BAD ECONOMY (stretching your money)

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I've definitely felt the pinch. I've been out of work twicve in four years. Due to helth reasons I'm the only bread winner in the house now, and Social Security Disability doesn't want to approve the spouse of an american with a heart condition and now a major gatric sysytem problem that may well lead to her not being able to eat solid food FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE. To save our house we were forced into Chapter 13 bankruptcy. We are back on our feet now, but it's terrifying knowing that one more bump on the road will probably be the end of our home.

I had to sell my Dodge Ram a couple years ago as we had to go dow to one car. We bought a used Satrun Vue and it's nice and gets decent milage for a small SUV. Then I bought my Jeep 2 years ago. 1970 vintage. I paid $600 for it and have been driving it for local errands for 2+ years now. Best $600 I've spent. And it was MADE IN AMERICA.

On the bright side, I read the other day that the "experts" predict now that the US economy will "skirt a reccession". Don't know who they are talking too, but we are already in one, and have been for over a year.
 
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Well folks instead of letting the pols let the mega corps rip us off and then do nothing about it ourselves. Stop complaining and VOTE!!!! Buy American, I wish I could but it takes a half a tank of gas to find it if you can. And while were at it lets go to the Dentist and get the Chinese lead back in our diet and------ Oh wrong post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
For a long time, LOML and I have combine our major grocery and other major shopping with trips home from work, no going out for that purpose. We do go to a movie on occasion but LOML checks out the matinee or other discounted time, or senior citizen discount times (some over 50, some over 55, and some over 60). We try to combine that with when we are in the area.

We use Skype for a majority of our long distance phone calls and Skype video for our grown girls. Since we started this (from Japan) we have saved an average of $150.00 a month. (If I want to stay married, this is as important to LOML as eating is to me.)

While the initial cost was a nearly $200.00, replacing most of our Japan house incandescent bulbs with good fluorescent bulbs has reduced our summer heat inside the house to the savings of about $100.00 a month from May - Sept. We did this on our USA house where my daughter lives and she saved about $60.00 a month for the June - Sept time frame last year. I replaced the ones in our Japan home in 2005 and have only replaced one bulb in that whole time. However, Our USA house has had one bulb (out of 24) go bad within one year (since last May).

One habit that I have picked up in Japan - I do ride my bicycle more and for local shopping, for exercise and for a time together, LOML and I use the bikes for that.
 
Hang on to every dime you can---Our internet bill is $9.95 per month---shut the cable TV off. I go to town once a week to get food. If we stop buying it-- they will have to lower the price. Deer season is going to open early this year.:D
 
Online bill payment can save the average household about $10 per month in postage and envelopes. Also, put your "instant on" appliances on power strips and power the strip down when the item is not in use. Otherwise, the item is trickling away energy and increasing your electric bill. You can also pull the plug, but at my age I hate having to bend over to pull the plug out and put it back in. :D
 
Moderator please delete this thread, it is to depressing [V] :D Maybe color me lucky, but I chose to make more money, so I can spend more. Maybe I am a work o holic. I believe in work hard, play hard. I use to rant and rave in my household, turn off the lights, lower the A/C, cut coupons and everyone else would look at me like I was from another planet.:( I never wanted for anything when I grew up, My pops worked two jobs, paid cash for everything, was never in debt, lived in a house with 1 bathromm for us all. The generation growing up today has no clue on hard times (me included) Think things are bad now, just wait. We are about to pay for the high life we had and the personal and national debt we put oursevles in. We have a goverment with no clue [xx(] Think about the last time Georgy pulled into a self serv station to fill er up and buy a gallon of milk. [:0] They play Santa Claus to the world with our money and want to police the world as well. Our corporate CEO's raid the tills for millions, while slashing the work force and moving to shell companies off shore, just for the bottom line to the shareholders. [xx(] I could go on, but I think I am getting political :D

SO I chose to go into work today (6 days a week) to make extra money so I can stock up on ammo and rations for when the day comes. :)
Oh and my tip for stretching your money.......I just picked up the Namiki and Pilot lines, hell not everybody is going to be able to afford a Penchetta, I will need a 2.00 Pilot to sell them :D Oh and look for the Pilot G2 gel refills coming to addvertising section soon [8D] (I'm bad) [}:)] :D

Lou, I thought that's why they invented the "clapper" for old farts likes us :)
 
I purchase premium gas. I get between 3 and 4 miles per gallon more on Premium versus Regular. If I put 10 gallons in, cost is approximately an extra $2 (.20 x 10) per fill-up. If I go 40 miles further (which I do), that's an extra 1.66 gallons I've saved. 1.66 x $3.45 = $5.72. Subtract the $2 I paid for the premium versus regular gas and I save $3.72 a tank.

