Chic, Geek, and Frugal

Surveys

2009-08-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry everyone! The past week has been a busy one, so I haven't been online very much. I thought today I might share a few money making sites that I regularly use. Of course, these sites aren't going to make you rich, and you definitely can't make a living off of them, but it brings in a little cash every couple of months.

1) Globaltestmarket

The Company:

Global test market is my very favorite survey company. You sign up on their website, fill out a few short profile surveys, and they will email you once or twice a week with a survey you may be eligible to take. Surveys give a certian number of points when taken, usually in a range when the survey is emailed to you (5-50 for example) You still receive 5 points even if you do not end up qualifying for the survey!

The Pay:

Global test market's points can be turned in for cash once you hit 1000 points. The cash equivalent is 5 cents per point, meaning you will receive a check for $50 once you reach 1000 points. My check arrived only 3 weeks after I sent for it, and it took about 3-4 months for me to get the points I needed.

2) Inboxdollars.com

The Company:

Inboxdollars is a little slower cash earner, which is why I ranked this site second. There are many ways to earn money at this site. You can sign up for free offers, take surveys, and they also send you "paid emails" which you can click through to get a few cents.

The Pay:

I rarely take surveys at this site, because I often end up not qualifying for them. I mostly use the paid emails which are worth 2 cents a piece. They send 2-3 a day and it only takes seconds to click through them all. You start with a $5.00 signing bonus and you can turn it in once you make $30, which took me about 6 months with several free other sign ups and referrals.

3) Swagbucks

The Company:

Swagbucks is a great search and win site. Just by doing the search you usually do throughout the day using their search engine (which gets the same results as google) you earn "swagbucks".

The Pay:

These swagbucks can be turned in for tons of different things in their store. I love the gift cards the offer. I haven't been with this website for very long, but I've earned over 55 swagbucks in about two weeks.

I hope that any of these websites may help you earn a little cash on the side. Most of these only take minutes out of your day. Having a little extra cash come in every now and then is always a great thing!

Free Instant Coffee

2009-07-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

I'm never one to turn down free coffee and Nescafe is offering a free sample pack that has 6 different flavors in it.

Free Coffee!

Guacamole Dip Recipe

2009-07-24T19:12:00.000-07:00

I love guacamole, but it's often expensive and doesn't go very far. This recipe from my friend, Eric, is a great dip that is healthy, tastes great, and make my guacamole go farther. I often make a meal (or two) out of this cheap dip and it takes seconds to make when you're in a hurry.

What you need:
1 Container of Guacamole
1 Container of Cottage Cheese

1 Bag of your choice of tortilla chips

Directions: Just mix the guacamole and the cottage cheese. I'm not a fan of cottage cheese, but this dip tastes great!

Free Chocolate!

2009-07-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Ever feel in need some chocolate? Well, Mar's is giving away coupons for a free candy bar every Friday this summer until the end of September. Limit is 250,000 per week, so hurry up and check it out!

Free Mars Candy Bar!

Samples and Coupons

2009-07-23T16:41:00.001-07:00

Walmart often offers free samples you can sign up for on their website. Here are a few I found that might be useful for a single:

Viva Paper Towels

Stayfree and Carefree Liners

At P&G Brand Sampler you can get a $1.50 Coupon off their new Tide Stain Release as well as a Head and Shoulders free sample.

Kraft is also offering a savings booklet that you can get through the mail. It contains to $20 rebates and $10 in coupons

Geek Moment of the Week

2009-07-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

Sunday night I had a little spare time after work, so I went to one of my favorite places to spend the money I've been trying to save: Half-Price Books! You can find their mega store in Dallas, but they have smaller venues in other cities throughout Texas, as well as many other states.

This used bookstore is an amazing place. Not only does it deal in frequently traded paperbacks, but in tons of other bibliophile goods. They trade records, magazines, textbooks, dictionaries, collectible old prints, and even references. Here is my friend Eric, pondering over their science fiction collection.

Ever wanted to geek out in a subject that you haven't dipped into in a while? Textbooks pack this place, and can be really cheap. I found old hardbound biology and chemistry books costing only $3.00, more recently printed versions can go for as little as $10-15. I love having these types of references around, but if you're delving into old science textbooks, try to get the most recent versions since there is always new science that these books can't account for.

Below are the great books that I (top) and my friend (bottom) bought on our trip!

YouData

2009-07-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

Youdata is a great site for earning small amounts of cash every week. I've been earning about $2.00 - $3.00 every week. This may not sound like a lot, but they pay out every week straight into your paypal account and that amount can slowly build up.

What do you have to do? Meerly click through the ads in their widget. Its typically about $0.10 an ad. Youdata argues that every time you see an advertisement someone is paying for you to see it. Why shouldn't you be the one getting paid for your attention?

Mac and Cheese Coupons

2009-07-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

Click Here to go to Kraft Foods Share a Little Comfort page. There are two great coupons here: $1.50 off two Velveeta Shells & Cheese and a Buy 3 boxes of Mac & Cheese get one free. Another great thing about this page is that you have the option of clicking a link that have Kraft donate 10 boxes of mac & cheese to the hungry. This is a great way to save a little money and to help out others!

Free Fiber One Samples + Coupons

2009-07-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

Click Here to sign up for a free sample of Fiber One Cereal, a Fiber One Oats and Chocoloate Bar, plus $5.00 in free coupons. I received a $2.00 off any of their cereals and a $2.00 off their fiber bars.

Free Tyson Skillet Creations Dinner Kit

2009-07-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

Go to http://embracedinner.com to print out a rebate form for a Free Tyson Skillet Creation Kit up to $7.99! (I believe its only good within the US) I could make several meals out of one of these. (Thank you moneysavingmom.com!)

Bruschetta Pasta

2009-07-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight I got home a little early and decided I wanted to make one of my favorite dishes: bruschetta pasta. This dish is really easy to make, and is really cheap while still being healthy.

Ingredients:
Bow tie Pasta ($1.50)
Can of Sliced Olives ($0.97)
Roma Tomatoes ($0.99/pound)
Feta Cheese (I paid about $1.00 after sale and coupon)
Basil (Always have on hand)
Olive Oil (Always have on hand)
Total Cost: $4.50

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box, I usually cook about half the box when making my pasta. Chop the Roma tomatoes into bite size pieces and mix with the cooked pasta and the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle pasta with a little olive oil according to taste.

With all my pasta dishes, I always make a lot more than I will eat in one meal. The leftovers will go straight into tupperware to serve as lunch and supper for the next day. Three meals for four dollars? Not bad!

For Starters

2009-07-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

Hello! None of you know me yet, but I hope we get to know each other soon. My name is Sarah and I'm a 23 year old graduate student, and because of my choice to follow this type of education I am usually low on funds

For the past couple of months I have been reading some wonderful blogs by mothers trying to spend less money and still provide for their families. Their advice has really inspired me to create my own blog, so that I can help individuals that are like me:

1) Live By Themselves
Living on my own, I often end up cooking more than I can eat for a single meal. I've taken to using certain recipes that can work well to make for several meals. This way I can cook one meal and have enough for supper, as well as having the meal that heats well for lunch at work the next day.

2) Cannot Stock Up
I often cannot not stock up on items that are on sale because I could never eat all that food before it goes bad and because I have limited space. Living in a one bedroom apartment does not provide much room to stock up, in the pantry or in the freezer.

3) Live on a Tight Budget
In my career, money can be quite tight. I want to share with my readers how I get by making a little extra cash, making meals out of nearly free food from coupons, and eating home cooked meals that are easy on my wallet.

I look forward to writing more and hearing any feedback that you might have!