Resources

Where To Sell Baby Clothes Online For Cash

Written By:
Published On:

If you’re a parent, you probably already know this, but babies outgrow their clothes very quickly and you can actually sell baby clothes back and recoup some of that cash.

You’ll find yourself with bags of clothes every few months; some worn out, others barely worn, others still with the tags attached, but all don’t fit your little one anymore.

Unless you have other family members you can hand over these clothes to, or you’re planning to have another baby, these clothes will probably just find themselves in a landfill.

Why not sell these baby clothes online?

Sure, you can donate these clothes, but why pass up the chance to help other parents get baby clothes in good condition for a reduced price, while making some side cash that can go to your kid’s new clothes?

In today’s blog post, I run down some of the places where you can sell your baby clothes online for cash, as well as some tips for you to be able to sell them.

Where To Sell Baby Clothes Online For Cash

Here is a list of some online marketplaces where you can sell baby clothes as well as items such as baby shoes, jackets, or coats. Note that this list is in random order and not ranked by any criteria.

1. thredUP

Thred Up Homepage

They claim to be the largest online consignment and thrift shop, thredUP accepts secondhand clothes, any secondhand clothes, including baby clothes as long as they’re high-quality, in almost new condition.

A benefit of using thredUP is that it’s very likely that they’ll accept your items because they accept over 35,000 brands. Plus, they take your items on consignment, meaning they’ll pay you after the items you ship to them are sold.

If you’re selling to them, they can either send you a Clean Out bag where you put your items for sale, or you can print out a prepaid shipping label from their site and use your own packaging to send your items to thredUP.

thredUP sells the item on their site for a listing price that they determine based on factors like its retail price, age, quality, and whether they have the same item in stock and which sizes they have. You get a percentage based on their payout table.

When someone buys your item, you can cash out your profit after the return period has passed.

In case your item doesn’t get sold, you’re given a specific time to claim your items back so you can sell them with another marketplace.

2. Kidizen

Kidizen Home Page

Kidizen is a marketplace, community, and platform all in one, where you can sell preloved baby and kids’ clothing.

You can start selling in minutes; create an account, click on “Sell” on the toolbar, and you can create your first listing.

Upload pictures of the item, fill out the form with the details, such as size, category, gender, and other information to make it easier for shoppers to find your listed items.

Set your price (with shipping), and the website will let you know how much you get to keep.

If doing it yourself doesn’t seem appealing, Kidizen also has Style Scouts (available in only 10 states) who make house calls to consult with you and advise you how to price your baby clothes to sell your items as quickly as possible and with the maximum return on your investment.

When you have an account with Kidizen, you also get access to a community that allows you to connect with other parents and sellers on the site and swap secrets and tips on selling your baby clothes online.

3. Josie’s Friends

Josies Friends Home page

Josie’s Friends is an online consignment store created to solve the need for convenient consignment for busy parents of babies and kids while aiding impoverished children worldwide.

Request a bag from them, send your baby clothes, accessories, or footwear to them for free. They prep, photograph, and market your items on their site.

Once an item sells, you get 50% of the listed price via PayPal after a specific return period.

If they don’t accept any of your items, they can ship it back to you for a fee or donate the items in a charity of their choosing.

Your items don’t expire, meaning they’ll continue to keep your items on their site for sale. But they do reserve the right to donate your items after a year if the items have declined in quality.

4. Once Upon A Child

Once Upon a Child

Known as America’s #1 national franchise specializing in reselling gently used clothing, shoes, toys, and baby gear, Once Upon A Child is a network of physical locations where you can walk in and sell your baby clothes.

This is not an online option, but I included it here because it has plenty of stores where you can drop off your items.

Package the items you want to sell, with clothes clean and folded; no hangers or garbage bags. Go into the store and have a store employee review your items.

They’ll make an offer based on style, quality, and condition. If you accept the offer, they’ll give you cash on the spot.

This is a good option if you prefer dealing with someone in person and getting the cash immediately.

5. TOYCYCLE

Toycycle

Currently, their consignment service is only available in the San Francisco Bay Area, so if you live in this area, this is a great option for you.

All you have to do is to gather the baby clothes, toys, and baby gear that you want to sell. Toycycle will pick them up for you and process them for selling on their website.

When your items sell, you have the option of taking cash payouts, which range from 15% to 80% of the listed price on the website, or store credit, which nets you a higher percentage, but you can only use that in the website.

6. OfferUp

Offerup Logo

OfferUp is a basic buying and selling app that allows you to sell your baby clothes to someone who needs them locally.

Start by simply downloading the OfferUp app on your phone and creating your listings. You can even have your first buyer in minutes.

It’s free to use if you’re meeting up with the buyer and the payment actually changes hands, but if you’re shipping the items and use their payment system, OfferUp takes 9.9% percent per transaction plus payment fees.

To be absolutely safe during a meetup, go to SafeTradeSpots and look for a place near you where you can meet with your buyers under surveillance. This assures the safety of both sellers and buyers.

Unlike online consignment apps, you’re going to have to be the one to photograph, list, and price your items.

7. Bagsy

Bagsy

Bagsy was founded by three moms who have a passion for fashion for their kids and wanted to make it easier for other parents to sell their gently used baby’s clothes to other parents.

To be a consigner with Bagsy, simply sign up online and request a Bagsy Consignment Bag to have it shipped to you for free.

Fill the bag up with your clean, good condition, gently used baby clothes, give the sealed bag to your postman or post office, and they’ll take care of the rest.

If you want Bagsy to return unacceptable items to you, order “Return Service” as well when you order a consignment bag from them. Otherwise, they’ll donate the items that they decide they can’t sell.

They’ll keep trying to sell items for 180 days, after which they’ll either return the items to you (if you purchased Return Service) or donate them.

Bagsy only accepts certain brands, so check their brands list first before you order a consignment bag.

8. Poshmark

Poshmark is mostly known for women’s clothing, but it’s actually one of the best ways to sell baby clothes online.

Simply download the Poshmark app, take pictures of the items you’ll sell, and upload your collection in minutes.

When someone buys your item, Poshmark provides a prepaid label for you to ship the item, and you get paid as soon as the package is delivered to the buyer.

The commission works simply, for sales below $15, you get paid $2.95, while for sales $15 and above, you get paid 20%.

For more details, read this review of Poshmark.

Tips On Selling Baby Clothes Online For Cash

Before you go ahead and list your baby clothes on one of the above marketplaces, here are some tips to help you sell them quickly at the best possible price.

1. Know how to price your baby clothes.

Competitive research is key; know how much the same or similar clothing is priced on other shops so you’d have an estimate of how much customers are willing to pay for the clothes you’re selling.

Also, take shipping and handling into consideration when deciding your price.

2. Freshen them up…

No one will want to buy wrinkled, dusty clothes. Wash them first and remove stains as best as you can.

3. …But be honest.

There are just some stains that you can’t get rid of, and there’s some damage to clothing that you can’t mend. Include it in the product description as full disclosure.

4. Learn how to take clear photos.

You don’t have to have next-level skills to photograph your clothes. Laying them flat and lighting them carefully to remove shadows vastly improves photo quality.

5. Package your product with care.

Clothes aren’t really handled carefully by couriers and delivery men, so it’s up to you to make sure that the clothes are protected from rough handling, moisture, and all other external things that can damage your clothes.

You can even take it to the next level by including a personal note, or even just by using special wrapping paper. It’s a good way to make your customers remember this customer experience as a good one.

6. Know when to sell selected items.

Certain types of clothes sell more quickly during certain times of the year.

January to February is a great time to run a sale on winter wear and red and heart-print items in time for Valentine’s Day.

March to May is a good time to sell pastels, florals, and spring/summer-appropriate wear.

June to July is generally a slow month, except for Fourth of July items (red, white, and blue items, stars and stripes patterns, etc.).

August to September is when fall-related wear is most in demand. Sweaters, cardigans, leggings, and thick socks are popular.

October is perfect for Halloween costumes and festive Thanksgiving outfits. It’s also perfect to start listing snow gear, like mittens, boots, and hats, if you have them.

November to December is when to list your unused, new with tag items for shoppers who are looking for holiday presents and stocking stuffers. Winter wear and knits are popular starting in November.

Selling more than baby clothes? Check out these other sites to sell clothes online.

Are you interested in selling baby clothes? Or have you ever tried to sell baby clothes online for cash? Share your story in the comments below!

Peer-To-Peer Lending: How To Make Money From It

Written By:
Published On:
Peer To Peer Lending: How To Make Money From It

Peer to peer lending, also called P2P lending, is a relatively new financial practice where borrowers can borrow money at lower interest rates without going through a bank or other traditional financial institutions.

So if you’re in a pinch and you can’t borrow money from the bank for some reason, you can borrow money through peer to peer lending companies or apps.

But did you know that you can also lend money and make some side cash out of it?

In today’s article, I’ll talk about peer to peer lending and how you can make money from it.

What Is Peer-To-Peer Lending?

Peer-to-peer lending is a relatively new financial practice that involves lending money to borrowers (individual or business) from lenders through online applications that match borrower to lender.

Lenders are where the funds come from, and the incentive for them to lend is that they earn interest on the amount that they lend.

What is P2P Lending

Peer-to-peer lending platforms take care of processing and accepting loan applications and payments and take a fee for originating the loan, as well as some of the interest that the borrowers pay on the loan.

Borrowers use peer-to-peer lending because it’s quicker and more accessible; it’s as simple as opening an app or internet browser. Plus, this is a good alternative if they need to borrow money for personal loans, debt consolidation, or to fund their small business.

Pros

The advantages for the borrower are more apparent. P2P lending doesn’t require the typical underwriting process, so the credit score requirements aren’t as strict as those of traditional banks or lending institutions.

Borrowers also benefit from favorable loan terms, fewer fees, and lower interest rates, plus you can look for the best P2P lending companies with the best rates without impacting their credit scores.

The peer-to-peer lending model is also favorable to lending companies because they don’t need to spend on infrastructure. Because costs are low, they can lower the fees and offer more competitive interest rates.

Because there are plenty of loans to choose from, lenders can easily pick and choose which loans to invest in and diversify their investments.

Plus, lenders get to invest in a growing market that’s estimated to be worth billions and even hundreds of billions in the next 5 years.

Cons

For borrowers who have not-so-great credit scores, the interest rates tend to be higher than others.

Also, getting a loan to cover a debt only compounds the problem if there’s no attempt to curb unnecessary spending.

For lenders, it’s an investment that is not without risks. If a borrower defaults on a loan, there’s no way you can recoup that investment because it’s not insured by the federal government.

Investing in plenty of loans sounds like a great plan in theory, but it’s not easy to keep track of multiple loans, especially when they number in the hundreds.

Types of P2P loans

Different peer-to-peer lending sites offer different loan products. Here are some examples of what they offer:

Personal Loans. Fixed-rate, unsecured (i.e., no collateral) personal loans are the most common loans offered by P2P lending companies.

Depending on the applicant’s credit score, they can borrow up to $30,000 to be paid between 3 to 5 years.

Personal loan proceeds can be used for anything from debt consolidation, home improvement, or to repay a medical debt.

Business Loans. For borrowers who need funding for their small businesses, many P2P lending companies now offer them.

The payouts are usually larger than what banks offer, although interest rates by P2P lending are also higher.

Home Improvement Loans. Some homeowners who are thinking of selling their house might want to work on the house first before they sell it. Others may simply be required to work on the house due to damages that require repairs and upgrades.

Either way, chances are they’re going to be looking for a loan as a means to work on their home.

Home Improvement

Student Loan Refinancing. Student loans are no picnic to pay, and if it’s at all possible to refinance it and negotiate a payment schedule that’s more convenient, students will look for a loan to allow them to do that.

Healthcare Loans. Taking out a personal loan to repay a medical bill is certainly an option, but some P2P lending companies offer loans that are specific to healthcare costs and medical expenses.

Auto Refinancing. Whether it’s to lower monthly payments, reduce interest rates, or adjust loan terms, car owners sometimes look to refinance their car loans.

How Do You Make Money From Peer-To-Peer Landing?

So the next thing you need to know is whether it’s possible to make money by being a peer-to-peer lender/investor.

The answer is yes, it’s possible.

And the next question is, how much?

The answer isn’t that simple.

How much you make from P2P investing depends on how much you invest, how many loans you invest in, and the type of loans you invest in.

Borrowers who are less risky qualify for lower interest rates compared to borrowers with not-so-perfect credit histories.

Thus, investing in low-risk loans gets you lower returns than high-risk ones, as with most investments.

But how do you know which borrowers are likely to default on their loans (i.e., not pay their loans)?

Banks spend millions on entire departments to calculate risks and predict which borrowers will pay them back and who won’t. But P2P lending companies don’t have this kind of manpower.

