5 Apps that Will Help You Make a Few Extra Bucks this Summer

Written by adminJuly 18, 2019
Technology

The internet is rapidly changing the way we live our lives and even do business.  We often see more and more real-world jobs being replaced with machines and advancing technology.  Thanks to the internet, more people are making their way online to make a few extra bucks. We buy everything from the internet now, including the essentials, like food and clothes, so why not use the internet to add to your bottom line?

You can see that desire stretched out on the faces of millions of potential entrepreneurs who keep Googling for new ways to bring in a little cash.  In fact, there are people getting rich online right now by trying to show other people how to get rich. Most of those, sadly, are just empty promises designed to get you to sign up for a pyramid scheme or webinar training.

If you’ve ever spent any time online trying to figure out how to make money, it can seem like a lost cause.  You will often wonder if this link is legitimate or just another scammer trying to feed off your desperation.  And while there are plenty of frauds out there, there are many other legitimate jobs out there right now for the picking if you know where to look.

Much to the dismay of a lot of treasure hunters seeking out a quick buck, there is no ‘get rich quick’ scheme out there.  You’re not going to find a formula and start reeling in thousands of dollars tomorrow. But if you truly dream of one day quitting your day job and working from home, while gaining financial freedom, it is possible!  For it to happen, though, you have to work at it, learn from your mistakes, and keep plugging away.

Let’s look at 5 ways you can make money online:

Quick Money Maker #1: Shopkick

Shopkick is another retail app that pays you to go shopping!  If you love to shop, then you’ll need to download this app right away on either your Android or iPhone.  You earn “kicks” simply by walking into a store like Walmart, Target, Walgreens, and others. If you buy things at those stores, you’ll make more “kicks” if you take a picture of your receipt and turn it in.

You can then turn your kicks in for a PayPal deposit or even gift cards to any of your favorite stores. In a lot of ways, if you’re making money just from shopping, then you’re always getting an employee discount, so to speak.  The more you shop while using these apps, the more you’ll get paid.

Quick Money Maker #2: Rewardable

Rewardable is one of the higher paying apps you can download on either Android or iPhone, that will give anywhere from $4-$7 to complete tasks while you’re out shopping.  It may not be anything more than sharing the price of a product at your local store or snapping a photo of a display for a certain product. Once it’s been confirmed, you’ll get the money sent directly to your PayPal account.

Quick Money Maker #3: Groupon Snap

Groupon is already a popular way to save money online.  People can go on their site, www.groupon.com, and find all kinds of savings at various stores and find huge deals in your local area.  The Groupon Snap app takes that deal-making to the next level! You can get money back on a lot of purchases you make at the grocery store.

Simply download the app, find the items you plan on buying that offer cash-back rewards, and shop!  Once you’re finished, snap a picture of your receipt and submit it to receive your money via PayPal.  That’s all there is to making money while shopping!

Quick Money Maker #4: Perk TV

Available on both Android and iPhone, the Perk TV app will allow you to earn points you can trade for gift cards to your favorite stores and restaurants.  How do you earn these points? By answering trivia questions of all your favorite TV shows, movies, and even current pop culture references.  


If you’re someone who is big into entertainment and watches a lot of shows, then Perk TV might be the perfect way for you to make extra money.  Every week they will add new trivia games each week and there will always be opportunities to win in their big prize giveaway. Who would’ve thought you could make money by watching TV?

Quick Money Maker #5: AppTrailers

If you enjoy watching trailers online, then there’s a way to make money doing just that.  These may not be movie trailers, but when companies put out new apps, they want to test the market to see if there’s any interest.  In order to get reward points, you watch the app trailers. That’s all there is to it. To get even more points, upload the video to Facebook and every “like” it gets, you’ll be given even more reward points!

Once you reach enough points, you can turn them in to get gift cards to all your favorite stores, like Walmart, iTunes, Amazon, and others.  Getting paid to watch a few app trailers doesn’t sound like a bad gig, considering when you’ll have the opportunity to be on the ground floor of all the new stuff soon to be available.  

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5 Ways to Improve Your Home Heating Costs this Winter

Written by adminJanuary 29, 2018
Saving

As winter’s icy grip has taken hold of most of the country, you’ve probably already been smacked with your first heating bill of the year. The average American spends up to as much as 22% of their monthly budget on utilities, sometimes more if the weather doesn’t cooperate. And if you live in the north, forget about it!

Rather than just riding it out until spring, there are several ways you can lessen the impact of winter heating costs and save a bit of money. Here are 5 of them:

1) Keep a close eye on your thermostat.

Imagine your heater playing tug-of-war with the cold air outside. No matter how hard you try to winterize, the cold makes its way in and forces the heat to rise. When you set your thermostat to a certain temperature, it’s your heating unit’s job to keep the house at that number. The higher the temp, the more times it will have to kick on throughout the day to keep up.

This is especially true when the weather gets brutally cold. You might not think a few degrees will matter much, but it can add up quickly. You can save 1% on your heating costs by dropping the temperature 1 degree per every 8 hours. Which means you should consider times to lower your thermostat.

The best temperature to set for ultimate comfort and reasonable savings is 68 degrees. Every degree lower than that will keep your heater from kicking on as often, and ultimately saving on energy. Take extra steps to stay warm and save money, such as putting on a comfortable sweater, wearing socks, and turning it down 5-10 degrees at night and/or when you leave for the day.

2) Let the sun do all the work.

Even on the coldest of days, sunlight can help warm your home for you. When it’s bright and sunny out, feel free to lower the thermostat and open the blinds. Not only will the extra sunlight help you overcome those winter blues, but it can also raise the temperature of the home several degrees.

Also, as solar panels become more popular, a lot of people are installing very simple panels that help to generate extra heating power. This is especially true if they own remote properties that aren’t frequented during the winter, like cabins. Even during long stretches of dreary weather these solar panels help keep the temperature well above freezing.

3) Keep your heating system clean.

Think about what it’s like when you’re congesting. Breathing is difficult and requires more energy. The same happens when your heating system if you don’t clean out the filters regularly. Energy Star recommends that you clean the system on a monthly basis. There are several reasons for this.

-You can extend the life of your heating system by keeping it clean. If it has to work harder for a significant amount of time, it can damage or even destroy the unit much quicker.

-You help keep your air cleaner. Homes can get stuffy in the winter months. Everyone is stuck inside with the doors and windows sealed shut. There’s much less airflow to deal with the accumulating dust and debris. Cleaning the system ensures cleaner air.

-The Department of Energy says keeping your vents clean can save you between 5% to 15% on your heating costs.

4) Turn on the ceiling fan, but in reverse.

Helping to control the temperature environment in your home is easier when you understand the fundamentals of how air reacts. Cold air is denser, so it sinks. Warm air is lighter, so it rises. Most ceiling fans have a reverse function that helps to push warm air back down. So, when people are occupying a space that has a fan, run it on reverse, but be sure to shut it down after.

5) Plastic sheeting is a lifesaver.

If you have brand new, top of the line windows, you probably won’t have much of an issue keeping your house warm. For the rest of us, older windows are used to take the brunt mother nature has thrown at it. It’s not uncommon for windows (or areas near the windows) to have small gaps where the warm air escapes.

As the air escapes, it means your heater will have to kick on more times to keep up with the flow of air moving away from the house. A lot of people put a lot of effort into ‘winterizing’ their homes for the winter. They put up plastic sheeting over the windows to help insulate and keep the warm air inside where it belongs.

 

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