Money on the Side Hustle

In case you haven't noticed - our collective economic stability is crumbling all around us. Our world is trying really hard to pay its bills and keep its job. America, in particular has been living way beyond its means for far too long. I hear the chant of my grandmother's pastor playing over and over in my head. "Live within your means, live within your means" he would have everybody repeat three times every Sunday.
And speaking of Christ, there are holidays coming up and all the retailers are crapping in their pants because suddenly, everyone wants to get creative this year and make handcrafted gifts. Even the tech industry is biting the bullet. Talk about a dry spell.
And you can't blame us. Layoffs are the new promotions and aside from gas, not much else is getting cheaper. Have you purchased a carton of eggs lately?!
My point is...how are we expected to live our lives as normally as possible under these ridiculous circumstances? We're not accustomed to living within our means - therefore, we must grow more means.
Here are some examples of ways to make a couple extra bucks. They're simple, require very little effort and can sometimes be interesting. And anybody can do them (no special talents needed):

University Psychology Experiments
Wait, wait. I know it sounds crazy. But I've done these before - there are no needles or other physically intrusive instruments. Mostly these experiments involve a written questionnaire or time spent looking at and responding to images on a screen. This is level A of the 'money on the side' hustle (aka "MOTSH") and can gain anywhere from $10-$50 per hour for experiments that last 1-3 hours, and I've seen returns as high as $500 for overnight sleep studies. More for 'effects of skydiving' studies - plus they pay for your whole skydiving experience (lessons included). Check your local university psychology department walls for posts. Take notes and start making contact. In NYC, I recommend NYU and Columbia.

Get focused
Focus groups. Every smart company needs at least one of these. Basically, companies across the spectrum like to test out the habits of their audiences, and they do this by assembling focus groups of about 10-15 people who they consider to be their "target market". They sit you down and ask you a bunch of questions about...your favorite soft drink...how often you drive during the summer...which shaving cream textures you're most comfortable with. These normally last up to two hours and pay on average $100/hr. And you usually get to walk away with a free product or two.
Check em:
Focusgroup.com
focusroom.com
findfocusgroups.com


This excerpt from the film Focus Room gives an accurate depiction of the focus room experience ;)

There are many other hustles I can list. Tutoring. eBay. Offering various skills and talents on craigslist (not in that section!). But the theme in today's entry is simplicity. Hustles that require very little thinking, cuz face it, sometimes we need to just veg out. I don't know about you all, but my brain is on overload. I don't have a sustainable amount of energy for strategizing and planning for my MOTSH.
If you have some similar MOTSH's, please share in the comments space.

$MH Manifesto

I know I haven't been a loyal blogger these past couple of months and for that I sincerely apologize. Through these "tough economic times" I'm sure we're all struggling to find some sense of clarity and direction when it comes to our own personal finances...our stability...our capacity to maintain fabulousness. Which leads me to this, what I call the $MH Manifesto ($MH = $ave Money, Honey). Read it. Live it. Enjoy.




$ave Money Honey ($MH) is a lifestyle guide. All who follow the beliefs, attitudes and suggestions of $MH are members of a class. This class echoes a standard appropriate to the current times, faithful to the mantras set forth by the ancients, and likely to continue to set the pace in the future.
To take care of oneself - that is the shared goal of the $MH class. One's self is a masterpiece comprised of spirit, mind, body, family, friends, lovers, planet, work, finances, and fun. All must operate at high frequencies in order to achieve fabulousness. And fabulousness we all deserve. But we must respect this notion of "taking care".
Hence, this blog. $MH publishes tips on how to holistically maintain fabulousness, without breaking the bank*. The idea that spending money will bring us to higher levels of freedom is not entirely true. Oftentimes we neglect to realize the simple belief that we create our surroundings. We design our lives. We read The Secret. We pray. We also don't keep our heads in the clouds. We read Suze Orman. We know where our money is going and where its coming from and how to make sure we keep it coming in. We're smart and we seek freedom to travel, to learn, to love and to feel sensational.
We've fought hard enough, we've dreamed big enough, and we've repented where necessary. Not only do we deserve our freedom, we also deserve to be free of guilt. We've all been tricked into believing that in order for us to enjoy, someone somewhere must suffer. We've identified a very unhealthy habit of turning the other cheek on our brothers and sisters working in sweat shops, in mines, and in kitchens for unlivable wages. We've long since turned the other cheek on our environment. Being indirectly responsible for the oppression of others does not absolve us of our responsibility to care for one another. We haven't given up the possibility of creating change. "That's just the way things are" is simply not a good enough answer anymore. The $MH class is creative enough to develop and share ways of contributing to healthy habits of consumption and leisure - while still achieving fabulousness!
$MH encourages all to step lightly, think critically, and be fly.

Take Care,

$ave Money Honey


*By bank, I mean personal checking accounts, banking institutions and the world bank, alike.

Attn: Online Shopaholics!!

Thanks to this service, I have saved at least 7 hours out of every week...time that would normally be spent combing all the great sale sites for boots, handbags, pants, dresses, shirts and coats to express the changing woman I am today...or the clearance bathing suits, shorts, sandals and summer dresses to express the woman I will be on vacation this winter.

Much thanks to my homegirl for putting me on to this site. How it works: you customize your profile by letting shopittome know what items you're looking for, your favorite designers or retailers, your size, price range and whether you're shopping for a woman, man or child. Then, you receive emails from SITM twice a week, or everyday or once a week, however you'd like, featuring sale items tailored to your desires. It's basically your personal online sale shopper -- brilliant!

I just put an order in for an amazing pair of Diesel overalls...70% off. Yeah. Get into it.

www.shopittome.com honey!

