One key to affiliate programs succeeding is that you have enough traffic that actually sees your affiliate links. There is little point in actually deep linking to products on pages that no one actually visits. So how can you increase the chances of people seeing and potentially clicking your affiliate links?
Cross Linking - a technique that I use quite a bit on some of my blogs is to cross link between posts. I don’t do it for the sake of it but if I’ve written previously on a topic I’ll link to it - particularly if that page is one that I consider to be a page that will convert well.
Highlight Key Posts - identify those pages on your blog that have the highest potential to convert and then highlight them in your menu or sidebar. Also check out TLA’s Feedvertising program that lets you set up advertising to any site (including pages on your own blog) in your own feeds.
Advertising - if you have a page that converts particularly well consider actually advertising it using programs like Performancing’s Ad Program, BlogAds (blogads.com) or AdWords.
Fine Tuning Tips
So taking all of the above into consideration - a few take home assignments for you to put into place in the lead up to the end of the year:
Take some time out to surf your own archives looking for posts that are ideal for linking to affiliate products
Add deep links to affiliate programs from posts in your archives
Check previously used affiliate links to see if they still link to live pages
Identify high converting posts (or potential ones) and work on driving traffic to them.
Maverick Money Makers - Get Paid For Life! Click Here!
** Affiliates Making $20,000 In One Month!** Click Here!
Forex Autopilot - Robots Trading The Forex Market. Click Here!
Gamer Testing Ground. Click Here!
10 Minute Forex Wealth Builder! Click Here!
Diet Business Opportunity Click Here!
Paid Surveys at Home Click Here!
Get Paid To Submit Photos To The Internet! Click Here!
Forex Tracer! Click Here!
Maximum Paid Surveys. Click Here!
Friday 6 February 2009
10 Tips for Using Affiliate Programs with Blogs
1. Consider your Audience
It almost goes without saying - but it’s worth putting yourself in your readers shoes and consider what they might be looking for as they surf by your blog. Are they shopping for specific products? Might they be looking for related products or accessories? What would trigger them to purchase? Start with your reader in mind rather than the product. If you take this approach you could end up doing your reader a favor as well as making a few dollars on the side.
2. Genuine Recommendations and personal endorsements always work best
There are literally hundreds of thousands of products and services for you to choose from to recommend to your blog’s readers but making money from them is not as simple as randomly adding links to them from your blog. Your blog’s readers come back to your blog day after day because something about you resonates with them - they have at least some level of trust and respect for you and perhaps the quickest way to destroy this is to recommend that they buy something that you don’t fully believe will benefit them.
The best results I’ve had from affiliate programs are where I give an open and honest appraisal of the product - including both it’s strengths and weaknesses. The most successful affiliate program I’m involved with here at ProBlogger is Joel Comm’s e-book which I reviewed here. If you read the review you’ll see that I not only tell readers who I believe the book is for but I also mention those it is NOT for. In a sense I critique it. On a surface level one might think that this wasn’t a wise move and that I should have given a glowing review - however the sales that I’ve had through the program have proven otherwise. People want to know what they are buying first and even if they know a product has limitations they will buy it if it meets their particular need.
3. Link to Quality Products
We all like to make sure we’re buying the best products money can buy - your readers are no different to this and are more likely to make a purchase if you’ve found them the best product for them. Choose products and companies with good reputations and quality sales pages. There is nothing worse than giving a glowing review of a product only to send your reader to a page that looks cheap and nasty.
4. Contextual Deep Links work Best
When I started using the Amazon Associate Program I naively thought that all I had to do was put an Amazon banner ad (that linked to Amazon’s front page) at the top of my blog. I thought that my readers would see it and surf over to Amazon and buy up big - thereby making me a rich man. Nothing could have been further from reality - I was deluding myself.
I always says to bloggers that I’m consulting with that they should learn something from contextual advertising when it comes to affiliate programs. The secret of contextual ads like Adsense is that a reader is reading a post on a particular topic on your blog and when they see an advertisement for that same product they are more likely to click it than if they saw an ad for something else. The same is true for affiliate programs. A banner to a general page on every page on your site won’t be anywhere near as effective as multiple links throughout your blog that advertiser products that are relevant for readers reading particular parts of your blog.
So if you’re writing a blog about MP3 players and have a review for a particular product - the most effectively affiliate program that you could link to from within the content of that page would be one that links directly to a page selling that specific model of MP3 player. This is how I use the Amazon program today. It is more work than contextual advertising because you’re not just putting one piece of code into a template but rather need to place individual links on many pages - but I find that it’s been worth the effort.
5. Consider positioning of links
One of the things I go on and on about with Adsense optimization is the positioning of ads. I tell bloggers to position their ads in the hotspots on pages (like the top of a left hand side bar - or inside content - or at the end of posts above comments etc). The same principles are true for affiliate advertising.
6. Traffic levels are Important
While it’s not the only factor - traffic levels are obviously key when it comes to making money from almost any online activity. The more people that see your well placed, relevant and well designed affiliate links the more likely it is that one of them will make a purchase. So don’t just work on your links - work on building a readership. Not only this, consider how you might direct traffic on your blog toward pages where they are more likely to see your affiliate links.
7. Diversify without Clutter
Don’t put all your affiliate efforts into one basket. There are plenty of products out there to link to so there is no need to just work on one. At the same time you shouldn’t clutter your blog up with too many affiliate program links. If you do so you run the risk of diluting the effectiveness of your links and could disillusion your readership.
8. Be Transparent
Don’t try to fool your readers into clicking links that could make you money. While it may not always feasible to label all affiliate links I think some attempt should be made to let people know what type of link they are clicking on. I also think consistency is important with this so readers of your blog know what to expect. For example here at ProBlogger usually put a note beside or under affiliate links to simply let readers know that that is what they are. On my Digital Camera Blog I don’t do this because of the large number of such links make it clear by the text around the link that clicking on it will take them to some sort of shop or information where a purchase is possible (ie a link my say ‘buy the XXX product’ or ‘get the latest product on XXX’.
9. Combine with other Revenue Streams
Affiliate programs and advertising programs are not mutually exclusive things. I’ve come across a few people recently who have said they don’t want to do affiliate linking because it will take the focus off their Adsense ads. While there is potential for one to take the focus off the other - there is also real potential for both to work hand in hand as different readers will respond to different approaches. You should consider the impact that your affiliate links have on other revenue streams - but don’t let one stop the other.
10. Track results
Most affiliate programs have at least some type of tracking or statistics package which will allow you to watch which links are effective. Some of these packages are better than others but most will at least allow you to see what is selling and what isn’t. Watching your results can help you plan future affiliate efforts. Keep track of what positions for links work well, which products sell, what wording around links works well etc and use the information that you collect as you work plan future affiliate strategies.
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Online Jobs. Brand New Site Design! 24/7 Live Support Click Here!
Get Google Ads Free! Click Here!
Perfect Optimizer - The Answer Comes To Us: Click Here!
Google Ambush - Just Launched. Click Here!
Get More Buyers :: Click Here!
Joint Ventures With The Big Players. Click Here!
Keyword Elite: New Keyword Software. Click Here!
Project Quick Cash - Got A Minute? Encash It Click Here!
Perfect Uninstaller - Click Here!
It almost goes without saying - but it’s worth putting yourself in your readers shoes and consider what they might be looking for as they surf by your blog. Are they shopping for specific products? Might they be looking for related products or accessories? What would trigger them to purchase? Start with your reader in mind rather than the product. If you take this approach you could end up doing your reader a favor as well as making a few dollars on the side.
2. Genuine Recommendations and personal endorsements always work best
There are literally hundreds of thousands of products and services for you to choose from to recommend to your blog’s readers but making money from them is not as simple as randomly adding links to them from your blog. Your blog’s readers come back to your blog day after day because something about you resonates with them - they have at least some level of trust and respect for you and perhaps the quickest way to destroy this is to recommend that they buy something that you don’t fully believe will benefit them.
The best results I’ve had from affiliate programs are where I give an open and honest appraisal of the product - including both it’s strengths and weaknesses. The most successful affiliate program I’m involved with here at ProBlogger is Joel Comm’s e-book which I reviewed here. If you read the review you’ll see that I not only tell readers who I believe the book is for but I also mention those it is NOT for. In a sense I critique it. On a surface level one might think that this wasn’t a wise move and that I should have given a glowing review - however the sales that I’ve had through the program have proven otherwise. People want to know what they are buying first and even if they know a product has limitations they will buy it if it meets their particular need.
3. Link to Quality Products
We all like to make sure we’re buying the best products money can buy - your readers are no different to this and are more likely to make a purchase if you’ve found them the best product for them. Choose products and companies with good reputations and quality sales pages. There is nothing worse than giving a glowing review of a product only to send your reader to a page that looks cheap and nasty.
4. Contextual Deep Links work Best
When I started using the Amazon Associate Program I naively thought that all I had to do was put an Amazon banner ad (that linked to Amazon’s front page) at the top of my blog. I thought that my readers would see it and surf over to Amazon and buy up big - thereby making me a rich man. Nothing could have been further from reality - I was deluding myself.
I always says to bloggers that I’m consulting with that they should learn something from contextual advertising when it comes to affiliate programs. The secret of contextual ads like Adsense is that a reader is reading a post on a particular topic on your blog and when they see an advertisement for that same product they are more likely to click it than if they saw an ad for something else. The same is true for affiliate programs. A banner to a general page on every page on your site won’t be anywhere near as effective as multiple links throughout your blog that advertiser products that are relevant for readers reading particular parts of your blog.
So if you’re writing a blog about MP3 players and have a review for a particular product - the most effectively affiliate program that you could link to from within the content of that page would be one that links directly to a page selling that specific model of MP3 player. This is how I use the Amazon program today. It is more work than contextual advertising because you’re not just putting one piece of code into a template but rather need to place individual links on many pages - but I find that it’s been worth the effort.
5. Consider positioning of links
One of the things I go on and on about with Adsense optimization is the positioning of ads. I tell bloggers to position their ads in the hotspots on pages (like the top of a left hand side bar - or inside content - or at the end of posts above comments etc). The same principles are true for affiliate advertising.
6. Traffic levels are Important
While it’s not the only factor - traffic levels are obviously key when it comes to making money from almost any online activity. The more people that see your well placed, relevant and well designed affiliate links the more likely it is that one of them will make a purchase. So don’t just work on your links - work on building a readership. Not only this, consider how you might direct traffic on your blog toward pages where they are more likely to see your affiliate links.
7. Diversify without Clutter
Don’t put all your affiliate efforts into one basket. There are plenty of products out there to link to so there is no need to just work on one. At the same time you shouldn’t clutter your blog up with too many affiliate program links. If you do so you run the risk of diluting the effectiveness of your links and could disillusion your readership.
8. Be Transparent
Don’t try to fool your readers into clicking links that could make you money. While it may not always feasible to label all affiliate links I think some attempt should be made to let people know what type of link they are clicking on. I also think consistency is important with this so readers of your blog know what to expect. For example here at ProBlogger usually put a note beside or under affiliate links to simply let readers know that that is what they are. On my Digital Camera Blog I don’t do this because of the large number of such links make it clear by the text around the link that clicking on it will take them to some sort of shop or information where a purchase is possible (ie a link my say ‘buy the XXX product’ or ‘get the latest product on XXX’.
9. Combine with other Revenue Streams
Affiliate programs and advertising programs are not mutually exclusive things. I’ve come across a few people recently who have said they don’t want to do affiliate linking because it will take the focus off their Adsense ads. While there is potential for one to take the focus off the other - there is also real potential for both to work hand in hand as different readers will respond to different approaches. You should consider the impact that your affiliate links have on other revenue streams - but don’t let one stop the other.
10. Track results
Most affiliate programs have at least some type of tracking or statistics package which will allow you to watch which links are effective. Some of these packages are better than others but most will at least allow you to see what is selling and what isn’t. Watching your results can help you plan future affiliate efforts. Keep track of what positions for links work well, which products sell, what wording around links works well etc and use the information that you collect as you work plan future affiliate strategies.
The Ultimate Search Engine Loophole - Click Here!
Online Jobs. Brand New Site Design! 24/7 Live Support Click Here!
Get Google Ads Free! Click Here!
Perfect Optimizer - The Answer Comes To Us: Click Here!
Google Ambush - Just Launched. Click Here!
Get More Buyers :: Click Here!
Joint Ventures With The Big Players. Click Here!
Keyword Elite: New Keyword Software. Click Here!
Project Quick Cash - Got A Minute? Encash It Click Here!
Perfect Uninstaller - Click Here!
Article syndication
Article syndication is the process of submitting your written articles to different content websites. The purpose of doing this is to gain exposure for yourself and your business. You gain exposure when a webmaster likes your article and publishes it on their website. In doing so the webmaster is giving you free publicity by presenting you as an authority on the subject of your article.
The article will generally get placed on a higher traffic webpage on the site where the visitors can read and learn from it. It is required by the content publishing company that the webmaster leave your 'Author Bio' information attached to the article, which will effectively advertise you and your chosen website. This non-reciprocal link from your published article to your website serves multiple purposes. One it makes your website more popular in the eyes of the Google algorithm and two it drives targeted traffic to your website. The traffic is targeted because the person who just read your article is clicking on your link; this is done generally because he/she is interested in you and/or your business.
