Goals Update

At the beginning of the year I wrote about my goals for the year and stated the importance of reviewing our goals every so often and tweaking as necessary. Since we are about half way through the year I thought I would give you an update on my goals.

1. Weight loss – I'm not even close to where I hoped to be by now but I have lost 6 ½ pounds since the beginning of the year. It isn't a lot but as long as I'm still losing and not gaining I am ok with it. Now that my husband is out of school I'm hoping to find a bit more time to exercise and I know that will help too.

2. Clutter Control  - While my house isn't as clean as I would like, we've made major improvements.  My husband even commented that there are a lot less piles of junk around the house.

3. Blog – most week's I've kept my goal of a minimum of 3 posts per week. My new goal is to up the content quality and begin using more pictures. I'm also looking into options for a new design or even switching to WordPress. If you have any suggestions for a designer or for moving a blog, feel free to share.
 
4. Tupperware – I had a great start to the year but as my husband's school and work schedule took over, I didn't have time to properly run my business. I'm ready to pour more time into it now and plan on getting back on track this summer in order to meet my goal's for the year.

How are your goals coming along? Feel free to share an update or a link.

Saving Money With Tupperware at Thrifty and Chic Mom

This weekend I have a guest post up at Thrifty and Chic Mom.  Ellen is going room by room through her house and sharing tips and items that work for her. This past week she has been in the kitchen.  Check out my post on saving money with Tupperware and then visit the rest of this series to see what room she is going to next.

Goals Update

At the beginning of the year we talked about setting goals.  Now that we are a little over two months into the year, how are you doing?  Many people will have given up by now which is why it is a good reason to re-evaluate those goals every so often.  Here are my updates for the four goals I shared with you:


1. Weightloss.  I've lost five pounds so far.  I really wish it was more, but I'll gladly take that over nothing.  Eating is getting better but exercise has a long way to go.  Every little bit counts though so I try to grab a few minutes here and there as I can.


2. Clutter Control.  My house is far from where I want it to be but I'm happy to say the piles are getting smaller.  I have some more to share on this topic in a post coming out next week.


3. Blogging.  It is still a struggle to find time but I'm making it a bit more of a priority.  I've kept my commitment almost every week of three posts and I look forward to the day I can increase that number.


4. Tupperware. January brought me my best month ever in the business.  February was pretty good too.  I'm really enjoying being a manager and I have a good start on moving up to the next level.  I never thought I would enjoy working direct sales but the more I work the business, the more I enjoy the challenge of it.  Of course, it helps that I sell a product I truly love.


Feel free to share how your goals are coming along.  I always enjoy hearing how others are working to reach their goals.

Organizing with Modular Mates

With this month's Eat from the Pantry Challenge I've been going through my kitchen cabinets to see what I have. I'm finding them horribly disorganized despite the fact that my husband organizes them several times a year. There is a lot of odds and ends food that I forgot were in there. It just so happens that Tupperware is having their annual Modular Mates sale right now. These are wonderful at organizing your cabinets and helping you find space you had no idea was there. It also helps you waste less as you can easily see how much of a product you have.

Last year when they went on sale, I was still pretty new to Tupperware and not really sure this product was for me. I bought a few samples though so I could display them at my parties and figured I would try them for awhile in my kitchen and see how I liked them. Once they made them into my cabinet, I was quickly sold. My husband and I decided to save up some money and buy more when the sale came along this year. We plan to add a few each year as finances allow.

This is a picture of our snack cabinet before my husband and I attacked it. I was taking pictures with a crazy kid running around so I didn't get a picture of the whole cabinet - the other side has spices and cooking supplies. The multiple boxes of brownies are thanks to Nana - she spoils our oldest with them but once a new box arrives he just "has" to open it instead of finishing the old one. I usually combine them when there is enough room in the new box but I hadn't in awhile.