How To Balance Rewards And Risk

Even without a definite way to vet risks per borrower, it’s definitely still possible to make money from being a P2P investor.

Here are some strategies to maximize returns and minimize risks.

Spread your investment out among many different loans. Don’t keep your eggs in one basket, as the saying goes. Distribute your investment among many different loans.

For instance, if you have $1000 to invest, it’s better to invest as little as $25 in 40 different loans instead of investing the entire $1000 in a single loan.

Be prepared to invest in hundreds of loans. This way, even if you lose money on one loan, you have hundreds of others to compensate for that loss.

Diversify. It’s important to distribute your investment among many different loans, but it’s also important to distribute your investment among different types of loans.

Don’t focus on only one loan grade, such as investing only in mid-risk loans. Invest in different loan grades: low-risk, mid-risk, high-risk loans, and all the ones in between.

Although you’re more likely to earn money from personal loans, do your best to disperse your investment to different types of loans, such as business loans or student debt restructuring loans.

Don’t be afraid to also invest in loans in different lending companies, as they offer many different kinds of loans and cater to many different borrowers.

Reinvest. When you receive your loan payments in your account, you can wait for them to accrue, pull them out, and spend them.

But a much better way to maximize your returns is to immediately reinvest the loan payments you receive. The idea is to stay fully invested and give your money all the chances to grow.

If you’re able to balance your rewards and risks, it’s possible to earn annual investment returns of greater than 10% and even up to 15%, but the more common annual returns reported are in the range of 4% to 8%.

How To Be A Peer-To-Peer Investor

In a nutshell, peer-to-peer lending platforms let investors buy consumer debt hoping to make some money on that transaction, and let investors pick and choose which loans they want to finance.

The specific steps may vary per company, but here are the general steps of how to be a peer-to-peer investor.

1. Check the qualifications and requirements.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has some minimum standards for investors in P2P. These include:

  • At least $70,000 gross annual income (except California, where you need to have $85,000 gross annual income), and a net worth minimum of $70,000
  • Residence in an approved state; this differs depending on the P2P platform you choose to trade in
  • Bank account to receive loan payments

2. Download the apps or access them through your internet browser.
The next section includes a list of the best lending apps to start investing in.

I would recommend reading up on all of them so you can study the requirements of each lending company and find out which ones you’re eligible to invest in and which ones fit the kind of investments you’d like to make.

You don’t even have to choose just one. If you have enough funds to invest, you can certainly choose to invest through more than one lending company.

3. Browse available loans.
As I’ve mentioned, different peer-to-peer lending companies offer different loan products and different loan grades at different interest rates.

Go over the loans and the borrowers carefully, especially if this is your first time to invest.

4. Invest in your chosen loans.
The exact procedure for this varies among different P2P providers. In general, select which loan you want to invest in and input the amount you want to invest.

5. Reassess your investment strategy over time and adjust as needed.
Even if you follow the advice I gave in the previous section to balance your rewards and risk, there are still times when your specific strategy won’t work.

It seems like a lot of work, but monitor the loans that you’ve invested in so you have an idea which ones are earning and which ones have defaulted if any.

The Best Peer-To-Peer Lending Companies To Invest In

As I’ve mentioned, there are plenty of peer-to-peer lending companies to choose from. Here are the most established and popular ones that you can check out.

1. Lending Club

  • Must have a gross income and a net worth of at least $70,000 ($85,000 in CA). The income requirement is waived with a net worth of $250,000 or more
  • Minimum investment: $25 per note; $1,000 initial account balance requirement
  • Estimated APR: 6.95% to 35.89%
  • Personal loans up to $40,000
  • Loan terms of 36 or 60 months, based on loan amount
  • Fees: 1% of interest payment; $100 annual account fee for balances <$5,000
  • Assets: Invest in 30 different credit grades; Credit ratings from A1 and 55 for multiple loan types
  • Automated investment available

Lending Club is the current market leader with a 45% share.

They offer four different types of loans: personal loans, business loans, auto refinancing, and patient solutions.

They also have an automated solution for investors who don’t want to pick loans manually, allowing diversification at a click of a button (or tap of the screen).

In addition, they have a comprehensive resources page to learn more about investing with them and coming up with the right strategy to maximize your earnings.

2. Prosper

  • Must have a gross income and a net worth of at least $70,000 ($85,000 in CA). The income requirement is waived with a net worth of $250,000 or more
  • Minimum investment: $25 per note
  • Estimated APR: 6.95% to 35.99%
  • Personal loans up to $40,000
  • Loan terms of 36 or 60 months
  • Fees: 1% annually of borrowed principal balance
  • Assets: Invest in 7 different credit ratings for multiple loan types
  • Automated investment available

Founded in 2006, Prosper is the original P2P lending platform in the US.

There are 7 different risk categories, from AA (high credit rating) to HR (high-risk). You can spread out your investment across these 7 risk categories.

They offer many different types of loans; aside from the usual types, they offer baby and adoption loans, engagement ring financing, and even green loans, where you can get financing for switching to a sustainable lifestyle, such as installing solar panels, energy-efficient roofs, or a water preservation system.

3. Upstart

  • Must be an accredited investor (income of $200,000 or more in the last two years or net worth of $1 million or more)
  • Minimum investment: $100
  • Estimated APR: 21.5%
  • Personal loans up to $50,000
  • Loan terms of 36 or 60 months
  • Fees: none for investors; if loan defaults, Upstart turns the origination fee over to investors
  • Assets: Invest in personal loans with a credit rating of AAA to E
  • Automated investment available

Upstart is a relatively new company started by three former Google employees.

What makes this P2P company truly unique, though, is how they determine risk. While other P2P companies use a borrower’s FICO score, Upstart created a system that uses artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) to assess a borrower’s risk factor.

In addition to the usual FICO score determiners, such as payment history, current debt level, length of credit history, and types of credit used, Upstart’s AI/ML factors in a borrower’s educational attainment, field of study, GPA, and employment background as well.

This results in a more accurate risk assessment and mitigation. Accordingly, they have the lowest delinquency rate of the three lending platforms I’ve mentioned here, with 89% of their loans either current or paid in full.

A drawback is that investors cannot choose individual loans to invest in; investors must choose a specific loan grade or loans with specific criteria and Upstart will randomly assign you loans that meet these criteria.

The Peer-to-Peer Lending Bottom Line

In summary, investing in peer-to-peer lending can earn you some money as passive income, but as with any investment, there’s risk involved.

Minimize risk by diversifying your investments, frequently monitoring your loans, and only investing with money that you can afford to lose.

Other resources

Want to know about other ways to earn passive income? Here are 25 passive income ideas.

Or maybe you want to know about earning money without doing too much. Here are 14 everyday things that can make you some money.

We’d like to hear from you!

Do you have experience with peer-to-peer lending apps, whether as a borrower or a lender? How was it? Do you have any tips to help first-time borrowers or lenders? Share it with everyone in the comments!

15 Easy Ways to Earn Amazon Gift Cards Online

Written By:
Last Updated:

Everyone likes discounted stuff, so why would you ever pay full price for something on Amazon when you can earn free Amazon gift cards?

In the current age of online shopping, we’re all trying to figure out how to get free stuff. Discount codes. Referral bonuses. Gift cards.

It’s practically like getting free money.

(Psst. Have a birthday coming up? You just hit the jackpot with this list of 200 free things you can get on your birthday.)

And here’s a little-known fact for you:

There are a lot more ways to earn Amazon gift cards than you’d expect.

Seriously, if you look up “how to win Amazon gift cards”, you’ll be met with hundreds of options. And I’ll be honest with you – it gets overwhelming.

So the question is:

Where can you get those free Amazon gift cards and how can you take your shopping experience to the next level?

What it Takes to Earn Amazon Gift Cards

For starters, no one is just going to hand out money for free.

With that in mind, you will need to exchange something in order to earn Amazon gift cards.

In most cases, you will need to share personal information about yourself (eg. your demographics, your shopping patterns, past purchases etc.) and companies will pay you to gain access to this information.

Other sites listed below ask that you fill out surveys or answer questions. Basic work that nets you a reward.

With that in mind let’s check out…

15 Ways to Earn Amazon Gift Cards

I’ve compiled the top 15 ways you can earn Amazon gift cards online, so you’re not overwhelmed with hundreds of choices!

Below, you’ll find the best of the best.

1. Swagbucks

Swagbucks signup form

First things first:

When you sign up to Swagbucks you get $5 for free. It’s one of those websites that pay you for pretty much every task imaginable too.

Firstly, you earn SB points whenever you continue a task (watching a video, answering a survey, doing some online shopping).

Then, you can redeem those SB points and earn Amazon gift cards (or cash via Paypal). You can do this from the comfort of your own couch and it’s free.

300 points get you a $3 Amazon gift cards, and you can redeem with as low as that. You’ll find that other websites usually allow you to redeem a minimum of $10 or $20.

The cherry on top?

Amazon gift cards can actually get discounted at Swagbucks. So not only can you earn Amazon gift cards for doing minimal work, but they can also be redeemed for a lower cost.

2. Ibotta

ibotta earnings

Ibotta is one of the best (and easiest) ways you can get free Amazon gift cards.

You pretty much have to do nothing (no answering surveys, no watching videos, no doing any tasks) to earn your Amazon gift card.

So what do you have to do?

Well, activate an offer and scan your grocery receipt.

Yes. That’s it.

This cash back and rewards app allows you to find the best deals by browsing through different stores.

This is how it works:

  • Before going to the store, open the app.
  • Check all the available offers at that store.
  • Add them to your account.
  • After arriving back home, take a picture of your receipt.
  • Withdraw your earnings (through cash or winning an Amazon gift card.)

3. Honey

Honey is a browser extension that also lets you earn Amazon gift cards. Here’s how you do it:

  • Activate a Honey Gold shopping session. This is done through the browser extension that you download.
  • Purchase something and earn Honey Gold points.
  • Collect enough points.
  • Redeem those points as Amazon gift cards.

You can also make 500 points just for referring another user. 1000 Honey Gold points are usually equivalent to a $10 gift card.

Could it get any easier? I think not!

4. Check Wikibuy to earn Amazon gift cards

Wikibuy instant

This is another browser extension that you download (usually works with Chrome & Firefox).

The extension not only allows you to earn points and win Amazon gift cards, but it also helps you find the top coupon codes, alerts you when sales are on and helps you find the best prices.

Aside from redeeming your points as Amazon Gift Cards, you can also use the extension to notify you when you can find a product at a lower price somewhere else.

5. Shopkick

Shopkick has eight different ways you can earn rewards, and we’re here for it! You can earn points (called Kicks) on the website by:

  • Entering a store with the app open.
  • Scanning barcodes of some products.
  • Make purchases with the card that you’ve linked to the app.
  • Scan your receipt (on featured items)
  • Visit online stores & buy products.
  • Watch videos.

These are all the different ways you can earn Amazon gift cards on Shopkick.

6. Mobee

What I love about Mobee is how much fun it is.

The whole idea is that the app assigns you different missions to complete at stores (all undercover, of course) and you win Amazon gift cards in return.

It adds a little fun to the process, instead of answering a survey or watching a video.

7. Drop

Drop is another app that gives you rewards for shopping at specific stores. The best thing about the app is how easy it is to use. You don’t even need to open up the portal whenever you shop. You can forget all about it.

Here’s how you can get your Amazon gift card:

  • Sign up on the app.
  • Link your credit or debit card.
  • Select 5 different stores (merchants).
  • The merchants have different rates (the number of points you can get for every dollar you spent.) Some of the shops include Uber, Target, Starbucks, and Walmart.
  • You can redeem your drop points in the form of Amazon gift cards.

8. Receipt Hog

Receipt Hog website

You can use Receipt Hog to get points for snapping a picture of your shopping receipt.

What makes this app different is that you don’t have to be at a specific shop or buy a specific product.

9. PrizeRebel

Complete offers, answer surveys, watch videos and do some more tasks to get free Amazon gift cards on Prize Rebel.

They have a much lower redemption level than some of the apps mentioned here, where you can literally cash out 200 points ($2 gift card).

That shouldn’t be hard, should it?

If you want to make even more points, you can refer other users to the app and then make 20% of what they are making!

The more points you make, the higher your referral percentage gets. It can easily reach up to 30%. It’s a great source for passive income.

10. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is renowned around the world for helping you make money fast.

This website has a massive inventory of all types of surveys that you can take. 1000 points equal $10 that you can either cash out or get in the form of free Amazon gift cards.

11. BeFrugal

BeFrugal’s whole point is to give you cash and coupons. You can definitely earn Amazon gift cards.

When you shop at stores like Walmart, Amazon, and Ebay you can get cash back in the form of either cash or Amazon gift cards. You will even get a 1% when you choose the Amazon gift cards option.

12. Checkpoints

Take quizzes, shop online, complete surveys or watch videos to earn points on Checkpoints.

