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Posted by on Feb 26, 2009 in Make Money to Stretch Your Budget | 0 comments

5 Money Making Ideas You Can do Now Even If You Do Not Have Money

5 Money Making Ideas You Can do Now Even If You Do Not Have Money

coins Need a way to make money but can’t find a job, and do not have money to invest in a work at home business?  Chances are you are in the same boat many of us are, worried about the economy, hanging on to every penny you have and wishing that you could find more pennies to add to it.

There are a lot of ways to make a few extra dollars, perhaps even more depending on the skills you possess. I am only going to share five with you today, but the list is much much longer, take some time to assess your skills, and then think of ways you can use them.

  • If you do not think you have any skills there are still things you can do to make extra money but be prepared to do a few of them to make any real difference. 
  • One dollar does not seem like much but when you add it to 9 more dollars, all of a sudden you have something worth working for.
  • Then multiply that $10 by 30 days in a month and you have a good size savings deposit or maybe your families food budget for the entire month.

Surveys -  Surveys along with paid search programs and click programs are a great way to put a few extra dollars every month into your saving account. While the amount will not be huge, with diligence it can amount to a nice chunk of change when added all together. If you are interested in different survey sites check out the list at our forums.

ebay EBay - EBay is a great way to make a bit of extra cash off of your extra items at home, and many a mom has done just that, but what happens when you run out of items to EBay?  Do not stop there, hit  the garage sales, flea markets and second hand stores, if you have been EBaying for a while then you already know what sells, if not do some research at EBay and forums dedicated to EBay to find out what does sells.

If you have a lot of friends in your neighborhood that are busy why not offer to sell their items for them for a commission? EBay selling businesses are cropping up all over the place, people may not understand the computer or EBay but would like to take advantage of the wide market for selling their items.

One last thought about EBay, there are many drop shippers out there that are making a good income doing nothing more than connecting customer with company and getting a commission to do so. This option requires a bit of research to avoid scams and bad companies, so do a lot of reading before you jump in with both feet.

Blogging – Lots of people do not realize that they can make money by writing about what they do. Then again lots more people think they can set up a space in cyberspace and the dough comes rolling in. Trust me this is definitely not true, but with a lot of effort and time blogging can pay off. Keep your expectations low, and your drive high and I pretty much guarantee you that your work will produce results.

Some great places to learn about starting your own blog for profit are, Pro Blogger,

Pretty Your Blog  and Blogsessive.

Money is made by placing ads on your blog, the most popular of which is Google Adsense which you get money for each ad that is clicked on. The income may not be high especially not at first but it adds up. You can add sponsors, other affiliate advertising, and E-books later as you go. Blogs can be completely free by going to Blogger.com or WordPress.com  or you can spend less than five dollars per month and have your own domain name and website. This is really the best way to go if you can, since it is easier to find on the internet and gives you many more options to work with.

E-books – If you have knowledge about a particular subject say for instance desert gardening, or consider yourself to be a highly creative cook that invents your own recipes in a special niche area, it might be worth your time to write an E-book. You will not need any special software for it, simply write it in your word processing software and either use a plugin if you have MS Word or find one of a number of different sites that will convert your documents to Adobe PDF format for free.

Once your document is in PDF format, you can market it thru Click bank or Amazon.com, if you have chosen your subject well and set your price right this can definitely bring you closer to your monthly goal for savings.

Mystery Shopping – This is a job that has been surround by controversy, speculation, and scammers for some time. Truth is you can make money doing this, you will not get rich, you will not come home with expensive cosmetics or designer jeans but you might come home with a full stomach, or a beautiful haircut and with a few extra dollars in your pocket.

The trick to Mystery Shopping is doing your homework, take some time to read over the Mystery Shopping Providers Association website, follow their recommendations, and you will find yourself hooked up with reputable companies in your area. This site requires each company in its association to agree to a code of ethics, guaranteeing you that you will not be scammed. They also provide certifications that will help you get a job, they do cost money buy if you are really interested in becoming a mystery shopper they will help you a great deal.

You might not get rich but then if you are reading this blog I can honestly say you probably do not care about getting rich just staying ahead of the game. These are just a few of the ways you can make some extra cash for your emergency fund, there are plenty more for the determined person, looking for a way to make money.

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Posted by on Feb 25, 2009 in Cheap and Healthy Eating | 0 comments

Ways to Dress up Your Vegetables

Ways to Dress up Your Vegetables

veggies So lets face it, most of us do not eat enough of our Veggies, me included. I grew up in a meat and potatoes family, I also grew up in a single parent home. My introduction to vegetables was a few canned beans or a spoonful of of canned corn thrown on my plate as an after thought. Food was quick, easy and satisfying. Little thought was given to nutrition other than being sure we each got a serving of vegetables, fruit, and milk every day.

To this day, I struggle with eating enough vegetables, I struggle to increase my portions of vegetables, and to make them the centerpiece of my meal rather than a taking up a quiet and often forgotten residence in a corner of my plate.

