A representative of Countrywide Home Loans recently contacted me, offering my readers use of one of their free “widgets”. Shown below is an interesting GUI (graphical user interface) that is the front-end to some server-based software that calculates the payment amount to “get ya outa debt”.

Yes, I understand that this is a free plug for Countrywide. Nevertheless, the software presents a unique opportunity for those of you who are interested in doing the math.

Other Countrywide financial based calculators can be found here.

Just what is wealthy?

The dictionary definition of “wealthy” is having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value; “an affluent banker”; “a speculator flush with cash”; “not merely rich but loaded”; “moneyed aristocrats”; “wealthy corporations”.

However, in my mind, being wealthy is to be in control of one’s time on this earth. All of us have only a certain number of days that we can truly enjoy ourselves; in good health, with wonderful family and interesting friends, surrounded by an appealing environment.

In order to determine just how we spend our time, we must not just have adequate disposable income, but time off from the drudgery of earning that income to enjoy ourselves.

So, this article is more than merely how to retire wealthy, but how to be wealthy.

Aside from those lucky individuals that are born into wealth, the majority of us have to find a way to earn our livelihood. To acquire wealth we need to get ourselves in a situation or situations consisting of three attributes; measurement, leverage, and residuals.

First, the position we choose to acquire must be one in which our performance can be easily measured. Otherwise, there is no way to get paid more by doing more.

Second, we must have to have leverage, in the sense that the decisions we make have a significant effect on the economic worth of our efforts.

And finally, our efforts must generate more than a mere salary. What we do to create wealth is in direct correlation to our ability to parlay our efforts into residual income (Note 1).

One of the best examples of an individual achieving the three attributes of creating wealth is Microsoft’s Bill Gates. Some argue that since Gate’s family was wealthy (his father was a prominent lawyer, his mother served on the board of directors for First Interstate BancSystem) that his success was predestined. However, Gate’s is a truly “self-made-man”.

He wrote his first computer program on an ASR-33 teletype terminal, time-shared to a General Electric (GE) mainframe. An implementation of the childhood game tic-tac-toe, it allowed users to play games against the computer. Gates was fascinated by the machine and how it would always execute software code perfectly.

From that humble start, Gates exhibited the first attribute of generating wealth, engaging in efforts in which his performance could be (easily) measured. Then, as his software development efforts were having big effects on the economic worth of his efforts (attribute #2), Gate’s first blockbuster effort, Altair BASIC, lead to his initial strong-hold on the PC software marketplace.

The residuals became to flow, which ultimately led to Gate’s enormous wealth.

We all strive to amass wealth. To succeed, at all times, our efforts must focus on

1. measurement,
2. leverage,
3. residuals.

Note 1. Residual Income (also called Passive Income) is income earned on an ongoing basis for effort done once in the past.

search for : disposable income, residual income, Altair BASIC, Passive Income

InboxDollars is a meeting place for consumers just like you and many of this nation’s well known companies. InboxDollars shares the revenue it receives from advertisers with you, their Members. Your time and participation are needed, solicited and valuable. InboxDollars® rewards you for your participation.

InboxDollars® provides more than 2.5 million loyal Members the opportunity to be rewarded for participating in a variety of product and service trials, marketing research studies and other online activities, such as shopping and playing games.

InboxDollars® is 100% free to join. In fact, the site pays you just to join. To become a member, click on the InboxDollars® ad in the column to the right, complete their Signup Form and they will credit your account $5.00 just for trying the service.

Viewers of this site say that they really do earn money for reading E-Mails from InboxDollars®. And, it’s so easy! Simply click the confirmation link in the Paid Emails® that InboxDollars® delivers to your Inbox. After clicking the confirmation link, your account will be credited instantly and you’ll be taken to the Advertiser’s web site.

