Saving money is one of the hardest things to do in life. We all seem to find a way to earn it and then spend it, but not save it. Saving money when you are on a limited budget takes an enormous amount of self control. But we all know that we can do anything we put our minds to.

Here are a few tips on how to start saving money:

• Don’t put it off, buy a money box and start feeding it.
• Put your savings away first.
• Decide not to buy those usual luxuries and immediately put that money you didn’t spend into your savings. Don’t keep it to spend on something else.
• Get money taken out of your bank automatically before you even get to spend your pay.
• Think of savings as a gift to yourself because having it there will make you feel more secure.

Watch this video for some more ideas on how to start saving money.

This website is usally focused on serious subjects about saving money and making money. However today I thought we could have a bit of a laugh. This video shows an extreme situation where the guys from the Aussie TV show, The Chasers, try to save money on admission fees. Even though the video is a bit out of sync, that did not stop me from laughing. I think I might try this one day, just for a laugh.

Previously you had to pay up front for insulation to be installed into your home, and then recieve the rebate from the Australian government. Now you can simply get the insulation istalled and only pay the excess. I am paying $64 for my whole house to get the insulation from the government. It’s free money. Who would’nt be happy with that.

There are some conditions though - a person living in their house will get the full rebate of $1,600 but if you are renting the house out (ie you are a landlord) or you have a holiday home (don’t we all wish!!)  you can get $1,000 rebate.

I suggest you ring your local insulation installer to ask for more details. Either way it is a great gift for all of us, oh yeah, and the enviroment.

Follow this link for more information http://www.environment.gov.au/energyefficiency/insulation/index.html

A few funny stories that people have told me when getting the insulation installed:

• One lady had a guy come to the house that had a big whole in his shorts at the back and nothing underneath. The lady spent the whole hour trying to avoid looking at this guys behind. “He was a nice looking fella” she said when she was trying to explain the situation to her husband.
• Another lady had the guys turn up to install the insulation and she already had a roof full. She never bothered to even check before she booked them to do it.

People have all sorts of hobbies that they love to do in their spare time.  Scrap booking, knitting, sewing, painting, surfing the net, or even blogging.  There are of course too many hobbies to mention them all and I will just say “each to his own”.

I have always participated in a hobby in my spare time, and have always ended up turning my spare time into cash.  I always find myself earning money from not only my regular jobs, but also anything else I seem to be doing at the time. For example when I was young my husband and I didn’t have much money, we scrounged the local tip for furniture and household goods.  Sometimes we would pick up a couch, or maybe even a timber coffee table.  We would often hit the “ jackpot “, as we called it, when we actually found something that worked or was useful to us.

This sparked, not only an addiction to the hunt for treasures, but it also ended up being a great little money spinner. We ended up with an overload of stuff and started having garage sales to earn extra money.  People would look at us strangely when I told them what we were doing and my answer to that was “If you saw a five dollar note on the ground would you pick it up?” They always answered yes to this.  Then I would ask them, “well why wouldn’t you pick up an item that will be worth $5 in the long run?”

This is just one example of how to make money from a hobby.  I really don’t think they let you remove stuff from the tip now days, but there is still the curbside pickup and I am sure there are other ways to collect free stuff.  When someone says they are throwing something out, grab it.  Appreciate things that can be turned into even one dollar.  One day I picked up a steering wheel bar lock but it had no key. My husband told me to forget it because it was useless without the key. Well I took it home anyway and put it in the next garage sale.  A guy came along and looked at the steering wheel lock and asked where the key was.  When I told him there wasn’t one he offered my $2 for it. Ah two dollars for free.  He thought he was getting a bargain and I just wanted to rub it in to my husband.

We also used to make small timber boxes from scrap wood. That was fun. We would make boxes with hidden drawers and locks. They just got better each time we made them.  However one day when we were selling our boxes at a local market, a customer asked if we made bedside tables.  I turned to my husband and asked him if we made bedside tables and he said yes… Well that was the start of something big.  We started making bedside tables, which led to TV cabinets, kitchen hutches, coffee tables, CD towers, and more… We had a Sales rep on the road and 4 people working to try and get the orders out each week.  What once was fun turned into a factory of mass production. We were supplying shops and retailing as well. We did this for about 10 years, until we finally got into other businesses that we wanted to try.

One main hobby that I have had all my life is computers. Building, repairing, ripping apart, and more…This hobby turned into a huge website http://www.tips4pc.com which can almost earn enough money for us to live off.

