5 tips for making yourself more valuable to your company

My company is talking layoffs, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't stressed out about it. Who stays and who goes may come down to things we can't control -- seniority, for instance, or full-time vs. part-time status, or the number of people in a given job category. But there are a few variables that can be controlled, and they can make a big difference in how valuable you are as an employee: Dedication, visibility, and special skills.Here are five tips for keeping up with the things you can still control. 1.) Designate one day per week when you will come in early. Get there before the boss does; if you can manage it, get there before everyone else does, too. It doesn't have to be the same day each week, and it doesn't have to be by much, but that little extra bit of facetime can go a long way toward keeping you on the office radar and reminding people that you are, indeed, dedicated to the company.2.) Designate one day per week when you will stay late. Later than your boss, later than everyone else, if you can, for the same reason stated above. Facetime, facetime, facetime.3.) Look busy. A New York Times article about looking busy struck a chord with me, not because I'm lacking in things to do around the office, but because I hadn't thought about it before. I work at a computer -- I'd have to try hard not to look busy -- but if you're not at a desk job, then make sure you look like you have plenty to do, even if that means refolding the shirt display eleventy billion times a week. 4.) Be busy. Take on extra work if you can. I've noticed that, over the past few months, my mindset has changed from "They don't pay me enough to deal with that" to "Well, they pay me." A friend of mine whose husband was just laid off explained it this way: We've gone from a sense of entitlement -- not "I deserve a bonus because I'm great" but "I've worked here for 15 years, I ought to be able to work part time if I need to" -- to having to buckle down and compete with everyone all over again. Your company is going to want to wring every last bit of effort out of you in exchange for that paycheck; it's a lot more palatable if you beat them to it.5.) Expand your skill set. Think of it this way: If you were just entering the workforce, you'd consider an unpaid internship, right, just to get the experience? Try to choose something you haven't done often before and, when the project is complete, add it to your resume, and show your boss that you have skills above and beyond the ones they hired you for.

5 ways to save money right now

We're going through the worst financial crisis since the Depression, and no matter how quickly the federal government acts, chances are we'll be feeling the pinch for a while. In the meantime, these ways to save money right now can help you feel more in control:

1. Take it to the bank. It's true that banks aren't the most popular American institution these days. But if you haven't done so already, it's essential that you start saving, even little by little, and banks are still the best place to take your money. "It's the quickest way to ease worry," says Michelle Evard, CFP, of Evard Financial Services, in Phoenix, Arizona. If you think you have enough cash to try a small, safe investment, you might want to think about putting some money in a CD. Go to bankrate.com for daily information on what interest rates you can get across the country on a CD.

2. Act like a millionaireIn their book The Millionaire Next Door (Pocket Books), authors Thomas Stanley and William Danko point out that "ordinary people" who save a lot of money live below their means and avoid conspicuous consumption. It's a great example to follow: You might literally be able to spend twenty dollars on a scarf or makeup, but that's also more than enough to buy a Series EE savings bond. Once you start thinking that way, you'll be surprised at how much money you can save. However, Michelle Evard cautions, "Be sure not to cut out everything you enjoy. You won't stick to it. It's like a bad diet; you'll end up bingeing."

3. Call in reinforcementsDon't be ashamed to ask for help from friends, family or neighbors. Whether it's last-minute babysitting so you can go to an unexpected job interview, or a referral to a company or employment agency, most people are happy to help. In turn, you can offer them your help. You can also check out local community colleges, places of worship and libraries. Chances are they have support groups, networking sessions and even free or low-cost classes that will help you get ready for a new career or fine-tune the skills you already have.

4. Feel freeBefore you spend, visit freecycle.org, a nationwide group that posts listings of free goods--everything from tool kits to exercise bikes to baby clothes. You can sign up for daily emails about what's available in your town. Other lists of free stuff can be found on craigslist.org and, often, in the classified columns of local newspapers.

5. Learn to earnIf you've never read much on personal finance, now is the time to start. Finding out what kinds of savings and investments are right for you will give you confidence and help you make the kind of decisions that can make you financially comfortable for the rest of your life.

And it won't cost you a cent:
*For the most basic kind of information, visit mymoney.gov, a comprehensive site run by the federal U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission. You can order a free kit that will explain the basics of savings, investing, Social Security and the banking system.
*Personal-finance guru Suze Orman's website, suzeorman.com, offers tutorials on everything from credit-counseling services to the best online personal-finance calculators to help you figure out how much you'll need to retire or buy a house. (Orman likes the calculators at CNNmoney.com and kiplingers.com.)
*Other good sites include smartmoney.com, which gives you an overview of the economy along with a strong personal-finance slant, and bankrate.com, one of the best comparison-shopping sites for insurance, investments and mortgage rates.
Almost everywhere we turn these days, there are big and small remnders of the bad economy: You're suddenly buying less milk with more money. Your health insurance plan won't be paying for the medicine your doctor prescribed just last week. But these ways to save money right now can help you keep more of your cash and feel more in control of your finances.

