Many people don’t realize how valuable books can be.   Oddly enough, some books are getting rarer ( and more valuable ), because of the internet, collectors, and curious people who love to read.   Textbooks can  be worth a lot of money, but they must be current editions.   If you have textbooks to sell, do it soon before the new edition comes out.

Look around, find some books, and go to Fat Brain Books www.fatbrain.co.uk

and follow us on Twitter

Watch this video for tips and information about how to find good used books to sell.

Save the planet from waste -- buy USED items if you can

Have you ever been to a landfill or “dump” and seen what’s discarded there every day?

It could shock you.   I know someone who lived near a “dump” in a small wealthy town.    He made thousands of dollars a year selling stuff he got for free on Ebay.

In USA, in particular, consumer waste is downright frightening.   Aside from the fact that many metal and plastic items will survive in landfills for hundreds, if not thousands of years, the sheer waste is disgusting and sometimes dangerous.    Buy, buy, buy, bye-bye.    That’s how it works in USA, Europe, and increasingly around the world.    Among the consequences:   wasted energy, materials, oil ( many plastics use oil as one ingredient ), destruction of the environment, smells, dangerous chemicals released into soil and water……and much more.

One way to fight this trend is to buy, whenever possible, used products. Our world economy has created uncounted billions of products that often last a long time, but are quickly discarded into landfills that will last for hundreds, or thousands, of years.    For example, television sets.   A good TV will last a long, long time.   I have  one that is over 20 years old, still works fine.    And, when our large screen TV failed after only 3 years, instead of buying a new one for 800 USD, I bought a smaller, used one for 10 dollars.    I hardly notice the difference.   My quality of life and personal enjoyment has not decreased at all.    I haven’t bought a new car in over 20 years, but I get where I’m going just fine, and comfortably at that.    My current car is a Mercedes Benz, but it’s 8 years old and has over 100,000 miles on it.      I’ve owned it for 2 years and I love it, and I’ll keep it as long as it lasts.

Yet, manufacturers build new models of many products and cars every year in an effort to satisfy the insatiable demand for the latest gadgets.   A well made and maintained automobile can last 20 to 30 years, or even longer in some cases.   Nevertheless, millions and millions of them get discarded and crushed up each year.   Countless other products will also last a long time if taken care of. So, as often as possible, buy USED consumer products.    That frees up your money to pay down debt, buy other things you need, like food, or simply work less hours.   Working less means having more time, and time is priceless.

If you’re running a small business and need office furniture or equipment, you can bet your last dollar there are plenty of  used items out there that will save you a ton of money. Things you may need that are available used in huge quantities include;   chairs, desks, shelving, file cabinets, copiers,  tools, fixtures, lamps….. the list is endless.     Now, if you save money on a desk or file cabinets, you can afford to buy new technology to give you an edge in speed and productivity.   I recommend Apple products, like the iPhone, iMac, and so on.   Ever since I switched to Mac computers, I have almost uninterrupted use without any hassles.   Sure, I paid a bit more, but so what.   My productivity increased enormously.  Oh, and my Apple laptop I got refurbished.   It’s still running fine almost 4 years later.   I use it every day.

Watch the video to learn about how a different attitude toward value and “investment”, will put you way ahead. And, learn about saving tons of money on used items like tools.  You can get stuff for pennies on the dollar, even free, and sell them, keep them, or share them.

Borrowing money can be necessary and very useful, of course, but what’s happened in the last 75 years or so is that huge numbers of people are borrowing against an uncertain future, to satisfy short term desires for unnecessary consumer goods.     Governments around the world are doing likewise, setting up massive debt for our children and grandchildren to repay.   They will never be able to pay it back, so eventually, the whole house of cards will come tumbling down.   Right now, we in USA are paying the huge debt we inherited from previous generations, and we are groaning under the load, on the very brink of collapse.    Yet, we are still borrowing more.

