Ok, so now back to where we were.  I hope since I’ve been gone you didn’t give up on the notebooks. Especially the daily journaling.  My guess is, even though I haven’t been here to prompt you, you probably kept up with it.  Because it just feels good to get it all out every day.  And I HIGHLY recommend keeping up with the daily, or as close to daily as you can get, journaling.

Just a note here.  I know it’s been a while and for those of you who didn’t keep up with the journaling or maybe forgot where we were at (sorry, my fault!)    you can go back and read my previous post “T.M.I” , just click there or scroll down a few posts, to read the explanation of the notebooks.  I’ll wait a minute while you read….

Ok….ready?

But first,  before you go to your list of “projects” I want you to take a blank piece of paper and make another list.  Make a list of 3 long-term goals…that would be what you want to accomplish or where you want to be in 1 year, 3 years and 5 years.  For example, a couple of 1-year goals could be that you want to have your home organized and simplified and you want to have an internet business started.  A  couple of 3-year goals could be that you want your internet business to be earning $5,000 a month and you want to move to a new city, house or add that room on to your existing home.  5- years goals might be that you want to have your mortgage paid off or at least all your credit cards and car, and your internet business earning you $10,000 a month.  There are no right or wrong answers to this.  There are no right or wrong goals.  Everyone’s goals are different.  But you need goals.  You need to start right now working towards those goals instead of just floundering through life on a day-to-day basis.

That’s where I found myself and I didn’t even realize it.  Just getting up every day and going to work, coming home, going to bed, getting up the next day and doing it all over again.  I would pay the bills when I had to, dust a little here, vaccuum a little there, get on the computer and do “more” research on starting an internet business, come up with some sort of idea and start writing something…then the next day I would come up with another idea and start researching that…there was no direction.  I had no specific goals.  Just a lot of random ideas that I spent time on one day and then left alone for maybe a week or more while I worked on something else.

You may be doing the same thing.  And I want you to stop now!  Take that piece of paper and write down preferably two 1-year goals, one or two 3-year goals and one or two 5-year goals.   Now take a look at that list you made on the last page of your journal.  Oh, and if you want, go ahead and tear it out.  Are there any of those items on your list that would help you accomplish, or make a step towards any of your goals?

Let’s start with the 1-year goals.  If one of your 1-year goals is to declutter and get your home more organized… congratulations.   Because I’ll tell you a little secret I found out.  Having your home decluttered and organized and simplified will make all the rest of your goals that much easier to reach.  It will not only free your space but it will free your mind.  I have some secrets to share with you about decluttering, how to do it, why do it, and some definite benefits of doing it but I’m going to make that available in a free download soon.  (It’s really way to much to post here!).  And right now I wanted to concentrate on the goal setting and accomplishing. 

Ok, so you’ve got your goals written down.  Now, as I said, go back to that list of projects or your “to do” list and transfer the items from your “to do” list under an appropriate goal heading.

Now, I understand that everyone has a daily “to do” list.  Items such as “”do the laundry”, “take Billy to soccer practice” are just a part of normal daily life.  I’m talking here about the big “to do” list.  Things such as “decluttering” your home, or “repainting the house”, or “starting a blog of your own”.  The idea is to spend some time each day on at least one item that will take you one step closer to accomplishing your 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year goals.  And if that seems like a lot for now concentrate on your 1-year goals. 

Get another notebook, a yearly planner book, the 5-subject notebook…something.  Write in big black letters on the front or on the first page the heading “One-Year Goals”, list the goals, then every day spend at least 30 minutes to an hour (or even 15 minutes if that’s all you’ve got) on something that will take you closer to accomplishing that goal.  If you carry a planner list the item you’re going to do right in there with “Take Billy to soccer practice”.  Make an appointment with yourself to spend 30 minutes writing a post for your blog, or researching the viabilities of a niche market you are contemplating for an internet business.  Whatever it is, just do it, then check it off!  The surprising thing you are going to find is that even if you are just working toward your 1-year goals you are ultimately working toward your 3 and 5-year goals!

Well, that’s all for today.  Or at least for this post!  But, I wanted to give you a heads up that I am working on, and almost finished, with a simple system that will help you declutter, get organized, daily work towards your goals, save money and hopefully earn some extra money, and in general just make your life a little less stress filled!

Sure enough I got two responses that helped me save $45!

What I *don’t* see are reports that “I got work through Work-at-Home-Jobs.tv”. Now, it’s true that people gripe when things go wrong but tend to be silent if it’s okay, but… not ONE person reports they’ve gotten jobs through them since they started in 2007?

One wonders why not.”

AND

 “Lynn,

It’s a list of the same old “get paid to” programs such as…

** Get paid to take surveys, which they are renaming as Market researcher.

** Get paid to Mistery shop, which they rename as Field production auditing.

** Get paid to make Clickbank sales, which the rename as Global data entry processor.

In other words, they are beating a dead horse but calling it a different name.”

So, as I warned before…BE CAREFUL AND CAUTIOUS before handing out your money to these sites!!!!!!

