I did another experiment this week, this time in regards to gambling.
I do not gamble. I think it is a great way to throw your money away and do not know anyone personally for whom it has been worthwhile. Yes occasionally people have won big, but it is few and far between and more people lose big. People will only tell you about their winnings though.
So I went to the newsagency and bought a few scratchies. I have had one before when I was an apprentice I was given one as a gift. Amazingly I won on that scratchie what it cost, so no loss. That obviously is not a good example of how bad gambling is.
Anyway, I got my scratchies and scratched. (Well, what else are you supposed to do with them?) And much to my horror I won, again! Ok, that probably sounds dumb, but here I am trying to prove how bad gambling is and so far my experiment is not working. Add to that my experience with the pokies, where I won back what I put in makes me a BAD example of the dangers of gambling!
I did not win big on my scratchies. I paid $5 for them, I got 2x$2 and 1x$1. I lost on the $1 (YAY!) and won a free scratchie on one of the $2 and $4 on the other. So far, it equals $6 of winnings for my $5 outlay. Not good for my experiment. But, it’s not finished!
Next I went back and claimed my $2 free scratchie, which I again scratched. Amazing what you do with these things, hey? Anyway, finally I lost. Woo Hoo! So now my $5 outlay had left me with $4 instead of $5 which is what I had been hoping to enable me to prove how bad gambling is.
So after this long tale for you all, my verdict still is gambling is BAD and is NOT a way people should use to make money, despite the many success stories you will hear there are way more MISERY stories out there. People get addicted, lose their homes and families, everything. It is not a way of life.
I had a boyfriend who was addicted to the pokies and I saw firsthand how it consumed him. I would not wish that upon anyone.
With my scratchies experiment, if I did it every week, $5 a week and was “fortunate” enough to “win” back some of what I was outlaying, as I did this week, it would still cost me $1 a week. Or $52 a year or if I did it every week from now until I was 85 (about my life expectancy) I would lose $3120. Yes, I REALLY want to throw 3 GRAND down the drain. That is not including interest if I was to put it in savings or the interest saved if I out it on my mortgage!
Now, say I liked to play lotto for $10 a week or put $10 a week into the pokies. We are now looking at $520 a year or $31200 by the time I am 85. Over 30 GRAND people. Seriously, I could do much better things with $30,000 than “hope” I win big every week. And again, those figures are NOT including interest!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Cash Converters and Gold Buyers Australia
I have been conducting an experiment over the last week or so. I wanted to see how much different places such as Cash Converters, Gold Buyers etc... give you for your things. I knew it wouldn’t be much, but I also wasn’t expecting so low.
In Cash Converters some things I had things that were new and worth a lot and I saw similar in their windows for $500 - $1,000. They offered me $5. That’s right $5!!! So unless I was absolutely 100% DESPERATE for instant cash on the spot I need it RIGHT NOW I would never deal with them.
Gold Buyers is no better. They weigh your gold and give you a quote after working out what carat etc... I was offered $100 for 30grams of gold jewellery. Gold is worth a whole lot more than that. I won’t give a specific because it changes every day, but based on $75g which it was a while ago the 30g would be worth $2250, so I was offered about 5% of what gold was worth a while ago. I realise it is a business but that is EXTREMELY low. Also, they do not care if you have beautiful stones (I already knew this) so you get nothing for the stones.
I also went to a games place to see how much I would get for what I had, about 6 Xbox games, 6 psp games, an Xbox and 12 DVD’s. I was offered a grand total of $50. Xbox’s aren’t worth much these days, which I knew. I was told the Xbox would be worth about $15 but they would only take it if I sold everything else. It’s not mine, so I couldn’t decided right then, but I don’t really think you’d get much elsewhere for it, as eBay seems to be doing poorly at the moment.
All in all I decided I would not touch Cash Converters or the Gold Buyers with a 10 foot pole and after seeing how little they pay people I am inclined to also never shop there. The games place was not great, but also about what I expected. If you actually want money you are better off trying to sell the stuff elsewhere, like online or a garage sale I think.
In Cash Converters some things I had things that were new and worth a lot and I saw similar in their windows for $500 - $1,000. They offered me $5. That’s right $5!!! So unless I was absolutely 100% DESPERATE for instant cash on the spot I need it RIGHT NOW I would never deal with them.
