This is Jacob Jordan’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

Mom, can I borrow $100 please?

How many times has your son or daughter asked you this question? Or, are you the person that has posed this question to your parents? Either way if this sounds at all familiar to you, then the resulting answer is usually a disappointing “no”. If you are a technology geek like me and have ever been in this situation, then you know what it is like to want the newest technology and not have the money to pay for it. Whether your wish list consists of a flash drive, or a new Mac Pro, somehow, someway, you have to be creative in ways to earn the extra money to pay for it. Below I have created a list of suggestions that might help you make your wishes of being an up-to-date technology geek come true.

1: YARD SALE

Yard sales are a great way for making a little extra money. One summer I had a yard sale and made around $500 bucks. Also, it gave me the opportunity to get rid of a lot of junk in my house. I noticed that movies, speakers, clothes, office chairs, (in good condition) printers, and PC monitors go fast. Let’s face it, most of us have an old CRT monitor from the 90’s laying around.

2: UPGRADE

Most of us don’t realize how easy it is to upgrade a computer. It’s a simple and fun way to make some quick money. For example, you can go on Ebay and spend $100 on an iMac G3 with a one gigahertz processor, half a gigabyte of ram, and a twenty gigabyte hard drive. Spend an additional $80 on another half gigabyte of ram and an eighty gigabyte hard drive. All together, you have now spent around one $180. You could then turn around and sell this system for around $350 for a profit of $270!

3: TECH SUPPORT

Make sure that family, friends, and neighbors are aware of your technical skills. When most people have a problem with their computer such as a virus, they usually call a professional company such as Geek Squad. Companies like Geek Squad charge a lot of money for their services. You could provide the same service for a fraction of the cost.

4: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON

As we all know, the holidays are right around the corner, which means gifts!!! When family and friends ask what you want, say that you are saving for a certain piece of equipment. Let them know what you are saving for and what your goals are. If they know what your goals are and what type of equipment you are saving for, then they may be more inclined to give you that little bit of extra money in your stocking. I know from personal experience that when this tactic was deployed, I accumulated over $500. Also, don’t forget to ask for donations towards your goals on birthdays as well.

5: IF ALL ELSE FAILS

If all of the above suggestions fail, you could always take the adolescent route by throwing a temper tantrum. This may seem pointless and juvenile at first but it can be a very effective tool. First, start out very calm when asking your parents for money to spend at Best Buy. When the obvious answer of no comes, follow the next few steps. First, fall to the floor in a dramatic fashion. Next, open the flood gates and let the tears flow like a river. While on the floor and crying, spin around in a circle, preferably clock-wise. Repeat, spinning counter-clock wise. Warning! Don’t go over board with this process. If you go too far, this could actually result in pissing your parents off to the point that they take what little bit of technology that you do own now away from you. Trust me, this result is no fun. I speak from experience.

Five Ways to Earn $100