Stay with friends! We did it in Brazil and in NYC. It's great to see a new place through the eyes of people who live there!
I'm also realizing what an amazing vacation spot I live in as I hang out with my international friends who are constantly in awe of our area. I love it!
I make extra money by doing online surveys and working at 2 jobs. Also, I sell everything I dont need, or have several of, on ebay and amazon and profit. Anything you think is garbage can be someones biggest desire!
We have several farmers markets in my area and many of them need volunteers either to help with redirecting traffic if roads are blocked off, or at the beginning and ends of the markets to help do paperwork collection from the vendors, etc. In exchange, they offer gift certificates to be used at the market. The shifts are usually about 2 hours and I get a certificate for approximately $20. Many of the market vendors appreciate the service of volunteers and give extra large helpings of products, samples and items not sold.
I work in a university town where there are several teaching hospitals and research institutes. They offer many clinical studies (some involving medications, some just for observation). My friend did one (while she was unemployed) that involved her staying in a clinic for two weeks. They fed her and she watched tv and every four hours they would take a small sample of blood. At the end of two weeks she received $6000!
In addition, the hospital connected to my work has a blood service where they take blood for research purposes and they pay up to $100 for each donation (depends on amount). This is less time consuming than plasma donation and as far as I know doesn't keep you from donating plasma.
The next one is probably a more rare opportunity but I will most likely be doing this over the summer. I have had fire extinguisher training and will be able to make $50 for two hours being a "safety" during a fire performance act at a local amusement park.
Another one, I take advantage of the tuition reimbursement at my work. They reimburse $2500 a year and also pay for books (which I sell at the end of the class if I won't need them). I finished my BA degree last year but now I have moved on to certificate programs, all on their dime. I am currently working on my copyediting certificate and a graphic design certificate. I am developing new skills which could result in a higher paycheck later and I can also do freelance work on the side (I've already done a few small copyediting jobs).
Also be aware that not all "thrift" stores are charitable or non-profits. There are quite a few "for profit" shops out there that happily take donations from people who don't realize it.
I have been unemployed for 18 months and my house payments have been paid and on time. I was going to try a deed in lieu of forclosure but realized this is the only thing in the world that I own. I don't know what to do! The bank will not work with me because I am unemployed! They have been getting their payments so what??? I am told that skipping a few months payments is the only way for the bank to listen to what I have to say! There are government programs out there but what is there to help me? I don't know. I tried a modification with a realtor but havn't heard anything from them after I paid them 250 of the 1000 they wanted. I did make a down payment so what now? I am going to skip a couple of months to see what the bank has to say then. I was with countrywide but now is Bank of America. They seem nicer but they aren't giving me the info I need! I am paying 7.125% and have a 171 a month PMI. I am getting robbed! I was young and didn't know what I was signing! I have been here for 5 years now and I cannot afford to keep here unless they will work with me somehow. I sure know the way the market is that they don't want my condo! Any advice to my situation would be appreiciated! tedphillips1977@gmail.com Thank you!
The mesh bags and socks that are utilized to stretch the life of soap can also be used to scrub the tub/shower. This is especially true of the mesh bags as they will scrub away the scum and not damage the surface.
I know a few friends that live in cities people want to visit and they do house swaps wiht people. You of course have to be comfortable with the idea, but they've gone away for a few weeks at a time without having to pay for a hotel!
I found out who runs local focus groups and signed up to be in their "pool." You don't have to go very far and some of the groups will give you $100 or more for a single afternoon. The only downside is that you can only do them every 2 months or so.
Its amazing that you can live in a city and never seen many of the city's major attractions. This has happened to me here in Chicago.
Stay at home vacations are a perfect opportunity to see your own city's attractions.
Check with your local library first. They may have FREE passes to local city attractions.
In Chicago, for instance, the branches of the Chicago library system have free passes to local attractions like the Art Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, and other popular destinations.
You simply need a library card to check out the passes from the library.
The CityPass website also sells discounted packages of tickets to major attractions. The CityPass Chicago package, for example, lets you visit 5 attractions for $69. Price of each attraction ticket bought separately is $130.50
If you are in a major city you can also catch discounted plays by visiting sites like http://www.hottix.org/.
They sell last minute tickets for half price which allows a particular theater to fill seats that would have gone unsold and allow you to get a great deal.
Because of the last minute nature of the ticket sales they are perfect for people on a stay at home vacation.
We have lived in San Jose for over 10 years, and sadly unless we have people visiting who want to see the sights we NEVER go anywhere in San Jose (or San Francisco, or Napa, or anywhere else within driving distance really). Last year we took a 2 week "vacation" and decided to stay local and see all the things that we always meant to do. Since we weren't paying for airfare, a rental car, or hotels (we came home every night) we were able to spend a little money that we wouldn't have otherwise spent (a nice restaurant in SF, a splurge on a bottle of wine at a Napa winery, ect) and we had a fantastic time. It also helped that we did this in early May, before a majority of the real tourists were here.
