Site Update
Sorry for the lack of posts. This whole moving-thing has turned out to be a lot more stressful and time consuming than I thought it would.
The move is happening Thursday, so hopefully I’ll have some time to get back to posting this weekend or early next week.
Make Some Extra Cash: Money for Recycling
Earth Day is this Wednesday. That makes this week an excellent time to learn more about living greener lives. One of the simplest ways to make a difference is recycling.
Even if you’re not into the whole green movement or feel like you’re too busy to start recycling, I think it’s worth some consideration, especially since there are ways to not only recycle, but make some money while doing it.
Here’s a quick round up of links for places to recycle various items for money:
Electronics
*Only Cell Phones
Books
(More info on selling your books.)
Ink Cartridges
Home Recycling
To recycle anything else check out Earth911.com’s recycling center search. You may not get paid, but you’ll feel better for doing a little good.
For links to places to Recycle in the UK, check out this post @ Seeing Good.
Free Samples: Condoms & Lube
The majority of 20 somethings are sexually active (or at least want to be). I am a big proponent of safer sex practices and exploring the many fun erotic products available on the market. It’s a little costly to buy several different brands of condoms and lubes to find the ones that work best for you.
Although many websites and some stores sell sample packs of various condoms and lubes, it’s even better to try some new options for free!
Here are a few places to request free samples of condoms and lubricants.
Condoms:
- Trojan Condoms
- Natural Lamb Condoms
- Beyond Seven Condoms (requires you to fill out a short survey)
Lubricants:
- ID Lubricants (have to answer short survey)
- Astroglide
Durex doesn’t have any free samples available, but you can sign up for a free issue of their new magazine. I have no idea why this exists, but it includes $25 in coupons, so that certainly makes it worth the effort to sign up. There are also coupon codes available for Durex products at Drugstore.com.
Also, Durex occasionally recruits for people to be condom testers, basically sending people condoms to test out in their own homes. Currently they aren’t recruiting for that, but are looking for Vibrator Testers, so if that’s up your alley, you can sign up and possibly be selected (it’s done randomly) to receive a sample vibrator.
Another option for free condoms is JollyJohns.com. You can sign up and earn points which are redeemable for free condoms. I haven’t used the site personally yet, but I’d love to hear from anyone who has.
(If you are sexually active and having problems affording condoms, or other forms of birth control, I highly recommend contacting Planned Parenthood and other local family planning clinics. Many operate on sliding scales for those without heath insurance and a lot of them provide free condoms as well.)
ETA 7/13/09: Durex is now having a weekly contest for free condoms, which includes samples.
Score Free Stuff on Tax Day
Tomorrow is the dreaded April 15th. I’ve hardly noticed since I did my taxes in February in anticipation of a very stressful April.
Luckily other bloggers are on the ball, so check out some free stuff (and tax day discounts):
Income Tax Day Freebies & Deals @ Hey, it’s Free!
Wednesday Tax Day Freebies @ Coupon Cravings
7:26PM ETA: A few more tax day posts I’ve found:
Tax Day Deals @ Nifty Thrifty Mamma
Tax Day Freebies & Deals @ Common Sense with Money
Money Saving Tip: Reusable Swiffer Cloths
I love my Swiffer. It was one of the first things I bought when I moved out on my own, starting with the Swiffer Sweeper, soon adding the Duster, Wet jet, and Vac.
As great as these products are at cleaning, the major downside is the costly (and wasteful) disposable cloths. Of course, I try to be as thrifty as possible, so a few years ago I went to the internet looking for a cheaper alternative.
I was so glad when I discovered Mama’s Love. Run by a Susan, a stay at home mom who was looking to save a little money herself, she sews reusable clothes for a variety of cleaning products, including Swiffer. Just use, toss in the washing machine, and then use again.
All of her products are great, well made and durable. As I mentioned before, I’ve been using them for years and recommend them to everyone who uses Swiffer products. They save you money and they’re better for our planet since less of those tossable refills are ending up in the landfills.
One recommendation though, if you’re going to get the duster cloths, get the double thick ones. They are a little more money, but they’re far superior than the regular ones and worth the extra investment.
For a few more tips, check out 5 Sites to Help You Go Green and Save Money.
It’s Your Birthday: Get Something Free!
Today is my birthday and I’m also fortunate enough to be off work, so I decided to do a little research to see what kind of free things are available for on my birthday.
I found tons of sites listing all kinds of birthday perks, including free items at restaurants, stores discounts, and more.
