Happy New Year!

(Ok, I'm a little late.) 

There is this wonderful blog called Couponing To Disney.  The author teaches you how to save money by shopping wisely and how to put that money aside for a trip to Disney (or whatever else you want to save up for).  She also gives you some great tips on Disney World trips.  Two years ago in 2009, I decided to have a garage sale in the summer and I also kept track of all the money I saved from bargain shopping, etc.  Last year in 2010 I decided to try to double my efforts and we were able to go on a short Disney trip (mainly because of a large refund from the gas company).

This year in 2011 my goal is to save 2 and a 1/2 times the amount I saved that first year.  What I do is tally any extra money that comes in- rebate checks, gift cards earned, prescription reimbursements, gifts received (money or gift cards), anything won, any money made selling things (garage sale, etc.), and any other unexpected money that shows up.  I do not count regular paychecks or any store rewards credits such as Extra Bucks, catalinas, etc.  I have been doing Swagbucks for a little while and I have earned a few Amazon gift cards, but I'm not that into it.

So, let the games begin! (Oh and maybe we'll plan another little vacation if everything goes well.)

Happy New Year's Eve!

Farewell to another year- if I have time I will write a post about how I came up with $1000 in 6 months from July to December of this year. Hoping to make it $2000 next year! Happy New Year!

Pinecone Research

Would you like to get paid $1-$3 to take online surveys? Pinecone Research is adding new members
http://www.pineconeresearch.com/signup/ds552Referral1.asp
(yes it is legit)

Cash 4 Books

Need to do some spring cleaning and make some extra cash? My mom just made some extra pocket money at Cash4Books.net
If you go there right now to sign up and use my referral link, I will make $5- thanks!

I'm Back At Work!

It feels so strange- I am back at work! The first day was a little rough as my daughter had a meltdown on the way to school. But today was fine. It's kind of boring actually buy I am working for the 2010 U.S. Census. It is nice to talk to some other adults all day! Only problem is, I don't have much time to do any computer work.

Do you need a part time job?

The US Census Bureau is hiring for the 2010 Census starting now! Jobs range from $9 to $18 an hour. Go here for more details. First you need to take a US Census Bureau test. Call 1-866-861-2010 to find a testing location near you.

If you live in the Akron area, one of the testing sites is The Chapel in Akron and Green. Go here for more details. (Scroll down to Employment Opportunities on the left)

Google AdSense

If you blog, you should sign up for Google AdSense. They will put a couple ads on your site and you make a few bucks. Easy-Peasy.

Discover Card Cashback Bonus

Don't forget to cash in your Discover Card Cashback Bonus when your total reaches $40. I cashed in $40 of my bonus and got a $45 CVS gift card! Also if you go to the Discover Card website you can sign up for a 5% bonus on certain purchase categories. Oct-Dec 2008 was 5% on groceries & restaurants. Jan-Mar 2009 is 5% on travel. Apr-Jun is 5% on clothes & home. Jul-Sep is 5% on gasoline. You get 1% cashback on all other regular purchases.

Start the New Year with Upromise

You may have heard of Upromise. It is a free program- you sign up for an account linking your store loyalty cards like Giant Eagle and CVS- and you start accumulating earnings with qualified purchases.

From the Upromise website:
Welcome to Upromise. Where your everyday spending can pay you back with money for college. Upromise has thousands of partners nationwide, brought together under one convenient service for college. Every time you make an eligible purchase, our partners return a portion of that money back to you. Those earnings accumulate in your Upromise account until you decide to use it to invest in a 529 plan, help pay down eligible student loans or assist with college expenses—all tax-free!

A few more ways to raise some cash

Here's a few more ideas I had to raise a little cash for Christmas gift-giving.

Sell your used infant and children's clothes, gear, toys, and maternity clothes at a re-sale shop such as:
Once Upon a Child
Children's Orchard
The Growing Years
Plato's Closet

Bring your spare change to a Coinstar machine- no fee when you choose a gift card instead of cash.

Check out Caregivers Marketplace- a cash back program for anyone who gets, gives, or needs care. If you buy Huggies diapers or many other products- you can get a cash rebate back by mail.

Finally, consider donating your old clothes and household items to charity. Here are some guidelines from Goodwill for what you can claim on your taxes if you itemize.

Ways to make a little extra money

I have been doing online surveys this year- you won't get rich, but it's a very easy way to make some spending money. The two I use are reputable:

Your2Cents- I have earned $60 dollars so far with no trouble. You need to answer short surveys they email to you. I suggest using a "junk" email account like yahoo or gmail. You can also sign up to do surveys by cell phone. They send you a check in the mail each time you reach $10 in rewards. You earn between $1 and $5 per survey.

The other is Pinecone Research- it's a little trickier to sign up for as you have to find a referral site. I have not made as much money off Pinecone- but they do offer PayPal as a way to receive your money from them. They sometimes also offer products for you to try at home.

One site I absolutely DO NOT recommend is Phonehog. I will not even post a link to them. They offer free long distance minutes for filling out email offers- but they send you a TON of unsolicitated emails. I don't like them at all.

One last idea is selling used books, video games, CD's, and DVD's on Half.com which is an Ebay company. It's very easy to do- all you need is the product ISBN or UPC number. I like it better than Ebay because your item stays listed like a store until it sells. You can also put your account on vacation if you are going to be away. We have made several hundred dollars over the years with Half.com.