I went to Myer department store and bought some clothes for the kids and a pair of bedroom sleepers for me.  I had 3 Myer gift cards which I earned from different survey companies that I am working with.  I love the feeling of getting something for myself or for my kids without spending a cent!  I still have few remaining dollars to spend in my next visit with Myer.  When I paid at the register and used my gift cards I also earned points in my Myer One loyalty card.  As a member of Myer One I also got a free copy of their fashion magazine worth $5.95.

A week prior to my shopping at Myer, I also had the chance to shop at Coles and buy $46 worth of goods free by using the Coles gift cards that I earned from my product review sites and Coles Flybuys points.

Joining survey companies for online surveys and even mystery shopping opportunities have lots of benefits and enjoyment to offer.  It is just a matter of determination to earn and at the same time make the best use of your time online.  Joining loyalty programs with different shops also gives you the chance to earn shopping cards and vouchers.

If you are interested to join this survey site, click here, Register & Be A Member.  For queries and advice send me an email at adroitwriter@hotmail.com .

Please note though that with online surveys, you have to join several survey communities to be able to earn more.  I would also like to advise those who are interested to earn online while at home to register first with Paypal for a free account.  Most sites in the web use Paypal as their payment processor.

There are lots of earning opportunities in the internet.  Why waste time surfing and playing games for long hours when you can spend part of that time earning?  The great thing about most of these sites is that you don’t have to pay for membership.  Remember that sites who charge fee for membership are, more often than not, spam sites.

Stay-at-home-moms, retirees, unemployed individuals and students are taking advantage of sites like this to earn a bit of income.  There are also some who are lucky enough to make internet earning opportunities their source of income.  I personally know lots of women who are earning well while being full time housewives and moms.

Have a great and productive day everyone.  Cheers!

I work online as a writer but enjoy being a broker once in a while.  It began when my friends started offering me their real properties (as if I have millions to spend!) and I turned them down due to several reasons.  But since I was quite interested in the properties in terms of location, appearance, price and value,  I thought of offering the same to my other friends.  Some of those properties I even passed to my real estate agent-friends.

Remember that the idea here is to close a deal and earn a commission or referral fee.  If you have an agent who will do all the sales talks after you initiate it with a prospective client, you will be paid a ‘referral fee’.  If you are able to close the deal yourself, then, you get a commission from the seller.  I oftentimes do the first.  This is because I work, negotiate and refer ‘online’ – I cannot do more than that which will possibly make me earn huge commissions.  To work directly with the buyer/purchaser and assist in all the paper and legal works is something that interests me but just not viable as of this time.

I also have done referrals for interior designing and decorating (as well as car re-selling).  It is a good thing to have contacts with other professionals.  The potential of this job can be stretched by moms and be an option to earn while at home.

Home-based job or online earning opportunities are the latest career options that seem to be growing everyday.  Exploring the internet has open my eyes and mind into establishing a career that is most suitable for me being a full time housewife and mother to two young kids.  But, is online career really possible?  How do you define career may also differ from other person’s perspective but it’s your goal and plans that matter most.

As I have spent more than a decade of my student life working to improve my writing skills and broaden exposure on various issues and subjects, I have grown to accept that I am destined to be a writer.  My professional experience as researcher, para-legal, teacher, personnel manager, corporate secretary and legal adviser are all contributory to what I can say I have molded myself into as a freelance writer.  Though I would not remove from my mind that I have a dream of publishing a book in the future, I have learned to settle myself for the meantime on online money making opportunities by simply using the skills and knowledge that I have.  Being a full time mom to two young kids and a wife to a husband whose health condition demands most of my time, I can only see myself now working on a home-based job or business.

So, the question is, ‘Do I have a career now?’  My answer is a simple ‘Yes’.  Although I don’t earn thousands of dollars in a month, I am in a serious mode of improving myself and aiming to land in a work where I can apply all that I know and have as to talents and skills.  The world-wide internet hype has given lots of people, especially writers like me, to earn while at home.  There’s no need to get out of the house.  All I need to do is wake up, have a cup of coffee, sit in front of my computer and write an article first thing in the morning.  I also do not want to limit myself to writing online but I am also determined to finish a course online that will give me a broader options when it comes to income and earning opportunities that are home-based.