Gold Buyers is no better. They weigh your gold and give you a quote after working out what carat etc... I was offered $100 for 30grams of gold jewellery. Gold is worth a whole lot more than that. I won’t give a specific because it changes every day, but based on $75g which it was a while ago the 30g would be worth $2250, so I was offered about 5% of what gold was worth a while ago. I realise it is a business but that is EXTREMELY low. Also, they do not care if you have beautiful stones (I already knew this) so you get nothing for the stones.
I also went to a games place to see how much I would get for what I had, about 6 Xbox games, 6 psp games, an Xbox and 12 DVD’s. I was offered a grand total of $50. Xbox’s aren’t worth much these days, which I knew. I was told the Xbox would be worth about $15 but they would only take it if I sold everything else. It’s not mine, so I couldn’t decided right then, but I don’t really think you’d get much elsewhere for it, as eBay seems to be doing poorly at the moment.
All in all I decided I would not touch Cash Converters or the Gold Buyers with a 10 foot pole and after seeing how little they pay people I am inclined to also never shop there. The games place was not great, but also about what I expected. If you actually want money you are better off trying to sell the stuff elsewhere, like online or a garage sale I think.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Setting work hours
It is so important to make proper work time if you are working from home. This is something I have not really done. I have just tried to grab small pockets of time whenever I could, but it is not working. I have been unable to do a proper schedule because of my husband’s shifts but I am well and truly sick of it.
If you do not have proper “work hours” people will take advantage of the fact you are home. You will get tempted to do other things and end up wasting a lot of time.
You need to make everyone aware of when your work hours are and be vigilant about sticking to them. If you don’t stick to them and view them as work time why should anyone else?
If you work online like me and do not need the phone on, switch it off or take it off the hook. That way you won’t get distracted. No one can call up for a chat or to see if you can go out.
At the start you probably won’t get taken seriously. “You’re at home all the time, you can work whenever”, “oh, it’s just an at home job, not like a real job” etc... You get the idea. But the thing is if you want whatever it is you are doing from home to work properly it IS a REAL job and you can’t do it whenever, your hours are from xxxx to xxxx on x,y,z days.
If you find it hard and have kids can they be babysat by a friend? Do you have occasional care in your area? Even though it is initially an outlay of money, it is well worth it. You will then have definite hours that you can work child free.
Sit down, work out when you are going to work then make it happen.
If you do not have proper “work hours” people will take advantage of the fact you are home. You will get tempted to do other things and end up wasting a lot of time.
You need to make everyone aware of when your work hours are and be vigilant about sticking to them. If you don’t stick to them and view them as work time why should anyone else?
If you work online like me and do not need the phone on, switch it off or take it off the hook. That way you won’t get distracted. No one can call up for a chat or to see if you can go out.
At the start you probably won’t get taken seriously. “You’re at home all the time, you can work whenever”, “oh, it’s just an at home job, not like a real job” etc... You get the idea. But the thing is if you want whatever it is you are doing from home to work properly it IS a REAL job and you can’t do it whenever, your hours are from xxxx to xxxx on x,y,z days.
If you find it hard and have kids can they be babysat by a friend? Do you have occasional care in your area? Even though it is initially an outlay of money, it is well worth it. You will then have definite hours that you can work child free.
Sit down, work out when you are going to work then make it happen.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Product review site - earn gift vouchers
In my last post I mentioned a new site I had found to get a little bit of money. It rewards you for writing reviews which you can redeem for vouchers.
I wrote some reviews yesterday and it didn’t take me long to earn enough for a $20 Coles/Myer gift voucher. I know gift vouchers are not cash exactly, but say you use it in your groceries, keep the cash that you would’ve spent and it’s the same as getting paid the cash.
If you’d like to check out the site click here.
Basically the way it works is you get 40 points for signing up, you get 5 points for a review of 50 – 100 words and 10 points for a review of 101 words or more. It doesn’t take long to write the reviews. They are then moderated and you receive your points. I had no problems with any of my comments being moderated and it all got done really quickly.
It will take 2 weeks for the gift voucher to arrive, so not long compared to a lot of other sites.
I wrote some reviews yesterday and it didn’t take me long to earn enough for a $20 Coles/Myer gift voucher. I know gift vouchers are not cash exactly, but say you use it in your groceries, keep the cash that you would’ve spent and it’s the same as getting paid the cash.
If you’d like to check out the site click here.
Basically the way it works is you get 40 points for signing up, you get 5 points for a review of 50 – 100 words and 10 points for a review of 101 words or more. It doesn’t take long to write the reviews. They are then moderated and you receive your points. I had no problems with any of my comments being moderated and it all got done really quickly.
