Over the past month I have been rummaging all over the web for alternative sources of income and several other money making opportunities. To say that times have been "tough" these past few months is an understatement, and slowly I have been feeling the pinch of the economic depression. The company that I am working with is in the automotive business and had been very much affected by the auto industry meltdown in the U.S. So far, I am still secure about my own position in the company but others have not been as lucky and it may just be a matter of time before my luck runs out as well. Since December, we've already had 30% of our workforce cut down, forced leaves have been implemented, and the zero overtime policy has been strictly enforced. All these measures were taken in order to ensure that the company stays afloat and remain competitive.

So here I was trying to find anything that could make me some fast money. I figured that since I have a pc and an internet access which I have been using exclusively for e-mails and stuff, why not put it to much better use and try to make some money out of it.

Rude Awakening

When I first dipped into online businesses, I thought it would be easy money. I tried to get into each money making system in the hopes of getting some quick cash into my accounts, and probably also buoyed by all the promotional hype of these systems. Alas, I was wrong. I was so naive to think that I could instantly earn some cold cash right after registering for these systems. I have tried survey systems, data entry systems, and affiliate marketing systems. None of which has brought a single dollar to my account. After the smoke has cleared, I have spent around $200 with these online systems. This was definitely not what I envisioned my internet moneymaking endeavor to be like. I am actually spending instead of trying to earn some money!

Money Is'nt Everything

Dejected at my unfortunate fate, I was ready to give up on the internet and go back to the more traditional ways of getting extra income. Just then I browsed upon article writing and how you could earn something from it. Now, if there is something I can do and do fairly well, it is writing. This is not to say that I am an expert writer, but it is something that I actually loved to do even since I was still in school. Reading and writing were two of the things that I loved to do back then. I just did'nt get to pursue these hobbies more often these days due to the changes in my priorities from being a youngster to an adult and a family man.

And so I decided to rekindle my old hobby and start writing. I started out with Ezinearticles.com and Goarticles.com, and now I have signed up with HubPages. I am still very new to all of these sites and have not yet made anything from my initial articles. But then again, it really does not matter to me anymore if I earn something from writing or not. This is because writing is what I love to do! It may sound so cliche, but if you are doing something that you love doing, you really don't expect to get paid or rewarded for doing it. The comments, especially the good ones, that I receive from my articles are enough motivation for me to pursue with this endeavor and further hone this craft of mine. I am going to read and write in my spare time, and if I earn from this, it will be a welcome bonus.