Bitcoin for Dummies: The Ultimate Guide for a True Beginner [Part 2 of 3]

How Do I Obtain Bitcoin?

Bitcoins can be obtained in a variety of ways. I will get into detail about three of them. At the end I will provide links to help give you more ideas.

Specialized Exchanges

An exchange is the easiest way to get your hands on bitcoin. There are many to choose from and each one has different perks for their clients. Depending on where you are located, you can attach your bank account and deposit your local currency into the account to swap them for bitcoin. Below are two links to get you started in searching for an exchange.

https://www.bitcoin.com/buy-bitcoin
http://bitcoinexchangeguide.com/

Note: Once purchased, make sure to move your coins to a mobile wallet, hardware wallet, or paper wallet. There have been a handful of exchanges that have been hacked over the years with large amounts of money stolen. Unless you plan to trade them for other digital currencies there is no reason to keep them in an exchange.

Accepting Them for Goods or Services

If you are an owner of a business you can accept bitcoin for your products or services. There are many solutions for brick and mortar style businesses that you can find here. If your are interested in promoting your bitcoin accepting business, you can put a sign or sticker in the window and advertise yourself on CoinMap. Some big names that already accept them are: WordPress.com, Overstock.com, Namecheap, Reddit, Zynga, PayPal / Ebay, Tesla, OkCupid, 4Chan.org, Tigerdirect, CheapAir.com, Expedia.com, Zappos , and many popular franchises via the application Gyft.

Donations

People who write blogs or have a non-profit organization, can attach a bitcoin address and receive donations from generous individuals. A simple copy and paste of your address or embedding a QR Code on your website can easily open the door to a whole new audience.

Here are a couple links on other ways to obtain bitcoin:
13 Ways to Earn Bitcoin Online
http://cryptorials.io/how-to-earn-bitcoin-10-ways-101-websites/

How to Use a Bitcoin Wallet

Sending Bitcoin

We will go through the basic steps of how to send a payment to an address using the Mycelium wallet. Other wallets are fairly similar in design, so let's begin.

Step One: Open your Mycelium Wallet.

Step Two: Tap "Send".

Step Three: Tap “Scan QR Code” and scan the recipients address.

Step Four: Tap the "Keyboard" under "Amount".

Step Five: Tap "BTC" to flip the value to your local currency.

Step Six: Enter your amount and tap "OK".

Step Seven: Choose your "Miner Fee". It is set to "Normal" by default, but I recommend using "Priority" so that the money gets to the recipient immediately. It costs a little more, but it is best if your sending a large amount or want expedited service.

Step Eight: Tap "Send" and that is all there is to it! Congrats!!! You now know how to send a bitcoin payment!

Receiving Bitcoin

Pretty easy right? Receiving is even easier, let's begin.

Step One: Tap “Receive”.

Step Two: Tap the "QR Code" twice to increase the brightness.

Step Three (optional): Tap the “Keyboard” to set an amount.

Step Four: Wait a few moments to receive your bitcoin.

Where Can I Spend Them?

Now that you have some bitcoin in your mobile wallet, you'll probably want to go experience your first transaction someplace. A good website to find this information would be at CoinMap. Their goal is to show the locations of businesses in the area that accept it for payment. Unfortunately, for some people the limitations can be discouraging because not every store accepts it. Thankfully, there are bridges that solve this issue; an ingenious tool known as bitcoin debit cards. These cards allow you to convert your bitcoin savings into the necessary fiat currency automatically. The pleasure of being able to use your bitcoin anywhere makes it a "must have" product, especially when the merchant doesn't know what bitcoin is.

[In the next section I will talk about why I think bitcoin is important and attach all links mentioned in this series with some important extras.]

Picture from: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/10/business/will-bitcoin-replace-paypal/
Screenshots from my Android