Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue
Bio
Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue is a Midwest-based author known for her captivating lesbian romance novels, compelling mysteries, and heart-pounding thrillers. To find out more, visit: http://www.nicolehigginbothamhogue.com
Stories (127)
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Small Tasks, Big Bucks
A lot of people complain that they don’t have a lot of time to take on extra tasks. However, what if the tasks that you were taking on actually saved you both time and money? Think about this. If you educate yourself on how to be more self-sufficient then you don’t have to hire someone to perform a service for you. You might not even have to shop at a store for a product that you need for your household. So, being more self-sufficient can save you money. One thing that you can do is to research gardening. By doing this, you might find that you have the knowledge to grow your own fruits and vegetables, and this might not only save you money from buying them at the store, but it might save you the gas that it takes to get to the store. Along with these savings, you might save yourself the hassle of having to deal with product recalls on these items. If you grow them yourself, you will know who helped you plant them and pick them, and this might make it easier to have access to these foods. Another thing that you might consider learning how to do is car maintenance. The more you learn about how to take care of your car, the more you might save on auto fees. So, learn to change your tire if you already haven’t. See if you can change your own oil, and see if you can learn the necessary knowledge to do simple jobs like brake pads and fluid checks. By doing this, you might not only save yourself the money that it would take to bring your car to the auto shop but you might extend the performance of your vehicle, because you might develop a new routine of checking your car to make sure it has the proper fluids and working equipment. If you are good with numbers, you might want to learn how to do your own taxes. This might allow you to see what money you earned over the year and what tax breaks are available to you. An easier way to do this is by using tax software that comes available at the end of the year. This might help guide you in the process and save you the money of having an accountant do it for you. Home maintenance is another useful bit of knowledge to obtain. Invest in equipment like steam vacuums and try to learn how to fix simple issues. There are several common issues that you can learn to fix around the house and if you don’t know how to do these things, you can always look it up online or in a book. Make sure that while you are doing this research, you consult several sources so you get a good idea on how the job is to be done. Some sources may only give you partial information which can result in you having to do another job that was unexpected. Try to take the time to learn new things when you can. This might help you with the day-to-day tasks and complications that you run into. The more that you can do yourself, the less money that you have to spend hiring someone to do it for you. Also, by doing it yourself, you avoid having to schedule an appointment for someone else to do it and this can help you stay on your normal routine rather than having to take an entire day off of work so you can have someone fix something for you.
By Nicole Higginbotham-Hogueabout a year ago in Trader
Balance Your Time
If me is money, then it seems pretty important to save time, right? So, the next thing that can help save you money is your organizational skills. Now, this might not seem like it makes a lot of sense. What does organization have to do with money? Well, if you already have the things that you need to get your day going ready, you don’t have to spend the time getting them together, and all of that time that you save at the end of the day adds up. This allows you to get more done, and it might give you more time to do the things that you want. So, in a way, being organized can save you money. One thing that you can do to use this skill effectively is to create a list before you go to the store. By doing this, you will have time to go through the items that you already have in your home so you don’t buy an item twice. This will also give you a little time to analyze what you want and what you need and how much money your purchase might cost. If you go to the store with a list in hand and follow it, then you might not be as tempted by impulse buys and unnecessary spending. This might help you maintain your grocery budget and it might help prevent impromptu stops after work, saving you gas. You can also organize the things that you need to do and the items that you need for work. Create a routine where you shower the night before work. Set out your clothes so you don’t have to pick them out when you are groggy. Set your alarm so you have enough time for breakfast and coffee before you have to walk out the door. Not only might this help you cut back on last minute purchases like coffee on the go, but it might help you get to work on time so you are not losing money due to being late. Another thing that you can do is to create a chore list for your home. This can be divided out between all members so one person doesn’t have to do everything, and by doing this, you might find that your house is more maintained, decreasing the need for constant repair. This also might help you save time in the long run so you have an ability to relax and can perform at your best. Do your best to keep your closets and your cupboards organized so you know where things are. That way, if you have a last-minute birthday that you have to attend or a family gathering, you can see the things that you already have and avoid double purchases. This might also help you see the trends of the items that are used in your household so you can prepare for these future purchases without being taken off guard. Not only can being organized help your home stay clean and maintained, but it can help you understand what things you already have and what things that you need. Also, by coming up with a routine, you might find that you spend less time and money trying to get to work and have more time to yourself. Though it might seem difficult to put this all into practice, once you establish it as part of your schedule, you might find that the benefits outweigh the work. So, don’t wait. Try to establish these organizational skills into your routine as soon as you can and when you have it down as part of your regular schedule, analyze the impact tha
