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Hello Ladies, my name is Mary and I’m here to show you how to make money in the stock market.  Believe it or not, you can realistically make $50 to $750 (or more) a day trading stocks online.  I’ll take you step by step so you can begin making money now.

First, you’ll need to open an online trading account.  There are several online brokers, so just choose one and sign up.  Personally, I like etrade.com and sharebuilder.com.  They offer great flexibility and stock trades are less than $10 each. 

Once you’ve set up your online account, you’ll need to fund it.  A good starting point is $1000.  If you can’t afford that much, try $500.  Anything less will make it difficult to buy large quantities of stock.  Side Note Lesson:  The more shares you have of one stock, the more money you can make. 

Now that you have your online trading account set-up and funded, you’ll need to check the market.  If the DOW, NASDAQ, and S&P are all up, then you might want to sit out and just observe.  Rally days are good, but only when you have money in the market.  Rally days are days you want to sell, not when you want to buy.  If you really want to get a good idea of how the stock market works, take a week or two and just watch.  Check the DOW, NASDAQ, and S&P every few hours.  When the market is doing down, it’s called a pull-back.  Perhaps it’s on some economic news that’s unfavorable, or investors are taking profits from large gains the prior day.  Either way, pull-backs can be good.  These are the days you want to buy.  Rally days, as explained above, are days when people are buying.  A rally could be based on some excellent economic data or something different all together. 

So let’s review the first three steps.  First, set up your online trading account.  Second, fund your account.  Third, observe the market for a week or two and get a good idea of how it moves up and down on a daily basis. 

* Please note, you do not have to watch the market for a few weeks.  It’s just suggestion for you to get an understanding of how it fluctuates.  You can start buying stocks once your online trading account is funded.

Now that you’ve got a good idea of how the market works, let’s start making money.  Your best bet is to find stocks that are less than $3 a share and fluctuate between .15 cents to .30 cents a day.  Here are a few I like, Pier One Imports (Stock Symbol: PIR), Reddy Ice (Stock Symbol: FRZ), and Jones Soda Company (Stock Symbol: JSDA).  Your online broker has tools where you can look up stocks.  Again, try to find stocks that are less than $3 a share and are somewhat volatile day to day.

Now that you’ve chosen a stock, let’s buy it.  I will buy 500 shares of Pier One Imports.  Today, it’s trading at $2 a share.  The total cost for the trade is as follows:  Buy 500 shares @ $2 share = $1,000 + $9.95/trade = $1,009.95 total.  When you place your order, place a “LIMIT” order.  “LIMIT” order let you choose the price where you want to buy or sell.  This gives you complete control over the market.  “MARKET” orders, let the market dictate the price where you buy or sell.  I love “LIMIT” orders, they are your friend.

Now that you’ve placed your order, wait a day.  The next day, place a “LIMIT” sell order for your 500 shares of Pier One Imports at $2.50:  Sell 500 shares @ $2.50 share = $1,250 – $9.95/trade = $1,240.05.  Here’s what happened.  You bought 500 shares of PIR for $1,009.95, then sold 500 share of PIR at $1,240.05 = $230.10 profit in one day.  This is a hypothetical scenario, but one that you could do realistically two or three times a week.

To recap lesson one:  Set up your online trading account, fund your account, observe the market, place “LIMIT” buy order, place “LIMIT” sell order, and make profit.  The best of luck.

Below I have compiled a list of a few of my favorite websites for finding deals on anything and everything, from free recipes to discounted living room furniture. There are many, many more which I will post in upcoming installments. Please try out some of the above sites and give feedback: which you liked and why, what you didn’t like. Feel free to suggest some sites I missed as well. Spread the wealth!

1. Amazon Discounts

   Tool to find deep Amazon discounts from 10% to 99% percent off for Amazon and every other Amazon site. Super easy to search for products and name your desired discount percentages.

2. Bargain Buddy

   Find coupon codes for tons of online stores as well as discount links and sweepstakes entries. Sign up for the newsletter for updates and don’t forget to check out the forums.

3. Book Mooch

   Give away books you don’t want anymore, and receive books from other users that you do want. How easy is that? It’s good for the environment, too.