The time involved to check out the legitimate sources of telecommuting jobs that I gave you last time, apply for them, and actually get one might be a little more than you really wanted to spend but, I believe in the long run will be well worth your time and will definitely save you money!  I know, if you’ve lost your job, like so many have you probably need money NOW!  the time may seem long.  But I want to help you actually make money and not lose money.

I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but I have spent a good portion of my time using the internet for the last 3 to 4 years trying to find that “magic bullet”…that one thing that will make enough money for me that I will at least be able to pay my bills every month without having to count pennies and to have to once again tell my kids…”No, I’m sorry, I don’t have enough money…we can’t afford to go to the movies, or buy you that CD, or your jeans will just have to last another month.”  And besides time, I have spent some money,  (Or should I say “lost” some money) trying to find that magic bullet.  There are ways to make money on the internet but there is not a “plug it in and forget it” or a “get rich overnight” way.  At least not that I have found yet…lol.  It will take some time and effort on your part whether you want to just get a “job” with a company that you can do at home or start your own business.  But, if you have already lost your job and need money, what better way to spend your time?  And if you are fearful that your job may be next, what better way to spend your time?

As I said, I have spent a lot of time the last 3 to 4 years accumulating knowledge about how to make money using the internet.  Knowledge that I am finally putting to use.  Knowledge that I would like to pass on to you.  I have gotten information that was free and some that I paid for.  And over the course of my researching time I have found a handful of “internet gurus” that I trust because the information I have gotten from them has been solid and, even the info they have given for free has taught me many aspects of  just what it takes to make it out here on the World Wide Web.

In future posts I am going to give you for free, and yes, I mean for FREE…(although not all at once because it would overwhelm…lol), things I have learned about getting started on the internet.  But I do want to share with you a couple of places where you can get some free information and even more extensive information that you can pay for if you want to.  I have gotten most of my information from these two sources and I highly recommend them. 

This first one is probably the most comprehensive internet marketing course available today.  Originally written by Cory Rudl, who  sadly passed away in a car accident since it’s publication, this course has been updated by his partner and successor Derek Gehl.  The course walks you step-by-step through everything you need to know to set up and run a business on the internet, through coming up with a workable idea through the most advanced operating techniques, including proven suggestions for possible services you MAY need such as e-book production software, autoresponders, webhosting, etc.  This course is one I paid for and have never regretted it for a minute.  I still refer to it from time to time when I need to check out the best way to approach something or need a how-to do something technical.  Check it out here…“Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet” or from the link to the right.  Dang, I just clicked on the link myself and they are now giving away bonuses with the course that I wish they’d had when I bought the course!  The E-book Pro software is alone worth the price of the course.

I purchased this course a couple of years ago and have never regretted my small investment.  I have referred back to it time and time again.  And I truly believe that, especially if you are new to trying to make money on the internet you won’t regret the small investment either.

Tomorrow…back to some decluttering stuff!

Decluttering your home is definitely a way to help cut out some of the stress.  And I am going to post more on that later and get back to the notebooks, journaling, and projects topic we were on before.  But today I wanted to talk about a cause of stress that I believe is affecting a very large number of us and pass on some information that may help you alleviate that cause of stress.  The cause of stress I am talking about is MONEY…or more accurately the lack of money.

Right now there are a lot of people out there looking for a quick way to make some extra money.  Probably more now than in a long time.  (And yes, I’m one of them…thus the personal issues I’m having to deal with).  A lot of folks, maybe even you, have already lost their jobs or fear they soon will due to our failing (oops…I mean failed) economy.  They are getting desperate to find a way to make some money to keep from losing their homes and even just to buy groceries and keep the electricity turned on.  As we all know, the job market stinks right now and because regular JOBs are almost impossible to find folks are more and more turning to the internet as a possible way to make money.  And unfortunately for every person out there searching for a way to make money there are probably at least 100 out there waiting to scam each of us out of a few more of our dollars.  I want to help you avoid being scammed.

The promises always sound something like this……..

          “Just sign up now…click the button below…and you will get immediate access to my proven money making program……….

          You too can sit at home and make $10K a month….or more!………………

          You’ll get a free website, etc., etc..  It will only take you a few minutes and a few clicks of your mouse……………..

          Then you can sit back and watch the money pur into your bank account!……………………”

Whoa!  Sound too good to be true?  Well maybe that’s because it is.  Think about it for a minute.  If 10,000 people sign up for this “amazing” program that means there are 10,000 people with the same cookie cutter free website.  And when someone else goes online searching for whatever the product is what are the chances that your website will be the one that comes up on the 1st page of the search results?

Then there are those of you who say, “I don’t want to start my own internet business, I just want to work from home for a company”.  So you start searching and find that there are websites that tell you to sign up for access to a list of companies who are hiring people to work from home.  It may be just processing rebates, typing information into simple forms, writing for blogs…or some variation of the above.

Again, where there is demand, there is supply.  And no shortage of supply of those offering to provide you with a list of companies hiring “home workers”.  All you have to do is sign up for “free”.

