Resources Archives

Need Money? 50 Ways to Make a Quick $50

Published On: September 12, 2016

Online businesses are a great source of side or even full-time income. However, that reality occurs after a period of months, if not years. What if you need some extra money today, not three months from now?

To this end, there are many upon many resources available to you so that you can make some spending cash fast. Here are just 50 ways you can generate a quick $50:

Sell stuff

eBay– The all-time biggest, oldest and favorite place to sell your unwanted clothes, jewelry and other tchotchkes is eBay.
Amazon– The other major online marketplace is Amazon, where selling fees start at 99 cents.
Bonanza– Sell your stuff here and keep 97% of your profits.
Craigslist– This site works well for local sales of items that need to be seen before they are purchased; some examples include motorcycles, furniture and used electronics.
Consignment shops– Your dressy and/or trendy clothing can fetch a good price at local consignment shops, and you’ll keep a portion of the sale.
Half.com– This book selling site will carry your tomes for months or even years until they sell.
Used book shops– If you sell your books at used book stores (e.g., Half Price Books), you get cash on the spot. These places also usually accept your used DVDs and CDs.
Gift card sites– Cardpool and CardCash will accept your gift cards and give you a majority of their value in cash.
Used smartphone sites– Consider selling your used smartphone through a site like Gazelle or NextWorth.
Garage sales– If you have a weekend, you can organize your unwanted stuff and sell it by having a garage sale.
Nextdoor– The neighborhood social media site Nextdoor offers an area for neighbors to post stuff for sale.
TeachersPayTeachers– If you are a teacher, you can make money here by selling your old lesson plans.
CourseHero– Sell your class notes here and earn up to $10 per carefully annotated lesson. Nexus Notes is another marketplace where you can sell your class notes.
Foap– Your vacation and landscape photos could fetch you $5/piece when you list them on Foap.
Your hair– OnlineHairAffair will sell your cut, undyed hair for hundreds of dollars.

Sell your skills

Fourerr and Fiverr– If you can edit a document, create a graphic, or record a voiceover, you’ll quickly make money on microjob sites like Fourerr and Fiverr. You can also package your services and charge $10 or higher for these add-ons.
Tutoring– Sites like WyzAnt and Tutor.com pay you to tutor people either online or in person.
oDesk– This site enables you to sell services like freelance writing, editing, graphic design, etc. on a per project basis.
Amazon Turk– This micro-job site allows you to complete small jobs like testing links or proofreading a document for quick cash payouts.
TaskRabbit– If you are OK with doing small tasks in town like waiting in line for event tickets or picking up dry cleaning, this site is for you.
Microworkers– Test websites, post tweets, and do small tasks for small (but quick) dollars on this site.
Constant-Content– Earn tens or even hundreds of dollars by selling your articles or answering requests for written content.
Textbroker– Earn up to 5 cents per words for your freelance writing- or even higher for personally priced projects.
Internet research– Experts123, Web Answers, Yahoo! Answers will pay you for your carefully researched and posted answers to user questions.
Test scoring– Score tests like ACTs and SATs through testing sites ACT, the ETS Online Scoring Network, Pearson Assessments and Write Score.
Etsy– If you have a bunch of homemade arts and crafts, you can make money for them here.
Cafe Press– Upload your designs and photographs to this site and make money whenever someone buys a T-shirt or coffee cup containing your work.
RedBubble– This site will transform your photos and drawings into posters, T-shirts and stickers, then sell and ship your sold merchandise.
Society6– This site will also transform your artwork into sellable items like iPhone cases, wall prints, pillows and laptop sleeves.
DeviantArt– This site might be the place to sell your artwork if it’s not exactly “run-of-the-mill” and/or features comic book style design.
Technical support– Sites like AppleCare, ComputerAssistant and PlumChoice are always on the lookout for people who are tech-savvy and can provide technical support to customers.
Craft fairs– Sites like Festivalnet list upcoming craft fairs in your area, where you can sign up to sell your photos, greeting cards, handknit items, etc.
Feastly– Like to cook? Then cook for others right inside your home and earn money while doing so.

Sell professional tasks

SitterCity and Care– Register as a sitter on these sites and get paid to babysit and/or engage with an older adult who requires supervision.
Call center agent– Available as seasonal or full-time work, many customer service jobs can be completed from home. Amazon is looking for seasonal customer service reps and paying $10/hour. There are also sites like LiveOps and Arise.
Survey taker– Various online survey sites such as 20/20 Research, Opinion Outpost, Pinecone Research, Swagbucks, and Toluna will reward you for your opinion about a product or service.
Leapforce– This site hires search engine evaluators to evaluate websites for usability and cohesiveness.
Uber– If you have a car, you can make money by driving people around town as an Uber driver.
Moving stuff– If you have a pickup truck or a large van, you could hire yourself out as a mover.
Presto Insta-Shops– This smartphone app enables you to mystery shop on-the-go. Some tasks are quite simple to complete, such as taking photos of a drive-thru sign board, or applying for a store credit card.
Swagbucks– Get rewarded with Swagbucks for doing tasks like viewing a video, searching a website, or filling out a survey. Redeem your Swagbucks for cash in the form of Paypal payouts or VISA gift cards.
Pet sitting– FetchPetCare is a national pet sitting service site where you can list your availability and preferred pets, then collect money through the site once you’ve completed your pet sitting session.

