Money Quest Update: May 27, 2017

A lot has been going on around here lately. We just remodeled our kitchen, and that took a lot of time. However, I was constantly thinking about my money quest, making lists and jotting down notes, bouncing ideas off my husband, etc. During this time, I have also been submitting articles to Constant Content and Blogmutt, and doing the InboxDollars thing.

I have also been tending to my vegetable garden and my potted herbs, which are both doing very well, Of course I stay busy with my normal daily routine as well (cleaning the house, cooking the food, etc). On top of that, I added a lupus flare to the mix, just to make it all interesting. I hate lupus. Lupus SUCKS.

Speaking of my vegetable garden and potted herbs, these are also a part of my money quest. Later in the season, I will be selling some fresh vegetables, herbal teas, fresh herbs, etc at the local Farmer's Market.

I will also be hitting all of the flea markets and festivals that I can to sell some small crafts that I make - baby quilts, lap quilts, pot holders, cozies, and things of that nature. I love to sew and that will make it a great deal of fun. I may also be purchasing some things, and reselling them at  higher price. I've already found several items that can work well with the crafts I make. For example, with the cozies or mug rugs, I can sell coffee mugs and tea leaves.

I have also enlisted my son to help with the flea markets and such. I've offered him 30% of the profits from each flea market. It may sound like a lot, but he will be doing a lot. I need him to help me set up my booths, tear down my booths, to tend the store when I need a restroom break, help loading and unloading the Mitsubishi, help driving to and from venues, and more. Plus, it helps him out on his own money quest, so it's a win-win thing.

My husband will help as much as he can, but he is also doing his part in the money quest. He has the option of working on Saturdays, which will give him more miles, and more pay. He is a truck driver, but he doesn't go over the road anymore - he's home every day, and works at night. He is also thinking about some wooden items he can make to sell at the flea markets. He loves woodworking and wood burning.

Much to my husbands despair, I have also decided to start keeping bees. Bees are easy to take care of, and they produce several popular products. These include raw honey, bees wax, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom, and more bees. After I have about five hives established, I'll start selling additional swarms as needed. Bees are very profitable. They will also boost the yield of my garden.

So that is what my week has been like. I'd love to hear what other's have been up to in their quest for money. Leave a comment below!

The Money Quest Begins!

My personal money quest has begun! While my husband and I have a good hand on our finances, as I established in my second book, Simple Steps to Financial Security, we are now buying an $80,000 piece of property which we absolutely love! For this reason, I am on a money quest. It is my goal to completely pay off our home and property in two years or less.

Can I reach that goal? I honestly don't know. What I do know is that I'm certainly going to do all that is in my power to reach that goal.

My husband is already doing his part. His income covers our bills, including out $850 mortgage each month. Now, it is time for me to do my part. I have several irons already in the fire, and several more irons that need to get out of my mind and into that fire as well. We used everything that we had for our down payment, closing costs, insurance, and a few changes that we wanted to make. So, on top of paying extra on the property each month, I also need to rebuild our cash reserves as quickly as possible.

So, how am I going to do all of this in such a short period of time?

For starters, I am doing surveys and what-not while I'm watching television. Unfortunately - or fortunately - I do not watch a television. I have found that I can make at least $30 a month doing this, primarily using InboxDollars. You better believe that is an affiliate link!! Let's all remember that I am on a money quest....therefore, making money is the goal, and I'm going to use every legal avenue open to me in order to achieve my goal.

NOTE: While I will be using affiliate links throughout these posts, I will never promote or link to anything that I do not believe in and have not tried myself. That is an absolute promise!

So, back to what I was saying...I do the inbox dollars stuff while watching television, while standing in my kitchen waiting on pots of water to boil, while I stand outside waiting for my sweet doggy to go potty, etc. Every little penny adds up - faster than you think. Additionally, every little second in your day can add up as well.

I am also writing articles again, at Constant-Content, and I've recently started writing over at Blogmutt as well. I have decided to write another book, but I haven't decided on a topic, or whether to go with a fiction or non-fiction book.

While I know that I can make good money writing, and I will utilize that income source, I would also like to monetize this blog, and make some money from our homestead here. I'm currently doing some research on growing and selling specific crops, like bamboo or lavender. I want to explore that a bit more before I dive in head first. I also want to try my hand at reselling items. For example, purchase a low cost item from craigslist and resell it for a higher price on ebay. Those are just some thoughts kicking around in my head.

I will try my best to update this blog with my progress each week. In the meantime, if you want to donate to my cause, feel free! Simply login to your PayPal account, and send whatever amount you want to send to me (macfarland.shyley AT gmail.com)! I'm not to proud to accept help!