Making Money in Tough Times

I’m sure most of us would like to make more money and it is tough in these times.  I can tell by the number of people who show up for free dinners for Thanksgiving and Christmas.    I know regular jobs are getting tougher and tougher to find.  Greeters at Wal-Mart doesn’t seem as bad a job as it used to.   No, it still does sound bad, but not quite as bad if you have to put food on the table. 

So Publisher’s Clearinghouse hasn’t come to your door and no rich relatives to hit on.  Time to get creative I guess.  I know that 9 to 5 jobs suck and you won’t get rich, but they are better than nothing in a pinch. 

I think a Tony Robbins seminar would help get your attitude in the right place.  It is amazing what you can do when you get off your duff and keep a positive attitude.  I know Tony talks about an attitude of gratitude. 

The only real way to get financial independence is to set some GOALS!  I know this has been one of my problems in the past.   I would procrastinate till the cows came home and my plan would be to fly by the seat of my pants.  I found out that got old and I got older.  Just set simple goals for the day and don’t  get too wrapped up in the long-term goals till you get a daily plan down.  Crawl before you walk.

Games Are Big Now

Well, buying lottery games sucks but video games are big and getting bigger.  The question is how do I make money from video games.   You do have to compete with big companies that sell them cheaper than you can or get your own website and sell them online.  When I looked at how much money is made selling these games I want to cry.  You also look at the demographics for these games and it is changing.   It is no longer just pre-teens and teens playing these games.   The adult market is booming and with more sophisticated games coming out, the market will reach a wider age group. 

If you want to sell video games then you need to research the latest ones that are hot like the Nintendo Wii games or Pokemon.  You can google video games to find the top selling games.  Slap up a website selling the games or go on Ebay and sell them. 

Then again, you can get that Powerball ticket and hope you can beat the 200 million to one odds.

Quick Way to Make Money

People who want to make some money are always looking for an easy way to do it.  Well, there aren’t many quick and easy ways but there is one system that actually works if you have the discipline and knowledge.  It is gambling and you have no guarantees but I have made money and I know of people who live solely on this method.  It is playing the game of craps.  I know I always thought of craps as being just a lousy game of luck with too much risk.  Actually, it is one of the best games to play in Vegas along with blackjack.  With blackjack you can count cards but if they spot you doing it you will be asked to leave.  And most casinos use several decks in a game so counting is tough to do. 

With the game of craps, the key is knowing all the correct bets and how to throw the dice.  Yes, there is a system of knowing how to throw the dice so the odds are in your favor for the numbers that come up.  I have a friend who has a small craps table where he hones his skill at throwing the dice.  I know it sounds crazy but if you put in the time you can become quite good.   Just like card counters in blackjack, if the casino thinks you are a pro thrower they could ask you to leave.  That usually doesn’t happen. 

So how do you learn the technique?  There are several good books out there and just read and practice.  You can then go to any casino and start small and build from there.   Who knows, you could have a great new career traveling to different casinos and raking it in.

When Times Are Tough, You Want More Money

More people look for ways to make money when times get tough.  With all the foreclosures, high gas prices, inflation, and unemployment, people are having a tough times making ends meet.  And don’t think its going to get better any time soon. 

 One of the more common making money ploys is the work at home scheme in which you can make money stuffing envelopes, assembling products or getting paid to surf the internet.  These don’t really work and don’t waste your time trying them.  You usually have to pay an upfront fee and your profits are minimal. 

The get rich scams on the internet are all over the place.  All you need is a good copywriter to sell the new “big” thing and you will reach a large audience.   I have fallen for a couple scams that I could kick myself for.  If something looks too good to be true, it usually is.  And spam email are some of the worst offenders.   It amazes me that people can be so naive to think they  won a lottery from an email notice or can get loads of cash from some phony aristocrat in Africa.  These are some of the worst email scams out there and there have been lots of suckers who took the bait and lost thousands. 

Some of the keys to look out for are:

• Is the company a member of the Better Business Bureau?
• Does the company have a physical adddress listed?
• Are there many complaints filed against the company?
• Is there a money back guarantee?

Now you do have to be careful of all the scams out there but you can find some good programs to make money.  Internet marketing is one of the better ways to make a decent amount of money if you know what you are doing.  I will delve into some of these ways to make money later.

MLM is a Tough Sell for Making Money

Multi-level-marketing has been around for quite awhile and I know from some personal experience.  I have been wooed by many friends to join their program and a promise of untold wealth.  Well, people do make money but you have to do your part and get people signed up under you.  If you have a good product, that makes is a little easier, but I am not one to go ask my friends to sign up for the next greatest thing. 

I don’t know if any of you have heard of the drink called Xango.  I got in on the early stages and two of the people above me are still raking in the dough(about $40 grand a month).  I made zip.  Some people have the right personality and are comfortable signing people up.  I would rather run a marathon. 

So money can be made but you really have to have the drive and personality.  They say over 90% of the people in mlm don’t make a dime or enough to cover their costs.  For me, it just wasn’t my bag and I had to try other avenues.  If you want to try, make sure you check out the company and don’t believe all they tell you.  Check with chatrooms or forums to see if there are any disgruntled former members who are spilling the beans.  Do your research and go get that lottery ticket.

One Way to Make Money

Actually when I mentioned getting a Powerball ticket in my first post, I do get a few lottery tickets.  Winning the lottery is one of the worst ways to try and make money but there are some happy winners out there.  Now I could talk about the crazy systems I have used for playing the lottery and how I had the winning numbers but at the last minute switched one number to another ticket.  That blunder cost me $600,000.  Oh, the pain.  If you are going to play the lottery, pick a game that has better odds than the big money games like Powerball.  You can get one ticket but don’t count on winning high odds games like Powerball.

So for making money, playing the lottery will be at the bottom of the list but it doesn’t hurt to get a ticket or two.  So what if the odds are better that you will be struck by lightning. 

Do you know someone who made lots of money in a short time?  There are only a few ways to do this and working for someone else is not one of them.  As I mentioned earlier you could win the lottery, make a killing in the stock market or like some young entrepreneurs, make a lot of money with internet marketing.  I will discuss those in future posts.

How Are You Going to Make Money?

Money, money, money!  We all need it to have a comfortable life but it can be a bear getting the amount we need.  So we look for ways to make money and this is especially critical in a time of recession.  I don’t know about you but the price of gas, food and practically everything else is weighing me down.  My regular job just pays the bills and my traveling time is cut down to zero.  No vacation in New York to see the US Open or traveling to Illinois to see old friends.   I am tempted to ask my dates if they want to go dutch!  Talk about getting desperate. 

I know that working for someone will not give me the money i need.  Hourly wages suck unless you are in a specialized field with lots of demand for your services.   Some of my friends are making a killing with their businesses and that is what I intend to do.  Every time I read about a twenty-year-old making over 100K I cringe and am envious.  You have to look at the opportunities out there and go for it.  I am going for it.  Maybe I will be traveling in luxury  by next year - or clicking coupons for some fast food meal.  It is all up to me and how I persevere.  Now first I better get that Powerball ticket.  I feel lucky.