Saving during Black Friday/Cyber Monday

I just posted this on my main blog, but I figured this would actually be a more appropriate place to post. So here it goes... Since Today is Black Friday, I figured I'd make a post about how I go about saving money and getting really great deals during this time of year.

First of all, I don't go stand in line for hours on Black Friday. Of course, if you're into that type of thing, just check out any stores website to see what deals they will be having and to double check their policies for said deals. BUT! If you're like me and do most of your shopping online, hopefully these tips will help:

1. Get cash back for all of your online purchases!

If you're going to shop online at all you should try to use a third party website that will track your purchases and give you cash back for them. It sounds a bit taunting at first, but just reassure yourself - these 3rd party sites are are only tracking your purchases to collect data and improve your shopping experience in the long run. 

• My favorite site to use to get cash back is Ebates. This is a double-wammy because you not only get cash back for your purchases, but you can also access hundreds of coupon codes for discounts, free shipping, and even free samples. I wrote a post about this one back in August. I just can't stop:

• You can also get cash back through "GPT" sites like InboxDollars. You can earn money a lot of other ways on this website also, but one option is through shopping online.

• Also, check your personal banking website to see if they offer a similar service. I know that Bank of America offers cash back for certain online purchases through their BankAmeriDeals program. 

2. Comparison shop!
The process of finding the best deal doesn't have to be strenuous. I always check at least 3 top retailers for the product that I want before deciding. If you don't want to go to each individual site, you can check out a site like bizrate that will comparison shop for you. Just search for the item you want and bizrate will search for the best deal. You can also find product reviews on this site.

3. Use a "deals database" site
My final (and perhaps most useful) tip for Black Friday and Cyber Monday savings is to find a website that does all the footwork for you. During this stressful time of year, take shortcuts when you can. There are plenty of websites that search the internet high and low for excellent deals and compile them all in one place.

• My favorite site to use during this time of year is Raining Hot Coupons! The site is full of fresh posts about deals going on everywhere online and in stores... and it's constantly updated. This amazing site is run by a sweet girl named Sarah. She gives away hundreds of amazon gift cards each year on Thanksgiving weekend. It is so fun to try and find the hidden code before anyone else.
  

• Another great site for this is Hip2save! Once again, you can find deals from all over in one place on this website. Let Collin and her team do all the work finding all the deals and hidden gems, but still reap the benefits!

Alright, So those are my 3 top tips for saving during Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Let me know in the comments if you've scored any really awesome deals this season.

*Spoe*

Making Money Online

If you find yourself saying "I hardly make enough money to cover my bills, let alone to set some aside for savings", it may be time to be a bit more proactive. This post is full of different ideas to make some extra cash on the side. I hope you find it helpful.

Finding ways to make money on the internet can be somewhat overwhelming with the amount of scams and schemes out there these days. Rest-assured, there are still plenty of legitimate ways to make money online. As with any money-making venture, on or offline, you reap what you sew. The amount of money you can make is dependent on the amount of time and effort you want to put toward each endeavor.

 1. Sell Items Online: Keep an open mind when it comes to selling items online. You could start with selling unwanted items from around the house like clothes, antiques, video games, or your old books. Nothing around the house? - Find cheap items at thrift stores and garage sales to resell online. If you have a hobby like crocheting or making soaps, consider selling your crafts. Opportunities are endless. Check out these sites to get your started:
www.ebay.com
www.amazon.com
www.craigslist.com
www.etsy.com
www.cash4books.net


 2. Sell a Service – If you don't have a product to sell, try selling a service instead! People are constantly seeking help in specialty areas or looking to outsource work that you may be able to do. Everyone is good at something! So, find your niche and use it to help others all while getting paid! Here are some sites you can use to sell your services:
www.fiver.com
www.freelance.com
www.elance.com

3. Start a Blog - This method probably won't be as financially lucrative until you have invested quite a bit of time and effort. Keep in mind, not every blog makes money, but every blog has the potential to. If you are the type of person who has strong opinions or if you just like to express yourself, you should consider creating a blog. If you are consistent, post about one of your passions, and take time to create a connection with your readers, blogging could eventually be very rewarding. The two most popular blogging platforms:
www.blogger.com
www.wordpress.com

4. Start a YouTube channel – Like blogging creating youtube videos does not guarantee a stream of income, but could potentially become your full time job with the right formula. With a YouTube channel, you can focus on one or many topics of your choosing. If you are knowledgeable and passionate about a particular subject it will show in your videos and others will be automatically drawn to you. Once you start racking up views and if your videos meet certain guidelines on YouTube, you may become a “partner”. This will allow you to earn money from views. Ads on your videos can earn you cash too through Google AdSense. There is also the chance you may become an affiliate of many different companies and earn money that way as well.
www.youtube.com

 5. Take online surveys - Companies need feedback to improve their product or service in order to better serve customers and, in theory, increase revenue. Not only can you earn money for taking surveys, you often get a sneak peek of new products and even movie previews before they are released to the public. In some cases you may receive free products or samples to provide feedback on. I suggest signing up for multiple survey sites so you have a better chance of qualifying for more surveys and earning more money.
www.opinionoutpost.com
www.epollsurvey.com
www.surveysavvy.com 
www.springboardamerica.com

6. "Get paid to" sites - Websites that offer compensation for completing certain tasks are usually referred to as "Get Paid To" websites. The type of tasks you complete vary depending on the website. Tasks can consist of doing web searches, providing feedback, writing song reviews, taking surveys, and much more. The list is endless. Here are some of my favorite GPT sites:
www.inboxdollars.com - Get paid to read emails, take surveys, print coupons, search and more!
www.ebates.com - Earn cash back on your online purchases.
www.cashcrate.com - Complete offers to earn money.
www.clickworker.com - Complete tasks to earn money.
www.slicethepie.com - Get paid to review music!

I hope this information is helpful and not overwhelming. If you have any questions about any of these sites, ask me and I will try to help. If there are any other legitimate websites I missed that you really enjoy, please leave them in the comments.

*Spoe*