Blogging Away Debt

As I mentioned Friday, I was looking into a possible new way to bring in some extra income. I forget how I came across this article, but the first thing I thought was – SCAM!

How I Make $2,000 Every Year Without Doing Very Much.

Upon reading the article, my mind was put at ease and I was a little inspired.

The author of the article discussed how they have a few illustrations listed at iStockPhoto.com. People looking for illustrations go to the site and purchase what they need. They also have photos, sound and video that you can sell or purchase.

We have experimented with photography and have some pictures sitting around that could qualify for this site. The downfall is that you only get 20% commission for each sale. That’s pretty low. But you can get volume/exposure if your work is good enough – a lot of people go to iStockphoto to purchase pictures. There are some photographers on there that make six figures a year. Then there are some that probably only make a few bucks a month (if that). I like the fact that we could possibly make some money for photos that were just going to be for personal use.

So I went through the application process this weekend (which included reading some material, taking a quiz and uploading three sample photos) and am waiting to see if my application will be approved. They really want to keep the quality of the site really high, so they check every picture/illustration/sound/video that comes in. Sort of nerve wracking, but I thought it was worth a shot. Even a few bucks a month is better than nothing and once you upload your photo and it is accepted – there isn’t much more work on your part.

If you happen to be into photography and can create some business related photos (especially with people in a business setting), they are selling like hotcakes. Some of the people who make the most money on the site have business photos on there. There are categories of pictures they are not accepting right now. One good example is trees. They have enough of them right now.

In a few weeks I should receive a reply on whether I was accepted or not. We don’t plan to pursue this heavily, but it could be a way to make some extra money with a hobby both my husband and I share and hope to get back into at a later date.

Here are a few articles I came across that were interesting to read about selling on iStockphoto.com:

Selling Photos on iStockphoto
Freelancer Sellings 500,000 Photos on iStockphoto.com
iStock Earnings

Thought I would share in case there are any hobby photographers out there 🙂

Couponing is on the Rise

by Tricia

CNN has a story about clipping coupons. Big box retailers are showing a 14% rise in their use.

CNN Story

Except for a stray coupon here and there, I really don’t use coupons. I find that it is often cheaper to go with a generic brand versus a name brand with a coupon. Of course, there are exceptions. The coupons I like to use are the ones for cereal. I only use them when a store has the cereal on sale – which brings the price below that of the generic variety. That’s when we stock up on cereal.

There was a finance blogger that did an article that examined the use of coupons and if it was worth it time-wise. I wish I could remember who that was (if someone knows – feel free to mention in the comments!). I thought his/her look at the time factor was very interesting. Right after our son was born, we were spending about $25 a week on groceries for my husband and I. That was a result of a lot of planning and scanning through grocery sale flyers. We could probably drastically reduce our grocery spending if I spent that time again planning.

What about you? Do coupons play a large role in your financial life?

Blogging Away Debt Blogging Away Debt follows real people on their journey to debt freedom — with tips on the debt snowball, budgeting, cutting expenses, and staying motivated.

A Possible New Source of Income

Couponing is on the Rise