3 Cell Mistakes That Are Costing You Money

3 Dumb Cellphone Mistakes That Are Costing You Money

Intro -

Before I explain the ways you are 'dumb', I want to be clear that we all do dumb things, including myself. Companies have studied the 'art of idiocy' and sell us on products and things we don't 'need' but rather 'want'. They make us believe that we HAVE to have the latest gadget or trend. They create a sense of scarcity so that if we don't get it now, we might not be able to ever get it (even though in most cases if we wait, we can). I'm certainly not trying to offend any companies or brands, but let's face it, without any marketing or hype, we could save a substantial amount of money. So this blog post isn't as much about making money, as much as it is to keep it in your pocket. I might mention brand or product names, but every brand or product is just as guilty, although some do it better than others. In the end, we earn a dollar, and around every corner is someone (or company) trying to take as much of that dollar away from you. If you look past the hype, you could be on the way to riches. Better yet, if you can copy the hype YOU could be the one trying to get that dollar from someone else. But that will be a different post.

The 'NEED' For A Cellphone

Getting rid of your cell phone is the #1 way to save money with your cellphone. WAIT!!! Before you close this page because you believe you NEED your cellphone, just hear me out. You can keep your phone, but let me present to you options other than just getting rid of it. However, I also have to present that option too. This isn't a new thought, I've seen people (not very many mind you) get rid of their cell phone because they rarely use it. And although it's generally the 'older' (maybe wiser?) crowd, I have to respect ANYBODY who 'cuts the cord'. Actually I'm not sure if there is an equivalent to 'cut the cord' with a cellphone. Probably because it rarely happens. I read a couple of articles to find the average an individual in the US spend on their cell phone bill monthly, and it appears that over $100 per person is a fare assessment. So we will stick with $100 although no matter the amount you are still spending money out of your pocket. At $100 per month, that's $1,200 per year. Ask yourself, if you had $1,200 in your pocket and you lost it, would you be upset? Probably, it's a lot of money. I've met people that spend $6,000 in a weekend partying and golfing that wouldn't be impressed with losing that much. Nobody likes to lose money, NOBODY. Now, if you have a family, your spouse might also have a cell phone so your overall family bill is $2,400 per year. Oh wait, you have kids and decided they need a cell phone? There is no 'kid' discount and family shared plans aren't what they used to be. A friend of mine has a wife and 3 kids with cell phones and told me he pays over $600 per month. That's $7,200 per year! Oh I forgot, they are under a 2 year contract, so they will have to pay over $14,000 over the course of 2 years! They could literally buy a small car every 2 years. To make matters worse, I'm only talking about the plan, not the phone. Although some cell phones are free with the plan, most people want to upgrade their phone at the end of their contract, or sooner. And although it's true that the price of the phone is 'built in' to the contract (you already knew that, right?), you end up paying more every time you upgrade. In fact, when I upgraded my phone after 2 years, I was forced to change my plan to one that cost 20% more, even though it had LESS features! Imagine owning an investment that paid YOU 20% every 2 years. In the end, people don't complain because they feel that they 'need' their phones.

Children and Cell Phones

Let's talk about children and cell phones. It seems more and more parents are buying their kids cellphones at a younger and younger age. The odd thing is, they are also putting their kids on full plans with contract! Even if it is a 'cheaper' plan, say even $50 per month. That's still $600 over the course of the year. Even 'pay as you go' has changed where you are only saving a fraction of the cost by buying the phone outright. (Without mentioning names and just in case they change their pricing structure, I've even seen a company charge less for the plan, but more for the phone, so in the end you are paying the same). I realize I'm not the eye of the world, but I can honestly say I have NEVER seen anyone under the age of 18 TALKING on their cell phone. I've seen them text, I've seen them use Facebook, I've seen then Snapchat, but never talk on the phone. So your first way to save (other than not giving them a phone in the first place) is to not sign them up for talk. They simply have no reason to use it. If there is a 911 emergency, you can still make that call. If it's an emergency to call their parents, they can text just as easy, or worst case scenario, call and pay the 'per minute' fee. You'll still save hundreds of dollars. Now another trick that will save you some money. Since it seems every kid over 10 has a cell phone, and your child will probably be friends with that kid, then really, there is no need to buy your child a phone. Think about when you were younger. You went over to a friends house and they invited you to dinner. Was it okay if you borrowed your friends parents phone? Of course. Same thing applies to cell phones. If there is a problem, or a question that needs to be asked, why wouldn't your child be able to borrow their friends phone to send a quick text? The truth of the matter is, unless your child walks by themselves, there's really no reason for them to have a cell phone.