Rent stuff out

AirBnb– Rent out a portion of, or your entire home, to travelers looking for a place to stay.
HomeAway– Earn money by having others rent your entire vacation or second home.
FlightCar– If you’re flying somewhere, you can park your car at the airport and have it rented out to other people.
Parking space rental– If you live within walking distance of a sporting event or concert, you could rent out your driveway and even entire yard to people who need a place to park.
Loanables– This site lets you rent out almost anything, from your clothes to your boat.
Zipcar– You can list your car on this site and have people pay to rent it out by the day or week.
Spinlister– This site allows you to post your sporting and recreational equipment including your road bikes, kayaks, fishing rods, weight sets, etc.
Desktime– If you have an unused bedroom or office in your house, you can rent it out through this site to telecommuters and contractors that don’t have a stationary office.

Do you have other ideas on how to make some cash fast? Post them in the comments below.

Is ClixSense a scam? Can you get paid to view ads?

Written By:Steve Wrzeszczynski

Last Updated:July 13, 2016

Get. Paid. To. Click.

That’s essentially all there is to ClixSense. Click on a link, watch an ad, get paid. It’s awesomely simple and they DO PAY. I tended to avoid these type of ways to make money online in the past and instead try and focus more on building businesses and work at home careers, but this is one opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

What is ClixSense?

It’s a “get paid to click” website that is absolutely free to join and will pay you to look at ads. You pick an ad, look at it for 30 seconds, and they send you money. It’s really that easy.

The pay is a little low as you will only be earning a few cents per ad clicked. Over time the clicks do add up and you just found yourself a very easy way to make some extra money in your part time. You really can’t beat another source of income, not matter how small you think it might be.

ClixSense does have quite the extensive referral program that pays you directly to refer new members and when your referrals click on the ads. I highly suggest you talk to your friends and family and get them to join in as well. Refer more people and seriously improve the amount of money you’re making at ClixSense.

ClixSense pays out once you cross the $10 threshold via check or AlertPay. I’ve never used AlertPay, so I opted to get paid by check. They do have a processing fee to send you a check, which kind of sucks, but I prefer to receive checks. There’s just something about being able to physically hold your accomplishments that is ultimately satisfying.

Here are a few tips I’ve found since joining…

Be careful of the ads you view.

I wasn’t entirely thrilled with some of the ads I had to view. There are quite a few that revolve around “work at home” type offers. Some of these offers are what I have heavily advocated against in the past. If you’re just viewing ads, then you have nothing to worry about. If you consider signing up for a program you see in one of the ads, then I highly recommend you research the company and do your due diligence.

ClixSense allows international members!

Usually, these types of websites only allow US members, but ClixSense is accepting members from all over the world. Seriously. It doesn’t matter where you live in the world. Any person from any country can join and make money at ClixSense.

Consider signing up for a premium membership.

ClixSense offers a premium membership that costs $10 to join. Premium members are allowed to view more ads per day. Free members are severely limited to just a couple ads per day, while premium members can see over 400. A premium membership will increase the amount of money you get paid for referrals from $0.01 to $0.10 and will give you a bonus of $2.00 if one of your referrals becomes a premium member as well.

I find it’s only worth joining if you’re going to actively refer people. It’s great that you’re allowed to view more ads, but the real money in a premium membership comes from referrals. If you’re good at referring people, the premium membership is a definite must join.

And now, for my experiences thus far…

Proof that ClixSense Pays

I do test every program that I recommend and make sure I’m able to make some money first before firing off a recommendation. I joined ClixSense last month, watched a few ads, referred a couple of people, and received my very first check just a few days after the month had ended.

Here’s a copy of the check for proof…

As you can see, I was able to earn $44.18 in less than a month in mostly my spare time. It may not be a ton of money, but it definitely helps keeps the bills paid. Plus, it’s a nice chunk of change especially considering the time of year. Every little bit does help.

Is ClixSense.com a Scam?

No, of course not. In fact, I highly recommend you click here and join ClixSense now.

I’ve joined, looked at hundreds of ads and have been paid for it. Just exercise caution while viewing some of the ads and you’ll be in good shape. Start earning money and tell your friends and family about it to make some extra money off of the referral system as well.

Be sure to let me know what you think of the program in the comments section as well!

Best of luck!

Click here and sign up for ClixSense now!

Additional Programs to Try

After you create your account with Clixsense, here are a couple of other similar ways to make some money online. Join them all to increase your earning potential!

Swagbucks – Login, answer questions, take polls, watch videos, make money. I’ve cashed out a couple hundred dollars in my first few months of joining. Absolutely a must join.

SurveySavvy – This is my all time favorite survey company. I’ve cashed out thousands of dollars over the past 4 years from both my completed surveys and referrals. This one is highly recommended.

InstantCashSweepstakes – ICS is a fun way to pick up some extra cash in your spare time. You answer short three question surveys every few hours. Some surveys were created by companies, other by users. Every survey you take has a chance at earning you cash. It’s fun, easy, and definitely worth checking out.

Make Money this Summer by Being a Camp Counselor

Written By:Halina Zakowicz

Published On: May 31, 2016

How would you like to go camping this summer, meet new people, find easy childcare for your kids, and make money at the same time?

This is all possible if you become a camp counselor.

According to the American Camping Association (ACA), summer camp enrollment is increasing by 10% every year. Many camps have been in operation for over 100 years; for example, the famed Camp Dudley has been around since 1885. Also, while many camp counselors work full-time, almost 30% are part-timers during the summer (or other seasonal) months.

