House Buying - the signing papers phase

When you buy a home all by your lonesome, there are many papers to sign. And you have to run all over town to do everything - the realtor needs another signature. The title company needs you. The insurance company. The water company wants to see you in person, for some reason, unlike the electric company or my cable internet provider. My phone is ringing and ringing with different things I need to do RIGHT AWAY, every day, before escrow is fulfilled and I hand over a large check to get house keys in return.

Now it’s the last weekend before the close of escrow on Thursday. I hope that by Monday I will know exactly how large a cashier’s check will be needed.

Since I have my water and electric already on, it feels real. I spent a few hours watering the trees, bushes, yuccas and bamboo in the yard. I can’t have my plants dying before I even more in.

One dead pine will have to come down - but a small one. And it’s removal will improve my already wonderful view. The dead pine will give me firewood. It’s all good.

I am already looking into chickens. I can get three laying hens at any time. All I will need is some kind of dog house for a roost and some chicken wire fencing.

I’ve been looking into organic heirloom seeds for my garden. I know it’s starting late, but I can still get some tomatoes and radishes going.

Too many dreams going already for my eco-home, but I can’t officially get started until enough papers change hands.

Living Simply quoted on CNN.com

Living Simply quoted on CNN.com

Guest Author - Jill Florio

Living Simply got a bit of a boost over the Thanksgiving Holiday, traditionally the start of the Christmas shopping season - we got interviewed by CNN.com! Reporter Christy Oglesby called to ask about ways to shop sanely (ie, stay out of the mall). We discussed the value of buying high-quality used gifts, and the article is here - Gift buying? Think outside the mall - as a CNN.com special report on Christmas shopping.

Here is the Living Simply article she found interesting enough to contact me about: A Recycled Christmas - Reused Gifts Are Better

And the description: There are plenty of reasons to buy used for Christmas presents, and only one reason not to: you probably think it looks bad. Here´s why you should buy used gifts and encourage the same from others.

Needless to say, it’s very exciting that even CNN is getting into the act of the green, or recycled Christmas. Whether people shop used to save money, stay out of the mall, or just have fun in the hunt, it’s all better for the environment, eh?

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A Recycled Christmas - Reused Gifts Are Better

There are plenty of reasons to buy used for Christmas presents, and only one reason not to: you probably think it looks bad. Here’s why you should buy used gifts and encourage the same from others.

Some Excellent Reasons for Buying Used Gifts

• Buying used keeps nice things in the cycle and out of the landfill.
• You are helping the environment buy not contributing to our unhealthy consumer crazy craze for “more stuff” - ie, new items.
• It’s really both thrifty for you and better for the giftee. You can usually get the recipient a nicer item at the same price level you were willing to spend.
• Many times an older item is of higher quality than the newer stuff pumped out by the mega-stores. For example, I never have to try plugging in a vintage kitchen appliance, like a toaster, to see if it works. Those babies are heavy, solid, and made to LAST! I also found a gorgeous native american woven basket for 30 dollars. If I had bought something like that new, I cringe to think of the sticker shock. What a fabulous gift.
• Often a vintage item is simply more stylish. Using my toaster example again, I love its fashionable Deco-and-Chrome look.
• Hunting for the right treasure is fun! I had all my gifts ready to go BEFORE halloween this year. I even wrapped everything as I got them, in recyled paper wrap (I bought a used tube of Christmas Wrapping paper for one dollar at Goodwill). No last minute shopping or wrapping! There was absolutely no stress in the shopping aspect, and everyone will get a high-quality gift that is perfect for the reciever. You know it when you’ve found something that is just right - you feel a tingle inside.
• This gives you a legit reason to haunt the thrift shops. My husband can’t complain about my “habit” when he sees the money we save.
• You will avoid the malls. This is reason alone to buy used!