If done effectively, article writing and syndication can do wonders for your business. The usefulness of articles doesn’t stop at the benefits listed above. If you tailor your article correctly you can have it reach top rankings in Google and create multiple instant sales.
To achieve this you must learn a few things about Google and article syndication. If you don’t already know, the new Google algorithm "Orion" highly favors content over any other forms of advertising. The days of doorway pages, splash pages and landing pages are over, so naturally content driven websites and articles will begin to make their way to the top of the Google rankings.
The key to getting your article to the top is by targeting certain keyword phrases. You don’t want to target the most used and most popular keyword phrases, instead you want to target less used keyword phrases. What you want to do is look for phrases that only have from 500 - 1500 results in Google.
To start you can research phrases with a handy little tool located here: http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
This tool will allow you to input a popular keyword phrase and it will give you a list of related keyword phrases. You can use this to find keyword phrases that gets about 500 - 1000 queries per month. After you find a few good keyword phrase candidates, you can go to Google and check the current number of results. To do this you simply type the keyword phrase in "quotes" and Google will return the number of results for that particular phrase. Remember you are looking for anywhere between 500 and 1500 results.
Once you have your targeted keyword phrase, its time to write your new article. Of course your article will be based on the keyword phrase you are targeting and not only that but the title of the article will need to have the keyword phrase in it. Ill say that again, your article title needs to have the keyword phrase that you are targeting in it, preferably word for word.
Many people are lazy and are not going to write articles and that’s ok, but those people should definitely invest in a good ghost writing company to write their article for them. I use JustArticles and a special niche club in addition to writing my own articles.
Once you have your article or articles written, now its time to syndicate them to as many content sites as possible. You can do this by hand or with special software, I prefer to use the software (article submitter pro) because I can syndicate to about 700 sites in a few days instead of a few weeks. If you choose to syndicate by hand you can get a huge list of article directories through this link: http://www.plug-in-home-business.com/freestuff.html
Simply following the instructions above will do wonders for your business, by getting your article published with your website link at the bottom. However, we are going to take this a few steps further to maximize our profit.
The secret is to embed links in your article body which point to products that you are selling. Not just any products will do, you should have products that directly relates to the article subject matter.
You can NOT embed links on every article directory site. You must read each article site's 'submission guidelines' before attempting to put in any live links in the body of your article, otherwise your article will not get approved. Some sites only allow text, some only allow certain types of html code, others allow 3 links in the body and still others do not allow affiliate links at all, so you have to read what you can and can not do. My advice is to submit your article no matter what, weather it has the links it or not.
The fact is most submission sites state that affiliate links are not allowed however they do allow you to link to your own site which can then redirect them to your affiliate product. If you have a website you need to make some redirect links, if you do not have a website then you can use usfreeads.com and redirect (checkbox) through the classified add that you would setup for each product.
To setup a redirect link simply follow the directions at this website: http://www.macalester.edu/its/docs/howto/urlredirect/
You will need one redirect (name.html) page for each affiliate product that you are selling. Now its time to insert the links into your article using the a href="" tag to embed the link in a word. Be sure to save your article as a simple text file before you begin to code. It is a good idea to have a few different versions of your article on hand for each article directory. I usually save a text version, a light (3 links) html version, a heavy (3 links) version and a full html version. This makes your submission time much more efficient, and you won’t find yourself coding and writing on each article content site.
When you take these lessons and put them into practice you are not only achieving long term traffic and better Google rankings, but you can potentially make some very quick sales.
Maverick Money Makers - Get Paid For Life! Click Here!
** Affiliates Making $20,000 In One Month!** Click Here!
Forex Autopilot - Robots Trading The Forex Market. Click Here!
Gamer Testing Ground. Click Here!
10 Minute Forex Wealth Builder! Click Here!
Diet Business Opportunity Click Here!
Paid Surveys at Home Click Here!
Get Paid To Submit Photos To The Internet! Click Here!
Forex Tracer! Click Here!
Maximum Paid Surveys. Click Here!
The article will generally get placed on a higher traffic webpage on the site where the visitors can read and learn from it. It is required by the content publishing company that the webmaster leave your 'Author Bio' information attached to the article, which will effectively advertise you and your chosen website. This non-reciprocal link from your published article to your website serves multiple purposes. One it makes your website more popular in the eyes of the Google algorithm and two it drives targeted traffic to your website. The traffic is targeted because the person who just read your article is clicking on your link; this is done generally because he/she is interested in you and/or your business.
If done effectively, article writing and syndication can do wonders for your business. The usefulness of articles doesn’t stop at the benefits listed above. If you tailor your article correctly you can have it reach top rankings in Google and create multiple instant sales.
To achieve this you must learn a few things about Google and article syndication. If you don’t already know, the new Google algorithm "Orion" highly favors content over any other forms of advertising. The days of doorway pages, splash pages and landing pages are over, so naturally content driven websites and articles will begin to make their way to the top of the Google rankings.
The key to getting your article to the top is by targeting certain keyword phrases. You don’t want to target the most used and most popular keyword phrases, instead you want to target less used keyword phrases. What you want to do is look for phrases that only have from 500 - 1500 results in Google.
To start you can research phrases with a handy little tool located here: http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
This tool will allow you to input a popular keyword phrase and it will give you a list of related keyword phrases. You can use this to find keyword phrases that gets about 500 - 1000 queries per month. After you find a few good keyword phrase candidates, you can go to Google and check the current number of results. To do this you simply type the keyword phrase in "quotes" and Google will return the number of results for that particular phrase. Remember you are looking for anywhere between 500 and 1500 results.
Once you have your targeted keyword phrase, its time to write your new article. Of course your article will be based on the keyword phrase you are targeting and not only that but the title of the article will need to have the keyword phrase in it. Ill say that again, your article title needs to have the keyword phrase that you are targeting in it, preferably word for word.
Many people are lazy and are not going to write articles and that’s ok, but those people should definitely invest in a good ghost writing company to write their article for them. I use JustArticles and a special niche club in addition to writing my own articles.
Once you have your article or articles written, now its time to syndicate them to as many content sites as possible. You can do this by hand or with special software, I prefer to use the software (article submitter pro) because I can syndicate to about 700 sites in a few days instead of a few weeks. If you choose to syndicate by hand you can get a huge list of article directories through this link: http://www.plug-in-home-business.com/freestuff.html
Simply following the instructions above will do wonders for your business, by getting your article published with your website link at the bottom. However, we are going to take this a few steps further to maximize our profit.
The secret is to embed links in your article body which point to products that you are selling. Not just any products will do, you should have products that directly relates to the article subject matter.
You can NOT embed links on every article directory site. You must read each article site's 'submission guidelines' before attempting to put in any live links in the body of your article, otherwise your article will not get approved. Some sites only allow text, some only allow certain types of html code, others allow 3 links in the body and still others do not allow affiliate links at all, so you have to read what you can and can not do. My advice is to submit your article no matter what, weather it has the links it or not.
The fact is most submission sites state that affiliate links are not allowed however they do allow you to link to your own site which can then redirect them to your affiliate product. If you have a website you need to make some redirect links, if you do not have a website then you can use usfreeads.com and redirect (checkbox) through the classified add that you would setup for each product.
To setup a redirect link simply follow the directions at this website: http://www.macalester.edu/its/docs/howto/urlredirect/
You will need one redirect (name.html) page for each affiliate product that you are selling. Now its time to insert the links into your article using the a href="" tag to embed the link in a word. Be sure to save your article as a simple text file before you begin to code. It is a good idea to have a few different versions of your article on hand for each article directory. I usually save a text version, a light (3 links) html version, a heavy (3 links) version and a full html version. This makes your submission time much more efficient, and you won’t find yourself coding and writing on each article content site.
When you take these lessons and put them into practice you are not only achieving long term traffic and better Google rankings, but you can potentially make some very quick sales.
Maverick Money Makers - Get Paid For Life! Click Here!
** Affiliates Making $20,000 In One Month!** Click Here!
Forex Autopilot - Robots Trading The Forex Market. Click Here!
Gamer Testing Ground. Click Here!
10 Minute Forex Wealth Builder! Click Here!
Diet Business Opportunity Click Here!
Paid Surveys at Home Click Here!
Get Paid To Submit Photos To The Internet! Click Here!
Forex Tracer! Click Here!
Maximum Paid Surveys. Click Here!
A Fortune to be made Blogging
How do bloggers make money from blogs?
There are an amazing diversity of opportunities open for bloggers to make money from blogging.
I’ve long advised that bloggers seeking to make money from blogging spread their interests across multiple revenue streams so as not to put all their eggs in one basket.
The wonderful thing is that this is becoming easier and easier to do 2005 has seen many options opening up. I thought I’d take a look at some of the methods that bloggers are currently using to make money through blogs.
Income Streams for Bloggers - How to Make Money Blogging
Advertising Programs - Perhaps the most obvious changes in the past few months have been with the addition of a variety of viable advertising options for bloggers looking to make money from their blogs. The most common way bloggers seem to earn money online is via the contextual ad program from Google - Adsense. A more recent addition that many are using successfully are Chitika’s eMiniMalls and WidgetBucks, Text Link Ads.
Azoogle Ads, Intelli Txt, DoubleClick, Tribal Fusion, Adbrite, Clicksor, AdHearUs, Kanoodle, Pheedo, TextAds, Bidvertiser, Fastclick and Value Click (to name just some of the options) and there is a smorgasbord of options. Of course there is more to come with MSN Adcenter and YPN both in beta testing and with a variety of other advertising system currently in development (YPN is only available to US publishers).
Lastly there’s BlogAds - one of the first blog specific ad networks.
RSS Advertising - The past 12 months have seen some advances in RSS Advertising also. I’m yet to hear of any bloggers making big money blogging through it to this point - but as improvements are made to the ad programs exploring this I’m sure we’ll start to see examples of it being profitable.
Sponsorship - In addition to the array of advertising programs that are available to join there is a growing awareness in the business of the value and opportunity that exists for them to advertise directly on blogs. I’m hearing more and more examples of this and have been fortunately to have a couple of ad campaigns of my own in the past month - one with Adobe a couple of weeks ago and another just completed with Ricoh for a new digicam over at my Digital Camera Blog. These are not isolated cases - as I say I know of many blogs exploring sponsorship with advertisers at present and suspect we’ll see more of it in the year ahead. Sponsorship is also happening on a post by post basis with some bloggers being paid to write on certain topics by companies - either in one off or a regular fashion - and they are able to make big money from their blogs doing so.
Affiliate Programs - There are larger affiliate programs like Amazon, Linkshare, Clickbank and Commission Junction but also literally thousands of others from the large to the very small.
Digital Assets - Increasing numbers of bloggers have been developing other digital assets to support and add revenue streams to their blogs. By this I mean that I’m increasingly seeing e-books, courses and tele-seminars being run by bloggers. My recent foray into this with the first series of the six figure blogging course that Andy and I ran a few weeks ago and have just released the study version of. This type of activity will only increase in future - in fact this week I’ve seen numerous examples of bloggers running courses.
Blog Network Opportunities - with the rise in popularity of Blog Networks - bloggers are also being presented with more places to earn an income from their blogging - by writing for and with others. While it might be difficult to get a writing gig with one of the bigger networks - there are plenty who are always asking for new bloggers to join and who are willing to pay bloggers using a variety of payment models. While there are distinct advantages of blogging for yourself - blogging for an established network who will handle a lot of the set up/promotion/admin/SEO etc has it’s advantages also. More and more bloggers are combining writing for themselves on their own blogs with taking on blog network blogs as additional income streams.
Business Blog Writing Opportunities - as blogging has risen in it’s profile as a medium more and more businesses are starting blogs. Many of these companies have internal staff take on blogging duties - but an increasing number of them are hiring specialist bloggers to come on and run their blogs. I know of a number of bloggers who in the past month or two have been approached for such paid work. Check out Bloggers for Hire if you’re looking for this type of work.
Non Blogging Writing Opportunities - Also becoming more common are bloggers being hired to write in non blogging mediums. Manolo’s recent coup of a column in the Washington Post is just one example of this as bloggers are increasingly being approached to write for newspapers, magazines and other non blog websites. Along side this is the rise of bloggers as published book authors - this is to the extent that one blogger I spoke with this week complained to me that they were one of the few bloggers than they knew who didn’t have a book deal!
Donations - Tip Jars and donation buttons have been a part of blogging for years now but this last year saw a number of bloggers go full time after fund raising drives. Perhaps the most high profile of these was Jason Kottke of kottke.org who through the generosity of his readership was able to quit his job and become a full time blogger.
Flipping Blogs - ‘Blog Flipping’ - or selling of blogs. This has happened both on an individual blog level (I can think of about 20 blogs that sold this year) but also on a network level (the most obvious of these being the 8 figure sale of Weblogs Inc to AOL).