If you’re worried about being stuck alone in the woods with a bunker full of screaming 4-year-olds, fear not. Camps are typically staffed with at least three counselors, two of whom are full-time counselors. Also, there are many camps that are intended for young adults, not youngsters. You can also choose to work at day-only or overnight camps.

How much money do camp counselors make?

The ACA reports that, on average, seasonal camp counselors earn the following:

Camp counselor: $225-$250/week
Head counselor: $300-$330/week

Who are camp counselors?

Many kids who go to summer camp eventually return to that camp as a counselor. Other counselors might be elementary education teachers-in-training, pastors, or Boy/Girl Scout leaders.

A good majority of camp counselors are under 30 years of age; many are college students looking to make some extra money and/or secure free room and board until the start of the school year. Other counselors have young children of their own attending the camp, and become counselors as a way to keep tabs on their kids while earning a paycheck.

So, if you got youngsters at home and are wondering what to do with them this summer, becoming a camp counselor could be one way to affordably send your kids to camp- and even enjoy camp with them.

What do camp counselors do?

Generally speaking, camp counselors plan and manage camp activities, maintain a regular daily schedule, answer questions and resolve issues, ensure personal and group safety, and perform select administrative duties (e.g., distributing mail).

On a more detailed level, a camp counselor’s day may involve the following chain of events:

8am: Wake up all campers and ensure all campers have breakfast.
10 am: Coordinate a trail hike/group swim.
12 pm: Ensure all campers have lunch.
1 pm: Manage an arts and crafts/sewing/carving/music session.
3 pm: Attend staff meeting to plan upcoming event.
4 pm: Organize and manage camp archery competition.
5 pm: Fill out daytime camp log and punch out.

If you are trained in a particular activity or proficient in a hobby- for example, astronomy- you will probably be called upon to organize and lead a night of stargazing. Alternately, you might wish to organize a night of stargazing that is based on your personal talent for locating certain constellations.

What kinds of summer camps are there?

You might choose to work in summer camps that are organized around a given theme. To this end, you might try out the following camps:

Academic: These camps accept honors and gifted students for outdoor fun as well as rigorous scholastic studies. To qualify, you should have subject matter expertise in at least one school subject, such as math, robotics, biology, etc.

Themed: There are camps organized around activities such as running, yoga, sewing, music, etc. To be considered for a themed camp, you’ll need to be proficient in its main activity.

Scout: It goes without saying that the Girl and Boy Scouts have camps. But if you’re a Scout member, you already know that fact.

Special needs: Children with physical and/or mental disabilities require extra staff and activity considerations and may be a good fit for you if you have additional certifications to work with special needs children.

Where can you find summer camp counselor jobs?

The ACA lists many summer and seasonal camps nationwide on its Find A Camp database. This is a great place to start if you want to select a certain type of camp (e.g., daytime only). Once you have selected your preferred camps, make some calls and find out from the staff if there are seasonal counselor openings.

Here are some other online resources:

Camp Channel: Here’s you’ll find a job board that lists all kinds of positions available at camps across the country, from sports coaches to swim instructors to camp nurses.

Camp Page: Summer camp jobs are listed by American state and Canadian provinces here, along with in-depth job descriptions and salaries.

CoolWorks: You can browse various job openings here throughout the country. The site also provides you with detailed information about employers and their application process.

Glassdoor: Here you are presented with a plethora of summer camp information, including hourly/seasonal pay, employee reviews, and current job openings.

Summer Job Finder: This site advertises multiple summer job opportunities, including those in camp counseling.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking to make extra cash this summer and “park” your youngsters in a safe place, summer counselor positions enable you to do that. You’ll apply your skills, meet new faces, and collect a stipend. Do a good job, and you’ll most likely be invited the following summer at a minimum 4% raise.

A List of Programs That Have Paid Me Recently

Written By:Steve Wrzeszczynski

Last Updated:April 7, 2016

Every so often I like to show you guys that the programs I recommend do pay. For this post, I’ve compiled a few checks and Paypal screenshots for companies that have paid me in the month of November alone. I’ll give you a quick description of the program and links to sign up.

The point of this post is to show you that every little bit of earnings add up. Some people seem to think that online surveys aren’t worth their time. Here’s proof that even if you get paid a few bucks here and there, you can still pull some nice extra side cash each month.

The best part? Everything on this list is FREE to join.

To the proof!

SurveySavvy

SurveySavvy was one of the first programs I started recommending when I’ve Tried That was just beginning. Four years later, I’m STILL collecting checks regularly from them. The surveys are fairly easy to do and they do pay out very nicely. They also give you the option to take more “in-depth” surveys and participate in research studies. I’ve been paid $60 just to track what I drank for a week. Not bad at all.

Click here and sign up at SurveySavvy now!

Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost is another paying survey program with a frequency similar to SurveySavvy. However, at Opinion Outpost, you get rewarded with points for completing surveys. You can use those points to redeem cash or prizes. They slightly differ from SurveySavvy because SS pays in cash only. At Opinion Outpost there is an extra step involved, but you can still get paid in cash. Join!

Click here and sign up at Opinion Outpost now!

American Consumer Opinion

Similar to SurveySavvy and Opinion Outpost, but as you can see, the surveys are a little less frequent. The good news is that surveys do come in and you do get paid! It’s still a must-join from me.

Click here and sign up at American Consumer Opinion now!