How to get away with it
Let your family know ahead of time you are getting everyone nice, gently used gifts this year. If they know ahead of time, you won’t come across as cheap. Give your reasons as you see fit, whether you are explaining that you have environmental convictions about the recycling aspect, or that you need to be thrifty this season. Or just say you enjoy the hunt too much, and this is the way to get everyone a truly perfect - not last minute - gift.
How to Buy Used
If you enjoy thrift shopping, by all means start your holiday search as early in the year as you like. Browse often. Be open to all kinds of categories: leather purses; framed prints; designer shirts, skirts or shoes; pet supplies; glassware and art glass; antiques; old dolls; gorgeous, well-made plush animals; vintage bibles; or collection contributions like Pyrex mixing bowls, Beanie Babies or asian tea sets. All of this and more is out there for the gifting.

Think of things your friends and family like and actually use. Keep your eyes open for appropriate gifts, or even “theme” gifts. This year I bought all the women and girls in my family designer tote bags. Really nice, very stylish, barely used tote bags…these would have cost $25-30 new, and I got them all for $3-4 bucks apiece! And they look brand new. Remember, it’s NOT how much you spend that is the measure of your love. Get that out of your head right now. The holidays are for sharing love, not guilt.

Where to Buy Used

• Goodwill and Other Thrift Shops
• Garage and Yard Sales
• Flea Markets
• Estate Sales
• Ebay and other online auctions
• Classified Section of your Newspaper
• Scavenging from your own house or attic

Related Aticles
A Recycled Christmas - making enviromentally friendly gift wrap
Every year I have this same dilemma - what to wrap my Christmas presents in that is both environmentally-friendly AND attractive? Here are some simple ideas for your holidays this year!

Become an Event Planner

This latest e-book from Fabjob is particularly impressive, and not merely for career-changers. If you’ve ever been assigned the duty of pulling together an event at work, or you’re about to host your family reunion, then this must-have book is for you.

How to Become an Event Planner leads you by the hand from conception to execution of your shindig. Oft-forgotten, but critical planning aspects include: how to set up seating arrangements for each kind of gathering (numbers of participants vs. level of interaction desired), set up and implement a crisis-control plan (you can’t predict what may happen, but you should have thought about how not to lose your head in chaos), work with VIPs, dignitaries and celebrities, handle the media, secure a site permit - even how to hire Austin Powers impersonators for your guests’ entertainment!

The list of venue possiblities is also fun to browse, and suggestive of unusual party concepts. Among the options: planetarium, zoo, Houseboat or cruise ship, sports complex - imagine an event at a Zoo! Endless possibilies present themselves for fun themes…ie, Jungle Party, Robinson Crusoe, Survivor, Castaways, Monkey Madness, Ringling Brothers’ Circus, Crocodile Rock…

The usual competantly executed Fabjob checklists and business templates are in place, along with spicy insider tips (ie - ask your vendors for corporate discounts) and info on how to get this kind of business off the ground.

If event planning sounds like the career of your dreams, here are ten steps to follow based on the FabJob Guide to Become an Event Planner:

1. Learn about the profession: “Event planner” is a broad term that encompasses everything from corporate meeting planners to wedding specialists to catering and hospitality coordinators. Spend some time initially reading books, searching online and talking to working event planners to see what areas interest you the most, and to become familiar with what is expected of you on the job.

2. Take stock of your talents: Successful event planners combine excellent interpersonal skills with organizational ability to find out exactly what their clients want, and get the job done. Other key talents include resourcefulness (accomplishing what you set out to do in the face of challenges) and a creative flair or an artistic nature that sets your skills apart from the competition.

3. Educate yourself: While no degree is necessary to become an event planner, areas of study (which you may already have) that impress potential employers and clients in this field are public relations, marketing, advertising, human resources, business, and retailing, as well as hotel and restaurant management, hospitality and tourism. If you want to strengthen your skills and supplement your natural abilities, degree programs are available specifically in event management, as well as industry educational seminars and at-home study courses.

4. Develop your materials: Before you begin job-hunting, you will want to organize your self-marketing materials so that they present you at your best. If your resume is lacking in actual experience, try volunteering to work with an event planner or organize a smaller, local event on your own. Make sure you ask those involved to write letters of recommendation for you to show your future employers or clients. Take pictures of all your work, and use them in your portfolio to demonstrate what you have done, and can do, for your clients’ or potential employers’ events.

