Friday, May 30, 2008

More Survey Companies

Here are a few more survey companies.

General Mills Advisory Panel: Only open to residents in the US. Once you earn 1,000 MAP points then you can either cash out for $10 paypal or an Amazon gc sent via email. I just joined a month ago and have gotten a little over 100 points so far.


Click Here to Sign up for General Mills Advisory Panel


VocalPoint: I get free samples, coupons, and a few other things from this site. I have heard of others getting nice gift packs or gift cards. I never have but I don't fill out the surveys faithfully either. So if anyone with more experience with this program want to comment on more details then that would be great! I have gotten some nice free stuff from this site.


Click Here to Sign up for VocalPoint


BuzzAgent: This is a great program. I need to be more active so I can move up in the ranks but I think this is a newer feature. The more active you are and if you do well on your reports then you get access to more campaigns. I have received a Sonicare toothbrush and many other great free items. You usually get a full size product and coupons but sometimes you get samples along with it to hand out to your friends, family, and/or co-workers. Then you tell them about the products and how great they are or aren't. I'm usually very satisfied with the products I receive. I love my Sonicare toothbrush and by far the best freebie I've ever received! It's a great program so click on the link below if interested.


Click Here to Sign up to Become a BuzzAgent!

Walgreen's Save $10/30 Coupon Friday Only!

Walgreen's has a $10/30 coupon good for Friday May 31st only. There is a great deal on a fan listed at $29.99 plus it has a $10 rebate then you use the $10 off coupon to pay $9.99 plus tax! I would add a small item like a candy bar or gum to just get the total over $30 since some cashiers are funny about the pre-tax total under $30 even if it is a penny. Some won't care but some will.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Who Doesn't Love a Freebie?

I love opening my mailbox daily and instead of seeing piles of bills, I get lots of free samples and coupons. It's like getting a little present in my mail. I know it seems a little silly but getting free samples is a good way for me to try new products without having to purchase it first, some samples come with coupons, and I use some of them when I travel. I also like to put the small tubes of lotion in my purse and some samples (mainly the ones that come in tubes or small jars) can last me a few months esp lotions. It's funny but I tend to use it sparingly compared to the huge bottles. I like the challenge of seeing how long I can make it last.

Another thing I like to do with some free samples is to keep them for gift bags. Every Christmas I get gift bags, baskets, and other ways to put many kinds of health and beauty products and fill them up. I make them decorative esp the the baskets but it's fun putting big bottles along with small bottles of lotions, body washes, and shaving creams along with razors. My nieces (teenagers) love the bags full of goodies. My sister-in-law also loves them esp body washes and bubble bath. I usually spend less than $5 and they are always amazed at how many items are in the gifts. I'll get into more detail with this on another post but I shop all year long and collect samples all year as well. I also donate samples along with full size products to my Church, local women's shelter or the troops overseas. I like to send a care package at least twice a year to the soldiers. I also send one just for the females. You can pack a lot of stuff in those flat rate boxes.

Now I will share some sites that I regularly visit to get my samples. If you know of any sites that aren't listed then please let me know in a comment. Thanks and I'm always looking for great sites.

Walmart

Big Big Forums

MyCoupons Just Freebies Shopping Board

Fat Wallet

Start Sampling (you must join as a member)

Monday, May 26, 2008

Friday was a Good Shopping Day

I love a great deal but I love freebies even more. I scour the sales papers each Sunday looking for good deals or ways for me to get the stuff we use anyway for free. Using coupons can stretch those savings more esp if you have store coupons and manufacturer coupons. CVS and Walgreens do allow both on a purchase. I LOVE CVS and it definitely pays to shop there if you have access to one or more. I also combine trips into one to save even more money but my Walgreens is across the intersection from CVS so it just makes sense to hit them both. I usually shop one day a week and do all the deals.