Work opportunities online is limitless.  As a matter of fact, I am having a hard time finding time to finish all the writing assignments that are available for me to do.  I thought that if this work will be done full time by someone who is single and have no kids to look after to, this could be a dream job.

Earning online is a learning experience.  One thing is for sure:  Earning online requires hard work and perseverance.  One must be really determined to work and earn to be able to succeed in this endeavor.

Success, for me, in working at home and earning at the same time, does not necessarily mean earning thousands and getting rich.  For SAHMs it means being able to perform our responsibilities at home and at the same time being productive.

Being productive means being able to perform our household chores and look after our family and kids, and at the same time be able to earn an amount of money that will help the family financially.

Earning money does not necessarily mean earning heaps, but an amount that is sufficiently helpful for our regular budget and expenses.  It is good to earn a hundred bucks or even less than nothing.  Money cannot just be found in the streets like dust and litters.  Earning a dollar is something…S O M E T H I N G. 

I have been consistently encouraging my friends, especially those who are SAHMs, students and jobless, to find ways to earn online.  I have several credible sites you can find in the articles at Money Maker Moms page.  I always update this page for some more ways and sites that can help you earn online.

Working at home is a goal that most stay-at-home moms are aiming for.  There is nothing that can be more convenient than earning inside the corners of your home, while maintaining the household and spending more time with your family.

The secret in earning online is to be determined to accumulate cents and bucks for a certain period of time.  Join several sites as you cannot encash anything if you just focus in one site.  As to date, I have 22 sites that pay me cash, checque, shopping vouchers and products/items.  I am also lucky that many of these sites are Australian sites that have been in the market research for a long time now, thus, they are really credible and pay well.  There are also 5 international sites that accept membership from other countries.  This makes me happy that they are available to Filipinos because they give opportunities for my fellowmen to earn as well.  This is considering that a payout as low as $10 gives my fellows almost Php500 which can help a lot financially.

For guidance, referral codes and links and helpful tips email me at adroitwriter@hotmail.com.

Remember, there’s no such thing as easy money.  It takes hard work, determination, and perseverance to earn.

“Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven’t planted.” – David Bly

YourOpinion is an Australian survey site that allows consumers to voice out opinions and ideas on various products and services.  There are lots of stay-at-home moms that will surely love this site because their surveys are very relevant to moms like us as they deal with every day products we encounter in the market and purchase for our family.  I also love surveys that tackle services like banks or financial institutions, insurance companies and the like.

In YourOpinion, members are also given the chance to earn extra by referral system.  If you want to join this site, and you want to be my referral please message me and I will send you the invite straight away.  If you prefer to join without any referral invitation, go check the site and register for free membership.  This site though is only for Australian residents.

The Manuel Family: Atty. Melody, Atty. Rommel, Dazzle, Daphne & Divine

“I don’t know whether this would still be on time or my deadline had been past due but nevertheless to give in to my friend’s request to write an article about a working mom working abroad, I just thought to give it 10 minutes of my time to write this very thorough letter if this would appear like one to express my thoughts, emotions and sentiments of a mother working abroad.  

I am a mother of three beautiful and adorable daughters age 5 years old, 3 years old and a 3-month old – Dazzle, Daphne and Divine, respectively.  I never thought my being a lawyer would be practiced in the land of big Apple.  I passed the bar in the Philippines, continue my Masters of Law in Japan and now a working mom in New York.  Likewise, becoming a mother of three is beyond my comprehension specifically as I juggle up my being a mom, a wife while honing my legal skills and HR management. 

I said ‘5 cents and pancakes’ as the title of this piece because of my experience this week. 

Monday I was pissed off with my husband because he paid the bus driver $2.20 instead of $2.15, with the extra 5 cents he gave to the bus I did not speak to him nor allow him to kiss goodbye when he get off from the bus.  It was not the amount that I was getting upset but it was the thought that the little money we have and the budgeting that’s killing me every single cents matters to me.  I had difficulty in figures since kindergarten and up to now I never passed with flying colors when it comes to figures so the pain is just hurting so much when it comes to giving priorities in our budget. 

