Many people might think that gold investment is only possible for the rich investment professionals or people who have mountains of dollars lying around.
What you might not know is that gold investment can also be profitable for the average normal person like you and me. After speaking with a lot of friends I have found that one of the biggest deterrents for the average Joe to investing and buying gold is simply ignorance of the possible ways one can invest in gold.

3 ways to invest in gold:

1. Buy physical gold

Buying gold coins or bars is the best way for a beginner to start. However, if you are just getting started in understanding how to invest in gold be sure to avoid purchasing rare gold coins. They are very beautiful but if you are not experienced in identifying different types of coins you can lose a lot of money. Also be sure to avoid internet auction sites like Ebay for your gold purchases – it is really easy to fall victim for fraud. A great place to buy gold from is your local goldsmith. Goldsmiths usually give you a reasonable price and they are also handy at recommending different types of gold for investment.

Buying physical gold might not be for you if you don’t have a safe place to store it. Keeping a lot of gold in your apartment is not a a good idea if you live in a shady neighborhood.

2. Buying gold mutual funds or futures

Buying gold mutual funds is a great option for someone who wants to purchase gold in a safe way but who isn’t interested in taking care of the physical gold. Ask your local financial expert and he will probably set you up with several gold mutual funds.

Another option for those who are interested in gold but uneasy about the prospect of physical possession or storage is buying gold futures. When you purchase gold futures you are essentially buying a contract to buy a specific amount of gold on a specific date. It may not be as good an option for beginners as mutual funds are but if you are willing to take the speculative risk, it could pay off.

3. Buy gold mining stocks

The New Cobar Gold Mine in Cobar, Australia. Yes, it is huge!

Purchasing gold mining stocks is similar to buying gold mutual funds or futures. You don’t actually purchase physical gold and you don’t have to be concerned with any storage. Stocks of gold mining companies are just what you would think, stock in companies that mine gold. You purchase stock in gold mining companies in the same way that you would buy stock in any publicly traded company. This can be difficult for beginners who have never traded on the stock market since the prices of stocks can vary strongly throughout any given day.

Summary

Gold prices have increased more than 7 times during the last 10 years. 500 dollars spent on gold in the year 2000 is worth almost $4000 today!

If you think that gold prices keep increasing at the same rate in the future it is definitely a great idea to start investing!

Believe it or not Raffi Stepanian is making his full time income on the streets of New York but not collecting bottles or asking people for money but searching the streets for gold.

He claims that there is enough gold, precious metals and diamonds on the streets of New York that one can make a comfortable living by just picking it up.

Raffi Stepanian looking for gold on the streets of New York

As you might know there are about 20 million people living in New York and together they lose so many precious things that just finding them will make you a good income.

Check out this video to see Raffi Stepanian talk about his job:

Raffi makes about 300 dollars per day looking for gold in the streets of New York.

Do you also live in a big city? Perhaps you should start looking for gold!

If you are reading this article chances are pretty good that you are a regular reader at my blog www.financialjesus.com.

If you have taken some time to look around you might have noticed that there are some ads on the website – 2 inside each article ( 1 picture ad + 1 block of text ads) and some ads in the menu on the right.

Some of you probably already know this but each time one of you clicks on the ads on this site I make some money. The amount I make from 1 click is quite small – anywhere from 1 cent to 1 dollar (usually about 0.10-0.30 dollars) but since there are a lot of people reading this blog the numbers add up quite fast.

Below is a picture of my check form Google Adsense for 2669 dollars and 98 cents – it took about 1 year to earn.

My Google Adsense Check for 2669 dollars (Click for full size check)

I wish to thank you guys for sticking around and reading this blog. You are the only reason why I am able to earn money from this site and hopefully increase my earnings through Google Adsense in the future. Last time I checked there were over 80 000 unique visitors per month reading our stuff here at Financial Jesus!

What am I going to do with the money?

I am planning to use the money to buy a new car!  I will let you know once I get it!

Do you want to Make Money Online?

I am toying around with the idea to teach others how to make money online by making a special website or an online course. What do you think, would you be interested in something like that?

Please answer the question below:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

For many people, their New Year’s resolution involves losing weight or quitting smoking. But the new year is a great time to start thinking about how you are going to become more financially sensible this year.