By Nicole Higginbotham-Hogueabout a year ago in Trader
Clearance Holdouts
You might feel like you are always going to the store and spending money on necessities for your family. If this is the case, you might consider discount stores and clearance areas. Instead of going to mainstream stores for everything that you need, see if there is a store that might have the item that you want in a generic brand or for a lower price. There are several dollar stores that have basic necessities like light bulbs, batteries, trash bags, dishes, and holiday decorations for a little over a dollar. Not only can this help you get the items that you need for the house, but it might help you when you have an unexpected birthday or holiday purchase that you need to make. Try going to the dollar store for your utilities before you hit a big name store. This can help you cut the money that you are spending on supplies so you can save it for bills and other expenses that you need to pay. You might also want to check the dollar stores if you are decorating your house or redecorating a room. A lot of the time, you will find that they carry soap holders, trash cans, and even cute little signs that you can put up in your house. Compare prices to where you would normally go for these items. You might find that you were spending more money than you needed to on items for your home. If you have children, you might find yourself in a predicament when it comes to buying clothing. Kids always seem to be outgrowing the clothes that they are in and it can be difficult to keep up. However, if you check out thrift shops and cosignment stores, you might be able to find clothing that has only been worn a few times for a great price. This could save you hundreds of dollars over the year while still keeping your children in fresh threads, and many of these stores even have brand name clothing. Also, if you have clothing that you need to get rid of, some of these stores will offer you store credit to sell the clothing to them. This might help you cut your costs even more. But what about shoes and other items that you might need? Easy. These are usually found on clearance racks in the brand name stores a month or so before school starts. Stores need to filter through their inventory every once in a while so they can bring new inventory in, so when a season ends, a lot of stores will put their old products on clearance so they can make room for their new products. Clearance items can also be found after holidays. Several stores will get rid of holiday items right after the holiday. So, if you check out these sales, you might find a discount on a body wash set or a present that you can give to the kids later on in the year. It is important to check these sales because even regular products end up in them. You might find a stack of paper plates for a few cents or a box of chocolates for less than a dollar. Analyze what you would already be buying and see if any of the clearance items fit an item that might already be on your list. Sometimes, it might be difficult to find the clearance area in a store, so it is imperative to ask associates where these areas are. Even hardware stores carry clearance, and some stores will lower the prices of the items until they get down to a penny before getting rid of them. Check the stores that you regularly frequent to see where this aisle is. It can help you save money while still getting items that you need.
By Nicole Higginbotham-Hogueabout a year ago in Trader
You Won't Always Know
My wife and I like to change up the way our living space is decorated from time to time. Sometimes, we will get new decorations for the room that we are changing up. Sometimes, we will organize it, and once in a blue moon, we might get a new piece of furniture. Therefore, when we decided that we needed to redo our living room in the beginning of 2020, we made a plan to get a new couch set. We hadn’t had a new couch since we had gotten married and the set that we did have was one that my wife had bought ten or twenty years prior. So, the furniture was passed due for an update, and we decided that we wanted to get a set that would be easier to have with little kids, one that wouldn’t stain as easily and one that wouldn’t be as risky to rip or tear if they were playing around. We went to the furniture store and looked around, trying to find a set that would match both our sense of taste and our comfort. After looking for a while, we found a faux leather set that was easy to clean up and had enough room for everyone to sit down. Not only that, but the color of the furniture was perfect for the modern design that we had established in that room, so we were sold on purchasing this new set. We went up to the counter and told the sales lady which set we wanted. She discussed delivery options with us and told us what the process was in getting the set to our home. Then, she charged us for the furniture so we could move on with the process. However, the charge didn’t go through, and both my wife and I looked at each other in shock. We knew the money was in there. We had saved for this purchase. We had planned it. So, we didn’t quite understand why we weren’t able to pay for our furniture. The lady tried again but the charge still didn’t go through, and after a half an hour of trying to figure this situation out, we decided to leave and go to the bank to figure out what was going on. Upon arriving at the bank, we found out that the money was in there. There was no explanation as to why the charge didn’t go through. We were frustrated and we decided not to get the furniture set because we had already gone through so much trouble trying to pay for it and the store had so many issues charging us. So, instead, we just kept the money. Ironically, a couple weeks later, a novel virus hit our country and we were all put on lockdown. At that point, we were very happy that we had saved the money that we were going to spend on furniture. We needed it. Our lives were turned upside down at that moment, and we spent the next two years in quarantine. So, after finding out about the new situation we were in, both my wife and I were happy that there was some kind of fatal flaw in charging our card for the furniture. It was like someone was trying to tell us to hold on to the money that we had, and since we did, it put us in a better place during a very rough time.