This year we got a National Parks Pass ($80 gets you free admission to all National Parks for one year) and although we are going a little father away from home we are taking our vacation in pieces and going on weekend or extended weekend camping trips in several National Parks like Death Valley, Mojave, Joshua Tree, Yosemite, and more.
Yeah, the mechanism of having separate money (cash, additional separate accounts besides joint ones, etc.) is really secondary. Whatever works for you is fine.
I think the notion of a slush fund is really the central idea, now that I think about it. Even if you were a single individual with no joint accounts, you could get the same benefit of simplified budgeting with a small slush fund.
At that point the central question is, what's the right size for a slush fund? Personally, I think it's important that it be rather small--I think budgets are an important tool for aligning your spending with your values, and that a large-enough slush fund eventually amounts to having no budget at all.
A slush fund of $0 is not an unreasonable notion, if you have the inclination to track things so closely. In fact, I think it's a great idea to do so, at least for a while, if you've never done it before. (I guarantee that you'll learn things about where your money goes that you'll never learn any other way.)
Once you've operated with a budget, though--once you know where spending gives you good value and where it doesn't--having some amount of slush in your budget offers enough extra simplicity as to generally outweigh any downside in precise allocation. At least, I think it does for me.
Most people in the area where I live just about live in blue jeans. And it is often difficult to find blue jeans that are the proper length. I shorten blue jeans ~ it only requires a sewing machine, scissors, thread and an iron, and takes about 15 minutes (or less) per pair. I charge $4 a pair. Easy, quick, and some extra cash.
Make a cup of coffee, put it in a small thermos BEFORE leaving the house, every time - This saves buying a cup, it's green, saves calories (if you're interested in that - no temptation for treats at the counter). You can drink it anywhere - in a lovely spot and not in a crowded, noisy/annoying coffee-place. If you don't drink it - when you get home - pour into a mug, put it in the fridge for ice coffee later. This has got to save at least $1.00 and maybe up to $4.00 and beyond EVERY day.
If you live near a university or medical center, check the psychology or sociology department to see if they are running any experiments that require human volunteers. The experiments are usually fun surveys or computer-based tests, though some are group-interaction studies. Pay is anywhere from $5 to $100.
If you are especially daring, check the medical department and see if you can qualify for any clinical studies. My university wanted healthy volunteers to participate in sleep studies and in pulmonary (testing a breathing apparatus or chamber) studies.
I sell used books on Amazon. I have developed a system for selling books with almost no overhead and it takes very little time, so my Amazon money is basically "free money." I usually average $10-$20 a month this way. It's not much, but as a grad student, it certainly helps.
Here's how it works:
First of all, I don't pay for my inventory. There are several ways to get books for free. for example, I collect unwanted books from family and friends. Also, there is a section in my library for discarded books. Etc...
Secondly, I don't pay for packing material. I save all packages and mailers I recieve in the mail and use them to repackage my items. Also, I get paper bags when I go grocery shopping and sometimes I use those to wrap my packages.
Postage is not an issue because Amazon has set shipping rates for items (books are $3.99 for standard shipping, etc.) that are added to the list price and that always more than covers my shipping costs.
Thus, my only investment is time spent collecting items, listing them, and shipping them. I can combine those with other jobs and errands though, so I save my time as well. For example, the post office is right next to my bank, so I can just ship my books when I go to the bank.
I agree that a bunch of kiddos running around the house throws a wrench in the "veg out" plan.
Every year my family gets a zoo membership and so during the warmer months we frequently spend hours there. The kids never get tired of it (neither do I for that matter) and they always come home exhausted from all the walking around. For $40/yr it's a fantastic deal.
Another thing we've done in the past is make overnight trips to the next largest city near us (Dallas, TX in our case). We grab a hotel on Priceline, hop in the van and go. The road trip is not long and it helps to get out of your own city for a bit. We'll hit a new restaurant and then spend time at the hotel, swim in the pool, etc.
Stay with friends! We did it in Brazil and in NYC. It's great to see a new place through the eyes of people who live there!
I'm also realizing what an amazing vacation spot I live in as I hang out with my international friends who are constantly in awe of our area. I love it!
I make extra money by doing online surveys and working at 2 jobs. Also, I sell everything I dont need, or have several of, on ebay and amazon and profit. Anything you think is garbage can be someones biggest desire!
Id love to win the $10 amazon gift card.
thanks!
patrick
pyee01@gmail.com
I forgot one...
