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Thread: Many different WAYS TO MAKE MONEY

  1. #1
    CaLoonie
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    I'm sure that there are infinite ways that people have found to make a buck.

    I am not one of those people -- what I am is stuck.

    I live with my partner who owns his home and while I do not "own" any part of it, not on paper, and not in my desires or future plans, either, I do have to, obviously, contribute not just to the household coffer, but also when something goes wrong, I need to help pay to fix it, if we can't repair it ourselves.

    Well, neither one of us is a plumber, or an exorcist, so when our toilet decided it was going to rebel by becoming possibly an actual demonic force, backing up into sinks & tubs (HORRIFYINGLY, MAY I JUST ADD!) we had to call some professionals and their creepy unmarked van and their fancy pipe cameras and what must be such wonderful quality of life for their families, for what they get paid ... the bill was enormous, and much inflated from the quote we'd received.

    Our pipes are rotting and we have to not just replace those buggers, but also bring the place up to code, as the last owners of the home gave not a piddle about suck things as "rules" and "preventing the new owner's girlfriend from nearly being carried off atop the waves of a laundry flood every week. That will be another visit from Creep Van, and a bill FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT of the one currently financially crippling us.

    So what though, right? Life is like that, growling toilets and poop-tubs happen, that's why so many people jump off buildings -- it is what it is and life could get exponentially worse! Think of how bad other people have it! (Saying that never words to console anyone ... at best I think it makes the bleeding heart types think about the suffering of others and just feel so much worse, like turning the sniffles into full-blown sobbing, for their plight -- way to go, Helper~!)

    So this is just a post about how I figured out how to survive with a bunch of ingenuity and a small loan from my father of a million dollars -- I definitely got outta this jam, right?

    NOPE. Because I was ALREADY DEAD BROKE WHEN THE FIRST WATER CATASTROPHE HAPPENED.

    Now I am carrying an unmanageable debt load that crushes me down under heel like a cigarette butt, every single day a little more smushed as interest mounts, and my income flow remains as unchangable as it is pathetic. I have no spending money, nothing to use for groceries, nothing to use for incidentals, and the cats are going to have to eat couch stuffing for a few weeks. I couldn't even take a city bus right now if I wanted to, if I had the untold riches of the THREE DOLLAR FARE, unless I latched on to back of the vehicle while moving like some sort of really f'n sad action movie about a woman who cries a lot about toilets. I'd get Jason Statham to play the poop tub.

    Long story soooooo much longer? Well, dig it, you saw this coming:

    I NEED MONEY.

    I NEED IT.

    I have a limited & fixed income as it is, and cannot get a "real job," for many reasons. Those reasons are for ME to be filled with shame about and will not be disclosed here as I can not make them sound funny enough to even bother.

    I try to SAVE money:

    - I have been a member of all the Canadian survey sites (Pinecone too) for as long as I can remember.

    - I collect and redeem rewards points such as Air Miles, and SDM Optimum.

    - When we use credit, such as for the plumbers, we use a card with cash back rewards.

    - I clip & use coupons diligently and only buy things if really needed, or sometimes if it is dirt cheap, like a if I got to Shoppers I will visit the Clearance rack & sometimes something will have a Manager's Coupon stuck to it, and a Manufacturer's Coupon for the same item will be in my sweaty little paw. That's how as many household things as possible are purchased -- bargain basement sort of dealings.

    - Groceries are always Price Matched and a lot of effort goes into that, because I find it, excuse my French, dull as heckaroni, but I still gotta do it.

    - I redeem Mail-In Rebates immediately, and cash the cheques.

    - We have been lax with sticking to a budget but I will be making one for the household tonight and we'll go at it like gangbusters.

    - Each day, I write to you, plead, really, while sweat rolls off me like water off a duck's back, only gross, because the A/C costs money. We conserve energy every way we can, turning off lights & unplugging vampires.

    - We have started eating less, with absolutely no takeout, and a much, much lower quality of food, which I am going to have to STOP, because I think I am getting sick from malnutrition. I cook extra to freeze. Usually, the husband's lunch is packed and not bought.