Merchandising - My recent attempt to sell ProBlogger.net T-shirts wasn’t a raging success, but it is an example of how an increasing number of bloggers are attempting to make a few extra dollars from their blogs by selling branded products through programs like Cafepress. While I didn’t have a lot of success with merchandising - quite a few larger blogs are seeing significant sales - especially blogs with a cult following. I’m not at liberty to discuss details - but I know of one largish blog which will see sales over $20,000 in merchandise for the calendar year of 2005.
Consulting and Speaking - While it has been popular for established consultants to add blogs to their businesses we’re also starting to see bloggers with no consulting background able to make money by charging readers for their time in consulting scenarios BECAUSE of the profile that their blogs have built them. Blogging has the ability to establish people as experts on niche topics and we all know the value of being perceived as an expert. I spoke to one blogger last month who charges himself out at over $200 an hour for speaking and consulting work - his area of expertise was something that he knew little about 18 months ago - but through his blog he’s become a leader in his field and a minor celebrity in his industry.
As time rolls on there are more and more ways that bloggers make money from their blogs opening up. Feel free to suggest your own ideas and experiences in comments below.
The Ultimate Search Engine Loophole - Click Here!
Online Jobs. Brand New Site Design! 24/7 Live Support Click Here!
Get Google Ads Free! Click Here!
Perfect Optimizer - The Answer Comes To Us: Click Here!
Google Ambush - Just Launched. Click Here!
Get More Buyers :: Click Here!
Joint Ventures With The Big Players. Click Here!
Keyword Elite: New Keyword Software. Click Here!
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There are an amazing diversity of opportunities open for bloggers to make money from blogging.
I’ve long advised that bloggers seeking to make money from blogging spread their interests across multiple revenue streams so as not to put all their eggs in one basket.
The wonderful thing is that this is becoming easier and easier to do 2005 has seen many options opening up. I thought I’d take a look at some of the methods that bloggers are currently using to make money through blogs.
Income Streams for Bloggers - How to Make Money Blogging
Advertising Programs - Perhaps the most obvious changes in the past few months have been with the addition of a variety of viable advertising options for bloggers looking to make money from their blogs. The most common way bloggers seem to earn money online is via the contextual ad program from Google - Adsense. A more recent addition that many are using successfully are Chitika’s eMiniMalls and WidgetBucks, Text Link Ads.
Azoogle Ads, Intelli Txt, DoubleClick, Tribal Fusion, Adbrite, Clicksor, AdHearUs, Kanoodle, Pheedo, TextAds, Bidvertiser, Fastclick and Value Click (to name just some of the options) and there is a smorgasbord of options. Of course there is more to come with MSN Adcenter and YPN both in beta testing and with a variety of other advertising system currently in development (YPN is only available to US publishers).
Lastly there’s BlogAds - one of the first blog specific ad networks.
RSS Advertising - The past 12 months have seen some advances in RSS Advertising also. I’m yet to hear of any bloggers making big money blogging through it to this point - but as improvements are made to the ad programs exploring this I’m sure we’ll start to see examples of it being profitable.
Sponsorship - In addition to the array of advertising programs that are available to join there is a growing awareness in the business of the value and opportunity that exists for them to advertise directly on blogs. I’m hearing more and more examples of this and have been fortunately to have a couple of ad campaigns of my own in the past month - one with Adobe a couple of weeks ago and another just completed with Ricoh for a new digicam over at my Digital Camera Blog. These are not isolated cases - as I say I know of many blogs exploring sponsorship with advertisers at present and suspect we’ll see more of it in the year ahead. Sponsorship is also happening on a post by post basis with some bloggers being paid to write on certain topics by companies - either in one off or a regular fashion - and they are able to make big money from their blogs doing so.
Affiliate Programs - There are larger affiliate programs like Amazon, Linkshare, Clickbank and Commission Junction but also literally thousands of others from the large to the very small.
Digital Assets - Increasing numbers of bloggers have been developing other digital assets to support and add revenue streams to their blogs. By this I mean that I’m increasingly seeing e-books, courses and tele-seminars being run by bloggers. My recent foray into this with the first series of the six figure blogging course that Andy and I ran a few weeks ago and have just released the study version of. This type of activity will only increase in future - in fact this week I’ve seen numerous examples of bloggers running courses.
Blog Network Opportunities - with the rise in popularity of Blog Networks - bloggers are also being presented with more places to earn an income from their blogging - by writing for and with others. While it might be difficult to get a writing gig with one of the bigger networks - there are plenty who are always asking for new bloggers to join and who are willing to pay bloggers using a variety of payment models. While there are distinct advantages of blogging for yourself - blogging for an established network who will handle a lot of the set up/promotion/admin/SEO etc has it’s advantages also. More and more bloggers are combining writing for themselves on their own blogs with taking on blog network blogs as additional income streams.
Business Blog Writing Opportunities - as blogging has risen in it’s profile as a medium more and more businesses are starting blogs. Many of these companies have internal staff take on blogging duties - but an increasing number of them are hiring specialist bloggers to come on and run their blogs. I know of a number of bloggers who in the past month or two have been approached for such paid work. Check out Bloggers for Hire if you’re looking for this type of work.
Non Blogging Writing Opportunities - Also becoming more common are bloggers being hired to write in non blogging mediums. Manolo’s recent coup of a column in the Washington Post is just one example of this as bloggers are increasingly being approached to write for newspapers, magazines and other non blog websites. Along side this is the rise of bloggers as published book authors - this is to the extent that one blogger I spoke with this week complained to me that they were one of the few bloggers than they knew who didn’t have a book deal!
Donations - Tip Jars and donation buttons have been a part of blogging for years now but this last year saw a number of bloggers go full time after fund raising drives. Perhaps the most high profile of these was Jason Kottke of kottke.org who through the generosity of his readership was able to quit his job and become a full time blogger.
Flipping Blogs - ‘Blog Flipping’ - or selling of blogs. This has happened both on an individual blog level (I can think of about 20 blogs that sold this year) but also on a network level (the most obvious of these being the 8 figure sale of Weblogs Inc to AOL).
Merchandising - My recent attempt to sell ProBlogger.net T-shirts wasn’t a raging success, but it is an example of how an increasing number of bloggers are attempting to make a few extra dollars from their blogs by selling branded products through programs like Cafepress. While I didn’t have a lot of success with merchandising - quite a few larger blogs are seeing significant sales - especially blogs with a cult following. I’m not at liberty to discuss details - but I know of one largish blog which will see sales over $20,000 in merchandise for the calendar year of 2005.
Consulting and Speaking - While it has been popular for established consultants to add blogs to their businesses we’re also starting to see bloggers with no consulting background able to make money by charging readers for their time in consulting scenarios BECAUSE of the profile that their blogs have built them. Blogging has the ability to establish people as experts on niche topics and we all know the value of being perceived as an expert. I spoke to one blogger last month who charges himself out at over $200 an hour for speaking and consulting work - his area of expertise was something that he knew little about 18 months ago - but through his blog he’s become a leader in his field and a minor celebrity in his industry.
As time rolls on there are more and more ways that bloggers make money from their blogs opening up. Feel free to suggest your own ideas and experiences in comments below.
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Cash from your Home
This is the first in a series of articles which are going to show you loads of easy ways to make money from your home.
Utilising every room in your house, you'll learn how you can make and save money, starting this week with the kitchen and bathroom.
So read on, and make sure you're using your kitchen and bathroom to their full potential!
Save money on food
Learn how to cut down on your food shopping bills with these top tips.
Buy in bulk
Think big and save a packet. It's generally cheaper to buy ingredients in bulk: A big pack of mince will normally be cheaper per kilo than a small packet. You could save loads by cooking in batches and making the most of these bulk buys.
You might have to spend more in a single shop, but if you cook up a large batch of bolognese, casserole or curry and freeze it in individual portions, you'll have enough meals to last you for weeks.
Bulk buying can also save you loads on other items, especially if you become a member of a wholesalers like Costco.
They offer both trade and non-trade memberships (subject to some criteria) for a small annual fee. Members can take advantage of great discounts on things like washing powder, toilet rolls and electrical appliances, as well as food and drink.
Everything comes supersize, so it's helpful to have somewhere to store your giant vat of washing powder or tomato ketchup, which you can then transfer into a more manageable sized container. Look for your nearest store on the Costco website.
Compare prices
Make sure you get the best prices on your supermarket shop, by comparing prices at MySupermarket.
It's a website that compares the prices of your weekly shop at the four big supermarkets. Once you've chosen everything you want, you can opt to do the whole thing at a different supermarket for less.
Or, if you really want to stick with your favourite grocer, it suggests products you can substitute to make your shop cheaper. Great!
Ditch bottled water
We are lucky enough to have safe drinking water in this country, so make the most of it and don't buy the over-priced bottled stuff.
Make packed lunches
Don't waste money on lunches. Buying lunch at work can set you back in excess of a fiver a day, which works out at over £1000 in the course of a year.
Make your own and put the cash in your savings account instead. This doesn't have to mean boring cheese sandwiches everyday, look at our Lunch Time Savings feature for some innovative lunch ideas.
Grow your own
Even if you don't have a garden, it's possible to grow your own herbs and vegetables on your kitchen window sill.
You don't even to fork out on expensive containers; learn how to grow your own using a baked bean tin here. VegetableExpert also has some great tips on indoor gardening.
Supermarket shopping tricks
1. Buy own brand
Don't be fooled by the fancy packaging; branded products are normally much cheaper than own brand and taste virtually the same.
2. Don't buy ready meals or pre-prepared food
It may seem like the easy option, but ready meals are always a lot more expensive than making a meal from scratch.
More often than not, they also contain hidden nasties like additives and preservatives. Make bulk batches like we suggest above and then simply re-heat them. Having no time to cook is not an excuse!
3. Make the most of supermarket reductions
Learn when your supermarket reduces items that are about to go out of date. For some, this can by after 8.00pm, for others it may be midday. Freeze or use whatever you buy straight away and save yourself a fortune.
For loads more top tips on how to beat the supermarkets at their own game, see our article - Sneaky Supermarket Tricks you Need to Know.
Eliminate waste in your kitchen
Try to throw away as little as possible. According to the Waste and Resources Action Program(WRAP), the population of England and Wales throw away approximately 3.6m tonnes of food each year.
Some 60% of this is completely untouched, which works out as a massive £9bn worth of unnecessarily wasted food!
This not only has a huge impact on the environment, but also on your pocket. Learn how to eliminate the amount of food you waste below.
Empty your cupboards
Save on your supermarket shop by using up the ingredients you already have. Try having a 'use it up week' every few months. All you need to do is look in your cupboards, fridge and freezer and try to plan your meals around what you find.
Don't worry if you're not sure what to do with a specific ingredient. There are some great websites where you can enter the product that needs eating up, and this is then used to generate recipes. Try Cooking By Numbers or Love Food Hate Waste.
You may still need to purchase staples like milk and eggs, but can save a fortune on the rest of your shop. An average family's weekly food bill is about £100 a week, which works out as a considerable saving!
Love Food Hate Waste also has hundreds of easy and tasty recipe ideas for using up left-overs. Why not try their Roast Dinner Soup or Cauliflower Tempura.
Measure portion sizes
Are you the type of person who always cooks enough rice or pasta to feed a small army? Eliminate this wasteful problem by measuring out correct portion sizes using simple kitchen scales.
Love Food Hate Waste offer a great perfect portion size facility, which allows you to enter what you're cooking and for how many people (with an option for both adults and children). They then work out how much you will need.
Plan your weekly menu
Get organised and avoid wasting money and food. It's all too easy to aimlessly meander around the supermarket picking up anything you fancy, which often results in uneaten food that has to be thrown away.
Instead, plan your weekly menu before you shop and focus your list around what you will need to make those specific dishes. This way, you won't be left at the end of the week with plenty of food, but no way to make a meal out of it.
To save more money, make sure you cook a vegetarian dish at least once a week. Meat is pricey, and you'd be amazed at what you can cook up without it.
The days of the boring nut roast are long gone - head to The Vegetarian Society for heaps of recipe ideas.
Look at supermarket offers
Make the most of offers, but only on things that you actually need. If something you buy regularly is buy one get one free then take advantage of it and make sure you stock up.
However, think twice if you're only buying something because it's on offer. If it's something that you'd never normally buy, you're not actually saving anything at all!
Also be careful with offers on perishables. 'Three for two' watermelons may seem like a great deal, but not if there's no way you will manage to eat them all before they go off. Check out Jasmine's Blog for other great tips on decifering discounts.
Make your kitchen and bathroom more energy efficient
Wasting energy is the equivalent of throwing your money down the the drain. And saving energy doesn't need to be hard work. Here are some really easy ways to eco-proof your kitchen and bathroom.
Buy a Gas Energy Saver
Save money and save the planet by getting yourself a Gas Energy Saver from the Ethical Superstore, priced at just £5.86.
Most gas hobs are very inefficient, which results in wasted energy and lost heat. This fantastic product consists of a special catalytic alloy disc that fits neatly over your hob and heats to over 100°C, converting all of the unburnt gas into heat and energy.
This means that you not only need to use less gas (up to a 12% reduction), but are also able heat your food in record time - not bad for less than £6.
