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Seeking a Quality Life, While Living on a Limited Budget
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How to Successfully Buy in eBay Auctions

Self reliant people can sometimes secure the items they need at reasonable prices by buying at auctions. I recently posted on How to Buy at an Auction (10 Tips for Success). In that post, I mentioned that eBay auctions had a few other considerations.
 
Obviously, use the tips from my earlier post, but when seeking success in eBay auctions,
try following these tips as well:
 
  • Don't bid on something to monitor it-- Use the watching feature instead.  
  • "Sniping" is okay-- The only bid that matters is the last, highest bid . . . does it matter when you place it?  
  • Bid with odd amounts-- $51.53 instead of $50.00 when the latest high bid is $48.00 (I have won lots simply because of that $0.03).  
  • Always bid in the last 15 seconds of the auction and have a second window open with a slightly higher bid set to bid again at the eight seconds left mark.  
  • Don't be afraid to ask questions and for more pictures-- This is a remote, non-inspection auction.  
  • Try to have other similar lots ready if you lose the first lot (I rarely lost a lot using the above techniques).  
  • Pay quickly and leave good feedback only if you get good service and a good feedback about your half of the transaction.  
 
Good luck!
 
This post originally appeared on Self-Reliance-Exchange.com, here is the link to the original post: How to Successfully Buy in eBay Auctions.
 


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Frugal Money Saving Tip of the Day 12/31/09

Each weekday, I am going to post a quick, frugal tip that you can try immediately.  Here is today's tip:

  • Close your garage door in both summer and winter to keep the cool/heat in.

Frugality is developed day by day-- start today!

More to come . . .



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Quote of the Day 12/31/09

Learn something new everyday!  Here is today's quote:

  • That government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part . . . Thomas Jefferson

Words to live by . . .



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Thesaurus Thursday: Spurious

I am a self improvement enthusiast.  I believe you should always strive to improve body, mind, and spirit. One way to improve your mind and be more successful in life (there by improving the quality of one's life) is to expand your vocabulary. With that in mind,here is today's new word . . . 

  • spurious (adj) fake, not genuine

Synonyms: artificial, bogus, deceptive, false, illegitimate, imitation, make-believe, mock, phony, simulated
Antonyms: authentic, genuine, real

When buying a diamond ring, be sure the stone is not spurious.



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Frugal Money Saving Tip of the Day 12/30/09

Each weekday, I am going to post a quick, frugal tip that you can try immediately.  Here is today's tip:

  • Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
Frugality is developed day by day-- start today!

More to come . . .



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The 950th Post: Top 10 Most Popular Posts

I am celebrating the site's 950th post.  Here are the ten most popular posts, in order of popularity:

  1. Why Do We Only Prepare or Act After a Problem or Disaster?
  2. So Long Blockbuster . . . ?
  3. Blog Review: The Smart Passive Income Blog
  4. The 450th Post: Top 10 Most Popular Posts
  5. A Horse, a Horse, My Kingdom For a Horse . . . 
  6. The New "Necessities" of Modern Life
  7. Burning Daylight
  8. How to Become an Instant Expert on Any Topic . . .
  9. Spendthrift Manor and Frugal Homestead
  10. Side Business Ideas Recap

As always, more to come . . .



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Words of Wisdom: P.T. Barnum

Phineas Taylor (P.T.) Barnum was an American businessman and showman who founded a circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He was outspoken-- here are some of his quotes:

  • There's a sucker born every minute
  • Unless a man enters upon the vocation intended for him by nature, and best suited to his peculiar genius, he cannot succeed
  • Without promotion something terrible happens... Nothing!
  • Many persons are always kept poor, because they are too visionary. Every project looks to them like certain successes, and therefore they keep changing from one business to another, always in hot water, always 'under the harrow'."
  • Men who drive sharp bargains with their customers, acting as if they never expected to see them again, will not be mistaken. They will never see them again as customers. People don't like to pay and get kicked also
  • Every crowd has a silver lining
  • Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant
  • which they wish to accomplish, and the thing is easily done
  • Engage in one kind of business only, and stick to it faithfully until you succeed, or until your experience shows that you should abandon it
  • If I shoot at the sun I may hit a star
  • Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now


This post original appeared on Defensive-Entrepreneurship.com, here is the link to the original post:  Entrepreneurial Words of Wisdom: P.T. Barnum.

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Word of the Day: Parsimonious

I am a self improvement enthusiast.  I believe you should always strive to improve body, mind, and spirit. One way to improve your mind and be more successful in life (thereby improving the quality of one's life) is to expand your vocabulary. With that in mind, here is today's new word . . . 

  • parsimonious (adj) sparing in the expenditure of money

Many frugal people can rightly be referred to as parsimonious in their nature.



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Conserve Energy Because it is Good For YOU!

Back in September, I posted over on the Self Reliance Exchange the idea that composting was a worthy cause because it was good for you as opposed to the usual reason that it is good for the planet (Composting-- Being Good for the Environment Has Nothing to Do With it . . . ). Well today, I am proposing that you again act in your own self interest-- by conserving energy.
 
In my household, we:
 
  • Turn off unused lights and appliances  
  • Use compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)  
  • Take short hot water showers  
  • Don't over do hot water washer cycles  
  • Don't over dry clothes in the dryer  
  • Offset heating oil with wood fires  
  • Keep the thermostat in the low 60s, not the 70s  
  • Dress appropriately for the season  
  • Use rechargeable batteries  
  • Avoid fuel waste when using our vehicles  

Why do we do these things?  To do our part to save the planet?  Give me a break-- we do it because it saves us money and helps us to avoid wasting money. Reality check-- it's about self interest! Frugal and self reliant people will save the planet long before politicians and environmentalists. How? The frugal and self reliant will always seek ways to reduce, recycle, and substitute energy to save money. Those actions (in their own self interest) also invoke basic economics.
 
Basic economics? If enough people conserved energy for self interest, demand would go down. Simple economics says that when demand goes down, price follows-- we all win . . . and the planet gets "saved".
 
Look for more posts at the Self Reliance Exchange describing ways to conserve energy and more importantly, save you money . . .
 
This post originally appeared on Self-Reliance-Exchange.com, here is the link to the original post: Conserve Energy Because it is Good For YOU!
 


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Frugal Money Saving Tip of the Day 12/29/09

Each weekday, I am going to post a quick, frugal tip that you can try immediately.  Here is today's tip:

  • Check the air pressure of your tires 1-2 times per month to save gas and drive safe.
Frugality is developed day by day-- start today!

More to come . . .



Like this post?Check out the related posts for more information.  You can also get email notification of new posts in your email by subscribing. Your email address won't be used for any other purpose than to send you notification of a new post.


Related posts:
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Frugality Posts Revisited
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