Last week was a big reminder of the advantages of lifestyle freedom. I had several errands to run, among them was to vote. I have found that between 10:30 and 11:15 in the morning are the best times to do a lot of things because everyone else is at their job. Being my own boss, I decide when to do it.

When I went to vote, there was one other voter there. I was in and out in under 10 minutes. During lunch and after work, there was a mob of voters. I’m sure the vote time was at least 45 minutes.

I get my hair cut during these times, no waiting. At other times, there are at least one if not two people ahead of you. The stylists always ask if I am taking the day off because not only am I there at that time but I’m dressed extremely casually.

We had an issue with our cable TV signal. I was able to schedule the technician’s visit when it was convenient to me. Working from home meant that I didn’t have to take off to meet him. I didn’t have to disrupt my work longer than it took to tell him where the box was.

The carpet commute eliminates traffic frustrations as well as wear and tear on the car. The 13 gallon gas tank lasts about 3 to 4 weeks so the high gas prices were not a big deal.

If you want to enjoy a flexible schedule, boost your family budget and avoid things such as layoffs, I would invite you to start your own home based business. The residual income that you create will let you ‘retire’ whenever you want.

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I was recently reminded how flexible my schedule is since I work from home. I had to call a service person to repair my washer. Normally, one of the major concerns is having an adult there during the three hour window they give you.

If I was working for someone else, somewhere else, I would have to work out with them having time off to be at my house to wait for the repair person to show up.

Because I work for myself from my home, I was able to say with confidence that I would be home. This allowed me to schedule the repair time when it was most convenient for me instead of others. And I didn’t feel like I was wasting my time waiting.

Other benefits that I enjoy is being able to do things with my sons, ages 16 and 10, during the day when they want to do them. I get to spend quantity time with them and quality time running my business.

Having a home based business has allowed me to minimize many irritants and given me the flexibility to maximize my enjoyment.

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Gas prices are one thing that I have not had to really worry about this year. I work from home and drive maybe 3,000 miles per year. I fill up about every six weeks during the summer, every four weeks when school is in session.

To get to work, I do a carpet commute to my office. I work in what I feel like working in, usually shorts and a t-shirt. Shoes are optional. The schedule is flexible. The boss doesn’t complain if I don’t come back from lunch.

If I had to really deal with gas prices, I can increase what I am receiving from my business. I control it.

It wasn’t always like this. For 20 years, I worked on someone else’s schedule and let them control what I received. Then, five years ago, the best thing that ever happened to me was that I was laid off from a ‘secure’ job. If I was still working, I would be paying over $600 per month just getting there and back.

Gas prices, and other ‘doom and gloom’ events can become less scary when you take control of your life and your income.

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