Here at urbanmoms.ca we’re very supportive of the recent trend towards WAHMs (work-at-home-moms, for the uninitiated). After all, it’s what we are! We even have an entire section of the site devoted to sharing stories from fellow mom entrepreneurs (work at home or otherwise) and to helping them promote their businesses – check out the urbanmoms.ca Marketplace for more.
So we were really excited when the folks at Penguin offered to send us a copy of Will Work from Home: Earn the Cash Without the Commute to review and give away (including a nifty free bookmark and all).
This book is not just about starting your own business from home (in fact, only one section is devoted entirely to the mom entrepreneur option). It’s all about finding options for earning income from home, whether that means moving your existing job to your home office, finding a new employer who supports your desire to work from home or pursuing one of the several other options to earn income without commuting. But the basic message is this: Escape the cube. Ditch the commute. It’s not just a dream anymore.
Many people already spend 12 hours a day getting to work, working, getting home from work. Here’s some good news: thanks to advances in technology, acceptance of outsourcing, the trend towards corporate flextime, and other factors, working from home is easier than ever.
Good Morning America’s Workplace Contributor Tory Johnson and consumer advocate Robyn Freedman Spizman tell readers exactly how to turn today’s cultural change to their advantage without giving up an income. Specific business plans will teach them how to:
• Take their current position home
• Find a new company whose policies will allow them to work from home
• Reseach a product they believe in, and sell it from home
• Start their own business, doing something they love, for a minimal initial investment
With real-life stories, a step-by-step plan, resource guides, and lists of scams to avoid, this is the book that will help readers finally make the leap––and show them that they don’t have to give up their family, creativity, or peace of mind to earn a decent salary.
And now, here’s how you can win your own copy of Will Work from Home (including free bookmark!). In keeping to the “ditch the commute” theme, we’re going to ask you to share your best commuting to work stories in the comments below. One winner will be chosen at random from the entries below to receive the prize. Please remember to include your email address (it won’t be displayed) so that we have a way to get in touch with you if you’re the lucky winner.
So, get to work! Tell us your longest, shortest, silliest, slowest, craziest or best commute to work story. It doesn’t have to be a horror story and it could be from before you had kids – it just has to be related to commuting to work. Go!
After having my 1st daughter I ended up working evenings and apprecaited the shorter commute as less traffic was on the road usually. Though it did take me 3 hrs to get home one night after a snowfall (which ended up being just slush on the road) which is usually a 20min drive. Luckily it only happened that once and I hope never again. After that I make sure my gas is never low as cars were “dying” all over the roads as drivers werent anticipating that LONG drive home!
Twilight is definitely my girls favorite teen book series they love it!
Hi there!
My favorite part of commuting is the quality time I get to spend with my son on the bus on our way to his daycare. Both of us are morning ppl, so are naturally rather chipper in the morning. Top that off with the fact that the morning is some of the only time was have to spend together during the week and you end up with some rather halarious bus rides!
Most mornings were just us being happy and telling jokes and laughing and such. But then other mornings would include sing alongs. With these mornings, we usually got a mixture of amused to half-asleep exceptance of our oddities from our fellow bus commuters (who, for the most part, all saw us every day at the same time, lol). Then, one morning, we got in the mood and started a subdued version of ‘The Ants go Marching’ between the two of us. All of a sudden, the bus driver (who, too, was used to us at this point and was typically rather dower) piped in and began to sing as well. Let me tell you, that only caused some of my other bus riders to be inspired right along with him!
By the end of our ride, we had a full out TTC musical on our hands. How’s that for adding a smile to a persons day 🙂 LOL!
I have fortunately never had a long commute on a regular basis, but any commute is too long. One funny thing I remember is when the back of the car needed some work, possibly new shocks or struts or something, and every bump that we hit, the back end of the car waddled. It truly was like a duck waddling down the road every inch of the way. It was absolutely hilarious!!!
This sounds like an awesome book!
