September 28 Freebie

Not sure how long this one will last: first 3500 to sign up get a free personalized key chain. It's quite pretty!

New Blog Link @

I've got my blog up and running, and you can read it here: http://www.joannesweet.com/blog
I'll be making all my new posts there from now on!

New Money Maker!

I just encountered a site that looks pretty hopping, and lets you make money from home. I am just now getting started with it, so I don't know how much potential there is, but it looks like fun. It appears to be like eHow, but you don't have to only write "how-to" articles. You can write about anything with this site, Factoidz!

"Each Factoid you publish is assigned a Payout Rate. Our currently payout rates range from $1.00 to $5.00 per thousand views your Factoid receives. The range varies based on your writing quality and voice, the depth and uniqueness of the information you provide, and the topic you write about. Some topics command higher advertising revenues so you will be compensated accordingly for writing about those topics."

Here's the link to sign up!

*is excited*
I've been doing pretty well on eHow, and suspect the payout will be higher for eHow (although I could be totally wrong about this). But, it's going to be cool to write about non-how-to articles! The writing possibilities are now endless. (And I'm still waiting to hear back about a totally different article-writing site.)

New: Pumpkin Pie Fudge!

New: Pumpkin Pie Fudge!

I just came up with this new concoction this week, and it is gooooood: Pumpkin Pie Fudge. Seriously, it tastes unbelievably like Pumpkin Pie, but thicker and richer. Like the Key Lime Pie Fudge, it's got a thick, buttery graham cracker crust. It's made with gourmet white Ghiradelli chocolate, Libby's pure pumpkin, and a special blend of traditional pumpkin pie spices: nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice. Makes a great gift, and just in time for Fall!

September 12 Freebie!

Awesome free denim hat, by Mary's Tailor Shop!

Articles: Health Care

I see a lot of people online who are worried about the fact that they don't have health care and can't afford to go to the doctor. There are programs out there available for those of us with limited income and limited resources. There are programs for getting free or low-cost medications and free or low-cost health care. Some of the programs and assistance for low-cost health care extend far beyond basic health cold/flu care, and into mental health (including psychiatric, inpatient, and therapy) and even surgery. Be SURE to check out the link in the resources section of the Health Care article- it is a fantastic resource.

Through the programs listed, I have been able to get a womanly annual (including PAP smear) for $20. Such a thing usually runs near $200. I got help for a tenth of that price. I was also getting my expensive medications for free through the Patient Assistance Programs discussed on the Medications article. Check them out!

How to Get Free or Low-cost Health Care

How to Get Free or Low-cost Medications

My Website is Online!

I got my website up and running:

http://www.joannesweet.com

Check it out!

July 17 Freebie

Ashley Tisdale Party Pack!

"We have Ashley Party Packs complete with enough goodies for you and your friends! Each pack comes with 5 Ashley Berry Lip Glosses, 15-20 Guilty Pleasure posters, 5 sticker packs, 1 Guilty Pleasure CD, and 1 Note from Ashley!"

kgb_

I was recently accepted into kgb_. It's a texting center a lot like ChaCha, and as a paid contractor, it allows you to make money from home, setting your own hours. The downside to both programs is that you rarely make minimum wage- in fact, I don't believe I ever have. But, it is a good way to make some extra money from home.

kgb_ and ChaCha are different in quite a few ways. The application process for kgb_ takes longer than for ChaCha. With ChaCha, you watch their training videos at your own pace, and once the training is done you take the simulation. With kgb_ the training is done through PowerPoint-like presentations. At the end of them, you do a test and have to score a certain percent, then you do a simulation (which is pretty easy), and once you are accepted, it is on a trial basis.

So far, I think I am liking kgb_ better than ChaCha, but I suspect once the newness and different-ness of kgb_ wears off, I will enjoy being able to switch it up a little.

July 9 Freebie

Ziploc® Pack-and-Go Gift Pack
First 10,000* to respond will receive one full pack of Ziploc® Brand Sandwich Bags and one small Ziploc® Fresh Shield® Twist 'n Loc® Container.

Tip: Pay Attention!

I am so upset at myself! I was able to score a really cool historical collector's item: a general's report from the Civil War, in book form which was given to the state, documenting a number of things, including names and deaths of the soldiers in 1864. Really great piece.

So I thought I had spent less on this item than I had. I ended up selling it on eBay for the minimum reserve price- which was equal to the amount I had spent on the book. On top of that, I underestimated the cost of shipping the book. Total profit for this item: -$5

Tip: Always pay attention to what you are spending to make money, and how much profit you will make!

