$4000 in One Month from Amazon FBA - Happy New Year

It's been a pretty productive month for me on Amazon, but it's also been very frustrating.   For the Christmas season, I've made a little over $4000 this month counting my $1600 bank deposit early in December.   I think this is  pretty successful for me considering I didn't know what I was doing for the most part, and I just started in August.

As I sit here typing this, there's about 40 minutes left before it's officially 2016 here on the West Coast.    There were definitely a lot of mistakes made and lessons learned this year from doing business on Amazon, and I plan to do much better next year.   Anytime you can make some extra money on the side with doing minimal work, it's always a plus.

Now to the frustrating part.  I literally could have made anywhere from $8k-$12k in December if I had enough inventory to sell.    Some of it had to do with this being my first Xmas shopping season and I had no idea just how much my sales would increase.    The other part had to do with delays in shipping from China, delays with UPS, and delays with the Amazon warehouse.    One thing I didn't keep in mind is that the manufacturers in China also have a big increase in orders, so it can take them a week longer to process your order.

Most of my orders from China I have shipped by DHL.   Before the Christmas season, I always received my orders in about 3-4 business days once the manufacturer finishes production.  The package is shipped to me, and then I ship it to the Amazon warehouse.   One thing that sucks about Amazon is they ALWAYS make me ship my packages to the East Coast.  I use Amazon's cheap UPS ground shipping rates, but that also means it takes 5 business days to get to the Amazon warehouse.

In business, time is money, and this process was costing me money.   I thought I would be "smart" and try to work with a freight forwarder in China.  This way, they could just pick the package up from my manufacturer and ship it directly to Amazon.   The first freight forwarder I found wasted a week's worth of my time until he finally told me couldn't ship the package because the product contains batteries.   So I finally just ended up having the package shipped to me.

On a different product, one of my shipments actually sat in the DHL warehouse a full week before it was shipped to me.  Another shipment was lost in DHL's warehouse and I had to be reimbursed for my costs.   

Then it was UPS's turn to screw everything up.  They weren't able to keep up with all of the shipments, and it caused a big backlog in their shipping process.   So my shipments that normally took 5 business days sometimes took 7 business days, once again costing me money.   The Amazon warehouses also started getting behind.  Normally when my products are delivered to the Amazon warehouse, I get a notification within 24 hours that my package has been received, and they will then work on processing my inventory.   During Xmas season, Amazon may take up to a week sometimes just to acknowledge that your package was delivered, and then it may take another 3 business days to put your items into their inventory.

There were times this month where I was completely out of stock on literally EVERYTHING because the Amazon warehouse was so slow.  You can tell from the screenshot I posted that I hardly have any sales for this past week, and I'm pretty much out of stock on everything.
  
If that's not bad enough, Amazon just announced they will be raising their rates for sellers in February.   As if they don't make enough money off of us already.  Also I think for next year, Amazon won't be my sole source of retail income.   I should seriously think about creating my own retail website and selling items myself, but I don't know if I want to bother with having to ship the items myself and/or dealing with customers.

As much as Amazon FBA has been a pain in the neck at times, I still think it's a great way to make a living.   I made $4000 with maybe 8 hours of actual work the whole month.   Sure as hell beats my regular job by a long shot.

My goal for 2016 is to have at least $30k in deposits by the end of the year.  If you're one of those people who has dreamed of being their own boss, now is the time to start.  Don't let fear hold you back any longer.  If you have any questions or wonder how I got started, please don't hesitate to ask.

Good luck in 2016

 

$1200 in One Week on Amazon

So my last Amazon deposit on Nov 25th was $788.   It was my highest 2 week total to date, and I was super pumped about making that much in just two weeks.

So now I have a problem.   In less than one week, I already have over $1200 waiting to be depositing into my account on Dec 8th.   Basically I'm on pace to have over $4000 deposited into our account for the month of December.  So what's the problem?

I've pretty much run out of stock on my 5 most popular items.   Three of my items come from one particular company in China, and they just happened to be moving locations when I placed another order with them.   This caused a week long delay in the production of my items, and they still haven't been shipped to me.   This means I'm losing tons of money while my items are out of stock.   I actually made over $800 in just 2 days, and the sales have been dwindling down since I don't have many of my items in stock.

Also, like most first-time Amazon sellers, I use the profits I make to restock my items.  Since I did this, I can't really order more items until after my next deposit around Dec 8th.  Then of course I run the risk of not getting the items to Amazon before Christmas.  I wish someone had told me just how much your sales will grow during the Christmas shopping season.   I'll just consider this a lesson learned.   Next year I'll be sure to start stocking up on things around October.