We have several farmers markets in my area and many of them need volunteers either to help with redirecting traffic if roads are blocked off, or at the beginning and ends of the markets to help do paperwork collection from the vendors, etc. In exchange, they offer gift certificates to be used at the market. The shifts are usually about 2 hours and I get a certificate for approximately $20. Many of the market vendors appreciate the service of volunteers and give extra large helpings of products, samples and items not sold.
I work in a university town where there are several teaching hospitals and research institutes. They offer many clinical studies (some involving medications, some just for observation). My friend did one (while she was unemployed) that involved her staying in a clinic for two weeks. They fed her and she watched tv and every four hours they would take a small sample of blood. At the end of two weeks she received $6000!
In addition, the hospital connected to my work has a blood service where they take blood for research purposes and they pay up to $100 for each donation (depends on amount). This is less time consuming than plasma donation and as far as I know doesn't keep you from donating plasma.
The next one is probably a more rare opportunity but I will most likely be doing this over the summer. I have had fire extinguisher training and will be able to make $50 for two hours being a "safety" during a fire performance act at a local amusement park.
Another one, I take advantage of the tuition reimbursement at my work. They reimburse $2500 a year and also pay for books (which I sell at the end of the class if I won't need them). I finished my BA degree last year but now I have moved on to certificate programs, all on their dime. I am currently working on my copyediting certificate and a graphic design certificate. I am developing new skills which could result in a higher paycheck later and I can also do freelance work on the side (I've already done a few small copyediting jobs).
Etsy. I'm going to make things regardless, so I might as well try and sell them when I'm done!
~Q
Also be aware that not all "thrift" stores are charitable or non-profits. There are quite a few "for profit" shops out there that happily take donations from people who don't realize it.
I have been unemployed for 18 months and my house payments have been paid and on time. I was going to try a deed in lieu of forclosure but realized this is the only thing in the world that I own. I don't know what to do! The bank will not work with me because I am unemployed! They have been getting their payments so what??? I am told that skipping a few months payments is the only way for the bank to listen to what I have to say! There are government programs out there but what is there to help me? I don't know. I tried a modification with a realtor but havn't heard anything from them after I paid them 250 of the 1000 they wanted. I did make a down payment so what now? I am going to skip a couple of months to see what the bank has to say then. I was with countrywide but now is Bank of America. They seem nicer but they aren't giving me the info I need! I am paying 7.125% and have a 171 a month PMI. I am getting robbed! I was young and didn't know what I was signing! I have been here for 5 years now and I cannot afford to keep here unless they will work with me somehow. I sure know the way the market is that they don't want my condo! Any advice to my situation would be appreiciated! tedphillips1977@gmail.com Thank you!
John D, Rockefeller had a whole lot of money and now, with sound financial planning, he's dead.
* * * FIRST 5 NEWSFLASH * * *
SAN DIEGO COMMISSIONER gets caught self dealing and miraculously resigns:
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jun/03/1n3first5234537-membe...
The mesh bags and socks that are utilized to stretch the life of soap can also be used to scrub the tub/shower. This is especially true of the mesh bags as they will scrub away the scum and not damage the surface.
But there aren't many venues up here in the first place.
But our reputation is gaining! Yay!
Margaret Garcia-Couoh
I know a few friends that live in cities people want to visit and they do house swaps wiht people. You of course have to be comfortable with the idea, but they've gone away for a few weeks at a time without having to pay for a hotel!
Margaret Garcia-Couoh
I found out who runs local focus groups and signed up to be in their "pool." You don't have to go very far and some of the groups will give you $100 or more for a single afternoon. The only downside is that you can only do them every 2 months or so.
I've recently started entering online sweepstakes and instant win games. I've already won $60 and several prizes!
Its amazing that you can live in a city and never seen many of the city's major attractions. This has happened to me here in Chicago.
Stay at home vacations are a perfect opportunity to see your own city's attractions.
Check with your local library first. They may have FREE passes to local city attractions.
In Chicago, for instance, the branches of the Chicago library system have free passes to local attractions like the Art Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, and other popular destinations.
You simply need a library card to check out the passes from the library.
The CityPass website also sells discounted packages of tickets to major attractions. The CityPass Chicago package, for example, lets you visit 5 attractions for $69. Price of each attraction ticket bought separately is $130.50
If you are in a major city you can also catch discounted plays by visiting sites like http://www.hottix.org/.
They sell last minute tickets for half price which allows a particular theater to fill seats that would have gone unsold and allow you to get a great deal.
Because of the last minute nature of the ticket sales they are perfect for people on a stay at home vacation.
We have lived in San Jose for over 10 years, and sadly unless we have people visiting who want to see the sights we NEVER go anywhere in San Jose (or San Francisco, or Napa, or anywhere else within driving distance really). Last year we took a 2 week "vacation" and decided to stay local and see all the things that we always meant to do. Since we weren't paying for airfare, a rental car, or hotels (we came home every night) we were able to spend a little money that we wouldn't have otherwise spent (a nice restaurant in SF, a splurge on a bottle of wine at a Napa winery, ect) and we had a fantastic time. It also helped that we did this in early May, before a majority of the real tourists were here.
