Often new visitors to the Australian Libraries Building will ask “how can I make money in Second Life?”.

Well, now I have an answer…”spend an hour and a half dancing with a mob of librarians in PJS and bunny splippers, and be voted as having the best female costume”. There’s 500Linden dollars for that one. Thanks if you voted.

Congratulations also to Rocky “Harley Fashionista” Vallejo, best dressed male.

Another snap from the evening. Note that Minnie Mouse in the front was tallying the votes, so ineligible.

Trip For How to Create a Working Budget

  • The very first month you set up a budget, it’s probably not going to work for you, because if you’ve never kept track of this stuff before, you’re not going to magically know how much to put in each category. DON’T BE DISCOURAGED. The second month might be a little better, but most people don’t have a good, working budget until the third or fourth month. You didn’t ride a bike without training wheels the first time you tried, and you weren’t Michael Schumacher the first time you got in a car, either. Practice makes perfect!
  • There are occasionally pay-periods where may make some extra money, and when that happens there is a surplus! It’s up to you on how to use that surplus. You could put it directly toward your goal, or you could let it sit in your bank account as an emergency fund.
  • As time goes by, you will find that your original budget has some flaws. Some areas you underestimated, some areas you overestimated. Some things come up that you didn’t account for at all. That’s OK! Just make revisions as you get a clearer picture of your spending. Remember to keep your overall spending less than your earning so you can meet your goal.
  • The first time I tried this, my spending was more than my earning, and that was without putting anything into savings! If that happens to you, do what I did: start making cuts in your spending plan. For instance, my first budget had $150/month for clothing. After making changes, I reduced my spending to $80/month for clothing. You might have to make many changes like that to be able to accomplish whatever goals you have set for your budget.
  • If you keep your emergency fund in your checking (or savings!) account, it could be very difficult to avoid the temptation to spend it when you see that shiny new must-have item you’ve been wanting. Find a money-market account with a decent rate of return (4-5%) and check-writing privileges and you’ll be ahead of the game.
  • A common problem people have when making budgets is that they’ll come up with an excellent plan, but then the car breaks down and the plan goes out the window. This is why you have the above-mentioned emergency fund. If you use the emergency fund money for an emergency, don’t forget to budget for putting that money back next month!
  • Another common problem is people see the shiny new must-have item at (insert store here) and they buy it, even though it’s not on their budget. Maybe it was on sale and they couldn’t pass it up! This is why it’s good to have a budget category called "Blow" (or whatever you want.) No, it’s not for cocaine, it’s the category for impulse purchases! I highly recommend including this category.
  • Don’t try and begin a budget for the first month after an event in your life where money was significantly spent or saved, such as a vacation or a move, or coming into an inheritance or winning the lottery. Wait until your finances have been "in order" or at a steady pace, usually from three to six months afterwards, before starting fresh.