Coping With Recession

April 13th 2009

2009-04-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am still working in London but should be back in Spain with my family by the end of the month. I have also been given a laptop by the company which means I am now in a position to keep this blog updated more regularly. The laptop also has a built in camera so the first thing I did was download Skype and call my family who managed to borrow a webcam. It was great seeing them as I have now been away from home for 6 weeks.

Before I got this job I was unemployed and looking into ways of making money online as well as looking for full time employment. Methods I have found are listed below. I have also added a link to another blog page 'Money Making Examples' I have created which has examples and instructions.

(If anything here catches your interest just 'google it' in the search box at the top of the page, the results will open up in a new window.)

Sell a product
Ebay
Amazon Marketplace
Ad Trader
if you are creative there are now several websites where you can design something (T-Shirts etc...), they will do the rest of the work, and you will pick up the commission.
Zazzle
CafePress
Printfection

Online surveys
You can get paid to take part in online surveys, although all the searches I have made result in me paying to be on the list. You might have better luck.

Affiliate Marketing
You become affiliated with a certain product or products and get paid commission on any custom you direct toward this (through websites, blogs, e-mails etc...). I have looked into this and there is usually a fee involved, again just 'google' it and you may have more luck than me.

Sponsored Links
These can also be argued to be a form of Affiliate Marketing.
Google AdSense - you get paid per click on any of these ads on your blog/website
Amazon Associates - put an Amazon Link on your blog/website and earn commission on products bought via that link.
WidgetBucks - Again a 'pay per click'
Clickbank - put a Clickbank Link on your blog/website and earn commission on products bought via that link.

Its also worth mentioning 'Squidoo' where you can earn commission based on your lenses (pages) which is worth a 'google'.

There a probably many more ways of earning money online, this is all my research has covered so far. Feel free to e-mail me any other ideas.

What have I done so far:
I started this blog which didn't cost any money.
I added 'AdSense', 'Amazon Associates', 'WidgetBucks' a Google search box.
I have bought some Domain names and intend to build a website.

I haven't spent any money and have made $45 so far, which paid for the Domain names I bought from GoDaddy and should at the end of this month pay for 3 months hosting and website building tools. I will go into this in more depth when the time comes.

Remember I am not a guru or whizkid, but an ordinary bloke who wants to generate a second income, a plan B. I didn't even know how to begin blogging when I started out and am just learning as I go along.

Throughout this year I will be trying many of these methods. I am not looking to get rich quick, but looking to create several small revenue streams.

The thing which started me on this road (read my earlier posts) was being unemployed at the start of this recession and the realisation I need a plan B. So if you are unemployed and looking for work I wish all the best of luck.
John

Have a look at the Examples page http://makingmoneyexamples.blogspot.com/
or click on the link under 'Fave Links' on the right of the page.

April 2nd 2009

2009-04-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hello again. Still in working in London and missing Liz and the kids.

Anyone new to this blog should know that I am a novice and have been looking into ways of making money online. Methods I have found are listed below. I have also added a link to another blog page 'Money Making Examples' I have created which has examples and instructions.

(If anything here catches your interest just 'google it' in the search box at the top of the page, the results will open up in a new window.)

Sell a product
Ebay
Amazon Marketplace
Ad Trader
if you are creative there are now several websites where you can design something (T-Shirts etc...), they will do the rest of the work, and you will pick up the commission.
Zazzle
CafePress
Printfection

Online surveys
You can get paid to take part in online surveys, although all the searches I have made result in me paying to be on the list. You might have better luck.

Affiliate Marketing
You become affiliated with a certain product or products and get paid commission on any custom you direct toward this (through websites, blogs, e-mails etc...). I have looked into this and there is usually a fee involved, again just 'google' it and you may have more luck than me.

