Monday, November 05, 2007
Increasing Income
| By Lynn Forgy My earlier post today was mostly a vent - if you read it, thanks. I've been obsessing on Murphy all day, and rather than continuing to mope and whine, I need to take action. I've started a list of things (it's small now, and in the beginning stages, but I hope to add to it as time goes on) that I can do from home to make some extra money, working around my full time and part time jobs, family, and home.  1) Writing - this can include writing and submitting various articles to paying sites (blogs, etc.). Over the past several weeks, I've seen several sites that pay anywhere from $5 to $100 per article, on numerous topics. Another media outlet that warrants further research would be local newspapers. Selling an ebook, either online through your own site, ebay, etc., is an option as well. 2) Ebay - I keep coming back to this because I love the idea of being able to find anything and everything in one place. I have two books to list (similar books have sold for $20 and up - I paid $2), and I also bought a vintage Christmas decoration last weekend at a local thrift store that I would like to list. 3) Transcription - this could include data entry, any kind of typing, etc. My career as a legal assistant/paralegal has enabled me to do research (online, from home) for people. A good place to advertise for free is craigslist. Perhaps you can build your own website (there are many free websites that will do this for you, and will also host your site for free - the only catch is the advertising bar across the top). Sending emails to business owners in the field in which you want to work may also be a good way to get the word out about your new service. Referrals are very important as well. Be creative with the marketing! 4) Holidays - Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching. Many people will be shopping for presents or food, having their houses cleaned, and doing things to get ready for the holidays. Maybe you have a craft or some type of homemade item that you can sell - this is a great time to do it! 5) Hobby - Do you have a hobby that you can turn into cash? I love antiques, so finding an old treasure and selling it for a profit would be my way of turning a hobby into cash (although it's not always easy parting with an item). Maybe you love writing - try selling a story or article online. Something that you're passionate about, and by your enthusiasm can make others passionate about, is a great place to start. TO BE CONTINUED... Labels: ebay, hobby, holidays, homemade craft, increase income, writing |
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Treasure Hunting at Goodwill
| By Lynn Forgy Can you remember the time when "ebay" was NOT a common household term? I can...vaguely. Ebay opened up doors for buyers and sellers alike. Particularly for me, as a seller. A year or so ago, I found a cute little stuffed monkey (circa 1960s I think) at the local Goodwill (another great store!). I did not buy this little monkey with the thought of selling him in mind. I bought him because my grandmother had one just like it, and I suppose I inherited her love of stuffed monkeys. The monkey sat around my house for a while, until one day out of curiosity I looked him up on the internet - just to find out his name and a little more about the hairy little guy. Can you imagine my surprise when I saw similar monkeys for sale for...gulp, $100??? I had paid $2.00 for him, and could multiply my earnings tremendously. So I did. He sold for around $70 if I remember correctly (he had a marking on his foot from a Sharpie - what cold-hearted person could do such a thing?). So what is the point of this long-winded rambling about monkeys you may be asking yourself. The moral of this story is NOT to go directly to your local thrift store and by anything and everything you can get your hands on (we're trying to get out of debt here, not fill up our homes with items we don't need and can't pay for). Rather, the point is that if you do your research, and you see items in thrift stores or at yard sales that you could sell on ebay for a profit, and IF you have the money available, a good way to earn extra cash to put towards your debt would be to snatch those items up. I've been lucky enough to find not only the monkey, but many old books as well. Most sold for at least 10 times what I paid for them, and some as much as 100 times (if I got the book for $.10 and sold it for $50.00 - that's a nice little profit). Your chances of finding a "pot of gold" are probably not that high, but I like to think of it as hunting for buried treasure. You just never know what you're going to find. Labels: ebay, Goodwill, online selling, treasure |
