Making money with Amazon

I had been a member of Amazon's affiliate program for years now. Until only recently I had discovered how to really make money with that program. I was dumb enough to just put product links on my various blogs and websites. Only around Christmas time did those links ever make me any money. Thanks to the advice I found on the Digital Point forum I am able to fully integrate an Amazon store and run it like my own. It is actually working!

Now I just have to do more SEO for those blogs and websites that have the Amazon store on them and I'll be set with a regular paycheck each month from Amazon. For doing proper SEO to get more visitors to those sites I suggest this ebook called Easy Steps to having a Popular Blog or Website. It is very straight forward and you will get your website noticed by the search engines in no time at all.

Remodeling your home

It use to be in order to make your home more sell able you would remodel either a kitchen or bathroom. That doesn't work anymore. Even having something like walk in tubs would not add to the resale value of your home unless you were looking to sell to someone that was elderly or had a disability.

About 12 years ago we sold our first little starter home. In order for it to pass inspection we had to have the bathroom redone to fix some water issues. Shorty after the house sold I drove by it on my way to work one day and noticed that the new owner was remodeling. Of all the rooms they could of remodeled, they chose the bathroom. The brand new bathtub and toilet were now sitting out by the curb waiting for the trash pickup. I hope they realized that they were throwing out about $800 in fixtures.

Doing a remodel should only be undertaken if you plan on staying in your home for many years yet to come. In the future if I had to have a remodel done to fix an inspection issue I would simply give the credit for the redo in the asking price rather than have it fixed.

A lawyer that clips coupons

The economy must be getting pretty tough when lawyer has to clip coupons to save on her grocery bill. Watch the video below to see a women who is a lawyer by day and an habitual coupon clipper by night, claims to save up to 75% off of her grocery bill.

Controversy sells

If you run a blog or message board here is some advise that you will treasure : approve comments or message board posts that are against your own opinion. Why? Because controversy will bring you more readers than you ever thought possible.

I know a fellow blogger from a few years ago. She runs an animal blog. She is a avid anti- horse slaughter person. When she published a blog post a few years back called "Eating your Pets" she got over 2000 visitors a day to that one blog post for at least a month. It is not the post itself but the comments that people were intrigued with. You see people love to read the comments on the blog posts just as much as they read the blog itself. Just look at any of the MSN news articles that allow comments. The comments are often more interesting than the article.

Just this morning I published a comment that was of a different opinion than my own and I welcome it because it will bring in more readers. I am very open minded as well as speaking my own mind on this blog. Controversy works for me and other successful blog owners.

Beware of spam on Twitter

If you are a user of Twitter, then you are probably well aware of the growing spam problem on there. At first it was just a trickle and now it is a tsunami of spam. Internet marketers all churning out "I've made XX of $$ and so can you" tweets or "how to enlarge your (put anything here from a part of your anatomy to your bank account) over night".

I have an account on there and at first it was great to exchange ideas with other people about the economy or share views on online scams. Now I find it almost impossible to find anyone who isn't trying to sell something on there. That is until I found Twitblock.org which you can have scan the people you follow to see if they are spammers. Twitblock will run a series of tests on them and let you know their score. What I found out was the fact that many spammers will use the same photo and make multiple accounts, sometimes hundreds of them. Twitblock will help you find them.

I certainly hope that Twitter can remedy the problem of spamming in their system. As it is now, many people are not returning to Twitter and are finding somewhere else to socialize online.

Begging for food

I have nothing but the highest admiration for organizations that put together soup kitchens or food banks for those who desperately need food. That being said I have a personal experience to share with you.

About 3 days ago I was at a local small store. Across the street is a large modern church. As I was getting in my car to leave I noticed a line of people waiting at the back door of the church. I asked one of the store clerks that was out in the parking lot, what was going on. He said it was a food line. I looked at the line and looked back at him and said "you're kidding, right". Why I said that was because at least 70% of the people in the line were obese, not just overweight but obese. Those people would be better off waiting in a line to get pills for weight loss. The clerk told me I should have been here yesterday when some of people drove up in Corvettes and Cadillacs.

What I don't understand is if that sort of thing is happening, the greedy getting free food, why doesn't the church give out food a different way. They could find people living at homeless shelters and take the food to them. I am sure there is a better way to get food to the truly needy people rather than that group I saw standing in line.