BigCrumbs

With BigCrumbs, you can get money back on nearly anything you buy online. BigCrumbs has setup an affiliate program with hundreds of different online stores like Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Macys, or even Walmart. You use BigCrumb’s affiliate link just before purchasing and they receive a percentage of your purchase as commission for referring you to the sale. BigCrumbs then will give you a cut of the affiliate commission as a thank you for using their link. As you can see, I saved an extra $15 just by clicking through BigCrumbs first. Highly recommended with Black Friday/Cyber Monday coming up!

InstantCashSweepstakes

Instant Cash Sweepstakes is a market research business that will reward you for taking part in short online polls. Every poll consists of three questions and takes only a few seconds to complete. The polls are a mix between member created questionnaires and polls created by businesses interested in seeing answers from a specific demographic. You can take part in up to 5 polls every three hours.

The easiest way to make money is to just keep taking the polls. You can randomly be selected to win a handful of change at the end of each poll. (Another bonus tip: consistency in your answers will also allow you to take more polls per 3-hour block, so be honest!) The polls are fun and they’re a great way to kill some time during the day if you get bored. You just need to log in and remember to take them!

PaidViewpoint

PaidViewpoint is a relatively new company that I’ve been recommending lately. This is actually the first time I’ve been paid by them. It’s run by the same company that operates InstantCashSweepstakes. They are a market research company paying you to participate in surveys. It does sound familiar, but PaidViewpoint is putting a fresh spin on things, including guaranteed payments for every survey you’re invited to. Seriously, you can’t get kicked out of a survey halfway through because you don’t “qualify.” Oh, and you automatically get $1.00 just for signing up.

Click here and sign up at PaidViewpoint now!

Use this code when signing up for an extra cash bonus: itriedthat

ClixSense

Clixsense pays you to look at ads and websites. All you have to do is click on a link, look at a website, wait a few seconds, and you’ll get money deposited into your account. This is probably the easiest way to make money on this list. As you can expect, it doesn’t pay as well as the others, but it’s still a great way to make some extra money in your spare time. If you join Clixsense, I highly recommend upgrading to the Premium Level. This will allow you to view hundreds more ads and will quickly pay for itself. Remember to refer your friends and family. This one allows for referrals 8 levels deep. Start building that downline!

Click here and sign up at Clixsense now!

SwagBucks

This one is a personal favorite of mine. SwagBucks awards you simply for using their search engine. Every time you search, there’s a chance you might win SwagBucks and you can redeem SwagBucks in their marketplace for money, gift certificates, or thousands of other items. Just think how many times per day you use a search engine like Google or Yahoo. Google.com used to be my home page, but I switched it to Swagbucks after I joined. I’m getting the exact same search results, only now I’m slowly making money by doing so.

I cash out $25 in Amazon gift cards every month. You can redeem your SwagBucks for cash as well. I like the Amazon gift cards because they’re less SwagBucks per dollar and I shop there frequently.

Click here and sign up at SwagBucks now!

CashCrate

Finally, we have a program called CashCrate. Really, it’s a giant compilation of this list rolled into one program. You can get paid for answering surveys, participating in polls, viewing sponsor ads, shopping etc. I tend to avoid completing offers for cash. I believe it’s not worth the hassle. Instead of rambling on about the features of this one, you really just need to click through and check out the website yourself.

Click here and sign up at CashCrate now!

The Bottom Line

The bottom line on this one is simple and when added up, it comes out to…

$301.87!

That’s an extra $300 I made this month. So far. Starting to see the value in ‘get paid to’ sites? Individually it may not seem like a lot, but when you add everything up, it’s pretty clear that you can make a nice chunk of extra change each month.

Don’t overlook this post! Be productive! Go back and click on every single Sign Up link I posted above. Like I said, everything here is free to join and will certainly help out each month.

9 Ways to Make Money This Valentine’s Day

Written By:Steve Wrzeszczynski

Published On: February 2, 2016

Valentine’s Day may have started off with best intentions, but nowadays that one day a year is a commercial juggernaut earning businesses worldwide billions of dollars.

You don’t need to be a big business to take advantage of this day of lovers. In fact there are many ways you too can make a profit while everyone else is canoodling in a corner!

Here are my 9 ways to make money on Valentine’s Day.

#1 Hand Craft Some Cards

If you are of the arty persuasion, making custom handmade valentines card is a sure fire winner.

More and more people are swaying away from the mass produced greetings cards for Valentine’s Day, in an effort to prove their love. Custom cards can certainly fill that void, but you need to get in early, as last minute shoppers will surely just hit Hallmarks!

Etsy is most likely the best place to sell these unique creations of yours.

#2 Sell Flowers

The hardest part about selling flowers for Valentine’s Day is finding a good supplier.

If you do the leg work and find a florist or wholesaler who will sell a bunch of roses for $20 bucks or so, you can easily double or triple the asking price, turning a solid profit.

Sell them via a stand on the day or set up a website and do some social media advertising to bring in the punters.

Even if you decide to not bother selling them direct, there are numerous florists that offer an affiliate commission for leads that purchase. You can earn around 6% – 10% per sale depending on the florist, which is better than Amazon!

These florists offer affiliate programs, and there’s likely more that also offer one if you do some research:

#3 Home Made Chocolates and Baked Goods

If your artistry takes a more culinary bend, then why not offer homemade delicacies to people the day before and on the day itself?

The only downside to this is that you will need to make sure you follow any legislation regarding selling food stuffs in your area, so as not to fall foul of the law.