Fill your freezer
Empty freezers are inefficient. They work best when they are frost-free and fully stocked, so try to make sure yours has as fewer gaps as possible.
Freezing is a great way to store leftovers and to keep food fresh for longer. If you can't fill it all with food, then fill ice cube trays and put them in any spaces. Not only will you save money, but you'll also always have ice for your favourite tipple.
If you never fill your freezer, it may be worth investing in a smaller one. This will save you money on energy bills in the long run.
By selling your old freezer, you could also earn money to put towards a new one. A great way to do this is on eBay, or through an advert on Gumtree or in your local paper. Shop for great deals on freezers at Comet.
Another great tip is to cut up lemons and limes and put them in the freezer. This saves wasting a whole lemon when you only want one slice for your gin and tonic. It also works as a handy way of cooling your drink without diluting it.
Put a lid on it
Never boil water on the hob unless it's in a pan with a lid. This prevents unnecessary heat escaping and so allows the water to boil faster, saving you both time and energy. If you're using the kettle, only ever boil as much water as you will need. This reduces the amount of energy used considerably.
Run full washing machines and dishwashers
Only run washing machines and dishwashers when they are full. This doesn't mean however that you should make them so jam-packed that they don't clean properly!
These appliances use the same amount of water and energy regardless of whether they're full or not, so it makes sense to always fill them up whenever possible.
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Avoid using your tumble dryer
Tumble dryers are the most power-hungry of all household appliances, using twice as much energy as a washing machine. It therefore makes sense to only use one if you really have to.
In the summer (weather permitting of course) dry your clothes outside if you have the facility to. In the winter months use an airer or hang clothes on the radiator.
If you can't do away with the tumble dryer completely, then make sure you have an energy efficient one. Consult the Energy Saving Trust for their recommendations.
If your dryer isn't due for an upgrade then make it as energy efficient as possible by cleaning the lint screen after every load and regularly checking that the exhaust isn't clogged. You could also try spinning your clothes before drying them to remove excess water, helping them to dry quicker.
Save water
Swapping a shower for a bath can save you as much as 400 litres of water a week.
If you have a dripping tap, fix it as soon as you can - it could waste you 90 litres of water each week.
Turn off the tap when you're cleaning your teeth or shaving - leaving it on will waste nine litres of water every minute!
Fit a water saving device in your toilet cistern and you'll save as much as three litres for every flush. You can get one from the Ethical Superstore for just £1.94.
Following these tips should make a big dent in your water bill over the year!
For even more ideas - we've got 50 ways to save money and the planet.
More ways to save
Embrace old-style cleaning methods
You don't need to spend a fortune on expensive cleaning products. It's possible to make your own using simple household items.
White vinegar will unblock sink and bath plugholes, remove limescale and clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces. All you need to do is mix it with a bit of water and a few drops of essential oil to mask the smell.
Bicarbonate of soda works on descaling teacups, teapots and taps, gets rid of smells in your fridge and is a great microwave cleaner.
Just make a paste with a small amount of water for cleaning - or mix with water and leave to soak for de-scaling. Check out our cheap alternatives to conventional cleaners and see here for other great recipes that Kim and Aggy would be proud of.
Cook with the kids
Kids love getting their hands dirty, so rather than spending money on a trip out, spend the afternoon making yummy treats like fairy cakes or flapjack.
Look on websites like BBC Food or AllRecipes for some great recipe ideas, including ones specifically for children.
Buy bathroom products sensibly
Ladies, (and Gents!) don't spend money on loads of expensive beauty products. Invest instead in Aqueous cream; labelled the cream of the credit crunch.
You can a 500ml tub from Boots (behind the pharmacy counter) for just £3.99 and it can be used as moisturiser, cleanser, make-up remover, shaving cream and even shower gel.
Get a Boots Advantage Card
If you haven't already got one, a Boots Advantage Card can save you a fortune on a whole range of essential toiletries. We like it so much, we even gave it one of our Moneymagpie Awards!
Use your own beauty Products
Find out below how to make your own beauty products - if you don't want to sell them, just keep them for yourself!
Get bargain priced Health Products
Read our article to find out how you can save a fortune on everything from contact lenses to vitamins -and stock up your medicine cupboard for loads less!
Make money from your kitchen
There are loads of ways to make money in the kitchen, whatever your lifestyle. From things that require minimum effort through to starting up a whole new business, there's sure to be a money-making venture that suits you.
Have a clear-out
Start small by having a clear-out. If your kitchen is full to bursting with gadgets that seemed revolutionary at the time but are now gathering dust on your worktop, sell them on a site like eBay and make some money.
If you find loads of items, you could even set up a stall at your local car boot sale. Find your nearest one at Car Boot Junction.
Make jams and cakes to sell
Homemade food is always popular at car boots and craft fairs. Cakes, jams, chutneys and sweets cost very little to make, so it's easy to sell them for profit.
You could start simply by making a few cakes to put on your car boot stall or sell to your neighbours. If this is successful then why not set up a regular pitch at your local boot sale, farmer's market or craft fair. For more tips and advice look at dedicated feature on making food for profit.
Make your own beauty products
Why stop at food? Designer beauty products can cost the earth, but now you can make your own by using our guide to homemade beauty treatments. Put your creations in pretty bottles and sell them to earn some extra cash.
Make hampers to sell
Presentation is key when it comes to making a tidy profit. Shops charge a fortune for prettily packaged hampers, but it's easy and inexpensive to make your own. You could fill them with your homemade treats, or source the contents from wholesalers and high street sales.
Baskets are cheap and can be decorated simply with ribbons and bows. You could then either give them to your friends and family as a personal gift, or sell them for profit. For more tips and advice look at our full article here.
Set up a catering business
If you fancy embarking upon a new career and have a flair in the kitchen, how about setting up your own catering business? Start small by offering to organise the food for a friend's party. If this is successful then the sky's the limit.
Build up a good reputation and you could be earning big bucks catering for weddings, conferences and other functions. Learn more about how to cash in on catering here.
Want some quick cash from your kitchen? Why not...
Apply for Come Dine With Me!
Put your culinary prowess and skills as a host to the test by applying for the hit Channel 4 show Come Dine With Me.
Granada are currently looking for contestants for the new series who live in either Glasgow, Swansea, Rotherham, Basingstoke, Halifax or Northampton. The winner of each episode will get a cool £1000.
So - make the kitchen the first room in your house to have an economic overhaul, and save yourself a small fortune. Next week, we'll be showing you how you can make money from your living room and bedroom.
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Get More Buyers :: Click Here!
Joint Ventures With The Big Players. Click Here!
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Project Quick Cash - Got A Minute? Encash It Click Here!
Perfect Uninstaller - Click Here!
Utilising every room in your house, you'll learn how you can make and save money, starting this week with the kitchen and bathroom.
So read on, and make sure you're using your kitchen and bathroom to their full potential!
Save money on food
Learn how to cut down on your food shopping bills with these top tips.
Buy in bulk
Think big and save a packet. It's generally cheaper to buy ingredients in bulk: A big pack of mince will normally be cheaper per kilo than a small packet. You could save loads by cooking in batches and making the most of these bulk buys.
You might have to spend more in a single shop, but if you cook up a large batch of bolognese, casserole or curry and freeze it in individual portions, you'll have enough meals to last you for weeks.
Bulk buying can also save you loads on other items, especially if you become a member of a wholesalers like Costco.
They offer both trade and non-trade memberships (subject to some criteria) for a small annual fee. Members can take advantage of great discounts on things like washing powder, toilet rolls and electrical appliances, as well as food and drink.
Everything comes supersize, so it's helpful to have somewhere to store your giant vat of washing powder or tomato ketchup, which you can then transfer into a more manageable sized container. Look for your nearest store on the Costco website.
Compare prices
Make sure you get the best prices on your supermarket shop, by comparing prices at MySupermarket.
It's a website that compares the prices of your weekly shop at the four big supermarkets. Once you've chosen everything you want, you can opt to do the whole thing at a different supermarket for less.
Or, if you really want to stick with your favourite grocer, it suggests products you can substitute to make your shop cheaper. Great!
Ditch bottled water
We are lucky enough to have safe drinking water in this country, so make the most of it and don't buy the over-priced bottled stuff.
Make packed lunches
Don't waste money on lunches. Buying lunch at work can set you back in excess of a fiver a day, which works out at over £1000 in the course of a year.
Make your own and put the cash in your savings account instead. This doesn't have to mean boring cheese sandwiches everyday, look at our Lunch Time Savings feature for some innovative lunch ideas.
Grow your own
Even if you don't have a garden, it's possible to grow your own herbs and vegetables on your kitchen window sill.
You don't even to fork out on expensive containers; learn how to grow your own using a baked bean tin here. VegetableExpert also has some great tips on indoor gardening.
Supermarket shopping tricks
1. Buy own brand
Don't be fooled by the fancy packaging; branded products are normally much cheaper than own brand and taste virtually the same.
2. Don't buy ready meals or pre-prepared food
It may seem like the easy option, but ready meals are always a lot more expensive than making a meal from scratch.
More often than not, they also contain hidden nasties like additives and preservatives. Make bulk batches like we suggest above and then simply re-heat them. Having no time to cook is not an excuse!
3. Make the most of supermarket reductions
Learn when your supermarket reduces items that are about to go out of date. For some, this can by after 8.00pm, for others it may be midday. Freeze or use whatever you buy straight away and save yourself a fortune.
For loads more top tips on how to beat the supermarkets at their own game, see our article - Sneaky Supermarket Tricks you Need to Know.
Eliminate waste in your kitchen
Try to throw away as little as possible. According to the Waste and Resources Action Program(WRAP), the population of England and Wales throw away approximately 3.6m tonnes of food each year.
Some 60% of this is completely untouched, which works out as a massive £9bn worth of unnecessarily wasted food!
This not only has a huge impact on the environment, but also on your pocket. Learn how to eliminate the amount of food you waste below.
Empty your cupboards
Save on your supermarket shop by using up the ingredients you already have. Try having a 'use it up week' every few months. All you need to do is look in your cupboards, fridge and freezer and try to plan your meals around what you find.
Don't worry if you're not sure what to do with a specific ingredient. There are some great websites where you can enter the product that needs eating up, and this is then used to generate recipes. Try Cooking By Numbers or Love Food Hate Waste.
You may still need to purchase staples like milk and eggs, but can save a fortune on the rest of your shop. An average family's weekly food bill is about £100 a week, which works out as a considerable saving!
Love Food Hate Waste also has hundreds of easy and tasty recipe ideas for using up left-overs. Why not try their Roast Dinner Soup or Cauliflower Tempura.
Measure portion sizes
Are you the type of person who always cooks enough rice or pasta to feed a small army? Eliminate this wasteful problem by measuring out correct portion sizes using simple kitchen scales.
Love Food Hate Waste offer a great perfect portion size facility, which allows you to enter what you're cooking and for how many people (with an option for both adults and children). They then work out how much you will need.
Plan your weekly menu
Get organised and avoid wasting money and food. It's all too easy to aimlessly meander around the supermarket picking up anything you fancy, which often results in uneaten food that has to be thrown away.
Instead, plan your weekly menu before you shop and focus your list around what you will need to make those specific dishes. This way, you won't be left at the end of the week with plenty of food, but no way to make a meal out of it.
To save more money, make sure you cook a vegetarian dish at least once a week. Meat is pricey, and you'd be amazed at what you can cook up without it.
The days of the boring nut roast are long gone - head to The Vegetarian Society for heaps of recipe ideas.
Look at supermarket offers
Make the most of offers, but only on things that you actually need. If something you buy regularly is buy one get one free then take advantage of it and make sure you stock up.
However, think twice if you're only buying something because it's on offer. If it's something that you'd never normally buy, you're not actually saving anything at all!
Also be careful with offers on perishables. 'Three for two' watermelons may seem like a great deal, but not if there's no way you will manage to eat them all before they go off. Check out Jasmine's Blog for other great tips on decifering discounts.
Make your kitchen and bathroom more energy efficient
Wasting energy is the equivalent of throwing your money down the the drain. And saving energy doesn't need to be hard work. Here are some really easy ways to eco-proof your kitchen and bathroom.
Buy a Gas Energy Saver
Save money and save the planet by getting yourself a Gas Energy Saver from the Ethical Superstore, priced at just £5.86.
Most gas hobs are very inefficient, which results in wasted energy and lost heat. This fantastic product consists of a special catalytic alloy disc that fits neatly over your hob and heats to over 100°C, converting all of the unburnt gas into heat and energy.
This means that you not only need to use less gas (up to a 12% reduction), but are also able heat your food in record time - not bad for less than £6.
Fill your freezer
Empty freezers are inefficient. They work best when they are frost-free and fully stocked, so try to make sure yours has as fewer gaps as possible.
Freezing is a great way to store leftovers and to keep food fresh for longer. If you can't fill it all with food, then fill ice cube trays and put them in any spaces. Not only will you save money, but you'll also always have ice for your favourite tipple.
If you never fill your freezer, it may be worth investing in a smaller one. This will save you money on energy bills in the long run.
By selling your old freezer, you could also earn money to put towards a new one. A great way to do this is on eBay, or through an advert on Gumtree or in your local paper. Shop for great deals on freezers at Comet.