Comes Tuesday, I have no singles and smaller bills to my surprise, this time, a different bus driver who seems fond of us as a couple allow me to get in without paying.  I thought I misheard him so I came back to pay but he said that’s fine..no worries. I was beginning to feel a little guilty with the extent of argument and damage we had just yesterday and now I had a free ride of $2.15.

Wednesday, the most devastating day of the week, we found out we double paid the Immigration in the amount of $1,570 and it came from the fact we tried to rectify the mistake we had in previously filing an incomplete application, canceling the other one, submitting a new one, approving the incomplete one, putting a stop payment to the corrected one and then ended up paying for the two applications otherwise we would be in debt with the government and at the same time canceling the visa should it be approved if we put a stop payment.  Oh yes, I’m screwed!!! I cannot imagine losing $3,140 worst scenario if both petitions be rejected.  It was all my fault.  I kept mum on this with the kind of things happening to me–I’m trying to be in control of our budget of our money just to have a little decent life here in America and yet horrible things are just starting to come in…

Thursday, I read a forwarded article from my sister who dislikes forwarded message and requested that such messages for her be stopped.  I was surprised she sent it to me, to my family and I read it “Pancakes” – a story of a boy who would like to do good things and yet ended up in turmoil in trying to cook one good pancake for his parents.  Expecting his father would get mad but instead his father embraced him and helped him with all his mess with his father getting messy as well.  An analogy of God the Father according to the article helping our way people in trying to do good but ending up in bad shape. 

I know the connection of this is still somewhere to establish in my experience as a working mom, but,  as I can see myself, I am no exception to  this boy, trying to perfect everything but still ended up @!*^-&%@!! (sorry for the word).  I try to be a loving mother but ended up yelling to all my toddlers always telling them I’ll send you home in the Philippines.  I try to be a good advocate of immigrants and I ended up paying more than my salary. I try to be a good wife but I ended up a grouchy madam. I try to be a good friend I ended up submitting this article too late. To top all that, I missed my dad during this times of trouble and I ended up being hanged up as my 77 year-old dad is trying to prove he is still busy with the household chores.

Wow…sooo heavy…but do I feel bad? Would it be a surprise if I say that ” I just feel it all” —  I still feel I am loved and blessed –and I for the first time in my life I feel I am a human—now I concluded my becoming a mom makes me human.  Whether or not here or abroad, Philippines or elsewhere it won’t make a difference. Only the fact remains, it gave me a touch of a human being — making mistakes and still loved by many, my loving family.”

Atty. Melody Moya-Manuel
Legal Assistant, Herbert Tan Law Office
Manhattan, New York
Philippine Lawyer
Masters of Comparative Laws in the University of Tokyo Japan
Monbukagakusho Scholar (Japanese Government Scholar)
University of the Philippines, Los Banos, BA Sociology, Cum Laude

Rose Paraiso, working mom, Tokyo

Taking care of my kids personally is my greatest joy as a mother.  Giving them my full attention and providing their daily needs makes me feel that I’m 100% a mother to them.  But life is so hard sometimes that I had to make a very big decision for the sake of their brighter future.

I have never imagined myself leaving them and work abroad. But I have to do this so I can give them good education, convenient life and brighter future.  I am working as a company employee now in Tokyo, Japan.  I left them more than 5 years ago when my daughter was 5 years old and my son was 9 years old.  The first year was so hard…I cried every day thinking of them every minute, wondering if they are ok.

Now, I can completely relate to parents working abroad to establish career and leave their family behind.  I only have seen stories and scenes like this in television series and in the movies.  Who can forget the movie of Claudine Baretto and Vilma Santos “Anak”?  Oh no, I don’t want any drama in my life like that in the movie, though the story that it tells have lots of lessons to offer especially to kids with parents working abroad.  This movie will make children understand the sacrifices that their parents need to undergo for the love of them.

Being a mother also means “sacrifice”.  I had to be strong and fought the loneliness and homesickness that I felt. I don’t feel any regrets with the decision of leaving them for a while, because I know someday they will understand the sacrifice that I made.  I must be happy now…my son is going to college this school year, in one of the prestigious universities in Manila.  Hurray! 