There are a few ways over the years I have found to either sneak veggies into my diet and the diet of my family or to dress up veggies so that they are more appealing.

The Sneak Attack

Sometimes the best way to get veggies in is to put them in with other foods in a way that makes them more palatable, I find for instance that greens eaten whole tend to upset my digestives system sometimes, but if I put greens in my smoothies because they are already broke down, they do not bother me.

Yes I said put greens in your fruit smoothies, trust me here, done right you will never know they are there. Here is what I do:

Green Smoothie

smoothie One banana
1 cup of frozen strawberries
Handful of greens such as kale,spinach, or romaine
1/4 cup walnuts or almonds
1-2 tablespoons flax
approximately 1 cup of milk
1/2 -1 teaspoon vanilla
a touch of your favorite sweetener ( honey, sugar, agave nectar)

If you cannot deal with the color of the green smoothie, you can add about 1/4 cup of blackberries or blueberries to this, the bright colors of the fruit will offset the green of the kale or spinach.

Blend all of this in a blender till completely smooth and Enjoy!

Other ways to hide vegetables to is to blend them into sauces and add them to soups or stews. You can mix them in with your meat in meat loaf or burgers, or add them to your sandwiches, do not under estimate that lettuce and tomato they all count!!!

Add vegetables to old favorites, if you make a mean enchilada add a few extra vegetables to it, sure it does not seem tradition but if you are getting your broccoli who cares?

Dress those Veggies well!!

The only problem with hiding vegetables is that you simply never learn to enjoy the panoply of flavors that is available to you from the world of natural whole foods. It is great for the interim but eventually you will need to confront those vegetables head on!

Fats are heralded as everything evil, death bringing, hip widening empty calories, to the cure for everything from cancer to the common cold. I tend to think somewhere in the middle, meaning that a little bit of judiciously used fat can be a great thing. Especially when it becomes the bridge to helping you make friends with your veggies.

Adding a bit of fat to your vegetables can make them more appealing, and help them to go down a bit better if you have digestion problems. A bit of butter, cheese, or other fat goes  a long ways, opt for lower fat versions and use just enough to satisfy your palate, no more.

A bit of crunch or a salty taste can accomplish the same task, so things like crunchy onion bits, bacon bits or nuts can greatly enhance the flavor and make the vegetables stick with you longer.

Sauces that combine a strong flavor with a bit of fat also work well, marinara, pizza sauce, or ranch dressings can turn vegetables into a treat.

A Few Final Tips

Be sure to cook your vegetables right, nothing is worse than a mushy vegetable it is tasteless and it has no texture. Undercooked vegetables can cause just as many digestive problems as their raw brothers and sisters, so it is best to steer away from that if you are trying to train your stomach and palate in the finer points of vegetables. Vegetables should be just slightly crisp but still be fork tender, cooked to this point you will get the full sweet flavor and maximum digestion.

Mix vegetables you love with those that you are struggling with, if you love peas and corn add a bit of carrots and green beans.

In the end the most important lesson you should take away from this article is that developing a taste for vegetables is of the utmost importance, you do not eat what you do not like. If you have to add a bit of extra calories to make that happen you are not going to keel over from a heart attack. This is providing of course that your are putting a bit of butter on your veggies not adding a bit of veggies to your butter. In fact what you add to your diet, is probably more important than what you take away, if you think about what those veggies are replace that little bit of flavor you add is very small in the big scheme of things.

Pic by: Imnop88a
Pic by: angusf

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Posted by on Feb 21, 2009 in Make Money to Stretch Your Budget | 0 comments

Recycling For Cash – Trading Trash for Dollars

Recycling For Cash – Trading Trash for Dollars

recycle

We all know that recycling is a good thing, and who as a kid did not stroll down side streets collecting aluminum to turn in for extra pocket money?  These days it seems like most recycling is done as an act of conscious or by law set by our county and city governments.  Some of us are shocked to find we actually have to pay to do the right thing turning in what would otherwise be trash in landfills.

Can you still make money by recycling?

Depends- What is your purpose in recycling, what are you trying to recycle, and who are you taking it too.

It is altogether possible to pocket a bit of extra cash by recycling if you know what to save/collect and where to take it.

Scrap Metals – This includes aluminum, copper, iron among others.  Aluminum and copper nearly always sell as does scrap silver and gold which is often harder to come by, other types of metal will sell depending on the market.  This simply requires an eye for what is around you; there are many items that qualify for the scrap metal market, old hot water heaters, gutters, pipes, sinks, copper tubing and old appliances. This does require some place to store all this stuff, and if you like me hate clutter this is probably not the best way to make your money. Money adds up fast for scrap metals, so it will not take you long to have a load worth taking to the local recycler.  Call around before you collect to find out what they take, and what their rates are not all of them are these same so it pays to call more than one.

Of course don’t forget the aluminum, the average household uses lots of it, you will not get rich for it, but every little bit adds up.

