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Saturday, September 7, 2013

Make Money with Amazon Mechanical Turk

I recently got into working with Amazon Mechanical Turk to make some money on the side while at college. I actually joined towards the end of spring this year, but since my information wasn't confirmed right away (I believe I forgot to provide my SSN when setting up payments to go into my bank account) I slowly crept away from it. 

Thankfully I kept seeing others post about MTurk online and the easy money they were making, so at the beginning of August I contacted them and asked what I needed to do to get my account up and running with the correct information. It was settled within two days and I was making money. 

Basically companies and people put tasks called "HITS" on MTurk with a price amount you'll be paid to do the HIT for and an allotted timeframe you need to complete them in. The more HITS you do with a good approval rating, the more HITS there are that will open up for you to do.

The best part about MTurk is that YOU choose how much you earn. If you don't feel that a HIT paying 10 cents for 3 minutes of work is worth your time, you don't have to do it. You can use the search function to separate HITS out by time, price, and many other options. I usually set my search function to look for HITS paying at least 30 cents, and then I find ones that will take around 3 minutes to do. If it's a slow weekend, however, I'll lower my standards just so I can get more HITS in and more money if I have the time to do so. 

You don't have to be too dedicated to the site if you're just in it for a little extra cash (which you can have sent to your bank or have it automatically deposited in your amazon gift card account). As you can see below some days I earn less than a dollar, but that's because I only did a few HITS and they probably weren't worth a lot. I do what I can when I have time. On other days, I can earn a lot more when I put more effort into it. 8 HITS earned me almost $6. Sometimes the requester will even give you bonus money or a chance to win bonus money. Check it out and see what you can earn!


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Instant Win Games and Sweepstakes Update

I just added a Sweepstakes tab at the top of the page and updated the Instant Win Game Tab. I'll add more as time permits and decent sweeps and IWG come to be, so check them out and make sure you enter for your chance to win. I'll try to update at least once a week from now on, work permitting.

What's the biggest or most expensive thing you've ever won? (Mine would be a $199 Kindle Fire HD in a Visa Instant Win Game)

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Yes to Grapefruit Facial Towelettes Review after Target Deal

So after a brief walk through of Target this afternoon when my only intent was to pick up some more popchips, I happened across the facial care aisle. Turns out there was a gift card deal going on -- buy two Yes To... products and get a $5 gift card. I saw that the cheapest products you could get were the facial towelettes at $5.99 a piece (so with the gift card deal it was like I was getting one of them for only 99 cents). I picked up two of the grapefruit variety, however they also have cucumber, blueberry, and probably a few others I can't remember. If you want to give any of these a try I recommend you get a $2 coupon to go with this deal by heading over to the Yes to Carrots facebook page and printing it off to get even more savings.

As I said, I purchased the Yes To Grapefruit Brightening Facial Towelettes which comes with 25 towelettes. They are facial cleansing wipes that claim to cleanse, exfoliate, and leave skin feeling soft and bright. It's 98% natural and the towelettes have slight texture to help exfoliate. 

The packaging is excellent. I must admit, the pink appeals to my feminine side. However, I quite love the lid that easily locks back in place to keep the towelettes moist and fresh when not in use. The towelettes have a grapefruit sent to them which is nice and not in any way overpowering. They left my face feeling fresh and with a bit of a tingle. I cannot attest to brightening my skin or making it softer because I only used them once so far. Even if they did or didn't do that I wouldn't mind since I only care about something easy to use to clean my face with if I'm tired at night or in the morning and don't want to waste time using a face wash. The price is about a dollar higher than what I normally spend on face cleansing towelettes, but I'm sure coupons would help out in that area.


Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Amazon Affiliates Drops Minnesota Residents

So if you're like me (you live in Minnesota and are a part of the Amazon Affiliates program) you probably received the same email this morning. Because Minnesota is implementing a law regarding online sites charging customers taxes, Amazon has decided to close any accounts owned by Minnesota residents.

I know this will be quite a disappointment to any bloggers or website owners in Minnesota who depend on advertisement revenue for their income. Fortunately, I had only just started participating in this program and I only do it for extra cash.

Just remember- there are other sites out there who will be glad to have you advertise for them. This includes Google Adsense, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Sears and many more. Many large companies have affiliate programs that you can participate in. Don't limit yourself to one site in case they too will only disappoint you. There are many ways to make money online through advertising or other forms of participation. Get out there and don't give up. 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Be Informed During Bad Weather



  As we enter the bad-weather months, a weather radio is a convenient way to stay informed on what's happening in your area. The Midland WR300 weather radio is now listed on Amazon with it's price cut almost in half. Weather radios make great gifts as well.

  The weather radio will sound an alarm for watches and warnings, however you can adjust it to only go off for potentially lethal weather (think tornado warnings and flash floods). It's especially great to use at night when you're asleep and possibly unaware that anything is headed your way, giving you time to prepare or get to a safe place.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Still Available: Anastasia on Blu Ray for $4.99



Like most children I adored animated films. I must admit, I never saw Anastasia until my late teens though. I still fell in love with it and purchased it (at a much higher cost than Amazon is currently having it on sale for.) So if you want to please your inner child or just any children you might have, pick up your copy.

Cake Batter Chapstick Review

I happened across Cake Batter Chapstick in the store I work at and I decided to buy it, after all - it was only 98 cents. Now that I've bought it and tried it, I just KNEW that I had to give a review on it even if it's the shortest product review ever written.



