8 Unethical Ways to Get Ahead

These hacks are uniformly unethical. Some veer into fraud. They should be regarded as informational and for entertainment purposes rather than as actual suggestions. You shouldn't do them. If you do do them, you are a bad person.

OS Software Licenses

  • Lots of government bodies/agencies buy computers with the OS pre-bundled and pre-installed (Windows Vista, 7, 8) which they then overwrite with XP because that's what the IT department wants. If you see a relatively new computer running XP, check the side of it for the license sticker. More likely than not it will be a perfectly valid windows 7/8 pro license key not being used and never going to be used. I've picked up over 50 this way. Anytime I need to upgrade a friend's PC, I use one. No point in them going to waste.
  • Cars/Big Purchases

    (You have to read this part in it's entirety or it'll sound stupid)

  • Say you have a Mercedes, you start a blog that discusses all things Mercedes, manage to generate a little bit of revenue through advertising and said revenue flows into a homebased business which is then allowed to write off "business expenses" which can mean the purchase, modification, maintenance of, and trips with the Mercedes. Seen the same done for most every amatuer sport you can imagine from golf to soccer to triathlon, running, swimming, biking, you name it.

    A business doesn't have to be profitable to write off the expenses associated with it, you just have to operate it with the intent to turn a profit, whether that actually occurs or not is actually secondary. I know a married couple who started a "food blog" basically so they can write off their entire grocery bill.

  • For The Broke WSO College Kid

  • Knew an old friend from high school who worked at the recycling center for his college. About a thousand books get thrown away each semester because the school won't buy them back. Amazon definitely buys them though. He gets about a $1000 bonus every semester."
  • Free Magazine Subscriptions

  • This one should be kept a secret but whatever. Next time you're at your dentist or any place that has a layout of various magazines, take a picture of the barcode, address, and name. When you get home that's all the information you'll need log into the online version of the magazine. Either that or set it up on your iPad and enjoy free versions of magazines forever.
  • Cellphone Plans

    • If you want to cancel your cellphone contract without paying a fee, pull up the provider's service map. Find a huge hole in the map, like a desert out west. Look for a town name in that map. Tell them you're moving to Putzachateeawaka, Arizona and you want to cancel because they don't provide service there. Boom.
    • 3 times now. 3 times

      Cable Bills

    • "I've been canceling and switching the name on my cable bill now for 10 years between myself and my wife so I always get the new customers rate."
    • If You're The Boss

    • It's surprisingly easy to take advantage of people's fear and insecurity with the "fear then relief" technique. Basically, you make someone think they're in serious danger of losing their livelihood, or anything else likely to provoke fear. Then you relent, and ask for something less. They're much, much more likely to comply.

      For example, if your a manager make an employee think that their job's in danger, leaving them to stew for a few hours or a day, then relenting and letting them know they're safe. That's when you ask for them to work overtime.

    • Special Event

    • I learned that you can get into almost any special event by wearing a chef coat. Even just carrying one and walking like you know where you're going will work every time. Most people don't want to look stupid by asking you who you are.
    • via Business Insider

      Anyone Else Have Savvy Shortcuts to Share?

     

    Awesome post man. I'm not gonna lie, I'll probably be using these (as I'm sure everyone else will). Haha

    It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English -- up to fifty words used in correct context -- no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese.
     
    Best Response

    Nice! Google mapping the nearest restaurant supply store now!!!

    When I was in the military, we used to use the cell phone trick all the time. You would just say you were getting orders overseas and needed to cancel. Most of the time, they would offer to put your account on delay while you were gone with no questions asked and after a few years it just gets cancelled out of their system. This is how a bunch of people got out of their Verizon/TMoble contracts in order to switch to AT&T when the iPhone came out. Many of them probably used it again a few years later when Verizon finally got the iPhone.

    On the grocery bill thing, it's a bit risky. I am not a tax lawyer, but I think for that to be 100% legal you could only deduct the food purchased for what you actually blogged about. I could see the IRS getting wise to this if you were deducting $6000-8000 in grocery bills annually for your blog. However, if anyone wants to get together and start a 'Wine and Spirits Appreciation' blog, I'm definitely game......

