website to find out what programs they have in your state.

Are you low income and having trouble paying your utilities? Winter is a hard time when it comes to paying that gas bill. In my state we have a program called HEAT (http://housing.utah.gov/seal/heat.html). Those who qualify for this program can get help paying for their gas and electric bills. Our program opens in November and goes until it runs out of money. Check with your utility company and they should be able to tell of the programs available in your particular area.

Do you have children in school? See if you qualify for free or reduced lunch. Many schools also offer breakfast to your children. This can really help you lower your food bill. The program is confidential, so no one else will know if you're paying for your kids' food or not.

Call your mortgage company, if you have one. See what options they have available to you. Don't give up if you don't get the answers you're looking for the first time you call. Your answer there is only as good as the person's knowledge who works there. Sometimes, oddly enough, the person you're talking to may not know what your options are, so ask to speak to their supervisor.

Sometimes you can modify your home loan and add what you've fallen behind on to the end of your mortgage. Sometimes they can even lower your interest rate or your payment to make it more affordable to you. They can also help you negotiate a short sale on your home, if that's what you need to do. Check with your mortgage company.

I checked to see what my mortgage company, Countrywide Home Loans, offers. They have their Financial Hardship Program information listed on their website (http://my.countrywide.com/media/FinancialAssistance.html). Your mortgage company's website might be a good place for you to start looking.

Also, you might want to try going to your church. Many churches have programs and funds available to those in need. The church I go to helps many people with food and other necessities. Check to see what's available to you in that avenue. Don't lose faith. We have to go through these hard times to get to the good times. It can be scary, but realize that God is there for you and will take care of you. He may not always take you in the direction you want to go, but trust that He knows better than you.

I hope these tips will help you in your hard time. If you know of any other resources out there that I haven't listed, please let me know.