Here are a few of my favorites: (If you see something you’d like to have on your birthday, be sure to check it out now because most require you sign up in advance to receive the coupon).
- Join the Red Robin eClub and receive a free burger.
- Sign up for Friends of Krispy Kreme and get free donuts.
- Join the Baskin Robins Birthday Club and get a free 2.5oz scoop.
- Join Coldstone’s Birthday Club and get a free creation.
- Free Admission at Disneyland or Disney World on your birthday.
For more free birthday stuff check out Eat Free on Your Birthday (About.com) & Birthday Freebies.
Free Samples: Crest and more!
Here’s another round up of free sample links:
- Crest Pro-Health Enamel Shield Toothpaste
- Jergens Natural Glow Moisturizer
- Quaker Rice Snacks or Mini-Delights [source]
- Aveeo Nourish+ Shampoo [source]
Make Some Extra Cash: YouData
There are a couple different websites online where you can make some extra money by taking surveys, reading emails, etc.
YouData is a little bit different. Basically they pay you to look at an ad and then click to visit a site. The ads are targeted directly to you by optional info you provide through your “MeFile” (I listed info like I live in an apartment, my hobbies include drawing and knitting, I don’t like folk music etc.).
To access the ads you either have to log in to the website or download their ad player to access the ads instantly from your desk top.
The ads usually pay between 16 to 21 cents. Currently YouData only pays out via PayPal, but your earnings for the week are deposited into your account every Friday. There is a small PayPal transaction fee, usually only a cent or two–but it’s free money anyway, so no big deal. (If you don’t have a PayPal account and don’t want to deal with it, you can still join and earn the money and then get paid when they have an option that suits you.)
I’ve been using YouData for about five or six months, and it definitely hasn’t made me rich, but it’s pretty simple to open up the ad player once or twice a week, click a few ads, and make a buck or two. It ads up over time and if you don’t visit every day you don’t miss out on the ads.
To sign up it only requires your name, sex, and birth date. As far as contact info, you do have to provide an email address and a cell phone number. They will text a confirmation code to your cell phone, basically to ensure that people aren’t signing up multiple times. I have never received any other texts or spam from them, so I assure you that it is safe to give this data.
It’s free money, so give it a try. I’ve actually discovered some really cool websites through it that I would have never seen otherwise. If you don’t like it, you can always quit.
YouData Stats
Info Required to Sign Up: Gender, Date of Birth, Email Address, US Cell Phone # (for validation only), Cell Phone Carrier. Optional: Home zip code and Mefile info.
Sign up bonuses: None.
How money is earned: Viewing and clicking ads on the website or in a downloadable application.
Value of action: Varies by ad. usually between $0.10-$0.25. Half is for viewing the ad, the other half is awarded by visiting the advertiser’s site.
Redemption options: Paypal. (There will be more options in the future).
Fees or rules for redemption: Transaction fee: 2% of total amount, maximum $1. No minimum for payout.
Time redemption takes: Funds are deposit weekly, Friday Afternoon
Cash value of earnings: 1 - 1.
See Also:
Make Extra Money: Amazon’s Mechnical Turk
Earn Searching with Swagbucks
Make Some Extra Money: Opinion Outpost Surveys
Thrifty Moving: Finding Free Boxes
At the end of this month I’ll be moving for the first time in three years, and then three months after that I’ll be moving again, so my mind is definitely focused on finding ways to make moving simple and cheap when it can be so costly and stressful.
Boxes are an essential element of the moving process–you have to pack your stuff up before it can be relocated. The thing that amazes me is people pay money for boxes, or even pay people to box up their stuff for them. I know many of these people are short on time or have other good reasons for this, but I really don’t mind doing a little work to save a good deal of money in return.
Here are some great tips on finding free moving boxes:
1. Keep Your Boxes
I feel like this is the most obvious tip, but I’ve had countless roommates who move every year at the end of their lease and every time they finish unpacking they toss (or recycle) their boxes. Then the next year they’re running around buying or trying to find boxes.
If you know your situation isn’t permanent and you don’t mind take up a little (yes, just a little!) closet space, then the simplest way to score free boxes is to just keep them!
The amazing thing about the technology of boxes is they break down. Once flattened they take up such a small amount of space, easily placed against the wall of a closet while other things can be stored in front of them.
I also do shop online from time to time to nab a great deal, and sometimes the boxes my items come shipped in are the absolute perfect size for packing books, dishes, or even as big as a normal moving box. So I flatten those and keep them too.
It’s so simple: if you already have the boxes around then you just have to pull them out, tape them up, and put stuff in them. No money required (except for the tape–unless you can score that for free as well ;).