     

    Toilet paper hustle:

    Any time you go to public restroom bring a backpack together and get a few rolls of paper to bring back home.

    "The HBS guys have MAD SWAGGER. They frequently wear their class jackets to boston bars, strutting and acting like they own the joint. They just ooze success, confidence, swagger, basically attributes of alpha males."
     
    BradyisnotMVP:

    Toilet paper hustle:

    Any time you go to public restroom bring a backpack together and get a few rolls of paper to bring back home.

    and if it's one of those boxes with a plastic "lock," don't worry. Keep fiddling around with that thing, you can get it open.

    Stuff like this is why I do not miss college ...

     

    Hence the "via Business Insider" tag at the bottom.

    "If you have enough assets plus passive income to cover your personal lifestyle expenses for the rest of your life, and that money allows you to work at something you love, without concern for the amount of compensation, then you are wealthy."
     
    I learned that you can get into almost any special event by wearing a chef coat. Even just carrying one and walking like you know where you're going will work every time. Most people don't want to look stupid by asking you who you are.

    Hats off to anyone actually doing this

    I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
     

    As for starting a blog, thats a good idea for food expenses. As the poster above stated, you would have to write about the foods you buy. You would need to setup an LLC and such in this case as well. I would take this one step further and do this for electronics, it would save a boatload.

    Hmm, is it possible you could make this work for rent? Maybe be able to review your apartment features and amenties over the course of the year.

    Array
     
    TeddyTheBear:

    Hmm, is it possible you could make this work for rent? Maybe be able to review your apartment features and amenties over the course of the year.

    That's actually a good question...anyone?

    I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
     

    Guess it matters on who in the IRS eventually handles you.

    "If you have enough assets plus passive income to cover your personal lifestyle expenses for the rest of your life, and that money allows you to work at something you love, without concern for the amount of compensation, then you are wealthy."
     
    TeddyTheBear:

    As for starting a blog, thats a good idea for food expenses. As the poster above stated, you would have to write about the foods you buy. You would need to setup an LLC and such in this case as well.

    Don't think you'd necessarily have to go through the hassle of setting up an LLC, just keep accurate records of income/expenses and be a sole proprietorship

    Looks like you need to put in at least some effort to try to make it look legit though unfortunately. Although I'm wondering if there's a threshold under which the IRS doesn't bother looking into these things...anyone? http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/13/pf/expert/tax-deduction.moneymag/index…

     
    1. Unfortunately, for the software, usually it's activated on your computer before the IT department gets it's hands on it and installs XP. This means that the license is used and you can't use it on your computer now.
    make it hard to spot the general by working like a soldier
     

    I once had a gym that when I tried to cancel because I was "moving" to east bumb fuck New Mexico they asked for a validated piece of mail.... bastards.

    I hope this is better than the last batch of shit you gave me. Produced more wood than Ron Jeremy. I don't want you to yell, "Reco!" anymore. Know what you should yell? "Timber!" Yeah, Mr. Fuckin' wood.
     

    The same happened to me. They actually asked not only for that, but also for a verified copy of a statement of my local municipality that I am moving. Wtf?

    I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
     

    Oh and the home expenses are the #1 reason for getting audited. You need a room which is 100% dedicated to your business. And you can only deduct the % of the square footage. And if there is anything not related to your business in there when they visit, it doesn't count. There are only college kids on this site.

     

    This forum is packed with current and prospect wealth, but we are discussing how to steal milk off of Starbucks and rolls of TP from restaurants? What the fuck?! Seriously. WHAT the fuck?!?

    I'll sleep when I'm rich... ..in addition to go back playing guitar and skateboard.
     

    ^ This.

    "If you have enough assets plus passive income to cover your personal lifestyle expenses for the rest of your life, and that money allows you to work at something you love, without concern for the amount of compensation, then you are wealthy."
     

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    Odio est adipisci nam unde voluptatem suscipit modi. Est eligendi ut ut impedit totam inventore est et. Laboriosam unde velit qui deleniti iste aut sint quia.

     

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