5. Find out who’s hiring: In addition to job advertisements (found on related job boards and classified ads), you should also directly contact organizations you wish to work for. Larger businesses, associations and not-for-profits, universities and municipalities all have a need for event planners, as do hotels, tourism bureaus, casinos, cruise lines, theme parks, and event planning firms themselves. Be creative in your job search – the simple question, “Who plans your meetings and events?” can open doors in the unlikeliest of places.

6. Interview success: Prepare for the interview by thoroughly researching the company. This will help you be prepared for their questions and to also know what questions to ask yourself. Have your portfolio and other materials with you and be prepared to discuss them at length. Remember that your choice of dress can give you an opportunity to show that you are both professional and creative, so put some thought into your appearance. During the interview, use confidence and enthusiasm to sell yourself and your talent. Above all, relax and be yourself!

7. Setting up your own business: When you think you’re ready, self-employment could be the next exciting step in an event-planning career. In fact, many people break into the event-planning field with this goal in mind. You will want to look into the financial and legal aspects of the venture, and study the market and your competition so you are ready for the challenges that await you. Decide on an image you want to project to your clients and market yourself accordingly, using a variety of media.

8. Finding clients: Your main source of business will likely fall into one of two categories: corporate or social. Your local chamber of commerce can be a great resource to find the contacts in the corporate world and word-of-mouth is generally your best bet for social clients. Promoting yourself for free (through seminars, newspaper columns, etc.) is a cheap and effective way to let people know who you are and what you do, and their referrals may lead to even more work for you.

9. Networking: You can have the best ideas and be the most creative, perfect person for the job, but without the right contacts, you might as well stick to throwing birthday parties for your family! Plan to attend trade shows, join clubs and organizations and socialize as much as possible to meet potential clients and business contacts. Get comfortable talking about what you do to everyone you meet, and always hand out your business cards.

10. Boosting Your Creativity: The more events you do for one client or company, the more challenging it gets to generate fresh ideas. When you need a boost, turn to TV and movies, retail stores (for materials), consumer magazines, the Internet, or even a walk in nature to reawaken your senses and inspire you to new creative heights. Your suppliers can also be a source of innovative ideas (that use their products, of course!) Maintaining your creative edge is essential to staying on top of your game in this business, so seek inspiration constantly.

You can order the e-book here, for $29.95

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Jill Florio, December 2003

Also check out:

Become a Wedding Planner

Jennifer Lopez’ 2003 movie The Wedding Planner introduced audiences to the concept of planning other people’s weddings for a living. Having just planned and executed my own marital hoopla, I believe such a service would’ve saved me countless hours of stress. I’d even say a wedding planner, to any harried young bride, would be worth her weight in gold.

My own event was gorgeous - at the expense of many newly-grayed hairs. Now that it’s over and done with, I’d even do it again. Just not my own. Too many important decisions get blown out of proportion when you’re planning what conventional wisdom calls the ‘most important day of your life.’ But now that I know the ropes of handling vendors and scheduling and running a ceremony, I wouldn’t mind doing it all for someone else.

That’s where Fabjob’s new e-guide to Become a Wedding Planner comes in. If I was going to switch careers, I’d follow this user-friendly, 226-page book’s advice on to do it.

Specific instructions on how to study weddings, plan events, get hired on by a company or start your own make this text an invaluable source of insider information.

According to authors Catherine Goulet and Jan Riddell, weddings are a booming American industry. They say the average traditional wedding costs $19,100 for 186 invitees. It’s a $45 billion a year industry, and planners can earn between $50-100,000 a year for their efforts.

Wedding Planners can either perform full or partial wedding planning serices. A full-service wedding could include everything from planning the engagement party, shower, rehearsal, and of course, the big day from start to finish. Partial contracts might include only an initial consultation, finding the right vendors (ie - caterer, photographer, band, florist, etc), or coordinating the wedding ceremony itself.

