Deal me in

Sometimes saving money is as simple as finding a good deal. I recently stumbled upon a pretty cool site DODTracker.com. DODTracker tracks numerous "deal of the day" websites in real time as well as regular retailers who have special daily deals. What I really like about DODTracker is you can customize your experiance by sorting through, retailers, discount offered,how much time is left, or age.

Another one of the sites I will browse when looking for a good deal is Dealio.com. You can search for the deals they have listed directly on their site or use some of their FREE deal hunting tools. You're also able to compare prices and find online store coupons and view some of the best daily online deals.

If you want to keep it simple you can also check out Woot. Woot is a pretty simple concept. They offer one deal a day until it's sold out or the day has ended. Each new product is posted at 12am central standard time, 7 days a week.



Free money at FusionCash - No catch. Just cash.

Save Money - Homemade Cleaners

A great way to save extra money is by making your own household cleaners. If you have kids or a large family you've likely invested a small fortune into household cleaning products. An added benefit to making your own cleaners is you're being kind to the environment as all of the ingredients are safe and natural.

An added benefit to making your own cleaners is you're being kind to the environment as all of the ingredients are safe and natural. Some of the ingredients you'll use most often when making your own cleaners are baking soda, vinegar, borax, and club soda. Going green is a huge deal right now. Companies are making products they claim to be "green" and "earth friendly" but charging a fortune for them. Ounce for ounce homemade cleaning formulas will cost about 1/10th of the price of commercial products.

If you want to get started saving money and helping the environment by making your own household cleaners here are a few websites I have found to be helpful.

1. MakeYourOwnCleaners.com - offers free cleaner recipes and general cleaning tips.

2. EarthEasy.com - a list of easy to use natural alternatives for several cleaning products as well as recipes for homemade cleaners.

3. EcoCycle.org - a list of cleaner recipes as well as tips on how and where to use these products.

I hope you find these sites to be of help to you if you are interested in making your own cleaning products and being a little kinder to our environment. If you have your own recipes or tips feel free to post them.

Survey Strategy - Free survey database

Survey Strategy is a completely FREE online survey database. They provide you with the newest and highest paying survey offers from over 300 market research companies.

I love free databases such as Survey Strategy because they have already done the work for you. You don't have to spend hours searching for the best companies to take surveys with. A database is a handy tool for those just starting out with paid online survey opportunities.

To get started with Survey Strategy you will need to register for a FREE membership. After you've filled out their membership form you will then be directed to the demographics form. They use this information to match you with the best and highest paying survey offers. After the demographics form you will go through 3 more steps that consist of promotional offers. Only select these if you're interested. Finally, remember to check your email (if it's not in your inbox check your spam folder) to activate your free membership. Once your account is activated you will have full access to the hundreds of survey companies they have listed.


Survey Strategy - No risk. Lots of reward.

Vindale Research

Vindale Research is a GPT (get paid to) / survey/ product testing and evaluation site. Membership is FREE. Once you are a member you get compensated for evaluating different products and services. After signing up remember to fill out the member profile surveys so that you can be matched with the right earning opportunities.

The downside to this site is a lot of the offers require a credit card. I recommend using a pre-payed credit card when signing up for these offers just in case you forget to cancel the trial period. They do have some free offers that do not require a payment and those are the ones I choose to complete.
The upside to being a Vindale Research member is their referral program. They will pay you $5 for every person you refer. So if you can refer 2 people a week that's an extra $40 a month just for telling your friends and family to sign up.

Freebie Resources

Let's face it, everyone loves free stuff. But not everyone knows where to go online to aquire free things.
Here are my 7 favorite resources for finding free samples, magazines, music etc. Most of these sites offer a completely free newsletter which can be sent directly to your email. Signing up for the news letters is a good idea because that way you don't have to remember to visit each site daily. If you have a blog you can also consider using the links in the newsletters to offer your readers freebies they might enjoy.

