A long time ago I became a writer for Suite 101, where I can publish articles I write on any topic, and get the ad revenue as readers click on ads.
I started in 2008, and have earned about $20 for my 14 articles. The most profitable article is The Rules of Roller Derby, where I explain how this fine game is played. It has the most hits. Next in line for click-ability is a story on the Great American Scream Machine roller coaster's closure and another on the selected quotes of the recently deceased George Steinbrenner.
This is abysmal as a form of income but the site says its really supposed to be lifetime royalties for your writing. Perhaps. But the writers' message boards are filled with writers who say the dollars only roll in once you have more than 100 articles. So, only 86 more to go! (Jesus H. Christ.)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
I'm in the woods
This weekend I enjoyed my first camping trip.
That's frugal living.
Food cooked over a fire. Hotdogs, corn, beans, s'mores. Evenings spent snuggling by the fire, in the peace of the neverending chirp of crickets (I think they were crickets).
Our meals were $12 for the weekend. I made a tray of banana brownies to eat for breakfast or a snack. Lunch was those military self-heating food packs, something Robbie got for Christmas (don't ask [don't tell]), and dinner was the aforementioned hot dogs, corn o'the cob, baked beans and s'more dinner. We made a giant jug of iced tea and slurped it down. On the way home outta the woods we found an ice cream stand on the highway and ate $5 of yumminess.
Anyway, we didn't do anything except walk around, chill out in a foldable chair, build fires and rent a canoe for an hour. The camp site was $20 a night (we split the cost of the first night) and the canoe rental was $15. We brought wood we split back at home.
I would really recommend camping as a great way to spend a weekend, cheaply. $35 in room and board, $12 in food, $15 in entertainment, and at risk of sounding cliche, a lifetime of memories.
That's frugal living.
Food cooked over a fire. Hotdogs, corn, beans, s'mores. Evenings spent snuggling by the fire, in the peace of the neverending chirp of crickets (I think they were crickets).
Our meals were $12 for the weekend. I made a tray of banana brownies to eat for breakfast or a snack. Lunch was those military self-heating food packs, something Robbie got for Christmas (don't ask [don't tell]), and dinner was the aforementioned hot dogs, corn o'the cob, baked beans and s'more dinner. We made a giant jug of iced tea and slurped it down. On the way home outta the woods we found an ice cream stand on the highway and ate $5 of yumminess.
Anyway, we didn't do anything except walk around, chill out in a foldable chair, build fires and rent a canoe for an hour. The camp site was $20 a night (we split the cost of the first night) and the canoe rental was $15. We brought wood we split back at home.
I would really recommend camping as a great way to spend a weekend, cheaply. $35 in room and board, $12 in food, $15 in entertainment, and at risk of sounding cliche, a lifetime of memories.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
I'm an online reseller of books
Among the many ways I am piercing together a dollar here and a dollar there is on Amazon, where I am selling off my unloved and unread and unplayed items in my library.
It's super easy. You sign up to be a seller, click SELL SHIT and enter in an ISBN and a brief description of the quality of the item you're holding. It sells, Amazon takes an unreasonable commission, but gives you a more-than-enough shipping credit to make up for it (I guess, if you consider a $1 shipping profit some amazing thing).
So far I've sold 8 items and had about $40 deposited into my bank account. The 8 items I sold cost about $3 to ship, so I've made a $16 profit, whoopitydo. It's about an extra $5 so if my math serves it's an estimate $250 extra annually.
So yeah, whoopee!
It's super easy. You sign up to be a seller, click SELL SHIT and enter in an ISBN and a brief description of the quality of the item you're holding. It sells, Amazon takes an unreasonable commission, but gives you a more-than-enough shipping credit to make up for it (I guess, if you consider a $1 shipping profit some amazing thing).
So far I've sold 8 items and had about $40 deposited into my bank account. The 8 items I sold cost about $3 to ship, so I've made a $16 profit, whoopitydo. It's about an extra $5 so if my math serves it's an estimate $250 extra annually.
So yeah, whoopee!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Mint that
Mint.com is my best friend.
It's like Quicken, for the Internet, but more helpful. You input all your credit card, student loan, investment, savings/checking account info, and it spits back updated info about what is going on with that account. In addition, it will see all your Dunkin Donuts transactions, whether you pay with debit card numero uno or with a credit card. So you can track spending across categories.
This was an eye opener. I saw where I was hemorrhaging money, regardless of the account I used to pay for these purchases. Mint also deduced my net worth (*sob!*) and could track my income/spending/lots-of-stuff over many different filters and search settings. Maybe I wanted to compare May income to July income. Or see how one bank account was doing this week compared with last. Or how much I was spending on gasoline in April compared with August.
In addition to these invaluable tools, Mint allowed me to set up financial goals, and track my progress and see how I was sticking to a budget.
In other words, Mint.com is the bomb, yo. I love it. It is incredibly invaluable. Hopefully it won't get hacked into and make me a victim of identify theft, but I digress.
It's like Quicken, for the Internet, but more helpful. You input all your credit card, student loan, investment, savings/checking account info, and it spits back updated info about what is going on with that account. In addition, it will see all your Dunkin Donuts transactions, whether you pay with debit card numero uno or with a credit card. So you can track spending across categories.
