Posts Tagged ‘eBay’

If You Lose Your Job, Create One

Monday, April 27th, 2009

You know that nice paying, comfortable job you’ve had for the past several years? Yeah, that one. It can be taken from you in the blink of an eye. As long as their is someone above you (management, VP, CEO, etc…) you are putting yourself at risk; especially if you are not planning for the worst that could happen.

I like the way that this article is titled: Unemployment affects the finances of families

And believe it or not, it’s true! If you lose your income you will have an affect on your family finances. And with the way that the economy has been for the last two years, your job and thousands of other jobs are being cut. If you are not planning for this possibility then you my friend, are living in a dream world.

Unemployment is real, and abusing government handouts is real too. Please, don’t be lazy, get a job.And if you don’t want to go back to working the 9-5 drudgery, get creative about what you can do to earn an income. The possibilities are truly endless, and working for yourself can be a nice change of pace (as long as you can manage your time…). If you lose that steady income by being laid off, your new job is finding one. And if that means creating one, then you create it!

Here are some ideas to get you started (on the work for yourself path):

Learn something new

Go beyond your bubble and learn how to do something that makes you stand out. Be it HTML, PHP, blogging, SEO, etc. Whatever that one thing, or that combination of things, is that makes you more competitive and stronger than the person next to you – learn it and do it. Hard. [source]

Cut grass

It is that time of year and cutting grass is one thing that a majority of the people who live around you will not want to do. Walk your lawn mower around town and offer to cut yards for $30 (or whatever you see is a reasonable charge for your time). Then, when you are finishing up, offer to come by next week. Do that for each house and you’ll be busy.If you have a pickup truck, drive to the next neighborhood and do the same there. Before you know it you’ll have to hire some help.

Sell on eBay

I’ve talked about using eBay to earn extra cash for the holiday season but there are thousands upon thousands of individuals who earn more than extra cash, they are using the auction giant to earn a full-time income. Start by looking around your house. What can you put up on eBay that will sell? Don’t worry so much about the value, at first. Just put something up that you know will sell and will get your feet wet. Once you have done that, dig even further in your home for items that you don’t need but would be of value to someone on eBay. List it. Once you have done that a few times, offer to sell for your family and friends. Charge them 15% of the final value fee. That’s a taste of making money to sell items on eBay (which is easy). Then, tell them to tell all of their friends and coworkers that you can sell items for them on eBay. Give them a business card and let word of mouth do the rest. Leave flyers on your neighbors doorsteps….you get my drift.

Once people start calling you will get a taste of how much crap some people have. They will think that it is priceless but you will not lie to them and agree with them. It is not worth your time, especially if you have other clients calling you. Create a fee structure like this one: if the final value is is $50-$200 you charge 25% of the final value. If $201-$500 you charge 20%. If %501-$1,000 you charge 15%. If above $1,000, you charge 10%. This is just a suggested starting point, feel free to use it and adjust it.

If you start making your own path and aren’t relying on a 9-5 income, do this one thing and I can personally guarantee that you will keep the clients coming: Treat each and every client like they are your only client. Do this and they will keep coming back.

I hope these suggestions are helpful to you and get you thinking outside of the cubical box. If you lose your job, create one.


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10 Ways To Earn Extra Cash This Holiday Season

Friday, November 14th, 2008

Yes, it is that time of year. Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away and then Christmas about one month from there. What does that one month bring?

Happiness? Joy? Family and Friends? Warm night by the fire? Cutting down a the Christmas tree? Driving one hour to get to that Christmas tree? Giving your beautiful yellow lab a red ribbon as a collar?

Well…maybe some of that, if all of it I will like to see pictures please. Most of us will be shopping like crazy that last month before December 25th. And while we have been stressing since day one planning ahead for Christmas and budgeting for gifts, there are just some things that do not make into that budget, or you would simply like to save money regardless of all the gifts you are giving. Well, how are you going to save that extra cash or give that extra gift? I have listed below some ideas that you may use to get started. They are all relatively easy and do not require any capital to get started!