As a mother, I will continue in giving them all the best that I can give.  I am still breathing because of them… They are the strength that I hang on to…they are the air that I breathe…they are my life

Editor’s note:  Rose Paraiso is a graduate of A.B. Psychology at the Philippine Women’s University.  She’s a dedicated mother who used to be a fulltime mom to her two kids until she decided to work in Japan when she got the opportunity to avail a visa as Japanese descendant.  She is the eldest daughter of Rodolfo “Yasuo” & Norma Nakama.

Few days ago, I received my first check payment from GTM.  The amount is not that much though, $69.89.  But for a stay-at-home mom like me, that amount is something.

What I love most about GTM, aside of course from the money I earn, is that their surveys are all relevant and of interest to me.  Their staffs who also replied to my email several times are all very friendly and accomodating.

GTM is an international survey and research company with lots of company-clients whose objective is to continuously improve consumer products and services.

Let me give you some basic ideas about mystery shopping and how to become a member.  There are several mystery shopping websites and survey and research companies that offer mystery shopping assignments.  One can simply register for membership and apply to become a shopper.  Instructions on what to do and observe while doing your mystery shopping task will be provided online before the assigned date.  After accomplishing the assignment all you need to do is complete the online survey about the said mystery shopping and send it back to the company.  They will pay you certain amount and reimbursement for performing the task.

HOED MYSTERY SHOPPING is an international site that offers mystery shopping jobs to those in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  They require some documents from applicants.  Under the terms and policy of HOED, the relationship between mystery shoppers and HOED is definitely an employer-employee relationship.  Tax Identification Numbers of their employees are required before the first assignment.

Retail Mystery Shopping Australia is a very good site that regularly provides members with a list of available shops or assignments.  They also communicate very well with their shoppers and the instructions are easy to understand and follow. 

Bestmark also gives opportunities for mystery shopping.  Visit their website if you are interested.  This company is based in the USA.     

Shop Angels is also an Australian company where mystery shopping assignments continuously flow in their list.  This is a very interesting site.  

Rewards Central is an Australian website where you can earn points convertible to cash through advertisement clicks, surveys, online shopping and mystery shopping assignment as well.   

For other websites on mystery shopping you can check Volition.com.  This is the website that really helped me discovered several research companies that are also involved in mystery shopping. 

I love being a mystery shopper. I am happy that I qualified as a mystery shopper for several online survey companies here in Australia. Aside from the thrill of it, the company will also reimburse my expenses and pay me few dollars more for participation, plus I get few hundreds of additional points in my account with them.

Beware though of post mails where advance payment for a mystery shopping is sent to you and ask you to do some assignments and cash or bank the check.  There are stories I have read about this especially from my friends in the US as this is a spam.

I will definitely update this article as there are still few companies and websites which I did not include here until I get paid by them or receive credible information on their authenticity.  Have you tried this kind of online survey or way to earn extra cash?  I hope this post will be of help to you all lovely moms out there. 

Life in the Philippines as well as in other countries all over the world is getting more difficult with the rising prices of goods/commodities, oil, electricity and other basic necessities.  Most households are looking for ways to earn extra income.

The best way to go with this is to come up with the most practical small-time business that will bring in extra income to the family without spending too much on the capital.  Here are some ways to earn extra income while at home:

Selling second-hand items.  You can do this at least every quarter of the year or every six months depending on the availability and bulk of the items that you no longer need and use at home.  Items may differ from time to time.  It could be old kitchen wares that you don’t need and use as often as before and you can get away with it.  It could be old clothes that no longer fit you or you just got tired of wearing.  It could be old shoes which still look good or old bags.  You can also sell old books and even magazine with interesting articles in it.

Food Catering.  This is not necessarily the big time catering you have in mind.  No, not that.  Some have started with cooking and preparing packed lunch for 10 people in a nearby factory, school, office, shop, etc.  If you are able to do this and are successful in keeping these 10 customers on a daily basis, then you can expand your market by getting more orders.  More customers, more earnings.  You can even add up packed snack for additional earnings.