College red tape and how to get tangled in it

I found out just 8 weeks ago that I was eligible for a possible Federal Pell Grant to go back to college. After filling out the forms online and submitting them with the college of my choice listed I was eligible for a $5K grant. I was thrilled! But it only started an 8 week long headache.

It is not as simple as it might seem because the local community college has some rather strange procedures in place to prevent you from using that grant right away. First you have a deadline to apply and get all of your paperwork in by. This is usually 2-3 months ahead of the start of the school term. I was lucky in that I got mine in 3 days before the due date. But wait, the college has more waiting time. They claim that they can only process the award once you have enrolled in the college and taken a placement exam which costs $30. Ok so I did that. Then you have to wait for an orientation date for new students before you can sign up for any classes. Of course I had to wait 2 more weeks for that date. Only after you sign up for 12 credits worth of classes can they process the award, which they claim might take 8 weeks more but your classes now start in 4 weeks!!! Top that off with the fact the college will be closed for one week due to budget cut backs, so more delays. Of course in order to start the classes you need the grant money to pay the tution and buy the books. If you drop the classes because you can't pay for them then the award might not go through!!!! Also if there are any changes made to the Pell Grant after it reaches the college, even if it means getting a higher amount awarded, it could add 2 more weeks to the process.

Is Obama listening to all of this? Could the federal government step in an stop all this red tape? Do they really want people to go back to school or is this kind of some sick joke that both federal and local governments are playing on us?

This blog now has a newsletter

If you have not noticed the sign up widget in the side panel for my new newsletter then I am letting you know about it now. Why a newsletter you ask. I am not going to say, why not, but instead I wanted to help my readers out. I often get time limited offers for money saving coupons or sales so instead of putting those great offers here on the blog where they might be lost in the pile of blog posts, I will put them in my newsletter instead. I also wanted to more indepth information on how I personally save money and pay off bills.

Looking at my blogs stats, I find that my most popular blog posts are about free coupons, money saving ideas and great sales deals. So with that information in hand, a newsletter was the way to go. I don't plan of sending out the newsletter more than twice a month so you don't have to worry about having your email inbox flooded with my newsletters. I signed up for a newsletter from a pet food site about a year ago and I started to get an email almost everyday from them. It was a bit of over kill to say the least. I finally had to discontinue getting the newsletter because there was no real "news" in it.

You will not have to worry about me giving out your email addy or selling the list. I just won't do that. I also suggest that you get one of those free email accounts and use it for all of your newsletter subscriptions.

Look!! I have 1 new subscriber already! Thank you.

Successful yard sales

So you need some extra quick cash and collecting aluminum cans it getting old fast. So have a yard sale. If you don't have enough items to attract much attention then ask a neighbor or 2 to either combine sales or have their own sale. More people are likely to stop at a yard sale when there is more than one to look at.

Let everyone know ahead of time that there will be a yard sale in a few days. When you post your cardboard display don't forget to put the actual date of the sale not just "Saturday" or "this Sunday" on it. Include the hours too. Get creative and have the kids get involved. Have them hold and wave signs on the corner just like they do for store sales and car washes. If you have a big enough yard have the kids hold a car wash. They can wash the car while the people visit the yard sale.

One really creative person I know has access to an inflatable bounce house and puts it in the front yard when they have a yard sale. They have their kids in front of it and charge people to go in. Sometimes they make more money with the jump house than they do with the actual sales.

A close friend of mine is a fantastic cook and she has cookies and cakes for sale at her yard sales along with fresh coffee.

For a successful yard sale don't just think of pulling everything out of the garage and putting in the front yard, think of other ways to make money while you have those customers on your property.

The Dollar store runs low on items

It certainly is a sign of the times when the local Dollar Store close to me sells out of cat and dog food. They have those 4 pound bags of the pet food for just a buck. They also have some pet supplements for sale too and they too are often sold out. If you go into Walmart those same size bags of cat food will run from $5 to $8 depending on the brand. The $5 bag is the generic or store brand.

