Darby Jones

Darby Jones is a financial guru with a passion for FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early). Read Darby's full bio here.

Vendor booth inside a boutique-style market with home decor, framed art, and lighting displays

Painted Tree Boutiques Closed: What Sellers Can Do Next

When Painted Tree Boutiques shut down operations, it left a lot of independent sellers scrambling. For many, those booth spaces were more than just retail; they were a steady income stream, a creative outlet, and a built-in customer base. Losing that kind of setup is frustrating, but it doesn’t mean your business is over. It […]

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Close-up of a slice of chocolate cake on a plate with cocoa powder dusted on top and a fork beside it on a blue surface.

The Story Behind The Poor Man’s Chocolate Cake Recipe

There’s something quietly powerful about a recipe like this. No eggs. No milk. No butter. Just pantry staples, a little ingenuity, and a whole lot of history baked in. This particular recipe card comes from Cook’s Corner / Cook’s Fosters–style vintage kitchen décor brands—the kind of small gift-shop or home goods lines you’d find tucked

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Colorful rack of women’s swimsuits organized by size inside a resale or liquidation boutique

How To Make Money With Swimwear

Swimwear is one of those low-key, high-potential reselling categories. It’s small, easy to store, and always in demand somewhere in the world. Even when it’s snowing locally, someone is booking a beach dream vacation and searching for the perfect suit. If you approach it strategically, swimwear can turn into a steady stream of flips with

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Three graduates in caps and gowns celebrating with a high five and holding diplomas

Inexpensive Gift Ideas For Graduates (That Still Feel Meaningful)

Graduation season has a way of sneaking up on your wallet. Between parties, cards, and celebrations, it’s easy to feel like every gift needs to be big to matter. The truth is, it doesn’t. The most memorable gifts are usually the ones that feel thoughtful, useful, or personal, not expensive. If you’re looking to celebrate

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Typewriter displaying the word “Smarketing” representing the blend of sales and marketing strategies for better business results

Smarketing: The Strategy That Blends Sales + Marketing

If your marketing is bringing in clicks but nothing is selling, something’s off. And if you’re constantly listing products or posting deals that don’t move, it’s not always the product… it’s the disconnect. That gap between attention and action is exactly where smarketing lives. Smarketing is simply the alignment of sales and marketing. Instead of

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Woman hosting a live selling stream on Palmstreet app showing plants and products while viewers comment and shop in real time

How To Make Money With Palmstreet

If you’ve ever watched a live sale and thought, “I could do that,” you’re probably right. Apps like Palmstreet are quietly turning everyday sellers into real side-hustle earners by blending social media, auctions, and resale into one fast-moving marketplace. And the best part? You don’t need a warehouse full of inventory to get started. What

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Laptop with US dollar bills tucked underneath on a pink background, representing making money online

Can You Still Make Money With Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing has been declared “dead” more times than a clearance rack at a going-out-of-business sale… and yet, here it is, still quietly printing money for people who understand how the game has changed. So, can you still make money with affiliate marketing in 2026? Short answer: yes.Long answer: yes, but not the lazy, copy-paste,

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