The way I used to do this business is that I cook my specialty and cater them to my friends or neighbours on special occassions.  Since I was catering on special occassions like birthdays and get-together parties, I used to do this only once or, the most, thrice a month.  In doing this kind of catering, think of a recipe that you have expertise in preparing.  Something new.  Something interesting that would catch others’ attention.  If I knew that an office mate will throw a blow out party on his birthday in the office, I would offer him to order my special Pesto Pasta, or my Carbonara, or baked rigatoni, or native pansit bihon (sauted noodles) or maybe a special buko pandan (coconut-pandan) dessert.    My mom, who is also a good cook, used to do this business inside a residential compound.  She used to cook viands for lunch like menudo (braised pork/beef), chopseuy (mixed vegetables), sinampalukang manok (chicken in sour/tamarind soup) and then cook pansit malabon (noodles with smoked fish sauce) in the afternoon.  She earned about Php100-150 per day. And doing this at the most four days in a week gave her  about Php1,600-2,000 in a month.

There are lots of ways on how to do this kind of business.  The most important thing here is that you have the specialty or specialized recipes.  People who are passionate in cooking often succeed in this kind of business.  They start from small time and end up being big time restaurant owners and caterers.

Financing or Lending.  I have been doing this for the last seven years.  I started from just Php500 which my office mate loaned from me with the interest of 3%.  This is too small as compared to financing being done by banks, financing companies and even independent business individuals.  The principle in this kind of business is that the bigger your capital, the more people you can lend money to, the more income your money will earn.  However, if you will start with just a small capital, you must be patient enough to roll the money in and out for a longer period of time and see your money grow.

If you are contemplating on starting with this business, you MUST take note of these important points. 

First , make sure that the borrower is someone known to you and capable of paying the loan.

Second, if the borrower is unemployed, make sure that someone in his family who is employed can be his guarantor.  A common friend of yours or a relative can also qualify as guarantor.

Third, in keeping up with the abovementioned points, require the borrower to sign a promissory note or a simple loan agreement.  These documents shall mention: the name of the parties, you as the lender and the other person as borrower.  It must also outline the schedule of payment, the amount of installments required and the date of payment.  Don’t forget to have this document signed by you, the borrower and the guarantor if you prefer to have a guarantor.  This document is binding between the parties.  (Email this author for a sample format of promissory note/loan agreement)

Fourth, if you are lending a huge amount of money (well, the meaning of the word “huge” will depend on how you define it or how much is huge amount to you) it is advisable to require the borrower to issue a post dated check (PDC) as security.   

Buy and Sell.  This is a long time favourite sideline of mine.  I used to do this even when I was still a kid, when I would buy some lollies and re-sell them to my playmates and classmates.  I was inspired by my mother who used to buy items from Divisoria and Quiapo (local market places in Manila, Philippines), and resell them.  Most of the items that she got from the market were pre-ordered by neighbours and friends.  Items vary from bed linens and sheets, clothes, school bags, school notebooks, kitchen wares, and small home appliances like table fan, casette player, rice cooker, etc.  Payments are also on installments and you can impose your preferred interest to suffice your fares, food and a part for your income.

Tutoring.  Teaching your neighbours’ kids to do their assignments can also be financially rewarding if you love to teach.  You can post a notice in front of your house that you are accepting tutorial class and the notice shall specify the grade levels you are capable of teaching and/or your specialized subject.

Online Job/Business.   There are lots of income earning opportunity online/ via internet.  Many of the sites in the web however that offer income opportunities are scams.  Personally, I have already been scammed by few.  There was even a site where a created a domain name and they kept on charging me $10USD a month from my credit card.  The problem was I had difficulty contacting their admin that there was no way for me to tell them to cancel my business with them.  Finally, I decided to deactivate my credit card.

Lessons learned: never ever spend a cent online and don’t expect to earn “too-good-to-be-true” income without you doing anything.  There are lots of sites in the web that offer you regular monthly income which are too promising but you will just end up wasting too much of your time for nothing.

The best site that I have ever found in the web is a forum where you can write discussions and members participate by posting their responses to your discussions.  I have been a member of this site for more than a year now.  For those who loves to write and express your opinions, this could be a good opportunity for you to earn extra income monthly, ranging from $10-50USD, depending on how active you are in posting.  I assure you guys that this is the most credible post-to-pay site in the internet.  It doesn’t promise you a fortune, but for Filipinos like us, $10-50USD monthly is a “good money”.  There are lots of Filipinos in this site and most of them are unemployed, students and/or fulltime housewives.  Registration is free.  For inquiries and guidance you can email this author at toni_nakama@yahoo.com.au .  You can also simply leave a comment here and I shall reply to you the soonest possible time.

