Category Archives: Financial

All, Financial

Keep An Eye On Your Bills And Reduce Them Now

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I’ve noticed that a lot of people are complacent with their bills. They may just be comfortable dealing with the same company. If anything, they’ll complain that they are going up. And, that’s if they even notice the increases or any extra charges. I was one of those people, for a long time.

Now, every few months or so, I go through all of my accounts to see how much I’m paying. Depending on the bill, I may contact them to see if there’s anything that can be done to decrease it. When I first started doing this, I contacted every company I owed money to. It doesn’t hurt to ask. For some, the answer was no and I would kindly move on. In other cases changes could be made, discounts applied, and even credits were given. Make sure to keep notes so you keep track of what was able to be done.

It’s definitely worth the extra time spent doing this. After a while, you have an idea which bills won’t budge versus which ones can be worked on. For example, I had massively horrible phone service for a few years. They refused to admit they had no coverage in my area, and I was stuck in a contract. So I would often call complaining about this, requesting credits. I got them most of the time.

Another thing I’ve seen a trend with, is that people have a habit of subscribing to multiple things that add up really quickly. This happens a lot when people cancel their cable service. They will often start ordering different streaming services that end up costing more than the cable did.

As always, I hope this helps. I’m not an expert, and I’m not rich. I’m just obsessed with saving money and sharing with others. Please let me know if you have any tips as well. I love hearing from everyone.

All, Financial

Free Items From Test Market

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I absolutely love Test Market!

Test Market is a third party site that offers Amazon items from vendors that need to increase their audience. They list the items for sale, along with the Amazon link. All you need to do is apply for an item, order it, then submit your order number. Before you even receive it, you will have your refund.

  1. Check the amount remaining
  2. Apply for the item
  3. Click the button to order on Amazon
  4. Return to the Test Market site
  5. Submit your order number
  6. Receive refund
  7. Receive item

There isn’t a huge selection of items, and they go quickly. Make sure you sign up for notifications. I got lucky and was able to get a few items. I ordered a manicure set, exercise ball, Christmas toys, candy jars, and a back scrubber.

Try out Test Market with my referral link, and I will get $1. Thanks!

All, Financial, Money Apps

Cashback With Ibotta

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I just got another $4 from Ibotta!

It was for my purchase of Nature Made Melatonin at Rite Aid. All I had to do was add the offer on the app, then scan my receipt and the item. It really didn’t take long. I’ve already made $43.35 so far with this app. I’ve seen others making a lot of money back, if you do this right.

I have to admit, I wasn’t using Ibotta to it’s full potential. I’ve been a member for years, but wasn’t using it. When I finally started to, I wasn’t paying enough attention or clicking all of the deals. I’m definitely regretting that.

Besides scanning your receipts, you can also get cash back from online shopping and buying gift cards. Gift cards are not just for holidays. You can buy them at a discounted rate to use for your regular shopping.

Now that I’m a lot more active with Ibotta, I’m inviting everyone to join my team for even more savings. You can use my referral link, referral code “n32fq“. When you do, I receive $10. We then work together towards more cash bonuses. Thank you!

Smile, Sparkle, Save!

All, Financial

Credit Basics

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A lot of people are really confused when it comes to their credit. They don’t fully understand how it all works. They don’t think it matters that much. They pay all their bills so they don’t worry about it. At some point in your life, you will most likely need to really take a hard look at your credit. There may be things you didn’t realize that may hold you back when you need it most.

A good place to start is by actually checking your credit scores. This gives you an idea of where you are ranked in the financial world. If you haven’t already done this, pull your credit report from a reliable source. You can get your information from Experian, TransUnion, your bank, etc. I use Credit Karma the most. Review every bit of it and if anything is incorrect, you can dispute it. They generally estimate it taking a month to go through the process, but I’ve seen things removed in about a week.

Once you’ve made sure your information is correct, you should keep an eye on it in case things change. I check mine every few weeks, but then I’m obsessed with increasing my credit score at the moment. A lot goes on that you don’t even realize. I’ve seen accounts get removed, then added again later under a different company name. Carefully choose ways to help build your credit, instead of hurting it in error.

I recommend not applying for every card that comes your way. The loans and cards may help at the moment, but you now have additional payments to manage later. If you’re able to, it does help to set up automatic payments. Late payments will only prevent you from catching up, especially if you’re late on more than one bill. It’s also best to keep your charges below a third of your credit. If your balance goes up, try to make an additional payment to bring it back down.

If you are starting out or just don’t have any credit at all, you may feel extremely stuck. It is a very difficult place to be in. I would normally say that Credit Karma recommends cards accordingly, but you won’t be able to access it without any credit. I would look into credit cards that will help you build your credit. You can get some with a security deposit and possibly fees. Also utility bills can be added to boost your credit. Again, be careful so you don’t set yourself back in the process.

I hope this helps. It is just meant as a basic guideline to point you in the right direction. Let me know if you have any tips as well. I love hearing from everyone.

All, Financial

New: National Consumer Panel

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I just added National Consumer Panel to the list of apps to scan receipts with. The difference with this one is that you don’t actually scan the receipt. Instead, you scan each item purchased. You then need to enter price and if coupons were used or if it was on sale. There are also surveys to do. I couldn’t find any referral information, but still wanted to share since I just cashed out a $25 Amazon gift card.