4. Retail Me Not

   Similar in theory to bargain buddy, but I find this one a little more user friendly since the coupon codes are listed right there on the front page without the need to follow links.

5. Valpak

   Everyone is familiar with the Valpak coupons that come in the mail. This is an online site where you can search for local retail savings whenever you want.

6. Coupon Surfer

   Weekly updated offers and discounts are sent to your email via newsletter. The coupons are printed right from your computer and redeemed in your local grocery stores.

7. CraigsList

   If you haven’t heard of craig’s list by now, you are missing out on some good deals. Think eBay, but free and local. This is a very valuable resource for anyone trying to pinch pennies.

8. Angel Food Ministries

   If you are familiar with food pantries, you have the basic idea of what angel food ministries is about. The only difference is, there are no qualifications you need to meet. Everyone is eligible, because the food is not free but greatly discounted. For $30, you will receive about $60- $70 worth of food.

9. Frugal Mom

   This site is great for advice and resources on frugal living. They have coupons, links to work from home sites, budget planners and much more.

10. Kizoodle

    Kizoodle is a community website developed with groups and associations, and you can swap items for kids or parents similar to book mooch above. There is no money involved in transactions, except for shipping costs.

1. CafePress

   CafePress is one of the most popular websites for you to create and sell your products. It allows you to set up a free online shop to promote them. One of the biggest advantage is that it has many fun stuff for you to print on such as clocks, kids and baby products, organic cotton T-shirt, maternity products, bumper stickers and even your pet bowl, apart from the usual apparel. Recently they launched books to be printed on-demand, and audio and CD products as well. CafePress ships worldwide. It also has the advantage of having a large following. So, if your design is unique, it will definitely get noticed in this community. However, uploading images can be a little complicated as it requires templates which you need to download. But it will ensure that your end-products will turn out the way you want.

2. Zazzle

   Zazzle claims of having 350 products for you to print on including T-shirts, mugs, ties, postage (real US postage), keychain, magnets, mousepad, apron and many more. It has fast shipping, aiming to make the product within 24 hours. You can design your products for private or public viewing. If you put your designs on public viewing, anyone can purchase your products and you earn royalties from selling your very own design.

3. CustomInk

   CustomInk allows you to create your own T-shirt very easily. You can simply add text and pictures, and your T-shirt is ready to be printed. You can also print on toys, frisbees and umbrellas. It provides free shipping to US and Canada and delivers within 2 weeks. The only setback is that you need to have a minimum order of 6 pieces for screen printed T-shirts and 12 pieces for embroidered items. This would be more suitable for a group T-shirt or a band T-shirt, rather than individual T-shirts.

4. Just Jen

   This website is targeted at teh ladies. You can print rhinestone T-shirts here. They use genuine Swarovski crystal rhinestones on T-shirts. The sizes of the T-shirts range from infant to adults. Just Jen is suitable for printing your cheerleading, bridal party or bachelorette party T-shirts. You can even print on your sexy thongs. There is a complimentary black gift box and fuchsia tulle ribbon with every purchase, perfect for gift giving.

5. ShirtCity

   Besides the usual apparel, ShirtCity also prints on underwear, dog shirt and lanyard. You can add text or a design from their gallery. You can also upload your own images for your T-shirt. Like CafePress and Zazzle, you can also create your own shop for free. ShirtCity ships to all Euro countries and Switzerland.

6. Comboutique

   At Comboutique, you can design your own T-shirt and open a free merchandising shop or boutique to sell them. You also get to purchase other designs in the strong Euro currency.

7. SpreadShirt

   You can design your own T-shirt at Spreadshirt. They have 80 printable products for you to choose from. It claims to have 300,000 existing shop owners. You can create your shop for free and earn commissions from the sale of your designs. They have different types of prints including flex print, writeable flex print, special flex print, flock print and digital print.

8. CorporateCasuals

   At CorporateCasuals, you can create custom embroidered designs. They also have an extensive gallery of embroidered designs for you to choose from. You can also customize with text-only designs. CorporateCasuals is also suitable for printing uniforms with embroidered company logos. You can also print on name brands such as Nike and Adidas.

