tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125754366981667222024-03-12T17:49:56.181-07:00Make Money, Save MoneyLearn how to make and save money with my personal findings and save time by coming here first. Work at home opportunities, Couponing, and general information on everything between.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812575436698166722.post-59762789497117046232010-07-27T21:25:00.000-07:002010-07-27T21:25:08.147-07:00Work at Home - The Grand Scheme of Things<div style="color: purple;"><i>So the news with freelance work is that there is virtually a hundred sites for every type of work out there. From website design to graphic design, SEO consulting to article outsourcing. So how do you know who is legitimate and who is not. Well, if you're like me, you go and try them yourself in a trial-and-error type process. I'm a writer, so I will write one article and then see if I get paid. Most legitimate companies will ask you to fill out a W-9, but you should know what that means - you're working off a 1099 for the year and you need to save money out of your checks to for taxes. Aside from this, there are three things you need to look for: credibility, payment schedule and rate, and word of mouth referrals or testimonies.</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i>It's difficult to discern is a company has a good reputation or not, but the easiest way is to look for the name of the company followed by the words "scam" in order to get a good idea of whether or not that company pays and has a reputable staff or not. It's one thing to sign up for a "bid" site (which I <b>hate</b>), it's quite another to sign up for a regular site that pays (in my case) per article, but has a horrible staff and never pays on time. So far, I have been lucky to only run into <b>one</b> site that doesn't pay - Review Stream. I wrote one review for them, it was published and then I never heard from them again. Aside from this, they don't ask for any information regarding how you would like to be paid and they definitely don't ask for your Paypal e-mail, which is a dead give away after you sign up for a site (unless they pay by paper check, which they will normally state outright). Other sites to look out for are ones that never really tell you what you will be doing or even what they sell. Finally, unless you're looking into getting into Avon, Mark, or Mary Kay, you should <b>never</b> have to pay a company to hire <b>you</b>. Period.</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i>Companies that provide you with a W-9 or the link to a W-9 are asking you for tax information so that they can file for their business expenses at the end of the quarter or year. While this might make a company look like they are just after your social to steal your identity, if you've done your Google research as outlined in the previous paragraph, then you should all ready know if a company is reputable or not. Newer companies might be harder to find information on and sometimes it's best to just let other people figure out the good and bad before you dive in head first - especially if you're worried about identity theft. Filling out a W-9 signifies that you are an independent contractor, which means you will be dishing out taxes at the end of the year - so just be aware of that and don't say I didn't warn you. Most companies require this form filled out in its entirety and returned before they will begin issuing payments. </i></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><i>Aside from that, getting paid through online and work at home companies has actually been more beneficial for me than working a normal job where you get paid biweekly or twice a month. I have three outlets I use and I get paid every Sunday, on the 6th and the 21st, and as soon as I complete 20,000 words (around every 7 - 10 days, <b>not</b> business days). This means that however little I make, I am still getting paid on a weekly basis and I make anywhere from a minimum of $200 a week to upwards of $500 or $600 a week, depending on what I can crank out and what I can find available. Aside from this, You Data pays me my savings trickle every Friday.</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i>Finally, word of mouth and personal referrals or experiences ties in with what was first explained above about a company's credibility. Being able to search for reviews or information about a site from other people's personal experiences can really help you out and help you to understand what kind of site you're getting into. Keep in mind that people and opinions vary greatly and only you can make the decision to dive in or opt out. The only links I provide on this site are ones that I have made money from myself <b>or</b> sites that I know pay. I don't work with sites where you bid in order to catch a job (usually) because the market there is so competitive, plus there is always a deadline and I'm not interested in those. Finally, bidding markets are extremely tough because if you're a professional at what you do, someone is <b>always</b> there ready to bid the minimum - and it sucks, I won't lie.</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i>If you have questions about a site, a company, or a scheme you've come across recently, shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment. Work at home is a legitimate job, regardless of whether you're looking to be there full-time or want a little extra each month to pay a bill or just save for Christmas. While it's true that you won't get rich and you still have to work, let me back all of this up with one statement: <b>No one</b> makes something for nothing. </i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i>Unless you work through internet marketing, have an e-book, or rely purely on site traffic to get paid through click ads or other means, you will be doing something to set everything up. In fact, all of those scenarios require initial set-up and two of the three require a significant amount of money or time in investment.