13. General green tips - Here's a few things you can try to be a bit more green, efficient and in the end save a bit of money.
- Use up what you have. Squeeze out that last bit of toothpaste, fill up that notebook, eat something up before it expires or goes bad (even if it's not exactly what you're craving).
- Use more natural light, less lamps/artificial lights. Saves on energy bill. Additionally, lower your heat by a degree or two in Winter, and raise your AC likewise in Summer.
- Take shorter showers and use a little bit less shampoo/conditioner.
- Switch to CFL light bulbs. They're awesome. Their service life is between 6,000-15,000 hours of use. Those standard light bulbs? 750-1,000 hours. Additionally, they use roughly 1/4th the amount of energy. I think that's worth the dollar or two more you put into them initially.
14. Freelance - I have not tried freelancing, personally. In the future when I feel more confident about my (very meager) skills in programming, web design, photography and that sort of stuff, I intend to venture down this road. This is similar to my aforementioned "teach" tip. If you have a skill, make money off of it. Do it yourself on the side where it's more enjoyable. My dad did landscaping and lawn work on the side for years when I was a kid. He freelanced. I have friends that do photography and by word of mouth they've managed a few gigs here and there and they've been paid for it. Have confidence in yourself. As far as on-line work, I've heard of a few sites where you can do more internet-related freelancing. Check out oDesk, Elance, or Guru. You could even look into Craigslist. People are always advertising their side skills on there, whether it be lawn work or tutoring or cleaning people's houses.
15. Rethink an "optional" purchase - I've battled in this mindset dozens of times since I struck out on my own and got married. "Do I really need this new, bigger, higher definition TV?" No. I've talked myself out of a lot of things that at the time I could have afforded. The timing for some of my car-related emergency problems is uncanny, but they usually happen right after I've given up on a big, planned purchase. Truth of the matter is, I'm rarely happier in the long run after I go and buy a new game or a new electronic whatever. It entertains me for a week or so and then I realize how good I am at wasting money. I recommend waiting. Consider what you want to buy, then wait a week. If you feel like you still really just need it, then at least you tested your patience. If you feel like your life is fine without it (I mean, you went a week without it, what difference would it make?), then give up on it. I forgot where I heard this, but I think this is a brilliant mindset to have.
16. Open an Etsy shop - I know there's a few hoops to jump through with getting a shop up and running on Etsy, but it's worth it if you're a crafty person and want to sell your things to a potentially huge audience. The number one challenge with Etsy is being noticed. There are tons of sellers, and a lot of them are going to be selling what you will/are. Advertising your wares will be the ace up your sleeve. And you have to keep trying. If you're crafty and you sell your stuff in person or in a local shop or studio, keep doing it, that's awesome. But consider Etsy as well, if you haven't already. The end result of success could be completely worth biting the bullet and dealing with a lack of notice/business for a week or two.
And I leave you with this: just have the guts to do stuff like freelance or open an on-line shop. It's so ridiculously common where people just don't, simply because of a fear of rejection or failure. I put off starting a blog forever simply because I wondered if anyone would ever see it or read it or care. For someone whose always carried a fear of rejection in their heart, that's a big step. I've decided now that this was an awesome decision and I'm glad I just jumped into it, even if it took four months of postponing.
Etsy is great, I have a shop and there, and just like you said, as long as you try to advertise your shop, it does pay off.
ReplyDeleteEbay is also wonderful. I go to the J. Crew warehouse sales and spend $100 on bathing suits ($5 at the sale, while they are still saleing for $120 and up online), pop them on Ebay and make a profit. I made over $300 in two a a half weeks. I imagine you could do that with any kind of brand name sample sale.
Good post, Seth.
That's awesome! Yeah, I think reselling is a great idea. It's the same concept as dealing in the stock market, it's just... less crazy. I've been reselling old games on Amazon (I have no experience with eBay), and I'm pretty pleased. Thanks! :]
ReplyDelete