#4 Babysitting

Couples love to spend some romantic time together on Valentine’s but those of us with kids generally have a hard time finding someone to look after the whipper snappers!

While you can only get the one gig, you can charge a premium for it. The average babysitting gig pays $12.45 per hour, but you can easily hit the $20 or more per hour for this special day!

#5 Serenade for Money

If you have a deliciously deep or exquisite voice, why not put that to use and offer a serenade at peoples restaurant tables?

Clear it with a few restaurants (perhaps by offering them a cut), and you can sell your singing services directly there!

Another option would be busking, but with a more romantic feel to the songs than those typically chosen by sidewalk artists.

#6 Singles Speed Dating (or Party)

Why lavish all your energy on those who will be celebrating? Why not consider those who are unloved on this overly romantic day?

You could set up either a meet and greet style party for single people, or go the whole hog and set up a speed dating night.

While most bars and restaurants will be focusing on lovers, you will be able to find other venues for to hire quite easily even if they don’t offer liquid refreshments (which is a plus if they do!).

Speed dating events can be quite the little profit maker and it could even become a regular gig if things go well for you.

#7 A One Day Taxi Service

With companies like Lyft and Uber making it incredibly easy for anyone to become a one man taxi firm, you could spend the night ferrying lovers to and fro and earning a solid amount of cash from it.

#8 Romantic Photos

If you have a good eye for a photo, pick up a Polaroid camera and head out onto the streets. Snapping some romantic moments of people on the street is a great way to make some cash.

Your average Polaroid picture will cost around $3, so selling them for $5 or more is a good way to make some quick cash.

You can even set up a stall with a romantic background for more formal photos.

If you’d prefer to reduce potential cost (taking a Polaroid and not being able to sell it), then why not use a digital DSLR camera and take down peoples details/deposit and print the photos later.

#9 Impromptu Poetry

The idea here is to take a few facts such as the couple’s names, when or where they met, interests etc. and turn it into some romantic or novel poetry.

You could sell these online, or if you’re good at creating on the fly, set up a small stall.

There are potentially a few options as well: just the raw poem, it printed on fancy paper, hand written on hand crafted paper and so on.

The Bottom Line

There are lots of ways to make money on Valentine’s Day that don’t require you to be a big business, and that can even lead to future gigs and earnings. A lot of it depends on your own skills and talents, but whether you’re a singer, a cook or a web expert, there’s no excuse not to cash in on Valentine’s Day (well, unless your other half has something to say about it!).

What’s your favorite way to make money in February?

Is Mystery Shopping Really Worth the Effort?

Written By:Halina Zakowicz

Last Updated:December 10, 2015

For those of you who may not have heard of mystery shopping, it is an information gathering and quality assurance tool used by market research companies on behalf of their commercial clients. Mystery shopping may also be used by watchdog organizations or even companies themselves to measure certain parameters such as customer service, product selection, agent fairness, etc. The mystery shoppers who are contraced by the market research company or other establishment do not (usually) disclose their identity to the surveyed shop but act as typical customers.

They are also sent to the surveyed shop with a specific set of instructions; for example, a mystery shopper surveying a restaurant may be asked to observe whether the hot items on the restaurant’s buffet table are actually hot. When the mystery shopper has finished surveying the assigned shop, he or she fills out a detailed questionnaire at home and submits receipts. Once that paperwork has been successfully filed, the mystery shopper is reimbursed.

There are many market research companies that offer mystery shopping to everyday folks like you and me as a way of making extra money. There is no special training required to become a mystery shopper; in most cases, you simply submit your personal and contact information to the company and then check for shops that fit your profile. However, some mystery shopping companies do ask that potential shoppers go through their certification program before those shoppers can receive assignments. This certification ensures that the shoppers know and understand the company’s guidelines before engaging in mystery shopping. In such cases, the certification program is specific to the hiring company and is free.

For mystery shoppers who would like to get immediate preference on assignments from mystery shopping companies, the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, or MSPA, provides two levels of certification, termed Silver and Gold. These certifications are not free. Keep in mind that no mystery shopping company should require you to have MSPA Silver or Gold certification before you can start accepting shop assignments; however, having one or both of these certificates helps you get more and better assignments.

Focus on Cash Back Instead

We’re big believers here at optimizing your earnings while you spend time online. We highly recommend clicking here to create a free account at SwagBucks. You can get a percentage back on everything you spend online. It’s free to join and they’ve paid out over $115 million so far. Plus, you get a $5.00 bonus offer just for creating an account.

Mystery Shopping Scams

As with almost any work-at-home opportunity, there are mystery shopping scams out there too. “Middleman” sites that appear to be legitimate mystery shopping companies on the outside will ask you to pay an up-front or monthly membership fee before you receive mystery shopping assignments from them. Once you pay that fee, you receive the shopping assignments; however, these assignments would’ve been available for free had you gone to the mystery shopping companies directly instead of through the middleman site.

One of the best ways to ensure that you aren’t getting scammed is to check if the mystery shopping company is a member of the MSPA. Not every legitimate company belongs to the MSPA, but if it does, you can be assured that it is legitimate.

Is there money in mystery shopping?

So, how much money can you make through mystery shopping? Here is an example shop assignment that I completed not long ago:

We are currently looking for shoppers for great Italian restaurant shops in Madison WI.

Reimbursement amount is up to $70.

Shop must be performed with at least 2 adult diners.

