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Cash Back Credit Cards

As I continue contemplating effortless sources of income, one idea keeps coming to mind-- cash back credit cards. The idea behind this is that for every dollar that you spend you can get up to 5% cash back. Sounds almost too good to be true.

So, what's the catch? The catch is discipline. Most people don't have the discipline to know when to stop spending. For this kind of cash reward to benefit, you have to be ready to keep track of every dollar you spend. This can be a bit exhausting. Which is why most people don't do it. However, if you think of time as money and you're getting paid to simply keep track of your own finances, then it's a fantastic deal! 

Here's a great link to some cash back rewards cards:

Cash Back Credit Cards

Happy Earning!

How To Find Free Books

(Today's post is a guest post by Heather at http://www.workathomemarket.com/  If you want  to submit to Creative Dough, please see my guest post page: Submit a Guest Post)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a bookworm. From the summer book programs to required school reading, I’ve loved turning the pages through each adventure. Not to mention, I started my own personal book collection in my late teens. Now, I have a small library of books I want to pass on to my future children someday.

If the cost of buying at the local book shop keep you from adding to your own library, you may be interested in knowing there are multiple outlets where you can earn book for free! Here are my tips below:

Book Review Programs

This has been one of my personal favorites! And I can’t believe how many there available on the internet. The gist of these programs may change in rules, but for the most part you are asked to review a certain book in exchange you get to keep in. Sometimes, the reviews are shared on your own blog, or you simply rate it through their system. Some of the most popular book review programs that I’ve found useful have been Book Sneeze, Blogging for Books and Bethany House Publishers.

GoodReads

When I first joined good reads, my intention was to simply use it to categorize what I currently own. However, after using it a while, I realized it was also a great place for book introductions and earning free titles. There are many authors who will post about their book and then send out free copies to selected individuals. Sometimes there are only a few copies, while others offer copies until they run out, etc.

Paperback Swap

While this particular web site has been around for some time, I find many people who have yet to hear of it, much less use it. Basically, you get to trade your unwanted books for ones that you would prefer owning. You also get credit right away, just for signing up. Last year, I earned over five titles for less than $6 (all due to shipping costs, no purchases!)

Swagbucks!

Swagbucks is another fun way to earn free books. You can swap for titles that you want, or save up your Swagbucks to purchase titles, etc. While it may take a while to earn, it is certainly worth it if you are able to snag hard to find titles!

Host A Book Swap

Do you have a small group of friends or church family that may be interested in participating in a book swap? Secure a time and place, then set up tables to host the books. Allow each participate to have one “book buck” for each item they bring for the swap. Usually, it’s best to have a minimum amount they can bring, so everyone walks away with a few finds!

Heather is happily married to Joshua, while pursuing her dream of working from home. She shares her work at home journey and ideas at Work At Home Market. You can contact her at: workathomemarket@gmail.com

Property Room Review

I recently heard about an online sight called property room. On the website, they auction off items that were confiscated in police raids. Products include everything from cell phones to cars, and the website is growing steadily in popularity. So, I decided that this might be something worth checking out. Here's what I found when I did:

• Shipping Costs are High
• Multiple Claims of broken electronics and cheap jewlery
• Due to high bidders, the costs are often close to what you would find on a website such as Ebay.

On the flip side, there have been many positive reviews about customers who were:

Happy with the price and thrilled with their product.


If you do decide that property room is the place for you, I would recommend that you read all of the descriptions below the product and make sure it has been tested, compare your product on Ebay, and/or Amazon, and make sure to calculate your shipping into your bid. You can look at their merchandise here: http://www.propertyroom.com/

Happy Saving!

12 Easy Ways Save on Gas

At 101waystosavemoney they posted a great article on twelve ways to cut the costs of gas money. Check it out here:

http://www.101waystosavemoney.com/Save-On-Gas.html

Happy Saving!

How to Get the Best Deals on Ebay

Have you heard someone bragging about the mad deal they found on Ebay and wondered how they struck gold? Here we'll talk about a few tricks that really help when searching for those amazing finds.

1- Use your watch list: Find multiple deals on the item you want, and then place it in your "watch list." (you can find this located on the upper right hand corner of the page when you click on an item). Here, you can compare and contrast the costs of each item you are looking at, and it will help you keep track of those great deals.

2- Wait to bid: I know it's tempting to claim your prize, but if you bid too early, your competition might strike a bid battle. This can drive up the price of the item significantly. Wait until just before the item ends to bid, and you will have a better chance of getting the item, and paying less for it.

3- Do your research: How much should you really be paying for your item? If you can find it cheaper at walmart or amazon online, you might want to wait it out for a better deal to come along.

Happy Saving!

Need Dough Quickly? Try Plasma Donations

One long talked about form of making money on the side is Plasma. You've probably heard of it, but there are a few looked over benefits of braving the needle and spending an hour or two in the chair.

1. In some places you can make up to $300 a month.
2. Money payback is immediate
3. Most places are fairly accessable
4. You can feel good knowing that your plasma is going to a good cause

A good website to learn more about donating plasma in your area is: http://www.biolifeplasma.com/html/getting_started/getting_started.html

Happy Earning!

The Power of $5

$5 may not seem like it's worth more than your next few vending machine purchases, but here are a few

figures to chew on:

If you saved $5 a week you would accumulate:

$23 a month

$276 a year

$2,760 in 10 years

$11,040 in 40 years

Happy Saving!

Paid Data Entry for Mechanical Turk: Have you heard of it?

I've been trying to find new ways to make the dough, and I found one that seems to have slid under the radar. It's a program called Mechanical Turk within Amazon. Within the program you are paid to enter data that a computer can't, and get paid for each "hit" you accept and finish.

I've been skeptical of these programs before, but I've had good experiences with Amazon thus far, so I thought I would give it a try.

Concensus: It's similar to online surveys, it doesn't pay a lot, but most of the "hits" are small brainless data entries, good for a mindless hobby while watching your favorit movie or t.v. show (Fringe!).

You can check out the website here: https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome

Day 5 Make Your Own: Chalk

Thanks to Oh My Homeade Goodnes for this inexpensive fun family craft. See their directions for making your own chalk here:

http://www.ohmyhandmade.com/2010/contributors/homemade-sidewalk-chalk/comment-page-1/#comment-8617

Happy Saving!