By Nicole Higginbotham-Hogueabout a year ago in Humans
Accept Me Maybe?
When I was in my twenties, I dated a woman that liked to criticize how I looked, how I acted, the things that I liked to do, and who I surrounded myself with. It was weird. How could someone want to be with you when they didn’t seem to like anything about you? I didn’t really know how to take her judgement back then. I thought that she was right. I figured that I was still young and still had room to grow and she was trying to mold me into what I needed to be in order to have a longterm relationship. I mean, no one is perfect, and it does take two people to make a commitment work. So, after listening to her critiques, I did my best to accommodate her needs. I tried to be more open about where she went, even if it meant that she was going to her ex’s house. I tried to get along with her friends, even the ones that seemed to be addicted to substances that I had never heard of until then. I even tried to fit in with the personalities of the people that she surrounded herself with. It was very uncomfortable. I always felt like I was being judged, and when she lectured me, telling me that I was too standoffish, I felt back, because I didn’t want to make a bad impression on the people that were close to her. I went through about four years of this before I called it quits. I was tired of standing on eggshells. I was tired of not feeling like I could be myself, and I was tired of being criticized for who I was. I wanted to know who I was, and I wanted someone to like me for that. I was tired of people telling me who I needed to be or blatantly misinterpreting what my wants and needs were. I was ready to speak for myself and be who I was without having people who didn’t like that in my circle. So, after breaking up with her, I cleaned up my physical appearance. I wore the clothes that I wanted to. I got my hair done, and I basically cleaned up my outer appearance to what I wanted it to look like. I still wasn’t completely myself after this. I still didn’t know who I was or what I wanted, so I began making new friends and having new experiences. I went out and did things that I hadn’t in the past, like trying improv or driving halfway across the country to see all of the states that I hadn’t before. Then, when I met my soon to be wife, I started to let my guard down a little. She wasn’t like any of the other women that I had dated. She didn’t tell me how to dress or act or who to hang out with. She didn’t restrict my ability to do the activities that I wanted to do. She just let me be myself, and she loved who I was. This was new for me. I wasn’t used to being around a person that fully accepted me for who I was. I didn’t understand that concept as I had never experienced it. It was such a breath of fresh air. After meeting my wife, I was more confident in who I was and I learned more about my wants and needs, because she gave me the room to grow. She allowed me to explore whatever I needed to in order to figure out who I was and who I wanted to be. She supported me on this journey, even when there were barriers, and after being around a person like her, I realized that there were people that I could be around without having to change a thing about mysel
By Nicole Higginbotham-Hogueabout a year ago in Confessions
Beware and Look Around!