This was an eye opener. I saw where I was hemorrhaging money, regardless of the account I used to pay for these purchases. Mint also deduced my net worth (*sob!*) and could track my income/spending/lots-of-stuff over many different filters and search settings. Maybe I wanted to compare May income to July income. Or see how one bank account was doing this week compared with last. Or how much I was spending on gasoline in April compared with August.
In addition to these invaluable tools, Mint allowed me to set up financial goals, and track my progress and see how I was sticking to a budget.
In other words, Mint.com is the bomb, yo. I love it. It is incredibly invaluable. Hopefully it won't get hacked into and make me a victim of identify theft, but I digress.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Oh, about $60,000, give or take
Today I was checking out the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States of America. This fine entity compiles a fascinating amount of data that never fails to depress me. Data about unemployment, about job prospects, about pay and benefits.
This link http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cesan.htm directs you to a regularly compiled bit of information that spells out how Americans spend their money. The average spent on housing, on groceries, on transportation.
For me, it gave some insight as to how much you have to earn, to spend money on these things.
In other words, I needs me some $60,000 annually if I was a family of 2.5.
See what I mean about the depressing stuff?
The figure is climbing. According to their data, in 2006 consumer expenditures totaled $48,000ish, and in 2008 it is a reported $50,000ish. Over that time period, pre-tax income went from $60,000 to $63,000. The biggest chunk of spending went toward housing and then transportation.
If you contrast that over a longer period, which the BLS happily does for us, you will see a drastic difference between 1988 spending and 2008. (I assume that's because price has risen and I make a bold assumption) Of particular note is spending on food: $3,700 in 1988 compared with $6400 in 2008. Sheesh.
Thoroughly depressed.
This link http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cesan.htm directs you to a regularly compiled bit of information that spells out how Americans spend their money. The average spent on housing, on groceries, on transportation.
For me, it gave some insight as to how much you have to earn, to spend money on these things.
In other words, I needs me some $60,000 annually if I was a family of 2.5.
See what I mean about the depressing stuff?
The figure is climbing. According to their data, in 2006 consumer expenditures totaled $48,000ish, and in 2008 it is a reported $50,000ish. Over that time period, pre-tax income went from $60,000 to $63,000. The biggest chunk of spending went toward housing and then transportation.
If you contrast that over a longer period, which the BLS happily does for us, you will see a drastic difference between 1988 spending and 2008. (I assume that's because price has risen and I make a bold assumption) Of particular note is spending on food: $3,700 in 1988 compared with $6400 in 2008. Sheesh.
Thoroughly depressed.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Syonara, socks
Let me first say: I play roller derby. A sport that comes with a high concentration of socks. Thigh-highs, knee-highs, tights, footless leggings, stockings, and probably more. Ones in your league colors, ones in your team's colors, ones for travel team bouts, ones for novelty bouts, ones loved ones have bought you. SOCKS! Lots of them!
Indeed, I even have socks that are of the non-derby variety, for work/play/leisure/winter/summer. Unfortunately I also have a fascination with vintage stockings, the fishnet and seamed varieties. Lo, I have three drawers just of socks.
WTF is wrong with me.
So as part of the 100 Things Challenge, I'm coming to grips with my sock surplus. I've loaded up all my lesser-worn socks and am bringing them to derby practice, for all the new girls to scoop up. I don't even care if they go for 50 cent each. Take 'em.
It was two giant bags of stuff. I came back home with nothing, save for 22 extra dollars.
Indeed, I even have socks that are of the non-derby variety, for work/play/leisure/winter/summer. Unfortunately I also have a fascination with vintage stockings, the fishnet and seamed varieties. Lo, I have three drawers just of socks.
WTF is wrong with me.
So as part of the 100 Things Challenge, I'm coming to grips with my sock surplus. I've loaded up all my lesser-worn socks and am bringing them to derby practice, for all the new girls to scoop up. I don't even care if they go for 50 cent each. Take 'em.
It was two giant bags of stuff. I came back home with nothing, save for 22 extra dollars.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
High Yield Checking Accounts
A couple months ago I looked down at Rob's mail and saw his bank, Kearny Savings, was offering a 3.51% checking account.
I was stunned. 3.51 seemed like an amazing amazing amazing percentage rate. I immediately opened an account. The only parameters toward earning the high rate was to have an automatic payment billed from the account, have paperless statements, and agree to make at least 10 debit card transactions.
It's so easy. Any leftover money, any random scrap of anything, I plow into that account, so it can earn some interest.
I calculated the amount of extra dough I've earned in interest, over my previous checking accounts. I've racked up an added $24.95 in the three months of this account's existence. Not bad; the previous interest income for the whole year was $5.16 in the other accounts.
I was stunned. 3.51 seemed like an amazing amazing amazing percentage rate. I immediately opened an account. The only parameters toward earning the high rate was to have an automatic payment billed from the account, have paperless statements, and agree to make at least 10 debit card transactions.
It's so easy. Any leftover money, any random scrap of anything, I plow into that account, so it can earn some interest.
I calculated the amount of extra dough I've earned in interest, over my previous checking accounts. I've racked up an added $24.95 in the three months of this account's existence. Not bad; the previous interest income for the whole year was $5.16 in the other accounts.
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