2. Craigslist
Oh Craigslist. Such a wonderful tool. The free section is a great source for all kinds of things, including moving boxes.
Here in Chicago, where a lot of renters move on the 1st of the month, that’s the best time to check. Usually the boxes start popping up on the first, though some will continue to show up through the first part of the month. Of course, you can check anytime by simply searching the free section for “moving boxes.” All you’ll have to do is go get them
(Side tip: If you’re looking for furniture or electronics like TVs, the end of the month is a good time to look for those on CL as well, for free or for cheap. A lot of people preparing to move realize they won’t need/be able to fit their stuff in their new home and want to get rid of it quick.)
3. Grocery/Retail Stores
Having worked in retail, I’ve seen countless boxes come in with inventory each week. After they’re emptied they go in the dumpster. Such a waste, especially in the eyes of a thrifty mover.
So you can easily “dumpster dive” for these boxes and hope you find something useful that hasn’t been contaminated by something gross/rotting. Also, my recommendation, is whenever you’re in a store that you frequent or is convenient to your home, just ask about boxes. Most stores have a certain day of the week that they receive their inventory and can let you know what time would be best to come by.
We used to give away boxes all the time at the store I worked at, as long as people asked for them. We’d often even set them aside in the back room until they came by to get them.
4. Your Friends & Family
Other people move as well! And a lot of the time they won’t mind lending or giving you boxes from their most recent move. If you put out the word far enough in advance, they may even do some of the work for you, saving boxes from online purchases or grabbing empty boxes they seen thrown out at various places.
Networking is a great tool, even just to score some free boxes.
If none of these suggestions work for you, many moving & storage companies sell boxes, including U-Haul or Public Storage (which sells an apartment pack, which a lot of my roommates have used and loved). So if you need to buy boxes as the last minute, then you still have reasonable options.
See Also:
Saving on Packing Supplies
Service Review: Public Storage
Make Some Extra Cash: Sell Your Books
I love to read and as a result I have a ton of books–the majority of them things I’ve read once and never plan to read again. Until now they’ve just gotten dusty on my bookshelf.
Since I’ll be moving in a month, I’ve been downsizing all my possessions, including my books. I’ve also searched for ways to make some extra money and it turns out selling my books is a good way to do it.
Most communities have used book stores or college bookstores that will buy books for cash or store credit, so I definitely recommend checking to see if there’s something in your area that will work for you.
If not, I have a few recommendations for websites where you can sell your books online.
1. Beck’s Book Store
A chain of college book stores here in Chicago, they also buy other books besides textbooks. The great thing about their website is you can enter in the ISBN numbers of all your books and then get a quote on how much they’ll buy the books for. Then you can edit the list and decide what you want to sell and what you don’t.
At this point you can either print out the list and take it into to one of Beck’s 8 Chicago locations and receive cash or print out a free shipping label to mail your books in and get a check back. They do have a minimum buyback of $10 to send books by mail.
2. Powell’s Books
This Portland area bookstore also buys books in-store and online. The difference from Beck’s is that you can’t get a quote online to sell your books in store.
To sell them online, again enter the ISBN numbers and then you’ll get your quote. If you enter more than one book at once, they’ll only give you a total quote and not the individual price for each book.
They pay via Paypal or store credit, and they also pay the shipping costs.
4/15/09 ETA: I just received payment from Powell’s for books I mailed on 4/1. So it took about 15 days total. I did receive the full amount I was quoted.
3. eCampus.com
This online bookstore buys textbooks (and some regular books). Again, enter the ISBNs and you’ll get their price quote. They pay for shipping and then send you a check, or you can select direct deposit for your payment.
Another option they have is a marketplace where you can list your books and sell them. They don’t charge listing fees, but they take a 15% commission when your book sells.
4. Cash4Books.net
I’ve been unable to sell anything to them thus far (they say they look primarily for textbooks, non-fiction, business, and professional/technical books), but they work in same way as the others. Enter the ISBNs, they give you a quote, print the prepaid mailing label, and then send in your books. They pay via check or Paypal.
My recommendation (if you have the time and patience) is to get quotes from all the sites and then sell each book to the highest offer. I understand if you don’t have the time for all that.
From my experience, Powells & Beck’s usually offered the most money and were interested in the most books (including textbooks, fiction, and nonfiction books).
Have left over books you couldn’t sell? Donate them to a thrift store like Goodwill or Salvation Army (along with any other unwanted items you may have). Get a receipt and your donations are deductible from your taxes.