Everyone has a bad day. I’ve had my share, but the older that I get, the more that I realize that there is always someone that is facing harder circumstances than I am. For instance, I thought school was pretty hard. I didn’t really fit in, and I didn’t really feel like I was a part of anything. I felt pretty insignificant. Because of this, I had a hard time connecting with other people later on. I was used to being judged, so I instantly figured that everyon that I met was judging me. I was used to being bullied, so I expected it. When I was about nineteen, one of the friends that I did have when I was in high school went to college and got a roommate. My friend wanted me to meet this guy, so I did. The guy that I met was nice. He was different from the guys that I grew up with, and he wasn’t as harsh on others as most people that I knew. This new guy started telling me about how he grew up. He had cerebral palsy, so he had a lot of struggles when he was younger. Mobility was one of them. So, while I was worried about making new friends, he was worried about if he would be able to walk. Then, the new guy told me about how nice everyone was to him in school and about his dreams to be a wrestler. He knew that having cerebral palsy affected the possibility of his dreams and instead of getting all upset about it, he made it work for him. Since he couldn’t wrestle right away, he became an announcer, so he could be a part of the sport that he loved so much. Instead of getting jealous of the other people that were able to participate in the dream sport he so much wanted to be a part of, he became friends with them. He tried not to let his struggles get him down, and he did the best that he could to be a part of the sport that he loved. As I got older, I met several more people just like this guy. I met someone my age that lost his sibling due to addiction. I met a single mother that got pregnant at an early age and had to suffer the loss of the baby’s father. I even followed the story of someone that I went to school with as she suffered a miscarriage. All of these people touched my life in a way. It helped me remember that despite the struggles I was going through, there were other things out there that people were enduring that were just heartbreaking, and knowing that these people were able to get up every day and do what they needed to do, helped give me the motivation to do the same. Life isn’t perfect. We all have struggles, and being there to witness other peoples’ struggles and help them if you can puts life in perspective. There might be a day where everything seems to go wrong and everything seems crazy and chaotic, but if you look to your left or your right, you might realize that someone else is going through a situation that is ten times worse than what you are. At least I did, and that made me more appreciative of my circumstances. I’m thankful that I was born in a country with clean and available water. I’m thankful that I have a right to an education, and I’m thankful that I have the ability to choose who I marry or who my friends are. Some people don’t even get these basic rights.
By Nicole Higginbotham-Hogueabout a year ago in Confessions
Shortest Stick
Everyone has a bad day. I’ve had my share, but the older that I get, the more that I realize that there is always someone that is facing harder circumstances than I am. For instance, I thought school was pretty hard. I didn’t really fit in, and I didn’t really feel like I was a part of anything. I felt pretty insignificant. Because of this, I had a hard time connecting with other people later on. I was used to being judged, so I instantly figured that everyon that I met was judging me. I was used to being bullied, so I expected it. When I was about nineteen, one of the friends that I did have when I was in high school went to college and got a roommate. My friend wanted me to meet this guy, so I did. The guy that I met was nice. He was different from the guys that I grew up with, and he wasn’t as harsh on others as most people that I knew. This new guy started telling me about how he grew up. He had cerebral palsy, so he had a lot of struggles when he was younger. Mobility was one of them. So, while I was worried about making new friends, he was worried about if he would be able to walk. Then, the new guy told me about how nice everyone was to him in school and about his dreams to be a wrestler. He knew that having cerebral palsy affected the possibility of his dreams and instead of getting all upset about it, he made it work for him. Since he couldn’t wrestle right away, he became an announcer, so he could be a part of the sport that he loved so much. Instead of getting jealous of the other people that were able to participate in the dream sport he so much wanted to be a part of, he became friends with them. He tried not to let his struggles get him down, and he did the best that he could to be a part of the sport that he loved. As I got older, I met several more people just like this guy. I met someone my age that lost his sibling due to addiction. I met a single mother that got pregnant at an early age and had to suffer the loss of the baby’s father. I even followed the story of someone that I went to school with as she suffered a miscarriage. All of these people touched my life in a way. It helped me remember that despite the struggles I was going through, there were other things out there that people were enduring that were just heartbreaking, and knowing that these people were able to get up every day and do what they needed to do, helped give me the motivation to do the same. Life isn’t perfect. We all have struggles, and being there to witness other peoples’ struggles and help them if you can puts life in perspective. There might be a day where everything seems to go wrong and everything seems crazy and chaotic, but if you look to your left or your right, you might realize that someone else is going through a situation that is ten times worse than what you are. At least I did, and that made me more appreciative of my circumstances. I’m thankful that I was born in a country with clean and available water. I’m thankful that I have a right to an education, and I’m thankful that I have the ability to choose who I marry or who my friends are. Some people don’t even get these basic rights.
By Nicole Higginbotham-Hogueabout a year ago in Confessions