</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><i><span style="color: purple;">Look for subsequent posts on work at home outlets - I have several. I get no type of referral kick backs or anything for providing this information and, if anything, a new person signing up and working for these sites is taking money away from me. I do it because I know what it's like when you're in panic mode, have no job, and/or no one has the desire or need for your skills. It sucks. The end.</span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812575436698166722.post-17738383018044660602010-07-25T16:18:00.000-07:002010-07-25T18:16:55.226-07:00Early CVS Trip<i><span style="color: purple;">I</span></i><i><span style="color: purple;"> went to CVS on the first day of the new sale this week because I've been running into this problem where the things I want are sold out by Tuesday/Wednesday. I had heard that there was a 3-day sale again this week, but that is definitely </span><b style="color: purple;">not</b><span style="color: purple;"> the case around here. My daily goal between CVS, Walgreens, and Target is usually about $20 - $30. Today, I spent about $12 at CVS and didn't get much, but I walked away with $10 in ECBs in the end - so for those of you that like to subtract that from the total (I don't because you can't literally spend it on the transaction it comes from), that means I spent $2. Here is the breakdown:</span></i><br />
<div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: black;"><b>Bengay Pain Relief + Massage (Instead of Tylenol) - $5.99, $2.00 ECB</b></div><div style="color: purple;"><i> </i><span style="color: red;">-$2/1 Bengay Product (Coupon Exchange)</span></div><div style="color: #38761d;"> = $3.99 OOP, $2.00 ECB</div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black;"><b>U by Kotex 18ct - $4.99, $4.99 ECB</b></div><div style="color: purple;"> <span style="color: red;">- $1/1 </span><a href="http://www.ubykotex.com/get_coupons/overview" style="color: red;">U by Kotex Printable</a></div><div style="color: red;"> - $2 ECB from previous transaction</div><div style="color: purple;"> <span style="color: #38761d;">= $1.99 4.99 ECB</span></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black;"><b>Photo Book $7.99, $7.99 ECB</b></div><div style="color: red;"> - $4.99 ECB from previous transaction</div><div style="color: purple;"> <span style="color: #38761d;"> = $3.00 OOP, $8 ECB</span></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><b style="color: black;">Aveeno - Spend $20, get $10 ECBs </b></div><div style="color: black;"><b>(2) Aveeno Soothing Relief Moisture Cream $3.99</b></div><div style="color: purple;"><b style="color: black;"> Aveeno Positively Ageless Sunblock - $12.99 </b> </div><div style="color: purple;"> <span style="color: red;"> - (3) </span><a href="http://hotcouponworld.com/forums/coupon.php" style="color: red;">$2/1 Aveeno Positively Ageless Sunblock</a><span style="color: red;"> (Should have been $1 off, but the associate scanned my $2 coupon 3 times)</span></div><div style="color: red;"></div><div style="color: red;"></div><div style="color: red;"> - $8 ECB from previous transaction (should have been $7.99, but ended up being $8)</div><div style="color: red;"> - $4/20 Email sign up bonus from cvs.com/email</div><span style="color: purple;"> <span style="color: #38761d;">= $2.97 OOP, $10 ECB for next trip!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><i>This is also a scenario for beginners as I had no ECBs to begin with this time; I spent them all on my second CVS trip last week. However, not all of these coupons are printable and in fact, one of them came from a recent coupon exchange I had done - so you might not be able to find it at all right now. Good luck and feel free to share your experiences!</i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812575436698166722.post-26162518642641842782010-07-25T15:36:00.000-07:002010-07-25T15:36:28.368-07:00Make Money - You Data<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DB4_7OSY7F4/TEy8XZOtWDI/AAAAAAAAABg/uUbWJNTrhUo/s1600/MoneyPiggy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DB4_7OSY7F4/TEy8XZOtWDI/AAAAAAAAABg/uUbWJNTrhUo/s320/MoneyPiggy.jpg" /></a></div><div style="color: purple;"><i>Here is a make money post that will cost you virtually no investment of time. <a href="http://www.youdata.com/join/morales_lesliea">You Data</a> is a service that provides advertisers with traffic through their "employees" (you). You Data is another one of those "Click this ad, make money" sites, but it's so much more different. Often times with ad-clicking you find yourself having to participate in surveys - or worse - purchase a membership to access data.