1. eBay – I have spoken about eBay in the past and believe that this is the best, easiest, and most lucrative way to make some extra cash. I bet if you remove emotions from items you have laying around you could sell $300 worth on eBay after selling fees and PayPal fees. I did this and continue to when I remove that emotion. And, the best part about eBay is that just about anything will sell, or at least have a chance of doing so. All it takes is a sellers account (on eBay), a PayPal account (to get paid securely), a digital camera, and a good description of the item. From there, let the beauty of eBay do the rest. Answer buyer questions the same day they ask and be fair with your shipping price. Do a little research before you list it. Compare your item to other items like it and see what they are charging for shipping and the minimum bid. If you have questions about eBay and how to do it right, shoot me an email (aaron@whereyouarenow.com) and I’ll give you hand.

2. Raking leaves – I did this last year and made a boat load of money. The yard was the size of two football fields and should have been hired out to a landscape company, but I got the job. It took me 16 hours of labor, but I walked away with $300 (that’s $18.75/hour). Raking leaves can be done on the weekend, so it does not interfere with your primary job. This is a great source of extra cash. Just like the next item, all you need to do here is offer. Knock on the door and ask if they’d like it done…

3. Shoveling drive ways/sidewalks – Same ideas as raking leaves except a little colder. Knock on doors in your neighborhood and offer to shovel (or use a snow blower if you have one) their driveway and/or sidewalk. Charge a flat fee and keep it under one hour, unless you charge for more.

4. Hanging exterior Christmas lights – I have never done this, but I have heard of people doing it. All it takes is a twelve foot folding ladder and a staple gun. This one may require a little advertising, simple ads that you can put in front doors, so that the people know you are there and can call to schedule. Again, charge a flat fee and keep it under one hour.

5. Donating Plasma – This is another one that I have not personally done, but Jonathan Blundell told me that it is a great way to earn some extra cash. Here is some more information on exactly what plasma is and where/how you can donate. (Also visit: http://www.donatingplasma.org/)

6. Gift wrapping service – I have done this on a volunteer level, but know for a fact that people will pay to have this service done. The holidays are very busy times for people and the last thing some of them want to do is wrap the gifts they just spent hours buying. Again, a flat fee is the key here. Just make sure you cover your material and labor.

7. Deliver Christmas Trees – This comes to you from Roxbury News. I asked him what he thought would be a good way to make some extra cash this holiday season: “[Christmas] tree delivery for inner city people who don’t have cars”. This is an excellent idea! Just like the light hanging idea above, advertise in advance so you can line up some deliveries.

8. Part time job – This is always an option, and Dan Faust says to check out book stores: “Book stores usually need extra help for the holidays, and books are easier to wrap than most other gifts.” So this wraps into the gift wrapping service too (no pun intended, unless it made you laugh). You’ll probably need to pick one or the other though. Offer to wrap for their customers at a reduced rate if they let you do it in their store.

9. Pre/Post Party Clean Up – What do people do around Thanksgiving and Christmas? Throw parties! And what do people do before and after these parties? Clean up! Why not offer your cleaning abilities and do the work for them so they can worry about the guest list and food. Flat fee, a broom, dust pan, swiffer, dust rag, and you’re in business. You probably all ready have the supplies, just print out some flyers and advertise where you think the parties are going to happen this year.

10. What About Saving Money? – Kristin has a great idea for those of you who are parents:

Say you need to go shopping for your kids; obviously, you can’t have the kids with you.  There’s always the Mom-Dad trade-off (Mom takes kids while Dad shops, Dad takes kids while Mom shops), but let’s face it, this is tough (and impossible for single parents).

So you make an offer to a neighbor, friend, or relative: you’ll watch their kids for an evening or a day so they can do their holiday shopping unencumbered, if they’ll do the same for you. If successful, it’s a nice way to save money on a possible babysitter, and save guilt on handing your kids off to a neighbor or relative.

The key for most of these is the price you charge. Keep in mind that this is not your full time job, you are just looking for some extra cash, so charge like that’s what it is. If it turns into a little business for you, awesome, but for now just make the extra cash.