Once you get enough points, you can redeem them in the form of free Amazon gift cards.

13. Inbox Dollars

Inbox Dollars is another website where you can take surveys, take quizzes, shop online, play games and more to get “rewards” and points that you can redeem as free Amazon gift cards. You can even test products!

When you reach a balance of $30, you’ll be able to redeem your Amazon gift card. If you want to make money there faster, I recommend referring a friend, since you get $1 and 30% of what your friend makes.

14. Personal Capital

Personal Capital is an incredible app overall.

This financial app can easily be one of the top money apps right now, as it doesn’t just allow you to track your financial situation (cash flows, what your budgets are likes, the performance of your investment) but it also gives you $20 Amazon gift card when you sign up.

15. Earn Amazon Gift Cards from Amazon

Yup. You can earn free Amazon gift cards from Amazon themselves! If you sign up for their Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card you can get a hefty $70 bonus.

The only thing you will need is a Prime account. The perks are worth it though:

  • A $70 Amazon gift card.
  • 2% off at select restaurants and drug stores.
  • 5% cash back on all your Amazon restaurants.

How do you Earn Amazon Gift Cards?

Have you used any of the sites listed above? If so, what one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below.

Those websites and apps are all convenient, flexible and are guaranteed to help you earn Amazon gift cards.

They’re all legit, need little to no effort, and help you get quick money! If you want to know more about how you can make quick money online, check out this article.

9 Companies that Give Away Free Shoes by Mail

Written By:
Published On:

Who wouldn’t grab the chance of receiving free shoes by mail, right?

It may sound like a marketing scheme, but people have actually been getting free sneakers from popular brands like Nike and Adidas for years.

This program is called product testing, which is often part of a company’s R&D process to collect feedback about a consumer’s preference and reactions on a particular product.

So, am I just given free shoes right after sign-up?

Not quite.

The Catch: How to Get Free Shoes Straight from Company Factory

Most big companies, such as Nike, have a web page that lets consumers sign up to get paid to test products.

Once you enter your information, your name becomes a part of a database of consumers.

Depending on the company’s current promos and line-up of products, the company will then launch a product testing campaign for an assigned number of people and certain demographic.

For example:

  • 100 male, 30 to 40 years old, weighs over 250 pounds
  • 50 male, 50 female, all under 40 years old, participating in a marathon in the next 3 months
  • Flat-footed people, any age, can wear the shoes an hour daily for 6 months

Simply put, if you don’t fit the demographic a company requires at the moment, you won’t be given free shoes.

If you’re not chosen right now, this doesn’t mean you are also disqualified for other campaigns. A particular sports brand conducts multiple product testing campaigns each year, so don’t lose hope.

9 Companies that Give Away Free Shoes

I didn’t include Nike here, because I wrote about Nike product testing programs extensively in the past. If you want free Nike shoes, see how you can get a pair here.

Note that product testing isn’t exclusive to the sports clothing industry, but since we’re talking about free shoes, here are 9 companies that you should definitely sign up for:

1. ADIDAS

Fill out their personal details form to get started.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to pay a cent and it only takes a few minutes to apply as a product tester. But you do have to qualify.

Once Adidas begins a new study and choose from its database of potential, the company will send an e-mail telling you that you were chosen to participate.

All other details will be included in that invitation.

After confirming that you want to join, Adidas will send you your free shoes (or clothes) in the mail.

Read the instructions. Here you’ll learn if you need to give back the shoes, or keep them for yourself forever. Adidas usually requires you to take down notes (ex. 1 hour jogging, September 18), and answer a questionnaire online at the end of an assignment.

2. Brooks Running

Brooks Running testers

Brooks Running give shoes, apparel, and sports bras to runners for testing in the real world, which are added to their running research data and helps them improve on their existing products.

Two types of testers are available: one who can get tested at the “lab” in Seattle, Washington, and the wear tester (who can be from anywhere in the US).

Brooks Running will pay for two-way shipping of the products to/from your home, but you have to agree to provide feedback and return the product when asked to.

You won’t receive any money for this though.

If you apply and you don’t hear from Brooks Running, don’t fret. You are already in the Brooks Product Tester database and have a chance to be sent an invite once the right opportunity for you appears.

3. New Balance

To join New Balance’s program, enter your e-mail address and create a profile so the company will know more about you.

Submit the form and you’re now part of the New Balance Tester Community database.

New Balance also chooses based on demographics and interests. If you’re chosen, they’ll notify you first before sending a new prototype by mail.

Go to your profile online, follow the assignment instructions, and submit feedback.

Sometimes, you don’t need to return the shoes.

4. Reebok

Reebok boasts the reason their footwear and apparel truly meet people’s athletic needs is that they test footwear and apparel on REAL ATHLETES.

Here’s where you come in.

If you’re physically active and want to join the product testing program for free shoes and clothes, fill-in details like shoe size, location, activity level, and so on.

Product testing lasts 3 to 6 weeks, but Reebok will ask you send back the products after testing.

5. Red Wing Shoes

If you love boots and other rich work shoes, Red Wing Shoes is looking for product testers interested in wearing their products on the “toughest, dirtiest and hardest-working situations.”

The requirements change from time to time.

When I checked, they were looking for testers in the Minneapolis/St.Paul MN area with specific feet sizes.

Those who are qualified can fill-out the application form to the side.

What’s cool about Red Wing Shoes is that the boots are yours after testing.

6. Puma

Back in April 2019, Puma launched its beta tester program for its self-lacing training shoe Fit Intelligence (Fi) for select countries.

Watch out for more Puma product testing, since the FI training shoes were the first one.

7. Saucony

Try out running shoes and athletic gear for free. Fill out an application form to become a product tested.

A bit of warning though: the form is super-extensive and digs in about your history as a runner. If you’re not a runner, better skip this program and go with another one.

Saucony tries to find testers that will really use the pair of shoes for running (you’ll be asked a comprehensive survey after you complete the task).

8. Columbia Global Performance

Columbia is actively inviting a broad range of people to test out their products. The company prefers those who love the Great Outdoors or is into sports.

Just apply to become a tester, get accepted into the database, pass the eligibility requirements, and get a chance to test either a pair of hiking boots or running shoes and submit feedback.

Columbia Product Testing

Columbia’s testing program is a bit unique – they’ll give you a set of tasks to complete throughout the testing period.

Unfortunately, you do have to return the free shoes after a couple of weeks.

They shoulder two-way shipping fees.

9. Under Armour

To join the Under Armour testing community, simply enter your name and e-mail address, then fill out your profile.

Like other product testing processes on this list, you have to qualify (based on your demography and profile info) to join the current program.

It’s free to join the testing program, but hard to get in.

If you’re lucky enough to get picked, you’d have to follow the instructions included in the package with free shoes.

There’s no cash prize here as well and you’d have to send the product back at the end of your test.

Get Other Free Stuff by Mail

When you’re chosen to be part of any of these programs, be honest with your feedback.

The company needs that honesty to improve upon the free shoes you’ve just tested before the official release.

If you’re a fan of Amazon, they also have the Amazon product testing program you can join – and they cover a wider range of products.

Now that you’re introduced to getting free shoes, why not explore other things you can get for free like baby stuff samples, birthday freebies, or other kinds of free samples by mail.

86 Places Where Kids Eat Free in 2023

Written By:
Published On:

If you’re a family with small kids and you’re trying to cut back on expenses, you’d be surprised that a bit of planning and choosing restaurants with “kids eat free here” programs can quickly make a dent on your savings.

This is especially true if you eat out more than twice a week.

How do kids eat free?

Kids eat free programs are often for children ages 12 and below.

There are common features of these programs, including:

  • Most restaurants that give freebies to kids only make the deal available once a week.
  • National chains do not have uniform offers. An Applebee’s near you might offer the kids-free-meals on Mondays, but the one located at the next town does it during Sundays.
  • Offers cannot be combined with other promos.
  • There must be a paying adult with the child.
  • Most free kids meals are supposed to be ordered from the kid’s menu
  • Proof of age may be required in some locations.

Free Kids Meals by Day-of-the-Week

Now that you have an idea of the basic rules, let’s check out what’s available.

Kids Eat Free on Mondays

1. Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar: Kids 12 and under get to eat free every Monday, as long as an adult purchases a meal.

2. Cinzetti’s: Kids under 12 eat free between 5 to 9 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays. Proof of age may be required. Only 2 kids free per adult.

3. Cody’s Original Roadhouse: Kids 10 years old and under eat free here on Monday and Tuesdays. Limited to 2 kids per paying adult entree.

4. Golden Corral: Kids 10 and younger eat free Mondays from 5 to 9 pm

5.Norms: Every Monday from noon to 10pm, guests 10 and under can get one FREE JR. Entrée from the Kid’s Menu with each adult entree purchased. Dine-in only.

6. Planet Sub: Kids get a free sub any time on Mondays, at the main Kansas branch. One free kids’ meal for each paying adult.

7. Romano’s Macaroni Grill: Kids 12 and under get a free meal with the purchase of an adult entrée. Valid on Monday and Tuesday.

8. Spaghetti Warehouse: Not technically free, but still a good deal. When you buy one adult entree at Spaghetti Warehouse on Mondays, pay only $1.99 for one kid’s entree.

9. T.G.I.Friday’s: Visit here Mondays or Tuesdays to get your child’s meal free for every paying adult.

10. Woody’s BBQ: Kids 10 and younger eat for free every Monday, from 3pm until closing.

Kids Eat Free on Tuesdays

11. Atlanta Bread: A kid can have a free meal every Monday 4pm to closing with adult meal purchased.

12. Back Yard Burgers: Not only does BackYard Burgers have an awesome ‘No Kids Get Hungry’ program, they also have a free kiddie meal Tuesdays with purchase of an adult combo meal.

13. Beef O’Brady’s: Kids receive a free meal on Tuesdays from 5 to 9 pm with the purchase of an adult meal.

14. Bennigan’s: After 4 pm every Tuesday, kids (12 or under) eat free when you purchase an adult entree.

15. Black Eyed Pea: Buy one adult entree and get one item free from the kid’s menu. Offer valid Tuesdays from 5 pm to closing.

16. Bob Evans: Every Tuesday is Family Night at Bob Evans Restaurants from 4 p.m. – close. One kid gets a free meal per adult meal purchased.

17. Carrows Restaurants: Kids 10 and under eat free on Tuesdays from 11am until close. Up to two kids meals per paid adult meal.

18. Chevy’s Fresh Mex: One child can choose from the kid menu for $1 with every paying adult. Valid all day on Tuesday.

19. Chompie’s: Kids (10 and under) eat free all day on Tuesdays.

20. Denny’s: Kids eat dinner free at Denny’s on Tuesdays from 4 – 10 pm. Up to two free kid’s entrées from the kid’s menu per one adult entrée purchase of $6.00 or more.

21. Famous Dave’s: Kids 12 and under eat free all day on Tuesdays. (Some locations may charge $0.99 for kids meals)

22. Fazoli’s: Not free, but any kids meals from the menu is only 99 cents every Tuesday nights from 5 until 8pm.

23. Johnny Rockets: From 4 to 8 p.m. every Tuesdays and Wednesdays, get a free meal with the purchase of an adult entrée and drink.

24 . Lone Star Steakhouse: Kids eat free all day on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Up to 2 free kids’ meals with the purchase of an adult meal.

25. Marie Callender’s Restaurant and Bakery: Kids ages 12 and under eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée.

26. Moe’s Southwest Grill: One free kids’ meal per paying adult.

27. Ponderosa Steakhouse: For every adult entree purchased from 4 – 9 pm on Tuesday nights, you get two free kid’s meals.

28. Pizza Street: Free cheese pizza meal for kids 10 or younger per paying adult.

29. Red Brick Pizza: Buy one adult entree on Tuesday to get a kid’s meal for free.

30. Romano’s Macaroni Grill: Kids ages 12 and under get a free meal with the purchase of an adult entrée.

31. Ruby Tuesday: On Tuesdays after 5 p.m., 1 child per paying adult gets a free meal

32. Shari’s: Up to two free kid’s meals per adult entrée, valid Tuesdays from 10am-11pm.

33. UNO Pizzeria & Grilll: 1 free kiddie meal for kids aged 12 and younger every Tuesdays with the purchase of an adult meal.

Kids Eat Free on Wednesdays

34. Buffalo Wild Wings: On Wednesday nights from 4 to 10pm, any entree from the kid’s menu is only $1.99. It’s not free, but it’s cheap!

35. East Coast Wings: Kids get to eat free per adult entree every Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to close.

36. Firehouse Subs: Visit from 5 to 8pm Wednesdays and your kid can get a free kids’ meal for each adult combo meal purchased. Up to 2 kids per 1 adult.

37. Friendly’s: Score kid’s meals for just $1.99 all day on Wednesdays. Or if you can visit after 4pm, kid’s meals are free with every purchase of an adult meal.

