Free Resources Page

 

Resources Page

Here are some of the best resources to help you make extra money, save more money,

as well as FREE stuff, best personal finance Books, as well as the Best Grants and scholarships.

 

I.  Making Extra Money:

 

• Side Hustles here
• Jobs for SAHM here
• AMAZON FBA
• Make Money From Home here

 

Legitimate Ways to Make Money From Home:

 

• Disclaimer;   I believe in transparency and want to disclose this page has links to products that I may earn an affiliate commission for purchases you make.  The reader pays nothing.

 

 Sell on  Ebay: This might be the fastest way for most people to generate quick cash. I wrote a post detailing how I made $493 in a few weeks and made money on Ebay.  Details and tips here.

Learn how to make money selling on Amazon FBA.

I was able to begin making money on Amazon within a few weeks as an experiment to see if Amazon FBA is for real.  Check out my recent experiment selling on Amazon FBA here

 Become a Certified Closing Agent.

You Earn Extra Income,  Set your Own Hours, and the Income is Fantastic! ($75-$200 per appointment).

• It’s really good money!

You can make $75 to $200 in a single signing, and a signing takes about an hour. Total work time including preparing and driving to the signing is about an hour and a half to two hours when you’re starting out. And a lot less as you become more experienced.

Learn More about the Loan Signing System here.

 

 

Get Paid to Watch movie previews, YouTube, and videos

You can get paid for watching videos including movie previews, news, celebrity videos, and all kinds of other videos.

Sites like Swagbucks ask you to watch certain videos and like them. You have to watch for a certain number of minutes which you’ll be told ahead of time. You could earn over $200 a month (earnings vary).  You’ll earn Swagbucks for watching (points that can be redeemed for gift cards or Paypal).

You can get $5 just for signing up! Here

 

Get Paid By Participating in Consumer Research

• Taking surveys in your spare time can be a great way to earn some extra dough fast.
• Check out Survey Junkie which will pay you instantly with cash via Paypal. They have over 6,000,000 members and they have an 8.9/10 rating on Trust Pilot.
• Inbox Dollars:  Be rewarded for watching tv, taking surveys, or making purchases online. Earn a free $5 signup bonus just for joining to start you on the right track!  Begin earning with Inbox Dollars.
• American Consumer Panel:  Easy to sign up. 6 Million Members. American Consumer Opinion:  

 

Get Paid for Sharing Your Amazon Purchase History

Such an easy way to Earn an extra $36

Shoptracker  is operated by The Harris Poll, a well known survey company that measures U.S. public opinion.

More information about ShopTracker here.

 

Make money selling on Amazon FBA.

Can you Really make money in Amazon FBA?  I did within a few weeks.

I discuss my numbers, tips, and experience here.

 

Sign up for free gift cards

Ebates will give you a $10 gift card when you sign up and earn your first cashback rebate.  It’s great for online shoppers.  Ebates is free to use.

You just visit the Ebates website and click through to the store you want to shop at. If you buy from the store Ebates gets a commission that they split with you.  It’s an easy way to save. Click here to sign up for Ebates.

They have a browser extension that makes it so easy to save.  And they’ll give you a $10 Gift Card after you spend $25

Browser extension for  Ebates: Here

 

Get Paid to Charge Scooters

Electric Scooter Charging: A New Side Hustle from Bird Pays $30/ Hour

Mike Wisell, 33, a tattoo artist who lives in Santa Monica, started a new gig a few weeks ago. He charges scooters and he makes pretty good money doing it.

More info about Scooter charging here.

 

Download and install an app

A lot of companies – including Google – pay you for installing their apps. Moreover, you get paid for each month the apps are installed on your phone. One of the Best sites is:

• Nielsen Computer Panel (Earn Without Taking Surveys)From the people that run Nielsen TV ratings, the Nielsen mobile app rewards you for using your mobile device. You can earn up to $50 a year.

 

Sell your used CD’s and Games;

 Decluttr:   Fast, easy way to sell CD’s, video games, electronics and more.  Easy to use and  Rated “Excellent” as a trustworthy site.  Give it a try Here

 

 

Monetize your blog: 

Monetize your website via Share a Sale  and Flex Offers.  Max Bounty,

Igain Network:  iGain specializes in market research offers and features high quality advertisers on their real-time tracking platform. Offering superior support is their primary objective, and they do so with their friendly team of passionate individuals.