This year we got a National Parks Pass ($80 gets you free admission to all National Parks for one year) and although we are going a little father away from home we are taking our vacation in pieces and going on weekend or extended weekend camping trips in several National Parks like Death Valley, Mojave, Joshua Tree, Yosemite, and more.
Yeah, the mechanism of having separate money (cash, additional separate accounts besides joint ones, etc.) is really secondary. Whatever works for you is fine.
I think the notion of a slush fund is really the central idea, now that I think about it. Even if you were a single individual with no joint accounts, you could get the same benefit of simplified budgeting with a small slush fund.
At that point the central question is, what's the right size for a slush fund? Personally, I think it's important that it be rather small--I think budgets are an important tool for aligning your spending with your values, and that a large-enough slush fund eventually amounts to having no budget at all.
A slush fund of $0 is not an unreasonable notion, if you have the inclination to track things so closely. In fact, I think it's a great idea to do so, at least for a while, if you've never done it before. (I guarantee that you'll learn things about where your money goes that you'll never learn any other way.)
Once you've operated with a budget, though--once you know where spending gives you good value and where it doesn't--having some amount of slush in your budget offers enough extra simplicity as to generally outweigh any downside in precise allocation. At least, I think it does for me.
focus groups and medical studies! (where I'm not being injected with anything)
The Beatles ALSO said...
"The best things in life are free" - well you can save that for the birds and the bees, 'cause I need money!
From "The Waitress":
"If I had a penny for everything I love about you, I should have many pennies."
I like to say that money can't buy you happiness, but the lack of money can definitely inconvenience you....
Great post!
Most people in the area where I live just about live in blue jeans. And it is often difficult to find blue jeans that are the proper length. I shorten blue jeans ~ it only requires a sewing machine, scissors, thread and an iron, and takes about 15 minutes (or less) per pair. I charge $4 a pair. Easy, quick, and some extra cash.
Make a cup of coffee, put it in a small thermos BEFORE leaving the house, every time - This saves buying a cup, it's green, saves calories (if you're interested in that - no temptation for treats at the counter). You can drink it anywhere - in a lovely spot and not in a crowded, noisy/annoying coffee-place. If you don't drink it - when you get home - pour into a mug, put it in the fridge for ice coffee later. This has got to save at least $1.00 and maybe up to $4.00 and beyond EVERY day.
If you live near a university or medical center, check the psychology or sociology department to see if they are running any experiments that require human volunteers. The experiments are usually fun surveys or computer-based tests, though some are group-interaction studies. Pay is anywhere from $5 to $100.
If you are especially daring, check the medical department and see if you can qualify for any clinical studies. My university wanted healthy volunteers to participate in sleep studies and in pulmonary (testing a breathing apparatus or chamber) studies.
I sell used books on Amazon. I have developed a system for selling books with almost no overhead and it takes very little time, so my Amazon money is basically "free money." I usually average $10-$20 a month this way. It's not much, but as a grad student, it certainly helps.
Here's how it works:
First of all, I don't pay for my inventory. There are several ways to get books for free. for example, I collect unwanted books from family and friends. Also, there is a section in my library for discarded books. Etc...
Secondly, I don't pay for packing material. I save all packages and mailers I recieve in the mail and use them to repackage my items. Also, I get paper bags when I go grocery shopping and sometimes I use those to wrap my packages.
Postage is not an issue because Amazon has set shipping rates for items (books are $3.99 for standard shipping, etc.) that are added to the list price and that always more than covers my shipping costs.
Thus, my only investment is time spent collecting items, listing them, and shipping them. I can combine those with other jobs and errands though, so I save my time as well. For example, the post office is right next to my bank, so I can just ship my books when I go to the bank.
I agree that a bunch of kiddos running around the house throws a wrench in the "veg out" plan.
Every year my family gets a zoo membership and so during the warmer months we frequently spend hours there. The kids never get tired of it (neither do I for that matter) and they always come home exhausted from all the walking around. For $40/yr it's a fantastic deal.
Another thing we've done in the past is make overnight trips to the next largest city near us (Dallas, TX in our case). We grab a hotel on Priceline, hop in the van and go. The road trip is not long and it helps to get out of your own city for a bit. We'll hit a new restaurant and then spend time at the hotel, swim in the pool, etc.
(It's been a pleasure reading all the great ideas.)
We're trying to take daily walks. Since we're out anyway I pick up aluminum cans and coins along the way.
I do surveys. The proceeds go towards "mad money" and Christmas gifts for family.
We bring our books to a local flea market vendor.
Most of our other strategies involve cost cutting.