This is the after picture. The majority of the items on the bottom shelf were in other cabinets or on the counter because there was no room. The sugars were in my baking cabinet and way up high where they were hard to get too. There is still room for more in this cabinet which excites me. We would like a few more Modular Mates in there too but have to wait until finances allow.

I do not have pictures of the other cabinets as they are not done but I do have a few Modular Mates in them as well. Through a sales challenge last month, I won the Large Carry-All Container. I was excited for it and was thinking it might be good for toys but really had no idea how I would use it. While organizing the kitchen I realized I had coffee supplies tucked here and there all over my kitchen. I rounded up the filters, different coffees, and creamers and put them in this container. It now sits in an unused cabinet just below the coffee maker. I love knowing where everything is now and I'm more likely to actually use all of those samples I have as I can see them. Plus, the lid is too hard for my kids to take off but easy enough for me. This cabinet is not used much simply because the kids take everything out of it.

This little project has me excited to work on other parts of the kitchen and I will as time allows this week.

Goals for the New Year

I'm a big believer on setting goals and I know I'm much more likely to accomplish them if I share them so I'm going to share a few of my goals for this year with you all. First of all, I'm not a huge New Year's resolution fan but I am a fan of attainable goals. I'm not one to set new goals at the beginning of the year, rather I sit down a few times a year and review my current goals, then add or subtract from there. I won't bore you with all the steps I've set out to accomplish these goals but I need a few of these to be out there in the public so that I have the motivation to not give up half way through.

1. Weightloss. You've heard me talk about my struggle to lose the baby weight over the past six months. Expect a few more posts regarding this as I have a new resolve to get it off. I have 20-25 pounds to lose and my goal is to get it off by my birthday which is June 5. Of course, I'm still breastfeeding and if my weightloss interferes any with that, I will move the date but I'm determined I'm not going to be this size for forever.

2. Clutter Control. My house is a perpetual mess. I know what it takes to keep it clean but I would rather play with my boys than keep up with the clutter. My husband and I have spent many hours over the Christmas break cleaning up the house and I want to keep it this way. If you ever visit, please do not expect a perfect house but hopefully it will be a bit cleaner than in the past.

3. Blogging. I enjoy blogging but struggle with time management with it. My head is constantly spinning with post ideas but I sit down to write and get distracted. My goal is at least 3 fresh posts a week and I plan on accomplishing that by setting "office hours" each week.

4. Tupperware. I mentioned before that I actually have an office for my Tupperware business now. I'm treating this as an actual job, not just a hobby so my goal is to have "office hours" each week instead of grabbing a few minutes here and a few minutes there. My husband is very supportive of this as he sees the potential I have in this business. My other Tupperware goal is to move up two levels by the end of the year. I became a Manager at the end of the year and I want to keep climbing up the ladder as I feel my real calling is in motivating others to achieve their dreams.

These are my main goals for 2010. I have a few smaller goals but these are the ones weighing heavy on my heart at this time. I encourage you to sit down and create goals, then break them down into more manageable goals.

Tightwad Tuesday: Homemade Christmas Gifts

I know many people are planning on making Christmas gifts this year due to a tight economy so I thought I would link up to a few ideas I've posted in the past and add a few new ones too.

White Chocolate Popcorn

Pumpkin Bread

Snickerdoodle Chex Mix

Inexpensive Christmas decorations

Gift Baskets

Kitchen Magnets

Finally, being a Tupperware consultant, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share a practical, yet usable gift idea. I've had customers fill some of our bowls and canisters with their homemade goodies to give as a gift. I've filled our spaghetti dispenser with a brownie mixture. Snack cups make a great holder for cocoa, tea, or coffee mixes. I've also filled Modular Mates and other bowls with pancake mix or soup mixes. This way the recipient receives yummy homemade gift in a very practical, reusable container. If you would like any of the recipes I fill these items with, just email me.