I had a part-time/contract teaching job at a local college a few years back. It was a 23km commute each way. The worst part was that I had to be there well before 8am or I would never get to photocopy 8 hours’ worth of classroom hand-outs and assignments for 60-odd students. That’s because there was always a line-up of professors waiting for the same photocopier. I would wake up at 5 to spend time with my little one, and leave by 6:45; on Monday nights, I would get home at 10:30 because I also taught a night course. UGH! Never again. I had permanent circles under my eyes for six months after I stopped teaching there.
My “best” commute was probably my most virtuous – the one I am most proud of. Living and working in Ottawa, walking to work, despite getting larger and larger with my second pregnancy. My son was born in April and I walked to work, through Ottawa snow and cold, all winter long – including snowpants on the really cold days! It started out being about a 15-minute walk, but by the time it was March and there was still snow and ice, it was easily a 20- or 25-minute walk… But I did it! I felt so healthy and virtuous! Yay me!
My commute used to take me thru an Army base, as it was safer that the other way to work. I repeat, it WAS safer, fortunately for me, I drive a small vehicle. I understand that on an army base, base vehicles come in all shapes and sizes,and I also realize that they have the right of way, especially the ones bigger than you, but I was unaware that I would be a target for these vehicles.
I was sitting at a stop sign, waiting for the TANKS to turn the corner, and the first tank turned, leaving a wide space between my vehicle and it, the commander was sitting on the top of this tank, I suppose to direct the following tanks. The second tank follows in much the same manner, but the third guy in line, wanting to speed up, cut the corner just a touch, and well, had I been driving a full sized vehicle, I would have been immediately the owner of a sub compact, thankfully he missed me and I made it to work unscathed, but that was the last time i took my supposedly safer route to work. I will take my chances on the other congested road if it means that I don’t encounter tanks flying around corners at me LOL
When I was pregnant with my first son I had a 35 minute commute to work. I lived out of town and drove though one small community on my way to the city. In my last trimester my son had taken up permanent residence on my bladder. I would go to the washroom as I was leaving work but within 10 minutes I had to go again. I would drive into that small community (which was half way home), frantically waddle my way to their public washroom. I did this every day for 2 weeks. The staff eventually got used to seeing me and would smile sympathetically as I passed them.
Working at Square One managing a store, when my eldest was still baby, I had just dropped my husband off at work, the baby off at daycare and was just pulling into the leveled parking, trying to keep the snow off my husband’s baby, the Mazda Precidia he had bought with his university loan.
So, smart me pulls into the stall beside a pillar, this way only one side of the car could be dinged by idiotic drivers who slam their doors into your car getting out. Well I pulled in close, really close, so close I hit the pillar with the back third of the car, which actually blew out the tire, and the entire back panel of the car. That was the last time I have ever parked in underground parking, and when I am in a car with another driver I hang onto the arm rest pulling in my side of the car in hopes that they don’t hit anything!!!
Every morning I get up a 6am to get ready and out the door in an hour, so I can race the go station and try to get a great parking spot, so at the end of the day I’m not penned in. Then stamp my card, stand in line, wait for train, get pushed around because everyone wants a seat, hope the train shows up in time, and isn’t stopped by SIGNAL issues, get to union, repeat everything trying to get on subway, get into office, and then repeat again at the end of the day…..there has to be a better way..
As a nurse and a commuter, I have had to learn to making commuting a positve experience as I have so little control over the situation.
I leave my home at 0330 and arrive at work at 5 am to miss sitting in rush hour.On my trip in I get to see the beautiful night sky and count shooting stars. I also get to listen to music which I rarely get to do otherwise. I also have the opportunity to listen to books on tape and learn languages that help me to communicate with my multicultural patients. I take advantage of the extra time I have before my 7:30 shift by going to the 24 hour gym. This helps give me the energy to make it through a gruelling 12 hour shift.Then the commute home consists of a cup of hot coffee and the CBC which really gets my mind engaged and learning. I try to be patient and smile alot at other drivers because I know that little things can have a huge impact on people.