The Latest And Greatest

Next comes the actual phone. The new iPhone 7 has been announced and a familiar story comes along with it. People waiting in line FOR DAYS just to get their hands on one! The 'plus' version has 2 cameras! And the cheapest iPhone 7 is only $650 US. The question is, do you 'need' it? And keep in mind, there are already rumors about the upcoming iPhone '8'. Let's also not forget the many versions of Android phones that are here and upcoming ones as well. And of course the other brands that don't have anywhere near the same market share, (shoutout to Blackberry) that still manage to muster up the courage to come out with a new model here and there. Here's the thing, most of the features on the new phone, you won't use. Or you'll use it a couple of times and then go back to what you mainly use your phone for (most likely texting, Facebook, or Snap Chat). Or you're forced to use a feature because it's a new 'operating system'. And to make yourself feel better you'll say how much better it is. The ONLY problem I have, is that the phone you currently have, is sufficient for the 95% of what you use your phone for. On top of it, I've seen time and time again, people showing other people a feature that they didn't even know their phone had. In other words, you are paying hundreds of dollars, possibly every year, or every two years, to 'upgrade' your phone when you truly do not need to. And for those of you that say "well, I get my phone for free because my contract has ended", keep in mind the price of your phone is built into your rate plan. On that point, it's smarter to buy the phone outright as most times you get to keep your existing rate plan (although I've started to see companies change this in tricky ways), since most new rate plans have increased in price even if you discount the price of the phone. 

Conclusion

Okay, let's face it, you're not going to get rid of your phone because I told you to. Heck, you probably even feel uncomfortable if someone grabs your phone to 'look something up'. Phones are a part of our lives. Whether necessary or not, you will not give up your phone. It ends up being an expensive part or your life though. If the phone you have works, then don't upgrade. It just costs you money in both terms of a new phone and a new (more expensive) rate plan. Don't buy your kids phones, or if you feel it's a must, don't put them on an expensive plan, they don't 'talk' anymore to friends, it's text mostly. And they can find a Wifi spot almost anywhere nowadays. And hey, even YOU could follow the same philosophy. Do YOU really need data? Do YOU really need talk. Fine keep your phone, but take a close look at what you use on your phone and you will realize you can save hundreds of dollars per year.

5 Main Ways To Make Money in the Stock Market

5 Cool Ways To (Possibly) Make Money in the Stock Market

The Stock Market

The first thing I'd like to mention is, although it's true you can make millions, or even billions in the stock market, it's not as simple as it sounds. There are different strategies playing stocks, each with it's own pros and cons. There are multiple newsletters, free or paid, that will say their system is the best. And, even though some of these systems are legit, you could still lose money. I had to think long and hard how to approach this blog because I want you to make money. And even sticking with what I'm about to tell you, you could still lose. This post is NOT to give any type of advice, it's strictly opinion and my legal requirement is to let you know this post is for entertainment purposes only. Once again, that's not to say you won't make money following this post, it's simply there to give you some education when it comes to the stock market and the different methods. Do NOT use money you can't afford to lose. Yes, there are amazing stories with the stock market, but there are even more horror stories. Think of the stock market as a zero sum game. For every share you buy, there is a seller. For every share you sell, there is a buyer. If the pros are selling their stocks, guess who the sucker is buying it? I will attempt to explain the various ways people use to make money in stocks. IF you get good at it, you have the capability to make some incredible returns. It takes a lot of hard work and time. The most successful stock market guru is Warren Buffett and trust me, he knows about ALL of his investments in great detail. Also note, I will try to determine if certain terms should be explained in detail, but if you're unsure of something, please have a look at the great Google. Now onto the good stuff!