Ink Cartridges – How many of us toss these little guys in the trash not even thinking about what they might be worth. Take them to Staples and get a $3 coupon for each one you recycle.

Plastic Bags – There are a number of stores that will pay you to bring back your plastic bags every time you shop, others that will give you a discount for bringing in your own bags, up to 3 cents a bag at most stores.

Plastic and Glass Bottles – If you live in or near a state that recycles these you will get from .03-.05 cents each from recycling these. Look on the sides of your bottles they will tell you if you can get a deposit back for them.  When you take walks keep your eyes open looking for these guys that nickel can add up really fast.

Computers – There are thousands of old computers in this country that have ended up in landfills, many more that inhabit closets, basements and spare rooms, with owners who are unsure what to do with them. Place an ad in your local paper offering to take junk computers. The circuit boards in them contain gold and other precious metals, and can be sold for recycling. Some spare working parts can also be resold alone on places such as Craig list or EBay.

Cell Phones – There are many sites that will pay you for your spare old phones. Prices can range from $3 to $30

Set Aside Room in Your Garage or House

If you are really serious about recycling for money you may want to set aside room in your home somewhere, purchase some bins to sort different recyclables into.

One last tip, if you dumpster dive, then add this to the list of things you collect, there simply is no end to the garbage you will find that can make you money if you do a bit of digging.

Finally if you need any more reasons to recycle then check out these sites.

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Posted by on Feb 21, 2009 in Community News, Daily Living | 0 comments

Whats Happening in the Forums This Week 2/21

Whats Happening in the Forums This Week 2/21

Just a quick look at what is happening in the forums this week

House keeping routines can be hard to get started, our members shared their struggles with this, this week

Housekeeping Routines

Join our February Stockpile thread

Stockpile

Check out our income forum for Surveys, paid searches and more ways to make money

Pay to click programs

This is just a small sampling of what is happening in our forums, we hope you will join us!

Come share your multiple streams of income work this week, and what you were able to earn

Earn or Save week of Feb 15-21

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Posted by on Feb 20, 2009 in Cheap and Healthy Eating | 0 comments

Beans the Frugal Super Food Part 2 – Starting Them Out Right

Beans the Frugal Super Food Part 2 – Starting Them Out Right

This is third in the series of food reviews, where we will be taking a closer look at Frugal Foods that are also very nutritious.

Yesterday I extolled the nutritional value of beans, you can find that article here.

Beans are a great food to add to nearly any meal, but using them requires proper planning, particularly if you plan to use dried beans.

What kind of beans to buy

Beans are a healthy alternative to expensive meatsBeans have a very long shelf life, whether you purchase dried or canned, making them a great pantry food to keep on hand.

Deciding on whether to purchase dried or canned depends on a lot of different things. How you will use them, what you can afford, how much time you have and if you have a taste preference.

Our family keeps both on hand and uses dried whenever possible simply because they are cheaper, and because they have not been super heated in the canning process, they retain much more of their nutrients.

Preparing Dried Beans for Cooking

Be sure to wash and sort your beans before soaking or cooking, this is to be sure that any foreign matter or less than perfect beans do not make it into the final product.

You will want to soak your dried beans before cooking, this process with rehydrate your beans making them more tender, it will also help to release much of the gas that is commonly associated with beans. The longer you soak beans and the more you rinse them the more gas that is released and the less of an issue it will be for you. Beans should be soaked at least over night and rinsed 2 to 3 times for best results.

Beans triple in size so for every cup of beans you will want to add at least 4-5 cups of water. One cup of dried beans = three cups cooked beans.

If you forgot to soak your beans overnight don’t panic, you can use the quick soak method, which works just fine.  Add your beans and water to the pan keeping in mind the bean to water ratio above. Bring the beans to a boil and and let boil for a few minutes, then cover, remove from heat and let sit for at least one hour, four or more hours is better. Be sure to sure to rinse your beans after soaking, this water is what is responsible for the gas factor in beans, which can be greatly reduced by rinsing.

Cooking Your Beans

Your recipe may give you instructions from here to cook your beans, but if the recipe calls for canned beans, your beans are not yet cooked enough to replace the canned beans.

Place your beans back in a large pot, and fill your pot with water, again make sure your water to bean ratio is at least 2 to 1 as they will still absorb a good amount of water.  Beans will take one to two hours to cook at this point, keep checking them, when they are fork tender they are ready.

You can add a bit of fat to the cooking water to reduce foaming if you want, but a large pan and watching your beans closely will prevent any boil overs.

You can add seasonings such as garlic, onion, (whole or powered) or herbs to your cooking water but save salt or any acidic flavorings till the beans are completely cooked, adding these items can cause the beans to take longer to cook, especially at high altitudes.

Extra cooked beans can be frozen or canned (if you have a pressure cooker) for later use.

Tomorrow  I will share my tried and true bean recipes to get you started.

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