CloudCrowd is a Facebook app where you can earn money for completing different tasks. For those who have done Amazon’s Mturks, the tasks are similar to that. The variety of tasks range from writing to data entry and each task earns a different amount.
You need a Facebook account in order to sign up and you will also need a Paypal account in order to get paid. Once you accept a task and complete it, it is reviewed and either accepted if correct or rejected if your work is incorrect.
Work completed correctly by 5 p.m. is paid the following day regardless of how much you earned. There is no minimum payout amount you have to reach in order to be paid. You can sign up here.
Alaina shares her twelve years of work from home experience at her blog Telecommuting Mommies. She also opens up her personal life as a homeschooling, blogging, work-at-home mom of four at The Maestro Mom. Follow her on Twitter at TelecommuterMom.
Once a year, my husband and I choose a month to practice financial fasting. Fasting is to willingly abstain from something… and we practice financial fasting to intentionally work toward not spending extra money.
We focus on using our leftovers and digging deep into our freezer. We might work together to make a big batch of homemade waffles and freeze them. Our grocery bill decreases for the month, because we are using what we already have.
We choose all activities that are free for the month.
We visit the library for books, music, and movies. We go hiking and exploring. We make all our treats and snacks at home. On the weekend, we also pick family activities that complete a house project, like organizing the basement or raking leaves.
We use up all our free toiletry samples.
We go through our cupboards and make sure nothing has been sitting unused. If it has been sitting idle, we put it to use. We also go through drawers and use up any idle cleaning supplies, candles, or craft supplies.
We organize our house.
We gather anything for donation and take it to one of our local secondhand stores. Anything not in use, but worthwhile, we might sell or give to someone who can use it.
We gather all our monthly bills and review their costs. We cancel anything that is unnecessary, and adjust anything that we are paying too much for. Doing this on a regular basis ensures that we are not missing anything that might waste our resources.
We do without.
If we run out of something in that month, before we purchase a replacement, we ask if can do without it or wait until the month is completed. For example, if we run out of lined paper, can I use the back of old documents for writing or drawing? Is there a homemade version we can make to replace what is out? Can I take time to mend or repair something that is broken?
We gather all our loose change and deposit it into our family giving bank.
When the bank is full, we choose where and for what cause to send our money.
A financial fasting month does not mean you won’t spend any money. It just provides an opportunity to be very intentional about what money you do use.
This intentional time also allows you to use the resources you already have and might have forgotten about. We find these months to be beneficial because it helps our family be intentional in everyday life throughout the year.
Lisa is a freelance writer from Holland, Michigan. She blogs about placing yourself in the proximity of renewal at About Proximity. She works with the Global Team of 200 of the organization Mom Bloggers for Social Good. Her favorite thing is to encourage others. She laughs daily with her husband, and kids Ellie and Josiah.
Have you blogged about an idea that would be a great gift to give to someone this Christmas? If so, we’d love to consider sharing it with our readers! Submit your post here and we’ll consider sharing it as part of this series.
Published: by Crystal Paine on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Welcome to 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}!
From November 5 to December 7 (skipping the week of Thanksgiving), every weekday morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’ll be posting the day’s assignment and then every evening at 6 p.m. EST, I’ll be posting my progress and pictures, along with a link-up for you to share your progress and pictures, too.
Day 1 Assignment
::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}
::Set the timer for 15 minutes and quickly pick up the main living areas of your home.
::Clean out your purse and/or diaper bag.
Take pictures of your accomplishments and blog about them, if you’d like. And then come back here at 6 p.m. EST to share your progress posts or tell us about your accomplishments in a comment.
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As a budget coach (and someone who’s been working my way out of debt for the past six years) I’m not willing to paying more for something than I absolutely have to. While many of my family and friends believe my wife and I are “cheap”, I’ve become comfortable knowing that we’re simply “frugal” and do our best to make the most of what God has entrusted to us.
Whether your looking to save some money on a big-ticket purchase or just trying to find deals for holiday gifts, here are a few ways to avoid paying retail.
1. Ask for a deal.
Businesses want your sale and they’re typically willing to earn it. Do your research before you head to the store: browse competitor’s websites, search ads, shop around on Amazon, and come to the table prepared to negotiate.