What did I miss? What have you done in the past to make some extra dough around the holidays? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!

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Preparing for Winter Heating Bills

Monday, October 13th, 2008

Summer has ended and fall has arrived. The leaves are changing from bright greens to shades of reds, yellows, and oranges. With each sunrise the sun breaks through the chilly air and creates the perfect day, and with each sunset it paints the sky as if it were it’s very own canvas. This season is absolutely my favorite. I love the change that is in the air, the smells of the pumpkins and mums sitting on front porches, the way the dew covers the grass like a blanket, and the warmth that this time of year brings.

When the nights started getting cold I knew it was time to take our air conditioners out. They are window units and they allow air from the outside in. So last Saturday one of my projects was getting these out and the storm windows down. It is cold outside and we don’t want that inside! This also means that we will eventually need to turn on our heat. I think about this as I lug one of our air conditioners to the back porch and start to get a little sad. The air conditioner uses so much less energy than our heat does, which means that our electric bill is going to jump about 110%. This is a part of life though, so I don’t spend too much time worrying about it. We have prepared for this winter (unfortunately not financially, which I will describe to you below) and I would like to get you thinking about your winter heating bills. Better late than never ;-)

Prepared financially

Before I get into how you can reduce your heating bills, I want to explain what I mean by preparing financially. I am going to use our apartment as an example just to keep the numbers simple, but this method can apply to anyone. During the summer months I budget $70 each month for our electric bill. We always float around $64-$68 so this is a reasonable budget. Come November, when we turn on our baseboard (electric) heaters, I know that our electric bill is going to jump about 110%, so I budget $160 each month to cover this expense.  So from our Spring/Summer budget to our Fall/Winter budget is a difference of $90.00.

Being prepared financially for heating bills means budgeting for your winter heating costs all year long. Once spring rolls around we would keep our budget set at $160 so that we can save the difference in a fund that is meant specifically for helping you pay your heating bills once the Fall and Winter season arrives. So in our example, instead of rolling that extra $90 into a generic savings goal, I would be wise to prepare for the heating bills that I know are going to meet me head on. This will offset the higher energy prices that will throw any budget for a loop.

If you have done this, very good! If not, don’t worry, I didn’t either, but I wish I had. We’ll talk more about this below. Here are ways that all of us can save on our heating bills:

Apartment Dwellers (electric heat with no thermostat)

During the day: do NOT heat the bedroom. This is one thing that we do and it helps considerably. We turn the heat on two hours before we know we are going to get into bed, and even then we keep it on a low setting (this is assuming you have control in each room).

During the day: heat kitchen and bathroom(s) minimally while you are at work/school.  When you are there turn it back up to a comfortable temperature, but when you’re gone, keep it low just to maintain. You don’t want to freeze the pipes but you don’t want to keep it too comfortable if no one is there.

At night (sleeping): turn heat OFF in any living space that does not have water pipes. For us this means that we do NOT heat our living/family room while we sleep.

At night (after dinner/sleeping): turn the heat DOWN in the kitchen and any bathrooms. Again, we don’t want to freeze the pipes, but if you’re not going to be in that space then don’t heat it like you are.

All the time: Keep your curtains closed whenever possible to keep out any unnecessary drafts. If you also have drafts coming from your doors,  roll up a towel or blanket to go in front of the door or underneath it to block the cool air flow.

BONUS: curtain off any doorway that is doorless. We did not do this last year but are going to this year. We have a doorway leading from our kitchen into our bedroom that does not have a door, so we decided to curtain it off this year so we don’t heat the bedroom during the day. All you need is an expandable curtain rod and a curtain (that is not sheer).

Rule of Thumb: Don’t freeze the pipes, don’t heat the room if you’re not there, create separate spaces (curtains) and BUNDLE UP!

Home Owners (electric/oil with thermostat)

All the time: Reduce room temperature and add a few extra layers :-)

All the time: Do not heat rooms where heat is not needed. This could be spare bedrooms, or formal dinning rooms that you use for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Close the door, if there is one, and don’t heat it.