38. Gatti Town: A kid (10 and younger) could get a free kid’s buffet when you buy one adult buffet meal.

39. Jason’s Deli: Purchase one adult entree to get one free kid’s meal.

40. Jeffery’s Sports Grill: Kids eat free (one kid per paying adult) any time on Wednesdays.

41. Little Bitty Burger Barn: Kids under 10 eat free all day Wednesdays. Up to 2 kids’ meals for every full-priced adult meal.

42. Luby’s Cafeteria: On Wednesdays 4pm onwards, kids under 10 eat for free.

43. Logan’s Roadhouse:Kids ages 12 and under eat free on Wednesdays with the purchase of an adult entrée.

44. Qdoba Mexican Grill: Kids get to eat free with the purchase of an adult enchilada entrée.

Kids Eat Free on Thursdays

45. Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen:Buy one adult meal here on Thursdays and get up to two free kid’s meals.

46. Chartroose Caboose: Kids receive free meal all day on Thursdays with purchase of an adult meal worth $8 or more.

47. C.B. & Potts Restaurant & Brewery: Not free, but kids eat for only $1 with purchase of adult entrée during Thursdays.

48. Old Country Buffet: On Thursdays, kids (from 4 to 11 years old) eat for only $1.99 with the purchase of an adult buffet.

49. Piccadilly: Thursday All-Day, up to 2 kids 12 and under can enjoy $1.99 meals with an adult purchase.

50. Ryan’s: Thursdays is Family Night at Ryan’s, so kids eat for only $1.99 per adult meal purchased. Visit from From 4 to 8:30 p.m.

51. Red Robin: This used to be free, but the promo now has $1.99 kid’s meal for every adult entree purchased.

52. Salsarita’s: Get one free meal for your child with the purchase of $5 or more adult Mexican entrée; dine in only

53. Zaxby’s: Up to 2 kids under 10 eat FREE on Thursdays with the purchase of an adult meal

Kids Eat Free on Fridays

Fridays is usually a busy day for restaurants, which is why most deals are on off-peak days like Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

More deals pop up on the weekends, since families usually eat out on either Saturday and Sunday.

What better way to lure families with young kids to their restaurants, right?

Kids Eat Free on Saturdays

54. Maggiano’s Little Italy: Kids under 5 get to eat free Italian food all day on Saturday.

55. Margaritas Mexican Restaurant: On Saturdays, visit their East Hartford (CT) and Mystic (CT) locations to receive two free kid’s meals for each adult meal you order.

56. Qdoba Mexican Grill: Buy an adult entrée to get a free kid’s meal. Valid usually during Saturday lunch and dinner, but may vary by location.

57. Steak ‘n Shake: Every Saturday, get one free kids plate for every $9 spent. No drinks and shakes included, sorry. Dine-in only.

58. Texas Land and Cattle: If you buy one adult entree on Saturday afternoons from 11 am – 4 pm, you can get up to two free kid’s meals for free.

59. Which Wich Superior Sandwiches: Buy a 7” sandwich and get a kid’s meal for just 99 cents. Valid for kids 12 years old or younger.

Kids Eat Free on Sundays

60. Arriba Mexican Grill: One free kids’ meal per paying adult valid anytime on Sundays.

61. Blue Mesa Grill: Eat brunch here from 9am to 3pm on Sundays and your kid (5 years old or younger) gets a free meal.

62. Baja Fresh: If you buy an adult entree at this Mexican grill during Sundays, you get a free kid’s meal.

63. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit: Kids (12 or younger) eat free all day on Sundays (drinks included) with the purchase of a $10 adult meal.

64. Hooters: If you’re after some Hooters wings, go on Sundays 11am to 11pm for free kid’s meals

65. Jose Pepper’s: Kids get to eat for free all Sunday at Jose Pepper’s.

66. Moe’s Southwest Grill: Visit Moe’s Sunday anytime from 4pm until closing, buy one adult entree and get one free kid’s meal.

67. Slim Chicken’s: Slim Chicken’s for free meals for kids aged 10 and younger is valid every Sunday.

68. Souper! Salad!: On Sundays kids age 4 and younger eat for free with a paying adult.

69. Tony Roma’s: Buy an adult entree and get one free kid’s meal for kids age 12 and younger.

Everyday Free Kiddie Meal

70. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream: As long as your kid is shorter than 40 inches, they can receive one free baby cone. You don’t even have to purchase anything.

71. Cafe Rio: Valid daily, kids ages 6 and under get a free Nino Quesadilla with the purchase of an adult entrée.

72. Carrows: During weekdays (Monday-Friday), one kid below 10 years old can eat for free after 4 pm (for each paying adult).

73. Cici’s: Kids (3 years old or younger) can eat free when you purchase a full-price adult entree.

74. Culver’s: Kids 12 and under get a free frozen custard with the purchase of a meal

75. Fricker’s: Kids eat free all day, every day with the purchase of an adult entrée.

76. IHOP: Usually every spring, kids get to eat free every day from 4 to 9 p.m. with purchase of adult entree.

77. Holiday Inn: Up to four kids 12 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn on-site restaurant.

78. O’Charley’s: Kids eat free every day with the purchase of an adult entree.

79. On The Border: Kids receive a free sundae with meal purchase.

80. Texas de Brazil: With a purchase of an adult meal, kids 2 years old and below eat free; kids 3 to 5 eat for just $5, while big kids from 6 to 12 years old dine for half the adult price.

Depends on Location

81. IKEA: At some IKEA locations, kids (12 and under) can receive up to 2 kiddie meals with purchase of one adult entree worth $3.99 or more. Usually available on Tuesdays.

82. Skyline Chili – Locations vary, but if offered in a location near you, one free kids meal for every adult meal purchase of $5 or more. Only for dine-ins.

Occasional

83. Chick-fil-A: Every Monday night in July, kids can eat free from 5pm-7:30 pm. Receive one FREE Kid’s Meal per child 12 and under. No purchase necessary.

84. Godfather’s Pizza: During the all-you-can-eat family buffet, kids usually eat free.

Free Kids Meals via Rewards or Club Membership

85. Chili’s– When you buy an adult entree, you get one free kid’s entree.

86. Souplantation: All Club Veg members get a free kids meal.

The Bottom Line

If you don’t need a long list of restaurants (and would rather pick your family’s favorite ones), then make sure you have access to their Facebook page, Twitter, or website for double-checking availability of offers.

For kids who are celebrating their birthdays soon, there are also restaurants that give out free stuff on your birthday.

Be sure to check out this list of 20 ways to get free kids books by mail.

Garage Sale Tips and How to Make the Most Money

Written By:
Published On:

If you’re looking for garage sale tips, you’ve come to the right place!

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who finds fulfillment in turning unwanted clutter, stored clothes, and old house items into cash.

You can sell items on eBay, Craigslist, and selling apps like Poshmark, but the traditional garage sale is usually enough to do the trick.

The garage sale tips I’m going to share with you are based from personal experience, and have always worked no matter the season.

What Sells Best at a Garage Sale

In the past, I discussed quite a bit about product research and the best things to sell on Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and other online platforms.

Unfortunately, online selling is totally different to traditional yard sales. What sells best at a yard sale may not really sell successfully online…and vice versa. And that’s okay.

Items that sell best at yard sale include:

  • Tools – This can be anything from power tools to gardening tools, and everything else in between. These items sell like hotcakes on yard sales because they don’t get broken too easily, so even if the tools are used, they most likely still have half of their lifetime to spare.
  • Gently-used clothes and costumes – A yard sale shouldn’t include clothes that are no longer usable. As a general rule: if it won’t be usable for you, no other person will find it usable. Costumes are bestsellers, since most of them are only worn once or twice.
  • Shoes and bags – Kids shoes are quick sellers because children grow out of their sizes very quickly. Parents grab second-hand shoes on yard sales since they’re cheaper than new and rarely worn out. When it comes to bags, branded ones can be a hit, especially if you still have the original boxes or paper bags.
  • Jewelry – Selling real jewelry in a garage sale doesn’t really happen, but if you’re game for it, then do so. Many yard sale junkies, however, flock toward costume jewelry or other fashionable statement pieces, so price them appropriately.
  • Antiques and Artwork – Since many homeowners who have kept heirloom pieces may never know the real value of what they have, antique hunters and art collectors check out garage sales regularly in hopes of finding hidden gems. When selling art and antiques, try to find everything you can about the pieces before “laying them on a table.”
  • Books – If you have experience selling books on Amazon or any online platform, you know that there will always have a demand for books. Pile your books altogether in one spot and price them somewhere between $1 to $5.
  • Camping gear – Tents and other camping gear can be expensive. But since most people who have camping gear rarely use them, they’re sure-buys on garage sales.
  • Furniture and appliances – For many families that are just starting out, second-hand furniture and appliance are the only way to go, so if you have an old sofa you’re not using or a study table outgrown by your kids, not only are these a sure sell, but you’re also helping people out.
  • Sports and exercise equipment – Got some exercise equipment collecting dust? This can be anything as small as dumbbells or exercise balls, to something as big as a stationary bike. How about some sports equipment like golf clubs, basketballs, rackets, and so on? Know that they’re always in-demand.
  • Anything in bulk – Put stuff in a box (makeup, comics, toys, etc.) and sell them as a bundle. People love discounted items grouped together like a gift box.

Negotiations and Garage Sale Pricing

Garage sale pricing can be tricky, especially if you only do yard sales every couple of years. Buyers would likely negotiate – it’s the norm in yard sales, so you better be prepared and set your limits before opening your doors to the world.

Here are several things to remember when it comes to pricing:

1. Visit other yard sales in your area

Take note of the prices of items, so you’d have a feel for what people locally are buying and for how much they’re willing to spend for them.

2. Price everything before the garage sale starts

Get stickers and write down prices using a permanent marker.

Keep the price of big-ticket items like sofa or heirloom cabinets private (list them down in a notebook or on your phone’s notepad), so you have a starting amount when would-be buyers decide to negotiate price.

Place same-priced items in one spot.

Books priced at $1 each can go in a box.

3. Choose your stickers properly

Neon-colored stickers let buyers see price quickly.

Go with low-tack stickers, which area easier to remove from glass, paper, wood or porcelain.

If the garage sale includes items of your friends and family, various-colored stickers will make your job easier.

Double the sticker to every item, then whenever an item is sold, get the second sticker and put it in a column under your friend or family member’s name.

It’s a quick and easy way to keep everything accounted for.

Be considerate about collector’s items.

Don’t place hard-to-remove stickers on old album covers, windows of collectable toy boxes, and other areas that would de-value the price of the actual item.

4. Never shut down buyers who haggle

It’s part of the garage sale experience.

Add the word “firm” to price stickers for items that have non-negotiable pricing

Generally, clothes range from $1 to $5, while coats and formal wear go a bit higher (around $5 to $15). Shoes can be as low as $2 to up to $10, depending on the amount of wear. Jewelry can be sold as little as 25cents for costume jewelry and up to $20 for antiques.

Books, DVDs or VHS tapes of movies and music, toys, and vinyl records are usually $2 or less.

Kitchen items like knives, silverware, dishware, glassware, and other similar items are priced from $1 to $5.

Of course, those that come in sets (set of knives, 6-pc plate set, etc.) can get over $15 or more.

5 Awesome Garage Sale Tips for a Successful Yard Sale

To ensure your yard sale comes out successful, here are tried-and-tested garage sale tips you can follow:

1. Plan

Be smart about your garage sale.

Plan the date, season, day and time. People prefer to visit yard sales at the end of the week, so choose 2-3 days from Thursday to Sunday.

Go for the nearest weekend after the 15th and 30th (or the nearest payroll date in your state).

If you can start your sale early in the morning, it will attract more buyers with school kids going to school or adults off to work.

If they couldn’t stop by that morning, there’s a good chance they’d be intrigued and stop over on the way back.

And while you’re at it, check weather forecast as well.

Not only will rain cause a lot of hassle with things getting wet, the chances of people stopping over reduces significantly with bad weather.

2. Organize

Planning and organizing may not be the newest or coolest garage sale tips ever, but doing them will definitely make a difference in the outcome of your yard sale.

Doing so allows you to see all items for sale, make an inventory, and group them according to the categories you prefer, such as entertainment, furniture, kids section, sports, and so on.

Organizing items also make the yard sale look more appealing to the buyers.

You don’t want your second-hand items looking like they’re ready to be disposed, right?

3. Encourage your friends, family or neighbors to join

Ask your friends, family or neighbors join your garage sale. Don’t consider them as competition.

People are often drawn to a yard full of stuff, so the more items you include in your garage sale, the better turnout you’ll have.

4. Spread the Word

Traditional ways of marketing still work.

Aside from word-of-mouth, you can also send flyers around your city and put posters up at the community center (and in front of your house).

