London, ON

You need to get into good working habits if you want to be able to make money while staying at home. Here are seven work habits of the self-employed that you should make note of as you start your self-employed odyssey to financial freedom.

1. Stick to a Corporate Mentality. The problem with many people who work at home or are self-employed is that they are hung up on the idea of being their own bosses and therefore forget that they need to work. They often fall out of the rigid, but still productive corporate structure by not keeping to a schedule, or by spending too much free time. If you are working at home, think as though you were still at the office. Success begins with the right mindset, so don't scrimp on being a corporate person even if you are working in a home office.

2. Don't be Afraid to Accept Help When It's Offered - and Don't Be Afraid to Ask for It When You Know You're Out of Your League! Many people go into self employment because of problems or circumstances at home. For instance, many mothers still want to make money even while they are at home taking care of their children. They may not be going to the office every day, but they can still juggle family life and work without leaving their homes.

The problem with this is that it can be difficult for first-time moms or moms with many kids to keep on juggling family life and work without one of the two collapsing. If you area stay-at-home mom or dad with kids to take care of, and with a self-employment scheme that you still have to work out, don't hesitate to hire a babysitter when you feel that you're over your head and getting too much work on your hands already. The idea is that you should be happy in your home environment, not getting mad over both your accounts and Junior spilling his milk all over the kitchen floor.

3. Have a Schedule. True, this sounds very rigid and boring, but if you have a definite time for waking up, doing work, eating meals, and going to bed, you will not suffer from long hours of guiltily playing games, or overextended work hours. Remember, you need to have a corporate mentality, so don't think that your time is all your own: you need to set boundaries on when you should work and when you should stop.

4. All the Same, Don't Forget to Get Out and Smell the Flowers - Literally. Being self-employed can often mean long hours spent at your work desk, in the same way that being employed by a corporation can mean long hours spent in your cubicle. Don't waste your life away: have Alone Time for yourself, and force yourself to get out of the house. Take a hike, drive to the grocery store, or just walk around your neighborhood. You need to clear your head once in a while, or you'll go nuts with too much work.

5. Take Vacations, Too! The problem with diving into self-employment is that you can also fall into the temptation of working too much. Stick to a corporate mentality, but with some mercy: take a vacation sometimes, get a day off, and schedule not just your work days, but your entire year. This way, you have something to strive for and look forward to.

6. Set Realistic Goals. Many people will get into self-employment because they want to earn more money - but for what? Add purpose to your employment by setting goals: you want money to marry the girl of your dreams, buy a house, and get a car. These goals allow your work to have a purpose, and not just filling up an empty bank account.

7. Reward Yourself. Met that goal yet? Reinforce your good work habits by rewarding yourself. Rewards can be as simple as a cone of your favorite ice cream

Eating Right When Eating on the Run

Are you always on the run? Do you never seem to have quite enough time in the day? Sound familiar? Lack of time is a major reason why many people give up eating right, but you don't have to. In fact, healthy eating is more important than ever when you're trying to keep up with a hectic schedule.

A good diet helps your body withstand stress better. But as you're hustling through your day, you're probably not thinking about making your next meal a healthy one. The following tips can help you eat well when you're dinning in or out.

In Restaurants

Tempting menus, large portions, and festive atmospheres make it easy to skip healthy eating. Splurging once in awhile is okay, but you'll begin to pack on pounds if you make it a habit. Be smart when you eat out.

Choose restaurants wisely. Restaurants that offer a variety of foods are a good choice. Try going Asian or vegetarian. They will give you a lot of tasty options. Visit less often the all-you-can-eat, buffet-only, and dessert-cart places.

Watch out for diet traps:

• Pass on the bread and butter
• Drink water, tea or diet soda
• As an appetizer, order soup made with broth rather than cream
• Choose salsas for flavoring instead of the gravies and rich sauces
• Get salad dressing on the side
• Opt for steamed, poached, broiled, baked, grilled, roasted, stir-fried, or lightly sauteed foods
• If the restaurant servings are large, order one or two appetizers instead. If you want to get the entrée, split it or immediately doggy-bag half your meal for the next day. Eat the same portions out that you do at home
• Try herbal tea or decaffeinated coffee for dessert. If you absolutely can't resist the dessert tray, split your sweets with at least one other diner
• Consider ordering a la carte. It might cost more, but your portions are likely to be smaller and you have a better chance of getting just what you want, the way you want it

Feeling like eating out is no fun? Don't overwhelm yourself by taking on these tips all at once - every time you visit a restaurant pick one or two of the options and enjoy your meal. If you do it often enough, before you know it they will be habits rather than options you feel you have to take.

In Airports

Airports can be stressful places. But don't scrap your diet because of it. Eat because you're hungry, not because you're stressed, bored, or trying to kill time. If you're anxious or have time to spare, take a walk. Airports usually have plenty of room for a brisk jaunt. Bring your own food if you're leaving or arriving very early or late when eateries are likely to be closed or if you don't want to eat fast food. A whole-wheat bagel or crackers, a piece of fruit, granola bar, juice box, or cut-up cheese and vegetables can save you from feeling starved and from unwanted calories.

In Fast Food Places

If you find your only option is fast food, check out different menus - some fast food places have healthier choices than others. Don't be afraid to ask the manager for the restaurant's nutritional information sheet - most fast food places have them posted and pamphlets available upon request. Remember, an informed customer is a healthier customer.