Newest Item for Sale: Star Ring!

This is the newest item I have for sale: a really cute star button ring. It's over-sized!

You can see it on my Etsy shop: http://joannesweet.etsy.com/

I've also started a new line of graphics over on Etsy- banners and avatars for your Etsy shop! You can check those out right now over on my other shop: http://fortheloveofpoppies.etsy.com.

Hot eBay Item

I just wanted to share a hot eBay item I found this past weekend: Aveda Sap Moss Shampoo. It's getting a LOT of bids (meaning a lot of people want this product) and it is going for a lot! Check this out:

One bottle of this shampoo is going for nearly a hundred bucks! Try checking the clearance sections of hair salons to see if you can score this hot ebay item!

OMG Hosting Deal

Wow. Just wow. I just signed up for an INCREDIBLE website hosting deal. Website hosting, if you pay by the month, runs between $5-15 a month for the most basic package. Registering a domain name costs another $5-10. Private registration is another $10.

Today, and today only, Dreamhost.com is offering a one year hosting plan, normally $10 a month, for ten dollars for a year! It includes one free domain registration, private registration, and many, many other features. If you need a domain name, today is the day to get it.

Paid Emails with InboxDollars

I've been working a little bit with InboxDollars to make money just by reading emails. Does it work? So far, so good. I'm certainly not going to get rich off of it, but once I've signed up, I get a few cents for opening an email and clicking a link proving I've read the email. (Okay, actually I've gotten $0.32 for reading 16 emails, so $0.02 an email!) Every now and then I take a survey or fill out a form, which gets me between $0.25 and $1. I really haven't been checking my email a lot lately, so my total so far is $6.57. Unfortunately, you don't get payout until you've reached $30. But I will get there!

Petsmart Coupon

$5 off your next purchase of $25 or more

July 2 Freebies!

JoAnn's Craft Store Coupons
(10% off entire purchase, 40% and 50% off one item)

$4 off your next CVS purchase

50 free photo prints at CVS

20% off Bath & Body Works purchase

20% off one item from ULTA

Free T-Shirt from Scotts Insider (must provide three additional email addresses)

$5 off Longhorn Steak purchase

Free slider from White Castle

Free doughnut from Krispy Kreme

Free piece of cake from Macaroni Grill

Free McGriddle

Deal Alert

Something I buy a lot of (unfortunately) is tampons, as many women do. I buy at least a box a month, usually at $5-8 a box. On eBay, you can score ten or twenty $1 off coupons for under $2 (including shipping). The only catch is they expire in a couple of months. I'm going to use the coupons to stock up, and I will save $8 on ten. I'm going to try to catch them on sale too, to save even more! I'll let you know how I fare.

Also, buying coupons is a great way to build up your eBay feedback!

eHow articles

I've actually written a couple of eHow articles lately. So far, eHow has really been the best place I've found to make money online. Here are the articles I finished recently:

How to Apply for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits

How to Understand the Difference Between Borderline and Bipolar

How to Get on Welfare: Cash Assistance

My Recent CL Purchase

A girl needs to make money online, but sometimes she needs (okay, or "wants") to spend money online sometimes. So... I made a Craigslist purchase yesterday! I got... are you ready for this?... I got a Super Nintendo to kick it old skool style! I used to be a really big gaming fan, but sort of grew out of it, got tired of it, something. My son and stepdaughter are always playing, though, and making games look like fun. I always get frustrated with their games- I've just had a hard time learning 3D with those controllers (kids and their newfangled contraptions these days!). So I decided to score my own gaming console.

I spent a few days really searching and watching on eBay, and decided I really didn't want to spend more than $25 if it was just the console. I placed an ad on Craigslist and received quite a few messages. Only one was perfect: I scored a Super Nintendo, the Mario game I wanted (Super Mario World... I also want All-Stars, but maybe later, as that one is going to be harder to get), and two other games... all for $30! And I'm having a blast with it! (My son is in awe of how great I am on it, and finds the game hard! It's not so easy to downgrade, I reckon, haha!)

Be sure to always take shipping into consideration when buying from eBay- or anywhere online! I could have purchased a Super Nintendo on eBay for $15-20... but shipping would have cost me another $10 or so.

One more thing about shipping- I've been finding out lately, with all the shipping I have been doing, that it is often cheaper to ship USPS Priority Mail service than it is to ship them parcel post. Those flat rate boxes and envelopes can really save some money- and it's faster!