Sponsored Links
These can also be argued to be a form of Affiliate Marketing.
Google AdSense - you get paid per click on any of these ads on your blog/website
Amazon Associates - put an Amazon Link on your blog/website and earn commission on products bought via that link.
WidgetBucks - Again a 'pay per click'

Its also worth mentioning 'Squidoo' where you can earn commission based on your lenses (pages) which is worth a 'google'.

There a probably many more ways of earning money online, this is all my research has covered so far. Feel free to e-mail me any other ideas.

What have I done so far:
I started this blog which didn't cost any money.
I added 'AdSense', 'Amazon Associates', 'WidgetBucks' a Google search box.
I have bought some Domain names and intend to build a website.

I haven't spent any money and have made $36 so far, which paid for the Domain names I bought from GoDaddy and should at the end of this month pay for 3 months hosting and website building tools. I will go into this in more depth when the time comes.

Remember I am not a guru or whizkid, but an ordinary bloke who wants to generate a second income, a plan B. I didn't even know how to begin blogging when I started out and am just learning as I go along.

Throughout this year I will be trying many of these methods. I am not looking to get rich quick, but looking to create several small revenue streams.

The thing which started me on this road (read my earlier posts) was being unemployed at the start of this recession and the realisation I need a plan B. So if you are unemployed and looking for work I wish all the best of luck.
John

Have a look at the Examples page http://makingmoneyexamples.blogspot.com/
or click on the link under 'Fave Links' on the right of the page.

March 25th 2009

2009-03-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Back again and full of ideas.
I am still working in London and managing to send money home to my family, I am really missing them and hope to get back to see them sometime next month.

Secondly 'A Novice's Guide To Making Money Online'!.
That's me, the novice, and maybe you too. If you are making money online already then you are probably too advanced for this blog. I am going to list all the methods I have found to make money online, without any real outlay of cash, and tell you what I have done and what I intend to do.

(If anything here catches your interest just 'google it' in the search box at the top of the page, the results will open up in a new window.)

Sell a product
Ebay
Amazon Marketplace
Ad Trader
if you are creative there are now several websites where you can design something (T-Shirts etc...), they will do the rest of the work, and you will pick up the commission.
Zazzle
CafePress
Printfection

Online surveys
You can get paid to take part in online surveys, although all the searches I have made result in me paying to be on the list. You might have better luck.

Affiliate Marketing
You become affiliated with a certain product or products and get paid commission on any custom you direct toward this (through websites, blogs, e-mails etc...). I have looked into this and there is usually a fee involved, again just 'google' it and you may have more luck than me.

Sponsored Links
These can also be argued to be a form of Affiliate Marketing.
Google AdSense - you get paid per click on any of these ads on your blog/website
Amazon Associates - put an Amazon Link on your blog/website and earn commission on products bought via that link.
WidgetBucks - Again a 'pay per click'

Its also worth mentioning 'Squidoo' where you can earn commission based on your lenses (pages) which is worth a 'google'.

There a probably many more ways of earning money online, this is all my research has covered so far. Feel free to e-mail me any other ideas.

What have I done so far:
I started this blog which didn't cost any money.
I added 'AdSense', 'Amazon Associates', 'WidgetBucks' a Google search box.

I haven't spent any money and have made $23 so far. Remember I am not a guru or whizkid, but an ordinary bloke who wants to generate a second income, a plan B. I didn't even know how to begin blogging when I started out and am just learning as I go along.

Throughout this year I will be trying many of these methods. I am not looking to get rich quick, but looking to create several small revenue streams.

The thing which started me on this road (read my earlier posts) was being unemployed at the start of this recession and the realisation I need a plan B. So if you are unemployed and looking for work I wish all the best of luck.
John

March 17th 2009

2009-03-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

Back online now and happy St.Patricks Day.
I have been working in London for 3 weeks now, I missed my daughters 3rd birthday, but actually earning money and sending it back for them more than makes up for it.

