Wii selling makes man $4,500 in only 6 weeks

February 5, 2008

Wii Gaming ConsoleAn unnamed man made roughly $4,500 in roughly 6 weeks selling this Christmas’ most sought after toy, the Nintendo Wii. A little background on this unnamed man. He’s 40, has a masters degree, two kids, and drives a minivan. Sound like a typical Dad. So how does an ordinary Dad make so much money in such a little time off one particular toy. A few ways:

  • He scammed eBay - it’s against eBay’s policy to jack up bids by having your “friends” bid on your products. It is illegal, but hey I guess you do what you have to do sometimes.
  • He outsmarted/outworked everyone - simple calls to stores and asking when they’ll get the Wii’s in was a huge benefit for him. He studied the distribution schedule and worked around it. He knew when stores were getting the consoles in versus just showing up and hoping.
  • He beat the holiday rush - this man made all his sales before Thanksgiving. The early bird once again gets the worm.
  • He slowly entered this idea - he didn’t buy as many as he could and try and sell them. He bought one to see how it would go. If the idea failed he wasn’t gonna be out that much money. You see a lot of people jump all over an “idea” and end up losing their shirts. Slowly enter into your idea and as soon as you know it works, jump all over it.

The point of this story is not that the man made a nice little profit from selling Wiis. The point is we need to always be on the lookout for our own little money making strategies. Pay attention to what you see, what you hear, what you expect to happen. Anticipating a demand is not always easy but executed correctly you can make a nice little chunk of change.

Written by Mike · Filed Under CHEAP PEOPLE, FEATURED | 1 Comment 

Roy Haynes - Living Cheap the Wrong Way

February 1, 2008

Roy Haynes is cheap. Kudos to him for being cheap, but personally I think he goes about it in the wrong way.

Why..you ask? Here’s why?

  1. He garbarge picks - not only is this disgusting but it’s also illegal. Seriously, do you want this guy going through YOUR trash?
  2. He takes advantage of things - You will see he has ketchup packets that he puts into a ketchup bottle. Now I’m assuming this, but I can see him as the kind of guy who goes to McDonald’s and cleans house at the condiment station. No one wants to look that desperate.
  3. He recycles….the wrong items - This guy reuses paper towels…at least 5 times. I’m no doctor but that cannot be good for your health.

Don’t get me wrong, the guy knows how to pinch pennies. I just don’t think the average Joe can live this lifestyle. Through the CheapestMan.com we will show you some normal people ways to save a buck or two.

Written by Mike · Filed Under CHEAP PEOPLE, FEATURED, GENERAL, HOME | 1 Comment 

The Ultimate Cheapskate

January 31, 2008

Jeff YeagerDubbed ‘The Ultimate Cheapskate’ by Today’s shows Matt Lauer, Jeff Yeager is one of the cheapest men you will find.

Excerpt from Washington Post:
“”We spend more money than we need to spend just to be happy,” Yeager said. “Eighty percent of the books in the market are about how to make more money. My book is about how to live a good life on little money.”

For example, he suggests holding an occasional fiscal fast in which a family refrains from spending a single dollar for a week. He also recommends shopping smarter, volunteering, paying off home mortgages as quickly as possible, trading a car for a bicycle, living within a budget at 30 years old and staying there, and hanging up the cellphone for good.”

I’ve read about a fiscal fast and wondered if I should do one. I think i will…details to come.

You can purchase Jeff’s book at Amazon.com Ultimate Cheapskates Road Map to True Riches, The: A Practical (and Fun) Guide to Enjoying Life More by Spending Less

Written by Mike · Filed Under CHEAP PEOPLE, FEATURED, FUN, GENERAL | 2 Comments