It will take 2 weeks for the gift voucher to arrive, so not long compared to a lot of other sites.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Money for your reviews
I think I may have found us another site to earn money on. It is not a huge amount and I am waiting until I get a payment before I say who, but it looks promising.
It’s writing reviews on products and you get points for each review, depending on how many words you write. The points accumulate and you can cash them in for vouchers.
Obviously there are a few problems. Since it is writing reviews, not doing surveys there is a limit as to how much you can earn. There are products already listed in various categories for you to review so it will be dependent upon how many things you have used that they have on the site.
Your review will be checked by a moderator before you earn the points, so you may or may not actually earn the points (I have not had a problem with this so far). I think the moderation is good as it stops spam reviews.
Being voucher rewards it is not like cold hard cash and there are only a few places you can get the gift cards for. The upside is you can use the vouchers for groceries or presents then save the money you would otherwise have spent.
All in all it seems good. It only takes a minute to write the review and you get points for signing up, so it shouldn’t take me to long to earn a reward. I’ll post back to let you know how I go.
It’s writing reviews on products and you get points for each review, depending on how many words you write. The points accumulate and you can cash them in for vouchers.
Obviously there are a few problems. Since it is writing reviews, not doing surveys there is a limit as to how much you can earn. There are products already listed in various categories for you to review so it will be dependent upon how many things you have used that they have on the site.
Your review will be checked by a moderator before you earn the points, so you may or may not actually earn the points (I have not had a problem with this so far). I think the moderation is good as it stops spam reviews.
Being voucher rewards it is not like cold hard cash and there are only a few places you can get the gift cards for. The upside is you can use the vouchers for groceries or presents then save the money you would otherwise have spent.
All in all it seems good. It only takes a minute to write the review and you get points for signing up, so it shouldn’t take me to long to earn a reward. I’ll post back to let you know how I go.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
No longer a Tuppwerware Demonstrator
I am no longer doing Tupperware. I wasn’t doing it heaps anyway, more for friends and family occasionally. I received an email yesterday stating that if I was not going to be doing 1 party a fortnight, then I was not going to be part of Tupperware anymore. It is no something I was looking at building up, more letting go of it, but was going to check if any friends or family wanted anything before I gave up. In the email it stated if I did not go last night, they would assume I did not want to do it anymore and that would be it. I didn’t go.
It is good for the money every now and then, but with my husband’s shifts, driving too a party, setting it up, doing it, packing up, paper work and you’re not guaranteed much money, it is a lot of work I would rather put into something else. With my book about to be published, a website I am trying to build and other things I can do to make money I felt Tupperware is no longer worth my time.
As a way to start and get some money behind you with no outlay it was good, but it is not something I would continue.
I have listed things on eBay. Things that I have been meaning to list for some time. Maternity clothes, books, Xbox games and things. I am hoping I sell most if not all of it. I have a few more things to list tonight and I already have a bid on one item.
My biggest prob with listing on eBay is I then browse on eBay which is BAD! There is nothing I NEED.
Sometime in the next week I will be taking some old DVD’s to one of the games places. I know I will probably only get $1 a DVD or something, but they are just sitting there and once you take out eBay fees, it is really not worth listing these ones.
I am hoping with haircuts and things this week will be a good week. I am planning on booking in next week for the markets here to sell the jewellery. I might have a helper lined up, so we’ll see.
It is good for the money every now and then, but with my husband’s shifts, driving too a party, setting it up, doing it, packing up, paper work and you’re not guaranteed much money, it is a lot of work I would rather put into something else. With my book about to be published, a website I am trying to build and other things I can do to make money I felt Tupperware is no longer worth my time.
As a way to start and get some money behind you with no outlay it was good, but it is not something I would continue.
I have listed things on eBay. Things that I have been meaning to list for some time. Maternity clothes, books, Xbox games and things. I am hoping I sell most if not all of it. I have a few more things to list tonight and I already have a bid on one item.
My biggest prob with listing on eBay is I then browse on eBay which is BAD! There is nothing I NEED.
Sometime in the next week I will be taking some old DVD’s to one of the games places. I know I will probably only get $1 a DVD or something, but they are just sitting there and once you take out eBay fees, it is really not worth listing these ones.
I am hoping with haircuts and things this week will be a good week. I am planning on booking in next week for the markets here to sell the jewellery. I might have a helper lined up, so we’ll see.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Busy week
Phew, what a week! I have been cooking since Wednesday for the photos today, which went awesome by the way. I now have a completely full fridge and freezer!