June 9 Freebies

Today's freebie list consists of THREE FREE T-SHIRTS!
AquaPalooza -find your local event, register, get not one but two free t-shirts
Scott Insider -this one is a bit of a pain to get, but hey, it's free! Register, then click to tell your friends. Refer 3 friends and you'll get a link to get your free shirt. Only the shirt at the top right is free. Choose free shipping. It will ask for CC info, but click through that screen without entering anything. Voila! If you don't do it right, don't complain to me :P

Tweetburner

TweetBurner is a realllly useful Twitter tool. Not only will it shorten a URL, but it will also allow you to track the click-throughs. Usually, the only way you can track a click-through is if you are linking to your own site- usually by having access to some sort of website statistics. With TweetBurner, however, not only can you track your own click-throughs, but you can track ALL of the click-throughs you send. I'm looking forward to playing with this!

LiveOps: Worth it?

I just found another work-from-home opportunity: LiveOps. I have not given it a try, as I do not like talking on the phone, but it looks like a legit place to work, based on what I'm reading. You do have to pay $50 for a background check, as you may be dealing with customers' credit card numbers and personal information. Once that is done, however, you really make money (again, based on what I've read), either taking calls or receiving them. You'll need a phone line and a computer to do this, and will have to install their program on your computer, I believe.

Tips from others:
1. Keep the customer on the phone as much as possible.
2. Stick to the script.
3. Keep pressing the script- don't worry about looking bad to the customer, just stick to the script.

Anyone given this a shot?

New Rule!

I now have a new rule regarding Twitter: So long as I am twittering somewhat on occasion, I am going to make the effort to follow back everyone who follows me. I think it shows some courtesy to follow others back, especially if I'm wanting to promote my good as well.

Smashing Magazine has some great pointers for using Twitter. I'm JoanneSweet over on Twitter if you'd like to join me!

April 28 Freebies

Free Coffee Mug (must verify email)
Free 5x7 greeting card (paper). Customize, register, checkout and use promo code CARD4MOM. I haven't tried this one yet, but I did another of their free card promos and it was totes free, and a nice, quality card.
Another Free Card (My Virginia Memory)

Tips: Setting up a blogging website

To understand blogs, you need to know the terms blog, platform, domain, and web host. Blog is short for weblog, which simply means a series of online posts! The majority of blogs are text, but there are also photo blogs (plogs) and video blogs (vlogs).

If you are setting up a blogging website, you will need a platform, a web host, and a domain. A blogging platform is a computer software program that allows you to write posts and to update your blog. Your platform is also what you use to design the look of your blog, from color scheme to font size. Livejournal and Blogger are two examples of this. The web host is sort of like the virtual file cabinet where your blog is stored. Your computer communicates with the host when you upload or edit a post. The domain is the online address of your blog, and usually ends in ".com".

And now you know the basic blogging website terminology!

April 14 Freebies

Lots of freebies today!
Free Kerasal Foot Softener Challenge
Free VS Fragrance Sample Set (must show Angel VIP card)
Free Twilight Audio Book Downloads *
Free Recycled Pen (UK Only?)
Free Kit from Always/Tampax*
Free Kids Shouldn't Smoke Bumper Sticker
Free Dominos CinnaStix- Use code SWEET in checkout box online
Free Murad Active Radiance Serum Sample
Free DVD: "To the Contrary" by PBS
Free Trout Unlimited Poster
Free Fender T-Shirt for testing out a Fender Amp in-store
Free Marley & Me AudioBook Download (The movie was so cute!)
Free Energizer Hearing Aid Battery Sampler
Free AudioBook: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Free Dunkin Donuts Coffee Sample

Swagbucks & eBay

I've actually made enough on SwagBucks to get gift cards and t-shirts. I am now torn between getting a t-shirt to test it out before I invest more time into it (although I'm pretty certain it works) and keeping on saving my points. I've got 90 right now. I'm saving up either for Delta miles, an Xbox 360, a Playstation 3 or a musical instrument (probably a saxophone).

I spent the day posting eBay items for sell. Check them out! And man, I didn't realize how time-consuming it is to list eBay auctions, between setting up items for pictures, taking pictures, sizing them, writing the descriptions out and puzzling over just how much it will cost to send the items!

Free eBook

The Stay at Home Mom's Guide to Successful eBay Selling

Ebay Item: Box Tops

It looks like I am going to start clipping my Box Tops. They're >being sold on eBay for a pretty price considering that it's something you'd otherwise just throw away. 500 box tops sold for $46. 350 for $33...

April 12 Freebies

I've gone a little crazy with the free stuff!