One of the things I have learned to do over the years is scroll down to the bottom of the website and click on that small link that says “Terms and Conditions.”  AHA – the truth is then revealed!  Yes, it may be “free” to sign up AND you may even get a 7 to 14-day free trial but after that your debit or credit card will be charged a monthly fee.  I have seen these monthly fees range from $14.97 all the way up to $97 a MONTH for access to their database of companies – WOW!

Now I will be honest.  I don’t know what their database consists of because I’ve never signed up for any of them.  But I do know from everything I have read on a couple of scam revealing sites that I check new opportunities out on religiously – they are pretty much all scams.  Or at the very least they charge you for information you can find for free.

Oh, and before I go any farther, one scam revealing site I check all the time is scams101 (www.friendsinbusiness.com).  It is a forum type site.  Go to the Message boards and do a search for the opportunity you are checking on.  If you can’t find anything post a question and I guarantee you will get a response from at least one person and probably several.

Ok, so how do you find real work-at-home opportunities?  (We’ll talk about starting an internet business next time).

First of all, STOP USING POPULAR KEYWORDS SUCH AS “WORK AT HOME” OR “HOME EMPLOYMENT” IN GOOGLE OR ANY OTHER SEARCH ENGINES.  Instead of using the obvious keywords that are used by most scammers try these….

“telecommuting”

“outsourcers”

“independent agents”

“virtual call centers”

“virtual telecommuters”

“telecommuting agents”

“outsourced work at home agent”

Be creative!  When you look at some of the companies you find when you search the above terms see what terms they use on their sites and use those terms to search for even more companies that hire home workers or telecommuters.  I can’t guarantee that all the companies you find in this way will be legitimate but, you will definitely eliminate a whole bunch of the scammers.

So here is a list of LEGITIMATE COMPANIES that will hire homeworkers to do cutomer service (the most common) type of work from home job.  Customer Service means being part of a call center and answering phone calls, e-mails or chat requests from companies clients.   Go to each website and follow each company’s application procedures.  Follow the application guidelines, let them know ALL your qualifications and be patient…there are a lot of people applying for these types of jobs.  Just a note here.  I have gone to several of the sites myself and read their system requirements and I have found that they require high-speed internet access but satellite internet isn’t ok.  Guess it’s because of the instability of the internet due to weather situations…which unfortunately I have to deal with all the time!

Arise:   http://www.arise.com

Alpine Access:   http://www.alpineaccess.com

Working Solutions:   http://www.workingsol.com

West Corporation:   http://www.west.com

VIP Desk:  http:www.vipdesk.com

Customer Loyalty Concepts:   http://www.customloyal.com

Live Ops:   http://www.liveops.com

West at Home Agents:   http://www.westathome.com

VoiceLog:   http://www.voicelog.com/careers.html

For a list of big companies that hire homeworkers there is a great website that lists them.  Just keep in mind to follow each company’s employment application guidelines and don’t e-mail or call the company.  That will NOT work.  The website is…

http://2work-at-home.com/telecommute.shtml

Just one more thing for you today to consider if you’re looking to work from home.   If you have expertise in a particular field two good places to start looking for jobs would be http://www.craigslist.com and http://elance.com.  The number of jobs posted on both of them is staggering.  There are people out there looking for other people to do a lot of things for them.  They are looking to outsource article writing, writing for blogs, website design, accounting, etc.  And on those two websites you can also post an ad telling what sort of work you are looking for, what you are good at. 

Now it’s true you have to bid on the jobs advertised on Craigslist and Elance AND you may have to start out earning less money than you think you should until  word-of-mouth and your record speaks for itself but…produce high quality work and you WILL start making more.

I hope some of the information I have provided here will help you.  And as I find more I will pass it on.  I don’t want anyone to get scammed and lose any of the money you can so ill afford to lose.  I’ve lost some myself.  But in so doing have learned the hard way what to look out for.  

Good luck and please let me know if you have any success.  And let me and the other readers know if there are any other sites out there that are a good source of legitimate work-at-home jobs.  

     Sunday was a tough day for me.  A day I knew was coming but knowing didn’t make it any easier.  I had to have my horse put down and buried.

     She was an old horse.  We figured she was at least 30-years-old.  I have only owned her for about 3 1/2 years but I bought her from a friend and had ridden her a lot for a couple of years before I bought her. 

     I will not give all the gory details but two weeks ago Sunday I called the vet to come out and look at her because she had lost a lot of weight and there was something obviously wrong.  His diagnosis was that there was probably a tumor in her throat or she was suffering from a not unheard of condition called larangeal paralysis.  The flap in her throat was not closing when it should and feed was not getting down into her stomach but she was coughing/sneezing most of her feed up through her nasal pasages.  In case it might be “just an infection” a round of antibiotics was prescribed.  For that week she actually seemed to improve slightly…the drainage from her nose even subsided somewhat.  A couple of days later it returned with a vengance.

