Step 19 - May 6 2009

This day marks my first collection of the vending machines down on the beachfront. The tourist season will begin soon and that means more money from this route. All in all it is not a ton of money for the year, but enough to be excited about collecting. My first haul of the year brought me $212.50. Not a bad start.

As far as other monies go, I have made another $60 from loaning to co-workers, and the currency market has yielded $4 back to me.

So all in all, $276. this time around. (I did net some more money from my prize vending location, but I spent that and some of my savings on a new computer, so I guess I loaned myself some money. $240 total.

$212.50 - beachfront vending location
$240.00 - prize vending location
$60 - interest
$4 - currency market
-$240 - loan to myself
-----------------------
+ $276.50 total

Grand total: $2690.50

WOW! Step 20 has arrived! Alright!

Step 19 - Spring has sprung!

Wow, been a while, huh? I hate winter. My money slows down in winter. Yuck.
So where was I with all this fun money stuff?

Well, as spring is coming, I spent a little time collecting dormant vending machine money. $100 from my largest location, $32 from another, and yet another $125 from my machine with the giveaway prize.

I also have been playing bank to co-workers, netting $124 in profits from 'payday loans.'

I have some money also invested in the currency market, but at the time, it is at a loss of $9. Ah well, I'm hoping it turns around soon.

So lets get a new tally on this springs totals so we can push onward and upward!

$257 from various vending machines, $124 from loans and -$9 from the markets. That totals $372.

The new total is: $2414!

Step 19 - Another day another quarter (or more)

Well this week saw me add a few more dollars to the pot. Nothing exciting happened, Im afraid. I simply went to my largest vending route and collected from it. Now that the summer is over and all the beach tourists are gone, I don't expect as much money as I was getting. It will all return in the spring when the weather warms up and the tourists return.

This collection yielded $112.50, so adding that to the pot. This brings me to over $2000! a nice milestone in my journey.

New total is: $2042.50

So here is the little chart for this post.

Step 19 - Gumballs and Shiny things

Been a while since I posted, but don't think I've given up. Things are changing for certain, but still I push ever forward.

I went in mid September and got my last large collection from my vending location down at the beach. This haul was $297. No inventory was purchased as I merged a few of the machines together and have already gotten the fish food for the winter months for that particular machine. I went and collected from the other couple of slower machines, giving me another $43. My 'prize machine' has given a total of $75 towards the purchase of he PlayStation 3 I will give away. I suck at any kind of graphical design, so the sign isn't up yet. I did get one of the girls at work to make me one yesterday while she was bored, so that will go up and then it should make money faster.

All in all, a total of $405 more dollars towards the stake.

I purchased some more silver coins and my first gold piece. The gold piece is a 1/10 oz, not quite the 1oz I truly want, but hey, Gold and silver had taken a dip in price, so I jumped on it.

I have also taken a big interest in the FOREX market. That is the market where you buy and sell foreign currencies. I have been playing with demo accounts for the last couple of months and think I have enough confidence to try a small amount. If I can make some money with it, GREAT!

So here is the little chart for this post.

Step 19 - Another $350 for an hour and a half

Wow, well, this season is doing well at the beach. I went down to the arcade where my vending machines are and collected another $350. This took an hour and a half. I haven't refilled them yet, so some of the profits will be put back into that, but no more than $30 this time as I bought a 50lb bag of fish food last time. That's my money maker there, the fish food vending machine, who woulda thunk?

Edit: I went to another vending machine and used that money ($40) for inventory, so my total profits stay at $350 this month so far, woot!

Step 19 - Three HundredThirty Dollars in an hour!

Well, I have become to love my vending machines. I went to my largest location and took just over an hour to collect $330 in an hour! That was after I paid my commissions. I had to go and spend $85 on more inventory afterwards, but hey, not bad for an hours work. Man, if I could build 5 of those hours per week on a steady 4 week schedule, I'd be sitting good.

My little soda selling thing at work is making me money with no effort. So far I've sold three cases of sodas, netting me $24 profit. I would have made more by now, but I have been lazy about replacing the sodas when they ran out. Anyway, another $15 for more soda inventory and lets see if I can get some more.

So I get to add another $254 to the pot.

Vending Income - $330
Soda Income - $24
----------------------
Total $354
Inventory - $100 (candies and soda)
-----------------------
Net increase $254

Step 19 - A few more bucks!

Ok, now that my sad news is out of the way, I have discovered a new way to make a few bucks. At this point it looks like about $40-50 a month.

I manage a small takeout/delivery restaurant. In that restaurant we sell 20oz sodas for $1.49. My employees simply steal them at that price as they figure they deserve a discount and the corporation does not allow discounts on sodas. I was in the Sam's club the other day and discovered I could buy 24oz sodas (same brand as I carry in my store) for .10 cheaper than my store pays for the 20oz directly from the company.

I bought a case and took it back to my store, my employees now buy my 24oz sodas for $1 each. When the entire case is gone, I make $8 profit. Thwy went through the first case in three days. If they keep that pace up, I could feasibly make $80 a month, with no shrinkage. I figure for a bit of shrinkage and some slow days to make me $40-50.

Hey, every little bit helps!

I also collected another $20 profit from one of my smaller vending machines.

Step 19 - Bad Karma strikes again

Well, remember that car that was towed away? It seems that there is a process they go through to get rid of the car. After all was said and done, the car sold for $700 less than the storage fees it incurred sitting on the lot. Therefore, I am now liable for those fees. $700! Ouch, what a lesson this whole fiasco is turning out to be. Sooo... guess my stake just took a $700 dive. I sold my silver and paid the rest.

Another step back and another lesson learned, oh well...

Step 19 - part 2 -

Well, looks like my vending route will do decently well.

This time, I pocketed $197.

Cash: $693
Assets: $924 ($600 in machines, 18oz silver $324)
Total: $1617

Step 19

Wow, looks like its been a bit since I posted. Well, it isn't from lack of activity, I can tell you.

Let's see, I had $1584 at last count. I bought another car to flip quickly, but it kinda got towed away. It needed a small bit of money put into it but I had to wait to find a part. My ex-roommate was ticked for kicking him out (long sad story, choose roomies very carefully!) and had it towed from my friend's work for a violation (no sticker.) I couldn't house it at my apartment complex for that very same reason, and they look frequently.

Anyway, by the time I found out about it over a week later, the recovery fee was too high for me to profit off of, so I let it go. That knocked me back $500.

1584 - $500 = 1084. ouch!!!

The good news is, the vending routes I had purchased with stake money ($600 worth.) made me $300! A rarity I'm certain, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

$1084 - $600 + $300 = $784

I also bought some silver, since I think it is going to do fairly well. They were at $16 an ounce. I bought 18 of them. $288 total.

$784 - $288 = $496

Now, I think I may show my stake a bit differently now...

Cash: $496
Assets: $888
Total: $1384

Almost back up to what I was before my loss. Hey, thats business!