I printed out my $5/20 purchase coupon for Walgreens and bought the free after rebate items (toothbrush, kids mouthwash, and maxipads) and also bought the 3 boxes of TUFF kitchen trashbags that had the $4 rebate. So my total before coupon was $23.xx -$5 coupon for $18.xx and I'm getting back $15.97 in rebates! I spent $2.xx for all that stuff which was mainly sales tax.

Next I jumped over to CVS and bought the soft drinks on sale (yeah I know even cheaper if you don't buy them but it's a bad vice we have), 6 packs of the store brand toilet paper, and 2 toothbrushes. So total was about $45 with tax before my ECB's (extra care bucks) & coupons and it was $15.xx after all my rewards and coupons. Plus I got $4 in new ECB's so I was quite pleased. We have enough toilet paper stocked up for the rest of year. I also have lots of items stockpiled so we rarely ever run out of items. I get most of these items either FREE or almost FREE! I do take advantage of items that are completely free even if I don't need it then I donate those items either to my church or the local women's shelter. I can't always afford to give charities/organizations cash but I can afford to give them stuff I get free or almost free. They seem to prefer the items over the cash so it's a win/win for both of us. Anyway, I will try to post more about great deals I come across but all of these little things do add up to much bigger savings and allows us to help others. I feel like I'm saving us more money by not working since I have time to do all the shopping, search out the deals, and do the other programs to make money for the extras we enjoy.

Here Are Some Ways I Earn Extra Money!

So you won't get rich or even make thousands of dollars a day sitting at home not doing anything. What you will do is spend a few minutes on sites clicking, taking surveys, shopping (if you do anyway then why not get rewarded), and also doing offers. It's spending money for me plus I earn gc's that I give as presents which all helps my budget and stretch those dollars. I spend an hour a day basically on several different sites and I also take surveys which usually take a few minutes. It depends on how frequent I get surveys and if I get any higher dollar ones but I do average $40-50/month on just doing them. My goal is actually to start generating a small income from this blog. I'll update more about the blog links more as I start doing them. I have to get enough posts before I can start applying. I am going to list the sites that I do daily. If any of these sites interest you then please use my links to sign-up, and thanks in advance if you do use my links. The ones I need to send you an email so you can join then please contact me at bclause@hotmail.com asking for an invite to which sites you would like to join. Thanks again.

BigCrumbs- So it's not a Pay to Click site but you can advertise your ebay store and listings there for FREE! Plus if you sign-up as a Crumb Earner then you will get a % of all your referral's purchases plus whoever they sign up for up to 5 generations. You won't get back as much from your own purchases but it's still a great way to get back money from certain retailers. It's all listed on the site.


MyPoints- I have been using this site the longest. I signed up over 10 years ago and still love them. I get gift certificates for many stores and they also have paid emails to read, cash offers (sign up for a service), purchases thru certain retailers, surveys and more! They are very reputable and have a great turn around time on mailing the gc's. I usually get mine within a week or two. Unfortunately they make the referral process harder and the only way for me to do it is I need the email address you wish to use. I highly suggest using one you don't mind getting lots of email.

BoomerTowne- I just joined 2 weeks ago and already have over 6,000 points. You can cash out at 12,500 points for a $25 GC to Target or Best Buy or get more points for a Visa Card and other great prizes like a WII! It's very easy to earn points and if you max out daily which is 1,500 points then you could earn an average of $45,000 points! You could get 3 $25 Target or Best Buy GC's. I have been earning about 1,000 points a day (some days I slack or forget to log on) until I realized how easy it was to get the points. Now I make a point of logging on daily. You get points for requesting friends, accepting friends, chatting in chat rooms, discussion boards, rating jokes or tips, clicking on articles, and so so much more. Unfortunately it's another one that I can only send referrals thru email. So if interested then please send me an email to bclause@hotmail.com with your first name and the email you want to use to sign up. Sorry for the inconvienance.