9. Tshirtme

   At TshirtMe, you can add text or select images from their gallery to be printed on your T-shirt. However, they are mainly kiddy images. You can also upload your own image. You can print on organic cotton apparel. The website is very user-friendly. Any purchases from TshirtMe comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. So you need not worry about the quality of your end-products.

10. PistolClothing

    You can also design your own T-shirt at PistolClothing. You can add text and pictures easily, and preview your designs instantly. However, there are not many fonts to choose from. TshirtMe ships worldwide. The only disadvantage is that there is no kids range, so you can’t do “Dad and me” T-shirts.

Whether you create your own T-shirts for your personal use or for sale, you will definitely find a website that is suitable for you from this list. Enjoy creating and selling your own designs!

Narrow your search

Craig’s List only deals with people who want to buy and sell in person in your local metro area. But for instance, where I live is considered the San Francisco bay area on Craig’s List (which is where the service was started) but someone in my area might be living over 2 hours away from where I do. So make sure that when you are searching for items, you narrow it to a distance you would be willing to drive to look at the item or to pick it up. For instance, if you are looking for a nice leather couch you may be willing to drive an hour to see it if it is what you are looking for. But if you are buying a used microwave for $20, you probably don’t want to drive 90 minutes as they gas you used will probably double your price!

Check the listings often

If there is an item you really want check the listings often. I have found that good quality items listed for a good price rarely stick around for more than a few hours. I have had this experience myself as when I do a good job of listing an item on Craig’s List and providing good pictures, good descriptions, and a good price I often receive calls and emails in a matter of minutes after posting the item. So check often, and don’t hesitate to contact the seller to at least ask questions and show interest.

Always negotiate

Unless the seller specifically indicates in their advertisement that the price is firm, always negotiate the price. Most sellers will be fair and if they have other people interested they may not take a lower price, but it never hurts to ask as most sellers would rather just get rid of the item right away as opposed to have to shop it around. The first buyer, even at a lower price, usually has the best shot at the item. So be the first to make an offer, and see if they’ll take a lower price.

Buying items on Craig’s List can be a lot of fun and the bargains you can find are often truly amazing. So check it out and happy shopping!

Start By Researching at UPromise

This site has a free toolbar you can use to find the best deals on absolutely any product. By simply doing a search, you will be given a list of thousands of matches that you can narrow down by selecting features, price ranges, brands, stores, and cash rebate amounts. With just a few clicks, you will know what is the absolute best deal possible.

Buy Your Product at EBates or Savingswatch

Once you have found the best deals on Upromise.com, pop over to Ebates or Savingswatch to purchase the product for the price you’ve found and receive up to 30% back in cash. It’s a great way to always get the best prices while also supplementing your income.

Shop at Half.com for Books, Movies, and CDs

This site allows anybody to post their new and used books, DVDs, VHS, and CDs for free with a sales price as little as $0.75. With a shipping charge of approximately $3, you can receive your products within one to two weeks and save a lot of money in the process. (Their parent company, eBay, is another great place to find new and used products for less then retail.)

Use Competitor’s Pricing to Drive Down the Price

Many large department stores and retailers have price matching policies where they will meet or beat a competitor’s pricing. The only condition is that you have to present a competitor’s ad listing the exact same item you wish to buy. Not only will this guarantee the best pricing, it will also guarantee the best financing deals with companies you may already have credit with. (Timesaving tip: go to store websites for weekly ads that you can print.)

Use Coupons and Rebates

Sign up for online newsletters at the websites belonging to your favorite stores and restaurants. By doing so, you will receive exclusive money-saving coupons only offered to their most loyal customers. Also sign up at Coupons.com and Smartsource for hundreds of manufacturers coupons on grocery store products, and at Wow-Coupons for rebates and coupons on travel, retail, dining and grocery purchases.

Shop For Clearance

There are clearance sections in every store which can save you as much as 80% off regular-priced items. Plus, several times a year, the stores will slash clearance prices even lower to clear away out-of-season products and make room for new seasonal products.

It is an old saying, but a very true one. Whatever you try to sell, no matter how useless it may be to you, someone, somewhere will buy it, as it has a use or value to them personally.

In the past I have scoffed at the bizarre things people try to sell on auction sites and in local newspaper’s, but they really do sell.

Why buy new when ‘used’ is perfectly good?