1. Free Wendy's T-Shirt
(I think the choice is between one of these, but I could be wrong)


2. Free Propecia T-Shirt


3. Free Airline TicketsA T-Shirt


4. Free Red Dress Pin
(I'm not sure if it will look exactly like this one, but it should be close)

Tip: Today's Sponge

I'm going to tell you about a little tip I picked up from the eBay Selling Coach. That tip is: Today's Sponge. No, I'm not talking about using it as a contraceptive. I'm talking about using it to make a couple of hundred dollars. That's right. Today's Sponges have been discontinued (again). They can't be found anywhere online, except for on eBay, where they are charging (and receiving) $250 for a box of three. I've perused quite a number of drug stores lately, and have come up with nada. Hopefully, you can run across some somewhere and make yourself a little profit. And if you DO happen to find some, buy them all to sell (and if you want to ship a box to your good friend to sell as thanks for bringing you in the riches, then that'd be okay too).

But please, here's a tip I learned from World of Warcraft of all places: If you're selling an item that is a limited supply but you have a bunch, don't list more than one or two. Otherwise, you saturate the market with the item, making it look as though the item is worth less and lowering the value. You want to give your potential customers the idea (or knowledge) that there's not a lot of what they want out there, so if they want this item they NEED to pay the high price that you are charging. Not only that, but since it's only listed once or twice, they better get it NOW before it's too late.

Make Money Basics

I use eHow to bring in some cash. On eHow, you write some articles and post them, and then you get paid a percentage of the money made on advertisements found on your page. (The downside to this is that it can take awhile for money to build up.) I only made $50 last month- it was my second month on the site AND I got featured, so that really boosted traffic to my articles. I've got 50 articles, but they don't take all that long to write, 15-60 minutes or so. Some people are making $1,000 a month- really.

The second way I've seen people make money is by selling e-books. Basically, you write about something you know well, make a website about it (or a informative webpage), offer your book as a pay-to-download, and promote the hell out of your book. Here's an example and here is an example of the sort of pages I'm talking about.

Something else I use isn't a money-maker, but you can earn prizes (which you could sell) just for searching and that's Swagbucks. Instead of going to another search engine, you go there and get awarded points every now and then that you can cash in for prizes.

There's also affiliate sites. The ones to note are Amazon (whose commission percentages suck, but they're so very well-known), ClickBank and Pepperjam (although, I've had a few problems signing up for a lot of the companies on Pepperjam). I've been just attaching affiliate links to the end of my eHow articles, but there are all sorts of options- even having a livejournal where you post about things and include affiliate links to promote them.

Another one I recently came across is ExpoTV. Basically, you make a short video about pretty much anything (I think it's tailored towards product reviews- I haven't looked around too much), and you get paid $5 for your video. You can upload up to 20 videos a month. I haven't played around with this one, because I'm video camera-phobic =(

And finally, there's Squidoo. That looks like a really cool concept, something a person could have A LOT of fun with. You make a webpage about something, put some pictures up- there's all sorts of neat extras you can add with a click of the mouse- and you get paid 50% of the money they make. (You can also make your proceeds go to a charity)

I've never made money doing the survey thing. I've found them to be a big waste of time.

There's also buying stuff and selling it on Ebay and Craigslist. There's all sorts of information out there about this, but I have minimal knowledge of how to actually make money doing it.

If craft-selling is the way you want to go, I highly recommend Etsy. Etsy is a really awesome site, and it's very popular. There's some amazing things on it, and just about anything a person can make can be sold there.

Hope that was helpful! Feel free to PM me if you (or anyone else) has any questions. I've devoted a lot of time into looking into options to make money from home with minimal commitment, as my disabilities hinder me from holding a normal job- even most work-at-home jobs. Most of the things I've mentioned can be approached from a do-it-when-you're-up-for-it kinda perspective.

Swagbucks

Neat Idea! April 10 Freebie

This looks like a really fantastic idea, especially if you do a lot of brainstorming. (It'd be fun for kids rooms as well)- Idea Paint. Basically, you use the special paint on whatever surface you want- including walls- and it transforms it into a dry erase surface. So you can have whole walls as dry erase boards. Get a free sample here.

Freelancewritinggigs

Ah! This looks promising! Freelance Writing Gigs. I haven't had the chance to really go in depth on the site, but what I first noticed is the fact that they have a daily list of writing gigs available! Lots of articles and tips as well. I like this one on how to use images in blog posts.

March 12 Freebies!

Free 250MB USB Flash Drive

Free Miley Cyrus Poster