The financial markets got you in the dumps?  It seems to be affecting everybody around me.  Over the past few weeks, I have noticed some of my co-workers getting antsier as the hours pass by.  They keep checking the value of their accounts… keep checking their text message alerts to find the latest news on Wall St… constantly looking news clips from CNBC.com… And as they do, I watch the expression on their faces.  They appear to get lowlier and lowlier each time.

I am not sure if it is the internal optimist in me… but I refuse to let this financial crisis get me bogged down.  As much as I love finance, I seldom watch CNBC and I tend to stay away from Bloomberg.com. I figure if I intently followed the markets or read analysts predications… I’d just about drive myself to the kooky house.

Besides, I have about 20… 30 more years before I retire.  So I am sure by that time the markets would have rebounded.  And for those who have a shorter time to retire, I sincerely hope that your financial advisor cautioned you to sock your nest egg away into low risk, guaranteed return accounts long before this financial mess even began.

But even amidst this unstable economy, there are still a few things we can do to bring in a little extra income.

1 – Become a mystery shopper

Qualifications – Ability to read and write in English, have a reliable internet connection and an email account

Mystery shopping is fun. You can get free stuff… plus you pull in some extra cash while you are at it.  Mystery shoppers have cool jobs.  They are James Bond-ish in their ways.  They duck and dive around clothing racks and grocery aisles to spy on employees.  They get paid to lie, act, and be chameleons.  Well… it is not exactly like that but can be fun.  Volition has the most comprehensive list of reputable mystery shopping companies.  Plus they have a list of other things you can do to get paid.

2 – Become a online instructor

Qualifications – Have a master’s degree or doctorate, have some professional working experience or expertise, internet access

There has been an explosion in the number of educational opportunities that are offered online.  Some schools operate completely online… while others have a mix of online and ground opportunities.  Most brick and mortar schools offer some online classes and many offer complete online degree programs.  Some schools allow instructors to develop their own curriculum and some already have a pre-developed curricula.  You can find some great online teaching advice here.

3 – Become a freelancer

Qualifications – have a talent or skill that others need

Freelancing is big business.  Freelancer work as independent contactors provide a variety of services to their clients.  Services can range anywhere from financial consulting to website design.  Freelancers select their own jobs, set their own hours, negotiate their own pay and work at their own pace.  There are many sites that connect freelancers with clients.  Some of the more popular sites are GetaFreelancer, Elance and Guru.

4 – Fill out a job application at Target

Qualifications – ability to lift 50 lbs

Aside from the paycheck, the great thing about working at Target is that employees get a ten percent discount… plus tuition reimbursement, home buyer’s assistance, adoption assistance reimbursement, discounts at Sprint, Dell and FTD and other benefits.

I have always liked dogs.  I have fond memories of bathing with my German Sheppard, CC.  When she was small, my dad kept her in the bathroom.  So every time I went in to take a bath, I’d let CC hop into the tub with me.  CC was probably the cleanest puppy in the neighborhood.  I, on the other had, was worst smelling kid in kindergarten.  I smelled like a wet dog for goodness sakes.

Eventually, as CC got bigger, my dad put her in the back yard.  Occasionally, I would go there to play with her.  But she was a little too friendly… she liked jumping on me.  Neither CC nor I realized that a hundred pound energetic German Sheppard and an equally energetic 45 pound kindergartener was the perfect mixture for broken arm, chipped tooth, or badly bruised torso.  Luckily for me, my parents realized this and CC stayed outside and I stayed in.

Today, I am the proud pet owner of two pups, a Jack Russell Terrier and a standard size Poodle. They are not really pups anymore.  They are both 3 years old now (21 in doggy years)… but I call them pups because they are still my babies.

However, my patience is easily worn that is why I would have never imagined myself being a dog owner.  And not only do I have one dog, but I have two.  It is still hard for me to believe.  But I tell you, this pet owning business can be difficult.  It took me a long time to work my way to dogs. Over the past ten years, I have been responsible for quite a few animals.