     Saturday night, when my kids went to turn her and our other 3 horses out of their stalls after feeding, as she came out of the stall she fell down.  She managed to get back up and was standing when I went out to check on her.  But I knew then that if she made it through the night I would have to call the vet Sunday morning.  When I got home Sunday morning around 8 a.m. from my part-time job she was still standing.  However within about 5 minutes of my arriving home she went down.  And she never got up again.  She tried.  She tried like hell several times.  But she just didn’t have the strength to get back on her feet.  I don’t believe there was any pain…there was no sign of that.  Just her body shutting down and the absolute inability to get back up again.

     The vet came about an hour and a half later  and my daughter and I stroked Melody’s head as  the fear and confusion left her eyes and she fell peacefully to sleep.   

     I will miss the old girl.  I hadn’t had much time in the last year or so to ride because of working 2 jobs but up until about a month ago she would have been strong enough to take me about anywhere I could have wanted to go.   For a while, in my mind I will see her body being pushed into the hole in the earth dug by the backhoe and the dirt being scooped back into the hole on top of her.  But I know that there was nothing else we could do.  The vet confirmed that her organs, including her liver,  were just shutting down.  And I know that Mel knew she was loved. 

     Good-bye my old friend!  Sleep peacefully!  God needed another horse and he got a good one!

     I don’t know about the rest of you out there but I have TMTD!  And a really BAD case of it!  

     Just a quick side note here…When I mentioned single moms earlier please understand one thing.  I may gear my posts and information in this blog towards single moms (because I happen to be one…lol) but…hopefully my posts will find themselves useful to all single parents and even those who are happily married…even people who have no children.  Because from what I have noticed in today’s life it seems a vast majority of us suffer from the same malady…TMTD!

     So, just for a moment close your eyes and take a deep breath.  Now let it out.  Relax your shoulders.  Hang your arms down and shake them.  Go ahead, I’ll wait.  Ok…now doesn’t that feel better?

     Ok…let’s start!

      The first thing we are going to do is address where we are right now. I want you to take some time…I know, I know, you don’t have the time! I felt the same way! But believe me it will help. Anyway, what I want you to do is take the time to write down your feelings, your situation, and your feelings about your situation. You don’t have to do it all in one day or in one sitting. Get a notebook, or use your computer…it doesn’t matter. Just take some time to put it all down in black and white. If you are anything like me your mind is just chaotic right now. There is so much going on. There is so much unknown. There is maybe even fear. DO NOT and I repeat, DO NOT judge your self! DO NOT second-guess your self! Just let it all come out. Write/type where you are emotionally, financially, the state your house is in (clean vs. a wreck), etc. In your writing make a list of things you want and/or need to do. (Wow! – you should see my to do list!) Clean out your mind by taking what is in your mind and putting it in black and white.   

     While I absolutely love my computer I personally recommend using a notebook and writing all of this out by hand.  Maybe it’s because my computer is in the kitchen and personal, alone time with it is in short supply.  But I think it’s mainly because I am a believer in journaling in general.  I have been writing things down for literally years.  I have notebook upon notebook in the top of my closet where I have written my feelings and things that have happened to me…it’s something that has helped me work out problems over the years.  And I’ve had some great ideas just sort of pop into my head while I’m writing in my journal.  I keep my notebook in my bedroom and write in it early in the morning or late in the evening before I go to sleep.  But I do have a separate notebook for this clear the clutter project.

     And that’s what I would like to see you try.  Get 2 notebooks…one of them preferably a 5-subject notebook.  Take one notebook and just start writing.  As I said before, get it out of your head and onto paper.  While you’re writing anytime you mention something you need or want to do write it down on the last page of that notebook.  Don’t try to sort those items right now or list them in any sort of order…just list them as your mind gets to them.  We’ll work on sorting them later.  For now we just want to try to quiet the mind-babble a little. 

     Just so you know…when you start writing you may feel more overwhelmed than before…at least in the beginning.  I mean, getting all those random thoughts that are buzzing around in your head onto a piece of paper may make you realize just how much you REALLY need or want to do.  (I know that’s what happened to me).  But getting it on paper, or on the computer in black and white, is important.  You cannot sort through things and put them in any sort of order or priority if they are just random thoughts floating in and out of your conciousness.  And you cannot even begin to decide HOW to accomplish most of your goals if you don’t even have a definite statement of what that goal actually is. 

     Just write baby, write!  Take the time to do it!  Cry while you’re doing it!  Laugh while you’re doing it!  And don’t forget to start that “to-do” list!  OMG!  I just realized “to-do” is a 4-letter word!  Please don’t hate me.

Sound familiar? I know it does to me! Like it or not I have to admit that my home is not as I would like it be. There is clutter…papers, empty boxes I was collecting when I was selling some items on Ebay, my bills sometimes resist being found when it comes time to pay them, the kids leave soda cans and glasses sitting around…yes, the list could go on and on.

Our homes are supposed to be our sanctuaries. The one place where we can relax after a long, hectic day. But if we’re met with clutter every time we walk in the front door, we’ll never feel a sense of serenity.