Specific lists of questions to ask vendors are provided: key queries to ask about venues, changing rooms, parking, interfaith restrictions, food choices, beverage service, wedding insurance(!), extra fees for each supplier, and so on.

While lots of the planning process sounds like fun, for example, finding musicians, tasting cakes, planning decorations and helping couples explore meaningful marriage vows, it’s not all just about throwing a really good party. Sections of the Fabjob guide remind you you’re involved in a business, as well. The sections on getting hired, and of becoming self-employed, point out the realities and lend a bit of solid advice for getting your fledgling career off the ground. They even help you decide how to set up fee structures, which is rare to find in any career reference.

Here are ten steps to become a wedding planner, recommended by the Fabjob advice website:

1. Develop your skills

Successful wedding planners have a number of traits in common. They are usually creative people with excellent interpersonal skills who love to plan events. While most of these traits come naturally to many wedding planners, an important skill that some need to develop is organizational ability. To help you stay organized, you can create timeline schedules and checklists, and use organizational tools such as a day planner or binder to keep track of all the wedding details and paperwork.

2. Learn about weddings

There are numerous details involved in planning a wedding — from selecting the wedding date to choosing the menu for the reception. You can learn how to plan weddings by taking continuing education classes or through self-study. To teach yourself, attend and help out with as many weddings as possible, visit bridal shows, read wedding magazines, and conduct informational interviews with clergy of various faiths, recently married brides and anyone else connected to the wedding business such as florists and caterers.

3. Create a portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of photographs that show people your skill at planning weddings. To develop a portfolio, offer your services to friends and family who are getting married in exchange for pictures for your portfolio. (You can ask them to write reference letters for you as well.) You can also include photographs of table settings or room decorations you have created in your home, or pictures from your own wedding to show your creative side.

4. Find a job in the wedding industry

Even if you plan to start your own business, consider getting a job in the industry first. Besides employment benefits, these positions can be used as a stepping-stone to gain valuable experience and contacts. Wedding coordinators are hired by hotels, country clubs, and churches across the country. Some of the more exciting options include working as a wedding coordinator at an attraction such as Disney World or at a resort in a location such as Hawaii, Las Vegas, Europe or the Caribbean. Many other job opportunities for “bridal consultants” are available with companies that supply products and services for weddings including bridal shops, department stores with gift registries, florists, and caterers.

5. Set up your own business

Setting up a wedding planning business is not much different than starting any other business, with a few exceptions. You should be able to work from home as long as you set aside an office space free from interruptions from children or pets. This is especially important if you plan on holding meetings with clients there. Set up costs will be minimal but you will need a computer, fax, business phone line, cell phone, business cards, and marketing materials such as a website. Before setting up your business, take advantage of the free advice offered by agencies such as the U.S. Small Business Administration.

6. Choose a specialty

Wedding planners offer a variety of services and packages based on their specific skills and interests. For example, you might offer complete wedding planning services, wedding day co-ordination only, or consult with brides and grooms who want to plan their own weddings. Some wedding planners specialize in arranging “destination weddings” at resorts or on cruise ships. Decide which services you would like to offer.

7. Develop relationships with vendors

Vendors are suppliers of any product or service related to weddings, such as limousine companies, musicians, photographers, party supply companies, invitation printers, etc. Vendors can be a valued partner in planning a successful wedding and a great networking ally. Conduct informational meetings to learn about their services, and what discounts they can offer you as a wedding planner. Before recommending a site for a wedding ceremony or reception, visit and inspect the premises. Take notes on the condition, size, cleanliness and capacity of each venue so you can guide your clients in making suitable choices. Always follow up with vendors after the wedding with a thank you note or to discuss any changes you want for future.

8. Get clients

One of the best ways to get clients is through your relationships with vendors. Supply business cards and brochures to the bridal shops, caterers, florists, photographers and other vendors you work with, and ask them to recommend your services to their customers who are getting married. Other ways to market your services include advertising, networking, participating in bridal shows, or even organizing your own bridal show.