It’s one thing to borrow money for a house to live in, get an education, or for governments to borrow to fix roads and bridges.   It’s quite another thing to rack up debt to go on vacation, fight a war, or support some frivolous government project.    The world has collectively dug itself into a massive debt hole, and consumer debt is now spreading all around the world to places like India, China, Indonesia, South America, and Africa.   The “modern” way of getting something today and paying for it later is a terrible addiction that will lead to disaster on a huge scale.

Buy now, pay 3 times what it’s worth later….

Most people who borrow on credit cards ( including many government officials )  do not do the math.    If you buy a 500 dollar stereo and pay 25 dollars a month on a 15 percent interest loan, you’ll end up paying around 3 times the cost of the stereo, just so you can have it today.    People do this all the time, and not just for one whimsical purchase.   They do it many, many times.    Racking up debt has become a lifestyle that’s deeply embedded in our culture.     Almost everyone does it.    This is insanity and it’s not sustainable.    At this moment in the United States, many states such as New York and California are deeply in debt and that debt is increasing daily, while at the same time there is a recession.   There is not enough tax revenue coming in to pay off the debt.    Consumers do not want any more taxes, of course.    So, what do these governments do?   Borrow more money, of course.    This gives the temporary illusion of solvency, but it’s passing the debt to future generations.

You don’t have to be a genius economist to figure our that sooner or later the whole thing will crash.   That should be quite obvious to anyone.    This is exactly what is happening right now around the world, and it will get much worse in the next decade.     You won’t hear a lot of politicians telling you this, however.  It’s not politically correct.    If the chairman of the U.S.A. Federal Reserve bank told the truth, the financial collapse would occur very fast.    So, he hides the truth, and the economy collapses more slowly.     Smart people should take a long, honest look at the facts and start living differently.

How on earth could the world economy NOT collapse  under these circumstances ?    To pay off these massive government debts we would need a lot more revenue, coming from taxes of one kind or another, and that’s not going to happen.   Politicians run for office on a platform of low taxes, but lots of government benefits.    It’s so silly, but it’s tragic.   That’s like saying you can have all you want, but it won’t cost you anything.   How stupid can you be?   Yet, that’s exactly what is happening.

If governments around the world are in financial trouble,  how do you think the average person is going to make it?

One way to fight this trend is to buy, whenever possible, used products. Our world economy has created uncounted billions of products that often last a long time, but are quickly discarded into landfills that will last for hundreds, or thousands, of years.    For example, television sets.   A good TV will last a long, long time.   I have  one that is over 20 years old, still works fine.    And, when our large screen TV failed after only 3 years, instead of buying a new one for 800 USD, I bought a smaller, used one for 10 dollars.    I hardly notice the difference.   My quality of life and personal enjoyment has not decreased at all.    Yet, manufacturers build new models of many products every year in an effort to satisfy the insatiable demand for the latest gadgets.   The same happens with cars.   A well made and maintained automobile can last 20 to 30 years, or even longer in some cases.   Nevertheless, millions and millions of them get discarded and crushed up each year.   Countless other products will also last a long time if taken care of.      So, as often as possible, buy USED consumer products.    That frees up your money to pay down debt, buy other things you need, like food, or simply work less hours.   Working less means having more time, and time is priceless.

Paper money…..worth its weight in paper.

A huge amount of so-called “assets” on the books of large corporations is entirely theoretical.   It’s based on the changing value of things like derivatives, stocks, and other financial “products”.    We have recently seen just how dangerous that is.    This problem has not gone away.    In fact, far from it.    After a lot of outcry and attempts to reform the system, it’s still going strong.    In addition, “assets” that are actually loans with interest payable to the company are entirely dependent on the ability of a person or other company to pay.   If the person supposed to pay has no income, that “asset” is basically worthless.    It may look good on a balance sheet, but it’s not real value;  it’s THEORETICAL value.     As the economy declines, more and more of these “assets” will get revalued, and those who own them will see a rapid decline of wealth.     Soon, what will matter more is not how much “paper” wealth one has, but how much food, tools, and other useful goods one has.    Think that can’t happen?   Think again.   It HAS happened many times before during various wars ( WW 1 and 2 ), and is happening right now in many parts of the world.   In some places interest rates for basic loans is 15 to 30 percent !    People have to fill a suitcase with money to buy groceries.

