Saving Money with Coupon Codes and Rebates

Another great way to make money is by saving it and use coupon codes and rebates for just about everything that you buy online. Here’s a round up of m bargain hunting sites:

• Ben’s Bargains
  The godfather of all coupon code sites. This is my Firefox homepage. Ben updates his site all day long with amazing coupons, many of them exclusive, with comments from other bargain hunters. It is also well organized and easy to read. Looking to buy a large electronic item? Keep an eye on Ben’s for a few days and you’re bound to see it.
• Fat Wallet
  Fat Wallet has become more and more professional in the past few months, but its forums are still rocking with great deals. FW usually has a lot of the early bargains before the other sites, but you have to weed through the forums to get to them.
• Slick Deals
  SD has a lot more consumer products and less tech than the other sites. It certainly isn’t as extensive as Ben’s, but a good site to check out, nonetheless.
• Tech Deals
  Again, not as extensive as Ben’s, but a good site for tech-oriented coupon codes and rebates.
• Anand Tech
  Anand Tech’s forums have a number of active discussions with a variety of coupons and other deals.

Sometimes with rebates and coupon codes you can even make money on items that you buy. Smart bargain hunters resell their items as well. Thanks to my bargain hunting buddies for introductions to shopping cheaply.

By suite101

Do you want to know how to make money fast – and legally? Here are some tips on how to make fast money. Not necessarily big money, but quick money.

How can you make some fast money ? Here are some tips on making fast money ethically and legally. Any one of these tips should help you make some quick cash. Before jumping into these money-making tips, here are a couple things to keep in mind.

First, these tips are aimed at helping you make money fast. They are NOT going to make you rich. One or two tips should earn you an extra $50-100 over the next week. Implement all the tips, and you could see a couple hundred dollars added to your bottom line. But do not expect quick riches.

Second, you need some planning and a few days to work with. That planning should include ways to start saving money.

If you are in a situation where you need quick cash today, then you’re in a crisis — and you probably need to borrow money from friends, relatives, a bank, or (last resort) a fast cash outlet. This article is aimed at those who have at least a few days (preferably a week) to work with.

1. Offer Seasonal Work to Your Neighborhood and/or Surrounding Area

Use your time off from your main job (which will probably be your evenings and weekends) to offer your seasonal labor services to your neighbors and, time-permitting, residents in close-by neighborhoods. Seasonal work includes raking leaves, mowing lawns, or shoveling snow.

The best way is to blanket your target neighborhood with 200-400 flyers, offering your services for an appropriate amount per lawn, driveway, etc. depending upon its size and the amount of work involved. Make sure your contact information is on the flyer. To expedite results, you can grab your rake (or shovel or lawn-mower) and just go door-to-door, offering your services directly.

If this is “beneath you,” consider how seriously and quickly you need the money. If you need money fast, this is a great way to do it.

If it’s STILL “beneath you,” then TEAM UP with a neighborhood teenager. You can be the one to distribute the flyers and take the phone calls. Your partner can then do the actual labor – based on appointments you set from the people calling in response to the flyer. The two of you then split the money.

2. Call a Local Contractor

Find a local contractor and see if you can hire yourself out as a day laborer. This is a particularly viable option, if you’re the “handy-man” type. There are probably quite a few contractors in your area looking for day laborers to help them build and/or repair houses, decks, fences, etc.

3. Sell Some Stuff

Go through your house, attic, garage, etc. and pick out EVERYTHING that you are willing to part with. Then, depending on the weather and time of year, put signs up around the community that announce your yard sale.

If you have more time, go to eBay, register, and list the items online. Mark Joyner, a bestselling author and co-founder of Guerilla Marketing Network, says to “pick 40 of your items” no matter how “silly or seemingly worthless they are.” Then, review a few books and articles on effective sales writing and marketing and (based on that knowledge) “create eBay pages to sell every one of those products.”

If you have the ingredients, try baking a bunch of cookies – and then call some businesses in your area to see if you can sell the cookies to their employees during the lunch hour.

4. Offer to Distribute Stuff

Contact your local newspaper to see if they have need for a neighborhood distributor. If so, you’re in luck.

Don’t stop there, though. Use your phone book and/or the local Chamber of Commerce to research businesses (retail or restaurant being the best) that market to the general community. Call them up and offer to distribute flyers for them — for a price.

BONUS TIP: See if you can combine Tactics 1 and 4 (handing out flyers for yourself AND for these businesses – at the same time).

