Millionaire Blog

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Jul 23, 2008, Show Me the Money Day #5

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

I'm so excited to see my "little sister" today! I haven't seen her much in the past couple of months.

But this is not my biological "little sister".

You see, three years ago, I volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

And once a week, I spend an hour or so with my little sister, "Amber".

She's the sweetest 9 year old I know!

She loves to play softball, ride horses, swim, read, and giggle a LOT!

Day #5 $280

That's why today I pledged $280 dollars to the Big Brother Big Sister Organization over the next 12 months.

Show Me the Money

My youngest daughter and I will be holding a bake and take sale to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.

It will be sweaty work - but worth it!

Best, Sonja

Jul 22, 2008, How My Kids Averaged $18 Dollars An Hour

Good Morning Everyone,

Living on a small hobby farm sure has its perks!

On Saturday, we just brought 94 chickens in to be butchered.

We have 80 of them sold (14 for our growing family!) after 10 weeks of feeding and watering twice a day.

My kids rotate being in charge of feeding and watering for a week at a time.

Then every Saturday, everyone pitches in to clean the coop.

And Dad helps them with that "stinky" job!

But after all expenses were accounted for...

Each one of the kids was able to make $100 bucks cash!

That averaged out to be a whopping $18 dollars an hour.

Not bad, eh?

What home business are you encouraging your kids to start?

Best, Sonja

Jul 21, 2008, The Most Important Lesson to Teach Your Millionaire Kids

Dear Parents,

We all want to give our kids the best start in life.

And you believe that teaching your kids about managing money...smartly...is an important lesson.

Otherwise you probably wouldn't be here, right?!

So what's the first, most important lesson you should teach your kids?

I've thought a lot about this lately and here's what I've come up with.

Kids need to be taught to have a positive, "I can do it" attitude.

You, and your kids, can do just about anything they set their mind to.

So make sure you encourage your kids to replace "I can't", with "I can if I practice."

Take a peek at the back issues of my monthly ezine for more important lessons...

Best, Sonja

Jul 16, 2008, How a Busy, Working Mom Launched a New Business

Good Morning,

Have you ever thought about starting your own business?

So you don’t have to fight the traffic…the tiny cubicle…or the gouging price of gas?

Most of you, at some time or other, have probably dreamed about leaving the rat race to start your own business.

So what’s stopping you?

Hop on over and sign up for my FREE monthly ezine to read about...

How a young, busy, working mom started a music business while still keeping her day job...

Best, Sonja

Jul 15, 2008, Show Me the Money Day #4

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Do you have a loyal pet? We have a new addition to our family...

An adorable collie named Blaze. And I am amazed at how he just fit right in with our family!

So now we have 2 dogs (13 year old Grandpa Champ, Blaze, our cat Lexy, our mare Star, and our cockatiel Tyson.)

I'm not counting our small herd of beef cows/calves/steers and our flock of laying and broiler chickens!

Life is busy on our small hobby farm!

After all the flooding in Iowa, there were some 30 or more stranded cats and dogs rescued.

These pets are now ready to be adopted...but until then, they need food, care, and love.

Day #4 $160

I'm donating $80 dollars to the local humane society taking on all these cuddly creatures until they are placed with new families.

Show Me the Money

Remember I mentioned a flock of broiler chickens? We charge our customers $2.25 per pound for our home grown chickens.

And we even throw in a dozen free eggs to boot!

Happy giving, Sonja

Jul 11, 2008, My 23-Year-Old Hero Neighbor

Happy Friday,

Imagine your son playing a strenuous game of water foot-ball at the beach...

sprawling out on the sand to take a much deserved break...

then hearing a blood-curdling scream coming from too far out in the river...

And then dashing out to save a thirteen year old girl and her friend from drowning!

Well, that's what happened one hot, summer day at the river beach where my neighbor Matt, was cooling off.

He didn't hesitate when he heard the girls screaming for help when they got caught in the strong current.

They had been walking along a sand bar with their mom when a big wave knocked them off their feet into a sudden 50 foot drop with a strong downward current.

And sadly, Matt wasn't able to save their mom. The current was too strong and she drowned that day.

Matt, the sweet young man that he is, blushed and was embarrassed by the recognition.

So today, on Day #4 of my giving...

I'm donating $80 dollars to a memorial fund for the deceased mother.

Show Me the Money One person's junk is another person's treasure...

So with that in mind, I posted some of my "junk" treasures to sell on Craig's list.

About a month ago, I got rid of an old rusty fishing boat taking up space in our shed the past 2 years for #200 bucks!

