TOPICS OF INTEREST
We are going to deviate a little from the traditional format to bring you a wealth of information in the highlights from a chat I hosted on Gather.com last night.
(Do you Gather? If not, email me at barbwebbauthor@yahoo.com and I’ll invite you! Gather is a fab community with a lot of conversation and fun benefits.)
I hope you enjoy and benefit from the following information:
SURVEYS: Some survey companies can be a waste of time for sure. Two of the higher paying ones are Survey Savvy
and Consumer Opinion
If you haven't joined them, I suggest you do. You'll find their surveys a bit easier, shorter, and they both pay out quickly. If you do well with Consumer Opinion too, they have some "elite" groups you may receive an invite too and you might be invited to participate in a focus group too, where the pay is much higher.
Another good one is Pinecone http://www2.pineconeresearch.com/faq.asp
- they have a quick payout (typically in the $3 to $5 range) for every survey and they are super easy, often fun, to complete. However, they only accept applications at variant times when they need more survey participants... so keep an eye out for invites if you aren't already a member.
FOCUS GROUPS: Speaking of focus groups, if you haven't checked into your local opportunities, you may be missing out on $75 to $150 a pop (usually 2 to 4 hours of your time,) or more if you qualify for any studies. You'll find a decent list of these on Volition http://www.volition.com/focusgroups.html
FREE STUFF: Free stuff is awesome and there are so many opportunities to find it on the web. Be sure to check my daily blogs at MOMdotCOM http://www.momdotcom.net/ and Living With Zero Debt http://www.livingwithzerodebt.blogspot.com/ where you'll find the best of what I find each day!
Other good websites to check are Fat Wallet http://fatwallet.com/ and My Coupons http://www.mycoupons.com/
GROCERY SHOPPING: A great place, if you don't visit there already, for finding out about loss leaders and what coupons to use where is Hot Coupons http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/ You'll find every grocery store and then some, with a wealth of info from all around the nation (and international too.)
MYSTERY SHOPPING: You said no to mystery shopping... is it just not suitable to your lifestyle or do you think you won't be able to complete the assignments?
I ask because it's one of my favorite ways to maximize my money making and saving opportunities. To get an idea, check http://livingwithzerodebt.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-i-made-money-on-my-last-shopping.html where you'll see how I made money on my last grocery outing.
I also love the free meals we get- can't beat 'em as eating out is something we don't do often. If you change your mind, you'll find a good list of mystery shopping companies here: http://momdotcom.blogspot.com/2007/01/lengthy-list-of-mystery-shopping.html
BOOKS: If you have any books sitting around, consider all these options to pocket a few dollars... Turn Your Old Books Into New Cash http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/118336/turn_your_old_books_into_new_cash.html
CALL CENTER WAHM: If you are interested in a stay-at-home job, consider working for a call center- they are generally order taking jobs and you can set your own hours. Pay ranges from $7-$10 per hour. With incentive programs, $11-$20, and upwards, may be possible. A part-time agent may earn $5,000 to $20,000 per year, while full time agents are reported to be in the $25,000 to $40,000 per year range.
More info here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/96111/work_at_home_job_facts_call_center.html
SAVING ON PRESCRIPTIONS: I'm not a guru on insurance benefits as each state has such variant plans and resources available, but I did do a piece on saving on Prescription costs if that's a concern for you: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/145805/eight_ways_to_save_on_prescription.htm
HEALTH STUDIES There are a ton of health studies out there on all types of conditions and illnesses... not the same as having insurance, but they do provide you with physicals and health care throughout the studies. Something you might want to check into?
I know a lot of freebie people who have participated in these for the money (they generally pay well for participation.) Anyway, just a thought. Here's some links in case you are interested: http://www.ppdi.com/study_volunteers/ and http://www.centerwatch.com/ You never know where you might find help :)
EBAY TIPS: Deal Finder http://dealfinder.ebay.com/dlf/home is kind of a cool site, but they don't have coupons, just helps you search for deals. Not finding any current offers or coupons for Ebay right now, but My Points has a points deal right now.
FRUGAL BIRTHDAY PARTY PLANNING: The Dollar Stretcher is one of my fav sites, if you ignore the ads, I found these articles for you there http://www.stretcher.com/stories/07/07jun18h.cfm and http://www.stretcher.com/stories/04/04jul26g.cfm
Also check out ideas on Frugal Moms including a lengthy list of frugal games http://www.frugalmom.net/party_games.htm
And two information highlights that aren’t as easily classified:
QUESTION: Is it better to sign up and use as many GPT sites as you can per day, or pick a small handful of well renowned ones, which are proven payers, and put all your efforts into those?
ANSWER: Yes, yes, YES! Pick the proven players and stick with them. It's not a bad idea to diversify your efforts by participating with multiple proven players, but avoid the ones that drain your time for little pay in return. It's sort of like, would you rather make 5 cents an hour or $5? The opportunities may be a little slimmer on some of the tried and trues as they have more people participating, but the pay off is well worth your patience and time.
QUESTION: Several Mystery Shopping websites want money to join them, should I pay?
ANSWER: If there is one point I can't stress enough for you and anyone who reads this... Never, ever, pay a company to be employed by them. No quality company will ever ask for an upfront fee- that's a HUGE red flag there.
I hope you enjoyed these highlights and hope you can use some of the tips and links!
If you are already a Gather member, you’ll find the entire chat on the Girls Night Out Group.
Hugs,
Barb
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