</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><a href="http://www.youdata.com/join/morales_lesliea">You Data</a> is for people 13 years old and up - you heard me. 13 year old kids can make money off this site as long as there is a Paypal account to stuff it in. While <a href="http://www.youdata.com/join/morales_lesliea">You Data</a> is literally only a few cents per ad you can make anywhere from $2 - $6 a week. Okay, so the income isn't blowing your mind, but here is another aspect to think of: you can have two accounts per household (one per Paypal account). What does that mean? Double the income. Again, I know it doesn't sound like much but it is generally invasive "work" - I don't even let the ads load and half the time they lead to a broken link and I <b>still </b>get paid for it. </i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i>Like clockwork, <a href="http://www.youdata.com/join/morales_lesliea">You Data</a> dumps your weekly earnings into your account every Friday without question or hesitation. I have just let it sit in my account and accumulate - you can choose to go the higher route and deposit your earnings into a high interest savings account and just not touch it. Any way you decide to go, you should definitely sign up for an account with them as it's probably the easiest gig I have run into thus far - virtually no work. I know what you're thinking - "For virtually no money." If you think you wouldn't like a few extra bucks for cigarettes or your daily coffee - think about <a href="http://www.youdata.com/join/morales_lesliea">You Data</a>. </i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><i style="color: purple;">Create two accounts for your household and develop two Paypal accounts and just let your money sit until you need it. It's a nice bonus to see your money accumulate without question week after week. Just click the links on the article or on the left bar and go for it - there is nothing but money to gain here. And remember - I don't recommend anything I haven't tried AND I haven't gotten paid for!</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812575436698166722.post-23448238541582011582010-07-25T15:07:00.000-07:002010-07-25T15:07:41.392-07:00Find Work - at Home<div style="color: purple;"><i>My living and financial situation are explained <a href="http://mmsmbyellae.blogspot.com/2010/07/little-history-on-my-personal.html">here</a> if you're interested. Now that you know a little more about me (if you haven't read it before) here is the deal - My current outcome in life wasn't what I had been expecting. I didn't expect to have kids, not be married, and not have a career at 27. In fact, I expected to have a house, a great car, and a great job and be married with no kids and living it up. Life throws funny curve balls at you sometimes and you just have to learn to deal with them. I believe in the saying that you're never given more than you can handle. I expected to be thin and gorgeous forever, but I'm constantly reminded of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4znJTziDg4">the gravity sketch</a> in the movie "The Sweetest Thing." So you find yourself in a compromising situation, an unexpected outcome, or facing an uncertain future and you have to deal with it.</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i>I had a job I adored, but we still had to move to a place that was 30 miles from the nearest Wal-Mart, Target, or shopping mall - so I had to learn to deal with it. No one in the area was interested in my expertise as a Retail Manager and if they were, once they found out I was only 27, they tossed me over for some one who was older (I'm not kidding either). So I find myself here: no job, my fiance is on unemployment, and with only one talent which I've had almost my entire life: writing. I spent an entire night on the internet - not the whole night, maybe just about 8 hours total - in order to find money making resources. </i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i>Freelancing is a great source of income - if you have the talent that someone is looking for. Start-up businesses, however, are a risky business unless you know there is a demand out there for your goods or services. While the general consensus is saying now is a great time (better than "normal" even) to start a business, I would advise against it if it is your first time. My fiance and I own a General Contracting business that is very difficult to maintain. Home based businesses are also a bad idea if you don't have any time to dedicate to them.</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i>That being said, you can also understand it when I say that if you just don't have the time, don't begin undertaking freelance work at home either. While some companies will allow you to work at your own pace. many more will have deadlines like any "real world" job that you should adhere to. There are several freelance resources for writing, editing, and graphic and web design. Also, SEO is a hot commodity in which you can start your own consulting business, but being organized is a big requirement if you want to make your clients a guarantee.</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><i><span style="color: purple;">Aside from this, there are many different outlets for making money at home, but there is one thing you should always remember: There is no "set it and forget it" money making scheme. You can't get money for doing nothing - even setting up Ad Sense requires a little time and effort. Now that that's clear, you should also keep in mind that you shouldn't be paying anyone, <b>any</b>thing for <b>anything</b>. Seriously. Unless you are looking at Avon, Mark, or other reputable companies with legitimate testimonies, you shouldn't be paying outrageous amounts (or even small, recurring amounts) for any kind of "start up kit" or "ebook" that promises you riches beyond your wildest dreams. Finding legitimate work at home is a trial-and-error type process which is why I won't post any links or reference any sites that I have not gotten paid for myself. Check subsequent posts for places to go in order to make money working at home online or consult the bar to your left for work at home resources. Approach with caution and you will be fine. Good luck and be sure to check out future posts for more information - this isn't just another site about coupons, you know!