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• DIY: Raise chickens

  Posted Aug 10 2009, 11:50 AM by Karen Datko
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  Filed under: savings, Karen Datko, consumer guide, food, complaints, economy, home business
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  Nothing says deep recession like the number of people who are raising chickens in their own backyards.

  Several publications have noted this trend in recent days, including The New York Times, which says that business at chicken hatcheries is brisk. The U.S. Postal Service shipped 1.2 million pounds of baby chicks, including packaging, in the first six months of the year.

  "Chicken hatcheries say that it is typical in a recession for their business to do well," the NYT reports. "But some hatchery veterans say they have never seen a year like this one."

  However, is this really the frugal choice, when eggs at the store cost $1.60 a dozen, give or take?   Read More...

  Discuss ( 15 comments) 5,684 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Business cards: How free is ‘free’?

  Posted Mar 10 2009, 11:30 AM by Joan Melcher
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  Filed under: savings, online shopping, bargain, home business, Joan Melcher
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  With the number of unemployed rising across the country, many people might be thinking of starting a new business or endeavor.
  
  What’s the first thing you need? A business card, of course. A quick Web search shows several sites that offer "free" business cards. We saw one offer from MarketSplash  for "100 Free Business Cards -- 100% Free" and decided to see how free "free" is   Read More...

  Discuss ( 5 comments) 3,206 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Make an extra $100 in a day

  Posted Dec 30 2008, 09:49 AM by Karen Datko
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  Filed under: savings, Karen Datko, budgeting, income, home business
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  Forget that old expression: "It takes money to make money." Neville Medhora of Neville's Financial Blog is the king of making money with very little investment upfront.

  His 10 tips for making $100 in a day require little capital. Think you can't make money from selling chilled bottled water to passing motorists? Neville has tried it, as well as a number of other novel ideas on his list.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 2 comments) 10,039 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Living with and learning from layoffs

  Posted Dec 01 2008, 06:13 AM by Karen Datko
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  Filed under: family, marriage, Get Rich Slowly, budgeting, financial planning, love and money, education, income, economy, home business
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  This post comes from J.D. Roth at partner blog Get Rich Slowly.

  On my personal-finance blog, I recently shared several lists of recession-proof jobs. The experts who created these lists don't agree on much, but they do seem to think that jobs in information technology and the health care industry are fairly safe. That doesn't mean that all of these jobs are safe, of course.

  I have two friends who combine both of these: They're IT workers for health insurance providers. One of my friends still has his job. The other will be laid off at the end of the year. I'd be scared in his situation, but he seems to be taking it fine. In fact, I thought about his attitude when I read an article on layoffs recently.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 7 comments) 7,476 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Manage the natural ups and downs of your workweek

  Posted Nov 13 2008, 07:06 PM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: family, The Simple Dollar, budgeting, tips, getting started, work at home, home business
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  This post comes from Trent Hamm at partner blog The Simple Dollar.

  Ever since my college days, my typical week has followed the same general pattern.

  On Mondays, I have a hard time coming up with good ideas. I can usually follow lists of tasks, but the creative part of my brain is on pause.

  Tuesday through Thursday is the creative meat and potatoes of my week. I do most of my good thinking during that period, and I'm also at my most productive as well.

  On Fridays, I'm often distracted by the details of the upcoming weekend and I'm prone to daydreaming and dawdling. I can usually come up with ideas on Fridays, but I have a hard time following through with them.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 3 comments) 1,553 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

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