I made an attempt to get out of debt by working online. The first program I signed up for was Linkshare. I wanted to become an affiliate and sell products like flowers and skin care stuff. I was met with a teeny problem however. I did not know how to advertise these products. I tried creating my own website for a bit, but then I didn't know how to do html. I know. I tried those website maker things, and they worked good but not good enough. Then I thought I had finally stumbled onto something when I saw someone online talking about the thousands of dollars they made using google adwords. They did not even have a product of their own to sell. Im talking thousands of dollars here. I saw actual screen shots of the pay checks. And I got really excited. I went to Barnes and Nobles and bought a book on adwords. I thougt that my debt was over for sure.
Then I got a little out of control. I put my credit card on the site and began to set my limit for the amount I would spend on advertising in a certain amount of time. Sort of a spending limit. For the first couple of times I used the program, I went and put on a spending limit of just a couple dollars per day. However, the thing about adwords is that the higher spending limit you have, the more chance you have of gettiing your ads seen. So then I thought that I would get a little sneaky. I mean if I could see how much money I spent on the front page, why not set the limit really high so that I could then get my ads seen for about an hour and then I could of course cancel the whole thing before I spent any real money. So what I did was I put my credit card on the site and set my limit at a thousand dollars. I looked at the front page of the site everyday and I was just sure that I was doing fine. However, about a week later I started t really examine the site and found to my surprise that instead of the little bit of money I thought I was spending I had actually spent a whole thousand dollars in only a week. And there you have it folks the day I gained a thousand dollars in credit card debt without selling one product. That day was really bad.
Somebody please tell me the answer to this question. I've looked and looked. I really want to get out of debt. I really really want to. So Ive been looking for ways to make extra money so that I can accomplish my goal. I could write for associated content. I could take surveys. I could spend all day clicking on emails and filling out offers, but do these things acutually work? Who has all day to do that anyway? I could buy a website, some hosting services, and a domain name. I could. I really could, but what works? Why shouldnt I have to stock groceries or deliver newspapers at 3 in the morning. Guess what? I have delivered newspapers before. HA! That was totally crazy. It was pitch black outside. I had to get out of my car. Some people wanted their papers in special places AND my hair got all frizzy. So I said that was enough and I retired from that idea of making extra money. I could also work at UPS lifting packages, but...you have to be able to lift up to 50 lbs at a fast paste and I only weigh about a buck thirty seven. So I guess I have retired from that idea. So what can I do? I dont have things to sell on ebay. Is filling out offers and taking surveys all there is left for me? Perhaps so. Im gonna see how much money I can make doing that. Lets see if my creating of an online presence by filling out offers and what not can actually make me a good chunk of change. Want to try it out with me? I will tell you about each program that I try and how it works out at as begin to chip and chip away at this debt.....
I was reading an article recently on msn titled "Why so many college grads fail to launch." http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/MoneyInYour20s/FailToLaunch.aspx
You see, contrary to popular belief, it isn't easy for most kids graduating to get a great job right away. Many college grads end up living with their parents in order to pay off high debts and they can barely afford to live off of most entry level salaries especially with all the loans and credit card debt they rack up while in college. Therefore, many college grads fail to launch. And there you have it the story of my life.
I failed to launch. After graduating in '05, I lived with my parents for almost two years and cooked and cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. I drove around in a '97 ford that I had dented my junior year in college. I worked at Macy's. I worked at a temp job, anything to pay the bills while I got my "booming" film career going in the Philadelphia market. I even---I even. Worked as a waitress in a steak house. Go Ivy League graduate. I was horribly bad at the waitress job, so bad that I got fired. Ugh. The night I was let go, I dropped someones cheese fries all over the floor. Sorry sweet heart, if you are reading this. And now I have moved out. How, I dont know because the bulk of my money goes to making minimum payments on credit cards. But yes, I have moved out. Now, how do I stop making these payments. The journey continues. How do I get into my film career. Well, thats for a career blog or something....I just turned in my approximately 12 w2's for filing my taxes. My dad said Whoa! you've had a lot of jobs this year. I thought "and you are telling me???" Things were so easy when I was school. Probably because I was living off of loans and financial aid....
After I graduated from college approximately 2 years ago, May 2005 from a prestigious university, I had approximately 10,000 dollars in credit card debt. I had approximately 30,000 in student loans and I was a film an English major. I had a degree and I had yet to find out where that degree would take me. Now that it is February of 2007 and I have appromixately still 10,000 in credit card debt and 30,000 dollars in student loans and a 400 dollar a month apartment and a financed 10,000 dollar car. I am getting pretty sick and tired of making the minimum payments now because the debt just isn't going down. I feel like I'm just throwing money in the toilet. Flushing it. Flushing it. Whooosh. I can't even afford to get my hair done or to get new shoes or to get a new bed for my apartment. Whoosh. All the money goes to the collectors. Its been almost two years and Im tired. How. How,I ask. Can I get out?
As a film major, I have been trying to get into the film in the city of....Philadelphia. Its been a rough ride, but for now i choose to keep riding. Now, I can't even bare to say where I work though. Ms. graduate of a prestigious college. Yes. I work in a grocery store. Im a cashier. My famous words are paper or plastic. Do you have any coupons. Did you bring your bonus plus card with you today. Film major. Yes. And I have another job too. I work at a bank 3 days a week. That job pays peanuts and its really boooring. So what. What? Im sick and tired thats all. Oh and I have another job, Im a intern at tv station. Finally something that has to do with my major. However, I just...well its unpaid. And its 45 minutes away from my house. I have to cross a bridge to get there and you tell me how I afford gas and toll. I dont know----10,000 in credit card debt----3 part time jobs. 46 hours of working a week and can barely put food in the fridge----30,0000 in student loans---a 10,000 finance car. Sick and tired. I declare that the debt is over and this declaration is my first step.....