The aforementioned home-based earning ideas will only work if you have all the enthusiasm in the world to strive and work hard to uplift your standard of living.  The best possible way to do these income generating ideas is to do two, three or even four of them simultaneously. 

I am a fulltime housewife and I am writing online, doing financing, selling second-hand items, doing buy-and-sell, and doing mystery shopping assignments for survey companies.  Earning about $60-100USD (Php2500-4500) in a month makes me happy; better than nothing.  There are lots of moms at home and even career-moms I know that earn really well just doing these side lines or just concentrating writing articles for online publications like Triond, Helium and Associated Content. 

It is true that life is how you make it.  Challenge yourself and be creative.  Be passionate about the things that you love doing and make a living out of it.

One of the most nerve-wracking aspects of finding a job is the job interview.  Newly graduates, most of the times, do not know what to expect. The fact is, the interview by the employer always turns to be the most crucial point of the job application process.  Some employers would take advantage of this personal encounter with the applicant to test how smart or intelligent the applicant is; how determined the applicant is in accepting the responsibilities of the certain position he or she is applying for; as well as how the applicant handles stress or pressure which can be apparently observed during the entire duration of the job interview itself.

We gathered some tips from those who have been there and are now considered seniors in their respective field of profession.

Be punctual.  “Punctuality is very important.  Arriving few minutes early could make a lot of difference. Time is very expensive.   If you value time most employers would feel respected and they will have the impression that you are a disciplined person.  A good job applicant is someone who is prepared not just to answer the interviewer  but is also ready to take the job. And of course, whatever is written on the resume must be truthful”, says Ms. Jasmin Cajiuat, Midway Media Communications President & General Manager.

Be confident and natural.  “If you were to start working at a young age, you should have a lot of self-confidence. Every newly graduate worries about having no experience, bear in mind that everything starts from zero. I personally believe that the years spent in the university and the trainings acquired during college are enough to be considered as basic experience. Consider your job interview as an opportunity to prove your knowledge and skills.  Step out of the traditional question and answer portion. Try to converse naturally by adding a little spice in your answers. 

Be specific on the kind of job you are applying for. Most first timers, when asked what kind of job they want would say “anything, whatever position is open”.  This kind of answer turns us managers off.  Employers needs workers that are sure about themselves and are most likely to become an asset rather than a liability to the company”, explains Ms. Cajiuat.

According to Ms. Mary Jane Aguinaldo, Owner and Operations Manager of Direct Travel And Tours, “An applicant must focus on what he wants and where he wants to work.  The employer, in the interview, can already assess if the applicant qualifies for the position he is applying for and has the potential to be a part and an asset to the company”.

Dress up properly for the interview.  Wear the appropriate clothes; formal or corporate attire. Jeans, rubber shoes, slippers, sandals, sleeveless shirts and tops are big no-nos!

This is very important especially if you are applying in companies where the job itself requires that employees wear formal attire. For instance, if you are applying to work in an office as administrative staff or assistant, you have to wear corporate attire, like top with a blazer or long sleeves, formal shoes, and trousers.

It helps to remember that employers tend to get a first impression from the way the interviewee or applicant presents himself or herself to the company and to others. Personality is a big factor that employer consider in job applications.  However, this does not refer merely to the physical attributes of the applicant which include cleanliness, confident posture and gestures but to the totality of the applicant’s character.

The usual goal of the interviewee is to impress the interviewer or employer. However, this brings danger on how the employer will perceive and assess the applicant as the latter tends to put up a front to make him appear impressive during the interview.

So, let’s read on the pieces of advice given by our professionals here.

“I don’t believe that first impressions last. An applicant must get the employer’s first and lasting impression.  I have hired several employees that really made a great impression in their first interviews, but during their work period, they have become lazy and incompetent. A good employee must be consistent and always learning”, Ms. Cajiuat emphasizes.

Every applicant’s goal is to pass the interview and get hired.  Being alert and ready to give the right answers during the interview will surely put the applicant in the position he is applying for.

Ms. Aguinaldo, however, believes that, “It is necessary to impress the interviewer because by doing so you, as an applicant competing with others for the job, place yourself to the most advantageous position.”