Another great tip is to cut up lemons and limes and put them in the freezer. This saves wasting a whole lemon when you only want one slice for your gin and tonic. It also works as a handy way of cooling your drink without diluting it.
Put a lid on it
Never boil water on the hob unless it's in a pan with a lid. This prevents unnecessary heat escaping and so allows the water to boil faster, saving you both time and energy. If you're using the kettle, only ever boil as much water as you will need. This reduces the amount of energy used considerably.
Run full washing machines and dishwashers
Only run washing machines and dishwashers when they are full. This doesn't mean however that you should make them so jam-packed that they don't clean properly!
These appliances use the same amount of water and energy regardless of whether they're full or not, so it makes sense to always fill them up whenever possible.
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Jay Abrahams Millionaire Secrets. Click Here!
Royalty Free Coaching Products. Click Here!
Domino Marketing. New Business Development. Click Here!
$160,000 Per Month With Google AdWords. Click Here!
Try The Adwords Killer $643/Day Method. - Profits Guaranteed Click Here!
Royalty Free Information Products. Click Here!
Avoid using your tumble dryer
Tumble dryers are the most power-hungry of all household appliances, using twice as much energy as a washing machine. It therefore makes sense to only use one if you really have to.
In the summer (weather permitting of course) dry your clothes outside if you have the facility to. In the winter months use an airer or hang clothes on the radiator.
If you can't do away with the tumble dryer completely, then make sure you have an energy efficient one. Consult the Energy Saving Trust for their recommendations.
If your dryer isn't due for an upgrade then make it as energy efficient as possible by cleaning the lint screen after every load and regularly checking that the exhaust isn't clogged. You could also try spinning your clothes before drying them to remove excess water, helping them to dry quicker.
Save water
Swapping a shower for a bath can save you as much as 400 litres of water a week.
If you have a dripping tap, fix it as soon as you can - it could waste you 90 litres of water each week.
Turn off the tap when you're cleaning your teeth or shaving - leaving it on will waste nine litres of water every minute!
Fit a water saving device in your toilet cistern and you'll save as much as three litres for every flush. You can get one from the Ethical Superstore for just £1.94.
Following these tips should make a big dent in your water bill over the year!
For even more ideas - we've got 50 ways to save money and the planet.
More ways to save
Embrace old-style cleaning methods
You don't need to spend a fortune on expensive cleaning products. It's possible to make your own using simple household items.
White vinegar will unblock sink and bath plugholes, remove limescale and clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces. All you need to do is mix it with a bit of water and a few drops of essential oil to mask the smell.
Bicarbonate of soda works on descaling teacups, teapots and taps, gets rid of smells in your fridge and is a great microwave cleaner.
Just make a paste with a small amount of water for cleaning - or mix with water and leave to soak for de-scaling. Check out our cheap alternatives to conventional cleaners and see here for other great recipes that Kim and Aggy would be proud of.
Cook with the kids
Kids love getting their hands dirty, so rather than spending money on a trip out, spend the afternoon making yummy treats like fairy cakes or flapjack.
Look on websites like BBC Food or AllRecipes for some great recipe ideas, including ones specifically for children.
Buy bathroom products sensibly
Ladies, (and Gents!) don't spend money on loads of expensive beauty products. Invest instead in Aqueous cream; labelled the cream of the credit crunch.
You can a 500ml tub from Boots (behind the pharmacy counter) for just £3.99 and it can be used as moisturiser, cleanser, make-up remover, shaving cream and even shower gel.
Get a Boots Advantage Card
If you haven't already got one, a Boots Advantage Card can save you a fortune on a whole range of essential toiletries. We like it so much, we even gave it one of our Moneymagpie Awards!
Use your own beauty Products
Find out below how to make your own beauty products - if you don't want to sell them, just keep them for yourself!
Get bargain priced Health Products
Read our article to find out how you can save a fortune on everything from contact lenses to vitamins -and stock up your medicine cupboard for loads less!
Make money from your kitchen
There are loads of ways to make money in the kitchen, whatever your lifestyle. From things that require minimum effort through to starting up a whole new business, there's sure to be a money-making venture that suits you.
Have a clear-out
Start small by having a clear-out. If your kitchen is full to bursting with gadgets that seemed revolutionary at the time but are now gathering dust on your worktop, sell them on a site like eBay and make some money.
If you find loads of items, you could even set up a stall at your local car boot sale. Find your nearest one at Car Boot Junction.
Make jams and cakes to sell
Homemade food is always popular at car boots and craft fairs. Cakes, jams, chutneys and sweets cost very little to make, so it's easy to sell them for profit.
You could start simply by making a few cakes to put on your car boot stall or sell to your neighbours. If this is successful then why not set up a regular pitch at your local boot sale, farmer's market or craft fair. For more tips and advice look at dedicated feature on making food for profit.
Make your own beauty products
Why stop at food? Designer beauty products can cost the earth, but now you can make your own by using our guide to homemade beauty treatments. Put your creations in pretty bottles and sell them to earn some extra cash.
Make hampers to sell
Presentation is key when it comes to making a tidy profit. Shops charge a fortune for prettily packaged hampers, but it's easy and inexpensive to make your own. You could fill them with your homemade treats, or source the contents from wholesalers and high street sales.
Baskets are cheap and can be decorated simply with ribbons and bows. You could then either give them to your friends and family as a personal gift, or sell them for profit. For more tips and advice look at our full article here.
Set up a catering business
If you fancy embarking upon a new career and have a flair in the kitchen, how about setting up your own catering business? Start small by offering to organise the food for a friend's party. If this is successful then the sky's the limit.
Build up a good reputation and you could be earning big bucks catering for weddings, conferences and other functions. Learn more about how to cash in on catering here.
Want some quick cash from your kitchen? Why not...
Apply for Come Dine With Me!
Put your culinary prowess and skills as a host to the test by applying for the hit Channel 4 show Come Dine With Me.
Granada are currently looking for contestants for the new series who live in either Glasgow, Swansea, Rotherham, Basingstoke, Halifax or Northampton. The winner of each episode will get a cool £1000.
So - make the kitchen the first room in your house to have an economic overhaul, and save yourself a small fortune. Next week, we'll be showing you how you can make money from your living room and bedroom.
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Make Money from your Home: Living Room and Bedroom
The second in our series on making money from your home, this week we're going to show you how you can make and save cash in your living room and bedroom.
Make money from your bedroom
Ahem, this isn't as dodgy as it sounds - honest. If you've got a spare bedroom, consider renting it out for some extra cash. Advertise your room for free on sites like SpareRoom or EasyRoomMate - which cover the whole of the UK. Find out how you can make as much as £4,250 a year tax free in our article here.
Host a foreign student
If you don't fancy having someone all the time you can take in foreign students for shorter periods. There are plenty of foreign language schools and universities who will need somewhere for their students to stay while they study.
You can provide these students with house and board and earn yourself as much as £150 a week - check out the Idiom website for a list of English Language schools in the UK and read the full article for more information.
Cash in your junk
As always, an easy way to make some money from your living room and your bedroom is to turf out all your old trash - and sell it. It'll make you feel a whole lot better to have a clear out as well. Remember that one man's junk is another man's treasure and you could make a tidy profit on your 'junk'.
Try selling on sites like eBay, eBid, and even Amazon. Don't worry if you're an eBay virgin - we take you through exactly what to do here.
You can also find your nearest car boot sale on CarbootJunction or Your Booty if you'd rather sell your things in person. For more ideas on how to turn your trash into cash click here.
Make money from your living room
Get glamorous
If you fancy something a bit glamorous, you can use your living room to host a product party. Invite a bunch of friends round, and try out loads of posh products before you buy them.
It won't cost you anything, and you'll be entitled to free products, discounts and special offers.
If you really like it you can become a consultant and organise the parties for others. You'll earn commission on everything you sell and they offer loads of incentives for you to do well. Get started with The Body Shop at Home, Virgin Vie and Ann Summers.
Care for kids
Are you stuck at home with the kids? You could always look after other people's as well and make some money out of it.
If you're serious about staying home to look after your own children, this is a really great way to make money at the same time. We tell you exactly how to set up your own childminding business, and how you can make as much as £18,000 a year here.
Earn cash while you watch TV
Believe it or not, there are ways you can make money without moving from the sofa (almost).
How about knitting for cash? Even if you don't have a clue where to start, we've got an article that will tell you everything you need to know from how to cast on, to where to find the cheapest wool.
We show you how you can knit items to sell, and even how to teach others to knit. Find out how to knit your way to riches here.
You can earn as much as £12 an hour doing other people's ironing. Sound appealing? For most of us, ironing is one of those horrible chores we avoid for as long as possible. If you've got a knack for it however, there's plenty of people out there willing to pay you to take that stack of creased shirts off their hands.
We've even got a whole host of ideas on how to make money from TV itself - check them out here.
Find money you didn't know you had
It's never going to make you rich, but it's always worth checking down the back of the sofa for small change. You'd be amazed how many pennies end up down there, and as they say, 'if you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves'.
Save money
Save on home entertainment
If you're in desperate need of a new TV/DVD player/stereo for your living room or bedroom, use one of our favourite websites - Comet Clearance.
Get your hands on all kinds of audio and hi-fi equipment for hundreds of pounds less than the store price, by bidding for ex-display or end of line items that are featured on this auction site. All the items are also covered by Comet's 12 month warranty.
When you buy DVDs and CDs, make sure you get them for the very best prices - we love hmv.com and Play.com who both have really competitive prices and offer free delivery on everything - brilliant!
If you're serious about saving, you could consider switching your Sky subscription for Freeview. The cheapest sky subscription is £16 a month - but you can get a Freeview box for just £15 from Argos,and that's the only charge you'll have to pay.
Don't pay for the gym
Are you feeling guilty about your distinct lack of trips to the gym? Well, don't! How about ditching the costly gym membership and exercising at home instead?
It requires a lot less effort on your part and could save you a small fortune. You could buy yourself a decent exercise DVD and get fit in front of your telly - easy. Have a look at the selection on hmv.com here.
Get into saving energy - and not just because it's the done thing! It can actually save you a lot of money.
Try switching all the light bulbs in your living room and bedroom for energy saving light bulbs. Check out the GoGreenLights website to get bulbs at the very best prices and do your bit for charity - the website donates all its profits to Oxfam.
If your living room or bedroom is feeling a bit draughty, we've got loads of DIY quick insulation fixes, so you can save loads on your energy bills. We show you how to make your radiators more efficient using just tin foil, create your own double glazing with bubble wrap and make your very own stylish draught excluders. Find out how here.
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Make money from your bedroom
Ahem, this isn't as dodgy as it sounds - honest. If you've got a spare bedroom, consider renting it out for some extra cash. Advertise your room for free on sites like SpareRoom or EasyRoomMate - which cover the whole of the UK. Find out how you can make as much as £4,250 a year tax free in our article here.
Host a foreign student
If you don't fancy having someone all the time you can take in foreign students for shorter periods. There are plenty of foreign language schools and universities who will need somewhere for their students to stay while they study.
You can provide these students with house and board and earn yourself as much as £150 a week - check out the Idiom website for a list of English Language schools in the UK and read the full article for more information.
Cash in your junk
As always, an easy way to make some money from your living room and your bedroom is to turf out all your old trash - and sell it. It'll make you feel a whole lot better to have a clear out as well. Remember that one man's junk is another man's treasure and you could make a tidy profit on your 'junk'.
Try selling on sites like eBay, eBid, and even Amazon. Don't worry if you're an eBay virgin - we take you through exactly what to do here.
You can also find your nearest car boot sale on CarbootJunction or Your Booty if you'd rather sell your things in person. For more ideas on how to turn your trash into cash click here.
Make money from your living room
Get glamorous
If you fancy something a bit glamorous, you can use your living room to host a product party. Invite a bunch of friends round, and try out loads of posh products before you buy them.
It won't cost you anything, and you'll be entitled to free products, discounts and special offers.
If you really like it you can become a consultant and organise the parties for others. You'll earn commission on everything you sell and they offer loads of incentives for you to do well. Get started with The Body Shop at Home, Virgin Vie and Ann Summers.
Care for kids
Are you stuck at home with the kids? You could always look after other people's as well and make some money out of it.
If you're serious about staying home to look after your own children, this is a really great way to make money at the same time. We tell you exactly how to set up your own childminding business, and how you can make as much as £18,000 a year here.
Earn cash while you watch TV
Believe it or not, there are ways you can make money without moving from the sofa (almost).
How about knitting for cash? Even if you don't have a clue where to start, we've got an article that will tell you everything you need to know from how to cast on, to where to find the cheapest wool.
We show you how you can knit items to sell, and even how to teach others to knit. Find out how to knit your way to riches here.
You can earn as much as £12 an hour doing other people's ironing. Sound appealing? For most of us, ironing is one of those horrible chores we avoid for as long as possible. If you've got a knack for it however, there's plenty of people out there willing to pay you to take that stack of creased shirts off their hands.
We've even got a whole host of ideas on how to make money from TV itself - check them out here.
