I’ve been seeing my income steadily climb as each new month comes and it’s really been an amazing experience. There are many in affiliate marketing that don’t get to see a sizable payment until they are 6 months or more into it. I’ve managed to go up every single month and the month of February has already brought me a little over $5,000 in sales.

$5,000 in a month is a great accomplishment for me. My goal is to reach $10,000 a month by the end of the year and with the way my sales have continued to increase each month, I’m positive that I’ll hit that goal.

It’s crazy to think that just a few months ago in October I was broke, jobless and wondering what my future would hold. The American economy has dwindled so low the past couple of years and the job market is next to non-existent. For me, being only 21, to be able to find something like affiliate marketing and make it work so well and so quickly is a blessing.

I went from having nothing to being able to afford all of the things that I’ve wanted and being able to feel much more optimistic about what my future beholds.

Again, for those who always ask for proof, here are shots of my accounts -

And, yes, account information such as my affiliate id, product names and such have been edited out. I can’t give away all that I’m in or I’ll create competition for myself.

I wasn’t able to get the images to fit right on the post so if you just click the image, then click it again you will see the full size shot of each image.

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This past week has brought up a ton of awesome articles throughout the personal finance blogging ring on the web. Here’s a glance at what the buzz has been around The Money Bloggers network of blogs:

Ben, at Banker Saver, wrote a very informative article on maximizing your savings income by discussing the basics of building a CD ladder. If you’re not familiar with the concept of a CD ladder, be sure to check out this post and educate yourself in this. It’s well worth the read!

Johnathan, author of Debt Loans, shared a great descriptive of personal loans. The post covers  everything from the definition of an unsecure loan to the miscellaneous fees that you may face when paying off a loan. If you’re unsure of what you’re getting into going into applying for a loan, this post is for you.

At MilkingTheDollar Matt has compiled a wholesome list of 20 ways to make an extra $100 per month. Who can resist taking a peek at such an enticing concept? Honestly, if you’re well off enough to not want to think about earning an extra $2000 a month, my name is Bradley Jones, I accept checks, Paypal, debit or credit. I leave it up to you =)

Over at Wallet Wise you’ll find a great article on how stocking up can save you money. If you’re budgeting yourself and need to figure out how to cut back a bit on that nasty grocery bill that you just can’t avoid, make a smart click and check out what Wallet Wise can offer in advice.

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Ever since the rise of the massively popular online auction site Ebay came to be, there have been swarms of imitators attempting to achieve the same success.

And, of course, there is always a scam in the works that draws people in only to suck them dry under their noses.

Swoopo is one of the most cleverly designed scams that I have seen in quite a while.

On the outside Swoopo looks to be a bargain hunter’s dream. Items constantly being sold up to %75 off the original price. Auctions are always available. You can see current bids in real time instead of refreshing your page on a minute by minute basis. Even the entire purchasing system is on a very secure page.

This is the beauty that hides the beast.

While you’re bidding away at your heart’s desire, trying ever so hard to get that amazing deal on the item you long to have Swoopo is working in the background charging you 60 cents every single time you place a bid. Not to mention every time you make a bid you add more time on the clock for that particular item. So, unlike Ebay, you can’t come in at the last second, make the perfect bid, and be on your way with the item. You have to wait until no one bids on that item again. And don’t forget you’re getting put 60 cents in the hole each time you try to “swoop in” with a bid.

Also, bid increments are locked in at 15 cents. This isn’t something you can change. That’s why most items on Swoopo are sold so cheap. But if you really think about how many bids it takes to buy something like an Xbox 360 for $50 at 15 cents a bid you can see how Swoopo is able to do this:

$50 divided by $.15 = around $333.33.

So, in other words, that Xbox 360 is being sold for $333.33. An item that sells brand new in places like Walmart for $199. Swoopo makes almost $134 in profit. One person gets away with a cheap Xbox while others pay Swoopo an almost %75 over the actual cost of the system.

And there lies the beast under the beauty.