BONUS: Just like above for our renters, home owners too have doorways that are door-less. Curtain these off so that you can control what you heat. It may not look the best, but it will translate into money saved.

All the time: Keep your curtains closed whenever possible to keep out any unnecessary drafts. If you also have drafts coming from your doors,  roll up a towel or blanket to go in front of the door or underneath it to block the cool air flow.

Rule of thumb: Keep it low, don’t heat rooms that are not being used, utilize a curtain rod and curtain to create spaces, and BUNDLE UP!

The tips above apply to everyone who has to pay an electric/oil bill during the winter months. They apply if you have saved money and ESPECIALLY if you have not (which I am assuming is the majority, myself included). So speaking to the majority, if your budget is all already tight, here are some thoughts:

  • DO NOT GO INTO DEBT OVER HEATING YOUR LIVING SPACE
  • Take a look at your budget and find areas that you KNOW you can cut back on
    • TV/Internet/Cell Phone
    • Gas
    • Groceries
    • Eating out
    • Etc…
  • Look for a part-time job
  • Start selling items on eBay
    • start with your own stuff
    • Tell friends and family you will sell for them and charge only 15% of the final value
    • Advertise this service at work/coffee shops/out in public and set up a fee structure ($0-$200=30%, $201-$500=25%, $501-$1,000=20%)
  • Renter or home owner, the tips above must become your bible this winter. Conserve, conserve, conserve. Bundle up. Wear two pairs of socks, “long-johns, multiple sweat-shirts, hats and gloves. YOU MUST DO WHAT IT TAKES TO AVOID DEBT THIS WINTER!

This time of year is a beautiful season. Once the leaves fall, the trees will be longing for something to cover their branches and will most likely get snow to replace the fallen leaves. This means much colder weather. Enjoy this time of year, and don’t worry about not being able to heat your home and going into debt to do so. Start now, which is better than later, and take some steps to prepare for the heating costs this winter. BUNDLE UP is the best one I can give. If you can wear a t-shirt in your apartment/home it is too warm and you are spending too much money on that cool graphic tee.

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Weekend Review

Saturday, September 13th, 2008

This past week we looked at a few areas we, and you, could save some extra money. From selling items on eBay to having your own vegetable garden, every post had something for you to take away (hopefully this is all the time :-) ).

Let’s jump in.

Small Ways to Save:

“I’m always looking for extra ways to save money. My husband and I have been married for just over a year and during most of that time I have not been working. Because of that, I try to do everything I can to save a little extra cash here and there. The following list explains different ways to save, curve spending, and earn extra income.”

Lindsay then breaks the article into three sections: Money Savers, Activities, and Extra Income. In Money Savers she covers items like packing your lunch and using cash when you are spending money. Looking for something to do? Check out the activities that are free or very close to it, and even in your backyard! Who wouldn’t appreciate a little extra cash to set aside for savings? Lindsay shows you what we have done to do just that.

Sunday is the New Laundry Day: One way that we save $50 each month is by avoiding the laundromat like the black plague. We do laundry, obviously, just not there, and our apartment doesn’t have a washer and dryer! So where do we go? My parents house. While they are at church on Sunday morning, and before and after our morning service, we use their washer and dryer.

Car Need Fixed? Save the Cash: For those of you that own a car this article will show you how to not go broke next time you take it to the mechanic. The best part? You don’t have to be a mechanic to save money at the shop.

Easy Entertainment: We enjoy entertaining at our apartment but refuse to break the bank doing so. Check out how we entertain 6 people for a just over $25!

Plan Ahead and Get Creative this Christmas: It is never too early to start planning for Christmas, especially when it comes to gift giving. Sure, you can save a boat load of money by getting your shopping done before the Christmas season, but you could save even more if you think outside of the box and put a little more creative thought into your gifts.

That wraps up another week! Before you leave, would you mind answering a question for me? You can put your response in the comments:

What is one way that you save money on a regular basis?
Be it $.25 cents or $25, we’d like to know!

