Friday, November 16, 2007
A Word About Surveys
| By Lynn Forgy Since mid-September, I have been trying my hand at making extra money by completing surveys. I have 4 companies that I regularly do surveys with or read emails, and to date I have made the following: American Consumer Opinion - $6 (for 1 survey!). I got a check in the mail on Wednesday. I haven't qualified for a great number of the surveys, but $6 is better than what I had before. Sign up now! Inbox Dollars - $10.68 (you can make more if you buy items from their advertisers, but since I am trying to MAKE money and not spend it, I complete surveys and read the emails for cash). Click on the box below to sign up.  Hit$4Pay - $18.02 Sign up now! All you have to do is read the emails. Your 2 Cents - $14.00 ($10 of that was made with survey this week). Sign up now! Other companies that I've signed up with that do not offer cash incentives, but rather you can use the points you've earned to get items (such as bags, cameras, etc.) include: Global Opinion Panel, Lightspeed, and Mindfield. This is not a get rich quick scheme, but it might be a nice way to make a little extra money to put towards your debt, from the comfort of your own home. Labels: increase income, surveys |
Monday, November 05, 2007
Increasing Income
| By Lynn Forgy My earlier post today was mostly a vent - if you read it, thanks. I've been obsessing on Murphy all day, and rather than continuing to mope and whine, I need to take action. I've started a list of things (it's small now, and in the beginning stages, but I hope to add to it as time goes on) that I can do from home to make some extra money, working around my full time and part time jobs, family, and home.  1) Writing - this can include writing and submitting various articles to paying sites (blogs, etc.). Over the past several weeks, I've seen several sites that pay anywhere from $5 to $100 per article, on numerous topics. Another media outlet that warrants further research would be local newspapers. Selling an ebook, either online through your own site, ebay, etc., is an option as well. 2) Ebay - I keep coming back to this because I love the idea of being able to find anything and everything in one place. I have two books to list (similar books have sold for $20 and up - I paid $2), and I also bought a vintage Christmas decoration last weekend at a local thrift store that I would like to list. 3) Transcription - this could include data entry, any kind of typing, etc. My career as a legal assistant/paralegal has enabled me to do research (online, from home) for people. A good place to advertise for free is craigslist. Perhaps you can build your own website (there are many free websites that will do this for you, and will also host your site for free - the only catch is the advertising bar across the top). Sending emails to business owners in the field in which you want to work may also be a good way to get the word out about your new service. Referrals are very important as well. Be creative with the marketing! 4) Holidays - Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching. Many people will be shopping for presents or food, having their houses cleaned, and doing things to get ready for the holidays. Maybe you have a craft or some type of homemade item that you can sell - this is a great time to do it! 5) Hobby - Do you have a hobby that you can turn into cash? I love antiques, so finding an old treasure and selling it for a profit would be my way of turning a hobby into cash (although it's not always easy parting with an item). Maybe you love writing - try selling a story or article online. Something that you're passionate about, and by your enthusiasm can make others passionate about, is a great place to start. TO BE CONTINUED... Labels: ebay, hobby, holidays, homemade craft, increase income, writing |
Murphy's law
| By Lynn Forgy From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: “Murphy's law is an adage in Western culture that broadly states that things will go wrong in any given situation, if you give them a chance. "If there's more than one possible outcome of a job or task, and one of those outcomes will result in disaster or an undesirable consequence, then somebody will do it that way." It is most often cited as "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong" (or, alternately, "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way" or, "Anything that can go wrong, will," or even, "If anything can go wrong, it will, and usually at the most inopportune moment").” Does this sound familiar? When I was growing up, this was a way of life – and it usually happened in 3s, if not more often. For instance, one day you find out you need a root canal. Bam – there’s a minimum of $1,600. Two days later, your HVAC system conks out. Bam, Bam - $4,000. That evening, you run over a nail and need a new tire. Bam, Bam, Bam - $75. The kids need new shoes because their feet have grown three sizes since last winter, the electrical bill has gone up 10% over last year, the water company is charging more for usage, and the list goes on, and on, and on… How do you deal with the continual punches that you receive? Well, if you follow Dave Ramsey’s plan perhaps you would have the $1,000 Baby Emergency Fund to help with any unforeseeable expenses. Maybe you’re on Baby Step 3 and have the 3-6 months living expenses set aside, all your debt paid off (except for your house), and these are not major catastrophes for you. If so, congratulations! But what if you’re just starting out, or your income is not enough to allow you to progress that quickly through the Baby Steps? If you’ve cut expenses to the bare bones and still aren’t progressing, then increasing your income might be where you need to focus. For me, the obstacle affecting my ability to increase my income is time. I have a full-time job, a part-time job, a house and a family to care for. Finding time to do anything else is somewhat difficult, but the other choice is to continue down the path of debt. Labels: baby steps, increase income, Murphy's law |
