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Sweet Screen Success
by Pamela Kramer
Woman's Day, May 25, 2004
If losing those excess pounds, building a nest egg or
starting a home-based business has always seemed out
of your reach, don't give up now. The support you
need to reach your goals may be only a few clicks
away. The Internet is teeming with free or low-cost
message boards and live chat rooms full of people
who share your interests and can help you succeed.
All you need is access to a computer with an
Internet connection and browser.
These women changed their lives thanks, in part, to
online support. Their stories may inspire you to log
on and reach for the stars, too.
Soapy Surprise
Ellen Cagnassola became interested in soap-making
when she bought a kit for her young daughter,
MaryEllen. "It was fun and easy to do, and I could
see many possibilities beyond making ordinary bars
of soap," says Ellen, who was working as a
professional faux painter but yearned to start a
business she could operate from her home in Fanwood,
New Jersey.
So four years ago she did a search on the Internet
and found web sites with soap-making instructions
and recipes. She also discovered a message board on
AOL where members trade tips, such as where to buy
supplies at a discount and what to do when soap
doesn't set properly. Using candy molds, a glycerin
base and different dyes and fragrance oils, she
created little soaps shaped
like ducks, pigs and cows, and sold them to local
gift shops.
Ellen was certain she had a hot seller, but she
didn't know the first thing about starting a
business. In addition to reading books and articles,
she tuned in to the business development chat and
message boards (under the careers and workplace
section) on AOL. She read the different discussions,
called "threads," asked questions and attended chats
hosted by experts. Before long she had the know-how
to price her products, promote her business and
conduct e-commerce. She hired someone to create her
own web site.
Today MaryEllen's Sweet Soaps (SweetSoaps.com)
sells approximately 10,000 products a month and
manufacturers about 100 different types of
merchandise, including soaps that resemble stained
glass, saltwater taffy, even gold nuggets. She still
visits her favorite boards and chats online.
"Working at home can be isolating. It's so nice to
have people you can go to when you want to share
good news or just need a kick in the butt," she
says. "They're my connection to the world."
Ellen's best tip: Be helpful to others online and
your efforts will be returned tenfold.
Also try:
www.businessknowhow.net,
www.womanowned.com and MSN Entrepreneur at
www.communities.msn.com/entrepreneur
Living on Less
Three years ago, Kellee McCrory, a mother of two in
West Branch, Iowa, was searching the Internet for
ways to cut her family's living expenses. She was
hoping to quit her job as an office coordinator and
attend graduate school full time at the University
of Iowa, where she'd been a part-time student for
more than a year. She found
www.furgal-moms.com, a now-defunct fee-based web
site with boards and chats, and decided to try it
out.
There she learned how to create a realistic budget
and save on groceries by using a price book, which
lists the best prices for items you use regularly.
One woman said that she used a clothesline instead
of a clothes dryer, so Kellee started doing that,
too. "That alone cut our utility bill almost in
half," she says.
The site's users also compared notes on different
products. "Someone would ask, 'What do you think of
this detergent?' and a bunch of people would say
they tried it and liked it or that it was a waste of
money," she adds.
Eighteen months later, Kellee and her husband,
George, had saved so much money that they were able
to cut a home equity loan in half and payoff their
car and a $2,000 credit card balance. "Now we only
use a debit card," she says.
They also began contributing $235 a month to a
freedom fund to cover annual expenses, such as car
registration and insurance, and $75 a month to an
emergency fund-both ideas she picked up at the site.
Last year, eight months earlier than planned, Kellee
quit her job and became a full-time student, working
part time as a graduate research assistant. "I was
amazed that we were able to maintain our standard of
living even though our income was reduced by a
thousand dollars a month," says Kellee, who
graduated with a master's of public health degree
last summer. "I owe it all to my supportive husband
and kids, and to frugal-moms."
Kellee's best tip: Make it easier to find the
boards and chats you visit frequently by listing
them as favorites in your browser.
Also try:
www.moneycentral.msn.com,
www.frugalliving.about.com and
www.thefrugalshopper.com
Babies at Last
When Debbie and Florian Aberle were married in 1997
they wanted to start a family right away. After all,
Debbie was 40 and didn't think she had a lot of time
left for childbearing. Three years later, however,
when Debbie still wasn't pregnant, they decided to
try in-vitro fertilization. If nothing happened
after two years, the couple agreed they would try to
adopt. "We just wanted children," she says.