I fill up about 6-7 times per month due to the fact I have to drive 50 miles (1 way) to attend school. (I don't go every day)

Added benefit is, I can hear and feel the difference in my engine.

I think we'll see + $5/gal this summer, so every little bit helps. (US)

It took a couple of tanks to finally see the maximum mpg.
 
Had a house fire in May of 2006, lost everything. Replaced all appliances with energy star and high efficiency lighting. Also lots of insulation, outside walls are R35 with stone face, attic has 16" of insulation. Roof has solar collectors. Water heater is on demand. Furnace is water sourced heat pump, with coal and wood burning furnace next to it. Meets all emission standards. Have a wood lot out back so wood is cost of my labor and gas. Turn the stat down to 69 degrees and wear sweaters in house. Cut my el. bill by half. Gas and diesel our delivered in 1,000 gal. bulk shipments each. Have a contract with supplier for $2.25 per gal for gas and $2.75 for desel. That price changes in September 08, at the end of the first contract year but supplier can only raise price by 1/3 becouse I have a 5 year contract. I can order up to 2,000 gal. of each per quarter under contract so two more 1,000 gal tanks are on order to be installed in about 10 days. Food, buy in bulk BJ's discount club. Raise my own veg. in summer and can or freeze. Meat have chickens and guinea fowl on free range, raise cattle now have 25 head also on free range and enough hay in barn that I cut and bale from south field for year. If I didn't do these things I could not afford to turn. Work for HUD so have access to info on latest housing energy fixes.
 
Originally posted by PenWorks

I chose to make more money, so I can spend more. Maybe I am a work o holic. I believe in work hard, play hard.
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Anthony,

A lot of people think like you and work as hard as you but to some, opportunities are elusive and hard as they try, making ends meet is sometimes difficult.

I know we make our own destiny and I don't always agree with luck but...
 
Originally posted by PenWorks

I chose to make more money, so I can spend more. Maybe I am a work o holic. I believe in work hard, play hard
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Anthony

I'm in the same boat as you, but not everyone is as lucky. I know a family where the husband works seven days a week at two jobs and the wife works also. They live week to week, paycheck to paycheck. All they can afford at a time is a weeks worth of heating oil. If it happens to be extra cold that week they need to make a choice between more heating fuel or food for their kids. A tough choice that I'm thankful I don't have to make.

Have some compassion, just because they can't make ends meet doesn't mean they are not trying to make ends meet anyway they can.
 
Ron & Dario,I count my blessings every morning and every night. I donate at least 50 pens a year for local charities and fund raisers not to mention my cash. That's why this discussion bothers me so much, when I see two parents both working and still are below the poverty level in this country and one paycheck from going bust. They aren't enough stretching tips in the world for this couple. [V] I think it is called the middle class of America now.
 
Originally posted by Dario


Survival tips today...so you can fight another day.

;):D
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Sounds good to me. :) I hope the day does not come when I need my gas mask, rations and guns, but I got em and I'm ready ;)

Now as much as I would like to discuss this, I need to get my but in the shop and make some twist pens for Serge :)

Oh, my last good tip is my new Pen Mobile gets 60+ miles to the gallon. You never know when gas rationing may start again.
 
Originally posted by PenWorks

I think it is called the middle class of America now.
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I heard that word once but think it was from some time back, I must be too young to remimber it.:D Find was to make more money!! Think its bad watch some foreign news threads. Like I said in an earlier post their is always a bright side to every situation.
 