A good place to start is to take a look at your credit card habits. Are you using your credit cards only for convenience sake or for emergencies? Or are you using them like an open-ended loan, racking up debt and interest charges? Regardless you can find great interest rates and deals when using comparison sites like www.comparethemarket.com/credit-cards/.

The best way to use a credit card is to pay off the balance every month and carry a balance on the card only when you need to use it for for a large, necessary charge that you can’t otherwise afford, such as expensive repairs to your car, or for things that require a credit card, such as rental car or hotel reservations. This not only keeps you out of debt and saves you money, but it also improves your credit score, which can save you money in the long run with lower interest rates and other advantages.

How much are you spending?

Another thing to look at on the way to improving your finances is your overall spending. Are you spending way more than you need to? For example do you buy coffee every morning or eat out for lunch and dinner several times a week? Brew your own coffee at home and take your lunch to work every day and you could easily come up with a couple thousand dollars that you could save, invest for retirement or use to pay down debt.

While discretionary spending is a logical place to look for savings, you might be able to save money on some of your necessities as well. For example, if you combine your homeowners and automobile insurance, you could save a few dollars a month. Bundling your TV, Internet and phone services can also save you money. Another place to look for savings is your mortgage if you have one. Interest rates are at historical lows, so if you are in a position to refinance your mortgage, you could save several thousand dollars a year.

Improving your finances doesn’t have to be all about cutting expenses. Make sure you are getting the best rate possible on any savings account you have and consider putting some of the money in a CD if you don’t need it any time soon. Also, make sure you are contributing the minimum amount to your 401k plan to get any company match offered. And do anything you can to reduce taxes. Utilize flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts, and contribute to an IRA or college savings plan for your kids if you can afford to.

The following is a guest post contributed by Liz Goldman for Wonga.com – the UK payday loans alternative.

If your finances were out of shape in 2011then this is the year to improve your financial health. Finally the time is here to reduce your credit card bills, slash your mortgage and make sure your savings are sweating interest.

Here is a 2012 personal finance health checklist to ensure your finances run smoothly.

1. Keep Your Vehicle in Good Condition

Taking good care of your car can mean savings of hundreds or even thousands of dollars from maintenance and insurance premiums. Regular servicing of your car’s key parts ensures fewer accidents which in turn leads to lower premiums. You will also save on costly repairs and potentially having to buy a new vehicle, too.

2. A Safe Home

There is an easy way to lower your home insurance costs that is not known to many – just install alarms, window bolts and secure locks and you will probably be offered better home insurance rates.

Do regular safety checks on smoke detectors, locks, wiring and plumbing to avoid costly accidents.

3. Buy Online

You can get some great deals online, so shop regularly at online stores to save money. Items such as books, DVDs, electronics and jewellery can all be bought for less. You will also save on gas and the temptation of eating out. Look for free shipping offers and use price comparison sites for the best possible deal.

4. Improve your Credit Score

Mortgages, credit cards, and personal loans are expensive financial products we all rely on, so improve your credit score and save money with lower rates of interest. Pay bills on time, ensure your credit file is correct and clear any debts. Checking your credit file regularly is a good idea to help remove any errors and get good deals.

5. Identify potential pinch points and plan ahead

It is important to plan ahead to those times in the year when you know finances are likely to be tight – for example birthdays, vacations, weddings and so on. A short-term solution to help improve your finances in these situations might be to use a payday loan provider or to ask a friend to help out.

6. Tax

Make sure you are paying the correct rate of tax and be sure to write off any tax deductible expenses. Contact a professional if you are unsure about any aspect or need assistance with paperwork. Maybe you are paying more taxes than needed and you don’t even know it!

7. Control your “Wants”

It is important to identify your “wants” (things you want to have like a new TV, holiday, Playstation 3) and your actual “needs” (essentials such as food, shelter and clothing). Embrace your finances with a clear and open mind, identify what you really need and budget for any “wants”. If you are finding it hard to be disciplined, open a savings account that can’t be easily accessed and transfer a small amount each month. Pick an expense that you don’t need like going out, and put that money into the account. You’d be amazed how fast it adds up.

