Free From Broke

A Personal Finance Blog for Regular Folks

Money

Would You Sell Yourself to Pay for College (or Anything Else)?

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During my freshman year in college, while visiting another college campus, I grabbed one of the school newspapers.  While looking through the pages, I noticed an ad, asking for women to allow their eggs to be harvested.

Women of average height, in good health, and possessing a good GPA were encouraged to basically sell their eggs.  Not only would the medical procedure be covered, but there was also a stipend involved.

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine points out that egg donors can receive between $5,000 and $10,000, depending on what is involved.

I was briefly tempted to participate.

I met the requirements listed in the ad.  I cut out the ad and took it back to my own school.  Then I did the research on what donating entails.  There are risks involved with becoming an egg donor, from health issues, to medical screening, to injections.

I decided that, between the scholarship and the student loans, not to mention the part-time job, I would be just fine.

But that experience has stuck with me, and I know that many others find that they can do reasonably well if they are willing to sell a little bit of themselves to help pay for college (and other things).

What Can You Sell of Yourself to Pay for College?

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How to Become a Millionaire

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Even though a million dollars isn’t what it used to be, the goal of becoming a millionaire is one that many still strive for.  If you have a net worth of $1 million, you are thought to have truly “made it.”

Becoming a millionaire doesn’t have to be hard, though.

In reality, the steps you take toward becoming a millionaire are actually fairly simple.  The theory behind becoming a millionaire is fairly easy to grasp, although actually implementing your plan can be a little more difficult.

Here are some of the basic things you can do to answer the question of how to become a millionaire:

1. Earn Money

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The Many Ways the Internet Saves (and Makes) You Money

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Ten years ago the Internet used to be a luxury that wealthy families could afford, but now most have it. 

According to Nielsen, of the 80% of American homes that have a computer, 92% of them have Internet access.

With this access, they also have a powerful tool to save money.

Sure, we have to pay monthly for our Internet service, but my guess is that people who use the Internet wisely save at least as much as they spend for Internet access, if not more.

Have you given thought lately to all of the ways the Internet saves you money?

Here are just a few I came up with:

Ways the Internet Saves You Money

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5 Tips to Help You Deal with Economic Uncertainty

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We live in uncertain economic times.

No one knows what will happen next. Between a difficult job market, a housing sector that refuses to recover, and Europe on the brink of complete financial disaster, it’s easy to feel anxious about your money.

Will we see another recession? Could things turn around and be great? Are a eurozone collapse and slowing growth in China about to dump us into another global financial crisis? While you want to be prepared for the possibility of economic problems, it’s not a good idea to let fear rule you.

Once you let fear master you, you start making very poor decisions based on that fear.

Whether it’s making a bad investment decision, a risky business choice, or sabotaging your relationships, fear and anxiety can lead to problems in your finances and your life.

Before you let your worries about economic uncertainty turn into a full-blown financial emergency, it’s a good idea to take a deep breath, step back, and consider these 5 tips to helping you cope with the uncertainties that come in an economy like what we’re seeing now:

Tips to Help You Deal With Economic Uncertainty

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Drought: Are You Ready for Higher Prices?- Tips to Fight Food Price Inflation

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Chances are, you are aware that this summer has been hot.

It’s been much hotter than normal where I live, in the intermountain west.

The result of all this hot weather is likely to be failing crops.

Indeed, I notice that, thanks to a strange winter, and hot weather, our garden isn’t doing as well as it did last year.  We don’t have the same number of tomatoes and peppers.  Even our berries are failing.  (Our herbs, on the other hand, are thriving.  Apparently, the basil, oregano, and thyme are all fond of this weather.)

Across the nation’s farmland, a similar situation is playing out on a larger scale.

Drought is causing crops of corn and soybeans to begin failing, and that will likely mean a squeeze in supply — and a rise in food prices.  But it’s not just a direct rise in prices, such as a rise in corn prices.  This type of issue is likely to spread throughout the food supply chain.

What we often forget is that we aren’t the only living things that need grown food.
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