Overall I really like the Chapstick brand. It's decently priced and it always seems to get the job done. The smell/flavor/whatever you would call it, for this one is what "takes the cake" so to speak. It is absolutely amazing. It smells just like vanilla cake batter and even has a nice hint of taste to it, were you to lick your lips sometime after applying. Using this chapstick reminded my of all the fun childhood times of licking the mixer beaters after my mom finished mixing up some cake mix. And at only 98 cents, I definitely plan to stock up on this variety. If you're a fan of that cake batter aroma, make sure you give it a try!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Earning Money Online: Tellwut Review

If you have a few minutes of free time each day, then Tellwut.com may just be the site for you!

I joined this survey site at the beginning of January, I believe. On this site you answer short surveys to receive points that you can cash in for gift cards. Most of the surveys are created by users like yourself (you can even create your own and earn points for doing so) and some are created by Tellwut or other businesses. Surveys range from 5 - 25 points depending on the length of the survey. (Any survey that has only one question is worth 5 points.) Around the holidays or during other promotions Tellwut will offer some 25 point surveys. The best part is - you'll never be disqualified from a survey! Refer your friends to get 25 points for anyone who joins.

They offer many different gift card options. Amazon.com, a favorite of many, is quite easy to obtain. Just earn 4,000 points for a $10 gift card. The first time you order a gift card it'll be sent through snail mail so they can verify your address, but after that you'll receive them through email. It'll take a bit of time for them to arrive so be patient. Other cards, such as Walmart cards, are physical cards that will always be sent through mail. I usually save my points until I have 10,000 which is enough for a $25 Walmart gift card. Many seem to earn enough for a $10 gift card every month. It really depends on how many people make surveys, so if you join be sure to come up with some interesting surveys to keep the site going!

Users do get to choose their own end dates for their surveys, so make sure you check the site often (perhaps twice a day) to make sure you get them all. Keep an eye on their Facebook page as well in case they're offering any promotions. Past promotions I've seen for example, have given away Downton Abbey dvds, gift cards, or just more points.

Check out Tellwut.com here!

Friday, January 11, 2013

Where to Earn Easy Money Online

    Every so often my opinions change on various money earning sites and, of course, I always find new and better ones. So here is my latest list at the beginning of 2013 of my current favorite places to earn money online.

     Opinion Outpost is a survey site. In exchange for taking surveys, you are given Opinion Points which you can use towards rewards. 1 Opinion Point is equivalent to 10 cents. Shorter surveys are generally worth 5 Opinion Points, while longer ones are usually worth anywhere from 10 to 30 Opinion Points, sometimes more. In my experience rewards immediately arrive. I only cash out with Amazon, and my code arrives in my email mere seconds after requesting it.
     Rewards Include: PayPal, Amazon, Restaurant.com, American Red Cross donation, or Alawar games. All rewards require a minimum amount of points before you can cash out.

     I only just came across this website and I'm already loving it. Tellwut is a survey site, however, I would consider it more of a "polling site". Users can join and take surveys or create their own to earn points. Surveys are usually 5 points for one question surveys, 10 points for multiple question surveys, and 25 points for business created surveys. Points quickly add up to rewards which, when redeemed, are shipped to your household address. You will probably earn over 1,000 points just on your first day when you catch up with all the surveys on the website. Check daily for new surveys.
     Rewards Include: Amazon (US and Canada), Walmart, Home Depot (US only), Best Buy (Canada Only), Cineplex, and Future Shop (Canada only).

     Swagbucks is a rewards site in which you gain "Swagbucks" through various activities such as: surveys, daily polls, games, watching videos, getting free codes from them, and by using their search engine on a daily basis which will allow you to randomly win swagbucks. You can then redeem these Swagbucks in their swagstore for gift cards or many other items.
      Rewards Include: Many gift cards at different value ranges and many various items.

     Jingit is a website that allows you to earn money by watching videos and commercials. The payout is decent and you can put it immediately on a debit card you can purchase from them. There are many times when the ads are lacking, but then again there are times when you can earn up to $15 a week.
     Rewards Include: Money, which you can transfer to a Jingit Debit card or you can use on musicme to purchase songs.

     Crowdtap is a website that allows you to earn points in exchange for rewards. You can earn points by answer polling questions that their partner companies have them post. You can also earn points by sharing various websites on social media and getting friends to check out those posts, by participating in actions, and by being a part of a sample share (where you get free products to test out and pass out to your friends/family).
     Rewards Include: Amazon, and other gift cards or money off offers. 

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

COVERGIRL blastflipstick Review

It's two lipsticks in one, allowing you to mix and match or just leave be for a wide variety of color options. Each flipstick contains two expertly matched shades; one is creamy while the other is a shimmery color. COVERGIRL has made a total of 13 of these matched shades, but your possibilities are seemingly endless. (Okay... so maybe it's a hundred or so, but endless sounds so much better.)

As a BzzAgent I received the pleasure of receiving three of these flipsticks for free. I received:

Stunner
Vixen

And Minx

Each flipstick is estimated to sell for around $8.49 in store (not bad for two colors) and can be found in major retailers (such as Walmart), most grocery stores and drug stores.

My thoughts:
First off, I did tend to use chapstick before applying because for me at least, the color starts to crack along with my lips after awhile. I always have terribly dry and chapped lips during the winter so maybe this is just entirely on me.
The colors ARE long lasting. It's okay for all day wear, but you may need to reapply when it fades a bit. If you're just wearing it for a night out, however, you should be good. 
I personally felt as thought only a few of the colors could I wear alone. Most of the time I ended up blending or highlighting because it just left me feeling like it was lacking some "pizzazz". The golden like end of Stunner was one of the main ones I was okay with wearing by itself, but not as a daytime color.
I feel as though the main way you'll end up pleased with the results is if you manage to find colors that work well for you. I, for example, can't really work a blended Vixen and I haven't even touched Minx yet because I know it's way too dark for me. 

If you're interested in trying it out, click here to check out the COVERGIRL website in order to see the 13 blastflipsticks you have to choose from.