I’m one that does not want to blame the government or any political party for any situation I find myself in. It seems many out there think the government owes them a living. One of my old bosses used a powerful phrase made up of a bunch of two letter words “If it is to be, it is up to me.†You’re hurting yourself if you think the government owes you something. The whole whining over the mortgage scandal chaps my backside. Why should my tax dollars pay for someone getting into a mortgage they shouldn’t have?
Like Anthony, LOML and I grew up poor, very poor. My dad worked his butt off. I watched and learned. He retired from Western Electric (ATT &T) after 32 years there. He was 50 then. Yes, he started with them right out of high school. He then went to Nortel. He retired from them after 15 years. Two pensions, not bad. My dad worked on my uncles’ farm for his vacation for many years. My uncle gave him ½ beef instead of pay. With 5 kids, we needed that meat.
I worked on that farm for 7 summers and 1 whole year. Most of the time we put in more than 80 hours per week. Never knew what my friends did during the summer. The farm was two hours away from my home town. When I joined the work force, 99% of the guys would say, “well I put my 8 hours in†or “I have 40 hours in for the week, I’m done.†I never really understood an 8 hour day. LOML and I do not have college degrees. However we have risen nicely in our jobs. She is now a bank manager and I was a Vice President for a fortune 500 pest control company. I now own my own Pest Control company. I started out crawling through the bowels of grain elevators in North Dakota, killing rats and mice. We did it through hard work. Nobody handed us anything, especially the government.
Unless they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, everybody has gone through tough times in their life. Money saving tips are great and they do help. The best thing you can do for yourself is improve your worth to your employer. Go the extra mile, put in the extra hour, learn other responsibilities than what you’re being paid for. Believe me, you won’t be the one they lay off. If you are, take what you’ve learned and apply it at another job. Just my 2 cents. Nobody is going to read this anyway, it’s too long. If you did thanks for listening.
 
Originally posted by Tanner

I’m one that does not want to blame the government or any political party for any situation I find myself in.
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I have to respectfully disagree...the government can influence our lives tremendously IMHO.

Originally posted by Tanner

Nobody handed us anything, especially the government.

Unless they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, everybody has gone through tough times in their life. Money saving tips are great and they do help. The best thing you can do for yourself is improve your worth to your employer. Go the extra mile, put in the extra hour, learn other responsibilities than what you’re being paid for. Believe me, you won’t be the one they lay off. If you are, take what you’ve learned and apply it at another job. Just my 2 cents. Nobody is going to read this anyway, it’s too long. If you did thanks for listening.
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I too never took any hand out from the government though I pay all my SSS, tax, etc.

You are mistaken (again :D) I read all of it LOL.

Good words and tips. Sometimes being indispensable is not enough (look at the closed companies). Even if you are good, if no on is hiring...it is tough to find a job. It sure gives you an edge though.

Love to hear/read success stories. Thanks for sharing.
 
Originally posted by Tanner

1 I’m one that does not want to blame the government or 2 any political party for any situation I find myself in. It seems many out there think the government owes them a living. 3 One of my old bosses used a powerful phrase made up of a bunch of two letter words “If it is to be, it is up to me.†You’re hurting yourself if you think the government owes you something. 4 The whole whining over the mortgage scandal chaps my backside. 5 Why should my tax dollars pay for someone getting into a mortgage they shouldn’t have?
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If we are talking about our current economic situation then,
1. Politicians have a lot of blame on thier shoulders
2. Both parties are equally to blame
3. Smart man
4. Agreed
5. While this bothers me too, I think it our economy would be worse if all these people defaulted on their loans. I believe the greedy mortgage companies should foot a good portion of the problems by 1) reducing the interest rete to 2% above prime and locking it there for 5 years while no more than a 2% increase after that while still not going above 2% prime. Also they should forgive a large portion of the interest that they over charged.

I'll tell you what really bothers me, the people who bought investment properties are going to benefit from this bail out too.
 
Originally posted by Tanner

I started out crawling through the bowels of grain elevators in North Dakota, killing rats and mice.
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How can you harm those furry little fellers? They just to eat like you and me! [:0]
I do Animal Damage Control work here in Iowa. I focus on the non domestic critters that the pest control companies don’t want to deal with. Tomorrow (Sunday morning) I will be waist deep in a slush filled drainage ditch doing battle with beavers at a new job. If a customer calls me at 0300 (3am) I go do the job. I charge the same as if it were a normal workday, whatever that is. I am a retired Marine and have become a professional trapper. I sell the furs that the market will buy. I heat with wood. The city was paying to dispose of the trees they cut. Now they dump the big logs in my back yard, I cut, split, and stack the wood right in my yard. The city saves $90.00 a ton by me taking the logs. I don’t have to deal with brush and clean up plus I don’t have to find the trees. To keep the neighbors happy I give them all the campfire wood they want during the summer and they don’t complain about my chainsaws and log splitter. I don’t have a heat bill in the winter. All of this requires labor….
It's funny how many Americans think manual labor is the President of Mexico.
 
I have to agree with Tim, and applaude his statements. My story is incredibly similar in that I grew up rural and dirt poor. I have no college education (couldnt afford it) and have done ok for my family. I am not a VP of a fortune 500 company, just a construction guy. I have a great home, cars, hobbies, ect, and even a little left over at the end of the month. The only financial problems I've ever had were a direct result of my own stupidity. In my 42 years I have simply worked smart, worked hard, and took responsibility for my situation.