First $1000 Month as an Amazon Retailer

Took a few months to get there, but it looks like I'm finally going to make over $1000 this month.

  

I still have two more days to go until the balance is deposited into our bank account, so there's a good chance I can make over $1100 this month.   I'm spending about $150 a month on advertising so that's eating into my profits some, but I think that's a fair trade-off.  

Also I've decided to stop labeling my own products.   I figured by the time I buy labels and take the time to print them all out and individually label each product, I can just have Amazon label the products for me. (For a fee of course)   This really cuts down the amount of time I have to spend getting everything organized.  Now when I get a product delivered from China, I just perform a count to make sure there isn't a missing item.   I print off the shipping label and I drop it off at the UPS Store.   This also allows me to replenish my stock much faster.  I'm dabbling with the idea of starting to send some of my products to the Canadian Amazon site to see if it will increase my sales.

I decided to take the plunge and started selling an expensive item on Amazon.  My most "expensive" item before now was just $19.99.    The product that I'm selling now retails on Amazon for about $149.99, but I decided to sell it for $109 just to try and generate some sells.  

What's strange is that I have an item selling for $13.99, and Amazon charges me a fee of $4.99 to sell it, which equates to Amazon charging me 36% to sell the item.  Conversely, Amazon only charges me $13.21 to sell my $109.99 item.   So Amazon is only taking 12% for this item.   I wish I had known this sooner, I would've started selling more expensive items a long time ago.

For those of you selling on Amazon, I highly recommend that you make sure you are stocked up on your items for all the Christmas buyers.  I'm hoping to break the $3000 mark for the month of December.      

Single Females = Flakes

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Amazon Business - $500 Barrier Broken

Most of you who read my blog know that I've recently started selling products on Amazon.   I'm happy to say that I finally broke the $500 barrier this month!  Almost $350 will be deposited into my account tomorrow, which makes my total for the month $530.59.

I don't even know how it happened, because there were some items that I basically gave away for 75% off to try and get people to buy my new product.  Not to mention having to pay another $39.99 for my monthly seller fee, and the cost of shipping my products to Amazon.  I'm pretty pumped to see what my sales will look around Christmas time.

On a side note, the wife and I have started the process to trademark the name of our new product.  While I'm happy about the money I've made so far, I think this product will have a lot of potential.  The biggest mistake I've made so far is choosing products that only need to be purchased one time.  I won't be making that mistake with our new product.

To those who are thinking of getting started, I'd recommend picking a product that customers will have to buy repeatedly.  Think about the different items that you buy on a continual basis.   Razors, dish soap, printer ink, baby wipes, etc.   These are all products that are bought repeatedly, so once a customer likes your product they're highly likely to buy it again. 

Amazon Business Update Part I

So I've decided to blog regularly on my successes and failures as someone trying to start a business as a seller on Amazon.  Maybe this will help inspire others who are on the fence about selling on Amazon, and maybe help you avoid some of the pitfalls I've encountered.

I stated that my goal was to make over $600 this month, and I didn't quite reach that goal.  Amazon will make deposits into your account around the 15th and the last day of each month.   As you can see from the attached picture, I had a payment for $257 sent to my bank on the 15th, and tomorrow they should be depositing $218.   While I didn't reach my goal of $600, I would've come close to reaching that goal if it weren't for all of the Amazon fees:

So from Sept 16th until today, I had over $400 in orders, but all the Amazon fees are killing me.   To be a professional seller on Amazon, they charge you $39.99 each month, which is included in the fees pictured.   I also set up some advertising for my products, and I'd estimate that about $60 was spent on advertising.   You'll also see that I offered some discounts on my products (Promo rebates for $51.34) in order to attract more buyers.

I also had to purchase more items to ship to Amazon, so the shipping fees are also included in the Amazon fees.  Using Amazon's UPS ground shipping service does save you a little bit of money, but it's still money that comes out of your profit margin.   

I think I'm going to eliminate advertising for this next pay cycle to see if I can increase my profit margin.  For you new sellers out there, I would recommend not selling any item below $10.99.  If you use Amazon FBA, the fees are usually going to be at least $4 for an item.  Right now I have an item in my inventory selling for $10.99, and Amazon is going to charge me a fee of $4.54 for processing and shipping the order to a customer.   That leaves a profit of $6.45, and then of course I have to subtract the $2.60 I paid for the item, leaving me a profit of $3.85 for each item.

 I also have another item I sell for $23.99, and Amazon deducts $6.27 leaving me $17.72.  Subtract out the $8 I paid and that leaves a profit of $9.72.   So as you can see, you can do much better the higher you price your items.