Direct Selling: Taxes

One of the first questions everyone asks me about direct selling is "do I have to pay taxes?". The short answer is yes. The long answer has to do with talking to your CPA, saving all your receipts, etc. I am the daughter of two CPA's but I am not an actual CPA so please contact your CPA for futher details, but here are a few hints for tax time.

Keep good records. It is a pain to have to go back throughout the year to look at all of your sales to figure out taxes. Start from the beginning with tracking sales. I keep track of everything with a very simple Excel spreadsheet that I created.

Bonuses are taxed. If your company offers bonuses, free products, etc. they will be taxed at the end of the year. They should send you a form with all of these listed but once again, keep good records so you will know what to expect.

Mileage adds up. I keep a mileage book in my car so I can write down everywhere I go relating to my business. The ultimate log is in an Excel file on my computer but this allows me to write it down before I forget. Going to and from meetings, parties, buying supplies, deliveries, etc all count towards your mileage and this can add up quickly so please keep track of it.

Keep receipts. Think of any and every aspect of your business where money comes out of your pocket and keep those reciepts. Here are just a few of those: food (both to demo and food bought at a meeting, etc.), ink, paper, catalogs/flyers, conference fees, etc.

Some people will also be able to deduct items such as computers, cell phone, and a home office. You will need to talk to your CPA to see what you qualify for.

Taxes may seem a little overwhelming at first but if you keep good records, it is not as bad as it seems. Many people find that if they keep track of all expenses, they do not owe or owe very little at the end of the year.

Direct Selling: Getting Started

In case you missed part 1, choosing a company, click here.

Once you pick a company to sell for, you may be a bit overwhelmed. My best advice is to jump in and get your feet wet. The more you sell, the more you will find your style and what works best for you.

I suggest you tell anyone and everyone you know about your new adventure and ask them if they would like to host a party. I sent out one email to my entire address book and booked a few parties off that email fairly quickly. Months later, I booked a few more from that first email. Friends and family knew they wanted to have a party some time but timing was not right when I first told them I was selling Tupperware. You never know when a contact now might turn into an opportunity later.

Another great way to get your feet wet is to host your first party. Invite over a good mix of family and friends and introduce them to your company. You will probably have several book parties from you after seeing the product in action. Also, family and friends are much more forgiving so it is a great way to get practice in. I suggest scheduling this open house soon after you order your kit so that you have a good start on your first month in business.

Make sure not everyone is from the same social circle though when inviting friends. You want to be able to eventually branch out to other people outside of your circle and it will be hard if everyone already knows each other.

Also, once you decide to take the leap of faith, ask another consultant in the area if you can attend one of their parties for training. It helps to see what others are doing. My first party was very similar to the training party I went to but shortly afterward I started finding other ways to make my parties my own. It really helped my nerves though to have an example to follow.

Direct Selling: Pick a Company

The first step on your journey through direct selling is to pick a company. For those of you who read my story last week, you will know that the company picked me. It isn't always that way so here are a few things to think about when deciding which company you want to work for:

A product you like: When you like the product and believe in the company, it truly will not feel like you are working. I'm not a fan of anything related to sales as I greatly dislike being pushy but I've found Tupperware sells itself mostly because I believe in the product. Think about products you like or genres that interest you and go from there.

Competition: I have nothing against Mary Kay (in fact, I own several of their products) but in my area, their sales force seems to be saturated. Keep this in mind as you don't want to be competing with too many of your colleagues. It does help to have some sales force in your area as you learn from each other, but if the market is too saturated, check out another company.

Start up costs: Every company is different as to start up costs so investigate this when looking at a company. With Tupperware, you can start with as little as $79.99. The kit comes with many of the most wanted items too so it is a great value. Some companies require you to keep an inventory and that start up cost can be high so keep that in mind.

Contract details: Explore the fine print and talk to someone who is currently selling for this company to see what it takes to remain a member of the sales force. Some companies have high quotas while others are low. With Tupperware, your only commitment is to hold one party and sell $450, preferrably within the first 30 days. After that, you are free to quit. To remain active, you need to sell $250 every 4 months. That is a pretty low amount compared to some companies.

