I came to Mechanical Turk to indulge a hobby: I really wanted to buy a Nintendo 3DS, but with my bills and obligations, I just could not set aside the money to do it. I had heard about MTurk, even tried it out once before, but I never really got into it until last year. Something clicked when I decided that I wanted my 3DS. I did my research, learned some tips and tricks of the trade. I started seeking out requesters who were known to be good, used my resourcefulness to find different and quick HITs, and generally just started to enjoy it. I ended up getting my 3DS within two weeks, and I’ve been Turking since. While I had my job, it assisted me in paying off some extra bills, being able to buy Christmas and birthday presents for friends and family, and in general giving me some flexibility with my limited money. MTurk has actually been a great help to me through some life changes and transitions. I left my full-time job to move back home attend to some family matters, so mTurk is my sole income right now. It’s enough that I am able to take care of basic stuff, pay off my bills, and keep current on payments, while also having the freedom to re-evaluate my life, take care of an ailing parent, and do what I need to do. The money I earn on MTurk and the freedom it gives me is a great thing, and I’m so lucky to have found it.