My goal in the next coming month is to bank enough profit so I can buy bigger quantities of each product so I can be in a better position to negotiate pricing with my suppliers.  The bigger your order, the more suppliers are willing to negotiate.   I also need to think about expanding into other products with higher profit margins.    

R.I.P. Club Sesso

Last month, Ron Jeremy's Club Sesso was forced to close it's doors here in Portland.   Due to a long standing legal battle with the city of Portland, they've had to pay out over $100,000 in attorney fees over the past few years, and it reached the point where it just wasn't worth the hassle anymore.

It's a shame because we always looked forward to the great Halloween parties they used to throw, as well as Ron Jeremy's annual birthday party.   It was also the only "classy" swingers club in the area that didn't look like a whore house.   Hopefully they'll open up in another location soon.

Also we've heard a rumor that a particular bar at one of the Red Lion restaurants in Vancouver, WA is closing down.   This place is a popular swingers hangout, and on some nights it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to see a woman dressed in a slightly see-through blouse showing off her nipples.   Seems like this area is going to be lacking for couples that love being part of the swinging lifestyle.

Starting your Business on Amazon

Sorry I haven't written much on here lately.  I've been reading a few books lately about how to sell products on Amazon, so I figured I'd take a stab at it.  First off, it's not nearly as easy as these books make it out to be.   There's a lot of things that can go wrong when trying to sell items on Amazon.  No one ever really mentions Amazon fees, having to pay to ship stuff to Amazon, or the amount of time it takes to label your products.  Also, shipping things to the US from overseas (China, Thailand) can be quite expensive, and you may have to deal with custom fees.

Not to mention that if you're not someone with deep pockets, you may have trouble finding an item to buy at wholesale because most suppliers require a minimum order quantity.   Nevertheless, I found a few items to sell, and I think I did okay for my first month.

I managed to make a little over $400, which is good I think for my first month, but of course that doesn't include the money I spent on a label maker, or the fact that Amazon will often make you split up your shipments to send to multiple fulfillment centers.   Also, Amazon actually lost one of my shipments so about half of that $400 was from Amazon reimbursing me for my lost products.

The first month was also tough because some items just weren't able to sell, and I also had to spend a little bit of money on advertising.  As with any business, getting started is the hardest part and I have definitely made my fair share of mistakes along the way.

Still though, it's a great feeling to know that I was able to make this money on my own as a side business.

My goal for next month is to make at least $600, and hopefully get to the point where I can consistently make over $1000 a month.

Pavlov's Dog (Rewarding Bad Behavior From Women)

Women have had this figured out for ages.  If a guy isn't acting right, they act accordingly.  They may give you the silent treatment.  Even worse, they withhold sex.

Nice Guys on the other hand do things backwards.  If their woman seems to be in a sour mood or just doesn't seem to be acting right, they buy her gifts.  We take her out on a date, or buy flowers.  When a woman isn't having sex often enough for our liking, we try to do something romantic thinking this will get her to give us more sex.  Isn't that what all those articles (written by women of course) tell us we should do?

The problem here is that you are actually rewarding her bad behavior.

What you're doing is actually teaching her that it's okay for her to treat you the way she does.  Every time she withholds sex, she gets a nice dinner.  Every time she is acting like a brat, you show her more affection.  If you have a kid that's pouting or isn't acting right, would you go and buy them some ice cream to reward the way they're acting?  If your best buddy was acting rude, would you treat him to a sporting event to get him to be nice?  Of course not, so why do it with your woman?

This is how a lot of REALLY attractive women behave.  Because she's pretty, people have been kissing her ass her whole life.  Why should she change the way she behaves if you're still catering to her every whim?

I shake my head at men who only get sex a few times a month buying their women jewelry or gifts.  A woman isn't paying you a lot of attention, and you go buy her some flowers.  Why in God's name would you do that?  If anything you should STOP doing those things until her behavior changes.  (By the way guys, a woman who tries to use sex as a weapon or a bargaining chip isn't somebody you want to be with in the first place.)  I'm not just preaching this from the mountain top either, I've made this mistake a few times myself.  I know what these men are going through because I've been there.

When my wife was thinking of leaving me (for another guy of course), I was at my worst.  Even one of my guy friends was telling me I need to buy flowers, perfume, candy, etc.  I was giving her massages, buying flowers, preparing romantic candlelit dinners, etc....almost for a month straight.   Even took her on a surprise getaway.  All because that's what society conditions us guys to do if something is wrong in our relationship.  Once I actually found out what was REALLY going on in my relationship, all that nice treatment came to a SCREECHING HALT.

