Did I Really Only Make $50?!?

So, it just hit me that so far this week I have only made $50!!! Grrr! Grant it I have been sick and have not felt at all like writing, working or asking people for work, but still! This sucks! I basically just got a rude awakening about what happens when you work for yourself! The days you don't work, you don't make money!!!





There are no sick days, no paid vacations, nothing! Sure, there are lots of perks to working for myself, but it was hard to look at my books and see such a dismal amount of money to be made 3 days into the work week. Even more saddening is knowing that I won't make any money again until Saturday because me being ill has kept me from setting up appointments and all that jazz.





This post is not my way of trying to get people to feel bad for me, so let's clear that up right this second. Instead it is my way of showing you that although my job is the coolest ever, it does have its downsides. I'm not a millionaire [yet ;)] and I do have to work every single day that I hope to make money. That is until I come up with some amazing book that makes me royalties while I sleep, right? Hey! It could happen so don't hate.

Photo credit: http://www.momsneedtoknow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/50.jpg

Bubbles the Clown is Back in Town!

Just got $77 worth of groceries at Publix for $8.60 thanks to Addicted to Saving! Would have been less, but I splurged on candy bars for kids I'll be hanging out with for summer movie camp!!! love the fact that I can splurge a little for things like that now that I'm becoming a super couponer!

Which reminds me...
If you want to see me as Bubbles the Clown come to AMC in Brandon and get a chance to win some of the candy I just bought. Every Tuesday morning this summer select kids movies are just $1! Details HERE

Cheap Eats Review: La Ideal Sandwich Shop

Click HERE to read my Cheap Eats review for Metromix on La Ideal Sandwich Shop. A restaurant qualifies for Cheap Eats if two people can eat for under $20.

I'm So Thankful for Addicted to Saving

I'm what many would refer to as a starving artist. As a freelancer sometimes money is tight. Thanks to websites like Addicted to Saving I'm not only saving money on my groceries, I'm becoming inspired to do more to save money in every aspect of my life. With the help of websites like this I won't be starving anymore =)

In this photo is almost $110 worth of groceries. I actually spent $29.09 on all the food you see here!!! I have become so obsessed with Addicted to Saving that today I saved the most on groceries I have ever saved. Look closely-there is yogurt, egg beaters, peanut butter and more. You don't have to buy junk to use coupons. All the feminine pads you see in the picture I got completely free thanks to the coupons I used.

If you haven't checked out Addicted to Saving then you are probably overpaying for your groceries.

Like I said, the website inspired me so I've started a blog about free stuff in the Tampa Bay area myself. Check out HERE

I also wrote two articles about Addicted to Saving. Check them out HERE and HERE

Turn off the Television!

image credit here

One of my problems? The television. It has become a bad habit to turn on the t.v. as soon as I wake up. I even gave myself the excuse that I just wanted to watch the news, but as soon as the news is over daytime t.v. shows somehow manage to be on my screen.

The t.v. is very distracting. I can see myself developing into an even lazier stay at home worker if I don't start taking control right away. It would appear I need to leave the tube off and just turn on the radio if I need the news fix to get me going that badly.

Thank goodness I'm figuring out all my vices and distractions early so that I can hopefully combat them quickly and get to work!

Slacker!

Oh boy! It's been a little more than a week since I became a full time freelancer and I already feel like so much of a slacker. I have a long list of ideas. So many post it notes, napkins, business cards, random pieces of notebook paper and so much more and here I am more than 240 hours later without much to show for being on my own.

Sure, I've done some stuff, but nothing to make me feel worthy of the title of freelancer. I'm acting like an unemployed shlub with random spurts of working. I have to change my ways ASAP if I'm going to start making an actual living out of the thoughts in my head...

What did you write today?

I wrote this post October 29, 2009 for a Blog called The Crooked Table
It was so important to me that I feel it should be resposted here:

Sit down in the chair! Do it now!
Get a pen and paper and write down 5 places you want to write for.
This is the life of a freelancer...

Got those 5 places you wanna write for?
Good...now get up out of the chair and head to the library and find those publications and study the crap out of them.

Studied up? Fantastic! Now sit back down in a chair and with 5 pieces of paper. At the top of each piece of paper write the name of the publications. example-at the top of Page 1 The New York Times Page 2 Penthouse Magazine and so forth and so on....yes I'm aware Penthouse will not be at the library, but I digress....

On each of these 5 pieces of paper brainstorm and write down ideas of articles that you could potentially make query letters out of for these places....

Once you have done that find out how the publications go about accepting queries. If they don't no big deal because at least you had an exercise in brainstorming. If they do accept queries, then what the hell are you waiting for? Write one!

Write your best idea to each publication that you dream of writing for and then wait....and wait...and wait...hopefully soon you will receive a letter, an email or a phone call that your idea has been accepted...

While you wait to be accepted keep doing it. Constantly be studying the publications you want to write for and constantly be sending in good ideas to them.

As Dr. Wilber from the University of South Florida often said, EMBRACE REJECTION!!!

Why should you embrace rejection? Because not only did you at least attempt to get an article in your dream publication, you have now been given the chance to try again. 90% of the battle is trying. Eventually, if your ideas are good, you might get the dream gig. Never give up! Never surrender.

Happy freelancing ya'll!
Ashley Grant www.morethanphotographs.com