Inbox Dollars- I just joined this month and I already have $20 in my account. They give you $5 just for joining and there are many ways to earn more dollars. There are cash offers (signing for services and such), shopping, games (you have to fund with actual money), surveys and reading emails. You only get 2 cents for each email but I have read over 60 emails this month already so it adds up very quickly. I did an offer but most of my points are coming from free sign-ups and surveys. You need $30 to cash out and they do take out $3 so you get a net $27 but once you get your first $30 then you become gold. That is completely free and you get more offers, higher points and some other perks. It's been very easy so far and I really enjoy it.


Sunshine Rewards- This one takes longer unless you do a lot of online shopping which I don't. There aren't many clicks on this one so it's taking me a lot longer. I'm going to look at this site harder and what is neat is that you can opt to get your payments in Disney Dollars! It is a good site and the forums are very helpful.


Those are the ones I do most often and daily. I did quite a few programs over the years but either they took too long to pay or the deals were too sparse. I am constantly adding new ones so I will add more to the blog as I do them. Below are the survey sites I faithfully get surveys for which is at least twice a month or more. It just depends.

Pinecone- This is a great site but you have to find a banner which isn't easy. I don't know where to find one either.

Your 2 Cents- I like this one as well. The payouts aren't great but it's a steady $1-5 and sometimes more depending. Just go to their site http://www.your2cents.com to join and it's very easy. Their payout is a bit slow and you can only cash out in increments of $5 or more. I have cashed out over $50 so far in less than a year. It does take 6-8 weeks to get a check.

BuzzBack- I have been with them for over 3 years. I get paid $3-5 a survey and sometimes more depending. They used to pay a little faster but I usually get a check within a month. I also get the most surveys with them. They also have cash prize drawings but I never win. I do like them and it's a good company.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Walgreen's Save $5/20 Coupon Friday Only!

Click on the link below to save $5 off a $20 purchase at Walgreen's good only for Friday May 23rd!

Monday, May 19, 2008

When It Rains It Pours.

This past week has been a very hectic one. I'm just glad it's over. Last Tuesday my hubby's battery died in his truck so we replaced it. No biggie. Then Thursday evening the A/C decides to stop working. It's getting hot here in the deep south. Luckily we have ceiling fans in pretty much every room in the house. The repair man comes over Friday and fixes it less than 5 minutes. It felt great having that cold air again. He isn't charging us for the repair. So that was wonderful news.

My hubby calls me at lunch saying his glasses snapped in half. So poor baby has them taped with electrical tape so it looks pretty bad and a little funny. His right lens had also popped out. Of course we don't have a back-up pair. Then our carpenter cancelled for the weekend so we have to wait yet another week to finish our porch remodel. I wasn't too upset b/c we really need to finish it painting which we did. Hubby got his eyes checked on Sat. and we ordered him 2 pairs from ZenniOptical.com and I paid $70 for 2 pairs of memory titanium frames. These frames are bendable and titanium is supposed to be the new great material that is lightweight and last longer than stainless steel. I'll give an update when we get them. It was just one thing after another this past week.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Love Crocs? Then Save $10 on a $50 Purchase!

That's right a $10 off coupon on your $50 or more purchase plus FREE SHIPPING & NO SALES TAX! That's a great deal and can be used on any shoe purchase but I used mine to get my crocs. If interested in getting the coupon then please use my link below. Then just click on the Shop Now button and it will be loaded into your cart.

Click Here for the Coupon!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

FaceDoctor Soap is Amazing!

I have been using this soap called FaceDoctor. This is the best soap I've ever used, and my face is so clear that I still can't believe it. I started using it over a month ago, and I no longer have blemishes or red blotches on my cheeks. I also had eczema along my jawline, but it no longer itches or bothers me. I have always had acne prone most of my life. I have tried pretty much everything including ProActiv. That worked for awhile but then stopped after a couple of months plus it was pretty expensive. My skin is so smooth and doesn't feel like an oil slick after a few hours anymore. I just wash in the morning and at night before bed. They also make a nice moisturizer with the same ingredient Seabuckthorn oil, which is the main ingredient, that helps clear up your skin. This soap is also great for people with Rosacea. I haven't tried the moisturizer yet so I will update when I do.