Between you and me, all those massages and dinners did NOTHING to force her to make a decision.  Only when I got my balls back and basically told her to piss or get off the pot (make a decision) did things change.  Women don't like or respect wimps, aka Nice Guys.

What you need to do is flip the script here.  You have to reward GOOD behavior.  The same way women have us trained (wash her car, get a blowjob, etc) is what you need to do.  Your woman gives you a surprise blowjob downstairs in the living room....reward her with a massage or a movie night.  A woman gives you sex 3 or 4 times in a week, treat her to a romantic dinner.

You get the picture.  Women have been doing this to us for ages, it's time we learn the tricks of the trade.

Always remember, what gets rewarded gets repeated.

Dude, Where's My Lighter?

July 1st 2015.

Marijuana is now legal in the state of Oregon and people are rejoicing in the streets.  Well, they would be if they weren't too stoned to dance...lol.

In the days leading up to this, there have been countless radio ads warning people of the rules.  So apparently it's okay to POSSESS marijuana, but it's not okay to BUY it unless it's from a store, which of course no stores are up and running yet.   So the only way it's okay is if you grow your own, or if someone gives it to you as a gift.

If someone gives you an ounce of weed as a "gift", then you might also want to buy a lottery ticket that day as well.

Things I Learned While Becoming An Amazon Author

1.  Your first book likely isn't going to be a New York bestseller.    No matter how many friends and family members you inform about your book, it likely isn't going to be a huge hit.   I know we hear those stories of authors who find success right out of the gate, but they're more of an exception rather than the norm.   You might actually spend more money advertising your first book than you will make in revenue.  Your 2nd and 3rd books are usually where you'll start to see an increase in revenue after building a following.

2.  Choose your editor wisely.   In my rush to be published, I wasn't overly careful in picking an editor to convert my work into the Kindle format.    You can have the greatest book in the world but if the editing is poor, people aren't likely to finish reading it.

3.  Pricing matters.    It's amazing to me that twice as many people bought my book when it was priced at $2.99 rather than 99 cents.

4.  Choose a good cover designer.  The cover of my book looked great, or so I thought.  When I uploaded it to Amazon, the words on the cover didn't look quite as crisp.   Make sure you choose someone who is very experienced in creating book covers.

5.  Even if only one person buys your book, you're a success.   Look at how many people TALK about writing a book but never do it.  The fact that you put your words into action is not something to be taken lightly.   Not many people can say they are published author, so celebrate your successes no matter how small they are and keep writing!   Rome wasn't built in a day, and the same applies for your literary career.

I Love You, But I'm Not In Love With You

"I Love You, But I'm Not In Love With You."

One of the most emotionally damaging sentences in the English language.  Women may not come right out and say it in those exact words though.  It may be disguised as "It's not you, it's me" or "I just need some space to figure things out".    Either way it has the same meaning.  Also by the time a woman actually says something like this to you, she's been feeling like this for a while and she has already told her friends and possibly family members.  Usually everyone will know what's going on EXCEPT you.

From time to time I like to share books that I've read that have helped me make the transformation from "Nice Guy" to "Not So Naive Guy".  One of the BEST books I can recommend is called the Married Man Sex Life Primer by Athol Kay.  ALL men should read this book, but in particular married men, or men in long-term relationships.  Let's see what Mr Kay has to say about this subject:

Having your wife tell you "ILYBINILWY" (I love you but I'm not in love with you) is about the largest red flag that your relationship is in trouble.  A woman can have minimal "in love" feelings for the husband and just coast along for years with no apparent cause for concern.  But once a new man enters the picture who flips her dopamine switch on, things can unravel between a wife and her husband very quickly.

So when a wife tells a husband ILYBINILWY that usually means there is another guy she has feelings for.  Not only that, she usually is trying to actively find a way to exit the main relationship and enter a new relationship with her love interest.  To put it bluntly, what she means by saying ILYBINILWY is some combination of "I'm leaving you for him", "I'm thinking about having sex with him", or I'm having sex with him but I still want to live with you, is that okay?"

The other reason a wayward wife may say this is because it is a delaying tactic to avoid the husband acting pre-emptively to end the marriage, kick her out, or take other action against her.

Take note guys, when a woman says any of these phrases to you she already knows she doesn't want to be with you anymore, she's just stalling for time so she can figure out how to exit with the least amount of resistance.   

Dating Women With Kids

I'm going to get slammed for writing this, but I don't care....

If you're in your 30's and 40's, most of the women you are trying to date will have kids.  Now understand that there is nothing inherently wrong with dating a woman who has kids.  Do understand however, that the life of a step parent isn't going to be like an episode of the Brady Bunch.  Marriages where step kids are involved are almost twice as likely to fail than most "normal" marriages.  I'm not here to preach about whether you should or should not date someone with kids, because there are plenty of other resources out there for that.  I'm going to approach this from an entirely different angle.

