Finding Change in the Sofa Cushions ...

... or any other way to make extra money....

It has become my mission to find ways to make extra money while also divesting ourselves of all the unnecessary stuff in our house.

In some instances, these can be mutually advantageous: yard sales, eBay and other sales outlets will allow me to get rid of usable items that we no longer need (or never really needed) while adding a little cash to the coffers.

What I am really searching for is a way to follow my passion(s) while also contributing enough to the family income so we function on an all-cash basis.

For instance, I would like to find a way to make affordable fresh baked goods and other foods for those on special diets (gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free). Tonight I was even researching how to make gluten-free Communion Bread. Also gluten-free muffins, English muffins, and waffles - these can be frozen so they are just as handy for those in a hurry, but as healthful as homemade.

Other ideas:
- Teaching the importance of eliminating processed foods and sticking to the basics of protein, vegetables and fruits, and whole grains (not bread, but the actual grains of rice, quinoa, oats, etc) as a lifestyle choice.
- Making warm/cold wraps from organic fabric and teaching about the use of aromatics and warmth/cold for healing and relaxation.
- Teaching healthy basic cooking-from-scratch (so many are without this skill) and how it is not only healthier but less expensive.
- Helping people find what they do best
- Helping people who want to minister

Of course, I am still writing. I look forward to the day when the royalty checks were sufficient to pay the bills. (Perhaps writing about the subjects above would be a solution?) In tandem with this, I would like to record audio books with my wonderfully talented husband so we could work together and make more books available to those who are visually impaired.

So I have rambled - and you have graciously read - about ways to channel my passions: a passion for people, for healthy living, for the flexibility of schedule to minister to others, and to live in debt to no one.

We are at the beginning of a New Year, and perhaps you too are doing some self-evaluation. Care to share your thoughts? your solutions? We're listening!