What has real value?

In a pinch, if you have tools, food, housing, vehicles, and other tangible goods, PLUS knowledge and skills and a network of cooperating associates, you’ll fare much better than someone who has a pile of money in a bank but is isolated and delusional about their “wealth”.     Gold may be good for trade as a form of accepted currency, but it has little practical value except to industry.    Tools, vehicles, fuel, food ( or ability to produce food ), housing, and useful skills will become increasingly valuable as time goes by.

Temple in Manikaran, India

Ever wonder why most of the earth’s greatest teachers lived very simple lives ?   

                 Time.    More time.

If you live simply there is more time to spend on everything, such as:

contemplation, recreation, health, education, family, appreciation, writing, teaching, creating, and rest.

For everything we own or posess physically or mentally, some time must be spent attending to it, fixing it, protecting it, worrying about it, and of course, paying for it, and finally, discarding it.

There’s nothing wrong with having abundant property.   It’s a practical matter.   We should know what the true cost of possessions is, and determine if it’s worth it.     How much stuff do we really need to be content and function efficiently in our work ?      At what point does owning things become more a burden than it’s worth ?

Many wise people figured this out a long time ago.    Live simply, efficiently, thoughtfully.    You’ll enjoy your life much more that way.

“Yeah, but modern life isn’t like that, I gotta have a lot of stuff”

         To some extent that’s true, but there are many options:

         For example, one can often rent or borrow things they like to use, but use rarely.   Instead, in our culture everyone has the same tool or object in their house or garage, gathering dust.   For example, a lawnmower.   Used once a week or so, for a couple of hours.    Cost:   Buy, store, maintain, repair, clean, and eventually discard.  

        Okay, so maybe we need a good lawnmower.   But what about all that other stuff we have that we haven’t used in 3 years, stuff we have totally forgotten about that were once so special we bought them  ?

        Another example;  many people dream of owning a boat.    Then they get one and it costs so much time and effort to use it, store it, insure it, that after a few exciting uses it sits in the garage or yard, eventually to be sold to another dreamer.   A larger family can buy a boat or camper, and they all share it’s use and cost.     In Aviation, collective ownership of an expensive aircraft is common.   Why not apply the principle to other things, like riding mowers, beach homes, cabins, vacation properties, etc.

       If you’ve never done so, spend a few hours at a local landfill transfer station and watch what people throw away these days.   It will amaze you.   I had a friend who used to sell stuff on Ebay that he got for free at the local dump.   He found an item once that he sold for 4,000 dollars.    He made many thousands per year just doing that.

      The fact that there’s a huge industry devoted to getting rid of the stuff we no longer want should tell us something about ourselves as a culture. 

      If you need some cash quickly, take a good look around your house or neighborhood.    You can find something to sell on Ebay for a “buy it now” price.     Or, go to your town dump on a Saturday morning, especially in the springtime, and you could make hundreds of dollars a week extra, working from home.

In business, simplicity is also very valuable.

       For example, many start-up companies buy a whole bunch of junk they don’t need, like luxury furniture, or top of the line, new equipment, or they rent a big office.   That can cause problems.   Young businesses in particular need to keep it simple.

       Get what you really need, and use it well.   When the cash starts coming in, think carefully about where the money goes.    Do you really need a new computer, car, office ?

Give away things and time

      One of the most powerful assets successful businesses have is goodwill.  It’s impossible to measure but it can sustain a business for a very long time.   If as a person, and in your business, you give generously and sincerely, the goodwill you create is magnetic to customers and other associates.    Trust.    To get it, give.

