• Extra Income Has Become a Necessity

    In recent surveys, it has been found that over 70% of households are looking for ways to make extra income. A second income is not always a luxury anymore - it is often a lifeline to make ends meet.  Yet, not every opportunity is worth the cost of your time and money.

    It used to be that success meant focusing on your full-time job, climbing the corporate ladder, and then retiring with a pension.  For many, that is no longer the path to an enjoyable retirement.  With costs soaring and wages not keeping up with inflation, people are finding that adding another income stream is essential.

    Many refer to this extra work as a "side hustle."  You know, you hustle hard, receive little in return, and can get "hustled" yourself by bad actors, empty promises, or outright scams.

  • There is Never Enough Time

    One of the worst problems most small business people have is not enough time.  This is especially true if they have a family that depends on part of that time.  Trying to juggle the two often means that that business task slip through the cracks, resulting in lost income or gaining a poor reputation.

    There are certainly a lot of time management systems out there and I’ve tried many of them to try and be more productive.  But if you are like me, they are often more complicated than they are worth for most small business people. Yet, unless you have some kind of system, it is so easy for projects to get pushed off until “tomorrow” and you find yourself forever behind.  Procrastination is bad for business.

  • Volunteer Work that Reduces Property Taxes

    According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 168,000 adults over 65 face eviction or forced displacement annually, while other reports indicate that homeowners over 50 make up 25% of all foreclosures.  That is sad.

    One of the reasons is that skyrocketing local assessments are driving many older adults into foreclosure caused by soaring property tax bills going up faster than what fixed incomes like social security can absorb.

  • Saver's Credit Out - Saver's Match In

    Starting in 2027, a long-standing credit is gone and a new one takes it's place.

    2026 is the last year for the saver’s credit. This tax credit has rewarded low- and middle-incomers who contributed money to an IRA, 401(k), 403(b), SEP or similar retirement plan. The maximum credit is $2,000 for joint filers and $1,000 for other filers is capped at 50%, 20% or 10% of contributions, depending on your AGI (adjusted gross income). In 2026, the saver’s credit fully phases out at AGIs of $40,250 for single filers, $60,375 for household heads and $80,500 for married couples filing a joint return. 

  • Hate Captchas? We opted for a better choice.

    When I first set up this website, I was spending hours deleting spam user accounts and posts. Trying to go over my site logs was a nightmare because the majority of the logs were filled filled with bots trying to attack my site. So I gave in and installed captchas. I added extra questions to my webforms to try and filter out the spam. While these efforts helped, the bots just became smarter and found ways to get around them. One of the things that I hate the most is having to deal with Captchas, but I hate spam more.

  • The Trade School Revival

    College tuitions and the mounting debt incurred to get a degree are getting ridiculous.  And that to the fact that liberal arts degrees are probably not going to get you a dream job. So when I read about a renewed interest in trade schools and apprenticeships, it's about time.

    There is such a shortage of people going into the trades currently, that employers across construction, manufacturing, electrical work, plumbing, and HVAC are struggling to fill jobs.  Those that wish to take that path can count on finding a good job with decent pay.

  • What's Your Comfort Number?

    It seems like everyone is looking for extra income these days, Monster.com's 2026 Cost of Living Report found that 93% of workers say that their pay isn't keeping up with today's cost of living.  And 85% said that they've dipped into savings to make ends meet.  In fact, if you asked 10 people, "How much money would allow you to feel financially secure?" you would no doubt get ten different answers.

    One person might need an extra $200 a month to stop relying on credit cards, while another might be looking for an extra $1,000 to build up their savings and take a long overdue vacation.  Then there are those who may dream of replaying a full-time income altogether because is hate what they are doing to pay the bills.

  • Your Sense of Thirst is Complicated

    Let's say you just finished a long walk on a warm afternoon, then stop to drink a tall glass of water and take a long drink. Usually, the dryness in your mouth eases, your throat reflexes and you feel satisfied.  But that water won't hit your bloodstream for at least another half hour, so why does your brain stop telling you to drink?

    The answer to that question has to do with how your body manages on of its most essential resources and why so many of us walk around mildly dehydrated with ever feeling it.

    Buried in your brain are two small regions that keep watch on the balance of water and salt in your blood. When that ratio changes a little, it triggers that sensation that we call thirst.  According to a report from Quanta Magazine discussing the neuroscience of thirst, it only takes a 1% change in your blood's water content to trip the thirst alarm.