 

Time for you to start your own blog? … Read my post on the 7 Rules to a Profitable Blog here.

 

Play online games

Are you an arcade or a poker champion? Play some of your favorite puzzle or card games at InboxDollars. It is fun, plus you can play for free as well as compete for rewards.  More on inbox dollars Here

Buy groceries and get rebates

Many rebate apps like Ibotta offer cash rebates on grocery store purchases. You just have to take a picture of your grocery receipt with your phone, and you can even buy groceries from your regular grocery store. More on Ibotta here.

 

Online travel agent

Do you explore travel websites like Expedia in your free time? Then, do it for a commission by offering your services as an alternative to travel agencies. Start at Wikihow for tips to get started.

 

 

Start a Blog

One never knows what can happen when a blogger finds just the right niche.  Take Michelle from the blog Making Sense of Cents.  She was recently featured in Forbes magazine and makes over $1M a year from a side blog that became very popular.  You never know what a blog could become.

The 7 Rules to a Profitable Blog here.

 

 

 

Become a virtual assistant

Work for someone from home. Virtual assistances (VAs) can do everything from checking emails and making travel plans to handling internet research or working for their small business.  High-end earners can command $50-$100 an hour.

Some reputable sites are Zirtual and Upwork

 

 

Share your views

Share your honest opinions for everyday services and products you use with focus group companies. These organizations can improve their products on your feedback, and you get to make $50, $100, or more.

Check out The Harris Poll Here.

A friend does this at his local mall. He only makes a little side money doing the focus groups, but it pays for a babysitter and a night out occasionally.

 

 

Data entry

Use your accurate and quick typing skills to enter information. Go through Craigslist or Upwork and find data entry and administrative jobs for yourself. These jobs can be easily done through telecommuting.

Work for Amazon

Pick micro tasks from Amazon Mechanical Turk. These are services that require human interaction. You can work from home, flexible hours and get paid by one of the world’s largest retailers.

 

 

 

Take part in an online focus group

Participate in an online focus group like ProOpinion and get paid through a check, gift card, or PayPal deposit.

 

 

II.  Save Extra Money:

Get paid for Shopping:

Get Cash Back on your shopping purchases:

I use Ebates and they give me cash back for nearly all of my purchases.  Ebates gets a commission from stores you shop at and they share the commission with you.

Average cash back is about 7%, which is great.  Right now, they’re offering a Free $10 Gift Card when you join and spend $25.  More about Ebates Here.

Check your credit:

I would suggest you use a free service to check your credit score periodically.  Credit Sesame is free to signup and takes only 90 seconds.  If you want to keep a closer eye on your credit, get your credit score and “credit report card” for free from Credit Sesame.

Once you get your report, check for errors. Finding and correcting just one could give your credit score a significant boost

 

Sell unused items on Ebay

• I’ve written a complete post on how I used Ebay to make $493 in one month.
• Lots of tips and help to get started.Ebay is still one of the simplest ways to increase cash quickly.  Find items you and your family are no longer using, take pictures, list them, and get cash.  An extra $150 per month is possible from a minimal amount of work.

 

Learn How I saved 40% on Groceries Here

 

 

Download Digital Coupons

Did you know most supermarkets allow customers to download virtual coupons directly to their rewards card or store app?

Its true- Check out my post on how I save 40% on groceries here.

 

Abandon Your Cart

I mean abandon your online cart and cross your fingers for a discount!

Many online retailers will email you a 10–20% off coupon to encourage you to finish the check-out process.

 

 

 

Follow Your Favorite Businesses on Social Media

If you’re not following your favorite stores and restaurants on social media, you could be missing out on some major discounts! How else will you know that it’s two-for-one ice cream day at your favorite shop? Or that it’s free coffee day for dads at your local coffee hangout?

Stay in the loop so you can score those discounts when they pop up!

 

Relevant Articles:

45 Ways to Increase your Income

9 Best Ways to Save $7K This Year

11 Legitimate Survey Sites for 2018

 

Give Feedback

Do you love giving your opinion, but wish it actually helped you earn some extra cash?