Ok am I making money online?
Well so far this blog has pulled in $10 dollars from people just clicking on the Google ads (AdSense).
I have added an Amazon link (Amazon Associates) which, so far hasn't generated any cash, but I will keep you informed.
And now, hopefully, have added a 'WidgetBucks' widget, which again can make some money.

These are all experimental ways of generating money online. I started this blog knowing nothing about Making Money Online (or even writing a blog). Please read my previous posts to know where I am coming from.

My next step is to build a website (as previously mentioned), again I do not know the first thing about website building, but, after a lot of research online, it is possible. There are several different ways of achieving this without having to know anything about HTML code, so I will keep you posted.

Anyone who has read my previous posts, will know that 'Plan A' was to find a job in the middle of a Recession!.
'Plan B' was to gain some kind of Independence from employers and generate money off my own back. I decided online was the way to do it, and try to generate a few revenue streams.

I have also written some Squidoo Lenses. This can also be a revenue stream, but I think the important thing is to put yourself out there and link all your blogs, Squidoo lenses, websites etc...
Check them out:
http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/JohnFM

I knew nothing about earning money online when I started, but am plugging away slowly. Hopefully now that 'Plan A' has been accomplished, so far, I can concentrate more fully on 'plan B'.

If you are still looking for a job, or even experimenting with Making Money Online, then I genuinely wish you the best of luck.
Take care for now.
John

March 2nd 2009

2009-02-26T07:33:00.001-08:00

Hello, I am back online and feeling better, sorry about my last post. I did think about deleting it, but I don't think it would be honest of me.

In the last 2 weeks I have been in Glasgow, Barcelona and am now in London. A tale of three cities! I could not find work in Glasgow and was also turned down for Jobseekers Allowance. A company then got in touch and flew me to Barcelona to meet a client with the intention that, if all went well I would start work the following Monday (23rd Feb). This sounded really great because then we could all stay in Spain as intended. All went well but there is still some paperwork to sort out, which could take days, weeks or months, so I was left high and dry with not a penny in the bank, the only option available was to get the whole family back to the UK and start again.

At the eleventh hour I was offered a freelance contract in London, which starts tomorrow, the company flew me here yesterday and I am looking forward to starting work again.

Anyone who has read this blog from the beginning will know that I am a month behind schedule in earning money, but thanks to the kindness and support of family and friends we have just about made it. We just need to hold the bank off for another month and we will be there.

Ok now for plan B. Again, anyone who has read this blog from the start will know that I also want to generate some kind of income online, try and create several revenue streams as it were. The point being that if I find myself out of work again then I will have built up some means of earning independently.

The first thing I done was create this blog which is free and easy to do. The next thing was to see if I could generate money from this blog.
I added 'Google AdSense' which generated $8 in the first month, which you get by people clicking on the google links. I have now added an 'Amazon' link which can also generate some money, and have also looked at 'WidgetBuck' which is could also generate cash.

In order to make money this way you need visitors to your blog/site and those visitors must click on the Google/Amazon/WidgetBucks links. In the case of Amazon I believe they need to buy something via the link on your blog/site.

How do you get visitors?
I let everyone I know about this blog through social networking. Facebook/MySpace/Bebo etc..

I also looked at some 'Surf Exchange', these are sites where you surf other sites within the community and they surf yours. I got more visitors, but no clicks on the links. I have also been advised that 'Google AdSense' doesn't approve of these, so I have stopped.

I also linked to an ezine called 'Zimbio' which generated visitors. I also received some good advice from Jay who read my blog on Zimbio and who's website http://www.livewyre.net/ also offers useful advice. So I am looking to see if there are other ezines I can link to.

I have also created some lenses on 'Squidoo' which can also generate money, you can also donate any earning to charity.

My next step is to build a website, I have already bought a Domain name from 'GoDaddy' with the money I raised here.

If I sound a complete novice, its because I am. If I have learned anything so far it is, take your time, look around, join forums, don't part with cash until you are really confident, read up on what you can about making money online and choose your strategy.