Of course, online promotions can help too! Make a listing on Craigslist, find your town’s FB page and post there, post on your Facebook (and buy credits to spread it to people who live near you) and so on.

Buyers won’t just visit your garage sale. You have to do a big of legwork to increase your chances of a successful yard sale.

5. Include other Fund-Raising Opportunities During a Garage Sale

If you’re planning a big garage sale, or a neighborhood-wide yard sale, you can make extra money by offering people with drinks, baked goods, snack, CR use, phone charging, and so on.

It’s a smart way to keep kids busy while their parents shop. Having a lemonade table, or a hotdog stand during the garage sale also encourages socialization, so if you’re looking for new friends, the yard sale will be an awesome experience.

The Future of Garage Sales

It’s always nice to know that we could sell things to make money the old-fashioned way, right?

As long as there’s no zombie apocalypse keeping people from going outdoors and socializing within the local neighborhood, garage sales will always be in fashion.

How to Start a Subscription Box Service Quickly

Written By:
Published On:

A subscription box service follows the subscription business model, wherein a product or set of products within a particular niche is bundled together and shipped to buyers.

Because subscription boxes are pre-paid by customers, the company can deliver the boxes at a set date monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or yearly.

In the United States alone, there are about 500 different kinds of subscription boxes.

They have varying prices, frequency of delivery, number of items included, and brands, which is why subscription boxes could cost somewhere from $5 to $200.

How Do Subscription Boxes Make Money?

Making money with a subscription box service is actually easy to explain.

Once you developed an idea, you source products to include into the box and estimate cost-per-box.

Let’s say you want the box to be priced at $25. You then find products to include in your box, compute fees on packaging, overhead and shipping and add all these expenses. The difference is your profit.

The more people you attract to buy a subscription, the higher you get to take home.

Of course, to add to your company’s revenues, you can incorporate other techniques like finding ex-deals from brands, negotiating prices of products directly from the factory or creating more types of subscription boxes.

Most Popular Subscription Box Service

Cratejoy is a directory of subscription box services, so if you’re just looking around and don’t know what to expect, this site is a pretty good resource.

Best Subscription Boxes for Men

The Loot Crate is a fantastic subscription box that mixes men’s apparel with accessories like pins and ties, along with other pop-culture toys. You can even choose which fandom you prefer to receive.

Stitch Fix Men ($20+prices of clothes/mo) is a service for those who don’t like shopping. Personalize your style choices, add sizes and other preferences, then surprise yourself with a couple of hand-picked clothing items to make a complete wardrobe.

Other clothing-specific brands include Society Socks ($10/mo), Watch Gang ($30+/mo) and undies from Basic Man ($20/mo).

>The Tie Bar($199/year) sends 1 tie a month to update your wardrobe.

Aside from clothes, men’s choices for subscription boxes also include grooming:

  • Dollar Shave Club($9+/mo) bundles everything shaving related (razors, creams, and so on) each month so shaving will never be forgotten.
  • Walmart’s Mr. Dashing ($10/mo) lets you test drugstore classics on a monthly basis.
  • Birchbox Men ($10/mo) comes from one of the oldest subscription box service companies in the U.S.

Best Subscription Boxes for Women

Stitch Fix is also available for women, as well as Trunk Club (Nordstrom’s personal styling service). There are also clothing-specific boxes, such as The Lingerie Box ($50/month).

The subscription-based industry is even inclusive. Gwynnie Bee is a women’s clothing subscription box that caters to sizes 10 to 32. How about some workout clothes from SweatStyle ($25/mo) or Running Bird ($40/mo)?

  • Beauty: Birchbox ($10/mo) sends you a box full of sample-sized products to try out beauty products before they hit the stands. Lip Monthly ($10/mo) delivers a monthly supply of everything lippies.
  • Skincare: BeautyFix by Dermstore ($25/month)
  • Jewelry: EarFleek brings a pair of earrings straight to your door each month at only $3.50/month. mintMONGOOSE offers customized jewelry for $12/month.

Best Subscription Boxes for Kids

Kids have some of the coolest subscription boxes around.

The BRICKBOX Club ($19.99/mo), for example, sends buildable legos and mini-figs to kids.

Superpower Academy ($26.95/mo) is an educational box aimed at inspiring and empowering the next generation of leaders.

Science kits like Club Scikidz Labs ($29.95/mo) and Groovy Lab in a Box ($24.95+/mo) are a favorite of kids ages 3 and up.

Those who love arts and crafts will go gaga for kits like the Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Club ($12.95/mo), We Craft Box ($29.99/mo), GIRLS CAN! CRATE ($18.50/mo), or Green Kid Crafts ($17.95/mo) make it easy for parents to play and work on projects with kids.

Food, Books, and other Subscription Boxes

Of course, there are also other categories of subscription boxes, such as:

Food, condiments, spices

SpiceBreeze ($5.60+/mo) introduces you to several spices from around the world each month.

Hot Sauce of the Month Club ($14/mo) is perfect for chileheads looking for the hottest of hot sauce in the world.

Freshly’s chef-prepared gourmet meals ($50/week), a box of sweets from Candy Club ($19 to $30/mo), a box of snacks from MunchPak ($10/mo), wine pairings from Wine Down Box ($70/mo), and exceptional meat choices from SumoJerky ($29/mo) and Carnivore Club ($50/mo) are just some examples of foodie subscription boxes.

There are even diet-specific food boxes, such as the American Gluten Free ($25-$37/mo) or Keto Box ($40/month) for those who wish to eat more healthy.

Pets

Even your dogs and cats can get some regular loving from subscription boxes.

BarkBox ($21/mo) delivers toys and treats for your dogs, while KitNipBox ($20-$30/mo) is exclusively for cats. Similar services are Surprise My Pet ($30/mo) or the vet-approved pet boxes VetPetBox ($35-$50/mo).

Books

Once Upon a Book Club ($34.99/mo), Kids Bookcase Club ($9.99/month) and ComicCrate are just a few examples of book-themed subscription boxes.

How to Start a Subscription Box Company

Now that you see what kind of subscription box services actually sell, let’s talk about getting one setup.

The success of a subscription box service is mainly because of the convenience it gives to consumers.

If you’re interested in joining the subscription-based ecommerce, here’s a quick guide:

1. Start planning

When planning your subscription box company, you have to decide the type of box you want to bring to the market.

CrateJoy updates a list of subscription box ideas that haven’t been made into reality, or lack representation in the market.

Determine the type of box you want: food, beauty, education, pets, hobbies, lifestyle, tech, and so on. Once you’ve chosen your niche, you’d probably have an idea about your audience as well.

2. Brainstorm ideas

After you’ve decided on the major category, you have to conduct deeper research (especially with competition).

Is there a subscription box already in this category?

Would you provide a better service if you launch yours?

What’s the demand for the product you want to sell? Are people clamoring for it? Or just a small market?

Because subscription boxes are ordered online, research can be exclusively done online too.

3. Research products

Now that you’ve figured out what kinds of items you want to include in a box, it’s time to source your products.

Do you prefer high-quality, branded products? Or do you prefer white label products that you can stick your own label onto?

You can go straight to companies in hopes of getting lower-priced deals. Sometimes, you can even bring their new products into your box free of charge.

Some boxes have products custom-made. For example, a razor that’s cheap, but works better than the branded ones, will become a bestseller once proven quality-made.

4. Set up your company’s online presence

You need to have a website with a secured payment system for accepting credit cards and other payment methods. If you don’t want to bother with a website, you can dip your toes and try out your product in a marketplace listing on CrateJoy.

Whether you choose a website, marketplace listing, or both, this platform is where people will check out everything about your product, register and subscribe to your service, and contact you if there are problems in the future.

And while you’re at it, make sure you get every major social media covered as well. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn should be a part of your marketing plan. They’re free to open and widely effective in spreading word about a product, so take advantage of them.

5. Expand

A subscription box service is tricky because although customers want to receive the box at a specific day of the month and expects it to include clothing or makeup or haircare products, or so on, they still love the “surprise factor” of it all.

As such, you’d have to learn how to keep up the mystery, keep your subscriber base happy and grow your number of customers in the process.

Mix it up every now and then by adding a product not within that niche. Check feedback of your clients. And always always bring quality product to the market.

The Future of Subscription Box Services

Are subscription boxes a fad?

Well, this subscription-based commerce business model is still relatively new.

The earliest boxes recorded were in 2004 (“The Sampler” with craft and art products) and 2005 (“Granny’s Attic of Mobile” with painted ponies collectables).

In 2016, Unilever acquired the popular subscription box brand “Dollar Shave Club” for a billion dollars and the industry went wild. Many box services were launched soon after – many of which are still available today.

I say if you have a cool subscription box idea that fills a void, and there’s a continuous need for that product, then go for it.

20 Free Things You Can Get on Your Birthday Without Signing Up

Written By:
Last Updated:

Yesterday, I published a giant list of free stuff you can get on your birthday. There were over 200 ideas in there.

Almost all of them required you to opt-in or at the very least give up your email address.

I’ve narrowed down the list a bit to find a bunch of free stuff on your birthday without signing up for anything.

Companies that offer these birthday freebies without the need to sign up are relying on good karma.

In theory, people who have good experiences with a particular brand tend to remember its name and in turn, either intentionally or unintentionally choose these brands when shopping, dining, or just going out.

Birthday Freebies: FREE Admission to Attractions

If you’re asking yourself: “What can I get for free on my birthday?” Your best bet it to filter your search by location.

Many museums, zoos, parks and other local attractions open their doors to birthday celebrants free of charge. You do have to double-check and call the place you wish to go to first, just to be sure.

For example, a birthday gets you free admission to the Denver Zoo and a whole bunch of other birthday gifts as well.

Denver zoo logo

In most cases, you only have to prove that it’s your birthday (an I.D. will do, if your birthday is printed on it).

You may also have to prove that you’re a local… so if you can bring anything proof of billing, postal ID, or any other document that shows you live nearby, then bring it with you.

All-You-Can-Use Birthday Coupons

Many businesses need your e-mail addresses, personal info, or membership for future marketing.

They use birthday freebies into luring people to sign-up.

And it works.

The upside to this is that you’ll never run out of birthday coupons.

Even if you don’t want to sign-up to claim a birthday gift or freebie, there’s a good chance that you’ve already signed up to a couple of them in the past.

If your birthday is coming up, check all your e-mails for birthday coupons by doing a search for “birthday” and print out those you like best. Check your spam folder. You might see treasures there, too!

Most companies send birthday coupons weeks or a month before your actual birthday, so you can begin hunting for good birthday freebies ahead of your birthday.

20 Birthday Freebies (Without Signing up for Anything)

The following establishments give you free birthday gifts just for visiting their store on your birthday (or sometimes, even within your birth month).

The most common requirement is that you have to flash your ID before you can claim your free food, drinks, dessert, or even a lively birthday song from the crew.

1. Bob Evans

Freebie: Free meals for kids

How to Claim: Dine in exactly on your kid’s birthday.

They also offer free kid’s meals after 4PM every Tuesday with the purchase of an adult meal.

2. Cheesecake Factory

Free Cheesecake Factory

Freebie: Get a free Birthday Mini Hot Fudge Sundae. It’s disappointing not to have a cheesecake freebie when you visit The Cheesecake Factory, but a free sundae is still free food.

If you’re ordering a cake or any other dessert, The Cheesecake Factory can decorate it with a “Happy Birthday” greeting, confetti and candle free of charge.

How to Claim: If you’re dining in at The Cheesecake Factory, just tell your server that it’s your birthday and let them handle the rest.

Find a location near you.

3. Chompies

Freebie: Claim your “Eggciting Breakfast” free. This breakfast meal includes home fries, two eggs, and a choice of English muffin, bagel or toast.

How to Claim: This is only available around Arizona. Make sure to bring your ID whichever branch you go to.

4. Dutch Bros. Coffee

Freebie: Get your free coffee, if you’re near a branch that participates in this promotion.

Note that since every Dutch Bros. Coffee is locally owned, it is the discretion of the franchise owner if he/she wants to follow company promotions.

How to Claim: Show your ID at any participating branch. Find a location near you.

5 Cracker Barrel

Freebie: You can get a free dessert and a lively birthday song from the crew.

How to Claim: If you’re planning to celebrate your birthday at Cracker Barrel, tell your server that it’s your birthday. The birthday freebie is valid with purchase of a meal.

Check if there are Cracker Barrel locations near you.

6. Denny’s

Free Denny's Grand Slam

Freebie: Free “Original Grand Slam” breakfast, which includes two bacon strips, two eggs, two sausage links and a short stack of pancakes.

How to Claim: There’s no sign up required for this one, but you need to present a valid ID at any Denny’s on your birthday.

Find a location near you.