It’s tough to get and keep things organized and “de-cluttered”.   I happen to work 2 regular jobs, sell Avon and am now working on this blog and a couple of websites. Oh yeah, and I am a single mom with 2 teenagers! However part of the purpose of this blog is to help myself and you with the “de- (or is it un-?) cluttering process. And while I am ready to hit you with a ton of practical tips and ideas for cutting the clutter, ideas and tips that we are going to implement together, the first thing I believe we need to get in control of is the mind clutter. You know the constant swirl of thoughts going through, in and out, of our brains almost 24/7. I have sometimes told co-workers that I had trouble getting to sleep the night before because “My brain wouldn’t shut up and let me sleep”. You too huh?

Especially right now I think there are probably a lot more of you out there who’s minds seem to be in overdrive. The changes that the economy has caused, or we fear will cause, in the lives of most of us have our minds working hard, trying to figure out, “What else can I cut back on? How am I going to make next month’s mortgage payment or pay the light bill? Is there going to be enough left in my 401K or IRA to live on when I retire or am I going to have to work until I drop dead? Where am I going to find another job at my age?…etc.” And of course, probably the main question we’re constantly asking ourselves (at least I have been for the last 2 years!) “How can I make more money?” And preferably from home?

The point is with all that is going through our minds these days it’s hard to get up any motivation to declutter our physical world. It all seems so overwhelming that we come home from work, look around at the “mess”, decide to decide where to start tomorrow and plop our butts on the couch with a cup of coffee (or martini!). Then we lose ourselves in the latest antics of “Family Guy”, Will Smith and “The Fresh Prince of Belair”, or the drama of “CSI: Miami”. It takes our minds off of all we need to do, or the decisions we have to make. So now, on top of the list of things our minds are telling us we should have been doing, when we finally hit the sack, the feelings of guilt start to creep in. Oh, what a tangled web gets woven!

I don’t want to leave you hanging. I am going to give you some ideas for helping to clear the mind clutter. But before my next post I want you to go to this site, and read this post:  http://zenhabits.net/2009/01/the-single-secret-to-making-2009-your-best-year-ever/. This site is one of my favorite sites. I have Yahoo for my homepage and have added the ZenHabits site at the top of my page so that I can always see the latests posts.

In fact, while you’re at his site bookmark it and go back to it now and then.  Leo Babauta has some great ideas!  And the idea expressed in the linked post is possibly one of the best I have ever heard.

I’ll be back soon!

     Karen…I felt my response might better be placed here as a post than a response to your comment because, for one thing, it will probably be a little lengthy.  Secondly, my story and thoughts on this hopefully will benefit a lot of people.

     Ok…I started my process with CSA on April 23, 2008.  I called the 800 number provided on CSA’s website and spoke that evening with a Mr. Adam Patel.  After Mr. Patel explained how CSA went about helping clients reduce their credit card debt I told him that I wanted to think about it before I committed.  He then told me that I could go ahead and enroll, read through everything and then decide…nothing would be deducted out of my checking account until I confirmed my desire to continue with CSA. (At that time the first deduction/payment was scheduled to be made from my checking account on May 15, 2008).  I read through the enrollment agreement, talked to a couple of friends, did some more research online and called Mr. Patel on Monday May 5, 2008 to let him know that I had decided NOT to follow through with the CSA program.  I asked him at that time if I needed to fax anything to the company and he told me NO.

     Oh, and by the way, he was the first person of several I spoke with at CSA who told me that once enrolled with CSA I should STOP paying my creditors!  They claim in the enrollment package at least twice that they don’t advise you to do that.  But he did!

     Anyway, I discovered on Monday, May 19, 2008 when I went to my online banking site that indeed a withdrawal had been made from my checking account in the amount of $207.28 on May 15, 2008.  I called Mr. Patel that Monday and he said that he had forwarded an e-mail to the department that handled the withdrawals telling them of my cancellation.  Not to worry about it.  He would take care of it and I would get my money back.  And he would let me know by phone or e-mail if I needed to fax or mail anything to them stating my cancellation.  I did not hear back from Mr. Patel either by phone or e-mail for over a week.  During that week I called several times and left messages on his voice-mail.  I finally got in touch with him on Monday May 28, 2008 and he told me that I needed to fax my cancellation to the company.  I faxed the cancellation form included in the enrollment package the next day.

     Once they received the cancellation I received an e-mail from CSA stating that in order to finalize the cancellation I needed to call them.  I did that and unfortunately, the person I spoke to on the phone that evening was extremely convincing.  I knew I would have an extremely difficult time negotiating things with the credit card companies myself so I changed my mind and went ahead and decided to continue with CSA’s program.  Again, this person I spoke to (who unfortunately I don’t have a record of their name) explained to me that I would stop paying my creditors, mail each of them letters, and they would handle things from there.

     About a month or so ago I received a letter from a collection agency…actually it was from an attorney’s office…concerning one of my accounts. I faxed this letter to CSA as instructed.  About two days later I received an e-mail from CSA that I needed to contact them immediately as it concerned time-sensitive actions.  I called, and the person I spoke with just told me not to worry about it.  They had sent another letter to the creditor and things should be fine.  I was not told to contact the attorney’s office by phone or letter but they (CSA) would take care of it.