    - My husband used to like to have brand name beer -- now when he's thirsty or looking to unwind after work, he gets a bottle of water I just wrote "VERSACE" on in Sharpie to make him feel better. But he has to keep using the same bottle because I AM NOT MADE OF AQUAFINA MONEY. I bet he cries every day on the drive to work because Budweiser hasn't touched his lips in so long and they've been friends for EVER.

    - NO MORE SHOPPING, which was one of my favourite hobbies -- especially Dollarama. Things we got, we used, though "need" would not be an appropriate word. Now I stare at the wall in front of me, a lot. Sometimes, I close my eyes and pretend I'm getting yelled at by a surly, poorly-trained Dollarama employee to make it feel like an authentic visit, all up in my head.

    - Any shopping needing to be done is at thrift stores, discount / clearance / liquidation places, Kijiji (where I can get things for next to nothing, and I'm one of these rare golden eggs who SHOWS UP with ACTUAL MONEY to buy what I agreed to purchase in writing. We HAVE saved a bundle-ton! I use Ebates for everything, but they pay out only four times a year I believe, so I don't often see the spoils of my impulse eBay shopping ... also a thing of the not-so-distant past. *wipes single tear rolling down cheek*

    There are many other little things, just tightening our belts until we bisect & don't have to worry about this nonsense ever again!

    I even HAVE **tried** to MAKE money:

    - Everything that I considered of my belongings to be "extra," I tried to sell on Kijiji. I spent several hours over the course of a couple evenings carefully photographing everything, and writing detailed, yet succinct, ads, posting dozens upon dozens & dozens of listings.
    Well, everyone on Kijiji during that period was a halfhead time waster, because nobody would show up, unless you count the guy who got to my place and immediately started low-balling me on the agreed upon price, or the fine gentleman who, after arriving to pick up a $60 item that was going to MAKE OR BREAK my entire week (spoiler: BROKE), had intentionalLY brought only one $20 bill, hoping he could just quickly exploit a stranger in that way ... to both of them and their askew moral compasses: NO SALE. REMOVE YOURSELF FROM MY PROPERTY. I think I told the second guy that his greenback was just enough to "buy a clue." The gall on people.

    - Craigslist was a similar bust, but at least I got to copy and paste and it only took me several hours of effort on ONE night of neglecting my family, pets, responsibilities, and urination requirements in order to achieve maximum efficiency.

    - Upon my failure on the above two sites, I took like a lady lunatic to the Facebook Buy / Sell groups. These people are on a different wavelength than Kijiji scammers -- they want you to KNOW THE NAME of the people wasting your time, much bolder than I expected. No sales, no success, unless you count a single $4 sale on the one thing I really didn't WANT to part with, and then of course all the things that I ended up giving away for free, which is what I eventually did with such a huge chunk of my stuff: I gave it all to my favourite charity (LOOK UP THE CHARITY BEFORE YOU DONATE, THESE PLACES ARE RIFE WITH CORRUPTION! Make sure your charity GETS YOUR CHARITY!) and hopes someone, anyone, anywhere, could get some joy / use out of it all.

    - I "sell" Avon, poorly. I have been trying to get my friends to buy out of some kind of pity maybe, but these broads are too cool for stodgy old Avon, forgetting I suppose that catalogue shopping is the cat's ass! I did make one sale this month, though, WHEN I SOLD SOMETHING TO MYSELF. My social issues (anxiety) prevent e from beating the streets, going door-to-door to hawk my wares. I have no family to subject to incompetent yet high-pressure sales tactics (think flop sweat and lots of lies).

    - I have been gently begging friends and family to use the various referral links that I provide to them, as it benefits both parties when a company wants to give me a kickback, and the new member a joining bonus. They end up signing up on rarely, but on purpose, without my referral code, I think because my loved ones are a bunch of jerks? That can be the only explanation. I'D LOVE Y'ALL MORE IF YOU COULD JUST GRAB MY HAND TO KEEP MY HEAD BOBBING ABOVE WATER -- BUY A DANG LIPSTICK PLEASE!

    - I am a member of both focus group / market research companies in my city area.