InboxDollars® generally sends 2 or 3 Paid Emails® per day to their U.S. Members, announcing various ways to make money. Most of the Paid Emails® that InboxDollars® sends to you will include an opportunity to earn additional money by taking advantage of the offer for the product or service that is being advertised. However, you will earn money for confirming the Paid Email® regardless of whether or not you take advantage of the offer being advertised.

search for : InboxDollars, Paid Emails

Growing real estate company with properties in NYC metro area, upstate NY, PA, NJ seeks energetic self starter to assist in writing marketing write-ups of properties

1. Draft marketing descriptions of bldgs and vacant space for listings and website
2. Visit Properties occasionally
3. Interview Tenants, write business and consumer interest stories and help place them in local papers

Term: 2 Year part-time position – ideal for student seeking extra funds

Please submit:

1. Cover letter
2. Resume
3. Writing samples that were published

Please explain why you would be interested in working in the real estate industry. Looking forward to hearing from you

* Location: NYC Metro
* Compensation: $10/Hour
* Telecommuting is ok. Read more »

Although few of us continue to frequent our former office environs, most, if not all of us still have a circle of vendors and customer with which we are in constant contact. It’s human nature, at least with those whom I have observed, including myself, for us to find fault with others.

We are all subject to numerous factors that influence the accuracy with which we make personality judgments of ourselves and others. Factors to consider are the relationship between normal personality and any personality disorders, connections between personality and language use, and the psychological assessment of social situations in which we find ourselves.

Introspection might just reveal a feeling of enjoyment and triumphant, maybe even a certain smugness at “dissing” someone. We see this happening in the workplaces, associations, family and nearly all places of human interaction.

Psychologists call this “projection”;i.e., transferring onto other people the things you don’t like about yourself. If you seek perfection in your life, you’re not likely to truly find it. In fact, the irony is that you will be obsessed with the opposite condition — imperfection.

As a result, you will begin to notice it everywhere, in every situation, in every person. You will hate it and you will hate yourself.

Think about it!

A new Local Social Website, Guidespot.com, is looking for a witty and creative Seattle area writer with blogging and social networking experience. Personality is a major plus here!

Guidespot.com is hiring, and we are looking for a passionate and enthusiastic local maven who is excited to share their expertise on things in, around, and anything that has to do with Seattle. We are looking for a creative and well-written writing coordinator who is an online social networking and blogging guru. This writing coordinator will help expand our list of Guides and online community in Seattle… And of course, you should tell all your friends about the site (Hey, can you blame us?).

Show me the Money:
The writing coordinator will earn a competitive pay based on each guide created. If all goes well, the role has the possibility of expanded work.

Real Job Contact (WoW!):
Alexandra Friedman
Email: contactus@guidespot.com

To Whom it May Concern (don’t write that):
Please submit a cover note in your email and “Writing Maven – Seattle” in the subject.

Show us What ya Got:
Please direct us to your website, blog, writing samples or online writing outlet so we can check out your writing style.

I Want This Job:
*** The Icing on the Cake *** We highly suggest that you include your Guidespot profile link (and if you want to go above the rest, write a little something on the site for us to check out!).

———-

Good luck and GuideOn!

* Location: Seattle
* Compensation: Competitive and Project Based
* Telecommuting is ok.
* This is a part-time job.

click here for article

Beautiful Wilkes County NC Timber Frame Home and Mountain Property.

MLS Number: 51166, List Price: $898,500

2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, 2 half baths, 2 car attached garage, full basement, and a barn on 5 acres of land.

These terms are used to describe thousands of homes and yet some things just can’t be described, they have to be experienced. This is one of those homes that really has to be seen to be appreciated.

This majestic Timber Frame home of the Bob Timberlake genre is not just another house, it provides a feeling of home that is not about walls and floors and windows and doors. It creates a feeling of the flow between your outdoor and your indoor environment that is seamless. Everywhere you look there is a view. Everything you touch feels natural and beautiful in a way that cannot be described, only owned.

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

click here for more information

As a service to our viewership, spinoff.com has partnered with getafreelancer.com (GAF) to help you find employment as freelance programmers, web designers, copywriters, and bloggers. getafreelancer.com helps companies and individuals outsource projects to experts in countries around the world.

GAF was not designed to be a discount super center specializing in providing top-notch skills at rock-bottom prices. For the site to grow and attract high-quality buyers and sellers, every attempt was made to use standard business practices and pricing when creating and bidding on projects.

Navigating to our freelance jobs listings page will allow you to see the top fifty listings currently available for “Buyers” looking to hire consultants for jobs that work at home entrepreneurs just like you can fill. Plus, once you find a job listed in your area of specialty, you will probably want to make application to join the getafreelancer network. As a freelancer you can then choose among hundreds of outsourced projects. You join free and pay only a small commission on whatever projects you find appealing.