Day Trading

The fastest, most dangerous game in town, is day trading. You could earn big, or you could go broke VERY quickly. Day trading is buying a stock in the morning, and selling before the market closes. When I say before the market closes, I mean ANY TIME before the market closes. In some cases you might only hold a stock for 5 minutes, other times it might be the full day. Some times, it might even be for a few seconds. And sometimes you might buy and sell the same stock within in the same day, several times. Day trading is trying to take advantage of small moves. People that are successful as day traders are VERY successful. The problem is, it's a small percentage. You have to have a good computer, with a super fast internet connection, with a backup power supply so that you don't lose connection. From there, you NEED to understand how the market works. The 'zero sum game' I mentioned up above, is the reason why there are few successful day traders and the ones that are successful, are VERY successful. The easiest way to explain it is this. Say in a one day period there are 2 day traders, trading with $100. Day trader 1, buys a stock at $10 and the stock goes up to $11. Day trader 1 sells his stock to day trader 2 who is now buying it at $11. Day trader 1 just made $1 for a quick 10% gain. Day trader 2 watches as his stock dips down to $10 so he sells for the loss, where day trader 1 picks up some more for $100 at the $10 level. Day trader 1 watches price go back up to $11 and sells again making another 10% gain. The stock goes back down to $10 so now both day trader 1 and day trader 2 get in at $10. Now day trader 1 does something funny, he sells at $10.90 causing the stock to drop to $10.50 but day trader 2 is waiting for $11. Day trader 1 is done for the day and day trader 2 has to close out before the end of the day at $10.50. Day trader 1 made over 20%. Day trader 2, although he made profit on the second trade, still loses money overall. Does this sound like something you're interested in? If so, keep in mind, it will be much faster, with more traders AND we haven't even taken into consideration commissions which will eat up your profit VERY fast. The reason Day trader 1 sold at $10.90 is because he had information that day trader 2 didn't. I'm not going to go into depth on how to day trade, but if you are going to do it, make sure it's with money you don't mind losing. The odds are heavily against you.

Swing Trading

Swing trading is similar to day trading except on a longer time frame. Usually trades are for a couple of days, a couple of weeks, and in some cases, a couple of months. The idea of swing trading is buying a stock when it's low and then selling it when it goes higher. This longer time frame does give a bit of flexibility since you don't have to sell out of your position at the end of the day. And you're not fighting with other day traders who are also trying to buy and sell within the same time frame. With that said, you still want to be eductated on how to buy and sell using a swing trading strategy. As far as success goes, expect to gain about 10% per year once you are good. So if you want to earn say $50,000 per year, you should have a $500,000 bankroll. And keep in mind, you NEVER want to put ALL your bankroll in at once. Maybe 5-10% with a 2% stop loss. You want to find a couple of indicators for stocks charts (yes, you have to learn with stock trading, unlike what a lot of garbage programs will tell you). If you do become VERY good, then you might even be able to beat the 10% per year average.

Momentum Trading

This is similar to swing trading, except in most cases you are going to hold on for an even longer period. But this will depend on the direction of the stock. If it keeps going up, you take some profits and let it keep going. This also requires learning how to not only trade, but have a deeper understanding of the market, and the actual fundamentals of a company. Fundamentals are things such as earning, sales, management team. If you get good at momentum trading, you have the opportunity to make a LOT of money. And not just the six figures as in the riskier day trading option. But if you're good, and I mean REAL good, you could make a million or ten million or more. With that said, most traders fail, so it's better to learn as much as you can. Read the stories and teachings of people like William O'Neal, Dan Zanger, and Mark Minervini. Although William O'Neal doesn't always call his strategy 'momentum trading', it could be argued that it is. In fact, both Dan Zanger and Mark Minervini attest the William O'Neal system to their success. This method still requires you to keep an eye on the stocks daily though, as normally they move a little faster than the 'big guys' such as Coca Cola.

Long Term Investing

Ah, finally, the most boring style of trading there is, but the one that has created not just millionaires, or multi millionaires, but billionaires. Please search for Warren Buffett so you know what I'm talking about. Investing is buying a stock, then forgetting about it. In other words, leave it in their for years. Personally, I think the stock market has changed so it's harder to buy stocks that you can hold onto for 20 years without massive losses before it regains it's price. But as with ALL methods in the stock market, you have to do research. You have to understand the risks. I remember thinking about buying Apple stock 15 years ago (or should I say over 7000% ago). I could have invested a mere $1,000 and now have over $70,000 in my account. So you can make money, BUT you have to know what to invest in. Warren Buffett and other billionaires are not lazy. Investing is your safest route. And you can check in on it quarterly or even yearly to make sure things aren't too out of hand.

Forex

This is trading currencies. You 'could' make money doing this, but you have to be good... no GREAT in order to succeed. Not for the faint of heart, if you trade forex you are trading against the BEST traders in the world. In and out within seconds on an exchange that runs 24 hours a day, to win at this game, you have to KNOW the market and exchange, inside and out. For the most part, stay away.

