The Defeated Blogger

The problem with being a newbie blogger is that after a little research on the internet you become over-whelmed with information. You then can go into the dangerous territory of the defeated blogger.

Sure you have created a free website on blogger. You gave yourself a fancy name and then you do what everyone is suppose to do - blog!

You might be on Squidoo creating lens after lens to find out after month's you just have made mere pennies.
This is what is happening to me so far and I am not impressed!

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Webmasters Make $$$

I do love comics so whether or not you are a Spiderman lover or any other kinda Super-Hero lover just click on the link below to see the collection - you won't be sorry! Every kid's bedroom wall would look great with one of the posters of their favourite Super-hero! You can do a poster search as well to find the best poster for you!


I am very interested in Clickbank but I have not done enough research on the subject.

My total passive income on-line to date is a huge .75cents in the Squidoo hopper. Not good! Yet Google Adsense saved me in December with a two figure income. Wow - that bought me a nice dinner out - and - that is about it!

There is a Squidoo Lensmaster Potpiegirl.com who has a one week to success training tool out there. It is not free but it doesn't cost a fortune either. Jennifer is her real name and she claims to be making $154,000.00 a year from the internet. Really, wow, now that has my attention!

Look her up you might want to give it a go. I am still debating about whether or not to do it. Oh, I am just so hard to part with my hard earned money.

Regarding Squidoo I realize now that I have to get more keyword and niche savy. It doesn't matter if you have 100 or 1,000 lenses if no one is reading them. Getting good traffic that's what's needed to make any money.

One great thing about Squidoo is that you don't have to worry about a domain name. You don't have to worry about a web host. You don't have to worry about how to get great pay modules on your lens - they are already built in. But, sometimes lenses like Squidoo just don't pay very much money. Unless your very, very lucky! The greatest thing about Squidoo is the operative word here - it is free.

So my best advice as a Money Diva is to use your common sense about what you buy on the internet! It is good that your a bit of a cheap skate because you won't just impulse buy. You really do have to shop around!

So even though today I feel like the defeated blogger - tomorrow is a new day! A fresh start!

Take care,

Just Me - Your Diva Money Saver

My 100 Day Plan to Find a Man

So here I am still single and have just decided to start dating again. I call it my 100 day plan to find a man! Not just any man mind you - a great one - special - the worth it all kind!

This Man Plan came about because I am sick and tired of meeting all the wrong types. Yes, I do get hit on and sometimes I think I must have a neon sign on my head - loser come this way! I know it sounds selfish but not really.

Where does a classy lady go after you have tried a few times at inter-net dating and your not impressed? Oh my gosh after awhile all the faces blur and it seems that every guy claims to have climbed Mount Everest.

Your just a regular gal looking for a regular guy! I wish. When your in the baby boomer generation it really get`s more difficult. I really don`t know how many guys I told thanks for flirting but I`m old enough to be your Mom! But, my Mom doesn`t look like you! Oh well!

So, in order to do the Man Plan I have to plan outings each and every day. I do go to Karioke and ya I do sing a song or two. But, I always end up with someone singing a love song to me and he`s no way my type. So where can I hide? Oh my really good man friend just came in - so - I just got saved! That`s another problem when you have a man friend - best friend - everyone - thinks your taken! So, I need to do that less - I guess!

One day should I hang out in home depot? Maybe, I should go ice skating down at City Hall? Hang around the local mall without spending too much money? Join a bowling league? Go to the local library? Visit a bookstore with a cafe? Take a single`s cruise - now your talking! Go solo to Las Vegas - wow - now there`s an idea!

I really can feel that blurry feeling start to over-whelm me. This is just like making a New Year`s Resolution but worse - cause - you really want to change your life.

Wanted: a mature man who is charming, single, comfortable, educated, takes good care of himself, intelligent, easy-going, good listener, and has a big heart! Oh my God, my Prince Charming - does - he even exist?

This 100 day man plan of mine is pretty funny! They say you will meet someone when your not looking!
Well,  I have made a conscious decision to try. So, my flirting eye, and sweet smile, will all just have to get dusted off and just get out there! You just never know who you will bump into. Just one thing - I always check the ring finger - if your taken - no thanks! I don`t need the drama!

Wow - I will keep you posted!

Cheers

Just Me - Your Diva Money Saver

My Low Down Payday from Squidoo!

January is the month you need the most money and yet Squidoo's payday has come and gone and I went from .13 cents in the Squidoo hopper to a big .75 cents. It's exciting that something is working but depressing that is all I earned.