Not everyone will have the same results, but more people that I recommended it to are having the same great results I am. You also need to leave it on for 30 seconds before rinsing. I also use it on my arms or anywhere on my body I have red bumps, and it has cleared them all up quickly. I still do breakout but it clears up within a day or two instead of several days. The pimples are usually very small and not painful like in the past.

I found a seller on ebay that sells it, and also Amazon has a 2 pack deal with free shipping. The one I use has a lady on the front called Face Doctor RX Chinese Rejuvenating Soap 100g. The two pack on Amazon is selling for $23.41 so you will have to put in a cheapie item to get the Free Shipping of $25 or more. I don't get any kickbacks for this testimonial, but I just want to share how great it is. It might seem a little pricey at $10-12/bar but it will last 3-4 months. I only use it twice a day when I had a breakout so now I mainly use it at night before bedtime. I use Clinique Redness Solutions kit for my moisturizer and cleanser. You can also get a Free Sample on their website but s/h is $7US. You can view the site in the US, CAN, or UK so just click on your flag. I have the US Site below. If you do get a bar then please leave a comment on how it works for you.

http://www.face-doctor.net/

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The Little Things Aren't so Scary Anymore.....

Let me start off by saying that hubby & I used to be in financial straits. We slowly climbed out of that mess and am now Debt Free including the house! I don't share this to sound like a braggart, but I am very proud of what we have accomplished in the last few years. We are still relatively young, early 30's, so we are looking forward to really building our retirement fund.

Hubby stopped at a store on his way from work today and the truck just wouldn't start afterwards. So he called me to let me know and even tried jumping it but no luck. He just happened to be near an auto parts store. One of the guys looked at it and told him he needed a new battery. He gets a new battery installed, and it was $70 w/ tax. Not cheap but not as expensive as a new starter or alternator. We had the alternator rebuilt about 3 years ago so he got a little worried.

A few years ago that $70 would have been a big deal to us because we really lived paycheck to paycheck. It really hurts not to have anything in savings for these little emergencies, but it really hurts for the bigger $500-1,000+ ones. I have several books that I really enjoyed reading and my two favorites are The Complete Tightwad Gazette and Total Money Makeover. They have both helped us, and as I said in my title the little things aren't so scary once you have money saved up for them.

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Monday, May 12, 2008

A Little About Me

Hi and welcome to my blog about my ramblings. I'm a SAHM (stay-at-home mom) and I also sell Tupperware for extra money. I love the freedom and I am making a nice little extra income with very little time since most of my sales are online. I have had a few parties but all were catalog parties so very little work on my end. I also started this blog to share my thrifty tips, my remodeling projects, and the ways I make extra money from my computer. I also homeschool my son who just finished first grade. It was a very hard decision but I think it was the right one. I am not here to bash public or private schools, and I personally have nothing against them or teachers. I actually have several family members who are teachers and I have the utmost respect for teaching professionals. We do our schoolwork online using Odyessy Learning and we love it. It works for us for now and I also supplement with weekly trips to our public library and other activities.

I have been married to my best friend for 10 years as of the 1st of May. The time has really flown by, and I can't wait for the next 10. He is a wonderful husband and father. He really is my best friend and am so happy to have found him. Ok no more mushiness for now.

There is really so much I want to say in this blog and I just love sharing my tips and ideas with others as well as learning new ones. I was a powerseller on Ebay for almost 8 years but recently quit for so many reasons. Again I won't bash Ebay since I was able to make a nice living for a few years, but I am sad about some of the many changes under the new CEO. I still like to hang out in my groups and on some of the boards. I also am discovering some new sites to make some extra money and will critique the ones I use most often. I'm not getting rich off of them, but it's extra money and gift cards which helps to stretch my budget. I also use a few of them as gifts so I didn't spend any money but the recipient gets a nice gift. I have so much to share so I will try to post often. Thanks for stopping by.