Money Tips Network
Two Resources To Make Signing a Client as Easy as 1-2-3
It's all in the contract!
Recently I found myself saying yes to freelance work. The tension between getting paid now and possibly getting paid later tipped toward getting paid now.
I began chatting with a poker pro I met online, and checked out his Kick channel. I wrote up an article on how he could build his Kick channel, and that led to discussions on creating and managing a website for him.
Around a week ago, he was ready to pull the trigger, and he wanted to have a contract for the work. He didn't really say why, but it's a completely reasonable thing to do.
That put the ball in my court to produce a contract and figure out how to get us both to sign it, because he's not local to me.
These two services greased the skids for getting things in writing.
Goodwill finds that slipped through my fingers
It's every thrifter's dream to find a $100k Italian vase for $4 at their local Goodwill.
Those deals are rare, of course. Much of the really good merchandise donated doesn't ever make it to the sales floor. Those pieces are sent to a warehouse for auction.
Goodwill scores are often a lot of singles
Even if the home runs that make the national news are rare, some smaller bloop-single deals turn up pretty regularly. The best one I got was a box of Ikea light bulbs. It was marked $10 and I sold it for nearly $100 on eBay.
That was some time ago, though, and it does seem to be harder to find these kinds of deals, mainly because the pricing is closer to retail than it used to be.
Goodwill finds that slipped through my fingers
It's every thrifter's dream to find a $100k Italian vase for $4 at their local Goodwill.
Those deals are rare, of course. Much of the really good merchandise donated doesn't ever make it to the sales floor. Those pieces are sent to a warehouse for auction.
Goodwill scores are often a lot of singles
Even if the home runs that make the national news are rare, some smaller bloop-single deals turn up pretty regularly. The best one I got was a box of Ikea light bulbs. It was marked $10 and I sold it for nearly $100 on eBay.
That was some time ago, though, and it does seem to be harder to find these kinds of deals, mainly because the pricing is closer to retail than it used to be.
Side Hustle Income September 2024
For 2024 I'm publishing side income reports each month to maintain accountability.
My goal is to progress by keeping it transparent and real. Reporting on the good and the bad lets me reflect on lessons learned.
Which sources I'm reporting and which I'm not
I'm not posting anonymously so my main job income, my part-time job income, and my main investments won't be reported. I'll report everything else, though!
Some income will be reported when I cash out, and others as I earn it. I'm moving toward
Also, for the moment I'm reporting income, not profit. I'm in the red overall and will be for some time.
With that, let's get going!
Google AdSense income: $12.18 (+$1.69)
September saw a modest uptick in Google AdSense income. This was after I reduced the number of ads showing on the page in June. I turned off Auto Ads on my main blog because the ads dominated the site and overran the content.
Side Hustle Income September 2024
For 2024 I'm publishing side income reports each month to maintain accountability.
My goal is to progress by keeping it transparent and real. Reporting on the good and the bad lets me reflect on lessons learned.
Which sources I'm reporting and which I'm not
I'm not posting anonymously so my main job income, my part-time job income, and my main investments won't be reported. I'll report everything else, though!
Some income will be reported when I cash out, and others as I earn it. I'm moving toward
Also, for the moment I'm reporting income, not profit. I'm in the red overall and will be for some time.
With that, let's get going!
Google AdSense income: $12.18 (+$1.69)
September saw a modest uptick in Google AdSense income. This was after I reduced the number of ads showing on the page in June. I turned off Auto Ads on my main blog because the ads dominated the site and overran the content.
Fifteen easy ways to save fifteen bucks
(This post was originally published on August 15, 2006, and has been updated, because a lot can change in eighteen years.)
Fifteen dollars wasn't that much in 2006, and it's even less now.
Regardless, we can get richer or poorer a few dollars at a time.
It's not that difficult to make a couple of minor adjustments in spending. If you apply just half of these tips each month, that's over $100/month that you can apply to whatever you value! Things like debt reduction, emergency savings, investing, retirement, or (gasp!) fun.
Go through the list and consider first trying those tips that won't be hard to change.
1. If you're a coffee drinker, consider brewing your own
Starbucks coffee is now north of $3/cup. One a day is $15 per workweek.
Now, before I get hate mail, I completely get that Starbucks or other coffee on the go is a non-negotiable for many people, but if it's not, then consider brewing your own.
Fifteen easy ways to save fifteen bucks
(This post was originally published on August 15, 2006, and has been updated, because a lot can change in eighteen years.)
Fifteen dollars wasn't that much in 2006, and it's even less now.
Regardless, we can get richer or poorer a few dollars at a time.