Now most women who have kids aren't going to have a tremendous amount of free time.  There's soccer practice, dance lessons, band practice, and hundreds of other activities which will eat up your prospective date's time.  So lets say you start dating a woman with kids.  Things are going great, as she has plenty of time to go on dates with you, watch TV, and all the other things two people who are dating should be doing.  You start thinking to yourself that this is awesome, because of course she's giving you all the sex you can handle.  One question you should be asking yourself:

Where the hell is her kid????

See most guys are just happy they're finally getting a steady supply of sex, and this question never crosses their mind.  If you've been dating a woman with a kid for a few months and it seems like she always has time to meet up with you, or is always at your house riding you like a rodeo cowboy, there's something wrong with this picture.   Seriously wrong.   As a matter of fact this should be a huge red flag.  How is it that she has all this free time to spend with you when she has a kid to raise?  Once again, I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking you've got this sex goddess giving you more pink taco than you've had in a long while, why should you care where her kid is?  I'll tell you why.

First off, if she's spending all of that time with you, that means someone else is having to raise her kid.  It could be her parents, grandparents, another relative or friend...but the bottom line is that somebody else is stuck taking care of HER child while she's rolling around the sheets with you.  This shows a tremendous lack of responsibility on her part.  This lack of responsibility usually manifests itself in other ways too.  The women who are too irresponsible to take care of their child are the same ones who are too irresponsible to keep a job for any longer than a few months, are always behind on their rent, (if they're not sponging off of mom and dad) and they're always broke.

I know.  I know.  You love getting a constant supply of booty, so here's the part where you'll make excuses for her.  "The father has custody of the kids, that's why she doesn't have them often."  I'm about to burst that bubble as well.   We all know the court system in most countries will side with the female parent when it comes to custody of the kids.  Unless a mom walks into court with a needle dangling from her arm while she smokes a joint, it's pretty much a forgone conclusion on who is going to win a custody battle.

So in other words, you pretty much have to be an absolute asshole of a mom in order for a judge to award custody to a father.  Even then the dad's chances of winning are slim.  So if you're dating a woman and her ex has custody of her child, she's probably a piece of crap lowlife, or she wanted nothing to do with her kid in the first place.

You say you still don't care?  Let me throw this at you.  What if you get her pregnant?  Who do you think will be taking care of that kid once it's born?  If you don't know the answer to this, hold up a mirror and take a long stare.

That's right, you will be raising that kid by yourself.  She will have moved on to the next chump while you're stuck at home changing diapers.  She'll be out wasting her money on nightclubs and having fun while you're trying to figure out how you're going to afford daycare.  Now do you get the picture?

If a woman has a kid and she doesn't have custody or is always able to meet you at a moments notice....

Run.

Just run.

Run as fast as you can away from that loser because don't want anything to do with a mom who doesn't care about providing for her kids.

Paying For Affection (also known as Dating)

It pains me to see guys bending over backwards trying to please women that have no interest in them whatsoever.  I've witnessed it firsthand and have been guilty of it myself in the past.  I've seen guys spend hundreds, and even thousands of dollars over the course of a few months for women and still not get laid.   I've also seen women use a guy to get a Coach purse, a free trip somewhere, and even a down payment for a car.

What's even funnier is the guys who these women ARE having sex with aren't even putting forth much of an effort.  The guys they're sleeping with don't even have to buy a Happy Meal, much less take them to a nice restaurant.  Furthermore, most women who are worth a damn would never allow to a guy to buy her all those things in the first place, so that should be your first clue that you're being taken advantage of.

Guys, think about the last woman you had sex with.  I mean really think about it.  Did you have to take her on an endless amount of dates to get laid?  Did you have to spend months getting to know her?  Chances are you didn't have to do any of these things.  The woman liked you and wanted to have sex with you, and it didn't take a lot of effort on your part either.  The problem most guys have is they waste countless weeks and months pursuing women who have no interest in them whatsoever.
Think about it.  If a woman actually LIKES you, why would she not want to have sex with you?

There are those rare occurrences when you run across a woman who says she wants to be celibate.  The trick here is to figure out if she's really wanting to abstain from sex altogether, or if she just wants to abstain from having sex with YOU.  The key is to look at what she DOES, not what she says.

If you find that it's difficult to arrange dates with this woman or find that you're always calling her and she doesn't initiate many phone calls, then you're probably being played.  If you're having to beg, borrow, and steal for the tiniest bit of affection from her then you need to look elsewhere.  Even if a woman really is wanting to be celibate, she will still let you know that she really likes you in other ways.  She'll still want to spend time with you, hold your hand, will invite you over for dinner, etc.

