Chasing the Bull

It always amazes just how creative a person can be when they are trying to become debt free. I have tried a few different methods, all with limited success. I wanted to tell you about my latest venture.

Every year parents rush out to find the hottest toys to buy for their children at Christmas time. As my son is only 2, I am really out of the loop when it comes to the “it” thing. Fortunately for me, my brother’s son is a few years older and is your typical 4 to 7 year old. If he likes it, then most kids his age will to.

This year all he wants is something called “Bakugan“. I had never heard of it until my brother asked me to see if I could find some for him. It appears that not only do the kids want them, so do the collectors. And only one thing can happen when that combination occurs - PROFIT.

I first went to eBay and did some preliminary research. Most people have been opening the toy package and selling them loose. This allows the collector to see the toy’s “G”, which is its power level, and reduces the shipping costs needed to mail the package. I have to admit the manufacturer has created some what of a demand by having the same toy have different power levels. Obviously the kids want the toys with the highest power (it is a game after all).

Next, I stopped by my local superstores and looked for the toys. The first four I went to did not have any. This confirmed that they were indeed pretty popular. At the 5th, and final, superstore, I hit the jackpot. I guess the store just opened a new case.

I could have easily spent $300 buying everything they had. I elected to do the safe thing, and buy only $100 worth. Immediately I went home, opened them, and put them on eBay. I am now sitting here wondering how big of a mistake this was.

Will I make a profit? Will I even make my money back? I have tried many things to become debt free, but this is the most stressful.

What have you done in your pursuit of debt freedom? Have you ever took a chance on something that may or may not work as you had planned it? I would love to hear from you!

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While working on my debt snowball, I have tried to earn extra money many different ways. I have written a couple of posts for Smorty and Review Me, sold things on eBay, had a yard sale, taken surveys at Cash Crate and surfed the internet via Swag Bucks.

All of these methods have worked well and I have been able to make a few extra dollars to send off to my student loan. One method that I have not really tried yet is affiliate marketing. As I am a big believer in doing a ton of research before trying anything, I set out to find an affiliate program that would work well for me and this blog. I do not want to try and sell a ton of crap that I would never buy myself. I actually found The PepperJam Network on another blog and decided to give it a try.

The main thing I like about this program is that they have quality vendors. You can sell products for VistaPrint, GoogleGoldMine, Text-Link-Ads, etc. Additionally, Pepperjam has a nice referral program; which I see as a great opportunity to make money by referring your readers to join. You can sell products AND make money on every person that you refer. I think it is something like $7 per referral.

Go check it out and if you like what you see, sign up using any of my affiliate links (banners). I would truly appreciate it. Did I mention it was FREE to sign up!

Join Pepperjam Network today!

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I am always on the lookout for ways to earn extra money online. I will pretty much try anything once and if I hate it, I will never do it again. Most of the time I end up disappointed. I did, however, want to tell you one easy way I found to earn extra money online.

A month ago, I registered to become a member of SwagBucks. As a registered member, each time you perform an internet search via their search engine, you can win swagbucks (think digital dollars). The search results are pretty relevant and are derived from Google and Ask.com. You do not win dollars each time you search, but I usually win about 5 times a day. You can win additional dollars by referring your family and friends. I cannot remember who I signed up under, but now they are winning each time I win.

Once you have accumulated a few dollars you can redeem them for some pretty nice prizes (gift cards, books, gaming systems, rare baseball cards, etc). Earn 50 swagbucks and you can redeem them for a $5 Starbucks card. Win 45 swagbucks can get you a $5 Amazon gift card. You can even save up for a really nice 19 inch HD Flat Screen TV. Like I said the prizes are really worth your time.

Here are a few tips that I use to help “win” more swagbucks:

• When I visit my favorite blogs, I usually type the URL directly into the swagbucks toolbar. This results my desired website showing up first in the search results AND gives me a chance to win.
• Clear your cookies if you have not won after 10 searches. I find that this helps tremendously.
• Use Long-tail keywords in your search. I have found that I can win multiple swagbucks at once if I search for something like “personal finance and budgeting” vs “finance”.
• Realize that you will win about 3 to 5 swagbucks per day. I have never won more than that in one day.
• Save your swagbucks for really good prizes. Do not waste them on small items.

Ready to earn extra money online? Click the banner below and sign up now! When you sign up you will automatically earn 3 swagbucks. Let me know if you sign up so I can thank you!

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