2. Shop at the end of month, quarter, or year.
Most businesses have monthly, quarterly, and yearly sales goals — so by shopping at the end of these periods, you’re more likely to get a great deal.
If you’re dealing with a sales rep that isn’t willing to budge on the price, ask for a store manager or department manager as they’ll have more power to negotiate.
3. Be the king/queen of Black Friday.
Black Friday is quickly approaching, and as most of you frugally-minded shoppers know: it’s a great time to get a bargain!
With the power of the internet, nearly every major store’s ads are available a few weeks in advance. Search all of the ads and get a game plan ready for your attack.
Of course I should add a caveat here: don’t go overboard. There’s no reason to buy something you don’t need just because it’s a good deal!
4. Take advantage of online banking.
The banking industry has evolved with the onset of tablets, cell phones, and increased internet use.
Online banks are becoming the standard, and their high-interest CDs and Savings Accounts, low fees, and reward debit cards are giving consumers much more incentive to leave their traditional brick-and-mortar banks.
5. Buy refurbished or floor models.
You can save a bundle of money if you buy used and refurbished tech gadgets. And if you’re searching for other big-ticket items such as couches, refrigerators, TVs, or kitchen tables, buying the floor model or searching the “scratch-and-dent” section will save you at least 10-30%!
We were able to save $200 on our refrigerator even though the scratch was on the side that is now covered up by our counter!
What are your tips to avoid paying retail?
Jason is a financial advisor and Dave Ramsey-trained counselor who blogs over at Work Save Live. He aims to educate his readers on a variety of financial topics while sharing his family’s journey out of debt and a weekly delicious recipe.
To make a little extra change you can become a mail decoy. Mail Decoys are used to track how long it takes for mail to be delivered along with the shape it is in when it arrives.
It depends on how many mail decoys there are in your area already, how quickly you will hear back from them so you may be able to make some money before Christmas if they contacted you right away. As a mail decoy you receive mail delivered to you other than your own mail.
Usually they are catalogs but they will be marked in a way that you will be able to tell them apart from your regular mail. Each day, you stamp the mail with the date and then enter a code from the piece of mail on to their website.
You store the mail in a file box for six months before discarding and in rare cases they may ask you to send in a piece that you received. If this is the case you will be reimbursed for the cost of mailing those items.
The pay is 25 cents per piece of mail, which is not much but it only takes a few minutes of your time each day.
You can enter your zipcode on the Hausernet website to see if they need someone in your area right away or just apply and they’ll notify you if they have openings in your area. SBKC is a similar type of mail decoy company, but instead of paying you in cash, you earn points that you can redeem for gift cards.
Alaina shares her twelve years of work from home experience at her blog Telecommuting Mommies. She also opens up her personal life as a homeschooling, blogging, work at home Mom of four at The Maestro Mom. Follow her on Twitter at TelecommuterMom.
Published: by Crystal Paine on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Many of you have asked if I could run another 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home series in preparation for the holidays. I waffled about doing it since I didn’t want to commit to something that I couldn’t follow through with (I have a few big projects going on in my life right now and am trying to do my best to not over-commit and end up feeling stretched too thin and burnt out!)
In the end, I decided to do the series in the month of November, only this time around, I’m going to simplify it to something that can be done in 30 minutes or less per day. We’ll mostly be following along with the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home series that I initially posted, but it will be a much more simplified version.
Beginning Monday, I’ll post each day’s assignment at 9 a.m. EST and then have the link-up for you to share your pictures, posts, and comments at 6 p.m. EST each day. I’ll only be posting assignments on weekdays and we’ll be skipping the week of Thanksgiving — so the series will actually last five weeks total and will run from November 5 to December 7, 2012.
Leave a comment below and let us know if you’ll be joining in! I can’t wait to be inspired by you all!
I like soups that are rich, creamy, and full of veggies and carbohydrates (who needs meat?) My husband, on the other hand, only eats soups that are hearty, meaty, and not rich (veggies optional).
This recipe is our happy compromise!
Why you’ll love this Recipe For Cheeseburger Soup
It’s inexpensive to make.
It feeds a crowd.
It’s full of ingredients you probably already have.
It tastes amazing!
The type and amount of meat are flexible. I often use a mixture of ground turkey, ground beef, and venison in place of the ground beef. Sausage would probably work quite well, also. And I always scrimp on the meat in soup recipes – so feel free to do the same (or leave it out completely… which I could never get by with at my house).