Find money you didn't know you had
It's never going to make you rich, but it's always worth checking down the back of the sofa for small change. You'd be amazed how many pennies end up down there, and as they say, 'if you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves'.
Save money
Save on home entertainment
If you're in desperate need of a new TV/DVD player/stereo for your living room or bedroom, use one of our favourite websites - Comet Clearance.
Get your hands on all kinds of audio and hi-fi equipment for hundreds of pounds less than the store price, by bidding for ex-display or end of line items that are featured on this auction site. All the items are also covered by Comet's 12 month warranty.
When you buy DVDs and CDs, make sure you get them for the very best prices - we love hmv.com and Play.com who both have really competitive prices and offer free delivery on everything - brilliant!
If you're serious about saving, you could consider switching your Sky subscription for Freeview. The cheapest sky subscription is £16 a month - but you can get a Freeview box for just £15 from Argos,and that's the only charge you'll have to pay.
Don't pay for the gym
Are you feeling guilty about your distinct lack of trips to the gym? Well, don't! How about ditching the costly gym membership and exercising at home instead?
It requires a lot less effort on your part and could save you a small fortune. You could buy yourself a decent exercise DVD and get fit in front of your telly - easy. Have a look at the selection on hmv.com here.
Get into saving energy - and not just because it's the done thing! It can actually save you a lot of money.
Try switching all the light bulbs in your living room and bedroom for energy saving light bulbs. Check out the GoGreenLights website to get bulbs at the very best prices and do your bit for charity - the website donates all its profits to Oxfam.
If your living room or bedroom is feeling a bit draughty, we've got loads of DIY quick insulation fixes, so you can save loads on your energy bills. We show you how to make your radiators more efficient using just tin foil, create your own double glazing with bubble wrap and make your very own stylish draught excluders. Find out how here.
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Ways to Get Rich 2009
20 Ways to get Rich in 2009 Other pages in this section Get a Real Handle on your Money Get Rich on Half a Day a Year Jasmine's Top Product Picks Making a budget Reduce your Outgoings: You Could Save over £1,000 a Year Sending Money Overseas: A Great Way to Send Money Abroad Spending Diary Spring Clean your Finances 2009 can be a year of bountyCheeky ways to bag yourself a bargain
Save by being smug
Grab as many freebies as you can
Everyone's making dire predictions about our finances in 2009 but you don't have to be affected. There are so many ways to make and save money so we've collected 20 of the best here. Follow these tips and you could make 2009 your best money year yet.
1. Be cheeky
When the going gets tough, the tough try it on. So, decide that 2009 is going to be your cheekiest year ever. Here are some cheeky tricks that could bag you a bargain or even a freebie!
Any time you have dinner in a restaurant, tell the waiter that it's your birthday (or the birthday of someone else in your party). You could get free champagne or even a special cake thrown in for nothing.
Always be the third person to buy a round in the pub. It tends to be the cheapest one so if you buy that you'll look generous without actually being so.
Haggle. Yes, haggle in shops every time you go in. Even high street stores will consider a discount if you speak to the manager and ask nicely enough. If you can't get a discount see if they will throw in free delivery or maybe two for the price of one.
Get more tips like these in our full article on haggling.
2. Turn your junk into gold
Have a regular turn-out - not just once a year but once a month. Do the odd car boot sale for instant cash or sell stuff on the internet. Don't forget the lesser-known sales sites such as Greenmetropolis where you can earn at least £3 for every book you sell and Fashionexchange where you can sell your unwanted clothes.
Start your selling spree with the gifts you didn't want for Christmas and get eBay selling tips in Nicky Peckham's eBay blog.
3. Get a discount on everything
2009 is going to be a great year for bargain hunters. Make sure you get a discount on everything. Sign up to a few discount voucher sites like Myvouchercodes or Shopping-bargains and trawl through to find bargains (there's a lot of rubbish on all the voucher sites but there are a few gems hidden there). We've gone through the full list of voucher sites that we like in this article too.
Keep an eye out for great deals and offers - sign up to the Moneymagpie 'Bargain Alert' which sends the latest bargain news straight to your inbox.
4. Save by being smug
The green way is usually the cheaper way so join the tree-huggers and start saving cash:
Recycle everything you can including old envelopes (for writing lists), clothes (darned, re-made or cut-down to make cleaning cloths), jars (for home-made jam or for storage) and so on.
Get into energy efficiency - there are lots of simple things you can do to cut your energy bills, from putting the thermostat down and plugging all gaps around doors and windows to insulating your loft. Check out our new article on insulating your home for more ideas.
Don't send greetings cards. Send ecards instead and tell everyone it's because of 'carbon footprint'. For just £6.25 you can send as many delightful, all-singing, all-dancing ecards as you like, all year, from Jacquielawson.com.
Check out 50 more ways of saving money by being smug in this article. Also find out a load of fun green products that save you money.
5. Fight the flab and slim your wallet
Ditch your expensive gym membership and save on bus and train fares by walking and cycling to the shops, to work or anywhere you need to go. Once you get in the habit you will find the pounds drop off your waistline and fall into your wallet without your even noticing it! Also, with PruHealth you can save hundreds on your health insurance by keeping fit so check that out and find out more cheap ways to lose weight here.
6. Live for free
Decide that 2009 is going to be the year in which you get as much as you can for free:
Get free holiday accommodation by doing a house-swap. Join an agency like Homeexchange to swap with other families all round the world.
Get free entertainment by being part of the audience at your favourite TV shows. Sign up to the BBC website and Lostintv.
Make free phonecalls anywhere in the world using Voip (Voice over IP) technology. Join Skype for free, make sure your friends do to and you can talk for hours through your computers for nothing. Find out more here.
Get more inspiration from our 29 Ways to Live for free.
7. Ignore Gordon - save, save, save
The government is trying to get us to spend but really we need to save a lot more. The savings rates may be low (and they're getting lower) but then so is inflation. Keep an eye on our savings articles to find the best savings rates. Right now, ING is doing a good online, easy-access account offering 4.0% AER for the first year.
Lock in the savings now, before they slide even lower, with a fixed savings bond for at least a year. Just get into (or keep) that savings habit even though the rewards seem slim right now. There are plenty of things to save for in the short-term, including property which will be getting more affordable.
8. Recycle your mobile for cash
There are over 80 million old mobiles languishing in homes around the country. So why not make some money out of yours? Send off dead, old mobiles to be recycled by Mopay and get cash payments of anything from £2.50 to £100 depending on the model and condition of your phone. Get more information, and more contacts, from this article on recycling your mobile.
9. Keep yourself safe
With redundancies on the cards for many across the country this year, it's important to protect yourself and your family. Ideally you should have your own savings 'safety net' of enough money to cover all your bills for three to six months. However, if you don't have that make sure you take out the best income protection insurance for your needs and mortgage protection insurance if you own your home.
10. Get into sneaky savings
Hoodwink yourself into saving:
Exercise and save. If you walk, cycle or get a free lift for a journey that you would usually pay for, put the fare into your savings. So if you would have paid £2 for the bus ticket (or 90p on your Oyster card), put that money straight into your piggy bank.
Start your own inhouse Laundromat. Put a jar next to your washing machine (and dryer if you have one) and 'charge' yourself every time you use it.
Get cash back. When you get any money back from cashback credit cards or cashback sites, stick it straight into your savings account. Try the American Express Platinum MoneyBack Credit Card. This card offers 5% cashback for the first three months for spending up to £4,000 and then rates vary after that.
Check out our sneaky ways to save article for more ideas.
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11. Get a little help from your friends
Make your money go further by sharing and swapping with friends, family and neighbours:
Have a swap shop with friends. Bring unwanted clothes, accessories and homeware and swap with each other. Get everyone to bring some food or drink and turn it into a party!
Share childcare. Cut costs and help each other earn by sharing childcare - either share a nanny or childminder with a neighbour or divide up the week so that you care for their children for half the week and they care for your children for the other half. That way you can both go out to work for at least half a week.
Go out by staying in. Save on going out by hiring a DVD and inviting friends round; have a pot-luck party where everyone brings food for dinner; get into old-fashioned parlour games and save on expensive dinners and nights out at the pub.
12. Save £100's on food
Wasting food costs the average family £420 a year. So get using up what you've got:
Get into leftovers. Check out the recipes in Sarah Lockett's food blog for using up leftover food in delicious ways.
Use up all the bits and bobs in your cupboards. Decide today that you will only buy food to go with the tins and packets you have in your kitchen cupboards or frozen items in your freezer. Don't buy anything else until you've used up everything you have there.
Go veggie at least once a week. Vegetarian meals are generally the cheaper option so swap at least one meat meal a week for a veggie option like stir-friend vegetables with rice, vegetable lasagne or cauliflower cheese.
Try our cheap and easy curry recipes for tasty family treats.
13. Spend an hour a month getting rich
Honestly, there's no great mystery to it. You can manage your money like a master, and get rich in the process, just by getting clued-up. Make sure you read at least one money article each week in whichever newspaper you read regularly and browse through the articles in this site (there are hundreds!). Why not start with our article on how to get rich on half a day a year?
14. Switch, switch, switch
Spend half a day (that's all you need for the whole year) going through all your essential bills and cut them all down.
Switch your gas and electricity providers here.
Get cheaper insurance here (you can save £100s just by switching those).
Get paid £100 to switch your bank account - find out how here.
Switch your credit cards to cheaper ones here.
Get a cheaper loan here.
Switch your phone package here.
15. Get debt-busting
It's more important than ever to get out of debt as fast as possible. If you haven't faced it yet, make January the time to start your way towards freedom from debt. Start with our step-by-step guide to getting out of debt. If it all seems too much to bear, get free, professional help from the Citizens Advice Bureau, The Consumer Credit Counselling Service or National Debtline.
16. Make a plan - and stick to it
Another really simple way of saving money and getting rich long-term is to set yourself a budget and stick to it.
First of all you need to work out your incomings and outgoings. Write a list of the money coming in each month and add it up. Then write a list of the money you have to pay out each month including food, mortgage, bills, travel, debt repayments etc and add those up. Take your outgoings away from your incomings and that will show you how much money you have to play with each month.
If your incomings exceed your outgoings (i.e. you make more money than you spend) it's really important that you put the extra money straight the best savings account. Savings accounts can seem a bit complicated so we've made things simple in this savings guide.
If your outgoings exceed your incomings (i.e you spend more money than you make) you need to take action now. This is isn't as scary as it sounds - you can spend a few minutes checking that you have the best deals for everything from your mobile phone to your travel insurance. Check our price comparison pages here.
17. Get paid to surf
Make cash while you're on the computer. Join My Home Pages Friends and make money every time you surf the net. It really is that simple - you're paid to search the web when you use My Home Pages Friends as a search engine. See our full article here for more ways to make money online.
Also, get into online surveys and make a few pounds from the comfort of your own home. Try Panelbase and Toluna for starters.
18. Make money by complaining
Are you angry at faulty goods or poor service? Don't suffer in silence. Write a balanced letter to the CEO of the company and the head of Customer Service explaining how devastated you are and suggesting an amount of money you will need as compensation. If they say no after the first letter, write again. If they still say no, write a third time. Usually by the third letter you get some sort of recompense. We've got more tips and contacts and even a sample complaint letter right here.
19. Eat out for free
Get into mystery shopping and eat for free. Join some mystery shopping agencies such as TNS-Global or Performanceinpeople and look for jobs involving 'testing' restaurants, pubs and hotels. There are lots of them. You could eat and drink for free two or three times a week just for filling in a form online afterwards.
20. Get free money
Make sure you have all the benefits you're entitled to. Millions of people are owed money that they never claim. Go to Entitledto to find out if you're owed anything. Also, check to see if you have any old, dormant bank accounts or savings accounts that still have money in them. Go to Mylostaccount to find out if you have free money waiting for you.
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Save by being smug
Grab as many freebies as you can
Everyone's making dire predictions about our finances in 2009 but you don't have to be affected. There are so many ways to make and save money so we've collected 20 of the best here. Follow these tips and you could make 2009 your best money year yet.
1. Be cheeky
When the going gets tough, the tough try it on. So, decide that 2009 is going to be your cheekiest year ever. Here are some cheeky tricks that could bag you a bargain or even a freebie!
Any time you have dinner in a restaurant, tell the waiter that it's your birthday (or the birthday of someone else in your party). You could get free champagne or even a special cake thrown in for nothing.
Always be the third person to buy a round in the pub. It tends to be the cheapest one so if you buy that you'll look generous without actually being so.
Haggle. Yes, haggle in shops every time you go in. Even high street stores will consider a discount if you speak to the manager and ask nicely enough. If you can't get a discount see if they will throw in free delivery or maybe two for the price of one.
Get more tips like these in our full article on haggling.
2. Turn your junk into gold
Have a regular turn-out - not just once a year but once a month. Do the odd car boot sale for instant cash or sell stuff on the internet. Don't forget the lesser-known sales sites such as Greenmetropolis where you can earn at least £3 for every book you sell and Fashionexchange where you can sell your unwanted clothes.
Start your selling spree with the gifts you didn't want for Christmas and get eBay selling tips in Nicky Peckham's eBay blog.