Wish me luck!

Sonja

Jul 9, 2008, Show Me the Money! Day #3

Hi Everyone,

Sorry, I got a little off track on my 10 days of Double Giving!

So it's Day 3 to double my giving...

Day #3 $40

I'm not sure what's going on in your neck of the woods...but in the southern part of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa -there have been devastating flooding.

I watched on the news as stranded pets were even rescued from water logged homes.

So my $40 dollar donation is earmarked for my neighbors to the south who are still trying to dry out.

Show Me the Money The money is coming from selling some of our home-made jalapeno spiced beef jerky.

Yum Yum!

We give it as Christmas presents - now I'm trying my hand at selling it!

Let me know if you're a beef jerky fan - we have 5 flavors to die for!

Best, Sonja

Jul 3, 2008, How Teens Can Make Some Extra Gas Money

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Are you spending money like water on gas these days? Most of us are.

So how can teens make a little extra cash to help fill up their gas tanks?

I’ve come up with 5 ideas to get them started:

1) Mow lawns:

My niece mows her neighbor’s lawn – it takes her about an hour – for $30 dollars. That’s a half a tank of gas to scoot to the mall!

My own kids get paid $20 dollars to mow the lawn, but it takes them two and a half hours!

I admit it - I’m a cheapskate.

2) Help out with the elderly:

This can be good money as well as a good thing to do.

There are many elderly citizens who will pay teens to do odd household chores, take them to the grocery store, or do the shopping for them, etc.

Put up a bulletin in the grocery store or at the clinic if you’re allowed.

The average pay is $7 to $10 dollars an hour depending on your area and the tasks.

3) Babysitting:

As more and more families are spending more of their hard earned money on gas and groceries, they’re looking to replace pricey daycare rates with teen babysitters during the summer.

This is fun, easy money! Plus, meals are included!

4) Tutoring:

Math is the most common subject kids struggle with.

If you’re a whiz at math, you could offer to do math brush-up skills, math whiz games, or budgeting math skills.

5) And lastly, you could offer lessons in anything you’re good at, such as:

Playing the piano Playing the guitar Shooting basket balls Building websites Hip-hop dancing

So good luck making a little extra cash this summer to keep the car filled up and running…wherever it may take you!

Best, Sonja

Jun 26, 2008, Show Me the Money - Day #2

Happy Thursday,

So yesterday I scrapped up $10 dollars in change to give to our church friendship fund...

Day #2 $20

Pledged $20 to a benefit of a classmate (and very first boyfriend!) who got into a tragic motorcycle accident and is now a quadraplegic.

Very sad...but he's lucky to be alive.

Show Me the Money Used $20 dollars out of our state tax refund.

How are you doing? Drop me a line and let me know!

Sonja

Jun 25, 2008, Show Me the Money!

Hi Guys!

Sorry I've been away for a looong week-end...took a much needed relaxing break!

And now I'm excited to be back at my blogging!

Do you give or tithe every week? Every month? Every year?

When Andy and I were youngly married with little ones...it was tough to give every week to our church.

Especially when formula was so expensive!

Have you ever thought, "Sure, it's easy for Oprah to be so generous - she's only a billionaire!"

But most of the giving comes from every day people - making every day salaries.

Here's a fun experiment I'm going to try for the next 10 days...and I'm hoping you'll join me.

I'm going to start with $10 dollars on day #1 and double it every day for 10 days.

That's how much I'm going to tithe to my favorite charity or cause.

And to help raise the money...I'm going to "expand" my mind with money making ideas.

Are ya with me?

So here goes...

Day #1 $10 Give to the friendship fund at our church for people knocking on Father Bill's door for gas money, grocery money, etc.

Show Me the Money Go around the house and collect $10 dollars worth of loose change. Hey, it pays to do the laundry...I have a whole jar full of loose change!

Hope you'll join me in the fun! I bet you'll be amazed at what you and your kids can come up with when you put your minds to it.

Best, Sonja

Jun 19, 2008, A Cheap Investment Your Kids Will Love

Good Morning Everyone,

My daughter Maria is beside herself with excitement!

She's counting down the days until she heads to California to spend 5 days with her cousin, Anahid.

She can't wait to visit Hollywood, the beach, and of course...

Walt Disney Land!

She visited Walt Disney World with the family...but she was only 4 years old so she doesn't remember it much.

Walt Disney is the type of company that, I bet, will be around for many years to come. And do you know what?

I bet that my kids will take their kids to Disney too.