7. Dunkin’ Donuts

Freebie: Get a free drink of your choice (except for bottled drinks)

How to Claim: The Dunkin Donuts website states that in order to claim your free birthday beverage, you should be a DD Rewards card holder. However, many Dunkin Donuts branches give out free birthday drinks just with an ID.

To be sure, you can find and call your local Dunkin Donuts.

8. Firehouse Subs

Freebie: Get a free medium sub on your birthday.

How to Claim: The Firehouse Subs website states that you’ll have to sign up to the Rewards club, but many fans of this company report that they were able to claim their birthday freebies just by showing their IDs.

Check out a Firehouse Sub location near you.

9. Joe’s Farm Grill or  Joe’s Real BBQ

Freebie: Get a free adult-sized meal on your birthday. (The meal’s worth $10)

How to Claim: You have to be a local or visiting Arizona, since both restaurants only have local branches. You’d also need to present you ID to prove it’s your birthday.

10. Iguana Mia

Freebie: Get a regular entree of your choice (up to an $18 value) and free fried ice cream. You can even get a free picture with their huge sombrero to commemorate your celebration there, as long as you provide a camera for the picture-taking.

How to Claim: You must visit Iguana Mia on  your actual birth date and present an ID or birth certificate.

11. The Capital Grille

Free chocolate espresso cake

Freebie: Get a chocolate espresso cake on the house.

How to Claim: If you’re dining at the Capital Grille on your birthday, you can claim your dessert as long as you bring your ID exactly on your birthday. The birthday freebie comes with meal purchase, so prepare to eat here as well.

Find a Capital Grille branch near you.

12. Jack in the Box

Freebie: Choose from a New York cheesecake, chocolate overload cake, or 5-piece mini churros snack. Sometimes, the freebie depends on your local branch.

How to Claim: There’s no sign-up required, but you have to visit the Jack in the Box website and print out the birthday coupon. Once you’re in a Jack in the Box location, show your ID as proof and claim your birthday freebies.

13. The Dead Poet (New York)

Freebie: Get a free beer on the house

How to Claim: If you’re looking for a bar to spend your birthday at, check out this New York-based bar. If you’re lucky and you share your birthday with one of the dead poets listed here, claim your free beer while listening to good music.

14. Outback Steakhouse

Freebie: Birthday freebies vary from blooming onion to dessert. This would depend on your local Outback.

How to Claim: The home of juicy steaks doesn’t advertise birthday promos often, but they do provide birthday freebies to celebrants who dine in store. Be sure to prepare your ID to verify your birthday.

15. California Pizza Kitchen

Freebie: Get a free dessert when you dine in on your birthday. You’ll have more birthday freebies if you sign-up for rewards, or you enlist your kid/s for the CPK Kids Club.

How to Claim: Just visit any CPK near you, show proof of identity (with birth date of course), and enjoy your treat.

16. TGI Friday’s

Free Friday's Chocolate Obsession

Freebie: Get a free ice cream (when you dine in). The crew will even sing a “Happy Birthday” rap or song for you.

How to Claim: Normally, TGI Friday’s only give birthday celebrants birthday freebies when they’re a member of the Rewards club. But if you dine in at a local branch and tell your server that it’s your birthday, you’ll be given your treat, no questions asked.

17. O’Charley’s

Freebie: Free slice of pie.

How to Claim: If you’re dining at O’Charley’s and your birthday falls on a Wednesday, you can claim this freebie even without signing up.

18. Changing Hands Bookstore (Arizona)

Freebie: Get a $10 or 25% off from your purchase anytime during your birthday month. Kids receive birthday gifts if they visit as well.

How to Claim: Adults need a driver’s license or other forms of ID to claim their birthday freebies, or to claim their kid’s freebie.

19. Harkins Theatres

Freebie: If you’re going to see a movie at Harkins Theatres on your birthday, you can get free popcorn.

How to Claim: You don’t have to sign up with any clubs or newsletters, but you do  have to show proof with a driver’s license or birth certificate. Visit the box office when purchasing your ticket. It’s valid across multiple Harkins Theatres locations.

20. Benefit Cosmetics

Freebie: Free brow arch

How to Claim: Visit your local Benefit Browbar Beauty Lounge and claim a free brow arch anytime during your birthday week. There’s no sign-up required for this free service.

Tips for More Birthday Freebies

Most birthday freebies require you to become a loyalty member of some sort in order to claim a reward.

Your best bet at getting free stuff on your birthday without signing up for anything will be in the form of a comped appetizer or dessert.

When making a reservation at a restaurant, make sure you specify that you have chosen their establishment to celebrate your birthday, just be prepared for the staff to sing “Happy Birthday” while you sit there awkwardly salivating at the free cake.

I have also received free desserts when noting that we are coming in to celebrate our anniversary. Don’t limit yourself to just birthdays!

Happy Birthday!

I hope this list of birthday freebies bring a hint of joy to someone’s birthday. After all, everyone loves free stuff.

If you’re fine with filling up a form to register, I have a bigger 200+ list of birthday freebiesb you should definitely check out.

40 Small Business Grants to Check Out

Written By:
Published On:

Small business grants allow entrepreneurs to get additional money to be put back into the business without getting a loan.

Anyone who owns a business knows it isn’t all peachy.

Setting it up is one thing, but expanding your business often requires additional investment, more employees, extra money for advertising, and other unplanned expenses.

If you launched a business with very minimal capital, such as blogging for business, affiliate marketing or other online businesses, then you’re lucky.

But for the thousands of other business owners, looking for funding often leads to getting loans, which doesn’t always end up as a ladder for improvement. Getting business loans has a 50% chance that it could lead to a revolving door of debt.

So if you’re a business owner with an impressive product, innovative idea, or one-of-a-kind service, discover if you have a chance to win a business grant.

3 Important Things to Know about Small Business Grants

Before I give you a list of legitimate business grants to apply to, there are 3 things you must understand:

1. Small Business Grants Are NOT Easy to Obtain

You shouldn’t consider small business grants as handouts because they’re actually super-hard to obtain.

Grants generally do not need to be repaid, which is why the competition for small business grants will be tough and requirements are plenty.

You’d have to provide a comprehensive business plan (for start-ups) and proof of finances, operations, expansion or other detailed plans (for existing businesses).

2. Small Business Grants Are NOT Transferred Overnight

Note that most grants only accept applications once a year.

Let’s say you prepared a highly impressive plan and applied for a business grant.

It’s realistic to assume that you’re going to be competing with thousands of people for any specific grant, so the government agency or other organizations may take months to a year to go through all applications.

If you won the grant, you will be notified either via e-mail, a call, or snail mail, and will include details about transfer of funds.

Just don’t expect a business grant as a short-term solution for a funding shortage of your business.

3. Small Business Grants Are Mostly Awarded to Existing Businesses

Does your business already need to exist when applying for small business grants? Or are they available to people with an idea that are looking to start a business?

It is rare to be chosen, especially if you haven’t started your business yet. However, this isn’t a rule. In fact, many startups in the tech and research industries are awarded grants, especially if the business idea is ground-breaking or one of a kind.

No one can deny that majority of businesses given grants are existing businesses, which is why experts would recommend looking for a loan if you’re just starting out.

40 Business Grants You Can Apply for

Now that you know how to manage your expectations, I hand-picked 40 of the most popular small business grants.

  • Most government grants are offered to everyone, regardless of age or gender.
  • Some grants offered by private companies are made exclusive only to a specific gender (only women), age group (only seniors), certain occupation (IT-related jobs), and so on.
  • Requirements vary between grants

15 Business Grants from the Government

Grants.gov is the most useful website for searching business grants from the government, but it is primarily for federal grant search. T

here are hundreds on this database, but these 15 stood out most:

1. SBA.gov (The Small Business Administration)

One of the most important websites for any small business in the country, SBA.gov should be your go-to resource if you’re interested in traditional funding (loans, etc.) and grant programs. Under the SBA, check out these main grants:

  • Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) – Exclusively for research-based businesses. You can apply to this grant from 12 federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Science Foundation.
  • Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) – Like SBIR, the STTR grant is only awarded to businesses involved with research, but only available from the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, Department of Health and Human Services, or National Science Foundation.
  • State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) – If your business is involved in exporting, check SBA’s STEP program if you’re qualified.

2. National Institutes of Health

For companies involved in the research and development of biomedical tech, the National Institutes of Health can help you fund your business.

3. Environmental Protection Agency

Is your business trying to develop sustainable tech? The EPA has programs that reward eco-friendly businesses.

4. Dept. of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food & Agriculture

Businesses supporting the agricultural field, whether it involves food science and nutrition, animal protection, forestry, or biofuel products and services can check out the National Institute of Food & Agriculture for applicable grants.

Rural Energy for America Program (renewable energy), VAPG program (agricultural production), and Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant (health services) are other Department of Agriculture grants that award cash from $50,000 to $500,000.

5. Department of Homeland Security

This agency awards grants to small businesses invested in cyber security, biological/chemical defense, and other security technologies. One notable program is the CyberTipline Grant, which helps businesses that are developing technology that can be used in preventing children exploitation and sex trafficking.

6. NASA

If your business is involved in renewable energy and similar technologies, NASA is interested in awarding you to collaborate with them.

7. National Science Foundation

Perfect for small businesses getting into the fields of medicine, science or engineering.

8. Recovery Challenge Grant

Launched by the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service, this grant provides assistance (of up to $3 million) to small businesses involved in preventing wildlife endangerment.

9. National Institute of Standards & Technology

Check the NIST, which is under the Department of Commerce, if your business is involved with healthcare, energy, manufacturing, trade, cyber security, software, and other technology fields.

10. Department of Transportation’s Volpe

This small business innovation research program assists businesses in developing technologies that can be used for highways, railroads and aviation building.

11. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

At NOAA’s Technology Partnerships Office, grants are offered to businesses involved in climate adaptation/mitigation, healthy ocean monitoring, and r&d of coastline communities.

12. Department of Education

Visit the National Center for Education Research if you’re interested in assistance for your business if you’re involved with behavioral learning, language learning and STEM skills.

13. Department of Defense

If you’re producing a technology or product that could help the Air Force, Navy and Army, The Department of Defense can assist you in funding and commercializing these ideas.

14. Economic Development Administration (EDA)

Is your business involved in the improvement of your community’s infrastructure? Check back to EDA’s funding opportunities to check once its grants become available.

15. Department of the Interior’s Recovery Challenge

Businesses involved with preventing animal endangerment and promoting the reintroduction of species into their natural habitats can be awarded grants amounting to up to $3 million.

State Level Grants

State-level small business grants exist, so you should check with your state to learn about the funding available.

The easiest way is to visit your state’s commerce website, similar to Arizona Commerce Authority.

If it’s available, your state’s grants portal would list programs, such as Texas Young Farmer Grant or New York City Commute Enhancement Grant.

Aside from your state, your city or town may also have business grants.

Good examples of this include the Chicago IncentOvate or Detroit NEIdeas Grants.

Do note that federal grants have more budget than local grants, so depending on your business plans, find the most appropriate grant for your business needs.

10 Business Grants for Women

Some non-profit organizations and private companies award small business grants for women exclusively. If you have an innovative product or idea, check these 10 funding options:

16. SBA InnovateHER

This is a government grant run by the SBA. It is exclusive to women entrepreneurs with a total of $70,000 grant fund every year, which will be split between 3 winners.

17. Cartier Women’s Initiative Award

This annual grant is awarded to 18 female entrepreneurs from around the world with existing businesses.

Top 7 wins $100k and one-on-one business mentoring from a Cartier-chosen expert, while the other 14 winners get $30,000 each.

18. Womensnet.com’s Amber Grant

Launched in 1998 to honor the memory of female entrepreneur Amber who died too young to fulfill her dreams, the Womens Net grant awards $2,000 monthly to a woman business owner, who can get a chance to win a bigger $25,000 grant prize at the end of the year if voted by the online community.

19. Community Action Grants of the American Association of University Women

These grants award women who lead initiatives or non-profit organizations that help k-12 and community college girls, as well as women involved in the fields of math, engineering, science and technology.

Some grants are offered yearly, while others are available every 2 years.

20. Tory Burch Foundation Fellows Program

This program has been awarding women entrepreneurs with grants since 2009.

Aside from the $5,000 grant, winners will also receive a yearlong fellowship, four days of workshops and network with Tory Burch’s industry, including a pitch day to influencers.

21. Open Meadows Foundation

Awards $2,000 to eligible, women-backed projects, but the organization only accepts businesses with less than $75,000 budget resources, so prepare to show financial documents aside from proof that your business promotes racial, gender or economic justice.

22. Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant Program

Chooses 10 women-owned businesses and awards up to $10,000 each.

The finalists need to have an existing businesses (3 years or longer).

They should also make positive environmental and social impact through their businesses.

23. The Girlboss Foundation Grant

Launched in 2014 by entrepreneur Sophia Amoruso (you probably remember her for the Netflix series “Girlboss.”), this biannual grant is awarded to women working in creative industries.

