Thursday, February 28, 2013

Featured Blog of the Month

This is a fairly new blog, so I know that this one doesn't have too many followers, but I hope to have some soon. The followers I have here, have come over from some of my other blogs and I thank you for that. I started this blog over here instead of on WordPress where my others are because WordPress didn't want me to have put up any affiliate links. I'm sorry WordPress, but Blogger lets me. I'm not put up anything major, just a few links for legitimate sites that I am making money at. If these sites pay me for referrals, then I will gladly take the money.

There are other people and websites out there that are trying to do the same thing as me, get the information out there so people can survive in this day and age. Once a month, on the 1st of each month I will post a featured blog, that I feel is doing a good job. The first one will be tomorrow.

Be sure to check out my other blogs;
The Great Spam Project - A blog all about Spam (the email type, not the edible)
Ghost of a Writer - My Personal Blog
Killer Teacup - My Online Portfolio





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Friday, February 22, 2013

Make Money - MTurk.com



Mturk, or AmazonMechanical Turk, is a piecework site associated with Amazon.com. People post random things that they need done and they offer payment. Some of the jobs listed up there are ridiculous as they are offering you a few pennies for an hour of work. However there are decent paying jobs on there.

There are frequently surveys or tests put up by colleges or students for various studies, some of them are social studies some are psych studies. Most are pretty interesting and pay you $1 to $5, some offer bonuses. There are others that might start low, but if you read they are looking for people they can pick up more permanently and once they like your work they will offer you more money.

Sometimes the tasks are even simpler than that, someone may offer some money for coke rewards, or pampers points. The key is that you have to read the descriptions and if you don't feel it is worth the money, then don't take it. Each job you return drops your rating.

Screen Shot of Available work


Payment is deposited in your Amazon account, which you can spend on Amazon, or withdraw to your bank when you have at least $1.

The Great Spam Project - A blog all about Spam (the email type, not the edible)
Ghost of a Writer - My Personal Blog
Killer Teacup - My Online Portfolio

 
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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Repurpose Those Old Juice Pouches

Re-use Those Old Juice Pouches


I had seen bags and purses on various websites, but it never occurred to me that they were actually made form the old juice pouches. I thought it was just some fancy fabric or a promotion that the juice companies had done. I think this is awesome.

Reposted from Thriftyfun

This lunch bag is easy to make and durable. It makes great use of Kool-Jammer or Capri Sun pouches.Finished CapriSun lunch bag

Supplies:

  • 14 Capri Sun or Kool-aid Jammer juice pouches
  • X-acto knife
  • Sticky End Velcro
  • Sewing machine and thread
  • Scissors

Preparation:

After the juice has been drank use an x-acto knife to slit the bottom of the juice pouch.
Clean the inside of each pouch with hot soapy water and let dry.

The Front and Back:

Take four juice pouches and sew them together 2 by 2.Juice Pouch Lunch Bag
Do the same with four more juice pouches, having two sets of four. These are the front and back of the bag.

The Sides:

Sew two juice pouches together, one above the other, two tall one wide.
Do the same to two more juice pouches, have two sets of two. These are the sides of the bag

The Bottom:

For the bottom of the bag you will need to determine how long it will need to be by taking two juice pouches and laying them next to shorter side of the set of four juice pouches. Instead of having one juice pouch full size and having a small part of another showing for the bottom I layed them on top of each other and sewed down the middle of them both to make it the appropriate length. Then I cut off the extra bit, leaving approximately and 1/2", then sewed that end down flat.

Putting It All Together:

The next step is to sew the bottom to one of the sets of four.
Once you have done that sew the other set of four to the other side.Juice Pouch Lunch Bag
Next sew one of the sets of two to the bottom, then the other.
Now sew all the ends together, the front to the sides and the back to the sides.Juice Pouch Lunch BagJuice Pouch Lunch BagJuice Pouch Lunch Bag

Finishing:

Add a piece of velcro to the top inside of the bag.
Fold over the top of the bag approximately an inch and a half, then place another piece of velcro under the fold.Juice Pouch Lunch Bag
Now your lunch bag is complete, everyone will be impressed by your creative recycling


Friday, February 15, 2013

Money Saving Tip #5

Knowledge is Power

Get to know your favorite stores. Learn which days and at what times they typically do markdowns. It is also importatnt to know where those markdowns are located so you can save the most money.

Some of the standard markdowns for most retail outlets are damaged merchandise and returns of online purchases.

Online merchandise is frequently not available in the store so they don't have a place to put it and it's usually a one off item. They want to get rid of it to make room for something else so these items are frequently marked down to 50%.

