Millionaire Challenge

AnimalTribe

Hi

I'd like to join the thread too please. It's lovely to see such a positive thread and reading through it you have all inspired me to get started and earn some extra cash. I'm not out to be a millionaire, but a bit more in savings would be good.
I'm going to start with something easy and just get rid of/sell some of the clutter in the house. I'm a bit of a hoarder so this will take a little while.

Kayalana99

Morning guys how was everyones bank holiday weekend? Just taking a short break as we have been away all weekend and ever since I got back in the house I've been working.

Had my laptop on my knee in front room with kids most morning but now actually physically making the products...haven't done any orders since Thursday so that's 5 days work (well 4 and half as I started last night) to get done but I *think* I'm near the end..

Holiday was a bit of a disaster yet it's sooo nice to get away - it was FIL's birthday so we was invited with him on holiday but he is so controlling that it wasn't a case of shall we do this? it was we're doing XX for the day.

He cooked all the meals (which is nice but same time we don't really get a choice of what we're eating as long as we liked what was being cooked that's what we were getting) ....but overall the kids loved it so much and they really did make it.

I got shouted at by my 3 year old this morning "MUMMY!!! My books are in the caravan!!!!" ....then I had to take him downstairs and show him that we brought them home with us lol.

Me and my husband have had a good chat the last few days and he's decided to go for the Law Degree, he wanted to go for it originally but I'll admit I talked him out of it - I see a law degree being 5 times harder then a business degree, I have no interest in it and I'm not great with words so I think the whole idea just scared me but he has mentioned he wanted to do A level Law in the past so this isn't a new thing he just decided he wanted to do and as bad as it sounds reading a book over the weekend made me realise you really do have to be passionate about something and if this is where his passion lies then I can only support him.

It does worry me but there is no point him doing something just because he wants a degree - I've said to him that we're not going to apply for another month just to give us both time so we're not making snap decisions, I have to admit I was swayed a lot when I saw the art and history degree but 1 it looks a hell of a lot harder then the business as it would be a completely new area to me 2 I already have a strong foundation in business and 3 I want something to fall back on where as an arts degree is great - but it's not a business degree which will hold more weight in the job market (depending what you were going for I guess)

I might look into it some more but I said to my husband if I get a business degree I can always go back and do an arts degree later in life when we have more ££ or I can research it in my own time on what I'm interested in rather then doing a course that is very broad, it would help my photography I have no doubt.

Great to see some new faces and you're doing so well LL with your savings!! Back to work for me.... shouldn't be to much longer now though...

lessonlearned

Hi Kaya....love the catch up of your news.

I hate going on holiday with other people.........but then I just like to do my own thing.

Even my husband could be a pita at times. He used to insist on "itineraries" - action packed days with hardly a minute to stop and draw breath whilst the kids and I were happy just pottering about. Bless him, it was like living with a whirlwind at times.......

Re degrees. The thing is they take up a lot of time and energy and need full commitment. The best advice is its going to take up to 3 or 4 years of your life so it's best to chose a subject that really engages you. No point studying a subject you aren't really interested in. So if your husband is really passionate about studying law then there is not much point in him opting for business studies. There will be an element of business related law anyway, company law, law of torte, contract law etc.

Re your arts and history degree. Yes you are right - you are never too old to take an arts or humanities degree and they can be a bit "esoteric". And yes, some employers might think them something of an easy ride......(they aren't of course).

My degree is "Visual Cultures" a blend of art history, architecture, photography, interior design, fashion design, film history, advertising and photography all underpinned by cultural theory and analysis.

At least a third of the students dropped out in the second year because they had not anticipated what cultural theory was about. Many of them hadn't studied history or English literature and therefore didn't have enough of a grounding in the subject.

Whaaaat.....I hear you say - what possible use is a degree in something so vague as "Visual Cultures"?

It's hard to answer because I didn't "use" it in the sense that I then worked in a museum or gallery - I went straight back into housing, something I truly loved and which paid generously.

I think though that having an arts degree under my belt - even if it was such a totally off the wall miss mash of subjects - did help me in my career. It made me far more confident to the extent that I started to take far more responsibility. I began to manage my job as if I were my own boss. I took "ownership" of issues and problems and solved them. My sales figures rocketed.

I had gone back to my previous employers and I think they spotted the change in me. They gave me a lot more autonomy and I really started to fly. Eventually I formed my own company.

I don't think any time spent studying for a degree is wasted, even if you have to drop out or switch courses because you've chosen the wrong topics.

DS2 did a year of law but switched to Film Production. He is dyslexic and there was just too much written work for him. (His dad and I did try to warn him) However he has a photographic memory and can still quote huge chunks of law chapter and verse and as he had spent a lot of time on corporate law and contract law it does help at work.

If you feel a degree in business studies would interest you then go for it but only if it's what you really want. Don't do it if the only reason is you feel you "ought" to. "Ought to" will only make you feel resentful of the time and effort required. And........ people do build successful businesses without a business degree.

Mull it all over for a while.

Right lunch break over.......back to work. :rotfl:

Kayalana99

It's not always about enhancing work to - if I was to do an Arts degree it would be for myself not to help my career so to speak and whilst I haven't yet done a degree I appreciate how hard that degree must of been to complete.

I wish when I was younger I saw things differently, I plan on exposing my children to lots of different hobbies and things they can do so by the time there 18 hopefully they will have an idea of what they want to do in life - no guarantees of course but live life to the full and all that I'll make sure they have a good stepping stone.

I admit the book I read over the weekend was the da vinci code - if you haven't read it LL you may find it really interesting, just a good read if you're interested in the "arts" but it got me thinking if I started learning the history of art and the past of what symbols meant etc I could incorporate this into my own art in the future, it's so well written. I've just purchased the next 3 books in the series.