As a convert to auction sites such as Ebay and CQ, I feel I must share my auction purchase experiences with you, so that you too can make a huge saving on practical purchases.

Until I had my children I would never have considered purchasing second-hand goods, but having bought a large percentage of their baby and toddler things via this method, I would never purchase new again.

Why get robbed by ‘high street’ prices when you can get products in excellent condition for half the price?

Ebay

Ebay is great, it really must be said. I spend hours browsing the site, and find myself looking at Ebay most days of the week.
It may be sad, but the bargains and fantastic purchases I have made whilst ‘surfing’ the Ebay auctions are truly enviable.

Having recently had a new baby, I have spent many an hour during ‘night feeds’ browsing Ebay, and making some very lucrative purchases, that I possibly wouldn’t have been so lucky to have made, during daylight hours.

It is a well known fact that Sunday early evening, and weekday lunchtimes are the busiest times to buy on Ebay, so avoid these times if you really want to be in with a chance of winning the auction.

My children are well kitted out, it must be said. When we have children we tend to stick to the essential purchases at first, as outlay can be huge.
By browsing the Ebay ‘baby’ pages you will come across some really great ideas, and things you’d never even heard of.

For example, my baby suffered terrible colic, and I was advised to purchase some special anti-colic feeding bottles by ‘Dr Brown’s’. When I looked in the high street shops for this item, I moved quickly on, as the cost to buy these bottles new was out of this world!

So, naturally I went to my trusty Ebay and purchased a few of the bottles, for a fraction of the price.

Another fantastic bargain, and the bottles really did help my son improve.

Top 5 baby purchases I have made on Ebay are:

1. Doctor Brown’s anti-colic feeding bottles
2. ‘Lindum’ door bouncer
3. Tomy walkie-talkie device
4. Hauck baby sling
5. Avent steam steriliser and food warmer

I calculated that the prices I collectively paid for these items on Ebay, saved me £65 on the price I would have paid in the high street.

Now my baby is getting older, I find myself making money selling on the goods once again. It’s a real buzz to make money selling items that previously you would have thrown away.

I have made a lot of profit selling on items that otherwise would have been left rotting in my lot.

Amazon

Another great source for buying and selling.

Unlike Ebay there is no auction facility, but purchases can be really cheap, especially when Amazon has one of it’s great sales.
The items arrive really quickly, usually within 48 hours of purchase, so you don’t have to wait long, and it’s great for that last minute purchase.

Amazon allows you to buy things new or used, and where books are concerned this is a great option.

Amazon sells just about anything, and better still it too now sells baby items, so I am in heaven browsing.

Amazon also provides fantastic reviews for many of it’s items, so this is great if you are looking for a new DVD or book as reviews really can help you decide on a purchase.

I am also a subscriber to the DVD rental scheme that Amazon runs. For a few pounds a month, I can rent a few DVD’s, and keep a wish list ready for when my next DVD is due to be sent, so Amazon does all the hard work.

The system is really great, the DVD’s arrive quickly by post (through the door), once you’ve watched them, seal them back up, and pop them back in the post box.

If you ever have any problems with the DVD you hire, Amazon are always very quick to rectify the problem.

Clothes shopping

Don’t always assume that high street shopping is the best way to purchase clothes.

I often find that by ordering online, I can often grab a sale item that in the high street store may have already been snapped up.

Next directory is particularly good for this, especially when they have their huge sales. I often shop late at night for sale items, to ensure I get there before anyone else.

I favour the following sites for quality of service, delivery times, availability of goods, great sales, and wide selection of goods (compared to in the shops):

• La Redoute

• Next

• Dorothy Perkins

• Miss Selfridge

• Debenhams

Christmas shopping just got easier

For the past couple of years I have managed to complete my entire Christmas shopping task, entirely online. The reduction of stress alone is the reason why I will continue to do it year in, year out.

I also find myself buying what I need without being tempted by other offers, that the stores deliberately place in my path as I trawl the isles.

Online shopping is available 24 hours a day, so you are not governed by shop trading hours. You don’t have to pay for parking, purchase Mc Donald’s for the kids, or queue for ages in public toilets when the urge arises! What more could be gained I ask?