3. Get a discount on everything
2009 is going to be a great year for bargain hunters. Make sure you get a discount on everything. Sign up to a few discount voucher sites like Myvouchercodes or Shopping-bargains and trawl through to find bargains (there's a lot of rubbish on all the voucher sites but there are a few gems hidden there). We've gone through the full list of voucher sites that we like in this article too.
Keep an eye out for great deals and offers - sign up to the Moneymagpie 'Bargain Alert' which sends the latest bargain news straight to your inbox.
4. Save by being smug
The green way is usually the cheaper way so join the tree-huggers and start saving cash:
Recycle everything you can including old envelopes (for writing lists), clothes (darned, re-made or cut-down to make cleaning cloths), jars (for home-made jam or for storage) and so on.
Get into energy efficiency - there are lots of simple things you can do to cut your energy bills, from putting the thermostat down and plugging all gaps around doors and windows to insulating your loft. Check out our new article on insulating your home for more ideas.
Don't send greetings cards. Send ecards instead and tell everyone it's because of 'carbon footprint'. For just £6.25 you can send as many delightful, all-singing, all-dancing ecards as you like, all year, from Jacquielawson.com.
Check out 50 more ways of saving money by being smug in this article. Also find out a load of fun green products that save you money.
5. Fight the flab and slim your wallet
Ditch your expensive gym membership and save on bus and train fares by walking and cycling to the shops, to work or anywhere you need to go. Once you get in the habit you will find the pounds drop off your waistline and fall into your wallet without your even noticing it! Also, with PruHealth you can save hundreds on your health insurance by keeping fit so check that out and find out more cheap ways to lose weight here.
6. Live for free
Decide that 2009 is going to be the year in which you get as much as you can for free:
Get free holiday accommodation by doing a house-swap. Join an agency like Homeexchange to swap with other families all round the world.
Get free entertainment by being part of the audience at your favourite TV shows. Sign up to the BBC website and Lostintv.
Make free phonecalls anywhere in the world using Voip (Voice over IP) technology. Join Skype for free, make sure your friends do to and you can talk for hours through your computers for nothing. Find out more here.
Get more inspiration from our 29 Ways to Live for free.
7. Ignore Gordon - save, save, save
The government is trying to get us to spend but really we need to save a lot more. The savings rates may be low (and they're getting lower) but then so is inflation. Keep an eye on our savings articles to find the best savings rates. Right now, ING is doing a good online, easy-access account offering 4.0% AER for the first year.
Lock in the savings now, before they slide even lower, with a fixed savings bond for at least a year. Just get into (or keep) that savings habit even though the rewards seem slim right now. There are plenty of things to save for in the short-term, including property which will be getting more affordable.
8. Recycle your mobile for cash
There are over 80 million old mobiles languishing in homes around the country. So why not make some money out of yours? Send off dead, old mobiles to be recycled by Mopay and get cash payments of anything from £2.50 to £100 depending on the model and condition of your phone. Get more information, and more contacts, from this article on recycling your mobile.
9. Keep yourself safe
With redundancies on the cards for many across the country this year, it's important to protect yourself and your family. Ideally you should have your own savings 'safety net' of enough money to cover all your bills for three to six months. However, if you don't have that make sure you take out the best income protection insurance for your needs and mortgage protection insurance if you own your home.
10. Get into sneaky savings
Hoodwink yourself into saving:
Exercise and save. If you walk, cycle or get a free lift for a journey that you would usually pay for, put the fare into your savings. So if you would have paid £2 for the bus ticket (or 90p on your Oyster card), put that money straight into your piggy bank.
Start your own inhouse Laundromat. Put a jar next to your washing machine (and dryer if you have one) and 'charge' yourself every time you use it.
Get cash back. When you get any money back from cashback credit cards or cashback sites, stick it straight into your savings account. Try the American Express Platinum MoneyBack Credit Card. This card offers 5% cashback for the first three months for spending up to £4,000 and then rates vary after that.
Check out our sneaky ways to save article for more ideas.
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11. Get a little help from your friends
Make your money go further by sharing and swapping with friends, family and neighbours:
Have a swap shop with friends. Bring unwanted clothes, accessories and homeware and swap with each other. Get everyone to bring some food or drink and turn it into a party!
Share childcare. Cut costs and help each other earn by sharing childcare - either share a nanny or childminder with a neighbour or divide up the week so that you care for their children for half the week and they care for your children for the other half. That way you can both go out to work for at least half a week.
Go out by staying in. Save on going out by hiring a DVD and inviting friends round; have a pot-luck party where everyone brings food for dinner; get into old-fashioned parlour games and save on expensive dinners and nights out at the pub.
12. Save £100's on food
Wasting food costs the average family £420 a year. So get using up what you've got:
Get into leftovers. Check out the recipes in Sarah Lockett's food blog for using up leftover food in delicious ways.
Use up all the bits and bobs in your cupboards. Decide today that you will only buy food to go with the tins and packets you have in your kitchen cupboards or frozen items in your freezer. Don't buy anything else until you've used up everything you have there.
Go veggie at least once a week. Vegetarian meals are generally the cheaper option so swap at least one meat meal a week for a veggie option like stir-friend vegetables with rice, vegetable lasagne or cauliflower cheese.
Try our cheap and easy curry recipes for tasty family treats.
13. Spend an hour a month getting rich
Honestly, there's no great mystery to it. You can manage your money like a master, and get rich in the process, just by getting clued-up. Make sure you read at least one money article each week in whichever newspaper you read regularly and browse through the articles in this site (there are hundreds!). Why not start with our article on how to get rich on half a day a year?
14. Switch, switch, switch
Spend half a day (that's all you need for the whole year) going through all your essential bills and cut them all down.
Switch your gas and electricity providers here.
Get cheaper insurance here (you can save £100s just by switching those).
Get paid £100 to switch your bank account - find out how here.
Switch your credit cards to cheaper ones here.
Get a cheaper loan here.
Switch your phone package here.
15. Get debt-busting
It's more important than ever to get out of debt as fast as possible. If you haven't faced it yet, make January the time to start your way towards freedom from debt. Start with our step-by-step guide to getting out of debt. If it all seems too much to bear, get free, professional help from the Citizens Advice Bureau, The Consumer Credit Counselling Service or National Debtline.
16. Make a plan - and stick to it
Another really simple way of saving money and getting rich long-term is to set yourself a budget and stick to it.
First of all you need to work out your incomings and outgoings. Write a list of the money coming in each month and add it up. Then write a list of the money you have to pay out each month including food, mortgage, bills, travel, debt repayments etc and add those up. Take your outgoings away from your incomings and that will show you how much money you have to play with each month.
If your incomings exceed your outgoings (i.e. you make more money than you spend) it's really important that you put the extra money straight the best savings account. Savings accounts can seem a bit complicated so we've made things simple in this savings guide.
If your outgoings exceed your incomings (i.e you spend more money than you make) you need to take action now. This is isn't as scary as it sounds - you can spend a few minutes checking that you have the best deals for everything from your mobile phone to your travel insurance. Check our price comparison pages here.
17. Get paid to surf
Make cash while you're on the computer. Join My Home Pages Friends and make money every time you surf the net. It really is that simple - you're paid to search the web when you use My Home Pages Friends as a search engine. See our full article here for more ways to make money online.
Also, get into online surveys and make a few pounds from the comfort of your own home. Try Panelbase and Toluna for starters.
18. Make money by complaining
Are you angry at faulty goods or poor service? Don't suffer in silence. Write a balanced letter to the CEO of the company and the head of Customer Service explaining how devastated you are and suggesting an amount of money you will need as compensation. If they say no after the first letter, write again. If they still say no, write a third time. Usually by the third letter you get some sort of recompense. We've got more tips and contacts and even a sample complaint letter right here.
19. Eat out for free
Get into mystery shopping and eat for free. Join some mystery shopping agencies such as TNS-Global or Performanceinpeople and look for jobs involving 'testing' restaurants, pubs and hotels. There are lots of them. You could eat and drink for free two or three times a week just for filling in a form online afterwards.
20. Get free money
Make sure you have all the benefits you're entitled to. Millions of people are owed money that they never claim. Go to Entitledto to find out if you're owed anything. Also, check to see if you have any old, dormant bank accounts or savings accounts that still have money in them. Go to Mylostaccount to find out if you have free money waiting for you.
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10 Ways to Make Quick Cash
10 Easy Ways to Make Quick Cash Other pages in this section Cleaning Debt-collecting as a job Exam invigilating Get Paid to Deliver Get paid to party Host a Product Party for Quick Cash House-sitting and house-minding Ironing: how to make money by running an ironing service Lifeguard - how to make money as a pool attendant Make money from competitions Make Money from Household Chores Make money from sporting events Make Money from Weekend Shop Work Make Money in your Lunch Hour Make up to £10 an hour babysitting Market Research: Earn by Asking Questions Mystery shopping: Get Paid to Shop and Eat Out Pedal pushing for pounds Poll clerk - how to make money from elections School run Ten Top Summer Ways to Make Quick Cash Time to spare? Fill your pockets with cash nowRent a room - tax free income
Rent everything
Online surveys
Get paid for what you already buy
Market research
Recycle your old mobile phone
Get paid to search
Get £100 to switch your current account
Get Paid to use Social Networking Sites
Sell your photos online
We've got much more than just than quick money-makers on the site. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter here to be first to find out about the best deals on personal finance products, plus great bargains and money-savers.
1. Rent out a room - tax free income
You can make up to a whopping £4,250 a year by renting a room or rooms without having to pay tax on it. You can advertise your room for free on Spareroom.co.uk - it covers the whole of the UK. For more ideas, take a look at our article on renting a room.
If permanently sharing your nest doesn't appeal, consider taking in foreign students short-term. English language schools are always looking for good homes for their growing number of students.Depending on where you live and how nice your place is, you can make between £35 and £150 a week - read this article on hosting foreign students to find out more.
You don’t just have to rent to people, though. If you have an empty, dry basement or a big loft, you could potentially advertise them as storage space. If you have a cellar or garage that has its own access - other than your front door - you will be able to charge more for offering clients their own key and 24-hour access.You could make anything from £5 a week for storing a few boxes in your loft to around £50 for filling a garage in central London.
2.Rent anything
If you sell your junk you can make some cash but it's a one-off. Think renting, though, and the money comes in regularly. There are sites - like Rentrino and RentNotBuy - that let you advertise pretty much anything you can think of, from video cameras to baby accessories.
You can also rent out your storage space - advertise your cellar or attic space for free on Spareground.
If you have a driveway or garage you don't use, you can also contact Park Let or Parkatmyhouse.com to advertise your space for people needing parking in your area.
This could actually become quite a big earner if you live near a stadium, airport, or in a big city like London.
3. Online surveys
If you're stuck at home and you like surfing the net of an evening, you can make some cash while you're at it. There are a few websites where you can fill in online surveys for cash. Just write what you think and make a few quid.
All you have to do to make regular pocket money and have the possibility of winning cash prizes every now and then is sign up and answer a lot of questions. There are a lot of sharks in the business so you have to be careful what you sign up for. Some even have the cheek to try to get you to pay to join - ignore them.
Don't be deterred by the volume of questions. Some sites want serious info about you, but after you register the surveys are quick and simple. Never give out your credit card details - you shouldn't have to.
Our site of the month is Panelbase. Its the second best site in the UK and has just reached the top 10 globally! They have a new monthly prize draw of £50 cash for all respondents who are rejected from a survey because they don't fit the criteria (such as age, location etc.) turning a survey drawback into a positive. They have also launched survey opportunities through mobiles (SMS and WAP) where members are paid a 50p reward to answer a handful of questions via their mobiles, not costing them a penny.
You can try these sites:
Lightspeed Panel
Panelbase
Toluna
IPSOS
Ciao
GreatUKSurvey
GMI
Valued Opinions
Pickthem.co.uk
4. Get paid for shopping
There are loads of ways to make money on what you are already spending. The only thing you need to remember is this will only make you money if you stick to what you would have spent anyway. If you start doing extra spending to get more cashback you will lose money.
Get started by doing your online shopping via a cashback website. There are several sites that will pay you cashback for making purchases. They are ideal for Christmas shopping, clothing and the like.
Cashbackshopper is one of the better ones because it makes no ‘admin’ charges and passes on all the money that it gets from the retailers. They will also give you £5 just for signing up and you can get an extra £5 if you refer a friend.
For shopping in the real world, get yourself a cashback credit card. If you manage to pay off your credit card bill in full every month (or don’t pay with plastic), there are several cards that give you cash back or other rewards when you spend money. Try theAmerican Express Platinum MoneyBack Credit Card – for the first three months you get 5% cash back on all your spending up to £4,000. Kerching! This isn't worth doing if you have outstanding credit card debts - pay those off first.
Apply now: American Express Platinum MoneyBack Credit Card
Click on this link: Cashbackshopper
5. Market Research
Companies need to know what you think of them and they are willing to pay top dollar for you to spill the beans. By taking part in surveys and focus groups you can make between £30- 50 for a session and you should get free food.
To get started you need to register with a market research company like Saros Research. Register by entering your details on their website and they will email you when they need you for the specific groups you are suitable for.