I have finalised the proof of the book with the publisher, so everything is right on track which is awesome.
I have been toying with other ideas on how to make money. There are 3 things I want to focus on in the next 2 weeks.
1.) Selling the rest of the jewellery
2.) Selling my big pile of things on eBay
3.) Finishing my ebook and getting it out there
The ebook is the most work in my opinion. I have been directed to some good sites, so will be checking those out and am aiming to have it finished in 2 weeks. I have been so flat out with my recipe book this week I haven’t had time to even look at it.
I have sold a few items on jewellery and have a few finishing this week on eBay. I have a few other ideas on how to sell them too. I am not looking for a huge profit on them, just any profit.
My pile of things to sell seems to keep growing as I continue to go through our house and get rid of things. I am also selling things for friends and family. I plan on starting to list all these things next week. I am hoping that over the week I will be able to get it all listed, so at least I know that it will be gone soon.
So this is what I will be doing over the next fortnight along with finishing the website for my book.
I have finalised the proof of the book with the publisher, so everything is right on track which is awesome.
I have been toying with other ideas on how to make money. There are 3 things I want to focus on in the next 2 weeks.
1.) Selling the rest of the jewellery
2.) Selling my big pile of things on eBay
3.) Finishing my ebook and getting it out there
The ebook is the most work in my opinion. I have been directed to some good sites, so will be checking those out and am aiming to have it finished in 2 weeks. I have been so flat out with my recipe book this week I haven’t had time to even look at it.
I have sold a few items on jewellery and have a few finishing this week on eBay. I have a few other ideas on how to sell them too. I am not looking for a huge profit on them, just any profit.
My pile of things to sell seems to keep growing as I continue to go through our house and get rid of things. I am also selling things for friends and family. I plan on starting to list all these things next week. I am hoping that over the week I will be able to get it all listed, so at least I know that it will be gone soon.
So this is what I will be doing over the next fortnight along with finishing the website for my book.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Building wealth like a billionaire
I just put onto this site which has a free ebook you might find interesting.
Just thought I’d share. It's about building wealth like a billionaire.
Just thought I’d share. It's about building wealth like a billionaire.
What I've been doing
We are at the final stages for my book. I am doing the last edit and approval of internal layout now. Once I have sent it back it should not be too long until it is ready.
I have been busy building the website and have another photo shoot booked for Friday morning. I need some more pictures for the site, especially the bonus recipes section. I also need to do the hints and tips page.
I was trying to decide on which package to get from Adobe that included Dreamweaver, Illustrator and Photoshop. They are all $2700 or above, so it would’ve been all the money I have, which I was reluctant to do. One of the packages can be done through a monthly subscription so I opted for that. It means I paid $170 this month for it and I can purchase it at a discount later if I wish.
Most of the jewellery I have listed has watchers so I am hoping it sells. I have only listed some of it, as I did not want to list it all and nothing sell. I wanted to ‘test the waters’.
Tomorrow I need to buy the food for the photo shoot, so my tally will drop a little because of that too. But I do have some haircuts booked in and I did a few this week already.
I will update my tally on Friday, after the photo shoot and everything.
I have been busy building the website and have another photo shoot booked for Friday morning. I need some more pictures for the site, especially the bonus recipes section. I also need to do the hints and tips page.
I was trying to decide on which package to get from Adobe that included Dreamweaver, Illustrator and Photoshop. They are all $2700 or above, so it would’ve been all the money I have, which I was reluctant to do. One of the packages can be done through a monthly subscription so I opted for that. It means I paid $170 this month for it and I can purchase it at a discount later if I wish.
Most of the jewellery I have listed has watchers so I am hoping it sells. I have only listed some of it, as I did not want to list it all and nothing sell. I wanted to ‘test the waters’.
Tomorrow I need to buy the food for the photo shoot, so my tally will drop a little because of that too. But I do have some haircuts booked in and I did a few this week already.
I will update my tally on Friday, after the photo shoot and everything.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Finally getting there
Well it just keeps getting better and better. My book is up to the final formatting. The publishers have been brilliant and have let me know every stage, what’s done, what’s left etc...
I am finally getting the hang of the website building and am hoping to have that all done next week. I am so excited about it, as I have been very discouraged. I will be buying Dreamweaver and 2 other Adobe programmes tomorrow, so my total will drop for a little while.
But on a good note I sold another book for $20 this morning and a pair of earrings for $70. I did a few surveys and signed up for 2 more survey sites. I will be listing more of the jewellery this afternoon. I can do that in between things for my daughters, but building the website I really need quite time.
