An instagram follower asked if it is better to buy low and sell high or buy at the going rate (market value) and set new pricing standards. The obvious answer is to buy low and sell high. But let’s think this one through. Anyone who is in the sports cards hobby for money will prioritize buying low and selling high. This is part of the investment strategy just like you do with stocks. Similar parallels….
During my journey to pay off my massive student loan debt, the toughest thing for me was the motivation. I was lucky enough to be in a position (no kids, single, disposable income, minimalist lifestyle) in which I could afford to pay more than the required minimum monthly payment. When you have a large debt to pay off, in my case $77,000, this amount can be daunting. I experienced my first case of demotivation in…
An instagram follower, @likemikecards, asked how do you keep track of profit. I like this question because asking this means you are thinking about sports cards like a business and for many, sports cards is a part time business. Although sports cards are primarily a hobby for me, it is also a side hustle to make extra income. Personally I keep track of my sales, costs, and profits diligently. I use old fashioned Microsoft Excel…
The Gary Vaynerchuk aka GaryVee post I am referencing is this one. Let me start by saying that I am a fan of Gary’s. His career journey especially over the past 15+ years is incredible and inspirational. As a full time digital marketer, I experienced the digital evolution of what was happening from the mid-2000s to today. Because of this I believe Gary is a visionary especially when it comes to the digital world. I…
$76,524.22 was the exact student loan debt amount I fully paid off. I wanted to lay out what my student loan debt payoff plan was. The amount of time it will take to pay off your debt will depend on numerous factors, but hopefully there are some tips here that you will find helpful. 5 Step Student Loan Debt Payoff Plan Set a debt payoff goal focusing on the month and year you expect to…
An instagram follower, @nickscards, recently asked if sports cards are a legitimate alternative investment to 401k investing. This is a great question because I know from talking with many in the sports cards community that some will forego the 401k or roth IRA in order to put that money back into sports cards. I hope I can make my message clear to the sports cards community. Please do not replace any retirement accounts whether it…
To start I want to clarify that I do not classify real estate as part of my alternative investment class. Many readers of this blog will most likely relate more to the tangible non traditional assets. These assets include antiques, art, wine, jewelry, precious metals (gold, silver), coins, and sports cards. I would never put money into these alternative investments until I have first focused on traditional assets such as stocks and bonds. In terms…
In my previous post, I mentioned 3 reasons to niche down on this personal finance blog. Unlike the sports cards blogs out there that talk in depth about the hobby, my focus for the new direction in this blog is to combine my two passions for personal finance and sports cards. Sports cards are my favorite way to make extra income and this hobby has kept my financial portfolio and net worth a bit more…
I recently decided to niche down on my personal finance blog. I started this blog last year to motivate others, hold myself accountable, and share my stories as I was going through my debt payoff journey. I am 100% debt free and when that happened, my motivation to keep going with this blog went away. I do appreciate the community who encouraged me throughout the journey. I wrote down a goal to re-start my personal…
I fully paid off $77,000 ($76,524.22 to be exact) in student loans! If you want to skip to how I paid it off, scroll to the bottom =) What a weight off my shoulders. One of my many money moron mistakes I made in my 20s can finally be put in the past. I went to an out of state college and I never worked part time. I used my leftover student loans on….stuff. After…
I made some dumb financial mistakes in my 20s such as defaulting on my student loans, but it all started with not saving money. This was the catalyst for all my eventual money mistakes. I want to share the excuses I made for not saving money in hopes of encouraging you to start saving money no matter what age you are. It is never too late. 5 excuses I made for not saving money 1….
I am sure most of you have come across a 0% financing offer typically when buying large ticket items such as electronics (TVs, cameras), large appliances, jewelry, mattresses, and furniture. 0% financing is also referred to as 0% promotional financing or “no interest if paid in full”. You might also come across 0% financing offers on lower ticket items because banks know they can make money. I have worked in the financial services industry and…
Thanks to a variety of personal finance and side hustle podcasts, I have been motivated more than ever to pay off my student loan debt. In my 20s I defaulted on my student loans and I have been paying the price on that mistake ever since. I am now on pace to pay off my student loans a month ahead of my personal goal and pay it off entirely in February 2019. I have been…
Having a side hustle to make more money is a great way to achieve your financial goal. Aside from tightening your belt a bit more and squeezing every single dollar out of your income, budgeting will only take you so far. Here are 7 reasons to have a side hustle to increase income 1. Pay off debt quicker One major reason I started to take my side hustle more seriously this year is to pay…
This is a public service announcement and reminder to pull one of your credit reports from Experian, Transunion, or Equifax by the end of the year. The only place you should do this is by going to the official site www.annualcreditreport.com. It is Federal law that allows each of us to get a free copy of your credit report from each of the 3 credit reporting companies every 12 months. Keep in mind that…
As the year comes to an end, it is important to take advantage of the Federal law that allows you to pull your credit report every 12 months. The only place you should go to do this is by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com. This is the official website. The credit reports will not have an official FICO score. I recommend that you pull your credit report one at a time and spread it over the course of…
One of my side hustles is buying and selling and naturally, eBay plays a part. eBay is not always my first choice for certain items/categories, but in many cases, it is. In those cases I use eBay, I am OK with the high eBay fees and eventual PayPal transaction fee because I know I am getting a lot of eyeballs (impressions) on my item compared to other sites. I want to share some of my…
There are some financial “entertainers” who believe that building credit and building your FICO credit score is unnecessary and a waste of time. There are some who believe you need to build your credit and continue improving your credit score. I believe that you should keep an eye on your credit and build your credit so you get a 760 and above FICO credit score. Aiming for an 800+ FICO credit score is a fool’s errand…
I originally intended for this side hustle extra money report to be monthly but clearly I failed. My only one so far is from September 2018 when I made almost $1,000 in extra income. I started this blog as a personal journal because I went through some of the dumbest financial mistakes possible most notably defaulting on my $77,000 student loan debt. Along the way my hope is that this blog will encourage and inspire…
I am “uber” excited to have this guest post from Lexi Carr. Lexi is a freelance writer with a passion for finance, research, and helping others. Feel free to drop her a line on her blog. Contact me if you are interested in contributing or advertising (on the cheap!). Rideshare companies such as Uber or Lyft have revolutionized how people travel, as well as opened many opportunities for those looking for a side hustle. Although there are…