The small business grant winner not only receives $15,000, she also gets free online exposure via the Girlboss site.

24. The Halstead Grant

While the application for this one is comprehensive (they ask you to answer a ton of questions), if you’re the perfect fit and you own a business in the jewelry industry, you can receive a $7,500 grant, plus $1,000 toward Halstead jewelry supplies.

25. GrantsforWomen.org

This isn’t a company or org that awards business grants for women, but it is a comprehensive resource for funding opportunities for women regardless of industry.

15 Popular Small Business Grants

The following grants for small business owners come from the private sector, and have different eligibility requirements, so better check with them (links are provided) if you’re interested in sending an application:

26. FedEx

Annual, first place winners $25,000 grant money with $7,500 in FedEx print and business services, while second place receives $15k cash + $5k in FedEx services.

Eight 3rd placers get $7,500 grant money and $1k in FedEx services.

27. Lending Tree

Awards up to $50,000 to small business grant winners.

28. StreetShares Foundation

Supports veteran-owned small businesses by awarding $15k (1st place), $6,000 and $4,000 for second and third placers respectively.

29. Visa’s Everywhere Initiative

Visa announces different challenges for startups to meet (similar to SBIR/STTR programs) and awards up to $50,000 grant money and a chance to work with Visa.

30. Etsy Maker Cities Grant

Perfect for creative artists and makers of ceramics, crafts, art, furniture and everything in between, Etsy supports your business with up to $30,000 (for research grants) or up to $60,000 (for program grants).

31. Chase Mission Main Street Grants

JPMorgan Chase & Co divides $3 million each year to support 20 small businesses (that’s $150,000 each), but the application is more comprehensive than most.

Winners also receive workshops to Google, and other tools to help with their businesses.

32. Walmart Foundation Grants

Walmart has two types of grants – community grant program (awards $250 to up to $5,000 to local non-profits) and the national giving program (awards $250,000 and above to national nonprofits).

33. Wells Fargo Community Giving Grants

Wells Fargo grants are offered by state, but are awarded to non-profits and educational institutions year-round.

34. AT&T Aspire

There is no set grant money amount set, but these AT&T grants are awarded to small businesses that help improve education.

35. Coca-Cola Foundation

Exclusive to small businesses and non-profits that empower women, and promote community building with clean water and youth development.

The application guidelines can be vague, but there’s good news: there is no dollar limitation, so if your company can impress Coca-Cola’s community-giving branch, then you can receive a chunk of funding.

36. National Association of the Self-Employed (NASE)

Gives self-employed business owners $4,000 grant money monthly.

You’d have to be a member of NASE to apply, which requires membership fee, so think about it first.

37. Fundera’s Zach Grant

This grant is annual and awards $2,500 for the best video entry, which explains why you started your company.

Aside from the video, you just need to follow Fundera on social media and your application is good to go.

38. Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)

Exclusive to American minorities, the main MBDA grant is different because the winner gets to run one of MBDA’s Minority Business Centers.

MBDA hosts other grant competitions, but this vary from year to year.

39. Sam’s Club Grant Program

Sam’s Club grant program, which is also under Walmart Giving, is aimed at non-profit organizations that support small business owners.

Check the grantees list, so you can go directly to these non-profits instead.

40. ActivityHero Business Grant

This grant is co-sponsored by web hosting service GoDaddy and awards $15,000 grant money to businesses involved in children’s camp or activities.

7 semi-finalists are also awarded $500/each in services.

The Bottom Line

Grants are the closest “free government money” you can get to start a small business, but it isn’t the easiest to obtain. If you know your small business is innovative enough to win a grant, then apply to any or all of these 40 grants for small business.

And if you’ve had experiences with any of them, I’d love to hear about them below…

How to Start an Investment Club: What You Need to Know

Written By:
Published On:

Investment clubs are popping up all over the country and little wonder: Investing as a group is much more easy and fun than investing alone and this is leading to more and more people wanting to learn how to start an investment club.

Whether you’re just starting out as an investor or have been investing for years, investment clubs provide the following advantages:

  • Risk is spread throughout the group. By diversifying your investments, you minimize your risk of losing all your money on just one or two investment vehicles. By investing at regular intervals throughout the year (i.e., dollar cost averaging), you reduce your chance of buying an overpriced stock, property or other commodity.
  • Members are better informed. As evidenced in the past stock investment article series, sound investments take a long time to fully research. Having extra members to assess financial documents such as the income statement and balance sheet can save time and result in everyone having more information about a company, franchise, etc.
  • Emotional investing is minimized. You won’t be able to justify your investment choice to other club members      by simply stating “I have a good feeling about this one.” As a result, you’ll also minimize making impulsive investment decisions.
  • Investing discipline is maintained. Most investment clubs require that their members make a monthly contribution. This forces you to regularly set aside and save some money every month.

How to Start an Investment Club

While this isn’t a comprehensive guide, these are the first basic steps you need to take:

1. Select your members.

Do you know several (online or other) friends or relatives who have mentioned investing and who are responsible with their money?

If yes, then these individuals could be valuable members in your investment club.

Try to pick individuals who would be willing to dedicate their time and their money to an investment-focused group and meet their commitments faithfully month-to-month.

Otherwise, your investment club will simply become a social club (and probably serve beverages of a refreshing nature, à la Homer’s Hunting Club).

2. Decide on your club’s size and geographic range.

Investment clubs can be small (fewer than 15 members) or large (more than 15 members) and local or online.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each club type. For example, a small local club can get business done quickly and easily and have lots of face-to-face contact.

The disadvantage of this approach is that every member may have the same, narrow investment viewpoint.

Alternately, a large online club offers its members many different investment viewpoints and a wide range of experiences.

The disadvantages with this type of club are that virtual meetings may seem impersonal and full member attendance will almost never occur.

3. Decide your club’s investment vehicles.

Your club could focus solely on stock investments or diversify with real estate, person-to-person loans, mutual funds or some other investment vehicle.

Deciding on your choice of investment now will determine if your club needs to open a brokerage or other account type later.

4. Name your investment club.

Giving your club a name should take some time and effort and be agreed upon by all its members.

The name of your investment club will also be used on its bank account, member statements and tax reports, so make sure it’s a name that you and your club members can all agree on.

5. Draft and sign a partnership agreement.

For business as well as federal taxation purposes, you will need to draft a partnership agreement and have all club members sign and date it.

The partnership agreement should contain the club’s formation date, fiscal year and profit/loss sharing structure.

Member initiation and termination rules should also be included here. A sample partnership agreement is located at iClub.com and can be used as a template when creating your own club partnership agreement.

6. Draft your club’s constitution and rules.

Your investment club’s constitution and rules need to be carefully considered and stated in order to protect it from being audited by the IRS or even sued by a disgruntled member.

Be sure to include the following items in your club’s constitution and rules and have all members sign and date the document:

  • Number of allowed members, including new member initiation procedures and requirements.
  • Number of officers, election rules and service terms.
  • Required monthly contributions from all members.
  • Bank account details such as the account’s purpose (e.g., to collect member dues and club income) and signatories (i.e., who can write and cash checks).
  • Brokerage account details such as the authorized investor/trader and investment/trading rules.
  • Member voting powers and expectations as well as what voting percentage constitutes passage of a motion.
  • Grounds for member expulsion.
  • Monetary procedures following member expulsion, resignation or death.
  • Tax collection and procedures.

A more complete guide to generating your club’s constitution and rules is located at TimetoTrade. You can also use this guide as a template for your own documents.

7. Elect club officers.

Decide who will fulfill the roles of president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and designated investor/broker.

Typically, the president or vice-president calls the club to order and makes announcements.

The treasurer is in charge of collecting member contributions and filing forms with the IRS.

The secretary records meeting minutes and attendees and later distributes this information to all members via mail or email.

The designated investor/broker holds the account in the club’s name and makes the actual investments/trades. 

Additionally, there may be a designated auditor who is not an officer and audits the club’s accounts.

Requirements to Running an Investment Club

These items exist because anytime you have a business entity that is making money, the law and (especially) the IRS will be very interested in your club’s dealings.

This is NOT a comprehensive list.

Please check with your local and state laws to make sure your investment club is in full compliance. This list is just an idea of some things you may need.

1. Investment Club Tax ID or EIN

Once you have named your investment club and its officers, you will need to obtain an employer identification number (EIN), which will be used when you file the club’s tax return.

The EIN is, in essence, like a social security number that identifies your club as a unique entity to the IRS. 

Despite its official sounding jargon, the EIN can be obtained in a matter of minutes by going to  the IRS website and filling out Form SS-4.

You can also call 1-800-tax-form (1-800-829-3676) for help.

2. Club Accounts

It is imperative that you open one or several bank accounts in the investment club’s name and use them solely for the purposes of club business.

Unless your investment club forms an LLC, you will first need to obtain a “doing business as” or DBA (i.e., Registration of Firm Names) document from your local city hall.

If your club starts investing in equities (e.g., stocks), you will also need to open one or more brokerage accounts also in the club’s name.

Some brokerages may charge significant fees to facilitate equity transactions like stock purchases.

To this end, you and your club partners may want to look into becoming members of the National Association of Investors Corporation (a.k.a. Better Investing), a non-profit organization which provides its members with discounts on stock trades.

The NAIC also offers a wealth of educational materials, accounting software and legal forms.

And now for the not-so-fun stuff…

3. Filing Tax Returns as a Club

Filing club taxes is usually the duty of the club’s treasurer and can be a stressful task for him or her; however, by following these guidelines, the process should become simpler with time (and more rewarding if followed by several gifts of beer from other club members).

To begin with, the investment club, if formed as a “pass-through entity” (e.g., partnership), is not required to pay federal or state taxes.

Instead, all club partners are expected to report their investment profits (or losses) on their personal tax returns.

Still, just because the club itself is exempt from paying taxes doesn’t mean it gets off scot-free; investment club treasurers must file an information return, called Form 1065 (U.S. Return of Partnership Income), each year by the April 15th deadline.

Furthermore, if even one of the club’s partners resides in a state other than that of the investment club, the treasurer should contact that state to find out if it requires its own return (e.g., IL-1065 for Illinois) as well.

Keep in mind that Form 1065 is applicable to all kinds of partnerships and not just investment clubs.

In fact, the majority of Form 1065 has nothing to do with investment clubs. Thus, especially if this is your first year gathering partner data and filing out the form, it may be better to utilize the services of a tax professional or accountant.

Alternately, the NAIC provides tax software that can easily track club investments, profits and forms for each partner.

Each club partner must be provided with a Schedule K-1 which details that partner’s investment profits, costs and transactions.

As such, the K-1 is akin to Form 1099 which brokerages and other financial institutions send to their clients each year. Unlike the Form 1099, though, which has a “send-by” deadline of February 15th, the K-1’s “send-by” deadline is actually April 15th- yes, April 15th.

This is because the IRS realizes that investment clubs may need extra time to gather up investment materials as well as all the 1099 forms from their brokers (at which point they can file for an extension).

However, if you, as the club treasurer, decide to wait until the morning of April 15th to notify fellow club members about how much they owe the IRS on their personal returns, you may end up with several of those members never speaking to you again. So, DON’T wait until April 15th.

Ideally, given that all the 1099 forms should be received by February 15th, your investment club should shoot for a K-1 “send-by” deadline of late February.

4. Club Partner Expectations

Once all the legal and tax obligations are settled, your investment club’s success will depend on each partner fulfilling his or her obligations to the club.

In most cases, those obligations are as follows:

1. Attend all club meetings.
2. Pay club dues.
3. Research current and pending club investments.

Each club partner should understand that the investment club is a business and, like any business, will probably not see a profit in its first few years of operation.

Thus, any partner who decides to “cash out” of the club cannot expect to get back all the money that he or she originally invested. 

There is also the matter of trust in the formation of an investment club:

Since you are going into business with 15 or so other individuals, you should be able to trust those individuals (and vice versa).

Hopefully, you will also like your partners and enjoy their company as you consider your mutual investments and learn from one another. After all, these are the end purposes of forming an investment club.

The Investment Club Bottom Line

Starting an investment club is a little more complicated than just asking a few friends to pool some money. You are taking risks with your money, and more importantly, other people’s money.

Take the proper steps in making sure your investment club is legally compliant and talk with a local accountant to make sure everything is being done above board.

Here Are 11 Ways to Get Free Google Play Credit

Written By:
Published On:

The internet is an amazing space where you can earn money (in either cash or gift cards) by doing the simplest to the weirdest of things and free Google Play credit is no exception.

Did you know that you can earn free gift cards simply by downloading some apps?

You can even single out Amazon gift cards specifically and save as many gift cards your heart desires for your annual Christmas online shopping.

If you’re interested in earning free Google Play credit to pay for a movie, music, books, premium apps, or Google products, you can do it without paying a cent.

