Pregnancy, Blogging and the Real Possibility of Job Loss

Yep... I am pregnant. Still a long way to go to get to the stage of the lady in the picture, but getting there, sure enough. And, now you know why I have been absent from the blog for so long :) I tend to sleep a lot these days... and all those of you who are bloggers know that the need to sleep a lot and the addiction to blogging just cannot coexist. So, I had to prioritize and decided to walk away from the blog. Cold turkey. Believe me, that isn't an easy thing to do when you have spent pretty much every free minute during the past year obsessing over your blog. And the blog is finally grown to a point that it is getting some recognition and earning some side income. But hey, you've got to do what you've got to do, right?

Frankly, I have no regrets. Over the year, I have complained on and off that the blog was beginning to feel more and more like work. Some of the articles were written more out of obligation than the real interest to write. I was actually starting to get stressed out that I had a deadline to post and the article was not ready yet or that the quality of the article was poor compared to some really great articles put out by so many great personal finance bloggers! As if that wasn't enough, my mood was being controlled by what and how Google chose to tweak their algorithms - one day I was flying high because my predicted PR was 5, and the next day I was down in the dumps since the real PR had crashed to 0! As though all that was not enough, the blog was beginning to make some real money, and when money is involved, perspectives have a tendency to get very skewed. But now, with all that out of the way, I am free to write when I really want to and blabber on like I am doing right now :)

All kidding aside (pun intended), just around this time two other events occurred at work which made the decision necessary. First, I have been wanting to get on a high visibility, high profile project for the past few months and an opportunity presented itself for me to take a jab at it. This project is a great chance for me to prove my mettle to my current employer and to chart the course for my future career. It is in line with the reason why I chose to work for this company in the first place. And I just had to take it. It wasn't easy dealing with the prospect that I could be pregnant soon, and take on more responsibility at work at the same time. But I was beginning to get stuck in a rut with my current project which is fairly dead-end career-wise. What's worse, this project could go on forever and I would have no chance to get out of it until I pulled myself out of it by the ends of my shoelace! It seemed like a "now or never" moment and I decided to go for it. Even though it is hard to admit, blogging would be a huge distraction if I really have to give to this project what it requires.

The second event was far worse. Our CEO announced that he had put our division on the market for sale, and it came as a complete surprise to many of us! Of course we had heard some rumors before, but none of us paid any attention to it, since it was just too inconceivable. Now, with fresh rumors floating that one of the suitors is a Chinese company whose sole motivation to buy is to obtain the market share, and that most employees would be let go, it seems like the job loss is imminent. I now had to get on that other project and earn as much experience as possible on the new project before looking for new jobs, if I want my career to go in the direction that I hope for. My only hope and prayer is that, because of size of our company, the whole split/buy out/merger will drag on for a while, and I will have the time to have the baby and the experience on the new project before having to look for a new job. Keeping my fingers tightly crossed.

As I mentioned briefly before, the blog was starting to make some real money just before I decided to call it quits. In the month before I quit, the income from this blog was a little over $400. And that is no chump change! I was really tempted at one point to let the opportunity to get on the high profile project at work slip by, and focus on taking this blog to the next level. That way, if I lose the job, I will have another outlet to continue bringing in some income. But frankly, I don't see myself as a professional blogger. And realistically, the odd name of this blog will limit the scope of how big it can be. And finally, I just am not cut out to quit the conventional thinking ("poor dad" school of thought?) of preferring a steady paying job in favor of a risky dream/fantasy option. Ideally, I would have wanted to hang on to both - the opportunities at work as well as explore the opportunities with the blog, and see how things go. But with the baby on the way, and my body demanding rest, I just had to make a decision and stick with it. And I choose to go with the conventional, prudent thing to do. If I have to take on some stress, I might as well take it to further my career. Maybe blogs (and other Internet based hobbies) make thousands of dollars to some of their owners, but I just have to wait for the time to be right for me to indulge in such hobbies. Like I said, you've got to do what you've got to do, right?

Someday, I will come back and revive this blog. Or may be start a whole new blog. Or heck, maybe do something else entirely different and turn myself into a millionaire :) But for now, I will just stick to posting random ramblings here and hope someone will stop by from time to time to read them :)

*Image Credit: ABC News Article [via Google Image Search]

Paid $258 for a Pair of Eye Glasses Inspite of Having Insurance...

... And the lesson learnt: "Never let your guard down".

Here's what happened. I have been using my current pair of eye glasses for close to two years, and it was time for a change. So I went to my doctor, had an examination and as I always do, I told the lady I wanted to go over my insurance first to get an idea of the coverage before starting to look for the glasses. I did NOT want expensive glasses.

As we were going over the insurance, I indulged myself by inquiring about the frame-less "silhouette" glasses. I have always wanted to have those, but due to my weird astigmatism prescription, making the lenses of the quality that can be directly bored into was an expensive prospect. Every time I got new glasses, I would get an estimate for the frame-less lenses, find out that my insurance did not cover it sufficiently, and choose some old boring frames. And here she was telling me that my current insurance covered 100% of the expenses for whatever-the-process-is for making the frame-less lenses. I was exhilarated.