Don't be a fool and waste your time and money on women who have no interest in you.  Like I always say if you really want to waste your money, go to the nearest strip club.  At least you'll get to see naked women in exchange for your hard-earned dollars.

Intima Resort Tulum Review (Clothing Optional)

The wife and I are always interested in checking out new clothing-optional/swinger resorts.  In my opinion, there's nothing like being able to walk around naked amongst other naked people.  It also means a lot less hassle when figuring out what to pack.  We hadn't had a vacation in quite a while, so we checked out Mak Nuk Village in Tulum, Mexico.   That was the name of the resort when we visited, but they have now changed it to Intima Resort.

It's a small but beautiful resort.  Being pretty new, all of the rooms are in excellent condition.  This isn't your typical hotel room, as the rooms are actually condos that have owners but are rented out.  We stayed in a 1 bedroom condo that had a full kitchen, living room, and a full sized refrigerator.  The condo seemed like it was about 900 sq ft in size.  The floors were nicely tiled and we stayed in a swim-up suite.  There were gigantic sliding glass doors leading out to the pool.  At the time we stayed, our condo was only $160 a night.

As nice as the rooms were, I really want to give this place 5 stars but I just can't.  You'll fly into Cancun, and it's about an hour and a half drive to the Tulum area of Mexico.  Pro Tip:  If you've never flown into Cancun before, pay no attention to the people inside the airport offering transportation.  They are ALL timeshare people.  Most of them will even lie and pretend to offer assistance.

When we arrived, there were only two other couples staying there, and one of the couples left the next morning.  So for three days there was only one other couple, and then for our last three days we literally were the only couple there.  It made for a relaxing time, but to be honest some days we got a little bored and wished there were people to talk to.  So if you're looking for a fun week, I'd suggest going on a week where there is a lifestyle takeover or special event.  You may also want to book a 1/2 day tour (we went snorkeling in a cenote, also visited the Mayan ruins)

One complaint is the beach owned by the resort is like 40 minutes away, and they said there is literally nothing there at that beach so we'd have to bring our own drinks and food.  Also since no one was hardly at the resort, there was no cook or anything so we had to buy our own meals.  You can buy a weeks worth of food at the supermarket for less than $100. 

Another knock on the resort is that it's on a dark. isolated street.  You'll have to walk a few blocks before you finally get on the main road where there are places to eat, and vendors.  Jut make sure you plan accordingly so you aren't walking back down that road in the pitch dark.  I'm a guy who can handle myself in a fight, but I was nervous walking back to the resort with my wife because it's so dark, and thick bushes and trees are on each side of the street.  I would honestly suggest renting a car because of this, and also the supermarket is about a 30 minute walk.   Otherwise you'll want to get the manager to call a taxi for you.

Another downside to the resort is they have no cable or satellite TV.  They do have free WiFi and they have Apple TV.  Apple TV doesn't do any good though unless you already have a subscription to Netflix, Hulu, etc.  Granted if there had been more people at the resort to interact with, we probably wouldn't have been in the room as much.  Also the tap water is not drinkable, so it can be a bit of a hassle to brush your teeth.  The water and ice from the fridge come from bottled water, so that's safe.

The resort also had a bit of an ant problem as well.  The other couple told us they were a lot of ants in their room when they checked in, and they made the maintenance staff spray for ants.  We didn't see any when we checked in so we didn't really think about it.  Then one evening we left a plate of cookies on the kitchen counter and left for a few hours.  When we came back, there were tons of ants everywhere, and there was a long line of ants coming in from the next room.  Took us a while to clear out all of the ants and we had to leave our garbage can outside that night.

Overall, I'm going to give this place 3.5 stars out of five.  We're willing to give this resort another try since new resorts often have little problems to work out that will be gone by the next time you visit.  I would suggest giving the resort a try because we've heard through the grapevine that they will be increasing their prices soon.  I would also be willing to bet in a few years they won't be so isolated anymore as other companies will start building there as well.  Tulum is a great place to visit because most of the tourists are in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen so it's less busy and more laid back.

 ******

For those who are more interested in exploring the swinging lifestyle, check out my book Swinging 101:  A Couples Lifestyle Primer.      On sale right now for just $2.99 at Amazon!

My Book is Officially Available

My book is officially available.   I could hardly contain my excitement as I tried to sleep last night.   From now until May 21st, you can download the book for free.   I would really appreciate any positive and/or constructive reviews from people.   It can be downloaded for free by clicking on the link.

