by Tammy Stoner

Created on: January 14, 2009   Last Updated: January 28, 2009

When I was a child, my parents told me that I had a remarkable ability to rub two nickels together and create a quarter, and I must admit, it did seem to be true. Of course, with the economic decline this past year, I had to wonder why when I rubbed two nickels together I only created a nickel, as I watched most of my net worth evaporate in the stock market.

I pondered during this steep economic decline, as to how I would support myself. What could I do to earn a buck when times were troubled? As a single female, I must admit buying and selling cars has never been on my radar screen as a job possibility. For one thing, I know nothing about engines, transmissions, or camshafts. In high school I recall sitting next to the cute guy in auto mechanics class, and sneaking a look across at his paper, so that I could pass the test, and obtain my drivers license.

It surprises me to this day that I ended up buying and selling cars, and actually earning a nice profit. My eyes go blurry when I look under the hood at an engine, as most look the same to me. I imagine it's a similar feeling that many men have when they walk into a department store, and look at the selection of clothes that their wives or girlfriends want to purchase. Looking under the hood has never held my interest.

However, having said that, creating money out of thin air does hold my interest, and depositing easy money into my bank account, gives me the money to purchase those extra clothes, that I do like to buy.

When the economy collapsed, I looked around at how I could earn a dollar, and decided buying and selling used cars, was something that I could do. After all, many have told me over the years that I had a remarkable ability to sell anything, and that I should be out selling cars.

Recognizing troubled times was easy, and understanding that car lots were sitting with many new unsold cars on the lot, told me that if people weren't investing hard earned cash in purchasing new cars, they must be buying them used. This was an opportunity to earn a buck the quick and easy way. The time to buy and sell cars, has never been so right, as it is today.

Not knowing anything about cars except whether they looked nice or not, and whether they stopped, started, and steered was my starting point, in earning extra cash. And, this is a key starting point. After all, not having any mechanical aptitude, this was the biggest thing I needed to know. Did the car start? Did the brakes work? Did the car steer? I could easily

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