I am excited to start writing for Personal Finance Analyst!  Through this site, I look forward to sharing personal stories and my outlook on financial situations facing many of us today.

In the past, I’ve owned and managed two small businesses.  One I sold when I married, the other was sold when my husband and I decided to move to Arizona.  The businesses gave me experience in marketing, budgeting, employee management and time management. This experience has proved useful even though we no longer have those small businesses.

Currently, my husband works as a salesman earning 100% commission and I am a freelance writer.  Over the years I have learned to carefully budget and stretch our dollars to cover the lean times.  I will share many of these strategies through future posts.

I consider it my responsibility to manage my family’s money to the best of my ability.  I also want to share what I’ve learned with others to help them make the most of their family’s money.  I plan to provide plenty of good ideas to the readers of this blog.  I will focus on specific topics during the week, as follows:

Mondays — General Money Savings Tips
Tuesdays — Real Estate Issues
Wednesdays — Frugal Grocery / Meal Ideas
Thursdays — Kids and Money
Fridays — Current Affairs / Financial News

I’ll get started tomorrow with a few great money saving ideas as we head into the holiday season!

Well, for one… the Martha Stewart Everyday collection

The collection includes charming Martha-esque accessories for the bedroom and bathroom, plus other accents for the home.  They’ve even got a Martha Stewart Everyday nonstick stir-fry pan for only $21.99.  And apparently, the customers like it.  It was rated 4.5 out of 5 stars. This pan will get me one step closer to becoming a Martha’s cooking school graduate.

For two… K-Mart pioneered the blue light special

Who didn’t love a blue light special?  A surprise sale on pots and pans or whatever else the manager fancied.  But you wanna know the odd thing… although I have heard a lot about these blue light specials, I have never actually seen one.

Back in the day, my aunts, Joyce and Sandra, were known as the K-Mart sisters.  They went to K-Mart everyday, and occasionally two or three times a day.  They probably caught every blue light special at their favorite K-Mart store.  And it was easy to tell when they had gotten lucky.  They would return bearing gifts for all.  T-shirts, silverware, towels, bed sheets… you name it, they had it.  And they would boast for days about the how much they saved.

K-Mart has long since done away with the blue light specials, but my aunts, the K-Mart sisters still love them just the same.  Actually, when Aunt Joyce retired, she took a part time job at her favorite store. She’s worked there for a couple of years now and she enjoys it.  She likes the staff. She likes the customers. And of course, she loves the employee discount.

For three… K-Mart have jobs, and lots of them!

When I last looked, they were advertising almost 500 vacancies. K-Mart offers a variety of employment opportunities ranging from entry level to professional.  And because K-Mart has thousands of stores and distribution centers across the United States, great K-Mart job opportunities are likely near you.

On the West Coast - a Recruiter opportunity in Sacramento - Recruiters are responsible for hiring new employees, conducting new employee orientations, and various other human resource functions.  The average pay for employment recruiters in this area ranges from $46-$62,000 a year.

In the South - a Loss Prevention Manager opportunity in Miami - Loss Prevention Managers are responsible for developing and implementing policies and procedures that will safeguard a company’s assets.  The average pay for Loss Prevention Managers in this area ranges from $59-$79,000 a year.

In the Midwest - Assistant Store Manager opportunities in Tulsa - Assistant Store Managers help the Manger with the daily operation of the store.  They are usually the first line of management contact for employees and customers.  The average pay for Assistant Retail Store Managers in this area ranges from $29-$40,000 a year.

On the East Coast - a Pharmacist opportunity in Niagara Falls - Pharmacists are responsible for running the pharmacy, deciphering doctors scribblings and dispensing medication. The average pay for pharmacists in this area ranges from $92-$114,000 a year.

Search for more K-Mart job opportunities here.

Plus, K-Mart offers its employees many benefits, such as medical and dental insurance, disability benefits, stock options, employer matching 401K and paid time off.  Oh, and did I mention the employee discount?

If you are looking for a great career opportunity, be sure to consider K-Mart.

It seems that my son and I have the same conversation every week.  He is 14 now and he has this fixation with driving.  Even though it is 2 years away, he has already told me what he wants for his 16^th birthday… a Jaguar.  It just tickles me how easy it is for my children to make plans for my money.

My response to the Jaguar thing… it’s not happening.  I don’t even drive a Jaguar.  His response… but momma you said you want your children to do better than what you have.  Kids are funny.  You see how they conveniently twist words to make it suit their needs… wants.