1. FreeCycle.org - a great resource and a wonderful place to get you started on your trek to find free things. FreeCycle is an online network of over 4,000 groups and millions of members. Membership is free, just as all of the items listed in the groups are free. You are allowed to make requests for specific items you may need or want as well. It's also a great place to get rid of things you may no longer want.

2. WomenFreebies.com - Each month they have a contest for their news letter subscribers. This months prize is Bora Bora Perfume by Liz Claiborne. To participate just select the free news letters that interest you. I of course enjoy the "free stuff" news letter.



3. Volition.com's Stuff I Found Forum - A forum that is updated daily by members that post free things they have found online. Volition also has another great section to their forums called "Earning Opportunities". I love this site.

4. JustFreeStuff.com - A site that has a comprehensive list of freebies, contests and other "cool" stuff. Sign up for their newsletter and have a list sent to you daily that will include the newest online freebie finds. What's also cool is that once you sign up for their newsletter you are entered in a contest to win a $50 Amazon gift card.


5. FreeStuffTimes - A list of Freebies that is updated daily. Also offers a section on current online contests, coupons and rebates. I check this site daily.

6. 2000Freebies.com - Their site has tons of free offers. Sign up for their news letter and have the newest freebies sent directly to your email address.


7. FreeFlys - Offers FREE samples of brand name products as well as coupons with membership which is also free. This site has been featured on a couple of local TV news programs.

Trade in your old electronics for cash

Gazelle is a way for you to earn extra money off of the electronics you're no longer using. In other words you can turn your old MP3 players, laptops, cell phones or many other old gadgets into cold hard cash that is sent directly to your paypal account, or if you prefer a check, or even an Amazon gift certificate.





When selling your old electronics to Gazelle you will be asked a couple of questions to determine that value of the gadget you wish to sell. After you tell them about the condition, and any accessories that go along with the gadget they will make you an offer. You can of course accept or decline the offer.


If you decide to accept an offer Gazelle will send you a pre-paid box. You will then package the item in the box and drop it off at the post office. Once they receive your gadget it will be inspected to confirm it's in the condition you described. If something comes up during the inspection process, you will receive an email with the new value and the reason for any changes. You can either accept the offer or ask that they return the item to you. Once an offer has been accepted you can expect to be payed within 10 business days.





Get Cash For Your Gadgets at gazelle.com!

Ipsos Survey Panel

The Ipsos Survey Panel is a paying survey site that awards it's members with points and sweepstakes entry's for completing surveys. Points can be exchanged for gift cards from popular merchants or for merchandise available on their site. Each time you complete a survey you are invited to play the "Poll Predictor Game". Every time you play, you will win draw chances into great prizes like Laptops, Spa Retreats, HD TV's and more. Members are also entered in other i-Say contests and sweepstakes, the $5000 quarterly sweepstakes and the VIP Car Give-away. For each friend that you refer and then successfully signs up with Ipsos you'll earn another entry into the $5000 quarterly sweepstakes.

I really enjoy this survey panel. I've had the opportunity to test a few products with them. The only downside is I wish they would send me more surveys. But I suppose that would be a common complaint for all survey sites. After all more surveys = more money.

Mindfield Online Paid me

On June 11th I requested payment from Mindfield Online, I received payment on June 18th. Not bad. Some survey companies can take up to 6 weeks to send out a requested payment. The other thing that I like is that they have a paypal option. Most survey companies only send out check payments.




MindField Online is owned and operated by McMillion Research and has been in business for over 30 years. To become a member and start earning from surveys with Mindfield Online all you have to do is sign up and activate you account through an email they will send you. Once signed up be sure to complete the member questionaires, they are optional but help to target additional survey opportunities for you. Survey invitations will be sent to your email. So be sure to sign up with an email address you check frequently.

If you sign up and enjoy the site refer your friends and family. Mindfield Online currently pays $1 per referral.

Are you crafty?

Times are tough. So that means it's time to get creative. A lot of people love things that are handmade. So, why not consider selling your craft projects, art, handmade jewelry, or pottery for cash?

There are a lot of opportunities to sell your homemade goods online. Here are a few I found after a simple google search.