     Karen, I honestly don’t know at this point if canceling yours or my enrollment agreement with CSA is possible.  The Cancellation form that is in the enrollment package states that “You may cancel this agreement, without any penalty or obligation, within three (3) days after the Agreement signature date on page 2…”  However, when I started to cancel mine the first time it was well after the three(3) days.  And,  in item number 8 on page 4 of my enrollment agreement it again gives you the right to cancel but with stipulations.  “If Company (CSA) is unable to get a reasonable offer on an enrolled account during the program, at Client’s request, Company will refund to Client an amount equal to 15% of the fees paid by Client that relate to that particular account balance at initial enrollment.  Client must be able to show that they have sufficient funds to settle the account at $.50 on the dollar in order to be eligible for service guarantee”.  

     So, what it sounds like to me that if you (or I) had enrolled an account with a beginning debt amount of $2,000.00 we can’t cancel unless we can prove to CSA that we have $1,000 available to pay that account AND the amount we would be refunded would only be $45 which is 15% of the initial 15%  (or $300) CSA charged us to service the account.  So I guess I would have to say that losing $255 ($300 – $45) would definitely be considered a penalty. 

     I questioned one of the attorney’s involved with the Class Action Suit and he told me that if I was not satisfied with CSA’s service then I could try to cancel my enrollment with them but from what he had learned thus far, requests for refunds were not being met with much success.

     My problem with canceling my enrollment with CSA’s program is I’m sure the same as yours…I don’t have the funds to offer any of my credit card companies any settlement.  And, if the company were to even give me a refund of the 15% of their 15% for ALL of my accounts enrolled my total refunded amount would only be a little over $300.

     I will continue to research this situation and see what else I can find out.  And I will continue to post what I discover so that we may all be more aware and able to put an end to this nightmare.

     If you are considering signing up with Credit Solutions of America or have already entered a “contract” with this company…please read on.

     First of all, if you have never heard of Credit Solutions of America but are searching online for help with your unsecured credit card debt (which a lot of people are having problems with right now) let me tell you a little about them and the services they claim to offer.

     Credit Solutions of America (CSA) offers itself to consumers as an intermediary between consumers and their debtors generally claiming they can help people shrink their debt by 60 percent.  Before beginning work with any customer CSA requires that 15 percent of a customer’s total debt be paid to CSA through monthly payments with three large installments in the first three months.  In addition CSA instructs cutomers to stop paying their creditors so negotiations can begin.  CSA tells their customers to send copies of a letter available on their website in the membership area to each of their creditors letting them know that the customer is working with CSA and CSA also sends a letter to each of the customers’ creditors.  CSA claims that they have worked with most of the major creditors for quite a while and these creditors are “more than happy” and quite content to sit back and wait until the customer has saved up enough money through the CSA savings plan to start negotiations for settlement of their debt.  Apparently though this is not true and working with CSA can and has led to a range of lawsuits, attorneys’ fees and litigation costs for unpaid debts that are leaving cutomers far worse off then when they came to CSA.

     Yes, I signed up with CSA!  Back in May of this year I was looking for help with my Credit Card debt.  I did some research and, through my searching, found Credit Solutions of America.  They were featured on NBC and I watched the online video of that feature.  Well, heck I thought, if this company was featured and recommended through a major network they must be legitimate and reputable.  So, I contacted CSA through their online page, talked with them at length on the phone, digitally signed the contract and the deductions from my checking account began.  I did as I was told and sent the letters to my creditors stating that CSA was now handling my accounts and all questions regarding my debt should be directed to them.

     Months later I am STILL receiving phone calls from my creditors and my credit card accounts have been turned over to collection agencies.  I spoke on the phone with one collection agency two nights ago and it was this person who pointed out to me that there is now a Class Action Suit against CSA.  She also told me that her company had repeatedly called CSA and not gotten any response or call backs. (So I am paying these people for what?)  This person from the collection agency was also “kind enough” to point out to me that the credit card company she was working for was NOT going to sit and wait indefinitely for some sort of resolution to my debt AND that if and when litigation began the judge would look at all my assets, including my home, when it came to my ability to pay my debts.

     After I spoke with this collection agency I went online and indeed did find that a Class Action Suit is in the beginning stages of being filed.  Of course back in May of this year when I signed up with CSA there was not one so…all I had to consider was what then I found to be a good reputation.  And now I am faced with the decision of what’s next?  What do I do at this point?  Yes, I entered my information to join the Class Action Suit and in response to another e-mail inquiry I made to the Attorney’s office handling the suit and actually received a return phone call. 

     I questioned the Attorney’s office, understanding that they may not be able to advise me because of legal issues, as to whether I should cancel my contract with CSA and request a refund.  The message the Attorney left on my answering machine was that if I felt that CSA was not doing what they claimed they would and could do in the contract that I could cancel my contract with them.  However, from what he knew, requests for refunds were not meeting with much success.