Thanks to recession fears, slumping home values, and the soaring price of gas...families are tightening up their spending.

So shares of Disney are now cheaper than they've been in recorded history.

But Disney has weathered recessions before (1974, 1982, 1990,) and in each case, rose 75 to 100% in the next 18 months.

This was after the shares bottomed out in price in the middle of the recession.

So if you want to invest in shares of a great company...that's cheap...and positioned to take off...then Walt Disney (DIS) may be the perfect choice.

Happy Investing!

Best, Sonja

P.S. Remember, I'm not a professional stock broker...just an avid investor looking for good buys!

Jun 13, 2008, Budget Travel for Families with Kids

Who says budget travel is boring? Here are some of the world's cheapest exotic vacation spots for your whole family...including the kids!

Jun 9, 2008, Yard Sale + Lemonade Stand = Cash for Kids

Good Monday Morning Every One,

Are your kids on summer vacation yet?

Mine are...and they're already looking at me to be their "entertainment center"!

So boy, was I happy when my two youngest (13 & 12) decided to organize a yard sale.

Having a garage or yard sale is a great way for kids to make some extra cash plus learn some business skills.

During the yard sale, they sold lemonade for twenty-five cents a glass.

Simple, right?

But they've learned some important lessons.

First, they learned how to market their goods.

They wanted me to make a sign for them but I said no. I explained that part of the charm of the lemonade stand is that it is run by kids and a kids sign adds to that.

So they made their own wonderful sign - colorful, big block letters, charming.

The next lesson they learned was product diversification.

They started out with your basic yellow lemonade. It was good but then a customer mentioned that they liked pink lemonade.

So into the house went the oldest. Out she came with a pitcher of pink lemonade. Sales went up.

Then came a lesson in quality control.

They had been earning money selling lemonade for over an hour in the warm sun when one of their customers mentioned that the lemonade was warm.

So the youngest scurried into the house for ice cubes and fixed the man's drink for him. Problem solved - happy customer.

The yard sale was a success - both in making some extra cash and learning about how to run a business.

Best, Sonja

Jun 6, 2008, 10 Best Jobs for the Graduating Class of 2008

Happy Friday Everyone!

College graduates have something to smile about besides getting their degree...

Starting salaries are up - some as much as 5.9%.

Here are the Top 10 Best Jobs for 2008 College Graduates:

1. Financial analyst Major: Business administration Median annual salary: $66,590* Projected job growth: 34 percent Jobs created: 75,000

2. Computer systems analysts Major: Information sciences and systems Median annual salary: $69,760 Projected job growth: 29 percent Jobs created: 146,000

3. Computer systems software engineers Major: Computer science Median annual salary: $85,370 Projected job growth: 28 percent Jobs created: 99,000

4. Accountants Major: Accounting Median annual salary: $54,630 Projected job growth: 18 percent Jobs created: 226,000

5. Civil Engineers Major: Engineering Median annual salary: $68,600 Projected job growth: 18 percent Jobs created: 46,000

6. Marketing managers Major: Advertising or journalism Median annual salary: $98,720 Projected job growth: 14 percent Jobs created: 24,000

7. Financial managers Major: Finance Median annual salary: $90,970 Projected job growth: 13 percent Jobs created: 64,000

8. Chemical engineers Major: Engineering Median annual salary: $78,860 Projected job growth: 8 percent Jobs created: 2,400

9. Electrical engineers Major: Engineering Median annual salary: $75,930 Projected job growth: 6 percent Jobs created: 9,600

10. Mechanical engineers Major: Engineering Median annual salary: $69,850 Projected job growth: 4 percent Jobs created: 9,400

*Salary, job growth and job creation information is based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Jun 5, 2008, 5 More Fun, Cheap Activities To Do This Summer

Good Morning All!

Here are 5 more fun, cheap, and easy ideas for keeping your kids busy until school starts in the fall.

1. Take the kids to a scenic area with a set of watercolors and ask them to paint what they see.

2. Visit a local botanical garden.Don't forget to stop and smell the roses!

3. Call your local public library to ask if they are sponsoring any reading contests or special story times.

4. Get a group of friends together and take the kids to the nearest water park or amusement park.

Pack a picnic lunch and bring lots of water too!

Check out these Best Theme Parks on a budget.

5. Start your own reading incentive program for the kids. For every three books, treat them to a sundae or a special trip to the bookstore.

Happy Summer!

Sonja

Jun 3, 2008, How You Can Make 565% on This Type of Stock

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

I know, I know, everyone is nervous about the economy.

But here's a quote from Steve Sjuggerud's last investment newsletter that I follow religiously...