8. Don’t Keep Up with the Joneses

Don’t bother trying to impress people by leasing a sports car or buying the latest gizmo. Few people will actually notice. Save the money instead and use what you already have. Remember to bear this Ethel Barrett quote in mind: “We would worry less about what others think of us if we realized how seldom they do.”

9. Savings

Regularly check your savings account against competitor’s interest rates to make sure you are getting the best deal. Research online and use financial product comparison sites to help you. Carefully check your saving account’s terms and conditions for any withdrawal penalties if you choose to switch or close it down.

I believe that being able to predict how things will turn out is an essential need for everyone who wants to get rich. Holding your eyes open and having an idea how things might turn out before they happen is always a recipe for success and money.

Our predictions for 2012:
(To see our predictions for 2011 go here.)

The World Will Not End in 2012

Despite popular opinion the world will still be here in 2013. Sure we might have more earthquakes, storms and catastrophies than usually but in the long run things even themselves out. It is my opinion that there are no real reason that the Mayans decided to end their calendar in 2012. The only one I can think of is that they ran out of space to add more years
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Obama Will Stay President of the USA

As I correctly predicted in our predictions for 2011 Obama has been losing credibility all throughout the previous years as president. At one of his lowest points of popularity it is difficult to believe that Barack Obama will be re-elected for a second term as president but that is exactly what will happen.

There is a major lack of a great Republican candidate and Obama will once again make America believe in a better future. This is a great situation for Obama to be in considering how much money the president makes.

The Euro Zone Will Not Collapse

In the beginning of 2012 the markets seem to agree that the Euro Zone will collapse.

The year 2012 will be a year of many difficulties for the monetary union but the Euro will persist.   I personally feel that countries like Greece that are in heavy debt should be evicted from the Euro Zone but this will not happen. The 2012 will not see a country kicked out of the Euro zone.

After surviving the hardships of 2011 and 2012 people will have renewed faith that just like the US dollar the Euro is a stable world currency.

New Apple Products

2012 will see a range of new Apple devices.

Ipad 3 – The Ipad 3 will launch as an all around better device than the Ipad 2 but there will not be anything revolutionally innovative. It will have better resolution, more memory, better processors and better cameras.

Ipad mini –  Although Steve Jobs has said that there will never be an Ipad with a smaller screen because it would be too small for a good user experience we will most probably see a device with a smaller screen. The market has shown that devices with smaller screens like the Amazon Fire and the Samsung Galaxy Tab can be popular. The new and smaller Ipad mini will become an instant hit.

Iphone 5 - In 2012 we will see the long awaited Iphone 5. It will have a  new design and hopefully a NFC chip. A NFC chip is basically an RFID tag that will allow us to make payments with our mobile phones by swiping the phone near a payment terminal. There will probably be a way to use it with your credit card. Going one step further we might see Apple launching a service similar to Paypal that allows us to make fast payments to other NFC devices and Apple Accounts.

Apple TV - Apple will come out with their TV. It will probably have apps and voice control.
I am also hoping it to have some sort of hand or body gestures (think Microsoft Kinect). Apple will also launch an app that you can use with your iPhone or iPad to control your new AppleTV. As always it will be absolutely beautiful, easy to use and people will generally like it.

Unfortunately for Apple the TV sales will not be as fast as they would like. Since everyone already has a TV it is a tougher market to conquer.

Apple Stock Price Will Drop

The Apple stock price has been increasing almost nonstop from 2003. On December 31st 2011 it was exactly 405 dollars and there was no sign of falling prices. Although Apple will launch some great new products in 2012 the stock price will not continue to increase.

Bitcoin Will Become More Popular

The digital currency Bitcoin that is still unknown to most people will start catching on. We will probably see a few Bitcoin booms and crashes. People who know what they are doing can use Bitcoin to make some relatively easy money speculating.

Bitcoin does not have any transaction fees, it allows immediate money transfers and is totally anonymous. This is all too good to be true and the governments of the world will try to shut it down. The main fear is that since it is totally anonymous it can be used for terrorism or for illegal activities such as paying for drug trafficking.

Occupy Wall Street Will Survive

In 2011 the government ignored the Occupy Wall Street movement and hoped that the problem will go away. In 2012 we will see Occupy Wall Street getting stronger and new protests with more people. Despite the media blockade the average Joe will slowly start to see that to get what he wants means he needs to take action.