    - I scan, with insane intensity, the Want Ads in my local paper (online), Kijiji, Craigslist, HRDC Job Board, and other places, seeking a part-time job that I know would overburden me, but I need to do what needs to be done. I also scan these ads for odd jobs, gigs, things I can do once, or periodically, to pick up some coin. I do whatever I can find, surveys, video ads, whatever whatever -- earning it a half penny at a time.

    Things I CANNOT do, independent of above-stated failures aplenty:

    - I do not have enough stuff, or appropriate stuff, to Yard Sale.

    - My social anxiety precludes me from exciting activities like cold calling people at their door to try to strong-arm them into buying subpar cosmetics I no longer like, from a company I no longer believe has much integrity.

    - Canada just expects you to give them your blood for free. I sold some of mine once in the States, and you still get a cookie, but also SOME FREAKIN' MONEY.

    - Exotic dancing? Maybe 10 years ago, and within that imaginary time when I was slender enough to not plummet through the stage.

    - Drug dealing? I can't even sell Avon, how can I sell something which I HATE that requires EVEN MORE talking, and to DRUG PEOPLE? It looks like a real cash cow, all the same.

    - No jewelry to sell for them to melt down.

    - I own nothing to hock -- even my laptop is garbage, soon needing replacement (the money for which, I assume I will find in the hollow trunk of a maaaagical oak tree once inhabited by bank-robbing gremlins).

    - None of my friends wanna buy JACK SQUAT off me, secondhand, catalogue, or anything.

    - Nobody will simply GIVE me money. I've asked. Loans would be no good, because it's just mashing the debt around, breaking it up into different-sized pieces and spreading it out for maximum confusion and payment lapsing.

    - I cannot STEAL this money, not out of any moral qualms, really, but because I have no idea how to do such a thing, and since I get not just busted but IN HOT SOUP for things like chewing gum, I doubt I could pull off a daring jewel heist. Never say never, though.

    - I cannot babysit. Well, I can, and I can do it quite well because despite being a coarse, dark-humoured weirdo, I am a nurturing and fun person who values kindness over all else. However, I am quite intimidating looking in person, large of frame, and I scare off the parents even though the kids don't really care about my tattoos and "scary boots." it's the parents' prerogative but I can't convince them that not only am I not a serial killer, but also: serial killers do not dress like scary ladies, they dress and look like the kids' white nerd Dad.

    - I have no skills to teach, such as piano playing, or math tutoring.

    - Nobody would willingly witness, let alone actively pay me, to get nude on a webcam, so other sexiness-based work opportunities, like all those weird "MASSAGE ATTENDANT, PAID DAILY; LOOKING FOR ARAB, PERSIAN, SRI LANKAN GIRLS 18-19" ads are really, REALLY out of my wheelhouse.

    - My husband can't get a second job, because that is an irrational and bananas thing to even ask of him.



    SO CLEARLY, I NEED SOME IDEAS!!!

    What do YOU do? What have you heard of people doing? What WOULD you do? What could you do?

    BRAINSTORMING TIME AND REMEMBER, THERE ARE NO STUPID IDEAS IN BRAINSTORMING, the opposite of in every other situation, so please, please, ohhh gooooosh please, SPITBALL AWAY!
    This thread is currently associated with: Avon, Dollarama, Ebay, Independent, Pharmaprix, Shoppers Drug Mart
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  2. #2
    Mastermind Shwa Girl's Avatar
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    disclaimer:
    don't know much about you
    my suggestions may seem way out in left field

    sell the house and rent-->it's a sellers market and people are buying houses in all conditions right now, with some having bidding wars!
    get a second job at a supermarket or Lowes or Home Depot or Rona
    your fella has to get a second job too and if he has skills, he could work as a handy man

    I worked cash at a supermarket and some of my day job colleagues came in and mocked me
    when my day job was looking a little shaky and there were rumors of layoffs the same coworkers who mocked in the past started to ask if my supermarket job was hiring

    use a food bank if you need it, until you are financially stable and back on your feet

    see if you qualify for Ontario Hydro's help to pay your hydro bill
    Last edited by Shwa Girl; Tue, Jul 5th, 2016 at 08:37 PM.
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    Mastermind Natalka's Avatar
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    bullet, I read your post through twice a few hours ago - didn't feel ready to post then.