I can certainly see why people are shopping for pet food at the Dollar Store, those other so called discount places are not that great a bargain. I bought a bag of dog food just yesterday at Walmart (the Dollar Store was sold out) and I noticed that the shelves with the Walmart brand was almost empty. The brand name dog food, on the other hand, had plenty on the shelves. It looks like people are now cutting back on the name brands for dog food.

Looking good for that job interview

Is it true that companies and even small businesses are now looking at their prospective employees through a camera lens? There has been a huge increase of women going to plastic surgeons just to get a nip and tuck for job interviews.

My own personal experience tells me yes, companies want good looking people, but not everywhere. In California there is a higher standard of looking good for that interview than in Oregon. California has a younger population while Oregon has an older population. States like Oregon, Arizona and Florida are known as retirement states and their populations are mostly older people. Other states like California are the states with young families. The states that have a younger population tend to look at an individual that is interviewing for a job as how good looking they are. While an older population state will look at a person's qualifications more than looks.

So if you are having trouble getting hired and think it is because you look too old, don't get out the best wrinkle cream just yet. Try looking for a job in a different area where the population is closer to your age bracket.

Making ends meet after retirement

With all the controversy about the medical insurance legislation that is being worked on it is no wonder that people are confused. When it comes time to collect social security and medicare most people are very confused about their coverage. Medicare is not entirely free to it's recipients. Those who are on it have to pay about $100 a month out of their social security payment to pay for medicare. If you opt for "managed" medicare you will pay an extra $60-80 per month depending on the company you go with. "Managed" medicare will not give you anymore medical coverage but they handle the paperwork for you. Usually under "managed" medicare, doctors visits are a flat fee per visit. This is what Obama plans to cut out, the fact that medicare recipients are paying more money out of their pockets but not getting more coverage.

Another option for medicare recipients is to purchase Medicare supplemental insurance. That coverage will often pay for the percentage of the medical bill that medicare does not cover. The problem with that is the fact that supplemental insurance is costly and some companies have provisions like prior medical conditions. It works out great if you can afford an extra $300 a month for the supplemental insurance but most people on SS can't afford it.

I am hoping that the federal government will make cuts in the medical insurance industry. The money needs to go to actual services and medical supplies and not to line the pockets of medical insurance companies.

Waste and big business

I think some companies that advertise need to change marketing companies. I just saw an ad on TV about CA.COM, they are a IT company. In their ad they showcased the inside of a huge building which I am assuming belongs to them. I don't know what kind of feeling they were trying to convey to their viewers but the impression I got was a large empty building with very few workers and lots of empty space. I also got the impression of waste as in huge hallways that served no purpose other than to use up this planets resources.

If CA wanted to convey a message about their services they would have been better to show someone pulling their hair out and needing help with their computer system. Whom ever CA is using for a marketing company they should have done some market research on image before they put an ad like that on TV.

All I got out of the ad was that CA.COM has a big empty building and needs work, probably to pay the mortgage/rent on the building.

Being frugal on your wedding day

We all know that most grooms rent their tuxedos for their wedding day, but it is almost unheard of for the bride to rent a wedding gown. Why is that? Wedding gowns can put you back anywhere from $500 to $25K. Why not just rent one?

The wedding cake is another big expense. At my wedding I was fortunate enough to have 2 future sister-in-laws that had their own businesses. One owned a bakery and made the wedding cake and the other was very handy with crafts and made all the flower decorations for the wedding including the bouquets. I told them both to forget getting us any wedding gifts since they supplied the cake and flowers, that was more than enough of a gift.

Forget the big reception. I had a huge potluck at a relatives home. I bought a turkey and a large ham. It was in August and the turkey was barbecued. Everyone brought a dish of food. It was a blast. It was more fun since we did not have to worry about our guests having to leave before the place closed.

It worked out because all of our friends and relatives got together to help plan the event. It was just not the bride and her mother's ideas. Yes it was a big church wedding at that, but the church does not charge much and only wanted a donation.

A house in the country built by blogging money

I just had to share my new home that was just bought with my money made from blogging. A beautiful view home that just invites the green country side in. It is cozy and paid for. Not a mansion because I didn't want to have to clean more than 7 rooms. The blogging money is good but not good enough to hire a maid yet. It almost sounds like a real estate ad doesn't it? I assure you it is not. With all the other blogging gurus out there flaunting their paycheck, cars, homes and what ever else they can take a picture of and post on their blog I thought I would jump on the band wagon with them. So are you ready to see the beautiful view home? I bet you are. First I have to tell you that we are having some trouble getting homeowners insurance. I think it is because of the foundation or the possibility of land movement. I'll have to find out more about it first - but it is paid for and that is what counts.