I feel like everything is finally coming together. I am feeling quite confident about my goal. It’s baby steps at first but once the ball is rolling it will all come together.
I am finally getting the hang of the website building and am hoping to have that all done next week. I am so excited about it, as I have been very discouraged. I will be buying Dreamweaver and 2 other Adobe programmes tomorrow, so my total will drop for a little while.
But on a good note I sold another book for $20 this morning and a pair of earrings for $70. I did a few surveys and signed up for 2 more survey sites. I will be listing more of the jewellery this afternoon. I can do that in between things for my daughters, but building the website I really need quite time.
I feel like everything is finally coming together. I am feeling quite confident about my goal. It’s baby steps at first but once the ball is rolling it will all come together.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
I made $240 in 2 days
I have had a productive 2 days. My husband looked after our girls this morning enabling me to work on my ebook for an hour, which was great.
Yesterday I got up when my husband went to work at 5:30am and did some online surveys, cashed in some points and managed to get $150. Well I will get it soon, as survey sites take ages to actually pay you. But I am excited as it is a decent amount of money. I wont add it to my total until I actually have it.
I also listed more books and DVD’s the other day and sold 3 straight away, which is another $40 when that comes in.
I have a few more haircuts booked in and have listed some things on eBay.
I arranged a meeting with mortgage choice as I got an offer for a free Coles voucher if I did and since I am seriously looking to buy in 6 months I accepted. I will take the value of the voucher from our grocery money and put it towards my challenge. It was $50 I think if I remember correctly.
All up it means in the last 2 days I have made $240 + the haircut money. Problem is I do not have any of it in my hands!
I have approved the cover of my book yesterday too, so I am very excited about that! It is coming along nicely.
Yesterday I got up when my husband went to work at 5:30am and did some online surveys, cashed in some points and managed to get $150. Well I will get it soon, as survey sites take ages to actually pay you. But I am excited as it is a decent amount of money. I wont add it to my total until I actually have it.
I also listed more books and DVD’s the other day and sold 3 straight away, which is another $40 when that comes in.
I have a few more haircuts booked in and have listed some things on eBay.
I arranged a meeting with mortgage choice as I got an offer for a free Coles voucher if I did and since I am seriously looking to buy in 6 months I accepted. I will take the value of the voucher from our grocery money and put it towards my challenge. It was $50 I think if I remember correctly.
All up it means in the last 2 days I have made $240 + the haircut money. Problem is I do not have any of it in my hands!
I have approved the cover of my book yesterday too, so I am very excited about that! It is coming along nicely.
Monday, February 1, 2010
New total
Things have been going well, but still not as well as I would like. I had a big cleaning spree the other day and got my pile of things to sell online, photographed them and will be tying up descriptions soon.
I am happy that this week I will have time on Wednesday morning and Thursday morning to do some work on my website and e book as my husband is not working and will look after the kids for me.
I am really not good at this website building stuff. I know what I want, but I just can’t seem to do it and everything I am reading on how to do it is not sinking in and is going straight over my head. I like blogging and am beginning to feel I am better off sticking to it, not website building.
On a positive note though I am now up to $2,573 and have $6,800 worth of jewellery to sell. I have been looking at the Adobe things I was thinking of buying and also at free ones. I am hoping that this week I will be able to get the help from someone I have been trying to arrange time to see to learn more about everything and find out their opinion before I purchase anything. If the free programmes are just as good and they can teach me it will save me a fair amount of money.
I need to decide what I will sell at the markets in March also. I am making something for my nephew and if I do it well I am considering making them (I’ll explain it more if I can do it, if not, oh well.)
I am happy that this week I will have time on Wednesday morning and Thursday morning to do some work on my website and e book as my husband is not working and will look after the kids for me.
I am really not good at this website building stuff. I know what I want, but I just can’t seem to do it and everything I am reading on how to do it is not sinking in and is going straight over my head. I like blogging and am beginning to feel I am better off sticking to it, not website building.
On a positive note though I am now up to $2,573 and have $6,800 worth of jewellery to sell. I have been looking at the Adobe things I was thinking of buying and also at free ones. I am hoping that this week I will be able to get the help from someone I have been trying to arrange time to see to learn more about everything and find out their opinion before I purchase anything. If the free programmes are just as good and they can teach me it will save me a fair amount of money.
I need to decide what I will sell at the markets in March also. I am making something for my nephew and if I do it well I am considering making them (I’ll explain it more if I can do it, if not, oh well.)
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