We have lunch and dinner shops available in April and May. Shopper and guest must order two different entrees, a side dish and appetizer or dessert plus beverages. Children are welcome.

As you can see, this assignment did not make me money per se but I did get two free meals out of the deal. The shop report that had to be filled out within 24 hours of completing this assignment was rather lengthy and involved. Still- two free meals!

Here is another shop assignment that I applied for a few months ago (but was not assigned):

This batch of shops can be performed by a female or male shopper shopping alone or by a couple pretending to be getting married.

The main person doing this shop must be over 18.

Whether shopping alone or as a couple you need play the role as someone who is part of a committed couple looking for bridal sets. You can also perform the shop as though you are part of an established couple looking for “the set we couldn’t afford the first time.”

I need detail oriented shoppers between who are reliable and can write well.

These shops normally take between 15 and 20 minutes.

You are not required to make a purchase.

For this shop, you will be scheduled to go to a specific jewelry store. In order to complete this shop correctly, you will:

–Call ahead to the location ahead of time and ask their operating hours and confirm the address.
–You will visit the designated jewelry store, as a couple who is looking for engagement rings and wedding sets.
–Obtain a business card from the location.
–Submit your well written shop online within 24 hours.

Each shop pays $20 via Paypal.

As you can see, this assignment involves a call and visit to a jewelry store followed by a written evaluation of the shop. The compensation is only $20. Depending on where you live and how long it takes for you to visit and evaluate the shop, you could easily spend two hours on this assignment.

The Bottom Line With Mystery Shopping

To begin with, mystery shopping is not a scam but neither is it a full-time or even steady job. If you sign up with several mystery shopping companies, you will probably be doing 1-2 assignments per day at the rough equivalent of $10/hour. In some cases, your compensation will not be monetary and may include free meals, clothing, oil changes, product discounts, etc.

Personally, I’ve been able to do mystery shopping only because I’m now a full-time freelance writer and can therefore set my own work hours. Back when I was employed with an outside company, there was no way I could mystery shop around my work schedule. In many cases, the assigned shops had a completion hour assigned to them and that time typically occurred during business hours.

I’m not the biggest fan of mystery shopping but I’ve seen some of my friends “work it” and make several hundred bucks every month. As for me, I spend way too much effort on the assignments to really make them worth my time (which could be spent writing). Also, with gas prices rising ever higher, it’s hard to justify driving all over town for an extra $20.

Mystery Shopping Companies That I Have Worked With:

Here is a list of some legitimate mystery shopping companies that I have been associated with and some company reviews:

Confero Inc.

KSS International: This company offers shop assignments that pay anywhere from $5-$20 as well as high paying assignments like $40 oil changes. Payout is really slow though; my last assignment took almost two months to pay out by Paypal. I don’t do new shops with KSS until I’m paid, so I’ve done only three shops with them thus far.

NSite Inc.
SurfMerchants LLC
Synovate
Summit Scheduling

TrendSource: This site passes out a lot of easy-to-do mystery shops that pay $8-$20/each. However, I did have trouble with a Papa John’s assignment that was rejected on the basis of my photos- and similar complaints against PJ’s have been heard from other mystery shoppers. Payout is twice a month by direct deposit or check. Canada/UK payout is by Paypal only.

If you’d like to find mystery shopping companies in your geographic area, you can do an online search using keywords like “mystery shopping” and input your town or region. Alternately, you can peruse the mystery shopping member list published by MSPA and find out if any of the listed companies operate in your area.

How to Make Money Online Even if You’re “Just a Kid”

Written By:Halina Zakowicz

Last Updated:December 10, 2015

Summer’s coming and you want to make extra money- but you don’t want to be mowing Mrs. Meyer’s lawn again. The paper route is also not for you especially since someone ran over your bicycle. And your parents’ allowance just isn’t cutting it, not when you want to by cool stuff like the Xbox Kinect or PlayStation Vita.

The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do online to earn extra cash. The bad news is that many of these online sites require that you be 18 years of age or older. So, what can you do to make money online if you’re “just a kid”?

Browse the Web, Play Games, Watch Videos

If I told you could get paid to watch videos of cats on YouTube all day, would there even be a moment of hesitation on your part? Well it’s true. Create a free SwagBucks account and you can get paid to do just about anything you already do online. It’s free to join, you get a $5.00 offer just for signing up, and if you use the code IVETRIEDTHAT3 you’ll get a surprise cash bonus on top of the $5.00.

Submit Content

Do you like to write, take pictures or create videos? If you said yes and are at least 13 years of age, you can get paid for submitting your content to websites like Helium, Triond and Gather. These sites are revenue-sharing sites that pay you based on the popularity (i.e., page views) of your content. Helium pays you through Paypal, Triond pays you through Paypal, check or Western Union, and Gather pays you through points that are redeemable for gift cards or cash through Paypal.

With Helium, you first need to find a channel that matches the topic of your proposed article. Once your article is submitted, other Helium users will rate it based on its quality relative to existing articles in the same channel. If your article lands in one of the top five spots of that particular channel, it will be featured and accumulate page views. Triond allows you to submit content in your choice of category and pays you 50% of your page view-generated revenue. The site also offers an online forum where you can make friends with fellow writers.

Gather is a content sharing site to which you can submit articles, photos or videos. You also earn by commenting on content submitted by other members. To purchase gift cards or obtain cash from your activities, Gather does require the involvement (i.e., consent) of your parent or guardian.