</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;">-Ellae </span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812575436698166722.post-41926086034434588082010-07-23T22:27:00.000-07:002010-07-26T15:05:44.334-07:00Clean and... Bandaged?<div style="color: purple;"><i>Normally, I don't go for Target deals because (and even though I love Target), I don't ever seem to find great match ups. I honestly have better luck at CVS with rolling ECBs than anything else. It's sad because the people at Target (or the one where I am, anyway) are so nice and the lady I always see at CVS seems - annoyed by my presence for lack of a better phrase.</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><br />
</i></div><i style="color: purple;">Aside from that, I actually went to Target today to see what I could do about the free First Aid bag from Johnson and Johnson. There's been a lot of speculation about this ad and whether the bag was available or not, sold out or not, or just plain not happening in some stores. Well, imagine my pleasant surprise when I found that it was perfectly valid at the store I normally go to. In addition, it was prominently displayed on an end-cap with a sign stating, "buy any 3 items from this display, get a J&J First Aid Bag free," my items just had to add up to the price of the bag and I was golden.</i><br />
<br />
<i style="color: purple;">After shopping around - and yes, Target has a plethora of clearance right now - I wound up with several things in my basket. While I was there for practical matters - my 4 year old needed a lunch box for her first year of school and padding for her first official big girl bike - I actually found some decent deals and wound up paying less than $10 for everything pictured below (which does not include said pads or lunch box):</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DB4_7OSY7F4/TEp2lA0yYZI/AAAAAAAAAA0/H8ygYrg9LHw/s1600/Target+723+9D84C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DB4_7OSY7F4/TEp2lA0yYZI/AAAAAAAAAA0/H8ygYrg9LHw/s320/Target+723+9D84C.jpg" /></a></div><div style="color: purple;"><i>Please excuse the shady look of the picture, our Digital Camera is low on life. Anyhow, here is the break down:</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Gel - <span style="color: red;">$3.94</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets - <span style="color: red;">$3.99</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Clean & Clear Morning Burst Oxygen Cleanser - <span style="color: red;">$4.99</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Biore Steam-Activated Cleanser - <span style="color: red;">$6.49</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Johnson & Johnson First Aid Bag - <span style="color: #38761d;">FREE</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(2) Johnson & Johnson Hospital Grade Gauze - <span style="color: red;">$3.14</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Band-Aid Brand Mickey Mouse Adult Band-Aids - <span style="color: red;">$2.29</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>I used several coupons and the only one that wasn't printable was the Scrubbing Bubbles one, which I got from a swap a couple weeks ago. This scenario is very do-able for a first timer looking to spend no more than $10 (like our last scenario). Here is the final prices of everything before tax:</i></span></span></span><i><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;"></span></b></span></i></div><div style="color: purple;"><i><span style="color: black;"><b><br />
</b></span></i></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Gel - <span style="color: #38761d;">$2.94</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets - <span style="color: #38761d;">$.99</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Clean & Clear Morning Burst Oxygen Cleanser - <span style="color: red;"><span style="color: #38761d;">$1.99</span> </span></b><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: purple;">(</span></span><span style="color: purple;">Should have been $.99, but a coupon was skipped</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: purple;">)</span></span></i><b><span style="color: red;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Biore Steam-Activated Cleanser - <span style="color: #38761d;">$2.49</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Johnson & Johnson First Aid Bag - <span style="color: #38761d;">FREE</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(2) Johnson & Johnson Hospital Grade Gauze - <span style="color: #38761d;">$.14</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><b>(1) Band-Aid Brand Mickey Mouse Adult Band-Aids - <span style="color: #38761d;">$.29</span></b></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i><span style="color: purple;">If you are wondering whether or not you are doing "good" think about your savings. Even with my bike pads and lunch box, I saved $21.18... Only $.99 of that was from those other two items. When compared to what I purchased and how much I paid OOP (only for my coupon items) I saved 60%!</span></i></span></span></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i><span style="color: purple;">Aside from this, I had a little mishap with the First Aid bag and had to go back to Guest Services in order to get it off my bill. At my store it's only Benadryl and Neosporin that count towards the free bag, however, some faulty signage scored me a free bag, so make sure that you have a way to document what's going on if you need an adjustment. Finally, it pays to be nice. I was a Retail Manager for over 12 years and it's no picnic. It's okay to get a little frustrated, but don't take your frustration out on the wrong people - it's only thanks to them that you get anything free or cheap anyway. Happy shopping! </span></i></span><b><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b></span></div><br />