If I knew 100% I'd be in photography as my main career in 10 years I would choose to do the arts degree and take my time with it (as you can do it over 6 years + if you wanted to) but the business degree is where my skills lie and I want a fail safe - I don't want to keep plodding along hoping something will happen or that my business will take off - I want something solid that will bring me in a decent wage so in 5 years if I'm not earning a decent wage off my business I can work for someone else and work up a career path and invest off the side into property etc + on top of this I just want to be better educated and be able to encourage my children to take the right choices in life.

One thing on my to do list for this business degree is starting to go back to basics with grammar to - it really isn't my strong suit and often asking my husband for advice.

Anyway - off to the post box for me!

lessonlearned

Ah the Da Vinci Code. Interesting book. My husband was not a great reader - more of a doer - but he loved it, read the whole series.

As a lapsed Catholic I loved all the symbolism and the behind the scenes Vatican stuff. And yes the language of painting does contain all manner of hidden symbols and messages. It's a form of shorthand, same with literature using the same devices, characterisation and plot twists and of course both film and advertising relie on stereotypes to quickly establish characters. I love all that stuff.

And of course it gets really clever when you can play with it, to subvert your work, turn preconceived ideas upside down, hide clues and messages, and just generally have fun.

I notice that wedding photography in particular has become far more playful and therefore more interesting now. A long way from the stiff formal groupings In days gone by. Some of the images nowadays are actually breathtaking and really do illustrate "love" in all its moods and guises.

Yes I'm afraid good language skills are necessary at degree level - and grammar, especially in law, becomes a law of its own. One misplaced comma can do a lot of damage..........Academic writing has to be clear and concise.

There's a great little book called Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynn Truss. She's a stickler for good grammar - it's a witty little book and she delivers her lessons with style and humour. Only about £5. If you are serious about self improvement then this little gem is one of the best investments you'll ever make.

She also wrote one called "Talk to the Hand" all about modern manners.......

Ps just added......there's a great thread called "Aitch not Haitch" on the Funny Money board. It's all about examples of bad grammar and what makes people cross or laugh when they see howlers.

Kayalana99

I've just picked up the first one £3.50 off eBay and thank you for your help.

Can't wait to go see my friend now and see what she has to show me on the degree she has done and hopefully pick up a few books from her.

Going to be busy the next few weeks with getting my hands on the business books, grammar book and the Dan Brown series - really looking forward to the latter as the Da Vinci Code was such a compelling read!!

droopsnoot

lessonlearned wrote: »

However he has a photographic memory and can still quote huge chunks of law chapter and verse and as he had spent a lot of time on corporate law and contract law it does help at work.

Pretty much the premise behind the excellent "Suits", shown on Dave.

lessonlearned

I have never watched "Suits" - will have to check it out.

ms_night_ryder

Good morning all.

I keep seeing suits on TV, but usually ignore it, will give it a watch.

So today is the first really free day off. I wanted to see how long it would take me to complete a garment that I want to sell, so I can see a rough cost. It took 55 mins, so your supposed to charge £10 an hour, materials cost 3.20, so I'm thinking about £18.99 for this particular item.

Going to go for a walk and do a test. then start another garment, this really is a sample. no testing as yet, as I need to get it exactly how I want it first. But I'm happy with the stage I'm at. I have everything apart from a rail, which I'll probably get at the end of the month. need the samples to hang on first. I need more fabric, but I will either get it tomorrow or Saturday.

Finally made my £1200 target took roughly 6-7 weeks, so now I'm thinking I could do a lot of saving. I have 2 months before I go on holiday to achieve this. Hopefully I can save £750 by then. I have been on a strict budget, which I will loosen slightly in April, because my food budget, although I always have food, I always run out of budget to buy fresh fruit the 2nd week, so always dip into my spends budget, also I need to increase it because my travel costs are a lot and I want to pay more off my debt.

I will be able to clear 2 more important debts this year and work on a 3rd. Here's my dilemma, I pay a certain amount a month, do I continue and just wait until I have saved enough to clear it? Or do I just pay as you go? Or do I pay a little more monthly and still save until I can clear it? Hmmm. Interest has already been frozen by the way.

I have also decided to replace my tv, 14 years old, but I don't watch it much twice a month. I need a cooker 2 hobs have gone, luckily I don't use it a lot. I use my steamer and slow cooker and George foreman, the knobs have gone on those but they still work with the use of pliers to turn it. I also need to decorate, carpet and get a new matress, I want a boudoir room, with a feature wall.

Mattress ' are expensive, only ever bought the cheap ones until my last. I decided to get a Memory foam one which cost £700 although I was shocked at the price. its the best I've had and lasted about 10 year's. So its worth the investment again I think. Also the phrase buy cheap buy twice comes to mind.

Kayalana99

I would say clear it ASAP - but I wouldn't clear it without having some money to fall back on regardless of interest-free or not I'd just want it over and done with so I can move on with my life.

We brought a cheap bed and mattress for £150, that doesn't sound right but I'm sure that's how much it was. Wish we hadn't now as the mattress doesn't agree with my back..worth it if you can afford it I'll be upgrading when we can.

Not much to update just organising and getting on top of things only popped on to see if any new posts were about.

Listed some eBay bits at £200 and the other at £150 so fingers crossed they sell (and soon) also got a few more bits to list on eBay.

Did some new eBay products which I haven't done in a while - I'm thinking of starting a new line but this one will not be personalised so would require less effort than my main line, I think with my new photography skills I could pull up some new designs also using some photos I have taken as backdrops that I could sell for a fair amount. Just finding the time to sort it out.

My Dan Brown books dispatched today...excited