If you want to try this, just google 'Create a Blog', 'Google Adsense', 'Amazon Associates', 'Widgetbucks', 'Zimbio', 'Squidoo', 'GoDaddy', and anything else you think of, all the info is out there.

Anyway, gotta go now. I will try and update this more regular now and concentrate more on making money online.

If you are looking for work, dont give up and good luck.
John

21st February 2009

2009-02-21T05:43:00.000-08:00

Well I have been pretty down, don't know why really, maybe its the euphoria of thinking I would be starting work on Monday, the light at the end of the tunnel, only for it to be delayed. Until when?, I don't know. Why? I don't know. I have been told it will only be a few days, "cross the T's, dot the I's".

Its easy to say isn't it "cross the T's, dot the I's", sounds good. They don't know I have been down the bank this week, begging them to pay the electricity bill so we don't get cut off, or that my wife is in tears on a daily basis. Should I tell them the children are making lists for a birthday party that's not going to happen. Would they understand that the UK Government has said I am not entitled to Jobseekers Allowance, even though I paid tax in the UK for over 20 years.

No they wouldn't understand, and I wont tell them. At the end of the day I am just a guy looking for a job, a number.

So will this job happen? I hope so, but I now have doubts. Lizzy is crying again. I know we will get out of this somehow but what about our sanity. Giving up, I did think about it, very briefly, but I wont do it. It would be selfish and the family need me, we need each other.

Internet Marketing? sorry its been a hard week and I have nothing to report. There has been an increae in traffic since I added the Amazon bar, but no click on the google ads. I will get out of this and start going again.

Sorry if this has been a depressing post, I am normally a very positive person and will be better next time. If you are in the same boat, my thoughts are with you, keep going.
John

February 12th 2009

2009-02-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

Its been almost a week since I wrote my last post but I have been busy. I go back down to London on Monday and will meet the potential client on Tuesday, if everything goes well I should start work the following Monday.

I have not managed to earn any money in Glasgow so far, so we are sailing really close to the wind. If this job does come off we will still have to wait a month to get paid, so unfortunately its beg, steal or borrow (just kidding about steal!) for at least a month. The idea was for me to start driving minicabs when I got here to get us out the immediate sh@t. But its at least a 5 week wait from you application until you get the badge so I have had to apply for job seekers allowance while waiting. Hopefully if this job comes off I wont need to drive.

Minicab driving is still a good option for anyone else in this position. Its costs about £65 to apply for the license, once you have that you start ringing round the firms. If you don't have a car then you can pay a firm a rental (which includes radio etc.). This can range from between £170 and £250 a week, but you can earn between £5 to £10 per hour if you put the time in. A lot of them are also fitted with Sat Nav.

On the online moneymaking front I am still plugging away. The clicks have all but dried up so I need to investigate that. You may also have noticed some Amazon ads down the side, again this can generate some cash and was so easy to put on. Just google 'Amazon Associates' and you will be walked through the process.

In many ways this blog is like a training exercise for me so if it does start looking a bit ridiculous, I apologise, its a learning curve toward actually building my own website. I already have an idea for a website and have purchased a Domain name from GoDaddy.com (thanks John), it cost £4.86 and was paid for by this blog.

How did I do that?

Started this blog (see previous posts)
Added Google Ads (see previous posts)
Generated traffic (see previous posts)

As always, good luck and if you looking for a job, hope you find one soon.
John

February 6th 2009

2009-02-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

Well its been a hectic few days. I went down to London and had my interview on Wednesday. I was offered the job with a start date of February 23rd. At this moment though I am not getting to excited until I have actually signed a contract, there have been so many ups and down over the last 2 years that I am just holding back on the 'yippees' for now.

I will still pursue my Online Moneymaking plan though. These days no job is a job for life. I have just been accepted as an Amazon Associate, so you will see something from Amazon appear on this blog soon. Just google 'Amazon Associates' and take it from there. I have also been looking into 'WidgetBucks'.

