PFS Buyer Club is an organization that helps source in-demand items from their army of buyers. I’m one of those buyers. There’s no membership fee or anything to join the club, you just get in. If you want an invite, email me and I can get you one. And from time to time, PFS Buyer Club will email you an offer. I usually get the ones where there’s a limited release coin from the U.S. Mint. Here’s what the process was like when I did it last time: Table of ContentsWhat An Offer Looks LikeU.S. Mint Site Can Get WonkyPFS Communication Was GreatGetting PaidWhat Are The Risks? What An Offer Looks Like In the first offer I did, it was for a 2025 Laser Engraved American Eagle One Ounce Silver Proof Coin that was going to be on sale for $105 plus $5.95 shipping. The offer from PFS Buyer Club was that they would pay you a $30.05 commission for you to buy it and ship that coin to them in the original sealed box from the U.S. Mint. With these U.S. Mint releases, they set a time and then randomize everyone who is queued up ahead of the release time. If you get there before noon, you get a random place in line. If you get in after, you get put at the end. PFS recommends you sign in at 11:35 to 11:40AM for a noon release. PFS provides all kinds of instructions to make this as easy as possible, even identifying potential bottlenecks. Here’s what that waiting queue looks like: The return? $30.05 on a $110.95 spend is a quick 27% return just to slap a label on something and drop it in a FedEx box. You agree to a few conditions on the deal: You must place the order by 1PM (it’s a noon release) If they go on backorder, purchase anyway because you still might get it. Once you get the order filled, copy the number USMXXXXXX and enter it in your PFS account with your shipping zip code. The terms of the deal are that you fill this out by 7PM ET. You will get a FedEx shipping label, just put it on the box that you receive (without opening it) and ship it out within two days of receipt. Once the package arrives at their location in New York, they pay you. Normally, you can get paid via PayPal but they’re running issues at the moment with Mass Payments. So, for now, payouts are done by eCheck, which is emailed to you in “up to 7 business days.” You can print it out and deposit to your account as you would a normal check. U.S. Mint Site Can Get Wonky On my second coin deal, which was in early October 2025, I purchased a 2025-S American Eagle One Ounce Silver Proof Coin (aka Navy Eagle) and received all the expected email confirmations. The order was confirmed, it was

Looking for easy small business ideas a child can start? Here’s the story of a great kid business idea started by the Splash Brothers. What do kids do when they want to get electric bikes but they have no way to pay for them? Well, they either don’t get the bikes…or they figure out a way to earn enough cash to buy them (as long as their parents approve, of course). That’s exactly what Hunter […]

Trying to find the perfect gifts for your preteen boy? Check out these Christmas gifts for boys 8-10. What are some awesome Christmas gifts for boys 8-10? I’ve got a 9-year-old boy, and I have to say I just loveeeee this age. He’s branching out into very particular interests, he loves anything hands-on and involved, and he’s started caring about what is considered “cool”. It makes buying gifts SO fun. I’ve got loads of ideas […]

High gas prices are tough to swallow. As you fill your gas tank, you see your bill increasing at warp speed. Add into the mix rising gas prices, and the pain only increases. The good news is you don’t have to settle paying a lot for gas. There are many things you can do to save money on gas. For example, you can change your driving habits or use apps to cut down on costs. […]

In a piece for The New York Times last week, Tara Siegel Bernard reported a story of ACATS transfer fraud from a Vanguard IRA. If you aren’t familiar with ACATS fraud, the short summary is that a thief: Learns of a brokerage account you have somewhere (including account number). Fraudulently opens a new brokerage account somewhere else, in your name, with your information. At that second firm, the thief starts an ACATS transfer to have […]

Here is my 2025 3rd Quarter portfolio update that includes all our combined 401k/403b/IRAs and taxable brokerage accounts but excludes our house and small side portfolio of self-directed investments. Following the concept of skin in the game, the following is not a recommendation, but a sharing of our actual, imperfect DIY portfolio. “Never ask anyone for their opinion, forecast, or recommendation. Just ask them what they have in their portfolio.” – Nassim Taleb How I […]

My, oh, my, if it isn’t a new month. That means it’s time to report on what I read last month. In September, I read five books to my daughter: Listen to My Trumpet! Put Me in the Zoo Sleep Tight, Disgusting Blob Spring Stinks What If Everybody Thought That? I didn’t read any books to my son. That said, I did read the first two books from the Dragon Masters series by Tracey West […]

Life is great and not so great. With 42 around the corner, I feel pretty proud of where my family is financially at the moment, albeit that the success is mostly luck and it certainly isn’t financial freedom yet. I have three children, and kids aren’t cheap, and life in the Bay Area is ridiculously expensive. And I just got let go from my job. Yes, another one. What happened? Heck if I know. I […]