If you are 14 years of age or older, you can write for Xomba, another revenue sharing site that pays you through Google AdSense. Squidoo requires that its contributors be at least 18 years of age but will accept you if your parent or guardian acts as a proxy for you. This means that your parent or guardian needs to write a note to Squidoo authorizing your account.

Blog

If you already have a large online following and would rather keep all of your online earnings, creating and posting content to your own blog is a great way to make money online. Most online bloggers use Google AdSense as a way to generate online income.

You can create your own blog from scratch using a free program like WordPress and then pay a small fee for your own unique website address and hosting from a site like HostGator. Alternately, there are blog creation sites like Blogger, MyBlogSite and My Yahoo! Blog that allow you to post (and monetize) your content for free. The only catch with the above-mentioned free sites is that your blog’s web address will include a reference to that free site (e.g., http://www.yourblogname.blogspot.com/).

Fill Out Surveys

Is there a computer game that you recently played and can review? Do you like to shop at a particular store? Is there one brand name that you prefer over another? If so, then you can get paid for taking online surveys. If you are at least 13 years age, you can complete surveys posted by the following companies:

American Consumer Opinion
Cash Crate (with parent/guardian permission)
NPD Online Research
Palm Research
Squishy Cash
TeenEyes
Toluna

Most of these companies pay via Paypal, but some do send checks by mail. Other companies allow you to “cash out” by trading in your money or points for gift cards.

Create Your Own Job

What if you have a talent for singing, can create an animated cartoon, or are good at programming? Fiverr allows you to post odd jobs that you will do for just $5. Keep in mind that Fiverr pays you only $4 out of the $5 that you earn through the site- but hey, it’s still $4 that you didn’t have before. Fiverr payments are made via Paypal.

Sell Stuff

Ebay is by far the #1 site to sell stuff online, from your old textbooks to that itchy sweater your Aunt Sally gave you for your birthday. Ebay’s policy regarding underage members is pretty clear:

“You must be at least 18 years old to be an eBay member. A person under 18 can use an adult’s account with the permission of the account holder. However, the account holder is responsible for everything done with that account.”

So, if you can prove that you are trustworthy to your folks, you should be able to sell (or buy) on Ebay.

The problem with Google AdSense and Paypal

Many other sites are open to minors beyond those listed above. However, the major problem with many of these sites is that, even if they do permit underage user sign-ups, their payment structures are largely geared towards Google AdSense and/or Paypal account holders. In case you didn’t know, both AdSense and Paypal require their users to be 18 years of age or older.

There is a way around this age requirement, however, and again, it goes back to your parents or guardians. An adult Google AdSense account holder can allow a minor to use his or her AdSense code. Likewise, a parent or guardian can set up a student Paypal account for a minor, allowing that minor to collect money online through any site that pays via Paypal. So, now’s the time to show your folks how responsible and trustworthy you can be.

How are you making money online? Share a tip below!

Beware of These Mystery Shopping Fake Check Scams

Written By:Halina Zakowicz

Last Updated:June 25, 2015

Even though it’s been a while since my car wrap scam posting of 2013, I see that fake check scammers are still going strong.

Yesterday was a “red letter” day for me; I received not one, not two, but three fake checks in my mail box.

Fake check scam #1: Mystery Shoppers Agent

The first fake check scam involves mystery shopping through the company website Mystery Shoppers Agent.

At first, I wasn’t sure if this company was also a scam or just caught up in the cross hairs of the scammers’ ploys. You see, when it comes to fake checks, scammers don’t hesitate to “plug” legitimate businesses into the mix. Completely legitimate banks and retailers will appear to be sending cashier’s checks, and USPS or FedEx envelopes will feature actual return addresses.

In the case of Mystery Shoppers Agent, however, the stench of scam was almost immediately apparent. Aside from the site’s broken English, it states that it offers a “Minimum amount for each assignment is $600 USD, payable by check.” Also, on its application page, you find the following statement: “We would like to inform you that you will be handle two assignment per week and the minimum payment for the each assignment will be $600 which make it $1200 every week.”

I’ve been a mystery shopper since 2010; several of my friends have been mystery shoppers for 10+ years now. No one in my immediate group has ever heard of assignments paying $600.

Also, for high-paying assignments of $60 or more, mystery shop assignments came with pages upon pages of instructions. However, read the letter I received and posted below for an assignment that supposedly pays $300:

For this “assignment,” you are requesting wire transfers to two individuals living in the Philippines. You are then generating a report about the “customer service professionalism.” No directions are provided on how to generate this report.

But it gets even better- I received not one such letter from Mystery Shoppers Agent, but two! In one day, I found the exact same letters addressed to me and sitting in two identical 2-Day Priority Mail USPS envelopes. Along with those two identical letters were these two identical $3,775 checks:

The same day, I also received the following email from Jo.DanieLS@Kash.info. His questions and my replies are posted below.

> Subject: First Task
> From: Jo.DanieLS@Kash.info
>
> First task is to be delivered to your address today or Tuesday at the latest and your assignment info and instructions would come in the mail along with your salary,please kindly follow the instructions that came in the mail along with your Paycheck…Did you recieve the payment yet?please reply back…thanks

On Mon, Jun 22, 2015 at 4:23 PM, Halina Zakowicz wrote:
Yes I did.

From: jonathan.daniels1950@gmail.com
did you made the deposit yet and when would u send the funds?

On Mon, Jun 22, 2015 at 4:26 PM, Halina Zakowicz wrote:
I deposited the funds this afternoon.