Throughout the year there will be many politicians trying to win the support of the Occupy Wall Street movement. I would not be surprised if the movement would play a major role in the upcoming presidential elections.

Kim Jong-Un Will Stay in Power in North Korea

After the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il the power has now gone to his youngest son Kim Jong-Un. Despite his youth and the general agreement that he will be overthrown from the government I predict that he will successfully stay in power. Being young and ambitious we will see several new things happening in North Korea.

What we will not see is Kim Jong-Un losing power.

Google+ Will Become Popular

After the launch of Google+ in 2011 we are seeing a growing amount of industry leaders voicing their opinions that Google+ is a flop and a failure. I believe that just the contrary is true – Google+ is just getting started.

Internet marketers and brands will slowly discover the enormous benefits they get from being in Google+. Having your product featured in Google’s newest social network means a better ranking in Google’s search engine and therefore increased traffic.

We will see major brands duplicating their Facebook campaigns in Google+. This will give the average users an extra reason to join.

Facebook Ads on Third Party Websites

Facebook will launch an expansion for the famous Facebook Ads. In addition to advertising on the social network they will allow advertising on third party websites.

This means that everyone can sign up and publish Facebook ads on their website and earn money. This simple move will over through Google Adwords and Adsense as the number 1 advertising platform on the internet.

The Ultra Rich Will Ask for Higher Taxes

Throughout 2012 we will see extremely rich people saying they would love to have higher taxes. Some of the ultra rich will let the public know that they are OK with paying more.

Nokia and Windows Phone

Although late to the smartphone party Nokia will aggressively move to get its mobile phone market share back. By the end of 2012 we will see Nokia starting to increase its market share and the Windows Phone platform getting more popular.

What are your predictions for 2012? Let us know in the comments!

I am launching a new website called Worst Date Ever.

It is a website about bad dating stories shared by people around the world.

In my opinion it is pretty fun so go and check it out!

If you had a date that didn’t go as planned don’t keep it to yourself – let others know of your very worst date at WorstDateEver.net.

If you have any suggestions be sure to let me know in the comments!

College or university education equips you to reach your career destination and fulfill your dreams. But as everyone knows college or university education is not very cheap. As a student you have to incur expenses on various items such as tuition, food, housing, entertainment and many more. In order to lead a better student life, you must spend wisely. Of course, you may also want to start looking into the various types of savings accounts so you are covered in the event of unexpected expenses. These money saving tips can provide you the much needed insurance from unintended contingencies.

1. Stop impulsive buying

As a student, you may be more prone to impulsive buying. Out of sheer temptation, sometimes it is seen that you engage in buying items which you can’t afford and more moreover which are not absolutely necessary for you. As a student, you need to curb this habit and spend judiciously.
Best cure for uncontrolled impulsive buying?
Write down all your expenses and go through them once a week. This will make you realize how many unnecessary things you are really spending your money on.

2. Abstain from bad habits

Some of you may have some bad habits like smoking or drinking. If you are a heavy smoker or drinker, it entails some costs. More importantly, these bad habits can also hamper your studies. Quitting helps you save some money on a regular basis.
Spending 5 dollars a day on pack of cigarettes means almost 2000 dollars you could have used for more important things.

3. Stop buying study-related items from the campus bookstore

Sometimes purchasing all the study-related items from the campus bookstore can indeed be very expensive. Instead you should shop around and try to buy second hand copies. You can also check out websites such as Amazon and eBay for reference books. Another good option is to find students who are immediate senior to you for buying books at a very cheap rate from them.

4. Cook yourself

The majority of students do not have the required skills to prepare food for themselves. Quite often they dine outside in costly restaurants and bring in expensive outside food. This takes away a lot of money from your pocket. The best way to contain these expenses is to learn cooking yourself. There are several websites for good budget recipes and cooking for beginners.

5. Reduce your mobile bills

Mobile bills can create a big hole into your pocket. Some of you spend a lot of money talking with your parents and friends. For communication purposes, you can download Skype and chat with your parents and friends for free.

6. Participate in free campus activities

Generally there are some free activities in the campus such as film music, screenings and many other activities. You can engage yourself in free activities so that you simply won’t have any time left for the expensive stuff.