"If you get a good biotech stock run in your lifetime, you'll never have to work again. We could be on the brink of just such a run."

So maybe you should consider buying biotech stocks.

Going back to 1983, the average biotech bull market has lasted just over 2 1/2 years...with average gains of 565%.

Scoot on over and sign up for my FREE monthly ezine to find out the best way to invest in biotech safely and easily.

My kids already own this stock fund and it's up 18% in only 2 months.

Happy investing!

Best, Sonja

May 27, 2008, How to Become a Millionaire - For Girls

Good Morning,

Why do women still make 30% LESS than men?

In study after study, girls do better academically in school...yet they still aren't as successful as men in the business world.

Except for Oprah.

And the burning question is WHY? What are our girls missing?

For the first time in history, more girls are graduating from college than guys.

So they're just as educated...yet they're still making 30% less.

So what can we as parents do to help secure our daughters future as women in business?

First of all, we can encourage them to solve their OWN problems.

In school, kids are taught that for every question, there is one right answer.

But that's NOT real life.

I always tell my kids there are almost always many solutions to a problem.

You just have to decide which one is best. And even more important, let them solve their OWN problems.

This is how it works in the real business world.

Secondly, confrontation is good.

Often times, girls get the message that they're not "supposed" to be aggressive.

And of course, girls are naturally more nurturing - it's basic instinct.

But the reality is, problems are solved with confrontation.

Not everyone you work with will see things your way...and might even try to sabatoge your efforts...and relying on a sweet smile won't get you very far.

As parents, we need to help our daughters be good at confrontations...without being bullies...in order to get their opinion heard and also to get to where they want to be in business.

And lastly, make sure your daughters are knowledgeable about such issues as politics, the economy, and MONEY.

I don't know how many times I've shocked people when I've commented on the commodities market...interest rates...real estate prices...or the new Speaker of the House.

These are typically topics for the men.

If you raise your daughters to...

solve their own problems...

help them to be good at confrontation when necessary...

and talk to them about world issues...

You're raising them to be successful leaders and entrepreneurs in business.

Happy Teaching!

Sonja

May 15, 2008, How Your 9 Year Old Can Make Money This Summer

Hi All,

Do your kids ever get bored during the summer? Do they like dogs? Would they like to make some money this summer?

Then here's an idea for your 9 year old to make money walking dogs:

Activity: Walk Dogs

Estimated Earnings:

$6.00 Per 30 Minutes $20.00 Per Month $3.00 Per Dog

Tips On Getting Started:

Start with small dogs for a short amount of time.

Put up colorful flyers with a picture of a dog (could be your dog!) with your rates on it.

Hand out business cards

Go door-to-door in your neighborhood

Put a small ad in your local newspaper

Tips For Success:

Work more

Offer special deals or discounts during certain weeks Be polite and do a great job

Ask for referrals

Have Fun!

Sonja

May 13, 2008, Top 5 Job Interview Tips for Teens

Happy Tuesday Everyone,

Is your teen ready for his first interview? Does she know what to expect?

Here's 5 job interview tips that will help them be better prepared:

1) Dress for Business...Not for the Beach!

This is the time to blend in - not stand out with how you dress.

Guys should wear a pair of khakis and a dress shirt. And don't go overboard with the aftershave!

Gals should wear a below-the-knee skirt or nice pair of slacks with a blouse.

No jeans, low cut shirts, or tank tops. Plus, go light on the make-up, no wild hair, gawdy jewelry, or heavy perfume.

2) Don't be late

Make sure you allow plenty of time in case you run into heavy traffic. Be 10 to 15 minutes early and show the employer you want the job!

3) Have at least 3 questions to ask

It's important to ask the interviewer questions to show your interest in the job.

Examples are:

·What do you think is the most important thing I need to know about this job?

·What kinds of opportunities might there be for me to learn new skills here?

·Is there anything else you need to know about me?

·Will I be trained on the job by you or someone else?

4) Be polite

Remember to say thank you twice!

When you first meet the interviewer, thank him/her for meeting with you.

And when the interview is over, thank the interviewer again for his time and tell him that you're excited about the possibility for working for his company.

5) Send a Thank you note

Most applicants forget this. Write a hand-written personal thank you note and it just might guarantee you get the job!

Good luck and have FUN!

Best, Sonja

Apr 30, 2008, Mistakes to Avoid in Investing Money in Stocks

Investing money in stocks can be scary, but if you follow this Nobel-Prize winning strategy...that takes only 15 minutes a year, you'll