Even buying lives for Candy Crush, or any other in-app purchases of third-party apps can be bought using Google Play credits.

11 Ways to Get Free Google Play Credit

1. Google Opinion Rewards

The official way of earning free Google Play credits is by downloading Google Opinion Rewards.

Opinion Rewards Logo

Developed by Google, the Google Opinion Rewards is a rewards-based program initially launched as a survey app for Android and iOS. It is available for download in 22 countries, including the US, UK, some parts of Europe and Asia (Check if your area is allowed – there’s a full list here).

The idea behind this involves users answering surveys and earning rewards.

Android-based users can earn Google Play credits and redeem them by buying paid apps on the Google Play Store.

Meanwhile, iOS-based users receive actual payment via PayPal.

Google Opinion Rewards Survey

Google says these surveys help other companies improve their services and products by letting regular people like you and I share our opinions.

You won’t get rich answering these surveys, since they pay somewhere from a couple of cents to $1 for every survey fulfilled.

The Google Opinion Rewards app is available either at the Play Store or Apple Store.

Aside from Google’s own survey app, you can also check out these other methods (a mix of websites and apps) that would allow you to earn free Google Play credits:

2. GPlayReward

This get-paid-to website lets anyone earn free Google Play gift cards by downloading apps, or completing simple tasks such as watching a video, checking out ads, or browsing the site for bonuses.

These tasks are rewarded with points, which you can use to redeem $10, $25 or $50 Google play gift cards.

You’ll need 1,000 points to exchange it for $10 Google Play gift card.

3. AppNana

AppNana is available for both iPhone and Android users.

With the app, you can earn “nanas” (points) for playing featured games or downloading apps.

Every time you download a featured app, you earn points that you can redeem as Amazon, Xbox, iTunes or Google Play gift cards.

Heck, you don’t even need to do something to earn points here. AppNana gives 400 points daily, if you log into your account each day.

You receive 10,000 nanas once you register.

It would take you a while since $10 Google Play gift card is equal to about 160,000 nanas.

4. InstaGC

Short for “Instant Gift Cards,” InstaGC gives you plenty of tasks to do to earn points, including completing surveys, shopping online, browsing the web, watching videos, visiting sponsor sites, listening to music, or even joining product trials.

100 points convert to $1 in gift cards.

As an example, you get to earn 10 points for signing up and 110 points for referring a friend. Google Play gift cards are available in $10 (1,000 points), $15 (1,500 points) and $25 (2500 points).

5. FreeMyApps

FreeMyApps is an app that rewards you for referring friends to download and join. watching YouTube videos, joining social media contests, playing games, and more.

This app has paid out over $27 million worth of gift cards, so you’re guaranteed to be “paid.”

Aside from Google Play credits, you can also exchange your points to Amazon, CVS and in-app purchases, and so on. There are plenty of gift card options once you decide to payout. And if you’ve got change, you can even donate to charity straight off the app.

6. Gift Card Granny

Gift Card Granny is a cashback website, which is also available as an app for iOs and Android devices.

You need to register to access contests, giveaways, and other activities that will lead you to earning rewards points.

Once you’ve saved enough points, you can exchange these for Google Play store credits and other types of gift cards.

7. Gift Box

Gift Box is an app that pushes advertisements to your device, then gives your points once you view the ads.

You can also perform other tasks like watching sponsored videos, downloading third-party apps, referring friends, playing online games, and so on.

You’ll need a minimum of 1,500 coins to be able to redeem them as gift cards.

Note that 500 coins is equivalent to $1.

8. FeaturePoints

FeaturePoints boasts of rewarding over $5,600,000 since 2012.

It is available at the App Store and Google Play store.

With FeaturePoints, you are rewarded with points if you play games, read books, listen to music, download featured apps, watch videos, and other tasks.

The minimum payout should be at least $10 to $15. You can exchange your points into Google Play credits, online gift cards or paid apps.

Probably the coolest thing about FeaturePoints is their unique referral system. Whenever you refer a friend over, you earn 50% of the total points he/she earns as well.

9. Survey Junkie

This site has been around since 2005 and is one of the most trusted survey sites.

With a user-friendly system and a whopping 3 million users, you’ll quickly see how easy it is to earn credits here. Plus, it’s available on site and both as iOs or Google Play app.

Just register at Survey Junkie and you can begin answering surveys or joining focus groups in exchange for points. You’d have to earn at least 1,000 (equals $10) before you can exchange it to cash via PayPal, e-Giftcards like Google Play or direct bank transfers.

10. Swagbucks

With Swagbucks, you can earn points from various tasks, such as completing surveys, using specific search engines, trying out a shopping site, viewing sponsored ads, watching videos, playing games, and more.

Get $5 once you open an account.

You’ll need 1,000 Swagbucks points to receive a $10 Google Play gift card or other e-gift cards.

Swagbucks sometimes host sales, so make sure to check it out regularly.

11. PrizeRebel

PrizeRebel boasts of a massive list of rewards, from Amazon gift cards to Google Play gift codes, and everything in between.

There are even game-specific credits, such as “Clash of Clans” rewards.

PrizeRebel keeps answering surveys simple – it takes surveys from nine different survey networks, so you wouldn’t have to log into all of them daily. You can earn points from various other tasks like signing up for offers, referring friends, playing games, watching videos, and more.

Like FeaturePoints, PrizeRebel gives you 20% of all the points your referred friends earn for life, so spreading this site lets you earn points quicker. Once you saved up 1,000 points, you can exchange it for $10 Google Play gift code.

Register Your Gadgets for Free Google Play Credits

Maybe you wouldn’t need to answer surveys, download apps, or any other online tasks.

If you just need a one-time deal on Google Play credits, then registering your gadgets could be your solution.

  • Chromecast – If you have a Chromecast device, you’ll have to install it on your Android device, which will then prompt current offers. Most of the time, you can earn somewhere from $6 and $20. Double your earnings by registering two or more devices.
  • Samsung – Those who have a Samsung phone can easily register their device online, activate the device, then check your credit. If you’re lucky, you can get a free $25 Google Play credit right off the bat. If not, don’t worry, some people report receiving credits via e-mail.

Once you have your Google Play codes ready, you have to visit play.google.com and find the app you want to purchase. Just “but” and hit continue up to the payment method (FYI, you’d have to choose “Google Play” when choosing from the options.)

A Warning about Free Google Play Code Scams

You see how easy it is to receive Free Google Play codes, right?

Well, some bad guys take advantage of this by offering a “credit generator” for a small fee.

Unfortunately, none of these Google Play credit tools will work to generate you credits.

Others won’t require payment, but they might attack your PC or device with a virus. Others would phish you via email, then wait for you to share passwords, bank accounts, and other personal details. Getting Google Play credits this way definitely isn’t worth the risk.

Now if you think Google Play credits have very little value and you’d rather earn real money via Google, you have to check out this guide I wrote on how to make money online with Google.

How to Extreme Coupon and Save Buckets of Money

Written By:
Published On:

Not everyone has the time or means to set up a side-hustle. Sometimes our work and lives just take over, and at the end of the day, it’s impossible to add another thing onto our plates. Learning how to extreme coupon, however, is an easy way to save money in a way that keeps those plates full (but in a good way).

Here’s the secret:

Living well isn’t about earning the big bucks (though that certainly helps), it’s about using what you have to your advantage and doing it in a smart way. Extreme couponing isn’t for poor people, it isn’t hard to do, and it certainly isn’t “gaming the system”.

All of us have to buy groceries anyway, and coupons are freely available to anyone. Everyone who’s genuinely interested in being smart with their money will take advantage of that opportunity.

Extreme coupon clipping might seem a tad eccentric, but there’s a reason why this “hobby” was popular enough to get its own television show – it works and anyone can do it.

Well, maybe not with the intensity that they take it to on television.

Still, couponing has helped plenty of people stretch their money as far as it can go.

And the trend is catching.

Are you ready to start saving? I’ve gathered everything you need to know about how extreme couponing works below, along with some extreme couponing tips to help get you on your way.

What is extreme couponing?

Extreme couponing is a much more involved process than simply using a few coupons every now and then. People who use coupons on a regular basis save a bit here and there, while extreme couponers go shopping with the specific purpose of spending as little as possible thanks to sales, offers, and extreme couponing techniques.

Planning and diligence are definitely required to become an extreme couponer, especially in the beginning when you start learning the “tricks of the trade” as it were.

Luckily, as with most hobbies, the process becomes easier with time as you learn the skills necessary to complete your goals and find what works for you.

After a while, you’ll be a true coupon connoisseur and it will feel as natural as regular shopping feels now.

How to Start Extreme Couponing

To start off with, you’ll need to get the right supplies, and set aside some time to find and sort through your coupons.

You will then have to find the coupons – there are plenty of ways to do this.

The most popular ways to find coupons include newspapers, magazines, coupon websites, physical and digital store sales fliers, forums, and via machines at the store.

I go into much more detail about how to start basic couponing in this article, in which I outline where you can find coupons and how they work. That article contains all the information you’ll need to get started as an extreme couponer.

Like I’ve said, extreme couponing won’t take up as much of your time as taking on a side-cash opportunity will, but it will still take up a couple of hours a week.

The amount of time you put in really depends on how dedicated you are to finding and organizing the coupons.

Also, just remember that the key to making this worthwhile lies in keeping up the habit of collecting, sorting, and using coupons.

There’s no such thing as “I’ve saved enough” – that’s not the extreme couponer’s way. Instead, make this part of your lifestyle, and eventually, it will become a natural part of how you shop, helping you save thousands.

How do I get coupons for free?

There are plenty of ways to find free coupons.

These are the main ways extreme couponers gather coupons for free:

  • Find printable coupons online. There are plenty of websites that list them and forums where people give away coupons they don’t use.
  • Look for coupons at the store. They can come from fliers located at the front of the store, next to the products in the aisles, or by the cashiers.
  • Sign up for online newsletters from stores and coupon websites. They often send digital coupons in their emails.
  • Get a loyalty card. Stores like to offer special discounts and deals to the people that have loyalty cards. They sometimes also have special coupons that can only be redeemed by using this card.

Sometimes it’s worth it to spend a little money to get great coupons, like subscribing to a newspaper or buying them at a discounted price from people online.

Just make sure these are coupons for products that you will actually use, and that you can redeem them at a store near you.

Which stores offer double coupons?

It’s very hard to get a comprehensive list of stores that offer double coupons because this differs from one state (and sometimes even county) to another.

Store policies change regularly too, meaning that any list I put here could be outdated in a month or two.

That said, there are a few coupon websites that try to keep up to date.

For a list of stores that accept double coupons in the US, for instance, check out the Grocery Coupon Network.

In the end, though, you might want to contact your favorite local stores directly to find out about their policies, even if they’re on the list.

Which stores let you stack coupons?

The following stores, to name a few, do allow coupon stacking for certain coupons at the time of publishing this article:

  • Target
  • Kohl’s
  • Walgreens
  • CVS
  • Dollar Store
  • Family Dollar
  • Petco

A Few Extreme Couponing Tips

1. Sign up for store emails.

They will send you electronic copies of their sales fliers, saving you the extra time it would take to get those fliers from the store.

It also means you can plan ahead, which is a big part of extreme couponing.

2. Poke around on couponing forums.

As well as comments sections on coupon sites. The extreme couponing community like to give tips and updates on current coupons that you might have otherwise missed. This helped me out a lot back in 2009 when I first started looking for bulk coupons online.

3. Make money with extra coupons.

You can even make a bit of money off of couponing by sharing any online coupons that you know about.

Some sites will pay you for the (valid) coupon codes you submit.

4. Don’t buy what you don’t need.

Not every coupon will be valuable to you.

It isn’t worth it to purchase something just because you have a coupon if you won’t end up using it.

So instead, organize a coupon swap with a fellow extreme couponer so you can find coupons you want while getting rid of those that you won’t use.

It’s a win-win!

5. Know when to wait.

One of the core pillars of extreme couponing is to only buy items that are on sale and to then combine that with coupons and other discounts.

This means that you won’t necessarily get brands or food items that you would normally buy.

But it does lead to some creative thinking when it comes to meal preparation.

6. Research store polices.

Make sure you know the store policies ahead of time and choose an off-peak time to shop.

Unlike on the “Extreme Couponers” show, cashiers won’t be all too thrilled to see you plop down your stack of coupons.

Neither will those people in the line behind you.

It will take some time to go through everything, so try to make the process as smooth as possible.

The Bottom Line

If time is a big issue and extreme couponing isn’t enough for you, then you could consider looking at some fast ways to make money online.

But saving up and using coupons is a really great way to stretch your income as far as you can.

Plus you can save a bit even if you only put in minimal effort.

Have any extreme coupon clipping tips of your own? Make sure to share them below so we can help each other out!