I think my in-text adds are not working in Squidoo so I might have to report that as a bug. In the Squidoo forum I asked others if they are having this problem. Ya bugs in the system - that  - is all I need.

I did get a Purple Star Award from Squidoo for my lens about my 10 year old daughter Lisa who died in 1986 from Addison's disease. So, that kind of made my day a few days ago.

Part of me wants to keep Squidoo-ing in the hopes of making money blogging. The other part of me wants to run away from Squidoo and find somewhere else that will pay me big for my writing. Yet how do bloggers get recognized as writers in today's internet world?

I mean some of the best writer's out there have been laid off of newspapers and magazines. A lot of them work piece-meal from home. The newspaper company knows that they only need to keep the best of the best.

So after seeing my gosh awful pay on Squidoo I have to wonder if Captain Squid who claims to have made $500.00 in one day on a Squidoo payday - how did he do it?

What about John Chow who claims to have all the internet secrets down pat. He says he lives a dream life.

Then there is the Wealthy Affiliate who says he makes a lot of money!

Well, just maybe most of them are near genius and know a lot about Affiliate Marketing Programs, back-links, hosting, domain names, how to even create a wonderful winning website! I am sure that this is all true and this is why people like them can offer us computer information if we want to pay for it!

If your like me you just want the information to be free! Just like blogger is free! Just like Squidoo is free!

So, hopefully I will make a have decent dollar amount on the next Squidoo payday!

And, hopefully someone in the blogisphere clicks on an Google Adsense Add and buys something. That would be nice!

In the mean-time this poor girl wannabe rich girl (oh ya our health is our wealth) will just keep blogging away in the hopes that something somewhere clicks. Get it - traffic - click, click, click!

I have to go on Potpiegirl's site and see if she has any good information for me. She is a stay at home Mom and she is apparently making good money working on-line and she started from scratch! How about that!

Make a lot of money on line blogging - don't hold your breath!

Maybe next month! Maybe being the operative word here.

Can I give a newbie some advice?  Heck no - I need all the advice I can get!

I'm just gonna run out and buy a coffee with my big fat seventy five cents from Squidoo. Oh, a coffee costs more than that. Grrrrr!

That is my rant for today about my low down payday from Squidoo!

Cheers

Just Me - Your Diva Money Saver

Squidoo Payday is today and I made a big seventy five cents!

Oh my goodness, Squidoo payday is today and I made a huge seventy five cents! Well, it has gone up from thirteen cents. I think I need to - win the lotto -  as this blogging gig is not paying out! Not only that I am so much of a computer geek lady that I have no idea why - since - I saved my Squidoo settings to put text adds in my lens and it still does not seem to be working. So what gives? I might have to report it to Squidoo as a bug in their system!

Then back to my iddy bitty blog here and I havn`t gotten one comment. Ok, so what gives with that? Maybe the blog is so totally boring ......... ok ........ I said it ....... that nobody cares enough to comment. But, I betcha dollars to donuts that something is wrong with the blog from a technical aspect.

Now -  to my passive income update - if Google Adsense had not sent me a two figure income last month I probably would have thrown in the towel with this blogging. But, it does help keep my mind, fingers, and my writing up to date.

I was thinking of actually reading Potpiegirl`s one week success program. She really is a stay at home Mom successful blogger. So, who ..... do you trust - some big shot - like John Chow - or a common sense honourable Squidooer like Potpiegirl? I vote for Potpiegirl cause she is down to earth and not complicated.
Well, I will let you know!

Many newbie bloggers like myself read on-line how to make money - for - free. It just seems to take forever to figure it all out.

I love Affiliate Marketing. I really think this is the way to go. If your interested in getting started with that just click on the add link below


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If you want to order a cool poster then this add post is for you!


So, with a big seventy five cents in the Squidoo hopper I am just going to call it quits for today.

As Seth Godin the creator of Squidoo said in one of his books - you need to first fail in order to succeed. Thanks Seth!

That seems to be what is happening here! So, I am on track oh ya! Heck, off to buy a lotto ticket seems with that I have better odds.

Cheers

Just me - Your Diva Money Saver

Newbie Bloggers Just Make Chump Change

When your a newbie blogger trying to make money on the internet you really basically make chump change. What I mean by that is your not making very much money.

As a newbie blogger there is just so much to learn. You need to have a basic understanding of html code. You might want to start off by putting items in borders. Or, copy and paste free html code pictures into your blog. It might be wise to credit where you got the picture - free or not!

You need your blog to look pretty! You will need relevant information on your blog to get you traffic. So far, I just know the basics. This blog is about trying to make money as a newbie blogger so I have to watch I stay within that focus.