1. Etsy.com - Etsy is an online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade. Their primary mission is to allow people to make a living selling their handmade goods. They have buyers and sellers from all over the world. You open you're own customizable store

2. Ebay - An online auction site. They have a handmade category for artists to sell their goods.

3. ShopHandmade.com - A site that allows you to list and sell your products. You keep all of the profits and operate an independent store.

4. RenegadeHandMade.com - Allows you to put your handmade goods on consignment for a 50/50 split

You can also consider selling your goods offline. A good place to start would be at craft fairs and art festivals. Sell your homemade items to friends, relatives, and co-workers. If you're having a garage sale set up a table to display your work.Just be creative, creative in what you make and your approach to selling it.

Bzz Agent

Do you love free stuff? I do. If you're like me and you enjoy getting things that you would consider using every day for FREE then consider signing up with BZZAgent.

Perhaps you're wondering what a BzzAgent is? BzzAgent connects marketers with the right consumers to activate honest word of mouth.They're a word-of-mouth media network powered by 600,000 people. They pair consumers with products and supply digital tools that make widespread opinion-sharing easy.

Why I recommend you join BZZAgent.

1. Discover cool new products, brands and websites

2. They send you cool FREE products to try.

3. Earn MyPoints for completing surveys, spreading Bzz and other activities.



Anyway, it's a really cool site and one that I think you'll enjoy.

My most recent BZZ campaign is the Bic Soleil Bella razors. They sent me a free 3 pack of disposable razors and 10 coupons for $3 off. I gave away one of the razors and all of the coupons. Everyone that has tried the razors love them. They have a very comfortable design that makes it easy to get to those "hard to reach" places and the blades rinse very well. Prior to trying this razor I had been using another brand that had 4 blades and they never seemed to rinse completely clean. I have no problem with the Soleil Bella.

MyPoints and SurveyHead payment proofs

Eleven days ago I cashed in my MyPoints points for a $50 Wal-Mart gift card. The card arrived on Monday.

In case you don't know MyPoints is a reward program that gives you points for reading e-mails, shopping online, taking surveys, doing web searches and completing a variety of other activities. Once you have earned enough points, you can redeem them for a gift card. They have over 70 merchants to choose from.
To start earning with MyPoints all you have to do is open a FREE account. Verify that the email address you provided during sign up is correct by clicking on a link in your welcome email. Make sure you fill out the personality profiles not only will you earn points for doing this but it will also increase your chances of getting emails which are worth even more points.





I also wanted to mention that on Friday I received payment from SurveyHead. SurveyHead is an online site which pays you to take surveys. When you sign up you receive a $5 sign up bonus. Cash out is $25 through paypal or an online Amazon certificate, you choose.

Coupons 101

Do you use coupons? If you don't you're missing out on a huge money saving opportunity. Saving 50 cents here or a dollar there can really add up.

There are many great places to find coupons.

1. Your local Sunday newspapers are probably the best place. Something like 80% of coupons come from the Sunday paper.

2. Use the internet. There are tons of sites that offer free printable coupons.

If you have a MyPoints account take advantage of their coupon section. For every featured coupon you print you'll earn 10 points. In addition to that if you redeem any 10 coupons or more a month you will earn an additional 25 bonus points.

Sign up for a completely FREE account with CouponMom.com. Members enjoy free access to their weekly Grocery Deals Lists (36 grocery chains nationally) and Drugstore Deals lists (Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid). They do the work and find the deals for you, and all you need to do is check your list each week to save dramatically. You will automatically receive their weekly "Free Coupons and Deals" newsletter from the Coupon Mom.



Maximize your savings.

1. Shop at stores that allow you to double your coupons.

2. Shop the sales. A product on sale, plus a coupon equals bigger savings.

3. Organize your coupons and pay attention to the expiration date.

4. Trade coupons. Swap coupons with friends or relatives.

5. Coupon Cheif is taking coupons to the next level of savings. With coupon chief you get paid to upload your coupons and share the savings. First you sign up to be a part of their program. Next you upload your coupons.When someone uses one of your coupons to make their purchase at a participating website, the transaction will be reported to your account and you'll earn 2% of the sales.