     In an era of highway robbery, false claims, shot-gun style advertising, people stand out clearly when they pause, listen, and respond to their customers, suppliers, and employees.     Be different, be real.

Living PIctures – network photo resources and services.  Entertainment, education, stock photos. Camera reviews, humor, travel, more.  Many links, tips

It may sound crazy to earn money online while you sleep, but it works for good reasons.

Here’s why:

         Business and sales depend on communication with customers and suppliers through advertising.    That’s always been true, but reaching target audiences has been difficult.

         Once upon a time, the only way a business could get customers was by using signs, and even that was limited to a local area.    In those days sign painters had it really good.     No sign, no sales.     That was also the era of door to door salespeople.    Wow, try to imagine that today !

Then, there are newspapers , magazines, and radio, which have become very powerful marketing tools.    They became the staple in advertising for a long time.  Then came TV and at first, only a few channels were available, now there are hundreds.

        Problem is, TV and magazine advertising is VERY expensive, has to be planned way in advance,  and there’s still no guarantee anyone who sees the ads are good buyer prospects.

The internet has changed all advertising forever.

        Why?  Because the internet can reach highly specific categories of customers, who are on a page because of a search, and most important;    the internet advertisements can track, time,  and measure responses to advertising.

      That’s an advertiser’s dream, knowing their ad is being seen by someone who is truly interested in a particular product or service.     Today, you can advertise your business online through many different methods and know that most of the people seeing your ad are very good prospects.

And the price for that incredible, specific, tailor made advertising?   Much, much cheaper than TV and print media.    

That’s why advertisers are leaping into cyberspace advertising  like never before.

Some other advantages of advertising online ?

Speed.    You can place an ad now that will be seen now, or in just a few minutes, by a lot of people.    

Range:  ”Viral” marketing, where one of your ads gets spread around all over the place by other people, for free.

Price:    Cost per targeted audience is very reasonable, providing you are specific enough in your ad and keywords.

Reach:   You can reach around the world, literally, with an online ad.

Shipping:     It’s possible today to ship things almost anywhere, and have someone pick it up at your home or office and take it far away to your customer.

And now, one of the biggest factors of all for online income

Downloadable Information Products, or DIP’s:    You can sell something that requires no inventory, no warehouse, no sales staff, and virtually no cost to  create, just make another electronic copy and send it on its way.

Since the cost of production and delivery is extremely small, the price can be set very reasonably to attract buyers,  AND there’s still enough profit to allow seller and agent ( affiliate ) to both make a huge percent of the total sale.

That is a revolution in business, my friends.   It’s happening now and will be accelerating in years to come.

       And YOU can benefit if you understand what’s going on and how to take advantage of the changing economy.

     Please read information on this site, click on various links and do research.    Almost anyone can find a way to make at least SOME money online, even if they like their current job.    

       There are things on these pages that a 10 year old could do.

Submit photos, get paid. For info, click Here!

           It’s true.    There are some very expensive items too,  that industry MUST have to stay in business.   Here are some that you may know about but usually forget.

commercial refrigerators

computerized manufacturing machinery

parts for huge drilling rigs

various chemicals used in industry

and tons of other stuff, powders, liquids, transportation equipment, and so much more.

These companies are lonely, trying hard to get the eyes and ears of the few people who need their stuff.

      You can help them sell.    You may even be in the perfect industry already, but not know how to get involved in this.

Now, some of this stuff is downright strange.  ( Ever hear about Milorganite ).   look it up.  It’s a kind of fertilizer made from dried sewage.   Hint, never let it get wet…. unless it’s in the ground.

Okay, that’s bizarre,

but there are things that are squeaky clean, like stuff for the surgical and dental industries.

Perhaps you can create a great website for them, or an internet marketing campaign.   Sky’s the limit on this if you do research.

Make money using Ebay, info

 ( okay, have a savings account too, but don’t forget to create an income stream along the way )

How much does your savings pay while you’re heading towards retirement?

How much will it pay YOU once you stop working?