The clicks haven't jumped much since I started with the 'Surf Communities' I mentioned in my last post. They either don't work, I am too impatient or they should really be utilised for a long term website. I still think I get most clicks when I publish my post as an article on Zimbio as mentioned in the last post. So I will search for more Ezines.

I have also been going through 'online marketing' forums and trying to pick up tips. One useful tip directed me to a website called Squidoo which again can be turned into a revenue stream. You create a lens (page) with easy to follow instructions, which then has advert options from Amazon, Ebay and several others relating to your page.

Check mine out:
http://www.squidoo.com/60-s--70-s--Mod--Soul--Northern-Soul-

Anyone who has been reading this will know that I was very Internet illiterate when I started the blog and anything I have created is by carefully finding the right info and following instructions.

At the moment I feel I am all over the place, but confident that once I get through all the online culdesacs and dead ends, I will have a more definite plan to follow. My next step could well be buying a domain name from money earned here and attempting to build a website as I have some ideas to explore.

Just before I go I want to say thanks to Jay at munny4hunny.com for his kind words and advice.

I may get home in a few weeks to see Liz and the kids if the job comes off ok, so looking forward to that.

The Recession wont beat me, don't let it beat you.

John

February 1st 2009

2009-02-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

OK first day of a new month, my sister is so excited as the new series of 'Lost' has just started, which is exactly how I feel after watching an episode...Lost!

On the job front as I said in my last post I have an interview in London on Wednesday. I booked to go down and back up by coach as its the cheapest way to do it. The days of hoping on and off planes are behind me at the moment, so a 10 hour journey each way with an interview in between awaits me. But feel lucky at this point to actually have an interview.

On the 'make money online' front, I took my first tentative steps at the beginning of January by creating this blog. I added some ads to it and have earned $7.23 so far.
Not much you say!, progress I say. It has proven to me that even an Internet caveman like myself can actually generate money online. The next step is obviously to increase on that. I have already mentioned in earlier posts how I will attempt to get more traffic to this blog.

$7.23 is not a lot of money but as I have not and don't intend to use any of my own money on this project (I don't have any) it is now my capital.

So how do I reinvest it?

It could pay for an ad in a newspaper?
I could wait until I have $10 for a domain name and build my own website? (I do not know how to build a website but, like creating a blog or adding AdSense I found the answers on the web).
When my capital reaches $30 - $50 then I could invest in a 'get paid for online surveys' database?
Online Casino's? I keep finding 'winning systems'
Affiliate Marketing? (I don't fully understand this either, but will)

All of these ideas are ideas I have found 'surfing the web'. There are no doubt many cons or 'too good to be trues', which maybe are true. Who knows, but this year (I am keeping this blog for 1 year) I intend to find out.

So from a standing start of not knowing anything about blogs/hits/click/ads..etc, with no money, I am now up and running.

On a personal front, really missing Liz and the kids, Mac can now say 'i love you' over the phone, which is a killer. But we are in tough times now and I am sure there are people a lot worse off than me. If you or yours are affected by this worldwide recession then good luck and remember 'Necessity is the mother of Invention'

John

January 30th 2009

2009-01-30T03:31:00.000-08:00

I have now been in Glasgow since Wednesday night. It was a pretty mixed day yesterday, I went down to apply for my Minicab License only to be told that my paper and plastic licences did not match and that I would have to contact the DVLA to get another paper one sent. This was a real setback as it further delays my quest to make money. I have now sent off for the paper license and hoping it arrives soon.

A company in London contacted me also about a job (my actual profession is in the Print Management field), and want me to travel down to London for an interview next Wednesday. So fingers crossed.

