Ooooh...Shiny!

Goodness, it's been a bit dull around here lately, hasn't it? I didn't want to update last week, because all I had to update was the mortgage, and that made me sad (not that the mortgage is going down, but that I had no other changes). I'll probably be doing an update post either tonight or tomorrow (♪♫payday!♪♫). EDIT: I'll be doing an update post on or around November 1, instead. By then the interest will be showing up in the accounts.

Meanwhile, I've been busying myself trying to figure out a way I can work from home. I miss making money, dammit! I've had a few suggestions from some very helpful online acquaintances, but I always seem to get hung up on some aspect of something somewhere.

For example, one such acquaintance suggested designing products to sell on Cafepress and Zazzle. I like the concept--I really do--but I have two problems: I don't know what to design, although even I can come up with a few ideas, I'm sure; and...I have no idea how to use any graphics programs. Seriously--I don't get it. At all. The same acquaintance suggested using free software like GIMP, so I downloaded it.

No. Idea.

I think maybe something went wrong with the download (I think my computer blocked part of it or something), because three boxes came up, none of which seemed to be workable. Otherwise, I guess I could try a tutorial. Maybe that will help.

Another online acquaintance pointed me toward a Virtual Assistant website, with a forum to help those starting out. It's huge, and quite overwhelming. So far, I haven't really found anything too helpful there, but I've barely scratched the surface. It looks if I really wanted to get something out of it, I could order their startup system...for $1000. Yeah. Colour me skeptical (look at my blog title, after all...I mean, really).

Then, somehow, I came across this, which looks like the most promising thing so far. But you know that old, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," adage? That's a bit of a red flag in my mind. Plus, if it is legitimate, I don't know if I can get all the requirements fulfilled. I mean, they want my credit score (hmmm, maybe that should be another red flag)! I don't even know my credit score. Plus they want three references. I haven't worked in two years. Bit of a problem there...

I also signed up with Elance previously. I don't really "get" that, either. I don't understand what you're supposed to say in your proposal, and I don't understand what their budget means. Plus, somewhere else, I saw an Elance position offering just over $1 an hour, "to start." Now is it just me, or is that kinda like slave labour? Are they all like that? I can't tell, because all I've seen on the site so far is their overall budget.

There's a couple other places I signed up for, I suppose without really understanding what they're all about. I forget what they were called...Leapforce was one, I think, and the other...I don't know, but I think it also started with an "L." I got those from Penny Saver. I guess I could try harder to understand what it is they want. I don't think I ever heard back from either of them. Maybe I just signed up for Leapforce, and not the other one. Still...

I'm just finding it all so confusing! I'm a pretty intelligent person (*toot, toot!*), so I don't know why I'm finding all the work-at-home stuff so hard. Maybe I'm overthinking it. I know that for some of it, I'm overwhelmed by all the stuff that I'd need to do (marketing? Networking? Business cards? Business plans? Eeek!), or buy (headphones, a foot pedal (if I want to do transcription, but if I did I'd also need a course of some kind, I think), a new computer (probably...my poor little old laptop has seen better days, plus I don't know if it has all the bells and whistles it would need for some of these jobs), a bigger house with a room I could make into an office...haha) to get started.

I'll let you know if I figure any of it out.