The BEST Way is YOUR way

No matter which way you decide to trade or invest, you are at risk every time you buy a stock. Even when you are holding onto a stock and it's going up, there is the risk of it going back down, including the dreaded gap down where a stock is one price the one day, then overnight it drops unexpectedly for a loss. Do NOT try to do everything. Find the method that looks like your risk tolerance and then study BEFORE you put any money in. Do paper trading (pretending to buy and sell, complete with a trading journal to see your success). You can make money with any of the above methods. Some will come more naturally than others. My biggest recommendation is find a mentor who has proven success to teach you. That way they can see what you are doing wrong and make corrections. Even then there is no guarantee, but it will put you ahead of the pack. Trading in general is a very psychological thing and you cannot let your emotions get in the way. Which is why investing sometimes is best UNLESS you look at it too much. THen when it goes down a little you will panic, or worse, you will put more money in which can be bad if you don't understand why the stock is moving in that direction.

5 Amazing Ways To Win At Poker

5 Amazing Ways To Win At Holdem Poker

So you enjoy playing poker, but you seem to lose more than you win. That's not a good thing. Although poker is a game of skill, there is also some luck involved. What I mean by that is, if all players are equal, meaning they have the same skills. They know how to read people. They know how to play the cards. They know the amounts to bet. If all that is equal, then after 10,000 hands, they should have very close to the same amount of money they came in with. Basically they just keep giving chips to one another. So then you might ask 'why do some players become rich?'. One of two reasons, they became more skilled than the other person and/or they got very, very lucky. So the question is, how do you get better, so that when luck is on your side, you win more hands? That's what this blog will address, discussing both online and physical casinos.

The Basics

The very first thing you have to do to win at poker, is know the basic rules. I will not outline them here as there are numerous resources online that will tell you that. I don't know your skill level, but to understand what I'm about to teach you, you must know the basic play and terminology. You soon realize that the basics are the same no matter what site you look at (unless someone is trying to reinvent the wheel, in which case IGNORE them). To keep it simple, the basic strategy, whether limit or no limit, you should follow these tips to put some advantage on your side.

Change Strategies

The basic strategy of poker you will learn is to fold... A LOT. What happens when you do this, is better players will view you as a 'tight player'. You never want to get so tight that anytime you raise everyone folds. It's simply not profitable. Remember I talked about luck? Well, let's say you get Ace Ace, which is the best starting hand in either style of poker. Your skill didn't get you those cards, luck did. But now that you have them, if it's the first hand you've played in the last hour, nobody is going to want to play with you. Why? Because they know you have pocket A's. Whether you're playing in a tournament, a single table game, or a cash game, always play 'solid' poker. Which means, play the cards, but also play your opponents. I used to play at a very low $7 six person, single table game and my strategy went like this. As long as there was a full table, I would throw away EVERY hand except pocket A's. Those cards were rare, but when they came I would bet and hope everyone folded. THen I knew for sure I was being pegged as a 'tight' player. I followed this same strategy until there was only me, and 2 other players. Now, normally strategy would dictate you steal when you are on the button to steal the small and big blinds of the other 2 tables. I NEVER did that. I did this for 2 reasons. One, since they knew I was playing tight, it would make them think I was a beginner player following the 'tight' rules too much and still only playing premium hands. If you looked up the basics of poker, you will know that you can't wait for premium hands when there are only 3 people, because you are going to get those hands less, and if you don't play you will lose your chips from the blinds and/or ante. In other words, they would think I was still playing SUPER tight. The next reason, is if I fold on the button, it forces the small blind to either call the remainder of the big blind or raise into him. So really, one of them will make a mistake causing the other to lose all their chips. Once that happens it would put me in second place earning me cash and the chance to win first. Now, you may be thinking what happens if they fold during 3 way play. I would actually steal when I was the small blind. See once your down to 3 players, the game is either going to slow down because everyone wants at least second place. Or it's going to speed up because everyone wants to bully the weak players out. The other thing I did is go ALL IN with ANY pocket pair in my hand. That's right, even 2 2 I would go all in. The reason why, is the odds that they have a larger pair is slim AND since I'm playing tight, they will only call with a premium pair. Yes, a couple of times I lost the game doing this, BUT even if I 'played right' there would be times I lost. Once again, there is luck in poker as well as skill. This method brought me from $500 starting point to over $5,000 in a month. Which brings me to my next poker money making strategy...