As for making money on the Internet, its confusing as ever, bearing in mind that I am a complete novice, and without spending any money. Firstly I created this blog (free), secondly I added some ads from google AdSense (free), and thirdly I was looking to increase traffic to this blog. The idea being that when people visit this blog there is a chance that they will click on the ads.
Here's what I have done:

Social Networking - I emailed all my friends and put my blog address on Facebook. This did actually increase visits to my blog page (traffic)
and also some clicks on the ads, not a great deal but enough to notice.

EZINES - There are actually online magazines where you can submit your blog as an article and have a link to your web page. The one I found was called Zimbio (www.zimbio.com) which does it all for you. I found this very easy to follow and notice an increase in traffic every time I post an article. So far I have also got most clicks on my ads this way.

Surf Communities - I have called these surf communities because basically that's what they are (nothing to do with the Beachboys). People who want to increase traffic to their websites/blogs will sign up as members (free) and surf the pages of all the other sites in the community. The more pages you surf then the more times your page will be visited. I have signed up with 2 of these and noticed an increase in traffic right away but no clicks on my ads! It is too early to comment, but the only benefit I see with this method is that traffic to your web page may help you climb up the google rankings. Most of the other members are will probably have the same type of ads as me.

I am now going to look at other types of ads to put on (apart from google AdSense), see what other EZINES/Forums are out there and continue with my research into increasing traffic. Once I do get a certain amount of money from my ads I can use to maybe invest in other online money making activities. Remember I am not an expert, so any whizz kids reading this who think I am a caveman then your probably right. Any fellow cavemen/women out there, if I do make any money from this then so can you.

Anyway that is my findings so far. As tomorrow is the end of the month I will let you know then how much money I have made. Its not a great deal, so don't get excited, but its encouraging.

I am missing Liz and the kids and hope to get home soon. Anyone else out there who is a victim of the recession, keep going and good luck.
John

January 28th 2009

2009-01-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

I have packed my cases and will be leaving my family tonight for the UK. I hope to find work there and send money back. My brother thinks I can get some work driving minicabs. Its been a very difficult day today as Mac my 2 year old daughter and Gee my 8 year old stepdaughter are tugging at my heartstrings.

If you have been reading this blog then you will know that I need to get some money in the door asap and that I am also looking at ways to make some money on the Internet long term, maybe even start an online business. I am not trying to get rich quick. But experimenting with the world wide web and all the opportunities seemingly available. I have not and do not intend to invest any of my own money (I don't have any!) in any online schemes I find, but use any money I do make to take me to the next stage.

On my last post I said I would look into ways of increasing traffic (visitors) to my blog page. I am currently experimenting with several methods and will let you know how it goes. I am not a whizz kid or Internet guru, but believe it is possible to generate an income online without being ripped off.

So far I have:
Started this blog
Added google ads to my blog
Now looking to increase traffic

I will keep you posted.
Good luck
John

January 26th 2009

2009-01-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

Hello readers!
Well 2 days to go before I leave for Glasgow. Anyone new to this blog should know I am going to write this for a year and share my experiences throughout the recession we are now (officially) in.

At the beginning of this blog I said my first priority was to find work by the start of February, which I aim to do in Glasgow, my second priority was to create several revenue streams to ensure this doesn't happen to me again. I will keep you informed on all the ideas I come up with, successes and failures.

I am looking at 'genuine' ways of making money on the Internet.

My first achievement was to place some google ads on my blog page, which you actually get paid for. Again, I didn't know how this was done, but by looking up 'google AdSense' and following the instructions they are now generating some cash, not much but it proves it can work. The next stage for me is to generate traffic to my blog, how do I do this? I don't know yet, but will find out and you will be the first to know.

I will let you know at the end of each month how much money I can generate through the Internet. There are several other ideas I will be looking at in the coming months and will share them on here. If I do make some money, then so can you.

So far I have not outlaid any money.