What if you could have income streaming in right on through retirement until the day you die, AND,  keep on going to benefit your family?

         Does that sound crazy?

There are things that you can do now, even in your spare time, over a long period if you wish, to build up a steady residual income from a variety of online sources.

For example: 

Membership plans to interesting sites that you create, and newsletters that you publish

A digital information product, or DIP, that you create, and keeps selling month after month, passively, delivered by email automatically.

An Ebay business that sells a lot of similar products, easy to list and sell, and often you can have someone ELSE actually ship it.   

Copyrighted content such as songs you write, or pictures you take   There are companies right now who would like to use your images on a shirt, or mug, or some other way.   You can find these companies online, and you can have your own products created so you can sell them.

You can use the internet to create steady, long term income. Here’s ONE of many ways, listen and learn.

http://website.ws/livingbeing

and another one…

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It’s good to save some money, of course.   But don’t be afraid to spend some money learning how to make passive income that will help support you when you are too weak to work, or just want to play during retirement.

            All you do is recommend a product via an email, or website, or on Twitter. v    If someone follows through and buys something, you get a commission.    Some commissions are small, say a few percent, but others can be 100 dollars per sale, or a few dollars per click.     To find these, explore the links on this site.

What to do

              First you have to sign up as an affiliate to that company, and go through a short process where you select the products you would like to sell.    Then you copy and paste a short “html code”, or link, small banner, into an email or website, or blog, or on Twitter.     If you know how to cut and paste, you can do this.          

             But, you have to do some research.   There are some sites you can go to ( sign up, it’s free )

www.clickbank.com

www.linkshare.com

            and others.   Look online to find them under “affiliate programs”.  Some are for name brand, well known merchandise, and others are for small niche markets for unusual items and D.I.P’s.    DIP  is a “Downloadable Information Product”

      You can apply to get commissions from sales that use your link or small banner ad.    What products do you like to use?   what about your friends?    You can find products covering the whole spectrum.

Most affiliate income tends to build steadily as you learn and adapt.       It’s not “overnight” money.

Now, how to get visitors to come to your site or blog?

    There are good answers to that question, but you have to learn what to do.    The truth is, there are many, many ways to get traffic.    Some are free and some cost money.     Some take time, others can get fast results ( those are the ones that cost money ).     Then there are a few ways that are free AND fast ( Twitter ).

Google, the Big Gorilla

    It will pay you to learn about Google.    Google wants you to make money and sell stuff, because if you do, all of their advertisers who pay Google money, will advertise more, and Google will get more and more businesses to advertise with them.   Make friends with Google.   Go to their site, click on the various links regarding setting up an account.    You could spend all day there and still not learn everything.    If you can go through all the information, you’ll be well along to making some Google Bucks.

You bet, of course you can.    And not only that, you can BUY stuff and save hundreds or thousands of dollars per year, just by knowing how to do it, what to look for.

What you need is information, how to do it.    For that you need to learn from someone who knows their way around Ebay.

You can do Ebay on a small scale, or do it full time.      Start by selling stuff you get for FREE and learn the process.    Convert ordinary stuff you find around the house, in the garage, attic, basement, and get a little money coming in.

Then, you can start buying stuff to sell.   There are a lot of places you can do that, but you need to know what NOT to buy, and what to pay for it.   That comes from experience or training.

Want to know one of the secrets of Ebay:

Keep a great reputation by delivering good service, ship fast.

another one?     good product photography    Click here to get a 10 page report.    http://www.livingpictures.org/signup.htm

another secret of Ebay — right price for what you’re selling.  You can go to Ebay’s completed listing section and see what similar items sold for, or did not sell for.

Read more about categories, fees, security, and more at http://www.ebay.com

More than likely, you could make hundreds of dollars from stuff just laying around the house.     Kids outgrown the toys?   Of to college?    

Hot sellers:   Lego,  Tube amps and radios, vintage watches, collectible games and memorabilia…

Go look now, take notes, do research.