Now that you have discovered this magical platform known as Steemit, as a new user you may be wondering,"How do I turn this so-called 'Steem' or these so-called 'Steem Dollars' into something useful?"
Well, I'm glad I asked!
Converting Steem into tangible items can be done a few ways.
First off, you will have to sign up for a digital currency exchange.
It is free.
There are many options out there, but some of the more established exchanges are preferred by the community.
I will list a couple just so that one is not highlighted over others.
Poloniex, Bittrex, or Livecoin
poloniex.com
https://bittrex.com/
https://www.livecoin.net/
What you will do is find a Steem/Bitcoin market. This means that you are trading Steem for Bitcoin.
This is not the end, but it is a necessary step.
What you will need to understand is that the value of Steem is in constant flux. Depending on the time of day, you could be selling at the low or high point in the token's value. For example, when you wake up, Steem may be worth $1.00 on the market. By the time you go to sleep, the token could be worth $.90 or it could be worth $1.10. Value is not definite. The same thing actually happens with your national currency (no matter your country ;) )
You can find the averaged value of Steem across the markets at the link below
http://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/steem/
Now, once you have turned your Steem into bitcoin, there are a couple things you can do from there:
you can go to coinbase and sell the bitcoin for your local currency to go into your bank account.
coinbase.com
This is what many people who prefer paper dollars choose to do. If you want your "local currency" this is going to be your best option for turning your BTC into your local currency. Coinbase is not the only way to turn BTC into "dollars", but it is one of the most reputable exchanges.
This is not your only option! You can use gyft.com to turn Bitcoin into gift cards at pretty much every major outlet in capitalist countries. This can be a great option, because you build up points for using their platform. These points accumulate to be able to be used to purchase more gift cards. This way you can get your groceries and get rewarded.
All of these platforms are free. Never pay someone to exchange tokens.