Being involved in consumer surveys might be a good fit for you! This kind of market research will ask your opinion on a variety of things—like food, stores, habits and everything in between.

See my post on Survey Sites That Actually Pay here.

 

 

 

 Sign up for Email Lists

Pick three or four of your favorite restaurants and sign up for email alerts.

You’ll have to sort through some duds, but every now and then you’ll score a deal like 15% off your entire meal or a free appetizer or dessert.

Find Money Owed to You:

 

 

 

 

III. Free Stuff:

 

The Best Totally Free Stuff Ever- (Freebies, Samples, and Free Stuff)

Being frugal is usually about choices.  And frugal people usually take the extra step to save a dollar or two to find a less expensive way to do things.  Free is always the least expensive way to do anything.  It is also the most fun!

  Here are 300 FREE Ivy League University courses you can take online right now.

 

 

Free Ice Cream

I’ll never pass up an opportunity for free ice cream.

When you download the Slab Happy Rewards app from Marble Slab, you’ll get free ice cream just for signing up. After that, you’ll earn points for each dollar you spend, and you can cash them in for $5 off future purchases.

 

Free Credit Score

If you’ve ever tried to get your credit score, you know most services make you sign up for a trial or charge you an outrageous amount of money. But it’s your credit score! Where do they get the nerve?

Credit Sesame will give it to you for free.

Once you get your report, check for errors. Finding and correcting just one could give your credit score a significant boost!

 

 

Free Baby Diapers

Is your family growing? Create a Target baby registry to get over $50 in free baby stuff!

Even better, when your due date is eight weeks away, you’ll get a 15% discount on any items remaining on your registry.

 

 

Free Cash

Inbox Dollars

 

 

InboxDollars  is the mobile and online loyalty club that pays cash!

Members have earned over $30 million in cash since 2006.

InboxDollars earn cash with the official InboxDollars mobile app.

In the current version of InboxDollars mobile app, members can earn cash for:

– Searching the web

– Reading email

– Taking surveys

– Downloading apps

– Purchasing Groupons

Sign up for Inbox Dollars:  Here

Free $10 Walmart Gift Card

Have you heard of Ebates?

It’s a cash-back site that pays you for shopping online. I use it all the time — it’s an instant way to save on everything you buy.

Right now Ebates is offering a pretty sweet deal: Spend $25 and they’ll send you a free $10 Walmart gift card!

Here’s how it works…

1. Sign up for Ebates here (you just need to give them a name and email address).
2. You’ll need to make at least $25 in purchases through Ebates online shopping portal within 90 days of signing up. If you do, Ebates rewards you with a $10 Walmart gift card. Easy!

On top of that, Ebates is currently offering 5% discount on Amazon purchases!

 

 

Get Paid for Sharing Your Amazon Purchase History!

Such an easy way to Earn an extra $36

Shoptracker  is operated by The Harris Poll, a well known survey company that measures U.S. public opinion.

In order to get paid, you must download the shoptracker program.

Then, every month, you will receive a $3 VISA Gift Card.

I did it and it works.  More information about ShopTracker here.

 

Free EBooks

Looking for some new reading? BookBub offers email subscribers access to free and discounted ebooks, including bestsellers.

Just enter your email here and browse the company’s archives. Deals are available for a limited-time only and change daily. Choose from over 20 categories and read on any device: Kindle, Nook, iPhone & more.

 

 

Free Godiva Chocolate

Free Godiva chocolate — what could be better?

Oh, maybe the fact this offer isn’t a one-time deal. Once you sign up, you get free chocolate every month at participating locations.

 

 

Blue Bottle Coffee

Want to try a bag of some of the best coffee in the country — completely free?

You can get a 2-ounce trial of Blue Bottle’s famous beans for nothing at all.

It’s part of their monthly subscription service, so you’ll need to enter your credit card info, but you’ll get an email before Blue Bottle charges you and sends you more coffee. Just make sure to cancel your subscription if you don’t want to keep getting coffee.

But after you suck down that sweet freebie, you might actually want to stay subscribed to the service and have beans delivered to your door every month.