I have a confession to make. Squidoo has broken my heart. I love Squidoo because you can start a lens (your writing) right away. You can call it whatever you want as long as you follow the Squidoo rules. I found Squidoo more user friendly than hub pages. All of the pay modules are built right in. So, why is my heart broken? Because it's a miracle and then some to get Squidoo to pay-out. The Squidoo Gods decide on your lens rank.

Put it this way, if I get a part time or full time job paying at least minimum wage then I must be making at the very least probably ten to 12 dollars an hour. With Squidoo if you feel it's a full time job you might be making zero to cents or a few dollars after months of hard work. That really is not cool and it's actually just like slave labour. But, then some people would argue that blogging is for dummies and you are doing it as a hobby.

You might want to join a couple of Affiliate Marketing Companies and see if you can sell their products on your site. Again, this is hit and miss. But, it does make you think that hey - this is probably a good way to start making some money on-line.

Like I said, one way of making a passive income is to join an Affiliate Add company.


Webmasters Make $$$

I know, every successful blogger had to go from knowing basically nothing to learning how to blog smart.
There is just so much to learn and then some!

I tried Google Adwords once on a free trial - ya - I got some traffic but at the end of the day - show me the money. It just wasn't happening! Not on this blog - and - I was really a newbie let me tell ya.

According to Seth Godin, the creator of Squidoo, you must fail to succeed. Really, Seth, is that what happened to you?

I still think it takes money to make money. The money issue can really be frustrating for a newbie blogger. My best advice is to just keep on blogging and see what works and what doesn't.

If something works - repeat it, repeat it, repeat it. If it doesn't work try something else!

One thing about blogging is that your not out shopping. Point well taken.

Cheers

Just Me - Your Diva Money Saver

Conscious Awareness of How You Spend Your Money

For the last couple of years people all over the world have had a very hard time saving their money. Recessions, unemployment, sky rocketing prices of housing, rent, food, energy, have all taken their toll.

The best money advice I can offer you is watch how you spend your money. Yes, use your brain tools - your conscious awareness.

Make saving money a game. Yes, you can! And, the more you do it the better you will get at it.

I am a big fan of declaring one day a week as a no spend day. If you have a low tolerance to saving make it a day your more likely to stay home. Do something around the house that will keep you busy.

Keep all of your coupons in your purse. I have been so mad when I have gone shopping and really needed something and realized on check-out that the coupon was at home.

Some people get so good at couponing that they can even shop at home. But, be careful not to over-spend your budget or start hoarding - cause - that is not cool!

Remember - always buy what you need - not - always what you want.

Keep track of how you spend your money. If you use your air-miles visa as a debit card and your disciplined enough to pay it off the moment you get home - great - otherwise don't use it. Never again pay a cent in interest!

Always try and keep a little money for a rainy day. Maybe put a few dollars every month in a tax free savings account. So, if you do run into trouble you can always dig into that.

Some people go to such classy places to eat and you end up paying a huge amount of money out of pocket to do that. If you do need to eat out look for a place that has good food but is 1/2 the price of what you have been paying.

Teach yourself how to sell things you don't need anymore. I am bad at this because I have never done it. But, I will research how to sell things on-line. In Canada we have free classified newspapers and I think for things like used electronics that is the way to go.

Treat yourself once in awhile to something nice - or - you will throw your budget out the window!

You need to be learning how to be frugal but not cheap - but hey - you can do it!

I stopped buying coffee's so that is a huge savings for me.

Watch all the free stuff on TV. There are also a lot of free legal downloads now and you just put them on your data stick. And, walla, no more paper-view movies. That is a huge savings. Or just go to your local library and take out some movies. Again - free is the operative word here.

The trick is to have a little saved at the end of the month and not to have borrowed from credit lines, visa's, or have used your over-draft protection.

If you do need to dip into your credit line for just a little amount then you know you have to tighten the belt strings the next month. Eventually, you will get the hang of it. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Always use the bank machine where you do your banking. I have a banking package that allows me to go to one or two other types of inter-act machines. But, I just refuse to do that. A good walk to my bank is healthy and saves me an interest charge.

Never - ever - use payday loan places! No way. Do you realize that they will charge you interest rates that should be outlawed. Do you really want to pay 29% interest! No way!

If you do need to go on a much needed vacation check out all the deals that you can find. Compare prices. See if you can travel using your airmiles - maybe - you will get your trip for free. That happened to me once. I used my visa airmiles and then my income tax return and I came back from Las Vegas with money in my pocket. But, again you need to be really disciplined about it.

Remember - brain tools - conscious awareness - get rid of those expensive bad habits now!