All, Financial

Another $50 From YouGov

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I talked about YouGov before, but I’m mentioning it now because I just cashed out again. This time I got a $50 Amazon gift card.

When I first listed YouGov on my site, I had it in the passive apps section. I did this because I initially only installed the app that runs in the background on my phone. That’s all that’s needed to accumulate points. Then I would get an occasional email to do a survey. I often ignored them because I get frustrated with surveys in general.

I test a lot survey sites. They can get very involved at times. I lose my focus very easily. Sometimes I feel like it’s taking too long, so I get anxious. I give up on them very quickly. I’m trying to be much better about that.

I recently downloaded the YouGov survey app and I started paying more attention to the emails. I completed every survey right away so they wouldn’t expire. Like I said, there’s not that many. Then I noticed that they were pretty generous with points.

Back in February, I cashed out $15. I was somewhat new then. I didn’t realize that if you let your balance grow, you get more back later. I’m not sure when I started to pay more attention, but it really didn’t take me long to get to $50. I’ll have a better gauge next time I cash out.

If you are interested in trying it out, please use my referral link. When you complete 4 surveys, I will receive 2,000 points. Thank you!

All, Financial

Get Paid To Review Items

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***10/22/20 Update: This was originally posted a few months ago. I unpublished it in error.

I love to shop in general, especially on Amazon. I get packages several times a week. Most of which, I get my money back after I have reviewed them.

I was skeptical at first. I’m still checking into other sites as well. So far, there are three companies that I have had successful transactions with. There has only been one time that I didn’t get paid and it was my own fault. I didn’t act fast enough to qualify for my refund. I stay on top of it now to ensure I get my money back. It can be a process to keep track of, but honestly for me it’s been worth it.

Each site has specific rules that must be followed in order to have a successfully paid transaction. For the most part, they have the same basic idea. You would find the item you are interested in and apply for it, then purchase it on Amazon. Once you receive it, review the item. When all the terms are met, you will then be paid up to 100% of the amount you originally paid. Some also pay the PayPal fees.

So far, I have received the following items to review for cash back:

Clear Desk Mat
Metallic Markers
Laptop Stands
Laptop Fan
Jeweler’s Loupe
iPhone Power Cord
2 Sets Of Wireless Earbuds
Bluetooth Radio
Temperature/Humidity Thermostat
Kitchen Scissors
Child Proof Corner Guards
Mug Warmer
Bedside Organizer
Satin Sheet Set
Nightgown
Swimsuit
Beanie
Cami

If you’re interested in being paid to review items, click on my referral links found on the Financial Tips page.

Everyone’s results will vary. For the most accurate up to date information, see the individual company’s site/app. I’m in PA, US, using an Android phone and Windows laptop to access above mentioned. My only affiliation is that I have personally used these companies and share my referral links, which may pay an incentive.

All, Financial

$400+ In Free Products, So Far

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***10/22/20 Update: This was originally posted a few months ago. I unpublished it in error.

I have mentioned to a few of my friends and family members that I review items on Amazon. In return, I get my money back for those items. Not one of them have been the slightest bit interested. In hearing about it, and much less in participating themselves. I completely get it. It’s not for everyone.

The two responses I have received was that I make it seem so easy and they don’t have the money to pay for the items in the first place.

I get the money part, however there are things like phone chargers that I would think that anyone could use for free.

And well, it is pretty easy at this point. I’ve done all the work of researching and testing the companies that I deal with. They wouldn’t be on my site if I didn’t already do this and had successful transactions.

It really is a simple process.

Basically, you sign up for the site you want to try out. After your account is set up, you can choose the items you are interested in. In most cases, you need to accumulate points to be used towards your purchases. That can be done by checking in daily and various other tasks. Some deals will also give you points. Once your request is accepted, you can purchase it on Amazon. Follow any specific guidelines regarding leaving a review on their site, as well as on Amazon. If all steps were followed properly within the timelines given, you will then receive your money back.

I’ve been doing this for 4 months & so far, I have received the following:

* Clear Desk Mat * Metallic Markers * Laptop Stands * Laptop Fan * Jeweler’s Loupe * iPhone Power Cord * 2 Sets Of Wireless Earbuds * Bluetooth Radio * Temperature/Humidity Thermostat * Kitchen Scissors * Child Proof Corner Guards *
2 Pack Of Maze Puzzles * Mug Warmer * Bedside Organizers * Satin Sheet Set * Nightgown * Swimsuit * Beanie * Cami * 3 Pack Of Cooling Shirts *

That’s a total of $405.89 of useful items that I received my money back from!

I think it’s worth the little bit of time that it takes. If you’re interested in getting items for free in return for your review, you can try out the ones that I use. They are located on the Financial Tips page.

For similar pages, see:

* Get Paid To Review Items
* Small Financial Tips – It All Adds Up
* The Rewards Are The Reason

Everyone’s results will vary. For the most accurate up to date information, see the individual company’s site/app. I’m in PA, US, using an Android phone and Windows laptop to access above mentioned. My only affiliation is that I have personally used these companies and share my referral links, which may pay an incentive.