Things change in economies and governments and if I let them impact my life, it's my fault for not seeing it coming or adapting to different methods. It would be like saying that because Bill at work did "X", I didnt get a raise. No, I didnt get a raise because I put myself in a position to let Bills actions affect me. In my area we are experiencing a construction down turn (as a result of bad politics) but we have seen this coming for a while and made changes in marketing and methods. While most companies are panicking, I just got another nice bonus because we are doing well. I blame myself for the bad situations I get in because that gives me the power to get myself out and avoid them in the future.
 
Originally posted by Tanner

I’m one that does not want to blame the government or any political party for any situation I find myself in. It seems many out there think the government owes them a living. One of my old bosses used a powerful phrase made up of a bunch of two letter words “If it is to be, it is up to me.†You’re hurting yourself if you think the government owes you something. The whole whining over the mortgage scandal chaps my backside. Why should my tax dollars pay for someone getting into a mortgage they shouldn’t have?
Like Anthony, LOML and I grew up poor, very poor. My dad worked his butt off. I watched and learned. He retired from Western Electric (ATT &T) after 32 years there. He was 50 then. Yes, he started with them right out of high school. He then went to Nortel. He retired from them after 15 years. Two pensions, not bad. My dad worked on my uncles’ farm for his vacation for many years. My uncle gave him ½ beef instead of pay. With 5 kids, we needed that meat.
I worked on that farm for 7 summers and 1 whole year. Most of the time we put in more than 80 hours per week. Never knew what my friends did during the summer. The farm was two hours away from my home town. When I joined the work force, 99% of the guys would say, “well I put my 8 hours in†or “I have 40 hours in for the week, I’m done.†I never really understood an 8 hour day. LOML and I do not have college degrees. However we have risen nicely in our jobs. She is now a bank manager and I was a Vice President for a fortune 500 pest control company. I now own my own Pest Control company. I started out crawling through the bowels of grain elevators in North Dakota, killing rats and mice. We did it through hard work. Nobody handed us anything, especially the government.
Unless they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, everybody has gone through tough times in their life. Money saving tips are great and they do help. The best thing you can do for yourself is improve your worth to your employer. Go the extra mile, put in the extra hour, learn other responsibilities than what you’re being paid for. Believe me, you won’t be the one they lay off. If you are, take what you’ve learned and apply it at another job. Just my 2 cents. Nobody is going to read this anyway, it’s too long. If you did thanks for listening.
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Well said. Hard work has paid off for me as well. 20 years ago I survived two rounds of lay offs at a place where I had less than a year in. I have always thought that I would rather work myself out of a job, than just do meet minimum requirements. I have no college, either, and do well where I am at. Had a guy tell me the other day he heard of a great job, his friend said he could start out making $21 an hour, driving a fork lift. It is a goverment job, imagine that. I see more people with those kind of jobs have a worse attitude than a guy that works his tail off for much less.
 
Originally posted by n4631x

Originally posted by ed4copies

Originally posted by n4631x

Originally posted by ed4copies


(color me stupid, where did the Hershey's jobs go???? We still eat chocolate, where's it being made now?? )
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Monterey, Mexico, The newest hotspot of American Corps.
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Thanks Nolan. IF it helps at all, Mexico is complaining that all the trinkets sold in Mexico City are now made in China - they can't understand why these "trinket jobs" left their country!!!

(I find a certain amount of irony in that)
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LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! classic
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Try this one, I had to put new brake cylinders on my 70 VW, I ordered the parts from Autozone, the parts were in a bag that was packaged in Mexico, but the parts were made in CHINA, I was a bit miffed when my VW parts started coming from Brazil (I've owned this beetle for close to 20 years) Now China is opening a truck manufacturing plant in Tijuana. you really have to love NAFTA I'm helping train Machinists, Why? none of them speak Chinese, they can barely speak English, but they are all High School graduates, where are these people going to find work?
 
Not a sob story or pity me, just the facts...
We have learned to stretch the dollar. I was in a cycle crash and broke everything from my neck to my legs. Wife quit he job to take care of me. I'm now on disability.She just started working again at about 1/2 the rate as before but, the extra is nice... Plus it is only 2 miles from our home.