Thanks for stopping by.

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Small Ways To Save

Monday, September 8th, 2008

I’m always looking for extra ways to save money. My husband and I have been married for just over a year and during most of that time I have not been working. Because of that, I try to do everything I can to save a little extra cash here and there. The following list explains different ways to save, curve spending, and earn extra income.

1. Money-savers:

-Pack a lunch: Packing a lunch for work is a really great, easy way to save a sometimes significant amount of money. Going out to eat on a regular basis really does drain the bank account quite quickly and without you even taking notice to it. It’s so easy to spend the $10 here and there without thinking much about it but that $10 adds up by the end of the week. Try to pack a lunch for work instead. If you like going out with your coworkers for lunch then limit your outings to once a week or less.

-Eat In: I love watching shows on tv where they follow a couple who’s spending is out of control and they take a look at where all their money is going to. Time and time again, one of the major things that people are spending a considerable amount of money on is eating out. It’s crazy what eating out every night adds up to at the end of the month. This is one area that I strongly encourage you to change if this is a problem for you. (especially if you are in debt) You can save so much money by cooking for yourself. If you don’t know how to cook then teach yourself. I wasn’t exactly good at cooking when I first got married but you do what you have to do. I tried different things, sometimes failing miserably, but I’ve learned a lot and have improved. If your married and your schedules permit, learn cooking together. Look at it as a way for you to tackle something as a team.

-Have your own garden: Even if you’re not that interested in having a garden just try it out for a season. No one says you have to plant 10 different things for it to be worth it. Think of the vegetables that you eat on a regular basis and research when and how to plant them. See how it goes and track your savings. If you liked it, great! If not, it’s no big deal either. My husbands side of the family is really big on vegetable gardens. Thanks to them I really don’t have to buy any veggies during the summer which obviously helps us save!

-Limit Shopping: This one is especially important for those who are part-time or not working. You have a lot more free time to shop and spend money. Be mindful of how much you are spending and what you are buying. Do you really NEED it? It is something that you must buy now? Can it wait? If you have the extra time when it comes to shopping for things that you need, then take the time to shop around for the best deals. There are so many different discount stores that have great, designer items but are dramatically reduced in price.

-Use Cash: This is something that my husband and I are getting in the habit of doing and it really is making a difference. I was amazed at how much more money I was spending because of swiping my card then when I would use cash. Cash is a total bother to me and I really don’t like having to use it, which works out great. When I’m debating whether or not to buy something I normally only have a limited amount of money on me. If I don’t have enough cash, I obviously can’t buy it. And If i do have enough on me, I always think twice about having to hand over my money.

Activities:

-Library: The library is a wonderful place to go for free entertainment. It won’t cost you thing but you can relax and have fun. If you are looking for ways to spend your time check out your local library and see if there are any book clubs or volunteering that you can do. (which leads perfectly to my next point…)

-Volunteering: This is a great way to meet local people, have fun, and do something meaningful with your time. There are SO many places and organizations to get involved in and they are easy to find. Just look on the web for opportunities in your area, or go directly to a place that you’re interested in and see if they are looking for any volunteer work.

Extra Income:

-Babysitting: This is something that I still do. I have been babysitting for well over 5 years and I still love it. I love getting to know the families of the children and have fun with the kids while the parents have time to themselves. It doesn’t take much time or work and it’s extra money that we weren’t planning on to use how we see fit.

-Cleaning: This is something that I think women are getting more and more into. Especially stay-at-home moms who are looking to make a little extra money without having to spend hours away from their kids. Even if you just clean one house a week it’ll probably only take around 2 hours and the pay is really good.

-eBay: My husband is the pro with listing items on eBay. He used to work for a small business where all they did was sell things on eBay. This has come in handy several times for him since leaving because he can list things for other people and keep some the profit. Again, it’s not much money but it’s money that you weren’t planning on and it can be used to save up for something or an extra night out. If you know how to use eBay, consider doing the same thing. It doesn’t have to be something totally time consuming; just items here and there for a couple extra bucks.