We did not always just snap our fingers together and make money from all of our hobbies. We tried others and failed. But the thing is we realized that they were not going to work and moved on… Get over it quickly so you can concentrate on the next venture.

Maybe you have an old fashioned hobby that you can bring to life again by making it trendy or in vogue again. For example knitting was outdated but now is very fashionable because people adapted to the market and supplied something that people can use rather than look at.  They make cool scarves out of weird furry wool, mobile phone pouches, and way out beanies or hats.  No more kettle warmers or toaster covers please!!!

Quick tips to turning a hobby into a money making idea:

• If you are making craft, make sure it has a use. People have cut down on buying things that just look good. It needs to be useful.
• When turning a hobby into a money making adventure don’t expect to be paid for every hour that it takes to create your masterpiece.
• Be realistic when pricing your item. Being handmade and quality crafted does not give you the big bucks unless your name is Picasso.
• Find a niche and go with it.  Do not copy people’s ideas because you think they are making money.  They usually are not making much at all.  It’s the unique items that sell the best.
• Try and source the material you need to make your items from a wholesaler or even free.  I know people that used to make wallets and tobacco pouches from scrap leather and suede from out of factory bins. They made a great profit because they didn’t have to pay for materials.  Also you can make lead light glass charms from scrap colored glass.. There is so much you can do.
• If you do not know how to do something ask for advice when buying your materials.  One day we decided to put a lead light window into a bedside table and didn’t know the first thing about it.  So I went to the lead lighting supplies shop, and while buying what I needed, I drained the guys brains on how to do it… I was there for ages. He wanted a sale and I wanted to buy the stuff but get lessons along the way…  Free lessons 101.  Then I went home and made a lead light piece to go into the bedside table.

You can also watch this video to see how one person turned their hobby into a money making project.

Let me know what hobbies you have and if you think you can make money from them.

If you try some of these tips you will be sure to make a sale and maybe even make more money than you expected:

• First appearances count: Concentrate on the front of the house and how it looks.  People will simply drive by if they see something they do not like.  Of course you cannot help it if you have the front door in the wrong place, but there is alot you can do.
• Paint: Tidy the place up with a fresh coat of paint. This is one of the cheapest improvements you can do and it can make you the most money.
• Correct lighting: Make sure the interior is light and spacious – airy.  Turn lights on if you have a dark room.
• Clean and tidy: This is an obvious one but people still do not do it.. Especially if you have tenants in a house that is for sale.
• Nice smelling: If you have a bread maker, have it going, when there is an inspection on…Hmmm Yum..Who can resist fresh bread. .Maybe you could brew a coffee, cook a cake, or whatever suits you.  Think about what makes your house smell nice.  Maybe you have some flowers in the garden – transfer these into the house, especially the bathroom, there is nothing nicer than a nice smelling bathroom!
• DE-clutter: Get rid of excess furniture and junk. Declutter your house to make it look bigger.  This is a big one.. Do not stuff everything in the cupboards either.  Store the excess items somewhere else (like your mum’s house!!)
• Animals: Do not have any signs of animals living in your house.  This will put off 50% of you buyers straight away.  I personally couldn’t stand living in a house where dogs and cats have been. Especially if the house had carpet!!!!! I would be dreaming about fleas and cat hair everywhere (not to mention the underneath of the carpet where the pets may have urinated)
• Garden and fences: If you have a back yard, do not think that is doesn’t count. The backyard is just as important as the front.  Especially if the buyer has children or animals.  Secure fencing is a big plus for most people so make sure you fix any wholes or gaps.  Fences can be repaired easily with a bit of hard work.  Also make sure the lawns are mowed and tidy.  I found that everyone loves a garden – it can be small, in a large pot.  We all love the idea of growing our own herbs, vegies, etc it gives a peaceful, healthy feeling.
• Get an honest opinion: Get someone else to come into your house and give you an honest opinion.  Not the real-estate salesperson- get a close relative to give you the brutal truth from an outsider’s point of view.
• Give more information: Give the real-estate agent a brochure from the local council to give to any potential buyers. They usually show what facilities are available in the area… This can make a sale.  If they see there is a bus that picks you up on the corner, a school in the next block, a shopping center, or other attractions available this can be very helpful.  If you have a house in the middle of nowhere this can be valuable information.  If there are no books or brochures available, make your own list up (the local library is a great place to get these from as they usually have all the local papers, etc).

I would love to hear any tips you have on how to sell a house to make more money…I know there are loads out there..