It's a madhouse...

...but you need to experience the fun. I'm going this week in search of "the bag". It's my latest quest.
I know I've been MIA this summer. But in my time away, I've discovered for myself that I would very much like to operate at a higher degree of fabulous.
Higher spirituality, higher standards, higher-end fashion. I'm like a drug-free Styles-P. I'm going this week, who's shopping with me?

SpendMoneyHoney

I've been on hiatus. Sorry...I've had nothing to report as I have shamefully been SPENDING MONEY, HONEY!
Aaaggh! I blame the spring - my wallet was like any other perennial, opening it's colorful petals ever so boldly. All shades of green.
By now, the first blossoms are wilting, and the stable green leaves are taking their positions. At last!
So don't ask me how to save on gifts for spring weddings. I didn't. I couldn't even resist the urge to buy new summer shoes, although I did luck out on a buy one, get one half-off sale. Eh.
But this Sunday (Jun 22) I am celebrating the beginning of the summer season in traditional save money honey style.

$10 Vintage. Funky Fanny's @ Brooklyn Flea
I'll be there at 10 am. It's cash only, which is good. I advise taking out a set amount of money (i.e. $50) and leaving your cards at home cuz you're gonna want to buy EVERYTHING! I went last year and here are just a few of my $10 treasures:





@
Brooklyn Flea
Bishop Loughlin Schoolyard-357 Clermont (Lafayette Ave. btwn Clermont and Vanderbilt), Brooklyn, NY 11238 US

...and another pointer...

Shop Now for Winter Gear
Boots, sweaters, long johns, wool socks, coats. They are all on super-duper sale right now. Stock up! Before you know it, baby, it'll be cold out-side.

Renting a Car?

Sometimes you just wanna rent a car. Maybe you want to take a hassle-free trip to the beach, or maybe you're visiting a new place and you want to get around. Or maybe you just have a bunch of errands to run and need to haul big items. Either way, there is one rule of thumb for renting a car:

Tell them you are renting the car because your car is in the shop.
Many car companies offer lower rates to clients who have cars that are being serviced. They don't ask for any proof that you have a car, so just go ahead and bend the truth a bit. It can save you up to 50%. Check www.enterprise.com
And if you have issues lying, you can always say clever not untrue things that leave out parts of your statements like: my car is under repair (meaning your dream car); or my car is in the shop (as in...I haven't actually bought it yet, its' still in the shop ;)

Vacation for the Mind, Body and Spirit...not the checking account.

I'm back from vacation, having successfully lived it up - fab style. Beach. Poolside. Cocktails. Delicious meals. Sightseeing - all under my budget. (Ka-ching!)
I'm telling you, adopting a savemoneyhoney attitude can make your vacation still a vacation when you return home - instead of eating rice and beans until your third paycheck arrives and you can finally afford a trip to the grocery store. You may even be able to buy a hot new dress for those warm spring days that shows off you gorgeous new tan.

Here are some helpful hints for vacay: the savemoneyhoney way:

Get on the Bus
Do you really need to rent a car? Take cabs everywhere? What better way to get to know the area you're visit then by taking the bus with the locals? You're sure to encounter some interesting characters and you'll be able to sit back and enjoy the scenery instead of focusing on not getting lost. Not to mention...you're only spending a couple coins.

Take it to the Grocery Store
Oftentimes hotels in vacation areas come with kitchens. While these units may cost more than units without kitchens, lets really examine what you end up paying for. Let's say a kitchenette unit costs $40 more a night than a unit without a kitchen...and you're on vacation with one other person. You'll need to eat, and will probably end up eating out for breakfast ($10), for lunch ($15) and for dinner ($25 - $50). You're looking at an average of $62.50 a day per person on food x two people, that's $125/day on food alone! On a five day vacation...that can get pretty pricey. Now, let's say you get a room with a kitchen, make a grocery shopping list and spend $125 on food for the whole week - totally possible and in my opinion, very wise. You'll even be able to prepare a delicious meal for your ride back on the plane (so few airlines offer anything more than peanuts and cookies these days).



Bee Flexible - Travel on a Weekday
Ever been to the airport on a Friday, or a Sunday? Crazy, right? It's called peak and off-peak. Ever buy a commuter rail ticket? Generally tickets cost more during rush hour than they do at say 2pm. That's just a transit authority's way of taking advantage of the working public. If you get two weeks paid vacation, don't think these "weeks" have to start on a Friday. There are the same amount of days between a Friday and a Friday as there are between a Wednesday and a Wednesday. And chances are, traveling by plane on mid-weekdays is going to be a heck of a lot cheaper than trying to find a flight that leaves Friday and gets back the following Sunday. You can believe that. Plus shorter lines, less crowded planes...it's just a better way to fly.

Sharing is Caring
Timeshares. Everyone knows someone who has one in their family. And many people do not use their timeshares, or do not use all the dates that are available in their timeshares.
What are timeshares, you may be wondering? The basic idea is: you buy a share in a hotel-like unit (usually with a kitchen) which then grants you the amount of weeks you pay for at an appointed time every year, as in, the last two weeks of April every year. They're paid for, and available every year. Now, of course, life happens and oftentimes people are not able to go to their timeshares, or they can only go for a portion of their timeshare. This is a golden opportunity to make use of these hard earned timeshares. Ask around, bring it up in conversation, you'd be surprised to know how many people have these options available. Hey, it doesn't hurt to ask.

Free Z's
Sleep. Seriously, it saves you money. And you know you need to catch up on it anyway. Take a nap. Get some z's. You can't spend money in your sleep...or can you?