     Here is the link to the Attorney’s office filing the suit… http://www.hbsslaw.com/CSA.htm.  There is a “click here” link that takes you to a new page where you enter your information to join in the Class Action Suit.  (Just a note here…there are places at the bottom of the page where you type in your information that ask for shares purchased.  Well, I didn’t purchase any shares but the form would not submit without something in these fields.  So I simply typed in the month I started with CSA and how many payments I have made…then the form was submitted and I received an e-mail from the Attorney’s office informing me that they had received my information.)

      If you are already under contract with CSA I definitely advise that you enter your information and join in this suit.  If you are considering entering into an agreement with CSA you definitely will want to look elsewhere for help.

     At this point I am not sure what path I am going to take as far as paying my credit card debt.  After 6 months of not paying any amounts on my credit card bills (the instructions given to me by CSA) my credit score is probably so low that finding any sort of a consolidation loan is probably out of the question.

     If there is anyone out there who has any suggestions I will appreciate them. 

     Again, I do not recommend CSA as a means to help you with your unsecured debt.  Don’t get yourself in the dilemma I’m now facing.  And I will continue posting concerning CSA and my personal situation with them and my credit card accounts.

     It’s over!  The long awaited and anticipated election is over.  It won’t be long now until Barack Obama takes over as our Commander in Chief.

     I know that there are a lot of people out there who are hoping, as I am, that this is the beginning of our Country on the mend and we will begin to see our personal economic situations improve.

     Unfortunately, as all of us are quite aware, the improvements won’t come overnight.  It will be a long, hard road to recovery.  Just this past weekend DHL announced that it is stopping all of it’s domestic deliveries and literally thousands of people are going to be laid off.  Over 7,000 just in Wilmington, OH!

     I live in a small town in Northeast Alabama and when I say small, I mean small.  It is a rural area with maybe 1,500 residents.  There is no industry.  The only places of business are small mom and pop stores that rely a lot on visitors/tourists for their income.  It is a small resort town as we have an Alabama State Park close by (DeSoto State Park) and what is known as the Grand Canyon of the East (Little River Canyon).  It’s a beautiful area but there is no industry.  The majority of the residents of this town work anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half away.

     I myself work in Ft. Payne, Alabama (home of the Alabama Band for you country music fans) which is about a 30 minute drive from my home.  Ft. Payne used to be known as the “Sock Capital of the World”.  That was our main industry.  The city was full of hosiery mills, large and small alike.

     Several years ago, due to what I believe is called the North Americal Free Trade Agreement, our mills began sending work out of the country to Mexico, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, etc. because they could obtain cheaper labor.  Some of the larger mills eventually just moved operations to these countries and the small, independent hosiery mills began to fold because they couldn’t out bid the competition.

     I work right now in a grocery store.  I actually am the assistant manager of the deli/bakery within that store.  Yes, I have a job.  One that pays a little better than average for the area but not enough to live on.  (Which is why I have a part-time job and basically work 7 days a week).  And it’s a job that will probably be one of the last to go in these tough economic times.  However, it’s a job that right now I would give anything to be able to leave.

     There are many reasons that I would like to able to change jobs right now.  Physically the job is really hard on me.  Because of several years of walking on cement floors it is taking a toll on my feet and ankles.  Just about every step causes a pain like a knife going into my ankle.  And there are other reasons that are more of a personal nature…I guess at this point you could say that I am a “Disengaged Employee”.  Read this…it’s really interesting and I can definitely relate…

http://blogs.bnet.co.uk/sterling-performance/2008/10/16/whatever-why-employees-stop-caring-about-work/

…and I wish there was a way I could annonimously send this link to the “guilty” store manager…lol!  However, I do NEED to keep my job right now!

     My “dilemma”…not being able to find a new place of employment right now, is one of the issues about this recession, depression, down-turn in the economy…whatever “they” want to call it…that I feel is extremely sad.

     Before I go any further, let me say that I know that some of you will be saying, “well, at least you HAVE a job!”  And I do understand that.  Right now there are a he** of a lot of people who don’t have any income at all and may probably just consider me a whiner.  But I am not whining.  Honest!  I am just expressing the fact that one of the great things about this Country is that we all had the opportunity to improve and advance ourselves.  We could move up within our own place of employment or, if that place ended up not suiting us, for whatever the reason, we at least “knew” that we could find a new place to work.  We could move on.

     But that is not the case anymore.  Due to the economy and the employment (or should I say unemployment) situation in the majority of cities and towns in this Country right now those of us who are so lucky to have a job are stuck in that job.  No matter, for the most part, what our education level (I have a College degree btw) our proven dedication to and reliability in the positions we hold or have held in the past…we are stuck.  There is hardly anything out there available to move to.  Belive me, I know.  I look at least once a week for something, anything that would be beneficial for me to change to…tempered of course with a little common sense.  For example, I am not going to leave the job I am at now making $9+ an hour to work at a fast food restaurant…that’s sort of a duh!

