Money-Making Gigs

So I have a debt-pay down plan, and it's a pretty good one, if I do say so myself. I want to be debt-free within 9 months, but as I am not a patient person, I want to do everything I can to get out faster!

I've been reading online about all these "get rich quick" gimmicks. I've decided to try a few, and I will keep you all updated.

First are the paid surveys. Sounds too good to be true, right? I've been using Inbox Dollars and Send Earnings. My advice to anyone who tries these, create a junk e-mail account. Also, you have to give them a phone number, I gave my cell number - now I wish I would have given my work fax number - but I just ignore the call when I see it is an unfamiliar long-distance number. Basically you "get paid" to read e-mails and take surveys. It's a bit tedious, but it's something you can do during lunch or in the evenings, or like me, when you are bored at work. You have to accumulate at least $30 in your account before you can request a payment. I have $18 and some change in one an $19 and some change in another (after about 2 weeks of reading e-mails and taking surveys). I will let you know when I am finally able to request payment, but definitely if I ever receive it!

The other thing I have found is Associated Content. Basically you get paid to submit original pieces of work -articles, videos, slide shows. I just ran across this the other day. I submitted my first piece of work this morning: An Early Bird's Guide to Destin Dinners. I will let you all know if it gets published. I don't claim myself to be much of a writer, and I'm not ready to do anything very personal, but we'll see what happens. Who knows, I may love giving my opinion on everything :)

I also created an Adsense account through Google yesterday. Supposedly you can make money through blogging (you may notice a couple of ads on here), I'm not holding my breath on that though. But like all the others, I'll keep you posted on its money-making potential.

Other than that, I'm paying off my debt the old-fashioned way - working full-time. Blah. It doesn't help much working in non-profit - you definitely aren't paid what you are worth! Once I pay off my debt though (and maybe before), I plan to go back into advertising :) I am money-oriented, whether I am spending it or making it, but in no-profit, you do neither! I also do some small jobs on the side (every thing's legal, I promise).

I'll be back to post my debt stats later, so you call can see the progress I make!

How did I end up over $13,000 in debt?

It was easy enough, let me tell ya! I wish I had a story to tell about some catastrophe that happened to me (okay, not really), or that I owed $70,000 in student loans, or had a $100,000 mortgage. But that's not the case. I've just been living beyond my means for the past six years. Too many bikinis, numerous orders from Victoria's Secret, cute shoes I had to have, "to-die-for" purses, running up bar tabs from Lexington, Nashville and St. Louis, and obviously SO MUCH MORE!

I recall the day I opened my first credit card - October 2001 - all I wanted was a the neat UK glass they were giving away at the basketball opener! I still have that glass - it's packed away somewhere in my college boxes. If I ever run across it again, I'm going to through it up side the wall! During my two remaining years of college, I used my credit cards like gift cards. Didn't think through my purchases, I had to have my purchases RIGHT THEN (might be the only child in me, although I never thought my parents spoiled me). And I guess that is how I ended up $13,000 in debt. Throughout college, however, I just knew I was going to have a "good-paying" job as soon as I graduated and I would take care of my debt ASAP. Graduation came and went, yet I was still working part time on campus, unable to find a full-time job - let alone anything in my field. I blamed the economy (and still do), as I graduated when the job market sucked. Since then I've realized that I doubt I would have changed my ways even if I had that "good-paying" job then. I would have continued living beyond my means.

Yeah, it was fun while it lastes, but the shit's hit the fan, and now I'm ready to tackle this one my own. A part of me wishes that I could just win the lottery or take up the offers that I've had. But I know this is a learning experience for me. And I've learned a TON in the past two months.

So here I am today, working as a Non-Profit Professional (not the "good-paying" job I was expecting), digging my way out of this sea of debt. Things are going well so far, and I feel good about what I'm doing. I've given myself a goal to be debt-free by next summer. My other goal is to get out of the non-profit world and back into my love of all things fun!