• Watch portion sizes - no need to supersize
• Seek out deli-style fast food, they make it the way you want it - healthy
• Trade in the fries for healthier options - side salad, fruit cup or veggies
• Chicken isn't always the healthiest choice - get grilled vs. fried and breaded
• Hold the mayo
• Drink water or diet soda vs. regular soda
• Be careful with salads - the dressing, bacon bits and shells they come in could mean lots of extra calories
• Skip the milk shakes
• Order non-fat milk with your coffee and skip syrups and the whip cream

In Your Office or Car

If you only have 15 minutes for lunch between meetings, don't ransack the snack machine. Be ready for a quick meal or snack by stocking your office or car with a few staples:

• Water
• Keep soup or oatmeal handy if you have a microwave at the office
• Raisins, apricots, or other dried fruits
• Crackers or pretzels
• Nuts and trail mix
• Granola bars

Keep some take-out menus from nearby restaurants in your office for when you have to work late or have a little more time for lunch. Another option is packing a nutritious lunch in the morning and bringing it with you to work.

In Your Home

Mornings and evenings are especially busy times in many homes today. Making time to eat well can be a real challenge. Don't run out the door without breakfast. Whole grain cereal with milk, a banana, a low-fat muffin or shake, or a bagel with peanut butter will jump-start your day. You can even take your cereal with you as cereal bars or packets.

Slip-ups

Sometimes we slip up. We overeat or pick less healthy foods because they sound good, we're stressed, or we just feel like it. Healthy eating is a lifelong goal. If one meal isn't healthy, make sure the next one is. If you overdo it one day, eat less the following day. And don't forget to work in physical activity. At least 30 minutes, five or more times a week, can help you maintain your weight and health.

I just heard about a deal where an agent was asked to step into the following circumstances:

Seller list house and sells it to Buyer without inspection condition or insurance.

Insurance company inspects house prior to letting the policy and upon inspection discovers that the header over the stairs going into the basement is way below what the fire code allows. The house is very old and has had one owner.

In order to rectify the situation, Seller hires a contractor to dig down to lower the stairs as raising the header is impossible.

Contractor finds out that there are water mains running under the house and city has easement.

Insurance company denies policy. Buyer is in the cold. Deal is firm.

Lesson: Don't try and jockey your own horse in the race. The stakes are way too high!

A staycation, a vacation you do at home, can be a wonderful alternative to a long, expensive, painstakingly-planned trip -- the time and money you can save are significant. However, if you don't take certain precautions, your staycation can be little more than a stressful extension of everything you need a break from. The following staycation strategies can assure that your staycation is truly a relaxing romp rather than a wasted week. Difficulty: Easy Time Required: However Long You Have

Here's How:

1. Turn Off The Phone.
   This sounds obvious, but the point of a staycation is to have a vacation, and the point of a vacation is to get away from the demands of your regular life. To truly do so, you need to stop being ‘on call,' and set your phone to go straight to voicemail. You can check your messages each night if you want to, and decide who you want to call back, but it may be a good idea to tell everyone you won't be around for a week, and just take a break. (While you're at it, why not put your mail on hold and take other precautions you'd take when you go on a traditional vacation?)
2. And The Computer.
   While many, many people make the mistake of taking work with them when they go on vacation (a strategy that tends to sabotage the relaxing element of a trip), it's even more important to avoid being available for work when you're on a staycation. (It may be more tempting to ‘check in' at work, and they may feel more entitled to request it of you, which is all the more reason for the computer to stay off.) Even if you're not planning to work with your computer, do you really think a week of playing World of Warcraft or Weboggle would be as relaxing and memorable as other options you have?
3. Try Something New
   Staycations mean you can play ‘hometown tourist,' and enjoy the fun things that your city (or surrounding areas) have to offer, which you normally might go out of your way to experience. An added benefit of going to the touristy places in your area, is that when you pass by these places after your staycation is over, your fond memories will be triggered and you can relive the fun. You may also be more inclined to do such fun things during the rest of the year when you're not vacationing, which might provide a nice little escape that can help stave off burnout.
4. But Don't Over-Book Yourself
   As you indulge in the fun that your town has to offer, remember to schedule in some ‘down time' to read, relax, sleep in, lollygag, and do all the things people really like to do on traditional vacations. The idea of a staycation is to feel like you've gotten a break, so be sure you get one. Just balance it out with fun activities, too.
5. Don't Be Afraid To Splurge
   Because you're saving money by staying close to home, you can (and should) eat meals out and splurge in other areas, just like you would on a traditional vacation. If you want to go to brunch, get a massage, go shopping, or even hire a cleaning service to come if you don't already have one (you'd get maid service in a hotel, right?), you should do so guiltlessly if you can afford to. It contributes to the carefree mindset you're trying to capture with your staycation. It makes all the difference between a staycation and just a week hanging around the house.
6. For specific staycation ideas and strategies, see this article on cheap vacations at home. What You Need:

• Some time off of work.
• An open mind.
• A fun attitude.

PST Registry

14,000 800 330 0 15,130 6,720 23,711 13.5%

6,186 1,675 330 210 8,401 6,144 16,006 10.0%

19,200 3,675 330 0 23,205 9,216 39,173 16.3%

12,800 465 330 0 13,595 6,144 21,901 13.7%

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21,028 2,684 975 124 24,811 10,368 41,547 15.4%

27,647 3,959 975 124 32,706 13,632 55,388 15.6%

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7,908 7,100 650 185 15,843 22,440 72,794 17.1%

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7,128 2,300 450 185 10,063 9,600 35,671 14.3%

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7,613 12,366 2,000 25 22,004 42,900 81,466 11.4%

8,489 7,266 2,000 25 17,780 27,600 61,052 13.3%

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10,099 9,766 2,000 25 21,890 35,100 77,576 13.3%

0 96 0 0 96 11,136 17,876 6.2%

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