Now, generally, when I finish discussing the insurance details with the lady, my husband and I go off on our own to look through the frames and choose one that not only fits me, but fits our budget as well. But with frame-less lenses, how much could the thin temple bars cost after all, right? So, we let the lady show us some of the "frame-less frames" that they carry. And both my husband and I liked one, so we decided to go with it. Since all it is, is a pair of metal sticks that hinges on my ears to make sure that the lenses are held correctly over my nose and there is no "frame" as such, we did not even bother to ask her how much it costs. Or for that matter how much my insurance coverage was for frames.

Happy with our purchase, we went to the register to pay. Lo and behold, the bill was for $258! Surely there must be a mistake somewhere! As I carefully went over the bill, my heart sank to find out that the frame-less "frames" cost $330 while my insurance only covered $180. So my out-of-pocket expenses was $150 for two thin 4 inch metal sticks! Add to that the co-pay, my portion of the anti-reflective coating, blah, blah and more blah, there it was - a $258 bill :( I was too embarrassed to tell her I wanted to change my mind and go for the regular frames. Or to say that I just needed the prescription, so I could go online and order the same "frame-less" frames with the anti-reflection coating and the other bells and whistles for around $50. So I quietly signed on the dotted line.

Today, my glasses arrived. I love the way they look and feel. Nevertheless, every time I put them on or take them off, I can't help but feel a slight sense of shame for having been a sucker and so grossly overpaying for them...

Sigh!

*Image Credit: Photograph by Daniel Y. Go [via Flickr Creative Commons]

10 Ways for College Students to Cut Costs where it Counts

(This is a guest post by Heather Johnson*)

There are three essential liquids that every college student needs to survive and prosper. These vital beverages are (in no particular order):

1. Water — The original clear stuff quenches your thirst like nothing else and helps you sustain that fit young body.


2. Coffee — Nothing else stimulates and sharpens a mind dulled by too little sleep or too much of everything else like a hot, strong cup of mud.


3. Alcohol — Whether you prefer the stuff that comes in a stein, a snifter, or a shot glass, the only way to make the whole college experience worthwhile is to enjoy an adult beverage every now and again.

During the four or five or nine years that you spend as an undergrad, you could easily spend several thousand dollars on just these three indispensables. Follow these ten simple strategies and you will never go thirsty again (and you might even have enough money left over to pay your tuition).

Water: This topic will be addressed in just a couple of points because it is so damn easy to save a ton of money by making simple changes.

1. Drink Tap Water: That’s it—done and done. Get a Nalgene or steal your friend’s empty nine-dollar bottle of volcanic spring water and then just fill it from the faucet. Tap water really doesn’t taste all that bad and is usually better for you than pricey bottled water because of the various minerals that are added by your friendly local government. Best of all, it’s virtually free. Carry your new best friend everywhere you go and you won’t be tempted to spend your change on soft drinks that not only cost money but are bad for you as well.



2. Fake Filter: If you just can’t bring yourself to drink water that’s not filtered in some way, then buy a Brita and never bother to change the filter; you’ll never notice the difference. Keep this glorified pitcher in the fridge and every sip will be cold and delicious. Make this simple adjustment from bottled water and you won’t believe all of the extra cash suddenly stuffing your pockets.

Coffee: Drastically reducing the amount of money that you spend on your daily caffeine fix is a simple task as well. Follow these couple of rules a smaller portion of your cash will end up in the Pacific Northwest.

3. Caffeinate Like a Towny — Track down a native and follow him to a local java house rather than following the herd of your classmates to the big chain in the student union. Find the right place and you’ll still get a great cup of joe at a significant discount.



4. Brew Your Own — Better yet, cut out all of the middle men and their outrageous mark-ups. Invest in your own coffee machine, buy some cheap beans, and start your day with a cup of the good stuff before you even open your front door.

Alcohol: You’re likely to spend more on beer and its brethren than water and coffee combined and this list has been constructed with that reality in mind. Here are six methods to saving money without sacrificing any fun.

5. Be Cheap — Once you’ve sacrificed a few decades to the workaday world and have earned that corner office, you’re welcome to all the Johnny Blue you can drink. Until then, drink your can of Natty Light and smile; the cost fits your budget and in the long run it does the job just fine.



6. Pre-Game — Bars and restaurants make money on their huge mark-ups. Hit up Discount Liquors on the way home from your last class and spend an hour or two on the couch before heading out.



7. Let Them Woo You — Local establishments will do almost anything to draw a college crowd and that is good news for you. Become a walking calendar of drink specials and hit the right spots on the right nights.



8. Be Flexible — Speaking of specials, don’t just seek out discounts on pitchers of Bud Light. Expand your horizons and hit up the tapas joint for half price sangria, the burrito dive for two-for-one margaritas, and the sushi bar for sake bomb Sunday. Never discriminate when it comes to cheap booze.



9. Brew Your Own — Just like #4 above, this will cut out all sorts of costs and inexpensive starter kits make it simple to start your own mini brewery under your bed. Plus, there are worse things than being known across campus as Mr. Beer.



10. Be a Hot Girl — Sorry if this last one is not a feasible option for you, but it is the one truly fail-safe way to ensure that you will never ever have to buy your own drinks. (Other than not drinking, of course, but that is not even worth mentioning).

*About the author: Heather Johnson is a freelance business, finance and credit writer, as well as a regular contributor for BusinessCreditCards.com site for comparing small business credit cards. She welcomes questions, comments, and freelancing job inquiries at her email address heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com

*Image Credit: Photograph by mre770 [via Flickr Creative Commons]