9. Consult with clients

Once you start getting calls from brides and grooms, arrange a client consultation meeting. The purpose of this initial consultation is to learn as much as possible about the couple and what they want, so you can show them how hiring you will help them achieve the wedding of their dreams. Be prepared to ask questions to find out what type of wedding they want, their budget, number of guests, etc. At this meeting you will discuss your fees, which might be an hourly rate such as $50 per hour or a flat fee. Explain how you can help them have the worry-free wedding of their dreams.

10. Be recognized as a professional

Successful wedding planners are always interested in learning new ideas they can use with their clients. Consider joining a professional association for wedding planners to keep up with new developments in the industry. Clients will be impressed with your affiliation to a professional organization, especially if it certifies you as a professional wedding planner.

A nice bonus to this guide are the ready-made checksheets crucial for wedding planner consultations, sample invoices, and contract templates. I wish I’d had this information when planning my own event - or knew how to hire someone to do it for me.

I’m tempted to change my job. Want me to plan YOUR wedding?

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FabJob.com publishes e-books (and a number of books in print) that can help you break into a “fab” job. Visit Fabjob.com for information or to purchase a copy of the aforementioned book.

Become a Personal Shopper

Like to shop? Wish you could do it for a living? Don’t let your talents go to waste - learn to earn by shopping for others. How to Become a Personal Shopper, an e-book by Fabjob.com, makes it seem easy to fine-tune your shopping savvy into making the grade as a professional.

Interesting chapters discuss how to spot fashion trends, how to present yourself, how to find clients and help them define their needs.

Clientele can vary, depending on your local demographic and personal inclinations. Grocery shopping for the elderly, picking up school supplies for harried mothers, and buying holiday gifts for busy CEOs are all options you can consider, according to author Laura Harrison McBride.

Some tips from the book:

• If you go into business for yourself, the name you choose helps determine the client demographic you can attract.
• A catchy, professional phone message, on a dedicated phone line, will help your home business show a classy image.
• As a personal shopper, you need to present the image you want your clients to admire. This means wearing fashionable outfits are part of your job description
• There are endless niches in this business. You could specialize in helping professionals aquire a power wardrobe, shop for people planning vacations (and other concierge-type services), buying corporate gifts or selecting a week’s worth of gourmet foods.
• Window shopping is crucial to success in this career. You need to know what’s available, what’s on sale, and where to find what potential clients might need on a moment’s notice.

One thing I like about the Fabjob books are the depth of information they provide to making a change to new careers. They provide actual samples you can use as templates, including -

• Sample resume
• Sample of what to say when talking to a prospective client
• Sample list of questions to ask vendors
• Sample list of questions to ask new clients
• Sample client information
• Sample invoice
• Sample contract

Their website also offers tons of free content about job changing in our current economy. This article outlines questions to ask yourself if you are considering a career change.

The e-book costs $29.95. You pay online and the book arrives at your email address a just few minutes later. Not a bad deal in this world of instant gratification.

FabJob.com publishes e-books (and a number of books in print) that can help you break into a “fab” job. Visit Fabjob.com for information or to purchase a copy of the aforementioned book.

Recurring Dreams of Houses

I have recurring house dreams. I know exactly what they are about. When they start cropping up I know exactly what is going on. This has been going on and off for decades, depending on where I am living and what I am doing.

The houses are always different-sometimes the house is a train, or a cave, or treehouses, an undercity sewer system in New York, castle, a mansion, or shanti-shacks in the tropics… or something equally odd, but usually they are an old rambling farmhouse with many rooms, and I am always looking for MY ROOM.

I find secret rooms and odd spaces and always wonder if they are my room. I know I will know my room when i see it.

I was wondering I was alone in getting recurring house dreams? Does anyone else have these?

