mjrube's challenge

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

Went to PNC this morning. The deal is this: If you open a free checking account ($25 minimum opening deposit), you get a $10 Best Buy gift card on the spot, and a $25 BP/Amoco gift card in the mail in 4-6 weeks. I'm not sure if there is a requirement as to how long the account needs to remain open. The offer is good through this Monday. In order to get the gift certificates, you need to go to their website, print out the page, and bring it with you when you open the account. I'm not sure what the website is offhand, but if you go to StressLess's journal, a few posts back, you'll see it.

It literally took about 15 minutes for the whole process. So I'll increase my total by the $10 now to $193.11, and I'll add the BP gift card value when I get it.

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

Three more small additions I'm waiting on: Sold a book on half.com for a total of $1.26 ($2.78-$1.52 for shipping). I'll add that to my total when it's deposited in my account. Also, I referred StressLess to Pioneer Telephone, which will give me a $10 credit when she signs up. Finally, I referred ArmyWife to Bank of America, which will give me $25, and her $35 when she signs up. As soon as they're posted to my accounts, I'll add them to my challenge total.

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

I sold another book at half.com a few days ago that I forgot to record. Is it feast or famine with them or what?? I can go months without selling anything, then in the span of a few days have two sales from two different buyers. I don't get it. Anyway, this person wanted expedited shipping, which they reimbursed me $4.70, but it only cost me $3.85. Love when that happens. Anyway, my net gain was a whopping $2.04, which I'll include with the other when I get my deposit.

I will include October's Save Your Change totals from BOA: $6.12, added to my previous total brings me to $199.23. So close to $200!

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

I'm up to $216.78 now. I received my half.com deposit of $8.67 and my monthly $15 DirectTv credit.

Just to clean up a few other items, I never opened the Oritani or Affinity accounts. I decided against Oritani because it was just too small an operation and nobody seemed to know what was going on when I called. The Affinity deal seems to be ongoing, so I'll take advantage of it, probably after the first of the year. I feel like I need to organize a bit between now and the end of the year. I've transferred all my money out our ING accounts (though it doesn't appear that they "close" them). I'm also shutting down my Chase savings account on 12/22, when my 6 months is up. I'm not sure how long I need to keep PNC open for, but I'm waiting until I have my gift card in hand before I call and find out.

So I'm still waiting on: $100 gift cards from Ca 529 plan, $25 gift card from PNC, $5 credit for going all-electronic with BOA, $10 referral for Pioneer Telephone, $30 more in DirectTv credits, and my Save the Change totals. Phew.

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

I'm now up to $516.78. I received the $100 Office Max gift cards for opening up the California 529 accounts, plus I added back the $200 I needed for the initial deposits. I still have have about $75 outstanding. Unless something else great falls in my lap, I think I'll call it a day until January 1. The holidays are a bit hectic, and I like to get myself organized headed into the new year...

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

I made two recent sales on half.com, one for $10.00 and one for $1.95. Worked out to $10.75 after shipping, bringing my total to $527.53.

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

Another book sold at half.com for $4.25. I'll update the totals after it's shipped. Also, I signed up for Jeffrey's $10 Emigrant deal, so when I receive that I'll add it to the group.

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

I may have come up with a pretty good idea to add a few bucks to my coffers...I went to the HUGE used book store by work, where they have a really big section devoted to $1 hardcovers. We're talking several thousand here...While I was browsing, it dawned on me that I could probably buy some of these books for a buck, then resell them on ebookdrop.com for a profit.

So I took paper and pencil and wrote down the ISBNs of seven shelves worth of books. I then went online and checked out the ISBNs, circled the ones that I could sell on Ebookdrop and went back to the store to buy them. Net profit: About $12. The whole process of writing them down, checking them out, and going back to buy them took just over an hour (when I wouldn't be doing anything else anyway).

Now, I realize the experience with ebookdrop is that you could probably get a better price selling them yourself on half.com. The beauty of this is that it's risk-free and immediate. I won't buy the book unless I know I can sell it on ebookdrop. Then I mail it out right away and get paid in 2-3 weeks.

So my plan is to go there once a week on my lunch hour, write down 6-7 shelves worth of ISBNs and check them out. If I average $10/week I'd be thrilled!

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

I'm really liking my new idea. The profit from the books I picked up last night came to $11.29. When I went back to pick up the books to sell, I wrote down the ISBNs for another 7 shelves. When I got home and checked the ISBNs, it came up with enough books to clear about $13.50 in profits. So this week, when I go pick up those books, I'll write down another 7 shelves and continue like that. Pretty exciting...

[niki_the_tiger]

Re: mjrube's challenge

Awesome idea! I'm glad it's working out for you. I wish we had a used book store like that!

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

Picked up the second set of books from the used bookstore and sold them on ebookdrop. Net profit $11.25. I'll add to my total in a few weeks when I get payment from them. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back there to write down the next group of ISBNs...hopefully sometime this week...

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

I received my half.com deposit of $13.83, bringing my total to $541.36.

I'm annoyed at PNC Bank. I signed up for their checking account when they were running a promotion, where i received a $10 Best Buy gift card on the spot, and was supposed to receive a $25 BP gift card in the mail. I got the Best Buy card no problem, but apparently they never forwarded the paperwork for the BP card. I called the 1-800 number, and they said they couldn't help me, I should call the branch. So then I called the branch (manager) and of course, the guy who opened my account is off until Monday, so he'll call me then. I guess this is a risk that one takes signing up for promotions like these, but I can honestly say that I've never had a problem with any other promotion. Hopefully this guy can straighten it out on Monday...

[mjrube94]

Re: mjrube's challenge

A few updates...

1) I received my $10 Direct Tv credit. I'll get this credit for 2 more months before going back to paying full price...2) I received my $5 credit from Bank of America for going all-electronic, right on 12/15 as promised (how unusual is that?!)...and 3) I realized I haven't updated my BOA Save Your Change totals since October, which came to an additional $15.21 (through 12/15). So that brings my new grand total to: $571.57

I'm assuming this challenge will wrap up on 12/31, and we'll start something new for 2006. The only thing I'm expecting by year end is a $25 Best Buy gift card that the PNC guy promised me to make up for the fact that I never received the BP card. I should be getting that this week. I'll have a few more "save your change" items through year end as well.

Other than that, everything else I have outstanding (2 more $10 DirectTv credits, the $10 Emigrant bonus, and the ebookdrop deposits) will probably not arrive until next year.

Looking forward to the 2006 challenge...Thanks, everyone, for the great ideas!