In addition, many of our viewers are, themselves, blog and website developers. For jobs outside their areas of expertise, they sometimes post to employment sites looking for expert help. getafreelancer.com features a database of freelance programmers, interpreters, copyrighters, authors, and graphic designers with the ability to work independently with minimal guidance.

The key to finding the best contractor for the job is having a thorough feedback system by which a Buyer can view comments of other Buyers about their experiences with a particular “Provider”. getafreelancer.com provides such a service here.

search for : getafreelancer, freelance programmer, freelance jobs listing

Some of us excel at public speaking, others would rather have a root canal. Often, the love or fear of standing in front of others, especially a large audience, stems from our childhood and early adolescence experiences.

Acceptance is learned at a young age. Encouraging words from parents about youngsters’ performances tend to shape our “sense of self worth”. Understanding this may go a long way to helping you develop your presentation skills.

Thinking back, you may have noticed someone who is talking on a topic about which they are emotional or passionate. As that presenter gets caught up in their interest, he or she may convey an authority which grabs the listener?s attention. The strength of conviction shapes the persuasive quality of their words. That is a concept you want to acquire, no matter the subject matter.

The ways to enhance your presentations are to improve your natural speaking abilities.

They include breathing properly, standing straight with your shoulders back and your head up which opens your airway, pulling in your stomach, using your diaphragm to project your words, if sitting, keeping your legs from crossing and your feet flat on the floor and finally, using a a comfortable, low pitch for your speaking voice.

Don’t slouch when standing, slump down in a chair, take other than normal breaths, talk in an unnaturally loud voice, tense your torso, or keep your eyes down, reading from notes.

There are few things that inspire more fear in many people than the prospect of having to deliver a public speech. Understanding the anxiety issue, as well as helping speakers understand the role of the listener will go a long way in making each of us a better speaker.

search for : public speaking

Established Media Company in SoHo seeks ongoing relationship with freelance financial/market writer/reporter.

Editorial topics will include:
-daily market coverage
-commentary
-financial education
-Resources
-etc.

Please respond with applicable resume, writing samples, etc. to:

Mr. NLF Editor

Please respond with compensation requirements for articles up to 500 words in length and a number available to write per week (1 article, 4 articles, etc.).

Pay is biweekly, flat rate per article and a freelance agreement must be signed.

* Telecommuting is ok.
* This is a part-time job.
* This is a contract job.
* This is an internship job Read more »

search for : Telecommuting

We work at home entrepreneurs already have one advantage over the “nine-to-fivers”. We know how to manage money. Working hard to make our way in this world, we tend to be more knowledgeable of how the money is earned, and, more importantly, how our income is spent.

For some of us, retirement is a significant topic. Many of use are consumed with the idea that maybe there is more to life than just earning a living. After all, why do we work so hard unless there is a future goal of an more fulfilling lifestyle.

With that in mind, let’s look at how to retire early.

Number one, most important in my mind, it’s not how much I make, but how much I spend. Many top wage owners live “paycheck to paycheck”. Yes, those individuals control significant assets; a fine home, expensive cars, furniture, jewels, etc. Note I use the word “control”, not own.

Do those individuals truly own the items, or are they just “making payments” for their use. Miss one paycheck, causing the individuals to forgo a few payments on their mortgage, home-equity loan and credit cards — that’s how the U.S. mortgage mortgage became such a mess.

Once an individual has their spending in check, regular savings plus the idea of compound interest from “safe” investments will almost always guarantee an early retirement. The exact dollar amount you need to remove from each paycheck is not as important as committing to saving 10% to 20% of your total income. This must be set up so that the amount is withdrawn automatically. Many financial advisors call this “paying yourself first”.

In my mind, the exact vehicle for making your retirement investment is not nearly important as making a commitment to regular savings. Even low-yielding CDs or money market funds, with the concept of “compound interest”, will provide enough funds allowing you to retire way before the age of 65.

Many of us work from home entrepreneurs spend much of our day alone in our own little world.

Doubts about our effectiveness and even bouts of minor depression are bound to happen once in a while.

How we deal with these periods “of the blues” determines our capacity to prosper at our chosen line of work.