The chilly fall evenings are the perfect time to serve this filling, warm-me-up soup. Add some fresh bread and a tossed salad or veggie tray and you have a simple meal that’s good enough to serve to company.
My picky 4-year old requests this for dinner every. single. night!
Cheeseburger Potato Soup Ingredients
3/4 – 1 pound ground beef (or less)
1 medium onion, finely chopped (or 2 tsp onion powder)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups milk
1/3 cup flour
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese*
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
*NOTE: If you use mild cheddar, you will need to use more of it to get the same amount of cheesy flavor.
Does beef need to be cooked before adding to hamburger vegetable soup?
Yes, before you start making the soup, you’ll cook the ground beef with the onions and garlic to give it extra flavor. Then drain the grease off and add it back (cooked) into the broth with the rest of the ingredients.
Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup Recipe Substitutions
Try ground turkey or even diced ham for a totally different flavor.
Feel free to substitute onion powder and garlic powder for fresh onions and garlic if you don’t have them in the house.
You can also use any type of broth (or water) and any type of milk or cream.
Swap cornstarch or a gluten-free flour for wheat flour if you need to make this recipe gluten-free.
And mix up the types of cheese you use for a little flavor tweak.
How to Make Hamburger and Potato Soup
1. In a medium-sized pot, combine ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir until meat is no longer pink.
2. Drain the meat and return it to the pot.
3. Add the potatoes, carrots, basil, parsley and broth and bring to a rolling boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5. Combine milk and flour until smooth (this only takes a few seconds in my Vita-Mix). Gradually pour the mixture into the soup, stirring constantly.
6. Cook and stir until the soup is thickened and starting to boil.
7. Add cheeses and continue cooking until cheese is melted (another minute or so).
8. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.
Potato and Hamburger Soup Tips
Don’t cook this soup too long as the potatoes will start getting mushy.
Also, you’ll want to continually taste-test it throughout the process to make sure you’re adding the right amount of salt.
What to Serve with Cheeseburger Potato Soup
This soup is a very hearty stand-alone meal, so don’t feel like you need to come up with a bunch of side dishes… however, here are a few ideas if you want them.
Bread or rolls
Crackers
Lettuce salad or raw veggie salad
Fresh fruit
More cheese!
How to Store this recipe for Cheeseburger Soup
Let the soup cool to room temperature and then transfer leftovers to an air-tight food storage container. Refrigerate for up to a week.
This soup does not freeze as well as other soups as the potatoes will be quite mushy after defrosting it.
Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy. She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.
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Published: by Crystal Paine on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Welcome to our 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas series. In this series, I’m highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash in the next two months for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.
If you’ve found a great way to make extra cash before Christmas that doesn’t require an outlay of cash upfront, please email me your tip. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!
Have you been to Craigslist? It’s like the ultimate online garage sale! We’ve used it for several years now and have bought and sold pretty extensively. It’s a great way to make a few extra bucks and de-clutter at the same time.
In all the transactions we’ve done, I’ve learned a few tips on selling that I hope are helpful to you:
1. Post good photos.
Use a “real” digital camera, not your phone or otherwise poor quality camera. A fuzzy photo makes people wonder what you are trying to hide, even if you’re not trying to hide anything!
Take several different photos (the maximum is four) from various angles. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a horizontal photo and a vertical photo taken from the exact same angle.
2. Write an accurate description and price accordingly.
Your leather couch that your dog has chewed on is not going to go for the same price other leather couches without teeth marks are going for.
Disclose any flaws that you know of. Don’t say, “I paid $1,000 for it 5 years ago and I only want $750!”
If you think you can get that great of return on something you’ve used for 5 years, please don’t say how much you paid for it. In my opinion, it is rarely a good idea to quote the original price. It can almost always be used against you.
3. Note what area of town you are in.
There is a place on the form to do this. Are you north, south, east, west? What neighborhood? “Rockrimmon” gives a lot more information than “West Colorado Springs.”
And by the way, everyone else in the world is not a zip code geek like you so putting only your zip code down is silly because very few people are going to know what part of town that is!