<i style="color: purple;"> </i><br />
<i style="color: purple;"> </i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812575436698166722.post-7849725088614633712010-07-22T19:03:00.000-07:002010-07-22T19:09:01.058-07:00What Can You Get For $10? (or less...)<div style="color: purple;"><i>This week I wanted to focus on a beginner scenario with the benefits of nothing but printable coupons. It's not meant to be a means of enticement, however, it might become one. When I first started using coupons, I found that many sites had gobs of coupons in their repertoire that I just didn't have. I'm out to prove that you don't need to buy 17 Sunday papers or trade coupons over the internet or just plain go out of your way period to get great deals. Though, yes, I will buy about 2 Sunday papers and sometimes pick up extra coupons over the internet at a swap or by other means myself - it's not a sin and it doesn't make you insane. </i></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><i>Aside from this common assumption that all people who use coupons are cheap or that we create a lot of hassle, keep in mind to be polite and friendly with store associates and if you have separate transactions (which you will in this case), please allow people who come in line behind you to wrap up their sales - it's just a common courtesy. That being said, here are the deals I've peeked at this week and my $10 or less OOP (out of pocket total) with nothing but printable coupons and ECBs - keep in mind that in order to get ECBs </i><b>you need a CVS card!</b></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><b><span style="color: black;">Word is that there is another 3-day Sale, so get in on Sunday if you can! If not, I can't guarantee that these first two items will be in stock!</span></b></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black;"><i><span style="color: black;">T</span>ransaction #1:</i></div><div style="color: purple;"></div><div style="color: purple;"><b><span style="color: black;">Papermate Pens 10pk - $0.99, $0.99 ECB </span> </b></div><div style="color: black;"><b>Pencil Sharpener/Double Blade - $0.99, $0.99 ECB</b></div><b> <span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b><span style="color: #38761d;">= $1.98 OOP (Total Spent - <span style="color: magenta;">$1.98</span>)</span><br />
<div style="color: #38761d;"> ECBs Earned - $1.98</div><div style="color: #38761d;"> Retail Value/Advertised Value Total - $1.98</div><div style="color: #38761d;"> Amount Saved - $0 <span style="color: purple;">(</span><i style="color: purple;">wait for it, wait for it.......</i><span style="color: purple;">)</span></div><div style="color: #38761d;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;"><i>Transaction #2:</i></span></div><div style="color: #38761d;"></div><div style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;"><b>U by Kotex - $4.99, $4.99 ECBs</b></span></div><div style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;"> <span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://www.ubykotex.com/get_coupons/overview">-$1/1 U by Kotex Printable</a></span><b style="color: red;"> </b><i style="color: red;"> </i></span></div><div style="color: red;"> -$1.98 ECBs from previous transaction<i> </i> </div><div style="color: #38761d;"> = $2.01 OOP (Total Spent - <span style="color: magenta;">$3.99</span>)</div><div style="color: #38761d;"> ECBs Earned - $4.99</div><div style="color: #38761d;"> Retail Value/Advertised Value Total - $6.97</div><span style="color: #38761d;"> Amount Saved - $2.98</span><br />
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<div style="color: black;"><i>Transaction #3:</i></div><div style="color: black;"><b>Photo Book with 10 6x8 Pages - $7.99, $7.99 ECBs</b></div><b> </b><span style="color: red;">-$4.99 ECB from previous transaction</span><br />
<div style="color: #38761d;"><b> </b>= $3.00 OOP (Total Spent - <span style="color: magenta;">$6.99</span>)</div><div style="color: #38761d;"> ECBs Earned - $7.99</div><div style="color: #38761d;"> Retail Value/Advertised Value - $14.99</div><span style="color: #38761d;"> Amount Saved - $7.97</span><i></i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<div style="color: black;"><i>Transaction #4:</i></div><div style="color: black;"><b>M&Ms/Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn (Select Varieties of each) Spend $10, get a free M&Ms Popcorn Bowl!<span style="color: purple;"> </span></b><i style="color: purple;">Make it movie night tonight!</i><b><br />
</b></div><div style="color: black;"><b> (2) Orville Redenbacher's 3-4pk Popcorn - 2/$6</b></div><div style="color: black;"><b> (2) M&Ms 9.9oz - 12.5oz - 2/$5</b></div><span id="goog_1882979207"></span> <a href="http://www.simpleanddelicious.com/special-offers/coupon-central.jsp">-(2) $1.25 off WYB (when you buy) Orvilles/M&Ms Together Printable<span id="goog_1882979208"></span></a><br />