Discounts: Since you will be selling a product you like, check out what your discount is. You are in this to make money but you will want to buy some of the product for yourself too. Tupperware has a standard discount of 25% with samples being 35%. The best part is this is 25% off sale prices too. Bonuses are also available almost weekly so it is easy to earn free or deeply discounted product. These make great gifts or can add to your start up kit for demonstrating.

Profit Potential: Of course, your first thought on all of this was probably "how much am I going to make". Yes, this is important, but do not pick a company solely on this as there is so much more to the equation than just money. Most direct selling companies pay you a comission of 10-50%. Check out what the average party amount is and how much work is actually involved to get a good look at your profit potential.

Stay tuned as I continue this series in the weeks to come. Again, if you have any questions about direct selling or Tupperware, please leave a comment or email me so I can address them in this series.

Tupperware: My Story

Starting next week, I am going to do a short series on direct selling as a way to earn some extra money. Before I get into the details though, I thought I would share why I chose Tupperware.

I am coming up on my one year anniversary of selling Tupperware - I started on Halloween 2008, but let me back up a few years first. Several months before I became pregnant with my first son, I ran into a Tupperware consultant. I've always appreciated the quality of this company and hadn't been to a party in years so I decided to have one . The consultant knew I liked the product (I'm what we call at Tupperholic) and tried to talk me into selling it then. I thought about it but found out shortly after the party that I was pregnant. I figured that wasn't a great time to start something new though so I moved on. Fast forward to last fall. I'm invited to a Tupperware party and it is with the consultant who held my party three years previous.

She immediately remembered me and started in again about selling it. First of all, I was impressed she remembered me. I did not sign up that night, but the idea kept creeping into the back of my mind. See, we were nearing the one year mark of my husband's job being cut back. I had worked every odd job I could find and was tired of working so hard simply to pay the bills. There was nothing left for just me. I decided to give Tupperware a try but the profits had to be kept for fun money. I could use it for shopping, eating out, entertainment, etc as long as it was something I wanted to do (for me or my family) and not a bill. I treated it like a hobby. I figured there was little to lose because the kit was under $100, included a ton of product that I wanted, and my only commitment was to hold one party.

I'm not pushy and sales are not my strong point but I've found Tupperware sells itself and I think part of that is due to the fact that I love the product. I've had a blast meeting new people and making a little cash at the same time. As many of you know, I lost my part time job at the end of May. At that time, I decided I was doing well enough in Tupperware that I could turn it into my job. I no longer treat this as a hobby, rather a job, but I still keep a small amount of profit for entertainment purposes. I love selling Tupperware much more than sitting at a desk all day and if I put a little effort into it, I can make much more than my day job.

I never set out to find a direct selling company, rather it found me, but I'm glad I made that leap of faith. The funny part about the whole ordeal is that I found out two weeks after I signed up that I was pregnant again. I actually had a party scheduled at my house for the day I had our second child (he was a month early). We laugh that he is a Tupperbaby.

As I mentioned before, direct selling is a great way to make some extra cash for Christmas. If you have any questions about direct selling or Tupperware, please let me know so that I can work them into the series.

How To Earn Extra Income Through Direct Sales Series

I've had several readers ask me questions related to my Tupperware business so I thought I would start a short series on direct sales. Direct sales businesses are a wonderful way to earn some extra income for the upcoming holidays and still allow you to stay home with kids during the day. The series will kick off next week when I share my story and why I chose Tupperware.

In the meantime, if you have any questions you would like addressed regarding direct sales or Tupperware, please leave me a comment or email me and I will do my best to address them.

Setting Goals

It is hard to reach the finish line if you do not know where you are going? Many of us wander through life with no clue where we are going. The easiest way to get from point A to point B is with goals. Here are a few tips on how to write attainable goals:

Look towards the finish line. Decide what your ultimate goal is and put a date as to when you would like to achieve that goal.