Those are my tips for today.

Cheers

Just Me - Your Diva Money Saver

Comic Book Madness

Ok so now are you over it! They killed off one of my favourite comic book heroes - Peter Parker aka Spiderman. Apparently, the writer of the comic got death threats - now - that is just crazy don't ya think!

If you want to order a great Spiderman poster or any super hero poster just click on the link below:



I have always loved Spiderman. But, I first loved Superman. It's funny, they are always killing off comic book heroes and then they come back to life at a later date. That's because the comic book world is a fantasy world. So, for someone to get all worked up about Peter Parker dying is just rediculous to say the least.

Really, I have no idea what impact Peter Parker's death will have on the Spiderman Comics as a collector's item. If anything I would think it would make them go up in value. Some people might argue otherwise but that is what I believe.

Here's a cool you tube video about Spiderman.

If I had kept all of my old comics from when I was a kid I would be a rich lady today. Too bad, but we just read them for fun back then. Some smart people did hold onto them and a few people had Action Comic Number 1 which was a Superman Comic from 1938 and that made them a ton of money! Nicholas Cage is an avid comic book collector and his famous Action Comic #1 was finally found in a storage locker!

Wow, Nicholas Cage is one lucky guy! Well, I gotta go now.

Cheers Just Me - Your Diva Money Saver

Google Flu who knew?

I just found out today there is a new flu called Google Flu. Not a computer virus but a real life human contagious flu that the present flu shots seem to be some what immune to.

I am pretty sure that the flu shot I got awhile back does help but it doesn't appear to be as effective as it should be. It is pretty much a guessing game what viruses they put in the flu shot to up our immunity.

It is actually Google Flu Trends and when you go on this site it shows you a map of Canada and the intense flu right now is in Quebec. Every other province in Ontario is in a high trend. I guess if it gets worse Ontario will say an intense trend too. But, were not there quite yet. But having a high trend in Canada is not good. That means a lot of people are catching the flu and spreading it around.

Apparently, there is a big out-break as well in the United States and you can also track that on Google Flu Trends. Just take a minute to listen to this video which tells you what is happening right now.

The good news is that on this website you can read what the flu symptoms are. It also gives you a website name you can call up to get more information.

This google flu trends can be used by anyone and is easy to understand. I like the coloured coded chart that they use of the country and with your cursor you just move from one province to the other or one State to another just to see how bad the outbreak is.

I think this is good knowledge because if I were to travel anywhere I like to see what out-breaks are happening.

If I get a lot of traffic to this page I will let you know on another blog post about getting traffic to your blog.
I hope I do!

The reason is simple: to try and make a passive income on-line! For free I have just given you a big inter-net secret. Anyone trying to make a passive income knows you need to get traffic to your blog.

So, on different days I talk about different things. The trick is to use real time head-liners. Now you get it. I am trying to spread some good advice and teaching blogging tips at the same time.

After all the subject is important too. Because your health is your wealth.

Gotta go now.

Just me- Your Diva Money Saver

Teaching Myself How To Blog

When your a fairly new blogger I think it's important to just keep it simple. If you worry yourself silly about all of the claims out there in the blogisphere of riches to be had on the internet you will be truly over-whelmed.

The thing I love about Blogger is that it is free to create your own blog. Yep, it doesn't cost you a penny. So free is a good thing.

Let`s use Squidoo as an example. Yes, I do blog on Squidoo and find it very entertaining but frustrating at the same time. Tomorrow, I have about 6 lenses (my writing) to fix up. But, in the morning it probably will be more like 10 lenses to fix up. Time consuming and little financial compensation for all of my hard work.

Yet I can take my blogger post and copy and paste it into my Squidoo RSS feed!  And walla my RSS feed  will automatically show up on Squidoo. Pretty cool if you ask me. I just found this out by trial and error.

Now I did not make any big bucks yet on Squidoo. Well, okay a big thirteen cents to be exact. It won't payout until it hits my one dollar threshold. Big bucks to be had here! Really! I mean really!

So, I have no idea how a so called Captain Squid ever made a $500.00 payday on Squidoo. Ouch, ouch, ouch, when I compare my thirteen cents to that one!

Even Potpiegirl.com who is a Squidoo lensmaster has on her own website some kind of one week course to success. She is not asking for any money - as far as I can see. But, what happens after the one week course? Well, then I betcha she is asking for some type of financial compensation. When I have time to do it - or decide to do it - I will let you know.

Another Squidoo lensmaster who is doing well is called Susan52. This Susan is selling her E-book on Amazon and I think it's called: I Squidoo Do You? Catchy, very catchy!

