Friday 22 August 2008

functional depression

It's important to be productive, to produce. And especially when you're unemployed... Despite the name of this blog, it wouldn't be good to wind up curled on the sofa, cuddling a cuppa and staring slackly at Cash In The Attic on the box.

But it's hard. I always seem to find that, after the first few happy, relaxed days of underemployment, depression starts making little nibbles at my psyche, followed by big chomping gulps. I guess it's partly just because you have time to think about things, time you don't have when sucked into the 9 to 5. Bad things, often.

And partly the awareness that, fuck, you're unemployed. 1st bad thing: you're either claiming benefits and getting continuous hassle from the state about it, or you're running down your financial resources with no fairy godmother in sight. 2nd bad thing: this state will eventually end - when you get a goddamn J-O-B!

So, unemployment is synonymous with depression for me. Just as employment is synonymous with anxiety. Aah, I run the gamut of psychological malaise from.... well, A to B, I suppose, much like Katharine Hepburn and acting. Mania, schizophrenia, all those exotic and enticing variants... not so much.

I find the way to manage this state is bite-size functionality. Not an original idea, but put it into practice and it's a wonderful thing. However glum, slack-jawed and negative I might be, I find I can knock off one thing on my to-do list for at least 5-15 minutes. As long as I can then put the kettle on and collapse on the sofa for another 10 mins. Rinse, wash, repeat...

This way... maybe I'm half as productive as if I was working flat out. But ask yourself... is that really going to ever happen? Or am I in fact 1000% as effective as I would be if I wasn't employing this technique, and instead allowing stress and depression and the demand for continuous activity and immediate results to freeze me into stasis?

Things are getting done. Bit by bit, they're getting done.

Monday 18 August 2008

I pay my rent with Ebay

...so what's next?

After tax, anyhow, that's pretty much all my Ebay income is going to cover at the moment. It's not a lot, but it's a start, I suppose. Better than not covering the rent. Progress requires pushing on to the next level: e.g. covering my half of the monthly diesel costs for our crappy little motor, as well.

That'll be another £60 a month required, then.

How to do it, that's the question. Storing enough stock to start to multiply my Ebay earnings would entail renting out a little storage unit.

Cost: £80 a month, minimum. Not currently an option, then.

Other options? I think I'm looking at the Etsy route: develop a crafty little product that's quick to make and easy to store. Stackable, preferably...

Either that or scouring Craigslist or gumtree.com, looking for cheaper storage in someone's boxroom or garage or shed... till they do a flit / their teenage son leans his leaky motorbike on my boxes / the shed gets flooded.

Positive thinking is a wonderful thing!

Sunday 17 August 2008

Is it just a numbers game?

Paying my rent by selling books online, I mean.

Up to now, Ebay has led me to think so. Perhaps I have become spoilt that way. The income I have thus far received per 500 books/other items listed is not over-generous, perhaps - maybe £80-£120 a month. But it is reliable, and my landlord is a strange man who likes a reliable income, especially in his tenants.

Amazon income I have also found reliable - reliably underwhelming. With around 700-800 items listed, I regularly sell maybe 3 items a month, for perhaps £5-£20 quid. Whoop-de-doo who needs the lottery...

Now I have joined Ebid, and am up to nearly 100 items listed. Sales so far this month - 0. Zero.

Maybe I'm being unfair. I've been on there about two minutes. Still, that's a lot of listings for no sales at all. But for zero listings fees (minus the seller+ joinup fee), I'm willing to stick with it and give 'em a fair shot. I'm not crying uncle, not for a good 18 months yet. I will build it, and they will come - they damn well will come to www.ebid.net, and their wallets too.

Saturday 9 August 2008

what I'm up to

Ooooh... so anyway, this is what I've got up to so far to bring in the spondoolicks...

Ebay - selling the books, the bric-a-brac, any old whatsit to bring in da moolah.

Ebid.net - finally! I have signed up, after meaning to just forever and ever! And now I must actually list.

Cafepress - well, I've been signed up for weeks and done nothing. Must download Gimp and hone my graphic design skillz so I can throw some T-shirts down.

Slicethepie - again, signed up for weeks and done bugger all. Must check it out.

Etsy - crafted a lot of items, sold a few. I have a lot of items in a half-finished state, need to get 'em finished and listed. I think partly the trouble is I've lost interest in making jewellery, at least to my present standard. I need to learn proper wire-wrapping and get myself a blowtorch. But all of that is very time-consuming, and I need ready money. Also what I'm really feeling is drawing and painting - but again that takes a lot of time before you see any money. Although once I've finished a few pics to a standard acceptable to me I can get prints made, an income stream beyond the initial investment of time.

Friday 8 August 2008

And yet they are fed


'For consider the lilies of the field, they toil not, neither do they spin...' and nor do the duckies or the birdies. But these buggers look pretty well fed.

I won't worry just yet. Does not the Holy Flying Spaghetti Monster love me much better than they? I will take no thought for the morrow, but instead whack a Buffy tape in the player. And nod off in front of the telly. Ah, for the telly is the life.

MISSION: make SAH money online...

Well, we can all dream can't we? I'm setting out on a semi-planned journey: I always meant to eventually reach the point of making enough money online/from my hobbies and interests to give up work. However when I gave up my last temp job in order to concentrate on getting through a book-keeping course/exam, it was not well-timed. Or very well-timed, if I had wanted it to co-incide exactly with the c/c (shh, credit crunch to you) and simultaneous summer influx of eager young students hogging all the temp jobs.

Where have all the temp jobs gone?

Thusly, my hand is forced. My meagre income from Ebay, and a host of the usual suspects, is my only income currently. And, being as it is that I am already all legit and registered with Her Majesty etc., everything in place, and probably wouldn't get tuppence if I registered for JSA, I might as well go all out. Have a go at the passive income streams/Ebay biz/blogging for dollars nonsense that pf aficionados know so well.

Oh, the SAH thing? Well, I'm not a mum. I'm sure you can work it out...