Anyway, if you like me are a victim of the recession keep going and good luck.
John

January 21st 2009

2009-01-21T01:39:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning feeling a new sense of optimism, a new beginning almost. Why you may ask? Because I watched the Barack Obama inauguration. I am not American, nor black, I am not in a minority group either. I have been subject to sectarian abuse and ashamed to say have been guilty of it. I am not perfect and don't live in a perfect world. All I want is my children to grow up in a better world than I and generations before me. A world without prejudice. Barack Obama was inaugurated as President of the most powerful country in the world yesterday, not because of his colour or religion, but because the voters believed he was the right man for the job. He is a man not much older than I, a man I would not have been able to sit next to on a bus 60 years ago. A man who has reaffirmed my belief that no matter how hard the battle, it can be won if it is right.

It is not that I know much about politics or the policies, it is the fact that traditional prejudices did not get in the way of peoples choices. You see our world is in a mess, credit crunch, recession, poverty, wars, to use a few soundbites. Nothing must get in the way of the right people being in the right positions to get us through it. America has now shown the way, the rest of the world can follow suit.

Lizzy and I will bring our girls up to be good people, tolerant, to treat others as they wish to be treated themselves. When they are ready to go out on their own into the world it might, just might, be a better place.

You may wonder why events on the other side of the world can affect me in my little village in the mountains of Spain. Well it has, it has made me believe that anything is possible again. That walls can be pulled down and obstacles overcome. It has given me hope.

Sorry to have rambled on a bit too much, I doubt if President Obama will even read this, but it's possible.......

January 20th 2009

2009-01-20T01:15:00.000-08:00

Hello reader(s), just sitting here with Mac (my 2 year old daughter). She hasn't been to nursery school for the past 2 days as she has had a bad cough, so I write this to the accompaniment of loud cartoons!!!

I had my job interview on Friday, drove an hour and a half there and waited half an hour to see Sales Director only to be told there is no basic wage but I would get 5% commission on all sales. Not ideal as I need to get money in the door asap. It's an employers market at the moment, too many people chasing too few jobs. However, I have another option. I spoke to one of my brothers (I have three brothers and one sister in Glasgow, Scotland) at the weekend who can get me in somewhere driving taxis, so I have booked a flight to Glasgow for January 28th.

Driving a taxi at the moment doesn't seem a bad option as I should get out of it what I put into it in terms of hours. Probably not the safest job on a Saturday night in Glasgow but, hey, there's a recession and I will be lucky to work.

Looking forward and not looking forward to leaving. Can't wait to start earning some money again and send it back for Liz and the kids, but dreading leaving them at the same time. Mac keeps saying "no, you don't want to go away on the aeroplane Daddy", so it will be tough when I do go. Still there are people out there enduring worse.

I will be watching Barack Obama's inauguration speech later, I am not really a political person, but the whole Obama thing has been exciting and fills me with a sense of optimism as I think it does most people (no pressure President Obama).

I have also been reading up on making money on the Internet, trying to sort out the 'genuine' from the 'cons' and 'too good to be trues'. More on all that later though. And remember I am a complete novice at all this, so if I do find a way of making cash (I will write all about it) then so can you.

Better go as Mac needs me to find 'Peppa Pig' DVD.

Good luck and if the recessions affectiong you and yours, keep going.

Take care for now
John

January 16th 2009

2009-01-16T01:51:00.000-08:00

Just preparing for my interview now. After applying for a least 40 jobs in UK, I took a chance and emailed a print company here in Spain who were looking for UK sales Representatives on a commission only basis. I said the position would interest me for a small basic salary and perhaps less commission. Anyway they called me and said they would be interested in speaking to me so here I am polishing my shoes.

The company is about an hour and a half away from where we live. I would be initially driving down there each day, followed by a long spell in the UK, then hopefully I could base myself at home and fly to the UK when required. It could mean long spells away from home at the beginning, but believe me it is the best of a few bad options, and the main thing is that the girls can stay here and not have to leave their schools or friends.

I did manage to sort out some google ads on this page (if you hadn't noticed). See if they can generate any money. If you come up with a great website or blog then give it a bash. Lizzy has also written a few more travel tips for an online travel magazine.