4. Be ready to respond to inquiries.
It should be obvious that you should not leave on vacation an hour after posting your ad. But you may post it and be gone for a few hours. In that case, it’s not a bad idea to include your phone number. If you’re not going to be able to check your email for some reason, include your phone number.
5. Don’t waste time on difficult prospective buyers.
If your item is in high demand, you will often get ten or more emails in the first hour or two. If someone is already trying to ask for a lower price, or wants to know a hundred things more about it, I don’t waste time on them unless they are the only inquiry.
Although it is considered courteous to offer the item on a first-come, first-served basis, if there are more than a few responses I usually skip over anyone who gives any indication they will be difficult to work with, such as wanting a discount before seeing the item, difficulty in arranging a time to pick up the item, or asking a myriad of questions that are irrelevant for a used item that’s being sold for a fair price.
6. Specify when you want to get rid of it.
We had over 25 inquiries the Sunday afternoon we posted an ad for a mattress. I promised it to the first person I emailed, and they were going to pick it up that night. They called later and wanted to know if they could pick it up the next day, which was fine but then they didn’t show up.
We were finally able to sell it to someone else on Monday, but it was maddening to sit at home thinking someone is going to come by our house to buy something and then they don’t show. We started putting something like: “The first person who’s able to come get it by tonight gets dibs!” on the ad to prevent something like that from happening again.
7. Save your “back-up buyers” emails.
Sometimes you will have someone not show up, or cancel, or decide they don’t want it. In that case, you could post it again, or if you’ve saved the emails other people sent, you can just email them all directly and and re-offer it to them. If the item has already been promised to someone but hasn’t been picked up yet, I will usually email any further inquiries and tell them it’s pending pick up, but that if there is a no-show or something I will email them back.
8. Meet at a location other than your home.
There are two reasons for this. One, you never know what kind of person is going to show up to buy the baby crib you’re selling. Two, it is easier to tell someone to meet you at the McDonald’s at a certain intersection than to give them directions to your house. Be sure to pick a place that is convenient for you.
9. Follow the rules and be courteous.
If your item doesn’t sell, re-post it according to the guidelines. If you’ve posted it twice with no response, it probably means no one wants it or you are asking too much.
As a buyer, it gets really annoying to see the same exact postings get posted every couple of days with no change–no new pictures, same description, no price adjustments. I have seem people post the same thing every day for a month, and I have to wonder if they really want to sell it or if they just like posting stuff!
Carrie Isaac blogs about deals in Colorado Springs at SpringsBargains.com and deals in Denver at DenverBargains.com.
Published: by Crystal Paine on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Welcome to October’s series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas. In this series, I’m highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash in the next three months for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.
If you’ve found a great way to make extra cash before Christmas that doesn’t require an outlay of cash upfront, please email me your tip. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!
Guest post from Lindsey of Faithful Homemaking
A couple of years ago, an acquaintance called me and asked if I would like to take her cleaning job while she was in the South for the winter. I hadn’t cleaned professionally before, so I didn’t know what to expect. But once I started, I quickly found that cleaning can be a wonderful way to earn extra money.
Since then I have acquired three more cleaning jobs and have passed a few others on to my friends.
How to get started:
Talk to someone you know who cleans office buildings or homes. See if they have any jobs they can refer to you. If you aren’t able to clean regularly but need a little extra money, perhaps they would let you sub for them when they are sick or on vacation.
If you don’t know anyone in the cleaning business, make ads and flyers and pass them out to friends, neighbors, and local businesses.
Purchase some supplies:
Office buildings usually stock the cleaning supplies, but my residential clients prefer that I bring my own. I look for BOGO sales and coupon deals on cleaning solutions and stock up.
I make sure to have clorox wipes, clean rags, toilet bowl cleaner, Dr. Bronner’s soap, glass and window spray, bathroom cleaner, and disinfectant spray on hand. I also carry a little bucket for mopping and my Norwex cloths, which I LOVE!
Also, there’s no need to spend a fortune on cleaning tools. I use my faithful old Dirt Devil vacuum that I’ve owned for 10 years and it works great.
Hone your cleaning skills:
If I’m not sure how to clean something, I ask my fellow cleaning friends for tips or google it. I also occasionally watch cleaning videos on YouTube.