The above tips should get you started on making fast cash. However, you need to step back and look at your overall money situation. Better planning will enable you to make even greater money in the long term. And long-term earnings is (or at least should be) your financial objective.

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From Stretcher.com

Earning Quick Cash?

I need to earn some quick money, but I don’t have money to start a business. Do you have any advice?
S.

Assess Your Skills

Here are a few ideas you can try:

1. Even adults can earn some quick money by delivering newspapers. It’s not glamorous, but there are almost always routes available near your home. Early morning routes may not be convenient, but they will not interfere with your regular job.
2. If you have the skills, you can often find temporary work, such as painting, carpentry, or even keyboarding. Contact an agency that handles temporary jobs in your area.
3. Other skills that can help you find part-time work quickly include writing, childcare, and retail sales. Especially before the holidays, stores are always looking for temporary, part-time workers. I’ve also worked at a college bookstore at the beginning of a semester, when they need extra help.
4. It doesn’t require much money to start a dog-walking business. You can print up cards or just post notices in local stores, especially groomers and veterinary clinics. Ask permission first.

The bottom line is to assess your skills and interests and then figure out who will use them in your local area.

Act Now!

With the holidays approaching, this is a great time of year to make some quick cash for little or no money invested. If you own a van, hire yourself out as a delivery person or mover. Are you artistic? Wrap gifts or make holiday decorations. Play Santa, an elf, or a reindeer. Be a personal shopper or assistant for someone who can’t get out or is very busy. Businesses are looking for holiday help.

Go Door to Door

There are a good number of people that are way too busy to do basic things like cut the yard, rake the leaves, clean the gutters, etc. Try going door to door, asking if you could do an odd job for a small fee. You might be surprised at the need for it.

Sell on eBay

eBay is a great way to make extra money with little to no start-up costs. I sell on eBay to take advantage of being a SAHM while helping out the family finances. I am able to sell during times when the kids are napping or after they are in bed at night!

Donate Plasma

You did not say how much cash or how soon you need it, but this may work for you. You can donate Plasma, not blood, on a weekly basis. They pay you something like $25 or more on the spot, each time you donate, so you can see how this would add up. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour each time. They extract your blood, remove the plasma, and then put the blood back in. I knew many people who did this back in college for easy spending money. Call your local hospital for information on where the nearest blood bank is located.

Love Sports?

If you know anything about a sport, look into becoming an official. I officiate basketball and earned an extra $3000 in two months last year. This was all from doing grade school and middle school games. In my area, you earn $15 to $30 a game for these levels of play up to $55 a game for HS Varsity. A game usually lasts about an hour and there are games every night of the week and all day long on weekends. Many times, you get paid in cash the same day.

My suggestions would be to look into basketball or soccer first. They are played year-round and start young with boys and girls. After that, I would suggest volleyball since it is also played year-round, but it is mainly still only a girl’s sport in many areas. Baseball is the most expensive to do with the initial costs of the protective equipment.

I do this part time only, but there are others who make more than $12,000 a year from basketball alone, officiating every day of the week.

Try Pet Sitting

If a person likes animals, has pets, and is known as a responsible and thoughtful pet owner, many times, their veterinarian might recommend them for pet sitting for those who do not wish to kennel their animals. However, a person must be absolutely dependable and responsible. Not only are they taking care of the pets, but they are also taking care of the home and grounds as well. Plus, they are representing the reputation of the vet who recommended them! (One must be able to drive to do this, and be able to handle morning hours.)

Clean Houses for Cash

Just run an ad for cleaning houses in the local newspaper or use a bulletin board. You can clean a home in about three to four hours. It is easy and gives you fast cash. Just be sure to clean the kitchen and bathrooms, and then dust and vacuum. Don’t be afraid of it. Just do your best. I usually don’t clean inside of the refrigerator or the ovens unless asked to do so. Use their supplies and charge about $12 to $15 an hour.

Network in Prior Employment Field

I’m a SAHM now, but I used to work in the front office of a dental office. Every couple weeks, I get a telephone call, asking if I could help out in an office. It may be for a week or just a day or two, filling in for someone who’s on vacation or needing a day off. Networking with people in your prior (or current) employment field will get your name around. Many businesses are in need of help, but don’t want to commit to a permanent employee.

Three More Great Ideas

• Have a garage sale
• Sell a marketable skill to friends or family members, such as housecleaning, cooking, babysitting, massages, lawn care, snow removal, and gardening. People are willing to pay for these services.
• Sign up with market-research firms to participate in focus groups. You can sometimes earn $50 or more just by spending an hour to tell a company what you think of their product. Plus, it’s fun!