Yes… of course I want my children to have more than I have… more happiness, more joy, more career success, more riches… every parent wants that for their child.  But I have to explain to him that I want him to have more than me on his dime… not mine.  I want him to have a better job or make more money than I do so he can afford to buy a Jaguar if he wants one.

Me buying a 16 year old boy a Jaguar, while I am in a Camry… ain’t happening, kiddo!

Anyway, I told him that I would possibly buy him a car but under certain conditions.  I pay the car note and he will pay the insurance.

Insuring a 16 year old male driver is like taking on another mortgage.  It ain’t cheap.  But I figured that by making him pay the insurance he can be more responsible and conscious about his actions.  He will be able to see how his actions have consequences: If he makes good grades, his insurance premium goes down…If he gets a ticket or gets into an accident, his insurance premium goes up… etc.

These are things that he can control.  And when you are financially responsible for the consequences of your actions… you tend to do things a little differently.  However, if I were paying the insurance premium, he would never see the results of his good or bad behavior.

My son does not like the compromise.  He says he cannot afford to pay insurance because he does not have a job.  Well… at 16 he will be legally able to drive… and at 16 he will be legally able to have a job.  So this works out well… he will have a car to drive to work to earn money to pay for that car.

So I told him… while he is searching the web… looking at all these pictures of Lamborghinis and Aston Martins and fantasizing about how cool it would be to drive up to school in an extravagant car… he also better start looking for job applications so he can pay for that car.

A good job for a teenager is being a Subway sandwich artist.  I am kind of partial to Subway.  For one, I like the food.  But working there should not be as laboring as at other fast food chains.  His clothes would not smell like dirty grease.  He would not have to stand in a hot kitchen.  Plus, he will be able to have a flexible schedule.  That way he can work around school and other activities.

I directed him here.  I told him to print it out, and 2 years from now bring it to the local Subway.

Want a less demanding job?  Want a more challenging job?  Don’t get along with your boss?  Moving to another state? Want a job that is more personally satisfying?  Want to change career paths? Need a bit more moola in your paycheck?

Well… change jobs. This is nothing unusual.  People change jobs everyday… just fill out some apps and send out a few resumes.  And if you are worthy (which I know you are), a company will snatch you up sooner or later.

But if you love the company you work for now and could not dare envision working anywhere else, then you’ll need to use a different method.  With a well written job transfer request, you’ll likely be granted the intra company move that you so desire.

How to write a job transfer request?

Keep in mind that this is like any other job application.  Your request should be professional. It should also be well organized and methodical.

So don’t just sit at your computer and begin typing.  Come up with a plan.  To prepare… get out some index cards and a pen.  Jot down every important point you want to make.

And because I adore my PFA friends so much, I have volunteered to be your guide. Well not so much of a guide… maybe a better word is prompter or reminder… 

You see… the older I get, the more prompting and reminding I require.  I’ve got a perfect example…  Last night I was sitting on the sofa watching CNN and I got this overwhelming craving for some walnuts.  So I got up, went to the kitchen, opened the pantry door… and completely forgot what I was looking for.  I only wished that I had somebody to remind me of what I needed to do (get the walnuts), but I didn’t.  However fortunately for ya’ll, you’ve got me to be your personal reminder.  I’m not saying that you are old and forgetful or anything… I was just saying, I’m here to help.

Ok, I kinda went off on a tangent.  I’m back now.  So you’ve got your index cards and pen?… Forgot the pen? Oh, goodness, go get one, I’ll wait.  I told you that you needed my prompting and reminding services:-)

Got the pen?  Ok, great… now I will begin prompting… 

First, explain why you are requesting a transfer.  Good examples are… you want to challenge yourself and grow or you are leaving the geographical area.  Bad example… my boss is a *$&% and if I have to work with him one more day… I will choke him. Even if that is true, keep that part under wraps.  This is not the time to show signs of any psychotic tendencies.

Second, showcase your talents.  Point out your education and experience.  And there is no need to be modest… draw attention to your accomplishments.  If you reduced turnover by 20% in your office, mention it.  If you developed and implemented a successful training program in your department, mention it.  If you increased your revenues by 8% while simultaneously decreasing expenses by 15%, mention it.  You have to sell yourself.  Don’t just assume that the transfer is a given. 

You have to make the company aware your abilities… then explain how your abilities can be an asset to them.  You want to show how the transfer can be mutually beneficial… to both you and them.  They have no reason to grant your request if they are not benefitting. 

Alright, now that you’ve got your key points all lined out, organize them, and start typing.  

My work is done here.  So I’ll leave you to your typing. 

By the way, good luck!