<span style="color: red;">- $7.99 ECB from previous transaction</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">= $.51 OOP</span> (<i style="color: purple;">Yep, you heard me!</i>)<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">ECBs Earned - $0</span><br />
<div style="color: #38761d;"> Retail Value/Advertised Value - $25.99</div><div style="color: #38761d;"><b></b> Amount saved - $18.46</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="color: magenta;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Total Spent OOP -</span> </span>$7.50</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;">This scenario is based off the fact that you start out with no ECBs. I have $6 to spend from last week (this week) so I will either be making a return trip tomorrow or save it for the 7/25 ad. If these items don't suit you, e-mail me and let me know what you did on your beginner scenario. Remember! You don't need a giant stash of coupons to start doing this as there are multiple resources on the internet. </span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;">The basic idea I keep in mind when working out my plan is that I always want to try and "trade up" my ECBs in order to get the more expensive items in the ad. Also remember, though, the one golden rule of Couponing (for me, anyway): Moderation. Don't buy it if you don't need it or aren't planning to donate it to a good cause! That's how pack rats are born... and I mean that in the nicest way! </span></span></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812575436698166722.post-65243270689779787232010-07-21T18:10:00.000-07:002010-07-22T01:59:28.197-07:00Sunday Paper Coupon Preview<i>Every week you can find out what coupon inserts are going to be in the Sunday paper through this site: </i><a href="http://www.sundaycouponpreview.com/">Sunday Coupon Preview</a>. <i>This is how many Couponers get their start on match-ups early. Matching coupons to store sales from places like Walgreen, CVS, or Rite-Aid is what makes or breaks a deal. Items that are normally $10 can end up literally costing next to nothing. Investing just a little bit of time and gathering coupons is a great way to lower your overall costs. </i><br />
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<i>Many people who are less fortunate (or if you just live paycheck to paycheck like we do most of the time), end up holding off on necessities (like TP) or next to necessary necessities (like laundry soap) just long enough to run out of the last piece, pair, or ounce just as the next paycheck hits the bank. So what is the purpose of mentioning the </i><a href="http://www.sundaycouponpreview.com/">Sunday Coupon Preview</a><i>? It's necessary to know what you're getting into so to speak.</i><br />
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<i>If you're not using any other resources, like the ones listed in our left guide bar, then chances are you're going to spend hours pouring over two sites: a retailer site (like CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, etc) and the </i><a href="http://www.sundaycouponpreview.com/">Sunday Coupon Preview</a><i> site. If you don't have the blessing of working at home or being a SAHM/SAHD then it's also likely you're not going to get enough sleep either.</i><br />
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<i>Many sites will match up and make all the necessary deals obvious for you. The only thing I am going to do is show you the deals that I get in real life to prove this is something that can be done. You should always check out other resources in order to get the full effect of Couponing, however, not all deals are plausible. Take my trip this week for instance, my check wasn't in yet so I didn't have the cash in the account to spend. Couple that with paying for an unexpected item at CVS from the cash pool I had saved for my trip and I was screwed. I cut back on two items and doubled up on another that provided the same ECB twice in order to alleviate my problem.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>You should also keep in mind that many different stores now accept competitor's coupons and should always have a copy of said stores coupon policy to save yourself from embarrassment. Many people feel like Couponing is a way to cheat the system and therefore often will refuse multiple coupons. The reality, however, is that regardless of the type of coupon, those stores are still getting paid - a manufacturer's coupon reimburses the store - </i><b>so you have nothing to feel guilty about</b><i>. The only rule is to stay organized! Or you just might lose your focus like I did this week and end up paying cash when you still had ECBs or RRs to cover you.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812575436698166722.post-31187098188856799132010-07-21T12:20:00.000-07:002010-07-22T01:59:44.687-07:00wiseGEEK Plug<i><span style="color: purple;">Some of you beginning subscribers know that I can quite easily find work online as a writer. Thanks to my lifelong skills in English, I've been blessed with the ability to know how to write effectively. The ability to write for online is very different from Creative Writing or writing Fiction, despite what you might think. Aside from that, there are several outlets for writing online, which is where I find most of my income sources. Although I will try to not </span></i><i><b style="color: purple;">always </b><span style="color: purple;">put up links for money makers from writing.