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Coffee for Internet

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

I pay a total of $19.04 for our wireless, highspeed, internet every month. Our ISP also provides us with coffee, good coffee at that, of which we can refill to our heart’s desire.
Back in July my wife and I were talking about life and all of its greatest questions.  How do we do this, how do we do that? What do you want to do, what do I want to do? Pretty basic stuff.  One question that always seems to come up is how can I (Aaron) do what I love (write) without having to go to a 9-5 job?
I have always blogged (Xangain high school, Wordpress.com after I graduated, and now a self-hosted blog running on Wordpress), but never really looked at it as a way to provide for us financially.  Not until I started doing a little research and eventually ended up on ProBlogger.net and The Simple Dollar.  Both individuals are living off of their passion.
Once I saw that it can be done I started to talk with Lindsay to figure out what I (which turned into we) could write about. To make a long story short, we both agreed that money is a big issue that seems to be swept under the rug when going from high school to college, while in college, and when going from college to “real life”. We both have developed a set of principles that we apply to our finances and believe that we need to share this with you. And thus, our personal finance website.  So why am I telling you this?
After we decided that we would like to pursue my dream of writing full time and that we would not be like 90% of the blogs out there (one that starts and stops as if the writer was run over by a bus), we realized one problem with our grand idea; we do not have internet at home. Yes, this was a problem seeing as you need the internet to publish on the internet. So what do we do? How are we able to publish content on a daily basis?
We travel 5 miles from our home to a local cafe, buy two cups of medium coffee, and take advantage of the FREE internet that they offer.  We try as much as possible to have lists of things we need to get done individually and then a list that requires the attention of both of us.  This way we are able to stay focused on what we came to do and get it done without spending an exorbitant amount of time sitting there wasting time away on the internet (which is exactly what would happen if we had it at home).
Being one that enjoys seeing the raw numbers, I did some math that I would like to share with you. Before I do, here are two numbers: $43.61 (this is what we paid for “dry-loop” internet previously in our apartment), $3.49 (today’s gas price per gallon).
The cafe that we go to is 5 miles from our house, 10 miles round trip.  This 10 mile trip, in my car which is averaging 28 mpg, costs us roughly 36% of one gallon of gas, $1.26. For two medium cups of coffee (that we are able to refill) we pay $3.50. Our total for two cups of coffee and a round trip of gas is $4.76.  Multiply that by four (Saturday’s in a month) and that gives you a grand total of $19.04. Gas, coffee, and internet for $19.04, and this is already in our budget, our entertainment category (which means we are not spending more in a month for this, nor are we saving less. The budget is the same, just allocated in a different way).
Now, subtract $19.04 from $43.61 and you get the difference between what we were paying for internet (that was most of the time, unproductive and wasteful) and what we are paying now (including good coffee): we save $24.57 every month by going to a cafe instead of sitting at home.
So what does any of this have to do with you? What can you take away from our choice to not have internet at home (but instead utilizing our Blackberries and a cafe 5 miles from home)? Plenty, but I’ll only list three.
  1. Examine your life.I know, big first step. What “wants” have you/our culture turned into needs (Cable TV, Satellite TV, Highspeed Internet, Satellite Radio, GPS in your car, etc..). Could you take any/all of these away for one month and live? If the answer is yes, try it. Cut your internet and cable cords “on accident” and live life truly wireless! Or, get rid of the satellite radio subscription and listen to the local content that is FREE.  How many times do you really need that GPS unit while you are driving to work? If the answer is never, sell it on eBay.  Now, of course, the decision to get rid of all these items/services mentioned above is reversible, which is good. If you feel like your life is miserable without everything you got rid of for the past month, turn the service back on. No sweat. But I challenge you to try it. Get rid of “wants” that have become needs.
  2. Live life outside of your apartment/house. I’m sure this sounds unappealing right out of the gate, but give me a chance to explain myself. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.  The good thing, when in excess, becomes a bad thing.  Case and point: the beginning of this year I was out of work and too picky to just start flipping burgers (plus I knew I’d quit after one day), so I spent my days at home, on the internet, looking for other jobs and shuffling around our apartment with my slippers on.  I would wake up, spend the entire day inside (cold outside), and go to bed at night.  This went on for a while and finally I just had to get out. I had had enough of our apartment and I needed to get out (too much of a good thing, our apartment, turned bad, I didn’t want anything to do with it).  Now, not having internet or TV (more on this in another article down the road) forces us to look outside of our apartment if we need one (TV is never a need, so this does not really apply). Sure, it would be nice to have the internet in our apartment, but it’s just as nice to get out. We are on a schedule that allows us to be “offline” all week and just “need” to get on the internet in the cafe on Saturday’s.  There are plenty of other things that can apply here; what are some things you have decided to do outside of your apartment/dorm/house that you could do inside but choose not to?
  3. Go mobile, get things done with the bare minimum. Simplify your life, and reduce stress. I’m not joking here. This is possible, and it is affordable if you make a few sacrifices, maybe included in point number one.  Get rid of excess clutter and a lot of un-necessary noise.  Since going mobile with my Blackberry, I have been more informed of local, national, and international news, less susceptible to advertising campaigns, more connected with friends and family that matter, and still able to get important things done (like online banking). I check the weather every morning, get the latest and greatest from our local paper, download podcasts that I enjoy, and will be able to follow the Green Bay Packers once the NFL season picks up shortly.  I no longer need to watch the 6 o’clock news to get my local, national, and international news. I don’t need it for weather, and I don’t need it for sport scores. I don’t need my computer for e-mail, calendar, or iTunes for podcasts.  I could go on and on here and will do so at another time, but not now. My point here is to look for ways to simplify your life.  Reduce clutter, and get back to the bare minimum. It is worth it.