To make things work we plan our monthly spending down to the dollar...Money goes into an envelope for each bill, each month. Extra envelope is for food,gas etc.
--Have two older vehicles, min. insurance coverage...
--no cell
--no cable
--turn the heat down (sweat shirts), no air in the summer..
--If item is not used a lot and can be, it is unplugged.
--Shop at goodwill/dollar store/Craigs list. Garage sales..My drill press, $12.00, Band saw $18.00
--Roman noodles can be doctored up and are very good.
--Buy day old bread/marked down foods/meats/freeze them...
--Use coupons, they add up...
--Local grocery store has coupons for .20 cents off a gal.of gas up to 40 gal. Fill the vehicles up,extra into gas can.
--Plant a garden, can /freeze items to use the rest of the year.
--Make my own dog food..
--Make my own root-beer (I love it) $6 for 5 gallons...
--Buy whole turkey/chicken and cook/freeze...
--Catch our own fish/freeze.
--Drive, only as needed and then plan the trip for other stops.
--Purchase on-line when have free shipping/discounted. Cheaper then running around and spending gas money.
--I enter contests on-line--Is entertainment and have won some good stuff..... If not needed sell it...I just won a $100 Wendy's gift card so we eat out now and then,only at Wendy's...;)
--Do on line surveys for $$. Not much $ this month but I was able to get 1 entry into Mega raffle.:D
--Pen stuff,my low stress hobby, I do not buy unless I sell something. Then I wait until item is on sale or can get quantity discount=free shipping. Special order is different as customer will pay. Pick up free wood.

Most of all, keep your chin up and be thankful for what you do have..... Smile now and then, it makes a big difference..
[8D]:D
 
I have to say I agree with a lot that has been said in the last few posts. What I have a problem with is senior execs in companies making multi millions while they are running the business into the ground. If the compensation was based on performance of the company not the price of the stock then we might see a lot less of the rank and file loosing their life savings and retirements while some CEO gets a multimillion dollar going away present when they are fired. What I blame the government for is not enforcing the laws that are on the books to protect the workers and lack of oversight that allows the Enrons and Mortgage disasters to occur in the first place. I don't see it as attributable to any party or administration its a systemic breakdown that takes a huge crisis to get the attention of those who should have been watching all along. When a twenty something high school dropout can get a quarter million dollar mortgage with no money down and a variable rate that starts at far less than prime you would have to be blind not to see it's a recipe for disaster. I use this example because I saw it happen to a young man in my town. The realtor and mortgage broker persuaded him that he could afford this because he would be making more money when the rate increased. In my mind that is criminal and those involved should loose their licensing if not pay fines commensurate to the damage they have done. Ok I'll get down off my soap box before I really go off on a rant.
 
Wow, Mitch, it sounds like you’ve done a good job in cutting the fat out. Sounds like you could start a web site on ways to be be thrifty. Romain Noodles are still one of my favorites. I just turned 50 the other day and my wife always makes my favorite meal for that, Macaroni and Cheese, with cheese weinies if she really wants treat me. It’s what my brothers and sisters and I grew up on. When LOML and I were first married it was pretty tough. To help on our rent we looked for an apartment mangers job. Got one at a 48 apartment complex. Lived there for free because I said I would do the lawn, shovel the sidewalk, shampoo carpets and clean and paint apartments when someone moves out. I was also in the National Guard at the time making a little extra money. We also sold Amway, mostly to ourselves for the apartment building cleaning and light bulbs and stuff. We also did the Mystery Shopper thing for awhile. Didn’t have money for Pampers (yes we had Pampers that far back), so we bought cloth diapers. When we did’nt have the money for the laundry machine we washed the diapers in the tub and dried them with a hair dryer if my son needed a clean one quick. At nights I worked at an arcade in Fargo til midnight. From midnight til 3:00am I did the janitors job. I use to take a yard stick and scrape under the machines looking for quarters. Back then you could buy Macaroni and Cheese .25 per box. You cans see how important those quarters were. There’s always a way to get by.
Anyway I still shop at the dollar store, Costco etc. and wait for things to go on sale. I just bought all the guys that work for me a Costco card. I know it helps. They have cheaper gas there too.
 
Here is an idea: Lets all get $20 from Rudy Vey!

Rudy
Central New Jersey
'If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.'

(Ducking and running for cover)
Chris
 
Here's my favorite money saving tip:

Brew your own beer!

It's a fun hobby, and once the initial setup is purchased (or made) it comes to about 60cents/bottle, as opposed to easily over $1 for good microbrew.