Seriously invest in your career

Investing in yourself is all the rage these days.New York Magazine just ran a special advertising section called "smart investments," which had me expecting plugs from mutual fund companies. Instead, it was a spread on summer course offerings from The International Center for Photography, Pratt Center for Continuing and Professional Studies and a few other adult education programs.People are spending money on everything from education and coaching to wardrobe overhauls, makeovers, and plastic surgery as long as they think that these expenditures will spiff up their image or their skills.This thoughtful piece “Jobs Are the New Assets” in last week's Time Magazine, sums up the thinking perfectly.Barbara Kiviat writes:Your portfolio is down 50%, your mortgage is worth more than your house, and your savings account is barely visible. The job, meanwhile, is making a roaring comeback. Not in a statistical sense, of course. We are in a recession, after all: at 8.1%, unemployment hasn't been this high since 1983. But in terms of the American psyche — and a household's balance sheet — we're rediscovering the job as the most valuable asset a person can have.When I read this, it all came together for me. If jobs -- or more broadly careers -- are our most valuable and dependable assets, then of course we should be manage them in the same ways we take care of other assets.Getting more education is the most obvious way to invest in your career, but why not go further?If we keep our houses marketable by installing Sub-Zero refrigerators and planting perennial gardens, why not work with a personal stylist to update our wardrobe or indulge in the occasional hit of Botox if we feel we’re losing market value? Like it or not, the aging, the less beautiful the overweight or unfit are all discriminated against.So maybe it’s time to start thinking of our hair styling, shopping sprees, gym memberships, personal training sessions and splurges at Whole Foods as business expenses.Sounds like some revisions to the tax code might be in order.Have you spent on anything that you think has had a huge payoff in your career?

4 free ways to get happy now

You know that instant, feel happy now boost you get when you walk out the door with a new haircut, a new dress and a new manicure? Neither do I. It's been way too long.
How can we get that "just stepped out of a salon" feeling back? The economy is helping us to rediscover that toe-tingling happiness often comes free of charge.
Here, ideas to feel happy now--on the house.

Inside a library
We all know libraries great for catching up on classics and scouting for free copies of new novels and DVDs. But beyond that, libraries are a flint stone for creativity. Wander the stacks, pick up volumes at random and use the title as inspiration for your next art project, "mental vacation," or recipe. Or bedroom fantasy. Apparently, romance novels are selling like hot cakes right now--libraries are a great place to get the same "happy ending" for free!

Inside a letter
There's something positively spirit lifting about finding or mailing a hand-addressed envelope. I always think of the Sound of Music lyric: "Brown paper packages, tied up with string." Those are some of my favorite things!
I recently saw a card tucked in my mailbox with a return address from Wisconsin. I presumed it would be a thank-you note or a shower invitation. Instead, I found this wonderfully unexpected message from my childhood friend Heidi:
"Just a short note to tell you how much I miss your laugh, your wisdom and your honesty. I love you bunches." Knowing that she'd thought of me out of the blue and taken the time to dash off a quick letter was an instant mood boost.
To make your own sunshine, send a "sunshine box" filled with magazine clippings, quotes and homemade cookies. Or simply sit down and write a little note. You'll be surprised how the act of writing by hand forces you to slow your mind and connect with yourself, as well as your far-away friend.

Inside Sephora
Where else you can try on mucho makeup for nada dinero? Sephora's got some of the most friendly, fun and free aisles in town. The associates encourage you to go wild, providing disposable applicators and samples of every product imaginable.
Don't feel like you have to buy something every time--you're always welcome to make wish lists for a time when you're feeling more flush. If you feel truly guilty about feeding from the sample trough--buy something less pricey, like the always classic Rosebud Salve, only $6.

Inside (or outside) an elementary school
You know what will make your cheeks rosier, your smile brighter and your soul happier than any makeup application? Hanging out with a bunch of fifth graders (at least in small doses!).
Volunteering with children (especially if you're not currently hanging with wee ones every day) gives you an instant happy fix. Their unbridled energy and unfiltered enthusiasm for life is inspiring. And in an era of school budget crisis and understaffed classrooms, this is one way to truly make a difference.
I volunteer with a wonderful organization called Young Storyteller Foundation, which matches aspiring young writers from struggling public schools with adult mentors, who help them craft their own screenplays. These scripts are then performed--exactly as the children wrote them--by professional Hollywood actors. I've played everything from a lion to a lost princess to a forgotten toothbrush...and had the time of my life.
But the real joy is the connection the kids make with their mentors and the smiles on their faces as they see their art come to life. How often do we get to witness the moment when someone's life is forever changed? Volunteering gives you that gift...all the happy you want, free of charge.
What's your favorite happy place? Do you have a favorite activity that you count on to feel happy now? Stay tuned for more next week!