It's not that difficult to make a couple of minor adjustments in spending. If you apply just half of these tips each month, that's over $100/month that you can apply to whatever you value! Things like debt reduction, emergency savings, investing, retirement, or (gasp!) fun.
Go through the list and consider first trying those tips that won't be hard to change.
1. If you're a coffee drinker, consider brewing your own
Starbucks coffee is now north of $3/cup. One a day is $15 per workweek.
Now, before I get hate mail, I completely get that Starbucks or other coffee on the go is a non-negotiable for many people, but if it's not, then consider brewing your own.
Choose your credit card rebates wisely
(This post was published originally on August 26, 2005, and has been updated.)
Banks compete for your credit card business. Consumer debt is very lucrative for them.
As such, there are bonuses, perks, and rebates that they'll throw at you to get their card in your wallet or purse.
But first some words to the wise
Like all other financial information on this site, this is not to be construed as financial advice. That's what professionals are for.
Credit cards are tools, but like most tools, if used incorrectly they can harm you.
Any credit card rebates you get will be paltry compared to the default rate of interest if you miss a payment.
The techniques in this post will do you absolutely no good if you carry a balance on your card.
Choose your credit card rebates wisely
(This post was published originally on August 26, 2005, and has been updated.)
Banks compete for your credit card business. Consumer debt is very lucrative for them.
As such, there are bonuses, perks, and rebates that they'll throw at you to get their card in your wallet or purse.
But first some words to the wise
Like all other financial information on this site, this is not to be construed as financial advice. That's what professionals are for.
Credit cards are tools, but like most tools, if used incorrectly they can harm you.
Any credit card rebates you get will be paltry compared to the default rate of interest if you miss a payment.
The techniques in this post will do you absolutely no good if you carry a balance on your card.
Get Financial Education from Your Credit Union
(This post was originally written January 3, 2010, and has been updated.)
I moved down to Virginia in 2000 for my job, and one of my first stops was at a credit union to get a local savings and checking account.
I'm still with the same credit union after nearly a quarter century, and though some things have changed, some haven't.
The credit union offered financial education
I've always been a bit of a sucker for freebies, especially information pamphlets.
One time when I was cleaning off my desk I found a little pamphlet entitled “Teach Children About Money.” It really was little — a single tri-fold piece of paper that's smaller than a standard sheet of paper — but there was quite a bit of information in there.
Then I found a “statement stuffer” with the title “Back in the Black: Tools to Keep Your Checkbook on Track.”
Get Started Making Money Online with Almost No Work
No, really … a computer and a Paypal account are all you need
I've been making money online for over 20 years, and almost all of the hustles I've tried take effort and cost.
I've built websites, social media accounts, a YouTube channel, an email list, digital products, and more.
I've also signed up for apps that give you fractions of pennies for doing an endless supply of mind-numbing tasks. (Most of these I've since quit using.)
What I'm going to tell you about involves none of that.
No websites, no plugging on social media accounts, no building an email list.
And, probably most important of all, no mindless brain-rotting ad clicks.
Nothing.
Well, almost nothing. You'll need a computer, an internet connection, and a PayPal account.
But if you've got those, you're probably good for what I'll show you.
A Money-Saving Option That’s A Dying Breed
Find these deals while you still can
My main work computer was grinding to a slow death.
I'd put up with the lengthy reboots, the pegged disk activity, and the frozen screens long enough.
Last week I bought a new reasonably-priced desktop that should last me at least a few years.
Setting up the new computer
The setup process for Windows machines is polished, I must say. That was really easy.
What followed took a little more effort, and that was getting my files and software moved over.
Some parts of this were smooth, others took some emails to tech support to deactivate licenses on orphaned machines so that I could reinstall things.
Much of this software has either a subscription or a maintenance package associated with it. No subscription, no software.
Side Hustle Income August 2024
For 2024 I'm committed to publishing side income reports each month for accountability.
My goal is to progress by keeping it transparent and real. Reporting on the good and the bad lets me reflect on lessons learned.
Which sources I'm reporting and which I'm not
I'm not posting anonymously so my primary income, my part-time job income, and my main investments won't be reported. I'll report everything else, though!
Some income will be reported when I cash out, and others when I earn it.
Also, for the moment I'm reporting income, not profit. I'm in the red overall and will be for some time.
With that, let's get going!
Google AdSense income: $10.49 (+$5.44)
August saw an uptick of nearly 100%. This was after I reduced the number of ads showing on the page in June. I turned off Auto Ads on my main blog because the ads dominated the site and overran the content.
Adding Swagbucks Magic Receipts to my Receipt App Stack
It serves a couple of purposes
There are several apps that give you cash back for scanning your grocery receipts.
It turns out that you can stack receipt rewards by scanning the same receipt in all of the apps.