Break it down. Now, break down the goal into smaller goals and assign dates to them also.

Write it down. Simply keeping the goal in your head works for a few, but writing it down can be very powerful.

Keep it in front of you. Display the goal(s) in a place where you will see it at least once a day.

Evaluate often. Sometimes life gets in the way and we realize our goals are not attainable. There is no need to abandon them though, simply evaluate them and see how they can be changed to fit the current circumstances.

Goals can be for anything from paying off a debt to losing weight to getting a promotion at work. I currently have two goals that I am working hard towards obtaining. There are many others in life I would like to accomplish, but these are were my effort is at right now. The first is weight loss. I would love to be one of the lucky people who give birth and suddenly the weight just falls off. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people. To keep me from getting frustrated I created a date I would like all of the weight to be off. I then worked backwards and found milestones in between that I can be working towards. It has made a huge difference because I'm working on 5 lbs at a time, rather than the whole thing.

The other main goal I'm working on is building my Tupperware business. I started the business to make a little extra cash for spending money but when I lost my job at the end of May, Tupperware became my job. I'm having a blast at it but I have to run it like a business, not a hobby, to make any money. I am days away from making my first goal of becoming a manager. I have monthly goals laid out for myself from now until the end of the year. At that point, I will re-evaluate and see where I would like to go from there.

Both of these goals are written in detail on notecards and are sitting in front of the sink in my bathroom. I look at them every morning as I get ready. I even sometimes add to them or mark off the smaller goals as I reach them.

I challenge you today to work towards achieving at least one of your goals. Write it down and follow through. Feel free to post back with your results.

Food Friday: Zucchini Bread

My father in law brought me an abundance of zucchini last week so I pulled out my favorite zucchini bread recipe and made a few batches. I like to keep several types of quick breads in my freezer so that I always have a last minute dessert or breakfast item on hand. It helps out the stress level to have something on hand when last minute company arrives or I find out the night before I need to bring something to school or an event.

In the past, I've dreaded grating the zucchini because it always took forever and made a huge mess in my kitchen. Since I'm now selling Tupperware, I decided to pull out my Quick Chef and see how it would do with the zucchini. In no time, I had all of my zucchini grated and there was no mess. I will definitely be using this from now on.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups zucchini - raw, unpeeled, and grated
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Beat together the eggs, sugar and oil. Add the other ingredients and beat well. Pour into two loaf pans sprayed with baking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour.

Food Friday: Fruit Salsa

This is a super simple recipe I learned about at my latest Tupperware meeting. It is meant to be used at our parties to show off our Quick Chef food chopper but can easily be made in a regular food processor or blender. I like to serve it with graham sticks but have been told it is really good with mini rice cakes or cinnamon sugar tortilla chips.

Fruit Salsa

1 apple, cored
2 kiwi, peeled
8-10 strawberries, hulled

Cut apple into wedges and process in chopper until slightly chunky. Add kiwi and strawberries and continue chopping until desired consistency. If not serving right away, add a little lemon juice to preserve the apples and store sealed in the fridge.

Tupperware

Did anyone happen to notice the new banner on the side of this blog? I'm now selling Tupperware. You can visit my Tupperware site at anytime to buy directly from me. I know it seems weird to be selling things when I'm trying to teach you how to live on less, but Tupperware can help you live on less. Their items come with a lifetime warranty and are "safe" plastic. I used to buy the cheapy plastic containers at the store and then complain that they didn't hold up well. A few years ago I started slowly replacing those with Tupperware. I save money by not having to replace my items every year or so. Now is a great time to buy since the holidays are coming up and there are some great things on sale. Please note that my site just went live and I plan on tweaking it in the days to come but feel free to stop on by at anytime. If you have any questions about a product or how to become a consultant, feel free to shoot me an email.