If you are a new reader to my blog its about an ordinary family trying to get through the recession like millions of others. We are British couple who moved to a small town in Spain in order to give our girls a better way of life. The last resort would be to move the girls back to the UK at this stage in their lives (they are 2 and 8 years old). My goal is to get us all through this without any disruption to our girls lives.

If you are struggling, just keep going.

Good luck
John

January 12th 2009

2009-01-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

Ok 3rd post here. Just to recap:

The money is running out and I need to start working by the 1st of February!
I never want to be in this position again! I have come to the conclusion that the best way to achieve this is to try and create several different (small) revenue streams. I am not looking to get rich quick or make a million, but just want to get the cash to start trickling in. Any money making schemes I come up with here, you are more than welcome to try yourselves. I suppose writing this blog should actually ensure I follow through with any ideas.

Firstly I'm going to get some google ads on this blog which could generate cash, not much, but its worth a try. If anyone is unfamiliar with this, then please type 'adsense' into google search, you will then get the information you need.

Secondly, Lizzy has just started writing for an online travel magazine which, again, may generate some money.

On the job front - I have applied for over 30 jobs since mid December and have just lined up my first interview which is on Friday.

Wish me luck
John

January 7th 2009

2009-01-07T06:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, Festive Period officially over. Just trying to get the kids back to normality, very difficult as my youngest thinks she should now wake up every morning to new presents!!

Getting some feedback on the job front. Have so far applied for jobs in London, Yorkshire, Scotland, all over the UK really. I am actually feeling pretty positive about things believe it or not. Also looking to try and get some kind of website together for Liz to sell her cards, T-shirts etc..

I am feeling pretty positive about things. The way I look at it, I am lucky to have Liz and the children and the strength I get through them will get us through this.

Wishing anyone suffering through the recession all the best of luck and keep going.

Anyway, gotta go now as I am on the school run today.

More later.

January 3rd 2009

2009-01-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

Hello all,
This is the first time I have done anything like this so please bear with me. I have decided to keep a blog for a year and share my experience with anyone else who find themselves in the same boat.

I am a 42 year old male unemployed and in the middle of a recession. I have a partner Liz and two daughters aged 2 and 8. My immediate goal is to find employment (within 3 weeks) and my long term goal is to take steps to ensure we always have a plan B.

So how did we find ourselves in this situation?

We made a change in lifestyle decision 3 years ago, we wanted to find a nice safe environment in which we our girls could grow up. We have found this safe haven in the mountains of mid Spain. Our village has a population of 6,000 and both girls are doing really well at school.

So far we have survived, I have taken on all sort of jobs, from sweeping the streets to running a printing press, which I had previously done many years ago in England. Lizzy did her bit by making and selling greeting cards, making and selling sock creatures, teaching art classes and painting on commission for any local bars.

Once my Spanish was good enough I was able to then take on short term contracts for UK companies working freelance as a Print Buying/Vendor Manager consultant in Spain, and our standard of living improved. I think at this point we took our foot off the gas and came crashing down to earth last April when my last contract ran out. I was unemployed from April til September last year and our savings went.

We made the decision that I should go back to the UK and find anything that pays and send the money back, which I did. That contract finished just before Christmas and my last paycheck should get us through til the end of February.

**** I SHOULD SAY AT THIS POINT THAT THIS IS NOT A BEGGING LETTER AS IT IS BEGINING TO SOUND LIKE ONE ****

So back to the present. I need to start work in February, this will probably be in the UK and send money back to my partner and kids. Liz and I will be coming up with all sorts of money making schemes throughout the year.

Writing this blog will help me follow through with any plans I make, and put down here, and if anyone likes my blog and it helps them through this recession - then great!

The layout will change throughout the year as I get the hang of this, and I will add some pics. Hopefully my spelling and grammar will also improve!

Wish me luck!

John