Monday, January 30, 2012

AnswerGem: Get Paid For Your Expertise

Do you have any type of expertise? Maybe you are an expert in electronics or perhaps a specific type of animal? Car repairs? Real estate? Medical advice? If you consider yourself to be an expert in any sort of niche topic, answergem may be a good match for you.

How It Works: People post a question with a reward or value amount of money they are willing to pay for an answer. Only experts on this subject are allowed to answer. If the person thinks that you answered their question well, you get paid!

First, you have to take a test to ensure that you are indeed an expert in your chosen topic. The questions can be difficult, but if I had any problems, I was able to do a basic search on google to find the answer. I am currently an expert on dog care and general. They send you email alerts letting you know when a new question has been posted in your area of expertise. The bad part is that sometimes you have to answer it before another expert does. You can choose to be an expert in a variety of topics as long as you can pass the tests.

You can request payout when your account has at least $20 in it and they pay via paypal.

**When you sign up, make sure you sign up as an EXPERT and not a customer. There can be a little confusion when you first sign up!


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

It's Thirsty for Comments Thursday... Link Up!

I've just begun co-hosting the Thirsty for Comments Thursday hop. If you would like to join us, please read through the rules and post the button for us. Spread the word to your other bloggy friends as well!

Welcome to Thirsty for Comments Thursdays
Grab our badge for your sidebar or post:
Acting Balanced
Our Featured Blog for this week is:
If you want to be featured in the near future, visit your fellow participants and give good comment!  
What is Thirsty for Comments?
This is a blog hop dedicated to giving good comments - please, when you are visiting, actually READ the post that is linked and make a thoughtful comment!
This is NOT a hop for "I'm here from the hop, follow me back" comments!
Link up your own SPECIFIC POST that you'd like comments on - remember - no giveaways!
*****************************************
The rules are simple -
1. Link up a SPECIFIC POST (NOT just your blog URL) that you'd like to have more comments on - NO  GIVEAWAYS or OTHER BLOG HOPS - they will be deleted
2. Visit AT LEAST THREE other blogs and READ the posts and then comment thoughtfully on the post.
Extras (nice but not required):
  • Add the Thirsty for Comments button to your post
  • Blog about Thirsty for Comments
  • Add Thirsty for Comments to your Meme List!
  • Leave a comment here on how I can improve Thirsty for Comments :)

Win money for having the best answer!

I've recently been introduced to prizes.org. It's really pretty simple. People post a "contest" with a question. The questions may be something simple such as, "name my kitten", to relationship questions, ideas for a website name, or how to increase traffic for a website. There are a variety of question categories. They offer a set amount of money for the best answer. I've seen the amounts range from $10 to $$1,000! Anyone can answer and whoever gives the best answer (decided by the person who posted the question) gets the money! Some of them are decided by votes, so you can ask your friends to vote for your answer as the best answer.



I haven't had much time to put into this yet because I've been busy working on a big article writing assignment, but this looks like it could be fun and I have talked to others who have been paid by this. If you have a good imagination, this could be a great and fun way to earn some extra money!

They pay via paypal which is always good (I love paypal and have never had any problems with them). So if you have a creative imagination, put your thinking cap on and give some good answers to earn money!




Thursday, January 19, 2012

Microworkers and Alertpay Update

I mentioned in an earlier post about joining Microworkers. I hadn't been paid yet though at the time, so I wanted to give a little update. First of all, there is a paypal logo on the Microworkers website, so when I signed up, I just assumed I would get paid through paypal. Wrong. For some reason, they stopped doing payments via paypal, so you have to use either moneybrokers or alertpay. I didn't have an account with either one, but had heard of alertpay, so I decided to sign up with them. I was a little concerned when I signed up and it said that they couldn't do bank transfers at the moment nor could they transfer the funds to a credit card, so the only options were to have a check sent to you, or a bank wire (at a fee of $15). They advertise having a prepaid debit card like paypal, but they are only accept pre-registrations, so you don't know when you may be able to get a debit card.

So I signed up for alert pay, and of course I had to send them a bunch of stuff like proof of address, and I.D...etc.. Once I was approved, I withdrew the money from Microworkers immediately. The first time you withdraw money from Microworkers, they have to send you a letter in the mail with a confirmation code on it, to use as your proof of address. So once I withdrew from Microworkers, it took a few WEEKS to get the code in the mail. Once I submitted the code, the money was deposited quickly into my alertpay account. I requested a check to withdraw the funds, and it took 12 days to get it, even though when I requested the withdraw, they said it would be sent out within 1-2 days, and it was from the US, so it should not have taken that long to get here.

So, I finally DID get paid from Microworkers, after waiting and waiting. I have more money built up in my account, but who wants to wait 2 weeks just to get a check? I am not liking alertpay, but I did just notice that it looks like they have the bank transfers turned back on. I wish I could just get a debit card like with paypal and get the money immediately.

Ah well, it's still money, no matter what! Anyone else have any experiences working for Microworkers or using Alertpay?


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Valentine's Giveaway: Win a Free Kindle Fire!!

BeeSavy has teamed up with bloggers to host the Heat Up Your Valentine's Day Giveaway! The grand prize is a Kindle Fire Tablet!





BeeSavy gives you the best prices for online shopping. They have everything from electronics, to home and garden products, toys, clothing, books, movies, music, and more and you can compare prices from millions of different stores to make sure you find the best price possible. They make online shopping easier by giving you the best prices for everything all in one place. All you have to do is sign up and that's it!