Swagbucks Magic Receipts is going on the stack
I don't do a lot of get-paid-to sites anymore, but I keep Swagbucks around because (a) it's one of the more lively ones and (b) I have some referral income continuing to come in from it.
One way to earn SB (their in-app currency that can be converted to gift cards) is by submitting receipts in their Magic Receipts service.
I can submit receipts either through the website on my desktop by uploading a picture of the receipt, or by snapping a picture and submitting it through the Swagbucks app.
YouTube Channel Mini-Game Update (7 of 10)
Still plugging away
A “mini-game” complements your main game by providing variety and a secondary focus.
My main goal is working on Medium Partner Program income, but I'm also working toward qualifying for the YouTube Partner Program with my channel.
My work on the channel gives me material to bring here, which works directly toward my primary goal.
Three videos uploaded since 8/11/2024
Since the last update, I've added two regular videos and one short. (A bit of an uptick from just two shorts over the previous month!)
Both of the regular videos are “treasure hunt” videos of fifty $1 bills. Instead of just staying silent for most of the time during these videos, I've come to talk on a topic.
The first one deals with whether to hunt for bills, or simply buy them:
The other is a response to a viewer comment asking about what I do with all of the $1s that have normal serial numbers:
Side Hustle Income July 2024
This year I'm committed to publishing my side income reports each month to stay accountable.
My goal is to move things forward by keeping it transparent and real. Reporting on both the good and the bad allows me to reflect on lessons learned.
Which sources I'm reporting and which I'm not
Since I'm not posting anonymously, my primary income, my part-time job income, and my main investments won't be reported. Everything else is on the table!
Some income will be reported when I cash out, and others when I earn it.
Also, for the moment I'm reporting income, not profit. I'm in the red overall.
With that, let's go!
Google AdSense income: $5.25 (-$7.77)
This past month's downtick in AdSense income was expected. I reduced the number of ads showing on the page. I turned off Auto Ads on my main blog because the ads dominated the site and made it look a bit trashy.
YouTube Channel Mini-Game Update (6 of 10)
A “mini-game” complements your main game by providing variety and a secondary focus.
My main goal through August 2024 is to earn $100 through Medium in a single month.
I'm also working toward qualifying for the YouTube Partner Program with my channel.
My work on the channel gives me material to bring here, which works directly toward my primary goal.
I skipped a week, again. Got hit with food poisoning and I'm mostly recovered from that.
One video uploaded since 7/28/2024
Since the last update, I've added one short.
The short talked about bills called mixed ladders:
Continuing to support other YouTubers
I continue to get great comments from a few subscribers. New ones are showing up, which is great!
YouTube Channel Mini-Game Update (5 of 10)
Racking up points on my side quest
A “mini-game” helps you to stay on track with your main one by providing variety and a secondary focus.
My main goal through August 2024 is to earn $100 through Medium in a single month.
I'm also working toward monetizing my YouTube channel to complement this.
My work on the channel gives me material to bring here, which works directly toward my primary goal.
I missed last week. Our internet was out for a few days, but that wasn't really an excuse because I was able to hit up McDonald's for their internet. I realized just how at odds I am without connectivity. It was eye-opening.
Notwithstanding the above, I'm posting once a week, through the end of August.
Two videos uploaded since 7/15/2024
Since the last update, I've added one regular video and one short.
YouTube Channel Mini-Game Update (4 of 10)
Racking up points on my side quest
A “mini-game” for your main game (main goal) helps you to stay on track by providing variety and a secondary focus.
My main goal through August 2024 is to earn $100 through the Medium Partner Program in a single month.
To complement this, I'm also working toward monetizing my YouTube channel.
My work on the channel gives me material to bring here, which works directly toward my primary goal.
I'll post these once a week, through the end of August.
Two videos uploaded since 7/8/2024
Since the last update, I've added one regular video and one short.
As I've mentioned before, a big part of the hobby is to hunt through a stack of bills for gems. One video was a hunt through fifty $1 bills while I talked about places to sell bills:
There’s a digital product in my emails
Why I'm glad I'm a digital pack rat
Our manager sent out a reminder of some training today. Some new requirements coming soon.
Yeah, super dull workplace stuff.
One of my colleagues, though, was grateful for the reminder, because he had “round-filed” the original email mentioning the training.
I don't delete work emails.
That struck me as so foreign. I hardly delete any email, ever. Even the silly automatic notifications from wherever.
Why delete them? Electrons are cheap, and storage is cheap.
I'll occasionally delete obvious spam, but that's about it.
There's little downside to keeping everything I send or receive.
Same thing with my home emails.
I rarely delete any of those, either. I've lost some of them in computer crashes, but not on purpose.
I have an archive folder that goes back to 2009.
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