Creative Solutions to Monetary Problems

[Adlersch]

So the other day I was walking out of the store after buying some groceries and what-have-you. Upon exiting the store, I was met by a beggar soliciting passers-by for spare change. He was dressed in what I could best describe as old-timey train overalls. You know, the blue-striped kind that people that worked on trains would wear ages ago, complete with black 'coal' marks, patches, wear-and-tear, a little red bandana, hat, the whole shebang.

Now, I live in a small town so someone doing this is really uncommon. Like, really, really uncommon. Like, this is the first time in my life that I've had someone beg for money outside the store in my town. Heck, I knew this guy once. But his whole getup and act (He and his little beagle were supposed bums who got off a freight train at the our station which has been out of use for half a century by accident) was just so creative and absolutely perfect that I couldn't resist giving him a few bucks before heading to the car.

So here is the question I pose to you: What have been the most creative solutions to money problems that you've personally seen in your lifetime?

EDIT: Please no being dickbags to people who think something is a creative solution to a problem, even if you don't. Really, this is just a friendly discussion thread - if you don't think something is creative, just please don't say anything.

[Jorcer]

One time I heard about this guy who wanted to create a guide for Technic and Minecraft and sell it using his connections at GameStop...

But seriously, I knew a guy from High School who was really good at Chemistry, and he figured out how to make Coke and started selling it for a buck for a bottle. Bought himself a new computer. Not really money "troubles" persay but same idea.

[Aegis Fate]

The guy who made his own Coke is brilliant. But I digress, I've not got many creative methods for making da loot, except for working my ass off when money is suddenly popping up. Although having a father who needs my help with everything work related and a flood that should of never happened along with water restoration as the family business really puts a new laptop's worth of loot in my hands.

[Jorcer]

They guy who made the Coke almost got into some deep...manure...when the headmaster found out. They thought he was lacing it with drugs or something and actually had it sent to a lab to be tested. When it came back clean, the headmaster became one of his biggest clients!

[Adlersch]

I remember when I was 15 or so, my best friend and I each brought a basketball, a notebook, a little metal chest, and writing utensils down to the local park. We hosted what essentially was a knockout tournament, but with a twist. There was a $1.00 entrance fee, but for every person you knock out, you earn half of their entry fee and we kept the other half. People could always re-enter until the finals, but it cost another dollar to get in. We also had like a $10.00 grand prize and like $5.00 second place prize for the finals.

By the end of the day, due to our creativity and organizational skills, we each walked away with twenty bucks, the winner walked away with twenty bucks, some people broke even, and a couple lost everything. But it was fun and earned us some cash.

[bwblazerkid]

My god, something must be wrong with me... When i saw coke, i assumed cocaine and when i saw knockout tournament i thought fighting... gave this thread an interesting twist

[Jorcer]

Haha well Coke did initially contain cocaine (in small quantities) thus the name, Coke so you're not too far off base.

PS Yes I did just use the correct form of you're and too on the internet! mind = blown

[JOHN.]

Haha well Coke did initially contain cocaine (in small quantities) thus the name, Coke so you're not too far off base.

PS Yes I did just use the correct for of you're and too on the internet! mind = blown

Congratulations, your prize is nothing.

[Jorcer]

That is more than I expected, so thank you JOHN with a curious period after your name.

[Windoom]

I know this guy who sits around the corner in the local groceries store. Hes essentially a beggar, but he sits in that stores corner and helps people after the cashier to carry their goodies to the car for food and small donations. He gets alot of small donations, because he hangs out there all day, but he doesnt demand any. Some people dont give him money, like me sometimes, when I buy there, he gets a bunch of my bought stuff to feed for the day or two :)

[Jorcer]

Personally I am much more likely to give money to someone who uses their ingenuity instead of simply begging on a corner

[Windoom]

Personally I am much more likely to give money to someone who uses their ingenuity instead of simply begging on a corner

well its not exactly begging since he helps people carry their goodys to their cars for free, and then sometimes they give him moneys or food.

[Jorcer]

That is what I meant. He is actually providing a service and "earning" the money instead of simply asking people for money. In addition he doesn't demand money. what I meant to say (I wasn't clear enough) was that I would be more likely to give someone like him money rather than someone who simply asked for change outside a store.

[okamikk]

I honestly don't imagine myself ever begging for money, not because it's bad or anything, but because I hate people, and would hate relying on them for nutrition.

[BuccaneerRex]

I knew a guy who used to con people out of cash at gas stations by wearing a 'military uniform' (camo pants and green shirt) and claiming that his car had broken down, and that he needed cab money to get to the base or he'd be put on report. Didn't always work, but sometimes he'd clean up. Especially after 9/11 and during the Iraq war. He never actually claimed to be in the military, he just let people assume it. It didn't even look particularly like a uniform.

[Jay?]

So, there's a busker in Portland, OR, and i love him so much. Most of what he does is normal country-shit hipster-busker fare, but there was one day that a friend and i were chatting near him, and my buddy kev has a particular cadence to his voice.

This busker sat there with his guitar, and turned Kevs story into a blues song.

Kev: "so i woke up this morning"

Busker: "Well he woke up this morniiing" (Da nuh, nuh-nuh)

Kev: "and i had some fried eggs and bacon"

Busker: "havin fried eggs an' bacon" (Dah nuh, nuh-nuh)

Kev: "and i saw somthing funny in the eggs"

Busker: "An' there's sumthin funny in the eggs" (Dah nuh- nuh-nuh)

Kev: "so i said "hey honey, what'd you do to these eggs?"

Busker: "So i said honey what'd do to these eggs!" (Da-nuh-nuhnuhnuhnuhnuh-nuh nah.)

And so on and so forth. When kev finally finished his story, we look at the guy and he's holding a tattered sign that says "too fuckin sober for this shit"