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: purple;">That being said, let me tell you about my latest gig, working for wiseGEEK. I applied to wiseGEEK for a completely different position than the one I have now. I write around 3 days a week and make $15 an hour, which translates into an extra $150 to $200 a week. My job, although I'm not going to tell you what it is because I feel I owe it to wiseGEEK's privacy, is to basically generate traffic flow through writing. I had originally applied to be an article writer, however, and you can too. I believe that in my current position, however, I am able to make more than they do.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: purple;"> </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;">Like many online companies who employ people from home, wiseGEEK requests that you fill out a W-9 before your first request for payment. With this job, I can only request payment once I've reached 20,000 words or more, which is about every week or week and a half. A W-9 means (normally) that a company is legit in the intention to pay you. However, it <b>also</b> means that you will be filing taxes with a 1099 that year, so keep in mind that you might want to itemize or (if you are currently unemployed otherwise) see if you will qualify for EIC when filing.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: purple;">Aside from that, this job is still very new to me, but takes minimal effort. I can choose to work as much or as little as I want as long as I make my personal goal of 20,000 words a week or a minimum goal of 15,000 a week according to WG. This means in order to work just 3 days a week for wiseGEEK, I need to write a minimum of 5,000 words a day. It might seem like a lot, but compared to other companies I currently work for writing, it's really nothing.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: purple;"> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: purple;">wiseGEEK isn't currently hiring for article writers anymore, but you can still check out their site below.</span></i><br />
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<center><a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/" id="widget">Did You Know?</a><script src="http://www.wisegeek.com/widget.js" type="text/JavaScript">
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</script></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812575436698166722.post-44677160810847572662010-07-20T23:44:00.000-07:002010-07-22T19:05:34.235-07:00Tuesday - The Weekly Shop Trip<div style="color: purple;"><i>I actually did my shopping yesterday, which normally happens so many of the things I purchased are not around, have all ready been opened or are in the freezer. Here are the receipts from yesterday's trip. I skipped Target for maybe sometime later this week because my transfer from Paypal isn't in yet. I am getting paid three times this week! Isn't that awesome?</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><i>Without further ado, here is the low-down:</i></div><i> </i><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">CVS</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Huggies Pull Up Jumbo Pack $8.99, $3 ECB</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b> </b><span style="color: red;">-<a href="http://www.pull-ups.com/na/Default.aspx">$2/1 Huggies Pull-Ups Printable</a></span></span><br />
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<div style="color: black;"><b>Tide 2x Ultra $10.97, $2 ECB</b></div><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: red;"> - $1/1 Tide Detergent (7/4 P&G Insert)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><b style="color: black;">Hefty Trash Bags Big Flaps 40 ct. $6.99, no ECB</b><span style="color: red;"><b><br />
</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: red;">- <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Hefty.TrashBags">$1/1 Hefty Waste Bags (From Facebook) </a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"> - $20.99 in ECBs from previous transactions (I was saving them because I knew we needed some high dollar items this week ;) )</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b> = $1.96 OOP + Tax with $6 in ECBs to spare.</b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: purple;"><i>**This week I started with food products and the ECBs they provided were massive - over $20! Also, you can do the milk ECB featured in the ad twice, which helped me because they were out of Pretzel M&Ms. I don't like to count the ECBs that are produced from the product into the final OOP because it's not realistic - you can't use an ECB until it prints and it won't print until you've paid - so to include it isn't being honest about your OOP (out of pocket) price, really. In reality, this transaction could have been cheaper, too, because I still had a $1 and $2 ECB, I just got distracted is all... which happens.</i></div><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;">Walgreens</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><b>Dawn Dishsoap $.99</b></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b> <span style="color: red;"> </span></b><span style="color: red;">- $.20/1 Dawn (7/11 or 7/17 Insert, can't remember :( )</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><b>(2) Ziploc Bags 2 for $5</b></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b> </b><span style="color: red;"> -$1/2 Ziploc Walgreens July Coupon Book</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"> - <a href="http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/clip/Coupons.aspx">$1/2 any Ziploc product</a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"> - </span><span style="color: red;">$1 RR from previous transaction</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"> <b><span style="color: #38761d;"> = $2.79 OOP + Tax</span></b></span></span><br />
