Investing For The Future

If I'd known back when my son was born what I know now I (select one)
a) wouldn't be kicking myself
b) would have some money ready for my son's college expenses
c) both

The correct answer is c.

But you can learn from my stupidity. Even if you're living paycheck to paycheck like me, you can open a basic Sharebuilder account from Ing Direct and deposit as little as $10 per month, which will go into a money market account to save for upcoming college expenses. There are other plans but I opened a Coverdell ESA. Truth be told, it may end up helping with my (future) grandchildrens' college expenses rather than my son's, but I can think of it this way: I'll be starting early for them rather than late for him!
You can earn some good karma and email me at cie@q.com or cie@residentialemail.com and ask me to send you a referral, which will earn me some fee-free trades (stock trades are normally $9.95 a trade through Share Builder) or you can just go to Sharebuilder.com and open your account directly.
I am not an affiliate for Share Builder. I just like helping people so they don't have to struggle like I have if at all possible.

My World Plus Program

I got involved in the My World Plus program a couple of years ago, and after two months of paying $19.95 to be enrolled, I opted out. I wouldn't call the program a scam. It's simply an MLM. But there are already a vast number of people enrolled and in such a case, unless it's a product that you can use yourself while waiting for people to sign up under you, it isn't worth it.

My World Plus does offer grocery coupons. However, I get the same coupons signing up at coupons.com, and I get them for free. It also offers coupons for restaurants and entertainment. If you buy an entertainment book for a one-time payment of $20, you will find similar offers.

I have heard that there are people who are making money--even good money--with My World Plus, but unless you really have the desire to spend a lot of time and energy recruiting, the $19.95 you spend every month to be part of the program is just going to line someone else's pockets. Now, I'm not greedy. I don't mind that someone else's pockets are getting fat, but I also want the green stuff lining MY pockets. And if it's only lining other people's, well, that's not doing me a darn bit of good!

By the way, I'm not being compensated by either coupons.com or the entertainment book people. This is simply a personal recommendation.

Free Goodies For You

I'm pleased to offer items, most of which can be yours for just the cost of shipping. Some items have a nominal cost of $1. These are samples or overstocked items which companies need to sell. They are not damaged or used, they are new, top quality items. You can choose from gifts for pets or kids, craft items, school and office supplies, health and beauty, even books and movies. The stock changes frequently. Please take a look and see if there is anything that you would like to have. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
There is also an opportunity for you to make money giving items away with your own website. Click here to see if this is something that would interest you.
It's all free to check out, no hard sell, no "secret information." Everything's right on the table. Or you can leave me a comment if you have any questions.

Get your jerky here!

I just got a domain name for my jerky affiliate website, and I got a pair of magnetic signs from BuildASign.com to put on my car, featuring an advertisement with my new domain name.
eatjerky.biz is so much easier to remember than clhbiz.jerkydirect.com, I think. Though both lead to the same place, the first one sticks in your mind and says "That sounds like something I want to try."

Here is a little thumbnail version of my magnetic sign. When it arrives I'll take a picture of it on my car and upload it so it can be seen in its full glory.

Don't Fall For The Sleazy Seducers

Good advice in both personal and business life, yet I have fallen victim in both places, desperately wanting something too good to be true. The most recent one really should have been obvious, yet I willingly gave away $150 to these sleazy scammers and would have given them a kidney too if they had asked for it. I like to think that I'm normally not as stupid as this action would make me appear to be.
The perpetrator was Cat Mails, a Get Paid To Read mail program promising $200 per mail. To get reimbursed after amassing $50,000 they claimed that all you needed to do was send them a $150 processing fee. It sounded fishy, but I so much wanted it to be true. I had "amassed" $150,000 working for them. That could get me out of debt and pay off my mortgage. Even though it sounded hokey, I gave them the $150.
That was in October. It is now February. Do you think I've ever seen that money? Would I not be singing the praises of Cat Mails if I had?
The owner of Cat Mails is based in China. They won't be prosecuted in the US for defrauding people. I can slam them on a moral level all I want for taking advantage of people's desperation. But the fact remains the same: my $150 is gone for good and I gave it to them willingly.
The only ones of these "get paid to read" mail programs that are honest pay so little that it probably really doesn't make any sense to join. Anyone saying that they pay enormous amounts of money is a scammer. You will never see that money except in your dreams.
Desperation makes people behave foolishly and these con artists know it. DO NOT FALL FOR THE GET PAID TO READ MAIL SCAMS!!! You will spend your valuable time and possibly valuable dollars for nothing. You will never kill your job using this method, but the owners of these sleazy companies may kill your bank account if you fall for their false promises.

Trying to Escape the Rat Race

It's still my hope that one day I'll be able to build a good second income, or even one that allows me to once and for all quit punching someone else's time clock in a job that I'm burned out on. And if I can, I want others to know how I did. I hope to amass a wealth of information that I can pass on to others who are ready to punch the time clock right through the wall. Let's see if we can't make success on our own terms!