Money Management

This is important. If you have $1,000 in the bank left to your name, pulling out $500 to play poker, even if you are better than everyone at the table, is stupid. Remember, as much as you might hear that poker is a game of skill, there is still luck involved. Even if you are playing with newbies that play 7 2 offsuit (the worst starting hand in Holdem Poker). If you watch poker on TV and see a pro playing at a $100,000 buy in tournament, you can bet that $1,000 in your bank that they have over one million dollars in their account, MINIMUM. I would recommend following the 5% rule for cash games or single table tournaments. That means if you play 5% of your entire bankroll, it would take you 20 times to lose all your money. If that happens, maybe you should reconsider playing poker from sometimes to never. Maybe put your money in a mutual fund instead. I would go even further with the 5% rule and play with the 5% you have left. For example you have $10,000 in the bank, so you can play a game that needs $500 to play. Say you lose it all. Repeat a few times. Now you only have $5,000 in the bank. I'd be looking for games that require $250 or less. Chances are, if you've lost half your bankroll, you are playing with people better than you. Don't forget, if you don't know who the sucker is at the table... YOU are the sucker. One last point is multi table tournaments. Play only 1-2% of your bankroll. Because the blinds get larger and then antes start coming in, you WILL be forced to gamble a bit. When poker first became big on TV, you would always see the same faces at the final table. As it's popularity rose, so did new faces at the tables, willing to gamble to beat out the pros. Once again, there is skill involved, but luck plays into it as well. With money management, you keep money in the bank so you have a chance to win again.

Reading People

Don't 'read' into this too much (that's a pun). But reading people is a skill that may WOW you if you ever have the chance to see a pro do it. Some people are very good at it, others are not. I've read articles about how to do this 'online', such as hesitation, but found it to be not very effective. In fact, people will just read those same articles and do the opposite to throw you off. I would NOT try to read people online. In the real world however, this can give you an advantage while you try and figure out if someone is bluffing or not. I don't think I'm great at reading people, but here are some that seem to work over and over for me. One is watching the person who bets or raises, then sits back in their chairs, maybe even watching the tv's on the wall. Usually, this person has a strong hand. So unless you have a strong hand too, it's better to fold. Keep an eye on this person though and see if anyone plays through a hand with him to confirm your suspicion. Then the opposite, when someone is paying attention to the hand, the table, and you. Chances are, they have a weak hand, though othertimes they could be losing a lot and now ready for the kill. Watch this person and see if they like to bluff, or get others to fold a lot. The last one is rare, but gives you a huge advantage. If a person who normally has been playing straight faced, steady handed, suddenly becomes a bit shaky when the flop hits the table, chances are, they have a monster hand. Usually trips or better. Keep in mind, people will also try to read you. Online, it won't make too much difference unless there is something you are doing that drastically changes based on your hand. At the table though, try to be stone faced and put your chips in the pot at the same speed. Maybe count to 3 each time and wait 3 seconds to look like you are thinking. 

Change Casinos (online or real)

Keep in mind, if you keep going to the same casino over and over, eventually people will begin to recognize you and your style of play. Or maybe have a tell they have come to recognize. The problem with this is, practice makes perfect. What I mean by that is when people see you over and over, they slowly start to see things they didn't notice before. Maybe you scratch your nose when you have a good hand. Maybe you always bet big when you are bluffing. Maybe you go on tilt often. One someone figures you out, and you confirm it to them, over and over, you are in trouble. Unless you're good enough to not show them ANYTHING. Even the best can read each other. But they also know how to fool too. THe easiest way to overcome this is, go to a different casino. Even if it is the casino next door. Or even a 2 hour drive away. The less often people see you, the less often they remember what you did. Unless they have VERY good memories (and some people do, so keep that in mind). But most times this is a great way to play it safe make extra money or at least, keep more of it in your pocket. Same thing with online, jump around to different online sites. It's a little different because most sites allow for online notes which basically stays with the site. Jumping around online gives you another benefit. Say you like playing $5/$10 tables. Go to 2 different sites and see if you find yourself beating players at one site more than the other. You would be surprised how much this can make a difference. I made most of my money from a UK site versus the 2 big North American sites. You play at the well advertised sites with pros, and guess what's going to happen? Why play with people better than you? You want to play solid poker with people equal, or less skilled than you, and unless they have a lucky streak, you should be able to have a nice profit. 