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<div style="color: purple;">**<i>I normally don't have much to do with Walgreens as all the good rebates and deals are often found at CVS. I would choose CVS' deals over Walgreens any day, but we needed Ziplocs and soap. I also was after the Dr Scholl's RR which fell through when I found out that they were sold out. Also the G2 Pens were on my list, but they were sold out too - I had just bought the Papermate from CVS for the ECB last week, so I wasn't hurting for them anyway.</i></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple;"><i>In all, 5 items for about $5, all name brand products. Look for follow up shopping trips this week as I'm going to get that Dr Scholls RR if it kills me! I could use a boost in stocking up on some RR for Walgreens!</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DB4_7OSY7F4/TEaXMZ1eyCI/AAAAAAAAAAs/U1vCyTCmLz4/s1600/7+20+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DB4_7OSY7F4/TEaXMZ1eyCI/AAAAAAAAAAs/U1vCyTCmLz4/s320/7+20+2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><i> </i> </span><b><span style="color: red;"><br />
</span></b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812575436698166722.post-88698577713343796092010-07-20T22:35:00.000-07:002010-07-22T02:00:08.148-07:00A Little History on My Personal Experiences<i>As a mom, I realized the necessity in Couponing a long time ago. Unfortunately, when I would go back to a "real" job in the "real" world, I would lose all my aspirations to follow up with this useful and valuable aspect of shopping. Thanks to unforeseen circumstances, I now stay at home and work on my own time, at my own pace; I am responsible for my paycheck and choose how much I want to make every week. I like to prove the worth of sites before I actually approve them to be posted here, so just know that I will only put up legitimate work at home opportunities and real coupon scenarios. </i><br />
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<i>My writing skills stem from childhood and I was lucky enough to wind up being as smart as I am (good genes, I guess). After my fiance lost his job (like so many people all ready have), I became more resourceful than I had ever been. At first, I was just diligent in trying to find a job, but the location we moved to was too far for anyone to be interested in my skills with Retail Management. I soon turned to "Mommy forums" online to find an answer to that question everyone asks from time to time: Are there legitimate work at home jobs? I quickly found several different resources in my personal expertise of writing and submitted all the necessary information to get started.</i><br />
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<i>My first week was meant for checking out these sites I had signed up with and making sure they paid me so I didn't do a lot of work. Specific sites and companies will be covered in later posts, but I assure you my first week with these companies, I <b>did</b> get paid. Once I'd found monetary stability again, I moved on to ways I could save money.</i><br />
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<i>Because my fiance is unemployed, he was only receiving a portion of his normal wages (about 50%), which pretty much devastated our normal lifestyle; I had to make up the difference somewhere in order to be able to get gas, food, and other supplies. Not to mention we like to do fun things with our kids. I quickly turned back to Couponing as I knew it would help, but had no idea how far it could go.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>After just three trips to the store I had saved over $150 and paid less than 1/3 of that. As my resources opened up, I won gift cards, free coupons, and even got free stuff. I have only been Couponing since July 10th, 2010 and have saved over $218, spending just 29% of that at around $64. I have purchased exactly 75 items so far - that's an average of $.91 an item. It amounts to shopping at the Dollar Store for your name brand merchandise like Tide, Pampers, Old Spice, and Schick. Imagine that.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812575436698166722.post-67283638434279091062010-07-20T21:48:00.000-07:002010-07-20T22:09:20.769-07:00MMSM Makes an Entrance<span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Hello and welcome to Make Money, Save Money - the one blog that won't just tell you that you can save or make money, but will also help you do it. My name is Ellae and I am a Freelance Writer, SEO Specialist, and not only do I work at home, but I also cut expenses in my everyday life by Couponing. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">I feel that by pooling our resources (which I seem to find more of everyday), we can learn to help each other without sacrificing hours of our time. While a lot of Couponing scenarios are the same from site to site, this blog isn't just about saving money.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">As a SAHM, I have learned how to make legitimate income through just a few hours a week with the skills I've been blessed with. My situation isn't the worst one out there, however, I still have children to care for and while I can easily save money on food, it's the high dollar items like diapers, personal hygiene merchandise and household items that seem to cost the most month after month.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Follow me on this personal adventure and hopefully you will learn something from my own experiences.</span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0