 

 

Sephora Beauty Products

Oooh, Sephora.

Become a “Beauty Insider,” and you’ll have your choice of a free beauty kit from Fresh or Marc Jacobs on your birthday.

 

Free Coffee Mug

Want to be more environmentally friendly with your daily coffee — without shelling out $20 for a travel mug?

Nab a free lightweight travel mug from Au Bon Pain when you subscribe to its eClub!

 

 

Free Movies

Does your family still watch movies with a DVD player? We hope you’re using Redbox to find cheap rentals!

Plus, if you sign up for Redbox’s Text Club, you’ll get free movies and other deals.

 

Family First Aid Kit

You can never be too prepared, especially if you’ve got little ones running around.

Order your free family first aid kit from Florida Hospital so you’ll be ready for any scrapes or scratches, should they occur (they will).

 

Free Kind Granola Bar

This free Kind granola bar isn’t necessarily a freebie for you, but a gift you give to someone else for being kind.

Get it? You’re doing something kind for someone who did something kind — paying it forward.

Just go to Kind’s site and choose how you want a gift card delivered to a friend, co-worker or acquaintance and you’re done.

 

Prenatal Drink Mix

Expecting?

Try this free prenatal drink mix, which also comes with a coupon for $5 off your next purchase.

 

 

Awesome Hair

If you’re looking for even more free haircare products, you’re in luck.

L’Oreal Paris will send you cost-free samples, specific to your hair type. All you have to do is sign up for the company’s email offers on its website.

 

Emergen-C Vitamin Drink Mix

Getting sick is the worst. The next time you feel a case of the sniffles coming on, you might want to blast your system with vitamin C to try to stay healthy.

One of our favorite ways? Downing a glass of Emergen-C vitamin supplement drink mix with water — and with that link, you can try a free sample!

 

 

Banks offering Free checking accounts with interest.

Some examples of checking accounts offering interest and free checking:

• Ally Bank Interest Checking:  Offering (.1% to .60% annual percentage yield depending on balance amount)
• Capital One 360 Checking:  (.20% to 1%)  Capital One
• FNBO Direct Online Checking:  (.65% annual yield)  FNBO Direct
• More info
• (I have no relationship with these companies)

 

 

IV. Find Money Owed to Me:

How to find Money Owed to You:

• Unclaimed money from state governments:  

Such as old bank accounts and contents of safe deposit boxes.  Go to Missingmoney.com    MissingMoney.com has the most updated information for the state and provincial offices, their websites with contact information and property listings.

Searches and claiming are always FREE.  Information goes securely and directly to the state/provincial unclaimed property office.

• Old Stocks and Bonds: 

Go to SEC.gov  An old stock or bond certificate may still be valuable even if it no longer trades under the name printed on the certificate. The company may have merged with another company or simply changed its name.

 

• Unclaimed Bank Funds:
•  What is included in Unclaimed Deposits?
• Claiming funds held at a Closed Bank: FDIC Website
• Unclaimed Savings Bonds:  TreasuryHunt.gov

• Savings Bonds

  • Search for Savings Bonds That Stopped Earning Interest – Treasury Hunt allows you to search for bonds issued since 1974 that have matured and are no longer earning interest.
  • Calculate the Value – Find the value of your paper savings bond.
  • Replace a Savings Bond – Replace a lost, stolen, or destroyed paper savings bond.

 

• Unclaimed Pension Funds:  PBGC.Gov
• Unclaimed Tax Refunds:
• Tax Refunds – The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may owe you money if your refund was unclaimed or undelivered.
• Credit Union Failures – Find unclaimed deposits from credit unions.
• SEC Claims Funds – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lists enforcement cases where a company or person owes investors money.

 

Relevant Articles:

Survey Sites That Actually Pay

Getting Results: How I Paid Off $17K

The Best Personal Finance Books

 

State By State List: To search for money owed

To see if you have unclaimed funds, search each state’s comptroller website (listed below). This is the governmental institution that handles the process. From there, each state will vary in its exact process, but you’ll likely be asked to type in your name, which will then generate a list of results. If the information seems like it could be yours based on an address match, for example, then you can say you want to claim it.