Less Than 10 Hours Away

In less than 10 hours, my little guide on swinging will be released as an Amazon Kindle download.   It's weird being a brand new author because you don't know what to really expect.

No matter what though, I took a chance and did something that most people are afraid of doing, so even if only one person downloads the book, I'll consider it a success.

Right now I'm #171, 523 in the Paid Kindle store.   Maybe by end of tomorrow I can be up to #171,520 LOL.



Update:

As of 9:20 am 5/17/15 , my book is #13902 in Free Kindle Books, and #23 for the category of Sex.   Not too shabby.

Quote of the Day

"There are no atheists in foxholes"   - William Cummings

The Power of Negativity

I recently started reading a book called "A Bug Free Mind" (no I don't get paid to advertise another author's book).  In the book, the author states that each hour of the day, you should take at least 15 continuous seconds and focus on a happy or positive thought.  The key behind this thinking is that at some age when we are kids, we start to have more and more negative thoughts.  More and more self-doubt starts to creep in until we really are no longer in control of our minds anymore.

Think back if you can when you were a really young kid.  When you told people you wanted to be an astronaut, a policeman, an actress, or a fireman...was there any doubt in your mind at all?   You honestly believed at that age you could be whatever you wanted.  It isn't until we get older and people (parents, teachers, older siblings) start putting doubts in our head that we start to become negative thinkers.  Taking those 15 second breaks is the first step to regaining control over your thought process.

The author of that book also talks about the only way we can really have the life we want is to start getting rid of those negative thoughts.  It's quite the coincidence that today during lunch, this guy who normally is pretty shy sat down at our table.  Now this guy used to be pretty anti-social and would keep to himself, but he was a regular Chatty Kathy today.  See about a year ago when he was at our company, he developed a brain tumor which required surgery and rehab, and he was away from work for about 8 months.

In talking with him, he said that after his surgery he literally lost about 4 years of his memory.  He's currently only 26 years old, and he remembers when he was 25 but there is a gap and he doesn't remember much of anything from ages 21-25.  He said what's really strange is his fiance said that he's way more outgoing now than he used to be.  He said that just sounds crazy because he loves hosting parties, and loves being around people.  Myself and a few other co-workers all confirmed that he used to be very anti-social.

So at some point, this person who was very social allowed certain events that happened in his life to turn him into your average, self-doubting, anti-social Nice Guy.  It got me thinking, because in high school I was voted Best Personality and I was nowhere near as afraid of failure as I am now.  What events happened in my life to turn me into the person I am today?

If someone told you back when you were in high school that your life would be like it is today, would you have believed them?  I sure as hell wouldn't have.  Some of you may have been voted "Smartest" or "Most Likely to Succeed" back in high school.  So what happened in your life to steer you off track?  What has happened to make you doubt yourself?

No matter how old you may be, it's never too late to get back on track and live the life you were meant to live.

17 Beliefs of the Super Rich

I received this in an email I received a long time ago, so I don't take credit for its content.  


17 Beliefs of the Super Rich

1.    Rich people believe "I create my life."  Poor people believe "Life happens to me"

2.    Rich people play the money game to win.  Poor people play the money game not to lose.

3.    Rich people are committed to being rich.  Poor people WANT to be rich.

4.    Rich people think big.  Poor people think small.

5.    Rich people focus on opportunities.  Poor people focus on obstacles.

6.    Rich people admire other rich and successful people.  Poor people resent rich and successful people.

7.    Rich people associate with positive, successful people.  Poor people associate with negative or unsuccessful people.

8.    Rich people are willing to promote themselves and their value.  Poor people think negatively about selling and promotion.

9.    Rich people are bigger than their problems.  Poor people are smaller than their problems.

10.  Rich people are excellent receivers.  Poor people are poor receivers.

11.  Rich people choose to get paid based on results.  Poor people choose to get paid based on time.

12.  Rich people think "both".  Poor people think "either/or".

13.  Rich people focus on their net worth.  Poor people focus on their working income.

14.  Rich people manage their money well.  Poor people mismanage their money well.

15.  Rich people have their money work hard for them.  Poor people work hard for their money.

16.  Rich people act in spite of fear.  Poor people let fear stop them.

17.  Rich people constantly grow and learn.  Poor people think they already know.

The People Have Spoken

Well, the people have spoken.   Looks I have my new book cover.   Thank you to everyone who helped me pick it out.    Even if only one person downloads this book I'll consider it a great success.    Good luck to all the other aspiring authors!

Which Book Cover Should I Use?

So the final editing for my book is almost complete, and I'd love to get your opinion on which book cover looks the best.