Don’t waste your money playing the lottery on Swoopo, people. It’s not a good investment. Ebay is a much sounder decision in the case of online auctions.

For those of you who have already fallen prey to this elaborate scheme, please make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before plunging head first into disaster next time!

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One of the biggest concepts that leads to true success in personal finance is developing a plan and sticking to it. Setting goals for your finances is one of the best things that you can do to keep yourself motivated and investing in your future financial freedom.

I’m sure many of you are sitting back and saying “yeah, yeah. I’ve heard this theory of setting goals a million times before, but it never works”. Well, there are two main reasons that people don’t succeed in accomplishing their goals.

1. We Don’t Organize Our Goals Well - People have a tendency to set a broad goal, follow it for a few weeks to a month, and then drop it and forget it until they’re making their next new year’s resoultion list. A major part of accomplishing goals is to split them up into short-term and long-term goals. Short-term meaning things like buying a car or making cosmetic repairs to a home. Long-term goals can be more along the lines of saving money for a child’s college fund or purchasing a home. Breaking your goals down into less broad categories can help you obtain them more quickly and you’ll be less likely to ditch them a few months down the road.
2. Budgeting Accordingly - Most of set goals for ourselves. Whether they be small or large we all find ourselves in situations where we need to make goals. What most people don’t do is budget their earnings properly to make it possible to obtain their goals. This is a big reason why even people who stick with their goals end up failing. You have to come up with a plan to achieve the goals you set. This means cutting back unnecessary costs and setting aside enough money on a regular schedule in order to obtain what is that you want in the time frame that you want.

If you can manage to overcome sheer laziness and make yourself determined, you can achieve a lot more than most people think they can. Just like a business developing a business plan to further it’s success in it’s market, we have to develop a life plan to succeed in the areas that we strive to succeed in.

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If you’re looking for school supplies for your kids or even office supplies for yourself, now is the time to start buying. There are tons of sales going on right now. I know most of you are waiting for tax free weekend which is right around the corner, but, in all honesty, you will more than likely save more money by buying now.

The sales that are going on for the next week or so are tremendous and they probably won’t last through tax free weekend. So, go grab cheap stuff while ya can!

Here is a list of links to some great savings that are going on right now:

• OfficeMax- A couple big highlights in this sale are the 25 cent four pocket poly folders, $9.99 backpacks, Avery 1″ binders (4 for $13), and the desks on sale.
• OfficeDepot- 5 cent protractors, 20 cents for glue stick 4-pack, 75 cent 1″ school binders, and backpacks as low as $4.99. (sales good through August 1st except where noted)
• Target- 50 cents each for 12 count PaperMate Eagle pens in either black, blue, or red ink. 50 cent pencil pouches or pencil boxes. $1 for selected Mead 1 subject poly notebooks in either wide or college rule. $4 for 10 count Sharpie permanent markers in assorted colors. $2.50 for 3 pack Scotch Magic tape with free pop-up dispenser or 3×3″ 3M Post-it notes. Sale prices good through August 1st.
• Best Buy- Notable sales here are a Toshiba laptop for $299.99, 8GB PNY usb flash drive for $24.99, 4GB PNY camera memory card for $17.99, 8GB iPod Touch that comes with a free $20 gift card for $229.99, and much more. Prices good through August 1st as well.
• KMart - $9.99 each for Dane Elec 4GB usb flash drives. $14.99 Route 66 and Athletech backpacks and messenger bags. Buy one get one free MX notebooks. $5 of all Mead zipper binders. Also, if you purchase $15 worth of participating brands you get a $4 off coupon for your next purchase. And if you buy $25 worth of participating brands you will receive an $8 off coupon for your next purchase. Sales are also good through August 1st.

Those are just a few examples. There are many more sales going on at each store. Just follow the links to find what you’re looking for.

A lot of these are pretty good sales. So if you’re still shopping for the kids or even just want a notebook for yourself, go ahead and buy now while they’re at low prices.

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