Information is Key

Putting all the tips together that I've listed above, you'll see a very common theme. Information. The more information you have, the better you will do. Read all the poker books you can. Be inspired by stories where people have started with nothing and become rich playing poker. The more information you have, the better you can play. Think about it. If you know, without a doubt that someone has an 10 in his hand and the flop is 10 10 K. How valuable would that be to you who has pocket 9's? You know he has you beat. What about if you knew everytime someone pushes the chips in quickly, that means he has at least trips? Would that be of value? What if someone only plays premium hands, would you play against him? At any casino game, you need to know what your cards are, what you think your opponents cards are, what you think they think your cards are. And down the line. Anything you can remember about how they play will help you with this. Watch all the players at the table. Pay attention to how they bet. If they show their cards, remeber how they played them and in what position. It's hard to remember everything, but do the best you can. Online, it's even easier. There are multiple sites that let you write notes about each player. So next time they are at your table, you can quickly look up their note and see how they played before. Also, you can color code them, maybe have a colour indicating a weak player you can exploit, or a pro who plays lower limits. There are 3rd party programs that add to this too, keeping tabs on players that go to different sites, how often they play a hand, how often they win, their style. Take advantage of this software (make sure it's from a legit source so you don't get robbed in the process). It would be foolish to ignore any information you can get your hands on. Yes, there is luck in poker, but as mentioned before, there is also an element of skill. And one skill is to make sure you are sitting with players you know you can beat whether you are getting good cards or bad. Remember, if you are at a table and don't know who the sucker is, YOU are the sucker. 

5 Incredible Ways To Keep Money From Casinos

I love money. And chances are, so do you. I suppose you could say that money is sometimes a love/hate relationship, but in the end we all need some. If you ask someone, "do you want to make money fast, or take years and years to get it?", I'm pretty sure most would say fast. Which is why casinos are so popular. I know the pitch is 'it's enertainment' but truthfully, it's far more 'entertaining' when a slot machine or a dealer is throwing money at you. You always hear about how much someone won at a casino, but rarely will you hear someone admit their losses. Yet, if we talk about another 'entertainment' source, the movies, we hear about how someone loved OR HATED the movie. And while it is true you will hear about 'losses' you won't hear to what extent. People lie when it comes to losing money because, let's face it, we don't want to be losers.

There Must Be A Better Way!

What you may be wondering now is, how can I make money at the casino? There is a couple of ways you can do this, and it might be easier than you think. What I'm about to do, is break down a list of ways that you can easily make money at the casino, with very little to NO money needed. This is not a get rich quick scheme. And to be honest, you won't become rich doing this. BUT it has made me, at a minimum, $200 per month. You may be thinking, that's not a lot of money. But keep in mind, if you were able to make over $2,000 per year, just by basically walking into a casino, would you do it?

Casino Membership Cards

Don't question it, just sign up. This is a no brainer. It's free and it's the first part of my system on how to make money without spending much. And if they ask if they can send you anything in the mail, or via email, say YES YES YES. Nobody likes spam and flyers BUT if it includes a way to earn you money, the yes you do like it. The importance of the casino membership card and opting into promotions, is the know ALL promotions the casino is having.

Comps for Playing

Before you stop reading because you KNOW that comps are hard to get without spending $100's or even $1,000's of dollars, it's still free. It's always a good idea to sign up for ANY player rewards card the casino offers, even if at the end of the year the only thing you get is a coffee. The reason is simple, depending on the casino, and how often you go, there is a potential to earn free meals and/or cash back for playing. Especially if you are losing money, you may as well get something in return. But I don't want you to lose money, so there is another reason to sign up for membership OTHER than comps...

Promotions

Promotions are great. You can either pay a couple of dollars for one lottery ticket to possibly win a 1 in 15 MILLION chance. And chances are, if you play the lottery, you're spending more than a couple of dollars a year for a very small potential to win. Casino promotions are usually free. They will give away a car or a cash prize. No, it won't be millions of dollars, but he would say no to a free car or $25,000 or even $5,000 cash? Now here's the catch. Next time you walk into a casino, take a look at how many people are entering the draws. First thing you notice, it won't be everyone. Next, unless it's a huge Vegas, or tourist casino, your odds of winning are going to be WAY better than 1 in 15 million. This is my point. You are entering a draw, for free, for a better chance to win SOMETHING. Some casinos might only one promotion per year, some will do a few. The most important thing is to take FULL advantage. If the casino lets you enter a draw once per day for a week, then go EVERY DAY. You don't have to play ANY machines, just enter the draw. Now you might say "but it costs money in gas or bus to get there"... Make it worth your while. THey offer coffee or soda/soft drinks/pop for free in almost all casinos (and in some cases alchohol). So if it costs $2 in gas/bus, then drink $2 worth of beverage to get your money worth. 

