I read about an interesting study today on LimeLife. Apparently, female breadwinners feel guilt about being away from home:

The interviews showed that most successful working women, with men at home taking care of the family, enjoyed the sense of independence and control they have over their own lives, but they often found themselves up against cultural expectations that they should be at home with the kids.

This is different from many work at home moms, I would think. After all, it is possible to earn money from home, while still fulfilling the expectations of child-rearing. I’m not sure how many work from home moms are the primary breadwinners, however. I am, and sometimes I feel a little guilty because I know that my husband feels bad that I am the primary caregiver for our son and earn the money while he finishes graduate school. (He helps out around the house a lot.) My feelings of guilt come from his feelings of guilt.

It’s an interesting interplay, since we are doing what works for us. But sometimes we get caught up in traditional expectations of how things should be, rather than just being grateful that we are in a position to take care of our family in a way that works for us.

There are some really funny commercials out there. And, as I watched football yesterday with my husband, his brother and his cousin, we saw this great Sony commercial featuring Justin Timberlake and Peyton Manning. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So, sit back, slow down the Black Friday frenzy, put Dubai out of your mind, and consider life’s simple pleasures.

Happy Friday!

This is a great time of year, with a chance to reflect on what you are grateful for. I hope you are having a good holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

As I’ve been preparing my workload for the holidays, I’ve had some time to think about what I’m thankful for. There are some days that it seems almost tempting to leave this whole freelancing home business behind and just go work a traditional job. But those days are few and far between — especially when I stop and think about why I’m thankful to be working from home. As Thanksgiving approaches, here are some things that I am thankful for when it comes to working from home:

* I can be here for my son.

* I can arrange my own schedule.

* I have time to go to the gym.

* I have been able to take guitar lessons.

* I provide a good income for my family.

* I can spend more time with my husband.

These are all things to be grateful for this holiday season. What are you thankful for, when it comes to your home business?

It’s true: when you work from home or own a home business, you find that you rarely get a true vacation. People in traditional jobs get holidays off, but when you are freelancing, you may not get that same time off. If you do want time off, it requires advance planning. For instance, I have been planning my workload for the holidays for the last month, in the hopes that I can enjoy some time off. Here are some things you can do to help you get ready for the holidays:

* Work a little extra: I normally do not work weekends. However, I have been working a couple of hours on Saturday lately to get some extra work done. Those two hours, added up over a few weeks, are really showing some advantages. I’ll be able to take Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day totally off. And I’ll have shortened days on Black Friday and Christmas Eve.

* Pre-post: Along with working a little extra ahead of time, I find that the magic of technology can be immensely helpful. Yes, some of my blogs will post up on Thursday. But I won’t be doing it. Nope. I’ll be scheduling the posts ahead of time to post automatically, so I don’t have to do it the day of. The same thing will happen on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

* Cut back on projects: I limit the number of new projects I take on during the holiday season. In some cases, I just let people know that my availability starts in January. This can alleviate some of the pressure, especially since I schedule most major projects to end prior to Thanksgiving. This allows me a more relaxed holiday season, and the chance to be more comfortable throughout.

* Prepare your finances: Obviously, if you are going to cut back on projects during the holidays, you have to be prepared. I take advantage of windfall months to set money aside for use during the holidays so that I have the resources to take it a little easier.

What do you do to prepare your freelancing business for the holidays?

Whether you want to work from home to earn money for life’s little “extras”, or whether you are looking for a solid source of income, you  probably want some money making ideas. The good news is that there are some things that you can do, working mainly out of your home. CNN Money has 5 money making ideas that aren’t terribly hard to get started with:

1. Consulting: You can become a consultant in your field of expertise. With contract workers in higher demand, this could be your chance to do a little consulting.

2. Look for yield: This requires that you show a little investing savvy. Find some investments that are paying a competitive yield right now, or look into dividend investing. You can also use peer to peer lending as a source of yield. But with any investment, you need to be prepared for the possibility of loss.

3. Landlord: If you have empty space, or if you think you can get a good deal on a unit of some kind, you might try landlording. But this can be difficult to get started with, and devastating if you can’t find renters.

4. Teach college: You can be an adjunct at a local college, teaching part-time and still earning a decent wage. Other institutions of high learning look for professionals to help teach online classes. You may need a Master’s degree to qualify, though.

5. Turn your hobby into money: If you enjoy crafts, or writing or any number of hobbies, and there is a market for your products and services, you might find it possible to make some money.

I saw this American Express commercial on TV not too long ago, and really enjoyed it. There is something clever and fun about the way ordinary objects are used to create smileys and frownies. I don’t use AmEx, but they get full marks for creativity in my book.

Happy Friday!

One of the things that many people like about working from home is the fact that it is possible to work in your pajamas. While this is technically true, the reality is that it may not be the best idea. I read a post earlier today on Bargaineering about dressing appropriately for an interview. Well, even if you aren’t interviewing for a more traditional job, it is important to realize that when you work with clients out of your home, your image still matters.

While you may not need to go put on a suit in order to be ready to work from home, it can help to be well-groomed and at least get out of the sweats. This is increasingly true as technology makes it possible to hold meetings using Web cams. You want to be able to project a professional image, whether you are speaking via Web cam, or meeting a local client face-to-face for lunch.

In these times of economic turmoil, with concerns of a double-dip recession, it is little surprise that people are looking for ways to work from home. And one of the ways people do this is by making money online. There are a number of home business ideas based around the Internet. Money Ning offers an overview of some of the routes you can take if you are interested in making money online:

* Create web content: You can do this through blogging, creating articles for other sites or doing some other type of web writing. This can also include creating and selling an ebook.

* Build an online storefront: You can do this through other sites, or create your own store. Sell products and services. Some of these can even be homemade, such as creating crafts to sell.

* Affiliate programs: You can join affiliate programs and get a commission when people you refer buy something from a site. There are a number of affiliate programs you can join, and you can put badges up on your web site to increase your revenue.

In the end, there are a number of ways for making money online. But you should be warned: It takes work and dedication to get started.

When you do freelance work from home, you often need to prepare quotes for potential clients. This can be a tricky business, since you want to get adequately compensated for your time without scaring away a potential client. You want to make sure that you are getting a windfall, rather than under-quoting and ending up with a nightmare. When preparing a quote for a potential client, you should keep these things in mind:

* Client’s budget

* How much you get, on average, for your work

* How long the project will take to complete (include research if necessary)

* Market rate for the services you are fulfilling

In some cases, it might be worth it to compromise. In other cases, you might be better off if you have a “take it or leave it” mentality with a particular client. Knowing where to the draw the line has a lot to do with your personal comfort level, and whether or not you feel like you let a client go elsewhere. When you do prepare the quote, make sure that you spell out what services you will perform for that money. If the client wants more, be prepared to adjust the quote.

What things do you consider when preparing quotes for potential clients?