     The worst part?  That store manager I sort of hinted about earlier?  He knows that!  If all of us who work in that deli/bakery were to go to him and respectfully confront him with our thoughts and feelings, then told him we were all going to quit if things didn’t change all we would get would be a “don’t let the door hit you on the way out”.  Because he knows, like the rest of us, that there are many folks out there looking for a job and we could and would be replaced with ease.  No, they wouldn’t have the knowledge and experience that those of us who have worked there for years have but…we could be replaced. 

     The fact that we are stuck in our jobs literally, at this point, is to me very sad.  This is not the way America is supposed to be!  And I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying that our economy, the unemployement and the stuck employee situation changes soon.  Working for a better future is a big part of what drives our Country and makes us who we are.

     Here it is literally only a few hours from THE Major Election of our Country and I am faced with choosing between John McCain (the George Bush clone?) and of course his “will she really know what she’s doing? Sidekick” and Barack Obama the “New Kid on the Block” and maybe still wondering about some of the rumors spread on the internet back in the early days of his campaign and his affiliation with groups like ACORN.  LOL…this is a tuff one folks!

     And even on a local level it seems that the politicians are looking to help the big guys and not the ones who are in danger of losing their homes…listen to this!  This is a quote of an editorial I read last weekend in the local newspaper.

“Editor,

          There are times when people just need to speak up, and this is my time.

          The minute my husband retired from the fire department, I was dropped from his health insurance.  While we are on our knees praying that I won’t get sick or injured, we find that the mayor and city council are considering buying the (DeSoto Country Club).  Almost in the same breath, the mayor is asking department heads to “tighten their belts” and be prepared for possible layoffs.

          While the working poor in Fort Payne are falling farther and farther behind and I am being told that the city cannot afford my health insurance premiums, we, the taxpayers, are being asked to bail out the country club, just as we are bailing out the rich on Wall Street.

          Just think how far $300,000 would go on city raises and keeping us insuranced.  While city employees continue to live on wages so low that many of them qualify for food stamps and we are below the national poverty level, we can take comfort in the fact that the wealthy will continue to have a place to play golf.

          Thank you, mayor and city council, for once again showing us where your priorities lie.”*

*From The Times-Journal, October 25-26, 2008

     But, I am not here to give my political views.  Because there is one thing I HAVE decided.  No matter who wins the election at this point I believe that we, the little guy;  the single mom trying to feed her kids and keep the utilities turned on, the family who’s bread winner just got laid off from work indefinitely…all of us just trying to survive right now…we’re going to have to do this on our own!  There is going to be NO ONE paying our mortgage for us, or sending us a several thousand dollar check to help us get through the winter!  With that said I come to the purpose of this blog.

     It’s purpose is to address, and find solutions for, the feelings of being confused and overwhelmed that I see so many people experiencing these days (myself included) about their lives, their futures and…just where to go from here.

     It is really getting tough out there!  The cost of gas is now going down (Thank God) but I think our mentality is now along the line of “yeah, and how long before it starts going back up again?”  The cost of food went up along with the gas but because of what is known as “sticky prices” probably won’t be going down very much, if at all.  Businesses are closing left and right and people are losing their jobs.  And, of course, because people are losing their jobs they are losing their homes.  The classified section of my local paper (the same one I quoted from earlier) every week has several pages of new foreclosure notices.

     Oh yes…and let’s not forget the “experts” who tell you to SAVE some money every month!  Who can afford to save anything these days when it takes every penny you make just to pay for thye basics?

     I could go on and on here…but I won’t.  I think you know the point I am trying to make.  It is tough going these days!  And I, like you, spend a lot of my time worrying, frustrated, overwhelmed and a little depressed just trying to figure it all out.

     So, let’s help each other figure it out.  I am NOT an expert.  I have no degrees in psychology but I want to help us sort through the jumble of clutter and chaos, and get past the frustration, confusion and feelings of being overwhelmed…and definitely past the depression!  Because the depression is getting us nowhere…literally!  When a person is depressed NOTHING gets done!  Believe me I know.  But you and I are going to address ALL the issues and find workable solutions to them all.  And I say you and I because I want your feedback and ideas.  Together we will do this.

     We are going to talk about the emotional aspects and the practical ones.  Specific things like organizing our physical world as well as our time.  I want to talk about financial issues such as paying down bills, budgeting, even ways to earn extra money.  And that includes home businesses (of which I’vew tried a few!)  Oh yeah…and let’s not forget when we’re talking about earning extra money all the “get-rich-quick-schemes” that are flooding the internet as we speak.  You know, the myriad of e-mails you get that link to a page that claims “you too can make $_________(fill in the blank) a day/week/month/year working just 2 hours a day!!!”  (I’ve tried a few of those too…lol!)  And I/we will talk about any other issues as they come up that need addressing.

     So, I hope at this point I have peaked your interest and you will get onboard this train.  Stay tuned and join in and let’s get our lives and our futures into our own hands.  As I said before…I truthfully believe it’s up to each of us.