Now, onto the giveaway for the FREE Kindle Fire! Get entering! You have from now until February 8, 2012.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Taking Social Media to Social Action


Via: Wpromote

The world of advertising has definitely changed over the last few years. More and more businesses are using social media websites to promote their business and gain more customers. Facebook is the most well known and widely used social media website and many businesses are using Facebook Marketing to reach millions of new clients from around the world. With social marketing, new customers are literally right at the tip of your finger and this has changed the way companies market their services forever.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Sweepstakes and Samples Report for December 2011

December was a busy  month for everyone. I didn't do a lot of sweepstaking. Just didn't take the time.. plus it was another month of no wins. Nothing at all. *sigh*. I know everyone goes through dry periods where they don't win a thing. I'm still entering giveaways and sweepstakes a few times during the week, but not every day like I did in the beginning. Maybe that's WHY my luck hasn't been as good because I haven't been entering as much? Who knows, really?

I did get some great samples and freebies in December though.

This month included a free Swiffer duster, Dove deodorant, a dog food sample, an Aero Shot energy shot (which I haven't tried yet, but I'm an energy drink fanatic so I'm sure I will soon!), and Purex UltraPacks. I also received a bottle of Purex laundry detergent, but after I finished the bottle off, i threw it away, so it is not in the pic. I got these free through Purex Insiders... you can get free full size samples from Purex and all you have to do is leave a review on their website, or on your blog! 

I also received THIS free from Wendys:


hahaha, I love it! It's a little small for me, but I think I'm going to keep it for my goal shirt to lose some weight so I can be hot n juicy!

I also think that once in awhile I will post a few sweepstakes that I am entering in case any of you would like to enter as well. Here are a few that I just entered today:

Win $250 worth of free gas!! Yeah!!!

Win $1,000 gift card to buy shoes for you and your co-workers! This is an awesome idea! I entered for my husband since I work from home (but could I use $1,000 for shoes for ME??? hmmmm)

This is through the Facebook sweepstakes app.. it's for a super cute bustier bag!! I want this!!

How about YOU? Any luck in December???

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Best Money Makers of 2011

Here is a list of the things I have earned money with throughout the year in 2011. I'm including links to the original post describing how it works and what you need to do to sign up.

Demand Studios: I made great money with them in the beginning of the year. Then they decided to change everything around and there are no articles left to write. They were my biggest money maker and I'm still searching for something to make up for losing them.

Textbroker: This was the first place I signed up with when I first began writing. The pay isn't great, but it does help. They have changed their pay schedule to weekly instead of twice a month, which I love. The money is deposited right to your paypal account once you request it.

Suite 101: I do get payments from them once in awhile, but to be honest, I prefer writing articles that I will get paid for immediately, instead of waiting around for ad revenue. There are many places to write for like this, but you don't get paid upfront, your pay is based solely on ad revenue and hit generations.

Blogsvertise: When I first begun my journey into paid posting, I signed up with quite a few websites, but Blogsvertise is the only one that I still earn from fairly consistently. They send me an offer and if I accept the offer, I post about it and am always paid to my paypal on time.

Jingit: I haven't been with Jingit for long, but I've already earned money from them and used the Jingit debit card. It's so simple and easy to do, you just watch commercials on your computer. They are also launching an Android and iPhone app so you can earn from your phone!

I've also just begun a project with a client I came into contact with via oDesk. I'm still trying out all of the freelancing websites. Microworkers is going well, I'm just waiting for the confirmation number they are sending me in the mail to confirm my address before I can get paid. I will be posting more money making opportunities soon!






Sunday, January 1, 2012

A New Year To Find Some New Blogs!

I recently joined a blogging group on Facebook. It's a small group of bloggers that work together to help spread the word about each other's blogs. We decided to do guest posts on each other's blogs and alternate every so often, giving everyone a chance on every blog. My first guest post is from Silverfaeries and Dragonflies . I loved the name immediately, it sounds so fun and magical! Everyone please welcome Brandina and visit her blog. Leave her a comment and tell her that you saw her post here!

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Silverfaeries & Dragonflies is a personal blog about my life as a 30-something single mother of a 15 year old boy. There you will find articles that discuss my perspective of the world around me, issues that I feel are important and which weigh heavily on my mind and my personal attempts to start discussions regarding those issues. You will also find a number of other topics covered in the content such as recipes that I try (some at which I succeed and others not so much), tutorials on successful craft projects that I take on (in my constant struggle to find and nurture my creative self), my attempts at learning how to incorporate healthy nutrition and exercise into my family's lifestyle, yoga and meditation and whatever else happens to work it's way through my mind.

I started Silverfaeries & Dragonflies after spending a number of years desperately seeking some method in which I could express the creativity that exists inside of me while also sharing it with the world. Writing was always something that came naturally to me and throughout my teen years was the main method I used to figure out my own emotions and thoughts. So when I put two and two together, writing a blog quickly came to the forefront as a solution. As I began the journey of research about blogging, many other things about my life surfaced as well, all of them morphing into more of a basis for my blog's content. I realized that with my son being 15, I am not far from the point in life where he will decide to 'fly the coop', so to speak - leaving me an empty nester like so many other moms out there. I realized that I needed to begin searching deep within myself to find those things that I had set aside to raise my child, those hopes and dreams that I once had as a young girl, and find the ones that still meant something to me. I knew then how important it was for me to share what I learned along the way, how essential it would be for me to hear what other moms in similar situations feel, experience and think about it all. Soon after, a longing for discussion and community washed over me and pushed me closer and closer to starting up my blog.


I hope that what you find at Silverfaeries & Dragonflies is what I have always envisioned it to be: a place where we can all come together, share those deepest parts of ourselves and learn what it is that we need most. Maybe, just maybe, we can all help one another to find our own true selves and learn how to live the lives that we've always dreamed of. And hopefully, we'll pick up some new friends along the way.