A month of hard work

Thanks to Ramit's 30-day challenge, you may recall that I got inspired to get off my keister and see what extra funds I could bring in.


Here's how I did:

• Finally returned some clothes to Sierra Trading Post ($20.07 net)

• Complained to Blockbuster Online that my subscription never changed as requested (one free month -- $19.99 -- and $15 less for a lower-rate plan after that

• Switched my mom as account holder for the cell phone and renegotiated the cable internet charge ($41 net)

• Sold dishes from my wedding ($40)

• Sold poker set ($5)

• Sold some kids' clothes/toys I had laying around ($7.50)

• Sold books that I wasn't ever going to reread ($70)

All told, the money brought in/saved was $203.96. (That's not including the $15/month change for Blockbuster, since it was supposed to have switched two months prior and was thus already budgeted at $19.99/month.)



In addition, I didn't get everything done that I had hoped to. So for December:

• Call back Dish Network and get them to make me a better offer for our service or threaten to switch to cable.

• Put the Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVD set on eBay finally. I never got around to it in November.

• Consider putting a $50 gift card from Cost Plus World Market onto eBay. A thoughtful gift from my aunt, but I just don't shop there.
  

• Sell a large bronze sun that used to hang on my shed -- and has needed a home for about three years now. (I have someone interested, but we weren't able to meet up before the end of the month.)

• Put a few more items on Craigslist that didn't sell before. (Because, really, worst case scenario is that they still don't sell.)

This probably won't net me another $200, but hey you never can tell... Any extra funds right now are wonderful. I also need to start focusing on a couple of homemade gifts that I planned to work on for this upcoming holiday season.


My hope is to sprinkle some ideas throughout the next month on various gifts that you can give that will a) cost very little and/or b) not add to people's clutter.


So I guess now we start facing this next month. It's here and the holiday shopping season is already in countdown mode.


Just remember: The holidays were supposed to be fun. Maybe we can get that back this year.