    First of all,

    We have been where you are - but worse. Everyone has a story, and it's brave of you to share yours.

    You need to sell the house and rent somewhere cheaply.

    Very few people are unemployable - you express yourself well and have a composure about you, you should be finding a job - any job.
    You don't mention your education level, but I took some time to go through ads in your city - there are a huge variety available - yes, even some where you dealing with the public is minimized, if that's what you want.

    Wishing you luck, and keep brainstorming yourself with your husband - you two need to be constantly communicating with one another, and holding on to each other!
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  4. #4
    Smart Canuck
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    If you haven't already do consider switching to a VOIP phone service plan. Can be a huge savings. Cancel cable too.
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  5. #5
    Smart Canuck
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    Perhaps you have an extra room to rent out.

  6. #6
    Sith Lady and Cool Kid Darth Penguin's Avatar
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    gardening services especially lawn cutting can make money.


    Short answer : no Long answer : NOOOOOOOOOOO!

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    Canadian Genius BuggaBugga's Avatar
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    Can you walk dogs? Busy people might pay you to take their pets for walks and park time, or pet sitting. Being the summer maybe they are looking for care while they are on holidays.

    Clean houses, apartments or office buildings?
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  8. #8
    Canadian Genius
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    You are in Kitchener, go to Lutherwood:

    https://www.lutherwood.ca/contact

    They offer employment counselling services including specifically for those with disabilities including mental health
    The offer mental health counselling
    They offer "rent bank" services where you can get small grants to pay off housing-related debts

    Go there and tell 'em you want one of everything
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  9. #9
    tightwad and proud of it! brunt's Avatar
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    Been there, done that, and it was not pretty.

    It has been mentioned a couple of times that you should consider selling the house and renting. This is what we had to do many moons ago. We had literally calculated how many weeks it was until we could no longer pay the mortgage. So, I threw in the towel, put the house up for sale, and cast a very wide net for finding a job. My one and only criterion for the job was the highest pay after expenses.

    Now, following the classic logic - when you pay rent, you are throwing away money! Hogwash! So are repairs, property tax, mortgage interest, more repairs, insurance, maintenance, and did I mention repairs? House prices are historically quite high when compared to renting. I was renting up to just over two years ago, and my rent was about 40% of the carrying cost of owning the exact same building. I own now, at a higher cost than rent, but I knew this going in.

    Compare the full costs of owning versus renting. If you don't know how to do the comparison, then learn. Or ask. While real estate can work out well, it often does not. Know which camp you are in.

    Nine times out of ten, it is easier to cut expenses than it is to increase income. Given that it appears that you major expense is the house, then you should look at this extremely carefully to see if you should keep it. No emotions, no nagging from others (who will invariably tell you to not rent), just hard numbers.
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  10. #10
    CaToonie
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    So sorry about that you're in hard circumstances. I would also recommend the food bank and a community center to seek advice about job, etc. Do you know a different language? If you know more than one language (e.g. French), there might be more places to look for jobs (translating, which can be done online etc). use buckets to fill up with rain water to save or watering the lawn, etc. any water that you use to wash produce, rice, save the water to water the plants.

    - can you drive if you have a car - maybe teach someone how to drive?
    - put out flyers that you're looking for a job. ask your friends to keep a lookout. ask your husband to ask his friends/co-workers to keep a look out too.
    - offer to mend/sew/clothing, cook, carwash or do chores for your friends or neighbours or anyone for a small fee
    - distribute flyers, delivery, etc
    - post in the welcome lounge and say hi to everyone and ask them if they are willing to click on your referrals in your signature? (hope this is allowed)
    - you stated you can't do cold-calling, but if you go to church or anywhere where people gather and you know anyone there, tell them you are looking for a job if they know any.

    (i'm just putting out ideas - don't know how good/bad they are; not sure if you really mean you have no skills when you mentioned that; i'm sure you have something.)