Earn Money Selling Scrap Metal at a Recycler

Okay, here is my breakdown of selling recyclables in the Prescott area of Arizona, trip number two:

• 100 lbs steel - Called Tin and White Goods - $7.70 (all kinds of neat stuff - horseshoes, a vintage metal tennis racket, old garden implements, random steel bricks, rebar, wire hangers, nails/screws/washers, steel cans, car parts, pulleys)
• 16 lbs Aluminum Cans - $8.80
• 2 lbs Painted Aluminum - .95 (this was a washing machine door i found on the side of the highway)
• 4 lbs Aluminum Breakage - .75 (aluminum window screen panes)
• 1 lbs Insulated Copper - $1.02 (this was old cords/wiring found on the side of the road)
• 5 lbs Yellow Brass - $7.98 (fittings found in an old lot, under the duff under some bushes)
• 4 lbs Tin and White Goods - .31 (small random steel objects i didn’t unload from the first weighing - this was mainly bottle caps I’ve been picking up along the roads)

So my total was $27.51 in cash that I received from Yavapai Metal Recycling in Dewey, AZ. I had another coupon for an additional 10%, so the total would have been less without that coupon (which came in the mail).

I have a birthday coming soon and I asked DH for a metal detector. Let’s see if I get one! I would love that. Not only could it help me collect small metals (and hopefully more brass and copper), I might find gold and silver jewelry, or old coins.

Along these lines - when you constantly scan the ground for metal, you also find a lot of coins. Not just pennies! Yesterday I found a quarter and a penny, and another day I found several dollars worth of nickels, dimes and pennies. In this dirt/gravel driveway alone I usually find a penny or dime around every other day (the rains keep stirring things up).

I have a jar I keep just for found money. When it gets full, I roll the coins up and bring them to my bank. Finding even a penny makes me feel happy!

Why A Landfill is Not Like a Dump

A dump is *nothing* like a landfill. A dump is just a pile of stuff, like what you see at a transfer station.

A landfill is a very specific creation that is more like geology than anything else. There are wet landfills and dry landfills, each with their own serious cons, and very little pros. But our trash has to go somewhere, right?

Here are the basics I learned from visiting the Gray Wolf Landfill in Arizona, owned by Waste Management, Inc:

First an area of land is scooped out into subsoil ‘cells’. Landfills have very expensive linings (geomembrane), followed by more super expensive linings (geotextile), followed by layers of clay, then gravel, followed by compacted soil, followed by a layer of trash. Then more soil, more gravel, more trash. This system continues until the cell is filled.

When the area is ‘filled’ to the point where the angle of repose is reached (the spot where things cannot be piled up anymore without tumbling down), then that cell is capped. The capping requires more layers of compacted soil and gravel and then of geotextile and geomembrane. Then another set of geotextile and geomembrane. Followed by more soil and then some kind of earth-stabilizing seeding (like grasses) that keeps the soil from eroding right off and exposing the geoplastic to the elements.

There are runnels made throughout the entire strata to contain the leachate, that runs to leachate ponds, and continual testing is mandated to ensure leachate does not enter the water table in any measurable way. There are also constant testings mandated by government to ensure toxic outgassing stays within certain levels. Water has to be sprayed on every layer of soil to ensure dust levels are minimized (or else the companies get huge fines). One ounce of mercury could shut down an entire cell of the landfill. So, more testing. It is a very complicated system. It’s not like a dump in any way.

A landfill, done correctly, is not a threat to the environment while it’s in active use. It’s when the landfill closes and the companies have moved on…and the linings crack (because of faults and earth shifts), that the interior leachate and outgassing turn the area into a Superfund site. According to Garbage Land, by Elizabeth Royte,  this is considered an inevitability for each capped dry landfill.

This is where the government drops the ball, because the capped landfill is no longer the waste business’ problem, and the government does not have the money to keep monitoring the area. And even if the government continued monitoring these sites, there isn’t much you can do once the landfill linings crack.

From my tour, I was impressed with Waste Management’s attention to detail, safety and environmental concern. They are a business and are in it to make money, yet are using solar panels to power the site, and are proud to report they have gone more than eleven years without a single work-related accident.

I have no quarrel with Waste Management in any way. I wish there was a system in place to remove the the salvage items, the recyclables, and also the green wastes (landscaping materials) for mulching. This is something that would probably need to come from the government, since setting up systems for this would cost more than a waste company would see returned in profit.

All we can do is try to remove as much as possible from the waste stream on our end.