Tuesday, December 9, 2008

I cashed in my gold and made a fast $150

Back in November I posted about a local jewelry store that advertised "Holiday Cash-Fast!". They were holding a special gold buying event just in time for the holidays. I never made it to the store back in November, but when they ran the ad again in yesterday's paper I decided to head over and check it out. I

I loaded the kids in the car, dialed the address in the GPS and set out for some fast cash. I really didn't have alot of jewelry: two broken 14kt herringbone necklaces, a matching 14kt necklace and bracelet set, a couple of pairs of 14kt earrings, a 14kt charm and a 10kt necklace. As I was driving over to the store I thought to myself that if I walked out of the store with $40 in my hand I would be happy. I didn't have anything to base that amount on it was just a number that I pulled out of the air. My jewelry has been sitting unworn in my dresser since the early - mid 90's. I was excited to cash in on my clutter.

When I arrived at the store it was empty so the owner was able to help me right away. As she was looking over my stuff a camera crew from a local station walked into the store. I noticed that the reporter was holding a copy of the ad in her hands and the first thing that came to my mind was, "Thank goodness I showered and put a little make-up on this morning", LOL!! The reporter asked if she could ask me a few questions while the owner went to weigh my loot. Since I looked somewhat presentable, I was happy to oblige. She asked me how I heard about cashing in on gold. I told her about the ad that I saw and the pile of jewelry sitting in my bedroom for over 13 years and I figured "why not, it was worth a try". The owner came back to me with a big smile on her face. She said that she would give me $150 for the jewelry. Honestly I about fell over. That was beyond what I expected. It turns out those broken chains came in handy. I was very excited, because this really was Fast Cash!!

If you are thinking about cashing in on your gold, look for a reputable jeweler. The owner of this store has been in the business for over 30 years and has a good reputation in the area. I guess I could have tried to sell the unbroken pieces online, but this was definitely instant gratification.

It was a fun morning for me and my girls and my oldest daughter got a kick out of seeing us on local evening news.

Thanks for reading FamilyBalanceSheet. If you don't already receive FBS free updates, please click here to sign up.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Welcome to Family Balance Sheet

Welcome to FamilyBalanceSheet.org.

I am a wife, mom of 2 and the office manager for our family. My husband and I work as a team, but it is my responsibility in our home to manage our family’s finances. This includes everything from balancing our checkbook and paying our bills to tracking our spending and managing our retirement accounts. We try to live responsibly and through home-management I am trying to reduce our debts, increase our savings and improve our Family Balance Sheet. I am constantly trying to find new ways to tweak our budget, but at the same time not feel like we are making huge sacrifices. I would love for you to follow along on our journey.

I am not a financial professional, so please consult one if you think you are in need of professional advice.

Please email me at familybalancesheet at gmail dot com with any comments or questions.

Thanks for reading FamilyBalanceSheet. If you don't already receive FBS free updates, please click here to sign up.