Bad money ideas

Hi guys! Hope you’re staying safe.

I’m working on an e-book, and it got me remembering trying to make money as a kid. My parents never encouraged me, not even with a lemonade stand, so I went to my friends with advice to make money. Sometimes this resulted in good ideas, and other times–well, some kids really need therapy.

There was a rumor in my hometown (a small suburb of Indianapolis) that Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis had a $10,000 reward for catching grave robbers. To a third-grader, that’s a lot of money. So me, my brother, and two neighbor boys hatched a plan to go to Crown Hill and conduct a stakeout on Halloween. We planned to split the money four ways and live like kings, but then we realized we couldn’t trick-or-treat if we were watching the cemetery. Priorities. Thank God I never brought this up to my parents, as I’m sure that wouldn’t have gone over well.

Anyway, what is the worst idea you’ve ever had to make money, and did it work?

And no, I don’t know if Crown Hill has a bounty on grave robbers.

My mom’s boyfriend lost all savings doing shady day trading – that was the worst money idea I’ve ever seen play out.

Sorry to hear that

Bought a used car with a credit card. It was so absurd to do something like that. That’s what crazy people do.

But I transferred it to a 0% for one year card and paid it off quickly.

A $2495 “impulse” buy.

My brother still has it.

And getting caught up in the monetary failures of romantic partners.

One was fun. The other didn’t equate.

All my hard real life lessons have cost me money.

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I fell in love with an unstable man. One year later, I had completely supported him including getting him set up in his own business. I had spent thousands on him. And then he dumped me!

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When I was in highschool I had a little business going writing notes for students who wanted to skip school. I also forged parents’ signatures for consent forms. I would charge students $1 each time. Since I was the only person at my school doing this, I had students from every grade coming to me. At the end of my final year, I was able to buy my prom dress and pay for grad night with the money I earned. My little forgery business ended when I graduated from highschool and I never did any illegal jobs again ?

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I bought 500 bottles of fingernail polish with the intention of reselling. They’ve been in my closet for 2 years and I just recently gave a bunch away in one of the buy nothing facebook groups. Only spent $125 tho.

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@adrienne.morgan - I also ended up supporting an ex. Thank God we weren’t married and didn’t have kids together. He had some major problems and was in the middle of bankruptcy when I met him. I blew past the red flags. Never again.

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@lismox I did the same thing for 8 years. I can’t believe that I was stupid looking back on those wasted years.

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I bought an investment property from a wholesaler. Turns out I didn’t know what I didn’t know and it ended up being an illegally separate duplex. The title company didn’t catch it, and it ended up being a $30,000 mistake.