One day when Debbie was waiting in her doctor's
office, a woman told her about
FertileThoughts.com, a free website with chats
and boards on topics such as infertility, pregnancy,
adoption and parenting. The minute she got home she
logged on and began "talking" to other women about
the problems they were having getting pregnant and
the medications they were taking. "Doctors don't
tell you everything," she says.
She also began reading posts and asking questions
about adoption, such as how long it took, what a
home study entailed, etc. "I wanted to learn as much
as possible just in case," says Debbie, who lives in
south Florida's Pompano Beach area.
Three unsuccessful IVFs and one miscarriage later,
she noticed a post by a woman named Maria Bailey,
who mentioned that she had two adopted children and
lived in south Florida. Debbie immediately e-mailed
Maria and learned that she lived just one mile away.
The pair met for lunch and instantly became friends.
Maria put the Aberles in touch with her adoption
attorney, and five months later Debbie had a baby
girl in her arms. A baby boy followed nearly a year
later. "I don't think I'd be where I am if it hadn't
been for Maria and FertileThoughts.com," she says.
Debbie's best tip: Stick to boards that have
moderators or guides; they delete posts that are
scams, obscene or inaccurate.
Also try: The National Infertility Association at
www.resolve.org
and the International Council on Infertility
Information Dissemination, Inc. at
www.inciid.org/interact.html
Weight-Loss Winner
Betsy Jaffe wasn't having any success losing weight
on her own, so when an ad for eDiets ($11.66 a month
at the time; go to
www.eDiets.com)
popped up on her computer screen nearly four years
ago, she decided to sign up. "I wanted a program
that fit my busy schedule and didn't require weekly
meetings:' says Betsy, a mom in South Riding,
Virginia. By the time she joined, her weight had
crept close to 200 pounds. "The prepared meal plans
and shopping lists made it seem so easy to lose
weight."
After a week of successful dieting, Betsy checked
out eDiet's message boards and chats. She found
hundreds of people sharing their diet and exercise
tips, an such as how to drink 64 ounces of water
each day and critiques of the best exercise videos.
Dieters also talked about why
they were overweight and the obstacles they faced.
"I realized that there was a whole universe of
people going through the same thing I was," she
says.
Betsy also participated in challenges, where teams
of members pledge to lose a certain amount of weight
and exercise a certain number of minutes over 21
days. The team that gets closest to its goal wins a
few free months of eDiets. Betsy's team of six,
called the Ultimate Motivators, enterd a special
10-week competition and together lost more than 70
pounds. One woman reached her
goal weight, and Betsy lost 16 pounds.
About a year ago the team met at Red Mountain the
Adventure Spa in Ivins, Utah, and they plan to get
together again this fall. "When I first started, I
just wanted to lose enough weight to get out of plus
sizes, but taking it one day at a time and being
surrounded by people who are so motivated inspired
me to lose more," says Betsy, who has lost a total
of 65 pounds and has 15
more to go. "Now I know it really can be done."
Betsy's best tip: When you come across an inspiring
message, print it out and save it in a folder or
notebook so you can go back and read it again.
Also try: Shape-Up Club at
www.womansday.com,
www.weightwatchers.com and Weight Watcher
Wonders at
www.communities.msn.com/weightwatcherwonders
How to Get Started
These initial steps will help you navigate the Internet and
find the assistance you need.
*Find a community by entering key words--for example, "save
money"--into a search engine, such as Google, or
check out large sites like
www.msn.com
*When you sign up, invent a screen or user name that isn't
associated with your real name, such as soontobethin
or soccermom.
*Before jumping into a discussion, read some of the
posts and replies (you may need to join as a guest)
to get a feel for tone and content.
*Post a message that says, "Hi, I'm new here," and
tell members a little bit about yourself. Some sites
let you create a profile with photos.
*Be clear and concise, especially in chat rooms, and
try to stay on topic. If you want to change the
subject, start a new discussion.
*Don't reveal personal information such as your last
name, address, Social Security number, phone number
or the name of your child's school.
Acronyms
bfn-bye for now
btw-by the way
fwiw-for what it's worth
imo-in my opinion
j/k-just kidding
lol-laughing out loud
otoh-on the other hand
rofl-rolling on floor laughing
Show a Little Emotion
"Emoticons" are shorthand for how you feel:
:) happy
:( sad
;) wink
=) surprised!
:I disgust
:O yelling
:* blowing a kiss
:> sarcastic
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