Never Buy a Woman Drinks

Never buy a woman a drink in a club, unless you're out on a date with her.  I'm sure the few women reading this will discard what I'm saying and call me a cheapskate, but hear me out.

When I was single, I took great pride in never buying drinks for women, because I ultimately knew it was just a waste of money.  Why waste money on watered down, overpriced drinks just to get a woman's attention?  You buy a drink has nothing to do with that woman like you or possibly going home with you.  As a matter of fact, there are plenty of women who specifically go to the club looking for guys to buy them drinks and they never have any intention of giving out their phone number, let alone going home with someone.

They will only take enough money with them for the entrance fee and to buy one drink, because they know they can get some poor sucker to buy them drinks for the rest of the night if they bat their eyelashes in the right way or shake their ass.  

The worst offenders are the females who actually have the balls to ask you to buy them a drink.  A female who does this is NOT interested in you, it's because she thinks you're a simpleton who's dumb enough to do it.   If she was really feeling you, she would be too afraid of asking you something like that because she'd be too worried about offending you.  If a woman ever asks you to buy her a drink, there are two correct responses.  The first response is "No".  The second correct response is "I'll buy you a drink on our first date".

I broke my rule about buying drinks ONE time.   I was at the club with a friend and he had these two women sit down at our table.  He proceeded to buy the one he was interested in a drink, and I just rolled my eyes at the thought.  Well, I didn't want to be a complete jackass so I bought her friend a drink too.  We were all talking for about 10 minutes and the two women said they'd be right back as they had to go to the bathroom.  

Well, I pretty much knew what was happening, so I decided to let it play out.  Sure enough 5 minutes later I looked and those two women were out on the dance floor dancing with two other guys, drinks in hand.   I pointed this out to my friend and I stated "THAT is why you don't buy females drinks!".  I almost considered walking over and taking the drink I bought out of her hand and gulping it down in her face.   So what if she would've called me an asshole, she wasn't interested in me anyway.

If you're in such a hurry to waste your money, just go to your local strip club.  At least you'll get to see some tits and ass for your money.

Becoming a Sex Author

So I've pretty much finished writing my first short e-book for Kindle, now comes the fun part.   I'm shopping around for a great artist who will provide the graphic design for my book.

I've also seriously started thinking about trademarking a brand name I have in mind, and then I'll start selling my own products as well.  I've given a few people my e-book to read, which will be based on the swinging lifestyle so of course only my closest friends will be getting a copy to proofread. 

If you're an aspiring business owner, always remember that even if you fail you've still won.  You were willing to do what most people are too lazy and afraid to do, and that in itself is a victory.

It feels like a million things are running around in my head right now, and I can't believe that it's taken me all these years to get on the path of entrepreneurship.    I've so excited about the possibilities I can hardly focus on anything at work.   I spend half of my time brainstorming new product ideas and marketing strategies.

Like I've said before, the only difference between you and people like Bill Gates is they made their choices in life, and you made yours.   Let 2015 be the year of no more excuses.

Starting Your Own Business

Most people dream of owning their own business.   No little kid ever says "When I grow up, I want to work for a crappy boss and deal with an hour long commute everyday."   As much as most people fantasize about working for themselves, the majority of people never take action.  

Lack of action is the only thing that separates you and millions of other successful business owners in the world.   You can become a business owner in less than a day.   Here's how simple it is.

1.  Decide on a name for a business.

2.  Check your state's registry to see if the business name is already taken.  Most states have a website where you can search for a business name to see if it already exists.  Most business owners choose to form an LLC, but pick what is best for you.  

3.  After you find a business name that isn't taken, file the correct paperwork.   You can do this yourself as most states have these forms online, or you can print them out and mail them in with your appropriate filing fee.   For our business, we chose to use Legalzoom to file the paperwork which makes it even easier.  Sure it's a little more expensive than filing the paperwork for yourself, but we wanted to make sure it was done right.

4.  Your paperwork from your state should come back in less than a month, officially recognizing the name of your business as a legal entity

Just like that, you're a business owner.   See how simple that was?   What other excuses are you going to use put off a chance at financial freedom?

A New Beginning

Well, Google suspended my first blog  because of inappropriate pictures, but I'm back!

A lot has happened since I last posted.   I've graduated and got my Bachelors degree, I'm now working in a new job, and I've started my MBA studies.

This blog will still talk about swinging, sexuality, religion, business ownership, and all of the other things I love talking about.  I'm also going to be talking about dream building and achieving your goals.   I've always wanted to make money on my own terms, and I've decided that this is the year I'm finally going to make that happen.

Hopefully you'll join me on my journey as I discuss my triumphs as well as my failures.