Damaged merchandise can be as simple as a missing button. Damaged merchandise also included damaged packaging; there may be nothing wrong with the item itself, but the noone wants to pay full price to a badly beaten box or dented can.

Grocery Stores are my favorite to get discounts. Many will put out produce that is just barely over the ripe stage or packaged foods that are quickly approaching their expiration dates. I frequently get great deals on meat and vegetables. 

Discount meat is not bad! They can't legally sell you bad food. Frequently it's discolored because it was exposed to air, it was frozen and got defrosted, or it's right on the cusp of its best before date.  If you freeze it when you get home, it's still good. (well except possibly the defrosted stuff). If you have any doubts about the quality then use it in a stew. A crock pot is a fantastic way to use up questionable meats.

As for the vegetables; Check out my latest haul for under $4.



1 bag of 7 Green Peppers
1 bag of 7 Yellow Peppers
2 - 6 oz bags of Organic Snow Peas
2 - 5 oz bags of Organic Green Onions
1 bag of 7 Cling Peaches

Some of the peppers will be used for dinner tonight and I plan to slice and freeze about half of them, the rest will be used up within the week. The snow peas are for tomorrows dinner and the green onions will be used randomly in my cooking. I plan to slice and freeze the peaches for future use, if they survive tonight after my son gets home.

The Great Spam Project - A blog all about Spam (the email type, not the edible)
Ghost of a Writer - My Personal Blog
Killer Teacup - My Online Portfolio



Monday, February 11, 2013

Money Saving Tip #4

Insulate Your Outlets


Ever walk by a section of wall and feel a breeze? Odds are pretty good that you have cold air blowing up your electrical conduits. It can be really bad if you have outlets on an outside wall. Insulate behind your electrical and switch plates and you'll be amazed at the difference. It only takes a few minutes. You can pick up a pack of switch plate insulators for a few dollars at the hardware or even the dollar store.

They are easy to install, just remove the cover plate and place them in the hole behind it. It made a huge difference in my kitchen. To make it even more effective go outside and caulk around the the electrical box that is attached to the side of your house.








Be sure to check out my other blogs;
The Great Spam Project - A blog all about Spam (the email type, not the edible)
Ghost of a Writer - My Personal Blog
Killer Teacup - My Online Portfolio

Friday, February 8, 2013

Repurpose old Grocery Bags

Save those old grocery bags, especially around Christmas time because they are perfect to use as packing material or to wrap around lights and garland. Use the old bags as ties to help you keep the garland and lights organized and tangle-free.

Reuse Grocery Bags as ties to keep your garland and ornaments from getting tangled in storage.
Reuse Grocery Bags as ties to keep your garland and ornaments from getting tangled in storage.

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Plastic shopping bags are perfect packing material, because they can be formed around anything to create a protective layer and they won’t leave news ink like old newspapers.
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Monday, February 4, 2013

Make Money - Be a Web Site Tester

User Testing

I have been using this site on a regular basis now and I pick up anywhere from $10 - $50 extra dollars per week. I could probably pick up more if I checked in more frequently, I usually look at this site only once or twice a day. They pay you 7 days after each test is complete.

You follow a set of instructions and their screen recorder notes everything you do. You need to talk a lot while you do this as they also want to record your reactions. I suggest a good headset with mic, but you can do the voice recording over the phone.


If you want to pick up jobs, you need to look at it frequently and grab them before someone else does.

They have also recently started doing testing for iOS and Andoid Applications, so if you have a smartphone or a tablet, they could use you.

Qualifications:
-        Must be at least 18 years old
-        Must own a PC or Mac (with OS X 10.5 or higher)
-        Must have a broadband Internet connection (cable, DSL or satellite)

-        Have a PayPal account

Be sure to check out my other blogs;
The Great Spam Project - A blog all about Spam (the email type, not the edible)
Ghost of a Writer - My Personal Blog
Killer Teacup - My Online Portfolio






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Friday, February 1, 2013

Make Money - Become a Virtual Juror

As previously stated I will only post things on here that I KNOW are legitimate. Most of these opportunities I am making money at. However occasionally one comes along that I am not qualified for. In this case it is because I am not a US citizen, otherwise I would be all over it.

Homepreneurs posted a blog entry on a virtual job opportunity as a virtual juror. It may not pull in much money, but it does actually pull in something. He has received payment from them for his work.

Check out his blog entry here Make Money as a Virtual Juror


Be sure to check out my other blogs;
The Great Spam Project - A blog all about Spam (the email type, not the edible)
Ghost of a Writer - My Personal Blog
Killer Teacup - My Online Portfolio


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