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Weekend Review – Spending and Saving Strategies

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
Every Saturday we take a look back at all the topics we have covered the previous week. We do this hoping that we can reinforce the ideas and concepts that were introduced. We also use this as an opportunity to point out that everything you do has a direct effect on your finances, be it positive or negative.
Everyday we are bombarded with two messages: spend your money here or there, and consult a professional for help on getting your debt under control.  Whether you get these messages by snail mail, email, radio ads, TV ads, or billboards along the highway, you are in some form or fashion hearing these messages.  And why do you suppose that is? Because people have problems managing money and there are people out there in the world making money off of that fact.  But when it comes down to it, you as the consumer have the final say whether you will buy your clothing at a discount store or direct from the retailer.  So the advertisers can tell you all they want that you need need need, but you have to make those messages very personal to you; can your bank account (your future) support it? If the answer is a clear “NO” then don’t do it, hold off on that purchase.  Use tools such as eBay or Craigslist, even yard sales, to raise money to buy items that are more out of want than need, or to meet your savings goals. Kill the impulse buys and take control of your spending habits.
When you are at work and your co-works are going out to lunch, what will you tell them when they stop by your desk to invite you out with them? Think about this response in advance, maybe think about this as you are packing your lunch for that day. They could be offended that you never go out with them, especially if they are celebrating a birthday by going out, but you could also turn the tables and tell them exactly why you are not going out. I told my co-workers right off the bat that I am on a budget with my wife and eating out with them was not in the budget. They respected that decision and I hope that it is a positive influence on them.
Another way to take control is to choose how you will entertain others and yourself.  Will you go out to the movies every weekend with friends or are there cheaper, even free, alternatives?  When we started asking ourselves this question we found out that the great outdoors has a lot to offer in the way of entertainment.  It could be finding a local trail to bike or walk, taking a weekend camping trip with a group of friends where you can split the cost of the camp site, or just sitting on a bench somewhere in a state park enjoying the view and sound of nature.
What this all comes down to is simply planning ahead of time what you will spend your money on.  We do this every month with our budget, which insures that we have enough money to live on that month. We also do this for date nights by loading a gift card to Starbucks with $25 each month.  This way, we have planned ahead of time what we will spend that month (and no more) at Starbucks, and we have the money available to use guilt free.
So next time you hear an ad for a good deal at a store make it personal. Ask yourself if you have the money, was is planned for, and do you need it NOW or can it wait?