My first go at it was with fish.  I bought my son a 15 gallon tank for his 5^th birthday.  I thought filling it with 30 colorful fish would look pretty.  And it did, for all of about 12 hours.  Then the water turned black and the fish began floating to the top.  Nobody explained to me the mechanics of fish.  It was not my intention to become a mass fish murderer over night, but that is kind how it played out.

Then I tried it again with a frog.  It was a cute little albino frog.  Long story short, he is buried in yard next to the fish.

My next attempt… a turtle.  I saw a tiny (not as big as an Oreo cookie) turtle walking across the road. Surely, he would have gotten run over by a car the way he was slow poking across the street. I figured I’d take him home to save him.  Long story short, he probably would have done better if I had taken him off the road and sat him in the grass… because he too, is buried next to the fish.

We had a lizard, and a few more fish… Patsy and Lazlo, Lilo and Stitch, and even had a Hannah and a Montana.  All dead, dead, dead.  Ok so my track record is not the best… which why when I brought up the idea of getting a dog loud gasps of shock filled the room.

But despite my family’s fears, I have done well with my pups.  I have given up my old life as pet-slaughterer and now I am a puppy spoiler.  And there is no better way to spoil a pup than stocking up on goodies at PetSmart.

PetSmart Coupon Codes

Cashback when you shop at PetSmart 12%, 7.2% or 7%

What’s so great about October?  If you asked me, I’d say the cool, early morning and late evening breezes.  For the past 5 or 6 months, the heat in my city has been unbelievable.  But so far this month, I have gotten a little relief… the overnight temps call for a light sweater.

Other people might say that they like the October trees.  In October, the trees turn beautiful shades of red, brown and orange.  While I agree that the colorful trees can be picturesque, I don’t care for October trees.

Why not?  Cause for me… it creates too much work.  I have 4 trees in my front yard and 3 in the back.  Two of those are huge oak trees.  Trees in October equals dead leaves all over the lawn.  Oak trees in October equals dead leaves and acorns all over the lawn.  Cleaning up after 7 trees is not my idea of a good time.

My children also dislike October trees.  For them, this means that their Saturday mornings no longer means sleeping in late or watching cartoons.  Their Saturday mornings are now devoted to raking leaves, raking acorns, and more raking leaves.

But yet still, the kids love October because at the end of the month they receive a little reparation in the form of Halloween treats.  My daughter (6 years old) loves Trick or Treating.  And my son used to look forward to it too.  But now that he is gotten older (14), the take from Trick or Treating no longer excites him.

Last year while my daughter and I went Trick or Treating… my son and the DH stayed home to pass out goodies.  But this year, my son asked if he could do something more thrilling.  My son suggested that we go to Kings Dominion again.

We went to Kings Dominion amusement park a couple of summers ago and had a great time.  But Kings Dominion is 1,000 miles from us… there is no way we can travel 1,000 miles from home during the middle of the school year. So Halloween at Kings Dominion won’t work for us this year. We will have to find something a little closer to home.  However, if you are near the VA or DC area… spending Halloween at Kings Dominion may be a great idea.

Every weekend during the month of October, the park hosts its Halloween Haunt.  They have several Scare Zones, spooky Mazes, and wicked stage Shows.  These serve to frighten the big kids (13 and up – parents included).  And to shake up the little kids… they have some less hair raising attractions such as a Talking Pumpkin Patch, the Foam Pit and a Meet & Treat.

And plus, you may be able to save some money off the price of admission when you look here:

Buy your tickets online and try using this coupon code

Special on Haunt Night when you purchase your tickets in advance

More coupon codes courtesy of Retail Me Not

Save $10 on season passes with this coupon found in the Entertainment Book

Discounts especially for Virginia Tech employees

Discounts especially for Virginia Governmental Employees Association members