Well, it seems that a guy called the Wealthy Affiliate knows Potpiegirl because he talks about her and she talks about him. Hmmm is something going on here? I mean in a business sense just so ya know! The Wealthy Affiliate claims to know how to blast Google Adwords out of the water and have you in control!
Pretty darn interesting if anything else. Oh, and he charges some money for the information. But, of course he does. That is partly why he is the Wealthy...... Affiliate - get it!

Now, when I was snooping around on the internet I found a site by a John Chow. John describes in full detail how he makes a lot of money on the internet - each and every day! He enjoys all the finer things in life!
He does charge money for his course. Again, well, of course he does. This is how John Chow probably makes most of his money. Ya, wanna bet! Oh ya!

So as a newbie blogger it is like who do you trust? Is paying out the money you don't have worth the pain? Or, will you be like me - a little buyer beware - and just keep on doing what works and try to stop doing what doesn't work.

My plan of attack is to get that book called: Blogging for Dummies. Yep, that's me all right! Well, maybe I would be ready for Blogging for Dummies 2. If that even exists!

Some time this week I need to explore why my comments are not working. Wow - learning how to blog is really a lot of work.

Blogging doesn't even guarantee you a pay cheque. Yet, some bloggers like John Chow would have you believe otherwise. Maybe John is right. Who really knows? I don't - not yet anyway.

So, slow as a snail I will go. Taking the high path from rags to riches. If anyone has any great tips I am all ears. But, it must be a free tip thank you very much!

When I know how to blog - guess what - you will be the first to know! I promise!

Happy New Year to You

From Me - Your Diva Money Saver

The Squidoo Blogger Blues

How do you beat the Squidoo blogger blues? Probably, by getting out and enjoying life! Go for a wonderful walk. Forget about the computer. Forget about the Blogisphere.

Squidoo really drives you crazy when they put 10 of your lenses out to pasture. They turn on the red light and the only good sign is a green light. Red means stop. Green means go. If any of your lenses are in the red they will not pay you for them.

Not getting paid is big in Squidoo-land. Since September until now I made a hillarious 13 cents. Yes, they have thirteen cents in my reserve hopper. I put my threshold at $1.00 dollar so they don't claw it back for their own purposes. Secretive, sneaky, not nice - taking someone's pennies away from them. Oh it's for  a good cause - not - if I want the cash baby!

Just spend a day or two away from Squidoo and oh my gosh so many lenses get down-graded.

Oh, and to make matters even worse I was rejected from joining the Giant Squid Club. I guess my writing needs to just get better and better.

One of my favourite comic book heroes Peter Parker aka Spiderman has died. He was consumed in the dead body of his arch rival Doc Octobus. But, a different kind of Spiderman is going to emerge so if Peter Parker is dead that means Doc Oct is alive and going to be a good Spiderman or an evil one? Will soon find out.

If you want to buy a poster of one of your comic hero's just click on the link below:


Well - I will be talking about money matters in the near future. But, I need to sign off now.

Take care

Me - Your Diva Money Saver

Squidoo Rejected Me From The Giant Squid Club

Hey - I was so sad to be rejected from Squidoo's Giant Squid Club! Yes rejected! But, it probably is a good thing so that I whip all of my Squidoo lenses into better shape.

You see Squidoo is a writing platform but to win out in Squidoo I think you need a lot of good quality lenses and eventually these will get a better ranking.

Squidoo does love me anyway - I have after all won 20 trophies.

I am at level 49 which is a good thing - I think!

Loads of points too!

But, getting a huge thirteen cents from August through to September - well - that is just crazy!

I am sure that my writing is better than a kick in the pants!

I did make a huge two figure income from Google Adsense - so that kind of saved me from the blogger blues.

If anyone ever told me it was easy to make money from blogging - well - they must know all of the blogging secrets.

One thing I do notice is that Susan52 and potpiegirl.com both who do squidoo lenses have e-books on sale with Amazon. They must really know Squidoo pretty good to have an  e-book out there.

I did subscribe to potpiegirl.com - her feed. And, I do get some free useful advice from her from time to time.

Another big frustration is that every day I am tweeking at least 5 Squidoo lenses so they move from red back to green.  If they are in the red you won't ever get paid for them.

So, Squidoo is very high maintenance and so far very little return for all of my hard work.

I mean is my writing really that bad?

No, it's because you need to focus and find a niche that lots of people will fall in love with.

You also need a crystal ball to see what everyone is looking up on google! Popular subjects, key words, just trying to drive traffic to your site.

Maybe 2013 will be a better year.

Here's hoping.

From Me - Your Diva Money Saver