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Buy WANT Items with Money Earned on eBay

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008
A popular trend of our current culture is the idea that you can have whatever you want and you can have it right now. This is most widely seen through the use of credit cards; don’t wait until you have the cash, just slide the card and pay the bill at the end of the month. If you can keep track of all the sliding your card does this could work, but it’s still a stupid idea. Borrowing money is risky business, especially when the lender is in it to make money. When you don’t see the cash leaving your wallet or checking account, you tend to spend more than what you have and in a very short time span. This will put you into a jam at the end of the month and the following month when you have interest to pay off on the previous month’s balance. So next time you want to buy that new phone, or any item that will require more cash than what you currently have, why not wait it out? Save up the CASH and use that instead of your credit card. This leads me to eBay, oh wonderful eBay.

I have been selling items on eBay since late 2004. I was a senior in high school and was looking for creative ways to have some extra cash laying around. I found eBay and signed up for a seller’s account immediately and listed my very first item: a DVD burner. I bought it for $90 and it sold for $60 after using it for about 6 months; not bad. I looked around some more, putting for sale signs on everything in my bedroom and imagining my eBay account bustling with the activity of items being sold and shipped out the door. I sold old computer games, Game Boy games, my friend’s cell phone (I charged 20%), movies, books, and even socks from Tommy Hilfiger. That’s right, socks. I was making cash online by selling socks on eBay. A friend of mine worked at a Tommy Hilfiger outlet and could get the socks (ties, gloves, basically any male accessory) at almost 60% off the retail price. I’d list them on eBay for a killer sale price and take 25% of the highest bid. I made a template and and could list a pair of socks in under one minute. I eventually sold to a local bidder which in the end got me a job at a local eBay consignment shop. For the next two years I sold other people’s stuff and made money doing it.

I have since moved on from that company but have kept my eBay account active. I still sell for people who need me to and I charge around 20% of the sale price. Most of what I sell though is my own personal items, old gadgets that have since become outdated and replaced by the latest and greatest. I use this money to reach a savings goal or to raise enough cash to buy something I have had my eyes on for a while.

Instead of putting our budget at risk and/or going into debt over the latest gadget I want to get my hands on, I look for things to sell on eBay in order to raise the CASH. This way I avoid using credit and I am still able to meet our monthly budget needs. This is something that you can do to, and very easily. Setting up an eBay account is very simple, listing items is as easy as taking a picture or two and writing a good description, and then shipping the item out to the winning bidder. You get paid through PayPal (the best way to get paid online) and you deposit the funds into your checking account (free of charge) and put that money towards your purchase (or savings goal).

We actually used eBay last winter to pay some bills. The apartment we live in has electric heat, on the baseboards and with no thermostat. This method of heating was foreign to both of us, so at first we didn’t think twice about how high we had the heat, we were just trying to be comfortable. Well, as the months went on and the weather grew colder, we noticed our electric bill start to jump up. One month it jumped so much that I knew we wouldn’t have enough that month to meet our budget. I refused to borrow from family or friends and I refused to not pay the bills that month. So what did I do? I looked around at all of our (*my) stuff and figured out what would sell on eBay for enough money so that I could pay our bills. I listed three items: a Nokia 770 internet tablet, a Microsoft Sidewinder joy stick, and a Motorola MPX 200 cell phone: total after eBay and PayPal fees was $300.00. Collective sigh of relief. This amount was just enough for us to meet our needs that month, and we, obviously, learned to turn the heat down from then on.

So, what is my point? Get creative about saving money and especially creative when making purchases that are more out of want than need. This will not only *save* you money in the future, but you will begin to rely on using cash to make purchases rather than using a credit card. Look around your house/bedroom/apartment for things that you don’t need anymore and that could possibly earn some money for you on eBay.

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