The actual focus groups usually take place at an office local to you. You go down, sit around a table and give your opinions on a product or an advert or similar. At the end of the group you pick up your cheque and that's it.
It's best to join as many groups as you can, as you'll only be asked to do a few group meetings per year. You can also make extra money by recruiting other people for the focus groups. Check out the Saros Research site for details.
Get started: Visit Saros Research
6. Recycle your old mobile
Instead of chucking your old mobile phones in the bin, get paid to send them off to send them off to a re-selling company that will recycle them.
Go to the Moneymagpie mobile recycling service in partnership with Mopay to find out how much your phone is worth. Enter the model number and details of whether the phone is working or not. You also might need to give details of any damage to the phone. We'll then tell you how much we'll pay for it.
If you're happy with the price, accept it and Mopay will send you a freepost envelope. Pop your phone in it and send it off. Then all you have to do is wait for your cheque.
What you get for your phone depends on how new it is and what condition it is in. Pay-outs range from £1.80 to £160. Basically the newer the phone, the closer to it's market value you'll get.
Click on this link: Sell your old mobile
You could save around £300 by switching your energy tariff. Use the Moneymagpie Energy Comparison Service to see if you could get a better deal here.
7. Get paid to search
Wish you had a penny for every time you did an internet search? - well you can.
MyHomePagesFriends will pay you for everytime you use their search engine online. It's only a fraction of a penny per search, but if you're online all day at work or browsing in the evening it can add up fast.
Plus if you refer a friend, you will earn a percentage of their revenue as a thank you.
Sign up now to start searching and making easy cash.
Click on this link: MyHomePagesFriends
8. Sell your photos online
If you have taken (or can take) some good photos then you could make a very handy bit of pocket money. The photos need to have a clear subject (e.g. a hot cup of tea or two dice) and be of good quality.
Some websites, like Fotolia, rank their contributors in terms of how many of their files have been sold - have a look at their pictures for ideas. Others will have a look at the photos you have and will pick the ones they like.
You get a royalty fee each time a picture sells. To find out what sells well, have a look at the sites and get an idea of the type of photos that are there.
This is not as easy as it sounds so make sure that you have a good look around the different sites and understand what sells and what doesn’t.
If this is within your scope then go to Fotolia or one of the other sites below, sign up (for free) and upload your images.
Picturenation
Fotolia
123RF
Cash4YourPix
News Of The World
9. Switch bank accounts and get £100 cash
Switch to an Alliance and Leicester Premier Current Account and they'll give you £100 as a thank you.
But it's not just another rubbish current account - it gives you an interest free overdraft (on balances up to £2,500) for the first 12 months. After that authorised overdrafts of up to £2,500 are charged at 50p a day - up to a maximum of £5 a month.
Plus you get free Euripean Travel Insurance for the under 65s and if you refer a friend they'll throw in another £25.
To get your £100, you must move at least £500 into the account within the first 11 weeks and the bonus will be paid within four months - you must be over 21 to apply.
You can take advantage of the free 'Premier Switching' service and switch all your direct debits and standing orders hassle free.The minimum monthly deposit is £500 and you'll earn 1.00% AER on balances up to £2,500.
Switch your account: Alliance and Leicester Premier Current Account
Are you having trouble being approved for credit cards, bank accounts or any other financial products? It could be something really simple so you need to find out why. You can get a Free Credit Check from Experian and start resolving any issues to improve your credit rating. Click here to sign up for your free credit check.
10. Get Paid to use Social Networking Sites
We keep hearing about how social networking sites make around millions every month. Well it's time they started sharing that with us! Yuwie is the first social networking site that we have heard of that aims to share profits with users.
The way it works it that you set up a profile, do a blog, upload photos and videos and basically do what you do with all the other networking sites, but make money at the same time.
Yuwie pays you by advertising revenue. Each month the percentage is changed according to the revenue generated the previous month, and you are then paid that amount per 1000 page views - that's pages that you and your friends view. So say it's 15¢ per 1000 page views, that may not sound like much, but when you're logged in, it counts as one page view when you view:
your profile page
your blog pages
your friend's pages
your comments pages
if someone else views one of your shared pages
any of your control panel pages
What doesn't count includes: refreshing a page, any page that's viewed within 3 seconds of the last page, and any view from a 'guest' or non logged in visitor.
You also get revenue from signing up your friends, and also when they sign up their friends, and so on under a ten-tier structure. You can get paid by PayPal or by cheque.
Start getting paid to socialise: sign up here.
Check back soon for details of how you can make quick cash from your life experience....
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Maximum Paid Surveys. Click Here!
Rent everything
Online surveys
Get paid for what you already buy
Market research
Recycle your old mobile phone
Get paid to search
Get £100 to switch your current account
Get Paid to use Social Networking Sites
Sell your photos online
We've got much more than just than quick money-makers on the site. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter here to be first to find out about the best deals on personal finance products, plus great bargains and money-savers.
1. Rent out a room - tax free income
You can make up to a whopping £4,250 a year by renting a room or rooms without having to pay tax on it. You can advertise your room for free on Spareroom.co.uk - it covers the whole of the UK. For more ideas, take a look at our article on renting a room.
If permanently sharing your nest doesn't appeal, consider taking in foreign students short-term. English language schools are always looking for good homes for their growing number of students.Depending on where you live and how nice your place is, you can make between £35 and £150 a week - read this article on hosting foreign students to find out more.
You don’t just have to rent to people, though. If you have an empty, dry basement or a big loft, you could potentially advertise them as storage space. If you have a cellar or garage that has its own access - other than your front door - you will be able to charge more for offering clients their own key and 24-hour access.You could make anything from £5 a week for storing a few boxes in your loft to around £50 for filling a garage in central London.
2.Rent anything
If you sell your junk you can make some cash but it's a one-off. Think renting, though, and the money comes in regularly. There are sites - like Rentrino and RentNotBuy - that let you advertise pretty much anything you can think of, from video cameras to baby accessories.
You can also rent out your storage space - advertise your cellar or attic space for free on Spareground.
If you have a driveway or garage you don't use, you can also contact Park Let or Parkatmyhouse.com to advertise your space for people needing parking in your area.
This could actually become quite a big earner if you live near a stadium, airport, or in a big city like London.
3. Online surveys
If you're stuck at home and you like surfing the net of an evening, you can make some cash while you're at it. There are a few websites where you can fill in online surveys for cash. Just write what you think and make a few quid.
All you have to do to make regular pocket money and have the possibility of winning cash prizes every now and then is sign up and answer a lot of questions. There are a lot of sharks in the business so you have to be careful what you sign up for. Some even have the cheek to try to get you to pay to join - ignore them.
Don't be deterred by the volume of questions. Some sites want serious info about you, but after you register the surveys are quick and simple. Never give out your credit card details - you shouldn't have to.
Our site of the month is Panelbase. Its the second best site in the UK and has just reached the top 10 globally! They have a new monthly prize draw of £50 cash for all respondents who are rejected from a survey because they don't fit the criteria (such as age, location etc.) turning a survey drawback into a positive. They have also launched survey opportunities through mobiles (SMS and WAP) where members are paid a 50p reward to answer a handful of questions via their mobiles, not costing them a penny.
You can try these sites:
Lightspeed Panel
Panelbase
Toluna
IPSOS
Ciao
GreatUKSurvey
GMI
Valued Opinions
Pickthem.co.uk
4. Get paid for shopping
There are loads of ways to make money on what you are already spending. The only thing you need to remember is this will only make you money if you stick to what you would have spent anyway. If you start doing extra spending to get more cashback you will lose money.
Get started by doing your online shopping via a cashback website. There are several sites that will pay you cashback for making purchases. They are ideal for Christmas shopping, clothing and the like.
Cashbackshopper is one of the better ones because it makes no ‘admin’ charges and passes on all the money that it gets from the retailers. They will also give you £5 just for signing up and you can get an extra £5 if you refer a friend.
For shopping in the real world, get yourself a cashback credit card. If you manage to pay off your credit card bill in full every month (or don’t pay with plastic), there are several cards that give you cash back or other rewards when you spend money. Try theAmerican Express Platinum MoneyBack Credit Card – for the first three months you get 5% cash back on all your spending up to £4,000. Kerching! This isn't worth doing if you have outstanding credit card debts - pay those off first.
Apply now: American Express Platinum MoneyBack Credit Card
Click on this link: Cashbackshopper
5. Market Research
Companies need to know what you think of them and they are willing to pay top dollar for you to spill the beans. By taking part in surveys and focus groups you can make between £30- 50 for a session and you should get free food.
To get started you need to register with a market research company like Saros Research. Register by entering your details on their website and they will email you when they need you for the specific groups you are suitable for.
The actual focus groups usually take place at an office local to you. You go down, sit around a table and give your opinions on a product or an advert or similar. At the end of the group you pick up your cheque and that's it.
It's best to join as many groups as you can, as you'll only be asked to do a few group meetings per year. You can also make extra money by recruiting other people for the focus groups. Check out the Saros Research site for details.
Get started: Visit Saros Research
6. Recycle your old mobile
Instead of chucking your old mobile phones in the bin, get paid to send them off to send them off to a re-selling company that will recycle them.
Go to the Moneymagpie mobile recycling service in partnership with Mopay to find out how much your phone is worth. Enter the model number and details of whether the phone is working or not. You also might need to give details of any damage to the phone. We'll then tell you how much we'll pay for it.
If you're happy with the price, accept it and Mopay will send you a freepost envelope. Pop your phone in it and send it off. Then all you have to do is wait for your cheque.
What you get for your phone depends on how new it is and what condition it is in. Pay-outs range from £1.80 to £160. Basically the newer the phone, the closer to it's market value you'll get.
Click on this link: Sell your old mobile
You could save around £300 by switching your energy tariff. Use the Moneymagpie Energy Comparison Service to see if you could get a better deal here.
7. Get paid to search
Wish you had a penny for every time you did an internet search? - well you can.
MyHomePagesFriends will pay you for everytime you use their search engine online. It's only a fraction of a penny per search, but if you're online all day at work or browsing in the evening it can add up fast.
Plus if you refer a friend, you will earn a percentage of their revenue as a thank you.
Sign up now to start searching and making easy cash.
Click on this link: MyHomePagesFriends
8. Sell your photos online
If you have taken (or can take) some good photos then you could make a very handy bit of pocket money. The photos need to have a clear subject (e.g. a hot cup of tea or two dice) and be of good quality.
Some websites, like Fotolia, rank their contributors in terms of how many of their files have been sold - have a look at their pictures for ideas. Others will have a look at the photos you have and will pick the ones they like.
You get a royalty fee each time a picture sells. To find out what sells well, have a look at the sites and get an idea of the type of photos that are there.
This is not as easy as it sounds so make sure that you have a good look around the different sites and understand what sells and what doesn’t.
If this is within your scope then go to Fotolia or one of the other sites below, sign up (for free) and upload your images.
Picturenation
Fotolia
123RF
Cash4YourPix
News Of The World
9. Switch bank accounts and get £100 cash
Switch to an Alliance and Leicester Premier Current Account and they'll give you £100 as a thank you.
But it's not just another rubbish current account - it gives you an interest free overdraft (on balances up to £2,500) for the first 12 months. After that authorised overdrafts of up to £2,500 are charged at 50p a day - up to a maximum of £5 a month.
Plus you get free Euripean Travel Insurance for the under 65s and if you refer a friend they'll throw in another £25.
To get your £100, you must move at least £500 into the account within the first 11 weeks and the bonus will be paid within four months - you must be over 21 to apply.
You can take advantage of the free 'Premier Switching' service and switch all your direct debits and standing orders hassle free.The minimum monthly deposit is £500 and you'll earn 1.00% AER on balances up to £2,500.
Switch your account: Alliance and Leicester Premier Current Account
Are you having trouble being approved for credit cards, bank accounts or any other financial products? It could be something really simple so you need to find out why. You can get a Free Credit Check from Experian and start resolving any issues to improve your credit rating. Click here to sign up for your free credit check.
10. Get Paid to use Social Networking Sites
We keep hearing about how social networking sites make around millions every month. Well it's time they started sharing that with us! Yuwie is the first social networking site that we have heard of that aims to share profits with users.
The way it works it that you set up a profile, do a blog, upload photos and videos and basically do what you do with all the other networking sites, but make money at the same time.
Yuwie pays you by advertising revenue. Each month the percentage is changed according to the revenue generated the previous month, and you are then paid that amount per 1000 page views - that's pages that you and your friends view. So say it's 15¢ per 1000 page views, that may not sound like much, but when you're logged in, it counts as one page view when you view:
your profile page
your blog pages
your friend's pages
your comments pages
if someone else views one of your shared pages
any of your control panel pages
What doesn't count includes: refreshing a page, any page that's viewed within 3 seconds of the last page, and any view from a 'guest' or non logged in visitor.
You also get revenue from signing up your friends, and also when they sign up their friends, and so on under a ten-tier structure. You can get paid by PayPal or by cheque.
Start getting paid to socialise: sign up here.
Check back soon for details of how you can make quick cash from your life experience....
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