Question about saving and selling...

[stephen87]

Not all of us can afford what we want with one check and have to save and do little side gigs to get what we want. I am saving for a couple of handguns and my girlfriend is saving for for something she wants. I know how I am going to save. She wants to sell something, like Avon or Mary Kay or Melaluca, to earn a little extra money. Anyone here sell something to make a little extra cash? What do you guys do for extra cash? How do you guys save for stuff? If I leave it in the bank she'll most likely use it for something. If I put it somewhere in the house, she might grab it for something that she wants or needs. Any ideas on how she can save without using the cash?

 

[hooky]

Just my 2 cents, it sounds like you need to come to an understanding with the girlfriend about finances.

With that said, I'm in sales. If I want to make more cash, I make more calls and find another prospect. At one point in my life, I did some consulting on the side for extra cash. I have a brother who is a carpenter and another who did electrical work when he was younger. They both do side work and refer business to each other, along with a mutual friend in the HVAC business.

 

[Brandon]

2 part time jobs that equals more then a full time job without over time
Find ways to cut back on monthly bills and save the change. If you would hire someone to do something, try doing it yourself. Google and youtube have helped save me several hundred if not thousands of dollars...

 

[LANShark42]

Not all of us can afford what we want with one check and have to save and do little side gigs to get what we want. I am saving for a couple of handguns and my girlfriend is saving for for something she wants. I know how I am going to save. She wants to sell something, like Avon or Mary Kay or Melaluca, to earn a little extra money. Anyone here sell something to make a little extra cash? What do you guys do for extra cash? How do you guys save for stuff? If I leave it in the bank she'll most likely use it for something. If I put it somewhere in the house, she might grab it for something that she wants or needs. Any ideas on how she can save without using the cash?

Does she go through your wallet? If not, I've found that big bills fold and hide quite nicely there. If she does, it's time for a new GF.

 

[tom1025]

Don't spend one dollar bills or change. Throw it in a jar at the end of everyday, you'll be surprised how fast it will add up.

 

[dans4420]

There are a lot of little things you can do to trick yourself into saving, but at the end of the day you just have to get serious about doing it.

When it comes to selling that stuff you have to realize usually you have to pay money to get started. so realistically you may make some money down the road but you have to invest first.

Good luck

some things like others said do yourself.

If your capable of changing your oil look for sails ive been able to get 5.5 quarts of oil and a filter for 10.00 before with a sale at autozone.

 

[stephen87]

I do everything myself, so that's no biggie. She doesn't go through my wallet. I'm just trying to figure out ways for her to save for what she wants. I can put money in my wallet and not spend it unless it's an absolute emergency. I had $200 in my wallet a few months ago for about 5 weeks.

 

[PistolBob]

Sometimes I see something I want. So I save up my spare cash or whatever until I have enough to buy it...except a lot of the time, by the time I have enough money to buy the item I have talked myself out of wanting it....so there I am with all that extra cash, so I put it in my bank and try to forget I have it. One day I noticed I had enough saved back that I bought a used car, cash money, having no car payment is the ONLY way to fly. Your girlfriend needs to grow up a little, and get some self control....this is common with a lot of young folks for some reason.

 

[zombieglock]

It is a common problem with people now-a-days. More commonly in my generation. I'm 22. I have no problem saving. My girlfriend, well in debt at 22 and continuing..

I'm trying to help her...

If she works, she needs to use HER money for things she wants, but needs to be a bit more responsible...Just talk to her. Come up with a plan and a Budget..

A budget is a great way to save money. Set it up for monthly payments, and what you have left. If you have 'x' amount left every month, she needs to split it up into a savings and 'fun' money.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Sounds like she has the same problem the government has, a spending problem. You could make a lock box like a piggy bank and padlock it shut and keep the key so she cannot take out what she has put in.

 

[Concerned Citizen]

I write down a list, and stick it in my wallet next to my bank card, On this list are 3-4 things I need to pay off or have to buy, at the bottom of the list is the thing I WANT. Every time I pull out the bank card to spend on anything, I see the list, and get a constant reminder of "OK, to get the thing I want, I have to focus on the things I have-to. As I check off each of the have-to's on the list, I get closer to the want item. Once they are done, I buy the want. It's a constant reminder of the thing I want, with a constant reminder that I have a responsibility to do the things I don't want before I can go there.

 

[88GT]

Do you two share a bank account?

I've sold stuff like that in the past. Unless she has a large circle of friends who have a large circle of friends who have large, easily opened wallets or checkbooks, it will not be as lucrative as the people enticing her into the business make it out to be. I think the market is fairly saturated at this point for sellers of the make-up, kitchenware, jewelry, and candles. Particularly given the much less expensive alternatives that can be found in stores.

She'll have much better luck saving than selling. You might try making it a "bill" she pays to savings every month.

Of course, it also sounds like some of this is a discipline issue on her part. Which is a whole 'nother problem.

 

[Sdixon]

Open a checking account with a bank other than the one you normally use. Dont get any checks, or debit card. Have your employer do a payroll deduction deposited in this account for 20$, 50$ or whatever you can afford per pay.
The nice thing about this method is after a few pays you wont miss the deduction and without a checkbook or debit card you wont be tempted to take money out.
I started this a couple years ago and there have been times I forgot I even had this account; which makes for a nice surprize when you remember it and check the balance!

 

[RedneckReject]

Do you two share a bank account?

I've sold stuff like that in the past. Unless she has a large circle of friends who have a large circle of friends who have large, easily opened wallets or checkbooks, it will not be as lucrative as the people enticing her into the business make it out to be. I think the market is fairly saturated at this point for sellers of the make-up, kitchenware, jewelry, and candles. Particularly given the much less expensive alternatives that can be found in stores.

She'll have much better luck saving than selling. You might try making it a "bill" she pays to savings every month.

Of course, it also sounds like some of this is a discipline issue on her part. Which is a whole 'nother problem.

^^^^This is exactly what I was going to say. I sold Melaleuca years ago. You have to BUY from them every month and then you get a VERY small percentage of what the people you signed up buy every month. I'm sure it works for some people but the vast majority of things like this have you spending more money than you earn. I used to just take a set amount of money out of every paycheck and put it in a separate bank account to save up for something. It took a while but it worked.