After cleaning sinks, counters, and toilets I will buff with a clean, dry cloth to make them extra-shiny. I prefer to dust with my Norwex dusting mitt and mop most floors by hand to be able to get the corners of the floor. I also try to be smart about my cleaning. If the building/home doesn’t truly need dusting every week, then one week I will dust, the next I will clean blinds.
Be choosy:
Some office cleaning jobs require that you carry insurance. Some residential homes are too filthy to handle. Some employers may expect more hours out of you than you can give or may not compensate you fairly.
Consider carefully each opportunity that comes your way. Will you have childcare during the hours you need to be cleaning? Will you be required to clean during late hours in areas that could possibly be dangerous? Will you be expected to be “on call” or will it be a set weekly time? If you have a baby keeping you up at night will you have the energy to handle even one cleaning job?
Most office jobs require that you come in when their business is not open, which means early mornings, evenings, or on weekends. Most residential clients want you to come in during daytime hours to clean when they are away at work. Figure out which option works best for your schedule. I only take jobs that allow for my husband to be home with our kids so we don’t have to pay childcare. I also don’t want to clean lonely office buildings when it’s dark out, it creeps me out!
How much to charge?
You don’t want to charge too low and be taken advantage of. After all, cleaning is hard work, it takes a lot of energy, and you are giving of your time to do it. But neither do you want to charge too high and lose all your possible-clients to other cleaners who charge less.
Figure out what the going rate is in your area. In my area people will pay at least $20 an hour. Office jobs generally pay $25-$30 an hour. Some businesses prefer to pay by the job. This is really nice because if you are motivated and fast you can get even more money per hour.
My friend, who also cleans, takes her teenage son with her and he helps gather all of the garbages. So she is able to do a 3 hour job in 2.5 hours and make really good money to help feed her 3 teen boys! Cleaning provides an excellent wage considering the flexible hours and the fact that you don’t need a college degree to do it!
If you are committed to excellence in your work, the jobs will continue flowing in via word-of-mouth recommendations. At this point I work 3-4.5 hours a week and bring in $60-$95 per week.
The kids get to spend time with Daddy while I’m gone and that little bit of extra money helps our tight budget out so much! I also enjoy being able to get out of the house and listen to music or have some quiet time while I clean.
Lindsey Swinborne is a homeschooling mom of four who lives in Wyoming. She loves photography and is thankful for her cleaning jobs which helped her fulfill her dream of having a DSLR camera. She blogs at Faithful Homemaking.
The other day I finally convinced myself to drive 20 miles and check out Hobby Lobby for the first time. Many blogs I read talk about how amazing Hobby Lobby is — not only for their craft supplies, but also for their home décor items.
I’ve seen some beautifully decorated homes with items from Hobby Lobby, so I thought I should check it out and see if I could find some cute things to decorate the little apartment we had just moved in to. I had a coupon in hand and some of my designated “spending cash” ($60 to be exact). The coupon was good for 40% off a regularly priced item.
When I walked into Hobby Lobby, I was immediately overwhelmed. There was so much stuff!
I grabbed a cart and started walking around. I saw some things that were cute and would look nice in our apartment. My favorite was a $19.99 cross that was the same shade of blue as our comforter. I threw it in the cart and kept walking.
But as I was walking, I realized something — I didn’t need anything. Why was I here? There was aton of stuff that I liked, but nothing that I loved. I kept trying to force it. Kept trying to find something that would work.
I called my husband guessing he would tell me to buy a few things and I could always return them. He didn’t, though.
He made me think back to Crystal’s post about not having a lot of things on the walls at her home. “Honey, we don’t need stuff for the walls. I’m happy that we have some wedding pictures and I’m happy living there with you”.
When he said that I put the cross back on the shelf (in the right section, I promise!) and headed to the car.
On my 20 mile drive home, I had an epiphany: Our home is our home. Yes, we want to be comfortable (and we are), but it doesn’t need to look like a Pottery Barn catalog. I keep our apartment clean, organized, and it smells just like fall. And to us, that is just perfect.
I think sometimes everyone needs a little epiphany like I had last weekend. It puts everything into perspective and reminds you that you may not really “need” something!
Elizabeth is a 22 year-old newlywed living in our nation’s capital. She’s a recent college graduate and mom to two miniature poodles. She blogs at The DC Boeses on life as a new young wife!
Do you have a fun and frugal Thanksgiving DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
