It looks like the combination of the bad economy and the huge number of aging baby boomers are raising the public interest in the mortuary career.  People looking for a stable career where there will always be work for them wherever they go may have found one option.  Newsday.com reports that enrollment for mortuary careers have increased significantly. 

In Nassau Community College, for example, the mortuary program lasts for two years, and 80% of their graduates have found employment in the funeral services industry.  Graduates can reportedly earn around $50,000 a year after a year-long residency at a funeral home.   Current demographics of experienced morticians show that they are an aging population, thus increasing the employment prospects of new graduates.

Would you???

Photo credit:  Eco Casket

As part of my “earn more” strategy I am going after some professional certifications.  I discovered last year that I have the passion and talent for database programming, so I am hoping to get certified on SQL this year.  As I surf the web looking for practice exams for 70-431 I came across some free e-Learning courses that Microsoft is offering.  It covers a multitude of topics:  SQL, Visual Studio, MIcrosoft Office, etc.  I thought I’d share this link for fellow techies and techie wannabes.

Click here  to check 0ut the FREE Microsoft e-Learning courses!

Instead of being reactive, I choose to be proactive, and here is the plan:

First, I have to stop the bleeding.  The late fees and insufficient fund fees I paid in 2008 have been shamefully staggering.  This tells me that not only was I broke, but that I need to keep track of my money better.  I need to plan my expenses accordingly, and work from a budget.  This is going to be tricky.  I do not do well with paper, so it will have to be some finance software that is easy to use.  The goal is to have a workable budget so that I will no longer pay any late fees on my utilities by the end of Q1.

Second, I need to raise my income.  With the economy and job market the way they are, this will be hard to do.  In order to be more competitive, I will need to raise my qualifications.  I plan to get a certification in the technical field that interests me, and this will help me get a better position — and better pay, I hope — than what I have now.  The goal is to have passed the certification exam by the end of Q1.

I am keeping it simple enough so that it is achievable.  How about you, what are your financial goals or resolutions for the new year?

In one of the blogs to which I subscribe, the author talked about a friend who “had a modest job yet always has the latest gadgets”.  Intrigued, the author asked the friend how she was paying for all that stuff.  The friend confessed to the author that she’s been selling naked pictures of herself on the Internet.

The post was astounding to me for several reasons:

1. 1. The blog was a money-saving blog and I was not expecting the authors to address ”less mainstream” ideas.
2. 2. The author had the nerve to ask her friend how she pays for stuff.  What would Miss Manners say?
3. 3. The author described the friend as “pretty but a bit pudgy”. Wow.
4. 4. A woman would want indecent pictures of herself all over the Internet.  What if a friend or family member saw it?

The blog post went on to say that there are adults-only auction sites where a girl can try to sell not only Playboy centerfold-type … umm … “spreads”, but also their high-heels, outfits and even underwear.  If it hasn’t been washed, would it fetch a higher price?  Hmmm.

That author’s friend claimed that her annual income from this online venture is around $6,000.  Not a bad haul. I sure could use an extra $6,000 a year, couldn’t you?  However, though not a prude, I don’t think I can do something like this.

How about you? Have you or someone you personally know got naked for money?

To read the blog post that inspired this, click here. The naked woman in the photo isn’t me. Some random woman can now claim that I bought her naked photo from here, which is NOT an adult-only site.

This article was originally posted at Single Scoop, where I am a guest blogger.

I was told by my manager, “Of course, we’re not going to take it all at once!” And of course they did. I opened my paystub and the take home pay was $0. Budget that for bills, groceries, and even gas money. How could anyone have any rights to take one’s entire pay away???

The kids were about to start school and we needed to get school supplies, shoes and clothes for them. The car payment was due. So was the mortgage.

We made it through that bleak two-week period, but barely. I explained the circumstances to the kids (teens, really) and they were not happy but they understood. School supply shopping was transformed to “Mom, can I get this? It’s really cool!” to a bargain-hunting exercise. Personally, I think it did them good. The car and the house aren’t paid yet, however. It is too bad I am going to be paying late fees for those.

My husband wants to move to “greener pastures”. We live in one of those states with the 5.0% – 5.9% unemployment rate.  For me, moving, especially to another state, is a very expensive thing to do.  There are also no assurances that you’ll like it there, or that you’ll even like the job for which you have made the move.

If you are thinking about moving to another state for better job prospects, find out first how your destination city’s cost of living compares with where you live now.  Use this Salary Calculator from realtor.com.

You might not want to move to Ohio, where poor Ohioans are having problems affording food. Or you could take classes in Moscow on how to snare a billionaire.

While roaming the aisles we were constantly interrupted by these sweeper and buffer machines.  We would see one coming down the aisle right at us, its operator not even bothering to apologize for almost running us over.  People moving pallets do the same thing, without so much as an “Excuse Me!”  The cashier was sullen and unfriendly, constantly asking in a resentful tone of voice if I wanted such and such items bagged.

The rudest ones of all were the women working the ladies’ apparel section.  All three of them were busily gossiping near the fitting room attendant’s station.  My daughter wanted to try some pajamas, so we patiently stood there waiting for the three of them to stop the gossiping and realize there is a customer.  They just kept on talking, trying to ignore us by not looking at us.  I finally interrupted them and said we need a fitting room unlocked.  The attendant sighed dramatically, and without so much as looking at us or saying anything, proceeded to unlock a fitting room.

I know these overnight workers at Wal-mart are not paid much, but lack of money is not an excuse for lack of manners.  I once lived in an inner-city neighborhood in a third-world country.  I’ve met unemployed bums there who were more courteous than these Wal-martians I encountered last night.

I have been doing great at this job I have had for about a year.  Projects keep me busy and I get to work with wonderful people.  I am considered an asset to the team.  I have been looking forward to a promotion not just for the challenge but mostly for the extra pay.

Now everything is up in the air.  My employer has received communication from the Department of Labor:  my wages are being garnished.  I don’t know the details yet, but it sure has been embarassing.  I wouldn’t blame the management if they start thinking “How can we trust this woman to lead if she can’t even straighten out her own finances?”