Now with the building slump seems to be hitting us cabinetmakers (I'm doing 20-30hrs/wk:(, but still doing fine cuz I live cheaply and I get paid pretty well for my age), it's actually getting to be kind of scary. My boss say's he's never been this consistently slow. I've pondered trying to find another part-time job, but I am a skilled craftsman, and I'd hate to put myself in a job where thats not appreciated. In two and a half years since I started working I've managed to more than double my starting wages and even be placed in charge of my own shop and other employees. But sometimes I did work 18 hr days, not often, but I was the one the company knew they could count on when something needed to be done NOW. I left that job when I felt I had reached the ceiling there. I nudged two other employees out of my current job by learning to do everything they could and I am now the sole employee, even my boss (a cabinetmaker of 30+years) doesn't work in the shop anymore because I do everything. I try to learn as much as I can about my job, and related areas, to make myself increasingly valuable, but sometimes there is a point when your company doesn't need or want to pay an overly qualified person, so its time to go elsewhere. I still fear that one day I'll be replaced by robots capable of building custom cabinets and those that can manufacture and program them, but hey, this is turning into a rambling rant, sorry. Thanks for reading it anyways.

The main thing I'm trying to say is: Hard work pays off, and for the time being at least, I'm far better off than any of my classmates who took the college route. Not to knock college, but it's not for everybody.

Oh, and hey Rudy, can I borrow $20?[:p]
 
This is something that my wife and I addressed a couple of months ago. While we're blessed to have a solid, (relatively) stable income the money just seemed to float away by the end of the month. We looked at our overall debts and realized that we owed on a mortgage, two cars, and a student load we'd been paying on for 10 years. Meanwhile I had money in CDs earning 4% interest while I was paying 5.9% on my car. It didn't make sense.

We started the Dave Ramsey program (www.daveramsey.com) and got on a written budget, complete with cash envelopes at the beginning of each month. It's amazing how much more control you feel like you have when every dollar has a purpose attached to it and you have it all on paper. It was amazing to really look back and see how much money we had been wasting without even thinking about it. For example, I'm saving over $100 a month just by taking my lunch to work with me instead of eating out every day. Sorry if this came across as a Dave Ramsey commercial, but this has really been a life changing experience for us.

BTW, as of last week I have a paid off car for the first time in my adult life. Woo hoo!!:D:D
 
Dave Ramsey's stuff is good sense. My wife and I went through and even taught the class a couple of times and watched it do good things for people. We are not as disciplined in it as we should be. My wife thinks we have cut back well, I still see a lot of waste, so....
 
In college, I lived off of spaghetti, cereal, and Ramen. For me, after years of struggle, the key to financial independence was not saving more, but earning more. There's a definite limit to how much you can save. I was earning something like $4000 a year and putting myself through school. I've done the saving route to the extreme. Along the way, I've found that if you find a very niche market, and you're the best at what you do or have the best product in that niche, you can call your own shots on the pricing and marketing of it. The people will seek out your stuff. The Internet (which I never had time for or money for when I was in saving mode) has become my sole income producer. If you have a website and the ability to sell things on the Internet, you will always have the ability to have a supplimental income. There's no need to jump ship from a good job until you get established.

My first foray involved trying to get cash to pay off big business debt in order to be able buy a house. When I had my bike parts business, I had received a big order of cranks (something like 50 pair) from Austria where money never came through. I was left holding the bag for all the labor and materials at a time when business was slow anyway, and it was the final straw that sent me over the edge. I had to shut down the business and all that I had worked for. I moved and worked for another company. While paying every cent to pay off business credit card debt, I later scraped the $20 a month for the Internet and wrote a free website where I tried to sell some of the bike parts inventory I had laying around. As word got out, I was amazed to sell every bit of the stuff I had! It allowed me to get out of debt and improve my credit enough to get 100% financing for that house. I tried to think of what else I could sell on the Internet when I remembered how well my wedding rings used to do. To make a long story short, it worked well enough to pay off the house in 24 months and not have to worry about finances again.

The moral of the story is this; saving will only do so much and will put you into a mindset of lack and loss and scraping by and how bad things are and things like that. Putting the infrastructure to sell things on the Internet opens up possibilities where all you can think of is new opportunities and growth and new products and new markets and thinking what if. There's little downside to trying. You don't need stuff in stock; you can make to order. Websites can be free or of little cost. The info on how to make a website is on the Internet. I never knew HTML, but I learned. If you really want to turn things around, this is the way that I've found that really works. The Internet's a big place. If you have a product that's unique enough, someone will want it and will pay you well for it.
 
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