Online Surveys - A great way to earn extra income.

Taking online surveys is a great way to earn extra money. On average a survey will be approximately 20 minutes long and pay anywhere from $1-$5.Remember that is just an average, payments for surveys can vary widely. Occasionally when you take an online survey other earning opportunities will be presented to you. Sometimes you will be asked to test a product. Not only will you score a cool new product to try but you'll also be compensated for completing a survey about the product. Another opportunity that sometimes presents itself is a chance to participate in an online focus group. Last week I participated in a 60 minute online focus group for Survey Savvy and earned $20. The week prior I participated in a 40 minute focus group for Survey Spot and was compensated $25.



To maximize your survey earnings, sign up with several survey sites to increase your chance of getting survey invitations. When invited to a survey respond to the invitation promptly, quotas are sometimes filled or met rather quickly. Keep your survey profiles up to date this is how your eligibility for surveys is partially determined.

Avoid Internet survey scams. Do not pay to join survey panels or to have access to a database of survey sites. Before joining any site check it out. I recommend Survey Police they have a comprehensive list of survey sites that have been reviewed by others.

If you're new to taking surveys online here are a couple of sites I am personally a member of.

Survey Savvy
Opinion Outpost
Survey Spot

Why it's important to know what's on your credit report and how it can save you money.

Most of us know that our credit scores are very important numbers but have you ever considered what your credit score could be costing you?Over half of all lenders use FICO (better known as your credit score) scores when considering a loan request. Your FICO score also helps determine what your interest rate and down payment will be when purchasing such things as a home or car. If your score is on the low side you can expect to have a higher interest rate on your loans and credit cards probably costing you thousands of dollars through out your lifetime.Along with costing you money a low credit score can prevent you from being hired by an employer, renting an apartment, or even cause you to pay more out in insurance premiums.

Are you wondering how your FICO score is calculated?

35% - Your Payment History
30% - Amounts You Owe
15% - Length of Your Credit History
10% - Types of Credit Used
10% - New Credit



If you have a low credit score here are some things you can do to raise it.

1. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com and request a copy of your credit report from the 3 major consumer reporting companies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. AnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized online source to obtain a FREE credit report, created by the three consumer credit reporting companies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You are entitled to a FREE report from each reporting company every 12 months.

2. Once you have a copy of your credit report dispute delinquent accounts. Write or call the collection agency and ask for written proof of the delinquency if no evidence can be provided they have to stop all collections attempts and delete that collections account from your credit report.

3. Limit the number of credit cards you have open and keep the balances low.

4. Pay your bills on time. A late payment can negatively impact your score by as much as 20 points.

5. Try to get current on past due accounts. Call the creditor and see if some payment arangements can be made.

6. Live within your means. Make a budget and stick to it.

7. When the option is available enroll for automatic bill pay. This will help prevent you from making late payments.


Taking control over the amount of debt you have today will save you money in the future.

Opinion OutPost is one of my favorite survey sites

Opinion Outpost is one of my favorite companies to take online paid surveys with. On average you will earn $2-$5 per survey completed and can expect to receive a few surveys a week. It's free to sign up (you should never pay a company to take surveys), just click on the Join button to get started. They will then have you fill in some basic information such as your name and address..you will need to fill this information in correctly so that you can receive your payments. Next they will have you complete a profile..be sure to fill this out. Your profile is what Opinion Outpost will use to match you with survey opportunities. That's all it takes. Check out my current earnings below



Here are a couple of tips for before and after you sign up -

1. Be sure to sign up (or create an email account just for taking surveys) with an email address that you check often..at least once a day. You don't want to have an opportunity to take a survey expire because you didn't check your email.

2. When responding to a survey take your time and answer honestly this will insure that you get invited to take more surveys. Lying or christmas treeing will only cheat you in the long run. Remember these companies want your honest opinions so that they can shape the products of today for tomorrow.