  11. #11
    tightwad and proud of it! brunt's Avatar
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    Here's an "off the beaten path" idea for you.

    Your profile states that you are in KW, you have a unique opportunity given that there is not one, but two universities in town (and Guelph not that far away).

    I was talking to a buddy of a buddy once, and he was one incredibly laid back dude who was going through life, just enjoying the ride. We got to talking about incomes, and I listened intently while he described what he did.

    Twice per year, at the end of each semester, he would visit the university at the end of exams while the students were moving out. There exists a number of kids going to school on Mommy and Daddy's money who do not appreciate the costs of things, who would just dump stuff into the dumpsters when they moved out.

    While you can get the occasional score of a TV/stereo/furniture from there, his big deal was books - textbooks, specifically. These suckers are bloody expensive, and people were paying $100 for a brand new textbook, using for about 12 weeks, and then throwing it out in the garbage. There is a sizeable market in used textbooks, and you can get about 30-40% of full price if they are in good condition.

    He made about 50K per year, gathering for a couple of weeks, then selling once the next semester started. Now, it may be a murky legal area for dumpster diving, but be polite, be quiet, be neat, leave the area cleaner than when you started, and leave if you are told to leave.

    Another point, and please hear me out. If your "scary" looks are off-putting to potential employers, then perhaps you should dial it back a bit - at least when you are on the clock or looking for work. I have no right to tell you to do it, nor do potential employers, but they have every right to employ people with whom they feel comfortable. And if your looks are making them uncomfortable, and this is actually standing in the way of your financial comfort, then you should think about it a bit.

    Some may think me a terrible person for even suggesting this, but as I said before, I have pretty well been in your position. In the end, it required a move to a different country, away from my family in Canada, to get on my feet. We don't always get to work on our own terms. On the plus side, that move was the single best financial thing that I have done in my entire life. This was 18 years ago, and I am still benefitting from that move.

    One last point - in these tough times, it is usually unproductive to eliminate options with "can'ts" - I can't physically do that, I am no good at sales (by far my weakest point), I can't teach anybody anything, and the like.

    Instead, when you come up with options, assign a score of how much you dislike something, or how difficult it would be for you to do. This way, you have more options. Come up with as many options as you possibly can, assign a value to it, and keep on going. When you have your list, sort the options from most likeable to least likeable. Then start from the top.

    Be creative with your list. I don't know what you like and don't like, but some examples would be: cooking meals for seniors in their own house, cleaning service, cutting grass, shovelling snow, sorting books at the library, fixing things that people throw out, setting up computers for seniors, there is a long list.

    Unfortunately, in our current society, one of the best possible skills to have is sales. I know this, because even though I have some good skills, I couldn't sell myself to save myself. Sounds like you might be in the same boat. So my suggestion to you would be to either find someone you know and trust who is good and sales and offer them a percentage of each job that they find you (that's only fair, something like 10 to 15%), or find something that you don't mind doing that others don't like doing (like picking through dumpsters for textbooks), or something that you are far better than average (that's up to you).

    It is also important that you do something just so that you are exposed to others in a working environment - even if it is volunteer work. Offer to work at a food bank, animal shelter, or whatever. Like it or not, we live or die by networking. And one of the great ironies with unemployment is that your ability to network is seriously compromised when you are unemployed, thereby keeping you unemployed.

    Best of luck.
    Last edited by brunt; Thu, Jul 7th, 2016 at 03:31 PM.

  12. #12
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    So sorry that you're going through this. When things pile up, it can certainly be difficult to catch your breath

    I picked up a paper route to make some extra cash. It's certainly not a lot, but it's a bit of extra cash and I get to keep the leftover coupon inserts each week.

    Wishing you all the best
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  13. #13
    Smart Canuck frugal50's Avatar
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    go back to school and get a degree in nursing or a trade.

    quit drinking, smoking or any recreational drugs
    Last edited by frugal50; Sat, Jul 9th, 2016 at 10:42 AM.
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  14. #14
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    Could you trying stock taking.Working for a company that counts items in a store.

  15. #15
    Smart Canuck
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    Hopefully the original poster will come back and let us know that some of these ideas have been helpful.

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