Free Slot Play

My favorite promotion is when they mail you a coupon for free slot play. This will differ from casino to casino, but the best is when they offer you $5 (or more) per week for a month of free slot play. How it works is, you put the $5 in the machine of your choice, it will be 'promotional' credit, meaning if you try to pull out the $5 after you put it in, it will NOT allow it. However, any money you win is yours to keep. I will tell you what machine you should play to keep most of that $5 in your pocket.

Outside Memberships

Here is the part that will cost you a little bit of money, but will end up paying for the majority of next years vacation. Some of you will already know that your local club offers you a membership for a price. On average, about $50 per year. What I mean by club, is for an easy example, Shriners Club, which will take a membership fee for you to join. Most casinos offer 'free slot play' for these memberships. Ask at the casino membership desk what club memberships get free slot play. Most cases you can get $10 per week for that membership. SO, if you sign up for 7 memberships, that gets you $70 per week that you can play, FOR FREE. Now you know there is upfront cost, so let's do the math (based on the average $50 per membership per year). Membership costs for the year will be 7 x $50 = $350. You will be given $10 per membership = $70 per week or $3,640 per year. Subtract that from your annual fees you have $3,290 per year you can play. So now we move onto the secret of keeping most of that $3,290 in your pocket...

The ONLY Game to Play to Win

We all know slot machines are horrible. You can win big, but most of the time you will lose. And lose fast. Some table games are the same, but some have closer to a 50/50 split. So the question is, if you're given $10 and put it into a slot machine, what are the chances you are going to walk away with $10? Sometimes you will, but you want to keep most of that $3,290 in your pocket, and the odds are heavily stacked against you. The casino gives you the $10 to spend more. Do NOT do that. Only use the free money and listen closely. Look for the Video Poker machines that offer Blackjack. In case you don't know, the blackjack TABLE game is the closest game to beating the house you can find. The video version is similar but NOT the same. However, it will still pay you close to 50/50. Look for the lowest denomination, I use .25c machines myself. While it may appear that 50/50 means you will get only half of the $3,290, that is simply not the case. Remember, the machine won't cash out your promotional credits, but every credit you earn is yours to keep. To make it simple. You put your $10 free slot play into the machine. You play .25c and you win the hand. If you try to cash out, you will NOT get $10.25, but only the .25c you won. The next hand you lose .25c BUT you don't lose the .25c you won, you lose .25c of the credits left. In other words, if you have $10 and are playing at a .25c machine, you will play 40 hands total ($10 / .25c = 40 hands). Then cash out. Whatever is remaining is what you keep. And what you will notice is, since blackjack is almost win one, lose won, you will have around $10 when you cash out. Sometimes you might only get $8, other times you will get $12. But as long as you don't gamble, and follow that strategy, you will have over $3,000 by the end of the year. If you have a girlfriend or wife, have them do this to. It will be a nice date, and as a couple you can pool your money and walk away with $6,000. Oh, and depending on how the comp system is at your casino, you might even walk away with a nice meal or two by the end of the year (as long as you put your card in the machine). One last thing to mention. If you don't know how to play blackjack, you can find on many sites for free. In fact, the casino itself sometimes has cards they hand out on basic blackjack strategy. When playing the video version, the strategy is the same. On that note, if you split your cards or double down (look up definitions online if you aren't sure what I am talking about) that counts towards your credit. For example, you are playing .25c blackjack and are dealt two 8's. You split the cards so now one 8 is on the original hand and the other goes towards a new hand. You had to give a second .25c for the 8, therefore you have bet 2 credits.

Ending Notes

I hope this provided you with enough information that if you are in a city with a local casino, you will be able to make some extra cash (instead of losing it). Yes, it's boring because you can't win a jackpot. BUT isn't an extra $3,000 by the end of the year like winning a jackpot? If you aren't fortunate enough to live near a casino, follow this blog and I will be bringing more ways to make money or at the very least, to keep cash in your pocket. Also, some casinos will have different rules, if so, please leave comments so our readers know what city you are in and can adjust accordingly.