Working towards a gentle and stable state of mind involves many steps. Among them is taking time to reflect on where we have come from and how we got to where we are now. Was your previous place in you environment within your “comfort zone”?

Often people have doubts because they are moving or have moved from something familiar in their life. Uncertainty can trigger doubts but life is a constant change. You should understand the source of your doubts and try not to let doubts get in the way of a stable mindset.

With change, there are always pros and cons of the prior lifestyle versus the current. It helps to examine your new situation and look at the positive and negative aspects. It will help to write down the pros and cons of each situation. Examine the pro list and compare that with your doubts.

Seeking feedback from friends, colleagues and family members always helps, without paying a counselor to listen. People who know you and people who work with you are always the best sounding boards. Tell them your doubts. Their honest feedback could help you to determine how real or how imaginary your doubts really are.

Finally, imagine a worst case scenario that is the result your recent lifestyle change. What could go wrong. Ask yourself how likely is this to happen. Would you be unable to handle the results?

Often our imagined fears are far worse than reality.

For more information on handling depression, click on this video.

search for : work from home entrepreneurs

$5,850,000

MLS Number: 50913

City: Valle Crucis, NC
Stories: 2
Bedrooms: 4 Baths: 4.5
Area: Boone-Blowing Rock, NC
Year Built: 1990
Plus Five fully furnished 1,400 sq. ft. Rental Cottages. Each built in 1996 on approx. 1/2 acre sites. Current cottage average annual rental income $150,000.

39.4 acres with 360 degree view of Blue Ridge Mountains.

5,200 sq. ft. main house built in 1990 on 1.24 acres.

No restrictions and no zoning offer many other options:

* Family compound
* Corporate retreat
* Religous retreat
* Horse farm / Dude ranch
* Recording studio
* Cottages can be sold separately
* Land can be further subdivided if desired

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

click here for more information

search for : Valle Crucis, NC, Blowing Rock, NC, Blue Ridge Mountains

1. Turning off the air conditioning and rolling-down the windows saves gas. NOT, according to a Consumer Reports test. That institute found no more than a one mile per gallon difference at Interstate speeds. However, if you’re driving around town on errands, you might save some gas by rolling down the windows instead of using the air conditioning.

2. Waiting after the weekend rush, towards mid-week, will save you on the per gallon cost of fuel. The American Automobile Association found that gas prices fluctuate from day to day and are determined by gas station owners looking at a variety of factors which include wholesale gasoline prices, not daily demand of their product.

3. Letting your car sit at idle, instead of turning-off the engine, will save fuel. With modern fuel injection systems on the newer cars and light-duty trucks, if you are going to be sitting for more than a half minute, you will save more gas by turning the engine off than letting it continue to run.

4. Over-inflating tires will reduce the rolling resistance and save fuel. Maybe, but the extra center tread wear, requiring more frequent purchase of expensive tires will surely offset the fuel savings.

5. Buying several five gallon lawn-mower containers of fuel at cheap prices and storing them in the trunk will allow you to lower the average of your fuel cost per gallon. Simply dangerous!

6. A higher octane grade of gas is better for your car, resulting in a more efficient operation. It’s a myth that higher-octane fuel burns hotter and cleaner. Furthermore, it will not improve an ordinary car’s gas mileage. Your driver’s manual will list the recommended level of octane, which will usually be the lowest usable for your vehicle.

The biggest fuel saver is driving the speed limit and driving sensibly. Rapid starts and stops and exceeding the speed limit will have a disastrous effect on fuel mileage. Just by driving the posted speed limit, the Department of Energy estimates that drivers can save anywhere between 15 and 98 cents a gallon with further savings available if one will drive “like an egg is between shoe leather and accelerator”.

search for : save some gas, cost of fuel, gas prices, wholesale gasoline prices, higher octane grade

WEST JEFFERSON NC MOUNTAIN PROPERTY

87.5 +/- Acres Available For Residential Subdivision Mountain Development, 7 miles from West Jefferson, NC

Paved Road and Bridge Built To State Specifications.

Average of $23,000 per acre.

This Property Should Retail For Approximately $50,000 to $60,000 per acre.

ALL PROPERTY HAS LONG RANGE MOUNTAIN VIEWS

Contact Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247

or

email Greg at grstike@charter.net

click here for more information