If you are like me you are always thinking of how to make some quick money. In the internet age you only need to be armed with a computer and an internet connection to make some extra cash.

Here are a few ideas that some people are doing to make some extra money:

Sell your stuff on eBay

• One of the most interesting ways to earn money online is selling goods on eBay. For this you only need to sign up for the free eBay account. As initial, you can sell off your personal products which you do not use any more, and later on, you can purchase wholesale, and resell them on eBay.

Learn affiliate marketing

• Another lucrative way to earn money online is affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is a marketing method, where you have to promote the products or services of other companies and be rewarded with a percentage of profit on the sell you generate. If you know what you are doing you can make hundreds of dollars per day put if you don’t it can also take a month and you make $0.

Write articles for blogs – my business proposal to you!

• You can also earn money by writing articles for different blogs.
  If you are interested in this option and you think that you are a solid writer you can contact me over here. If things work out I will be ready to pay you $10 per article once a week that will be published here on Financial Jesus. It is not much but get a few more article writing jobs and you can earn a very decent income.

Sell stuff in the real world

• If you do not want to go the online route, evaluate your skills and get some innovative ideas of earning money. Perhaps a garage sale can be a great idea. You can even sell clothing items in bundles. But remember, you must set bargain prices on your items; otherwise, people will lose interest.

Use Pawn Shops

• You can also consider the option of selling out old stuff to pawn shops. This will give you some quick cash that can help you out when in difficulty.

Teach others for money

• Tutoring children is another legitimate way to earn money. You can charge on hourly basis and if possible teach several students at the same time – this way you can multiply your hourly income.

Try babysitting

• Babysitting is also a good way for women to earn some extra cash. If you are a woman you can simply call everyone you know who have children and let them know that you are looking for work – you will be having babysitting jobs in no time!

Do you have a quick money making idea? Let everyone know in the comments!

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that paying our monthly bills is not fun at all. So it’s always great if we’re able to find ways to make this financial burden a little easier to handle. No matter what your job is, no matter how much you enjoy it, you surely wouldn’t turn down the chance to make a little extra pocket money. And now, thanks to the prevalence of the internet, it’s easier than ever before to make a bit of extra cash to make getting through the month that little bit more simple. Below we’ve put together three of the very best ways to earn yourself a little dough. Remember, these things might not rake in the big bucks, but you should be able to make enough to have your time investment justified. And – as with anything in life – you get back what you put in!

Become a wheeler dealer

E-commerce is one of the greatest things to come out of the internet. Having the ability to hop onto a website and order a product in the space of a few clicks is nothing short of futuristic. Go back twenty years and tell someone about it and they’d probably call you a lunatic. So how can you make money with e-commerce? Well, there are quite a few different routes you can take. A lot of online sellers make a good living on auction websites like eBay. If you can gain access to low-cost bulk products, or antiques and collectibles, you could easily make a tidy profit by selling these items on the web. If you don’t feel like shelling out on fees and such, you could even set up a simple e-store website to sell your wares too.

Make websites for people

If you’ve got the technical know-how (and even if you don’t), there’s good money to be made in websites. Everyone from your local moving company to a veterinary surgery needs a website, and you can be the one to build it for them. If you have any skills in writing HTML code, you’re in an excellent position to be able to turn this skill into real money. Get together with a graphic designer and you might find yourselves to be an unstoppable online team. Of course, there are also website builder software available for those who don’t have coding abilities – so everyone can get the chance to make money with websites.

Freelance writing

Writing on a freelance basis can be a very lucrative business if you know where to look for new work. There are countless companies who need SEO articles written, or publications that welcome freelance submissions. You might not be the most talented writer, but with a little practice you should be able to churn out some quality writing. A great place to look for freelance writing gigs is ‘classified’ websites such as Craigslist. Just keep your wits about you – it’s very easy for people to commission you to write for them and then never actually pay up, so always try to get something in writing (no pun intended).

Get out there and make some dough!

Overall, the web is a hot-bed of opportunities to make money. Take a look around certain freelance websites and you’ll soon see that there’s a market for most things; have a think about what you can do best, then do a little research and see if you can capitalise on it.
You may be surprised at just how marketable you are.