So without further waiting here it is-





I do have to find more about why it went so cheaply. $500 was such a bargain and the small print about not being built with permits was a bit of a hesitation for us until the agent assured us it wouldn't be a problem. We will be moving in as soon as I find out if the internet can be reached from there.

I just had to poke some fun at all of those blogging gurus that mention they have made it big. They love to show how big of a house they bought or the fancy car. In reality most bloggers never see a dime or care to. I have been blogging for about 4 years now and I average about $500 a month income from affiliates like Google, eBay and Pepperjam as well as paid to blog companies. You have to keep in mind that I maintain 6 active blogs and 3 websites. It can be a full time job if I want to sit at the computer all day but I shut up shop at 3pm each day and start all over again at 9am the next morning. I rarely work on weekends because the paid to blog sites don't work those days either.

Of course I also have to wait 30 days or more to get any money that I earned from those companies. Amazon makes you wait 60 days after you make the minimum payout. Blogging is defiantly not for people that need money NOW, get a real job for that.

If you are curious about the house in the photo it was featured in Architectural Record last year. Here is more about the Shack at Hinkle Farm

Food prices are going up

Are you trying to manage your food budget but can't seem to get a handle on it? You are not alone. In this tight economy when most items are getting deep discounts to entice buyers, food prices are still rising. Even the pet food industry is upping their prices, here is an article about that.

So what are we to do about it? First off take a calculator with you when you shop. You'll need to use it to see if that 64 oz package is really cheaper than the 12 oz package. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't. Some stores like Walmart put the price per ounce on their shelf price tag, but how accurate are they? Do the math yourself and you won't have to rely on the honesty of the store.

Next find local farmers markets where people that are home growing their own food are also selling their produce to others. Some prices are good but again you need to know it when you see a bargain or not. Know your store prices before you venture into the world of farmers markets.

Shop at food bargain stores. Even the Dollar Tree is putting in freezers for frozen food. Shop only at the major supermarkets for their sales only.

Learn to stock up when you see a bargain. Meat will keep in the freezer for 6 months. You can also freeze bread so it won't go stale. If you don't have cupboard space for canned foods then use a covered plastic tub you can store in the garage or in a shed. Stock up on items you use everyday like toilet paper or shampoo when you see them on sale.

Home business scams to stay away from

You have all heard the stories of "Mom makes $5K online" or something similar. In fact most of them are scams. The scammers are getting so much better at presentation you actually think they are real. Here is a fake website about the mom making it after hubby lost his job.

Working online - the next gold rush

So how can you tell it is fake? Simple just add the word "scam" to any business product that is being sold and you will come up with a wealth of information. By adding the word scam to the product mentioned on the fake website I came up with this expose' on the Google scam:

Google home businesses to avoid

It points out that the Google Biz kit that is mentioned in the mom article will make unauthorized charges on your credit card to the tune of $70 a month or more. Defiantly beware of that program.

If you go down to the bottom of the page you will see this list of scams to stay away from:
Google Biz Kit, Home Business Kit for Google, Google Instant Profit, Google Speedy Cash, IncomefromHomeKit.com, Speedy Pay Check, Internet Biz Kit. Google Money Master, Fast Google Profits, Google Success System, SEO Supervisor, Google Money System, Earn Cash From Google, Earn Cash With Google, Free Google Kit, Google ATM, Cash Secret Club, Google Gold Mine, Google Home Business Kit, Google Pro Kit, EZ Net Income, eMillionaire Institute, Internet Income Pro, Google Profit, Make Google Cash, QuickGooglePofit.com, gmoneybiz.com - Google Money Grants, Google Start Up, Google Revolution, LLC, Google Profit Software Kit, Google 180, Google Money Profits

Please do your homework before signing up for any so called "free" program. Twitter is rampant right now with scams and MLMs (also known a pyramid schemes). When money gets tight the scam artists are out in full force.