SPRING TIME IS THE BEST TIME TO CAN

Here in Northern Michigan we like to go canning in the Spring. Of course this is not the run of the mill canning of fruits, vegetables or meats. Instead, we are going after a much more valued item then can be found almost anywhere. I am of course talking about cans and bottles that have a deposit on them (it is ten cents in Michigan). Spring canning is a tradition in my home state. All you need is a sack and a pair of plastic gloves(these gloves can be reused if washed in sanitized water).

Any grocery store that sell items with a deposit on them is required to take the same exact bottle/can back and give the person bringing said bottles/cans back, ten cents each(this is Michigan law so check the laws in your own state). Of course you can check around to find out which stores take back the most brands so you don't have to travel all over town to take back all the bottles/cans you pick up. I know of one elderly man that waits around in grocery stores and volunteers to take off your hands those bottles/cans that the store you are at will not give you deposit money for because they do not carry the particular brand. This might be a way of easy canning but, it might not be kosher with your grocer. Many grocers will make extra money off cans left behind at bottle machines that are not accepted. Grocers will wait until they have perhaps a few hundred dollars in bottles/cans that their store does not sell and will then take a trip to the competition to make some quick cash.

In the spring, cans and bottles pop up out of the snow banks along roadways, paths, boat landings, parking lots, and parks/recreation areas of all types. It is just like going out and picking up dimes all over the place. Sometimes coins are also lying around in the Spring which you could just consider a bonus. Why be poor when there is so much money laying on the ground.

Canning is not just a Springtime hobby. Many people make a good supplemental income picking up cans year around. I was once told by a serious year around caner that he supplemented his income by $15,000 per year. He and his son went canning every weekend. The money was used for the boys college education.

I know many elderly people who supplement their incomes by canning. Many people don't have the health to work out at a job or run a business when they are elderly. Canning is a job you can do at your own pace and it is not too physically difficult yet, does provide a good deal of overall exercise. An idea, instead of jogging down that trail or path every morning, why not take along a sack and a pair of gloves to pick up cans and bottles. You'll get exercise and make money at the same time.

Personally, every time I go fishing I always search the area around my fishing hole for bottles and cans. Once I found a plastic sack full of bottles and cans lying in the woods near a public boat launch. The sack had been lying there a long time and had been partially covered up with dirt and leaves but, there were enough bottles and cans in the sack to pay for the gas I used on my fishing trip. Since then I make it a goal to find enough cans/bottles to pay for my gas each time I go fishing.

I also enjoy going to all the festival places in Northern Michigan. Of course I don't go to festivals to spend money. I go to festival hot spots after the festival is over so I can make money off the dropped change and those beautiful big dimes called cans.

I hope everyone is as excited about canning as I am. It is great family fun. Make a picnic out of a weekend canning expedition to a park. The trip may pay for itself. Besides, you will get to enjoy the great outdoors with your family and teach good citizenship at the same time. After all, canning is a sport created by our society to help clean up our environment.

TURN GREEN INTO GREEN: MAKE MONEY OFF OF MOTHER NATURE

You can make a lot of money off mother nature each year. It could be by growing a large or small vegetable herb garden to save money or, it could be some other hobby like polishing stones or making jewelry. There are all sorts of ways mother nature can earn you some extra cash without too much investment or sometimes, no investment of money, just your time.

Gardening is a great way to reap the rewards of mother nature. Herb and vegetable gardens can give you fresh produce at a fraction of the price you can find in stores. If you have extra room you could grow some vegetables to sell at the roadside. Pumpkins are a favorite item around Halloween. Flower gardens can also make you money if you have a way of selling fresh flower cuts like daffodils or lilacs. You can also raise flowers you can dry like Baby's Breath. You can use dried flowers to make arrangements to sell or you can sell the dried flowers directly to a floral shop.

If you have access to pine cones or various tree bark or woods, you can sell them to floral shops, use them in arrangements or sell either finished or raw products on eBay. I have an abundance of pine cones on my property and I have sold them on EBay. Just make sure you charge enough for postage and handling. The one price postage boxes the post office has are free and are conveniently sized for most items. This makes it convenient for you the seller and the buyer to understand just how much say, 200 pine cones is going to cost to ship anywhere in the country.

My mom used to split birch logs and put a candle on the split end along with other decorations. She used to sell quite a few of these at church bizarres. Many people liked these split logs for centerpieces during holidays.

Using items found in nature for wreath making has long been a popular home business. Things like straw, pine bows and grapevines are popular for wreath making. Pine cones and even plain sticks can be made into attractive wreaths for sale.

Stone polishing/carving and jewelry making is a great way to make some extra money. Stones that are found only in the area where you live are great to sell on eBay. You can polish them, carve them into shapes or, just sell them raw in bulk.

Some people pick berries, mushrooms and other wild growing natural foods for their own consumption or to sell to local restaurants. The list of things you can find in the wild to sell is staggering. If you have a large tree on your property you would like to have removed, before paying someone to cut it down see if anyone would pay you for it. Trees like cherry, oak and maple can fetch quite a bit of money if the tree is big and the wood is in good condition. You might sell some slab wood from old trees by the road side to campers.

Overall, if you see something in nature you think might have value, explore the possibilities of making some money or at least saving some money. Every little bit helps if you are trying to save a fortune.