Survey Adventure - FREE online survey database

If you're new to taking paid surveys online I recommend that you check out Survey Adventure. Survey Adventure is a great resource for beginners because it offers you a huge COMPLETELY FREE database of online survey companies that pay. When first starting out a database such as this can be highly useful. It will save you the time of having to search out all of these sites on your own.


To get started with Survey Adventure here is what you have to do.
1. Register - it's a free membership
2. Fill out the demographics form
3. Select any promotional offers you may be interested in.
4. After that you will receive an email, you will need to make sure to click on the link inside of the email to activate your account. Once your account is activated you will have access to their database which contains over 450 paying survey companies. Sign up for as many as these companies as you'd like.

Scour - Get Paid to Search

If you're like me you search the internet pretty frequently. I search on average 5-10times a day depending on the information I am looking up. I've recently started to use Scour. Scour is a really cool search engine that compiles search results from top search engines..like google..yahoo and MSN. Scour also has a social aspect to it, you are able to vote and comment on the results after your search. The best part is..for doing any of those activities you earn points.. which you can later redeem for Visa giftcards!

You'll earn 1 point for every search, comment or vote you perform. You'll also be able to earn 25% of the points your referrals earn. It only takes 6,500 points to earn a $25 gift card definately not hard to reach if you search, vote, and comment on a regular basis and have your friends do the same with Scour.

InboxDollars paid me

As mentioned in a previous entry I was expecting a check from InBoxDollars. Well, last Wednesday I received it. The company name on the check wasn't InBoxDollars it was Cotterweb Enterprises, which apparently is the parent company of InBoxDollars as well as SendEarnings.

Now that I've received my first payment from InBoxDollars I am now what they call a Gold Member. Being a Gold Member provides you with extra benefits which I've listed below exactly as they are shown on the site





…with more referrals

Your longstanding commitment to InboxDollars® is appreciated and we would like to reward you even more for your online activity. Every time a new member joins InBoxDollars without being referred by an existing member, a current Gold Member is automatically credited for ‘referring’ the new member. Your Gold Membership guarantees you a portion of this pool of new non-referred members and all the benefits it includes.

…with double Sweepstakes entries

Your Gold Membership gives you an additional Sweepstakes entry for each entry you earn, which doubles your chances to win!

Sweepstakes are drawings that reward our members even more. You earn entries simply by participating in online activities such as trying Cash Offers, sharing your opinion in Cash Surveys, playing Cash Games, making purchases through Cash Shopping or referring friends. Check out the exciting prizes you can win on our Sweepstakes page!


…with weekly payments

To thank you for your loyalty to InBoxDollars, your payments will be processed weekly, rather than monthly.



Very cool, not only have I been paid and now know that I will be paid in the future but I also get extra earning opportunities just for being paid.

Next month I am expecting a check from the sister company SendEarnings. I fully expect to be paid but I will of course keep you updated.

Do your research

Before signing up for a program on the internet to earn extra money or income I recommend doing some research on it first. Whether you are about to sign up for a PTR like Hits4Pay or DealsNCash a PTC like ClixSense or a survey site such as Survey Savvy I recommend googling the sites..you will easily find blogs or forums where people are discussing the sites and the success they have had at them. Usually, when researching a site I look for several posts that have positive comments and mention members actually being paid by the company. Research is important you don't want to waste your time on a site with a bad reputation..especially one with a bad rep for not paying its members.

Below I will post some links to a couple of sites I use to research the survey sites I am a member of. I will also include a blog or two that I enjoy reading that has tips on making money online

MySurvey123 great site that lists different survey sites..includes reviews of the sites as well as forums.

Survey Police another awesome sites..helps you identify survey site scams as well as those that are legitimate..I also suggest reading the forums on this site.

Paid Opps blog I read this blog every day. Tori (the lady that writes this blog) lists tons of ways you can make money from the comfort of your home with no fees..as well as having some money saving tips..also a great blog for people wanting to learn how to make money from blogging in general or even freelance writing.