I may not be able to afford to keep commuting because of the expense and I worry about who will be there for my patients. I do often go for days at atime without seeing my kids and often get by on 3 hours of sleep due to commuting.
I would love to find a way of supporting my family and have more time to be with them.
I’ve been very fortunate to find a great job having a home daycare. It’s very rewarding. My commute to work it get out of bed, walk downstairs to the coffee pot, then down to my daycare in the basement. I love working at home and I know that I’m making more money, not buying clothes to work in an office & not spending money on transportation. Sweet!
Wow…could I use this book! I have copied and pasted a blog entry I did July 24, 2008:
2 1/2 hours!!!!!
That’s how long it took me to get home last night. Ugh.
3:40pm – Get in the van and switch over to 680News radio to get the traffic. There’s a collision on the 401 and it’s slow, so I decide to take the Gardiner/QEW home.
Traveling south on the Gardiner was fine and as I made the turn to go west-bound, things slowed a little which is normal. It picked up a bit until I reached Royal York.
Traffic had slowed way down and we were crawling a long. I was still listening to the traffic reports and heard about the collision “just west of Kipling”. Thinking that I was pretty close and would pass it and just go on my way, I didn’t try to take a different route. They said that the left hand lane was open and people were still able to pass.
Bad move.
I finally get close to the Kipling bridge where Kipling goes over the QEW and a police officer goes backwards down the shoulder. He makes his way into the lanes about 10 cars behind me and closes the express lanes. Crap. This can’t be good.
While waiting in the traffic, I watch a guy jump out of his van, hop over the median and go into the Johnny-On-The-Spot that was there for the construction workers. Then his passenger did the same thing. Why not, we weren’t going anywhere quickly.
We get under the Kipling bridge and the car in front of me over-heats. The guys is throwing his hands in the air and is visibly frustrated. I managed to get in the lane beside me and I asked if he needed a phone to call anyone. He said that he didn’t have anyone to call. I called *OPP to let them know that he was stuck.
Since were were on the Gardiner, they transferred me to Toronto Police. I had forgotten that the Gardiner is under local jurisdiction. I explained where he was and what the car looked liked and they said that they’d send some help. I got a call back “Hi, this is Toronto Police. Where did you say he is?” “The express lanes of the Gardiner just west of the Kipling bridge.” “But that part of the highway is closed.” “Yes, we are the unfortunate people still stuck in the express lanes. They closed the Gardiner about 10 cars behind me.” “oh, okay, thanks” Poor dispatcher who can’t see what’s going on was a little confused.
So I chugged a long. The collectors for a while were still open which is strange. Not too far past the Kipling Bridge, the collectors and express become one, just before the ramp to the 427 north. So 8 lanes of traffic are coming together to try to go into 1 left lane to get pass the collision. What a night mare.
So I was at the Kipling bridge at 5:00pm. At 5:40pm, I finally was directed passed the collision. It took 40 minutes to travel 1.2 kilometres (0.7 miles for my US friends). That’s just crazy.
I tried to see what was going on. There were many emergency service vehicles (fire trucks, ambulances, police cars) and I could see cars and stuff but not enough to figure out what happened.
This is what happened:
Chunk of westbound Gardiner closes during rush hour commute (Wednesday, July 23, 2008 – 07:54 PM; By: 680News staff)
It was a traffic nightmare for motorists heading out of downtown during the evening rush, Wednesday.
All lanes on the westbound Gardiner Expressway at Kipling shut down at around 4:45 p.m., just before highway 427 because of a multi-vehicle crash.
At least seven vehicles – including a mobile crane – were involved in the collision.
Part of the reason for the delay in clearing this mess was that an inspector had to be called in to make sure the crane was safe to move – as there was concern about its breaking system.
No injuries were reported.
So by 6:00pm I was finally home. Luckily, Hubby had already planned something for dinner. He was BBQing on the back deck while the girls played in the backyard. A very nice thing to come home too.
I need a job closer to home.
bus bus and more buses