From: jonathan.daniels1950@gmail.com
when would u send the funds?

On Mon, Jun 22, 2015 at 4:38 PM, Halina Zakowicz wrote:
I’m going to do it later this week. Probably Friday.

From: jonathan.daniels1950@gmail.com
why friday?the check would clear tomorrow…so you should send the funds tomorrow please…also,i have been calling you and you didnt pick your calls

What I found interesting was that never during our email interchange did “Jonathan” ask about the actual review that I was hired to complete. No, it was all about sending the money ASAP.

Two days later, Jonathan was texting me about the money. I’ve copied our conversation below and highlighted my answers in green:

Have you completed the assignment. Please reply now

Yes

Can I have the details for the assignment the ref no for each name

Hello Why did you stop replying

The first number 65189544

I got the first number. I hope you sent the funds to the new details I sent to your email please ?

I called moneygram. It says the first number is invalid

Sorry about that. Let me check

And why are you not picking up your calls? And what’s the ref no for the second one What’s goingon

Ok, I need to check with moneygram again about those numbers.

You are a liar. Why are you lieing ?

You can’t even pick your calls. You didn’t even send the second number. This is bad of you

Please check this link

Which link

Tinyurl.com/p77xuoy

Stupid woman

I’ve also filed this scam with the FTC

I should add that the phone number of this California-based operation is (657) 529-0008. If the “business” is based in California, why are the checks originating from Arkansas? And also, why are the USPS envelopes coming from New York & Company at 2655 Richmond Ave., #1070, NY, NY 10314?

Fake check scam #2: Walmart Money Transfer

The other fake check scam came to me courtesy of “Joshua Baumfeld” of Secret Shopper. The email that I first received from this Joshua went as follows:

Dear Secret shopper ,

This is an update on Your first secret Shopper assignment which has been mailed and will be delivered today or latest tomorrow via USPS.Your secret shopper assignment will be done at any nearest Walmart store close to you,which will include shopping and testing other services available at Walmart.

Instructions on how to proceed and email your first assignment report has been included along in the packet.

Kindly notify and verify that you have received this email,and also notify via email as soon as you have received the assignment.

Regards,

Joshua Baumfeld
Head of Recruitment.

About a week later, I received an official-looking 2-Day Priority Mail USPS envelope containing a letter and a $1,680 cashiers check.

Joshua wanted me to deposit this check and then make a “Walmart to Walmart Money Transfer.” I was also supposed to report on such details as “smartness of the attendant(s),” “reaction of personnel under pressure,” and “rudeness and agents inefficiency to customers.”

There are many obvious red flags in this letter, including poor English, sketchy directions and a payment of $200 before I even do my job. Another point of concern is the state (Grenada) and city (Mississippi) names being reversed. Meanwhile, the address on the envelope states that the correspondence is originating from Joshua Baumfeld, 7072 Wnchester (typo included) Rd., Memphis, TN 38125.

Finally, Walmart has stated that it doesn’t engage in any Secret Shopper services.

The entire contents of my letter and check are provided below.

What is the point of these fake check scams?

When you receive a fake check from scammers, the point is to have you deposit that money into your bank account- and then withdraw or wire most of it to the scammers (or their associates). The deposit and withdrawal must be completed within 1-2 days or ASAP.

By doing so, you and your bank won’t catch onto the fact that the check is actually fake and will bounce in roughly 3 days.

By the time your deposited check bounces, the scammers will be long gone, as will your withdrawn or wired funds.

If you don’t yet believe me, please click on the following list of complaints from duped secret shoppers.

The lesson to be (hopefully not) learned here: Don’t fall for these fake check scams.

Bonus: Halina’s fake check collage

I just wanted to show off my assembled collage of fake checks to all our I’ve Tried That readers. In total, I’ve received $21,835 now in fake check money. Woo! Also notice that some of these checks are made out to my cohort Hugh G. Rection. I’m sure my mail carrier was highly amused.

Scam Alert: Is Your College or University a Diploma Mill?

Written By:Halina Zakowicz

Last Updated:February 16, 2015

Recently, a friend of mine who received her bachelor’s degree from Westwood College was shocked to discover that she did not qualify for the master’s degree program at a national university.

The reason? Her bachelor’s degree was considered bogus because Westwood College is not regionally accredited. In fact, Westwood College is only nationally accredited.

Other Westwood alumni have also been surprised to discover that their degrees are considered useless by employers; as a result, some of these alumni have sued Westwood. In January of 2012, the Illinois State Attorney General also filed a lawsuit against Westwood, stating that the school’s (which is actually run by several corporations as a “DBA”) “many misrepresentations or false promises to Illinois students and prospective students constitute violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act”.

What is accreditation?

In order to be considered legitimate, post-secondary schools in the U.S. must be accredited by a government-recognized accreditation agency. The two big accreditation categories are national and regional. National accreditation is currently applied to non-traditional schools such as online or distance learning universities. Regional accreditation, meanwhile, has typically been applied to liberal arts schools that operate in a more traditional sense (e.g., use in-class instruction).

There are six regional accreditation agencies, with each agency covering a given geographic region in the U.S. You can check if your school of choice is accredited by one of these regional agencies by finding out where the school is located and then going to the specific regional agency that would be in charge of that school’s accreditation.

Overall, regional accreditation is much more valuable than national; also, a school that passes regional accreditation will typically have no trouble gaining national accreditation. The reverse is not true. Furthermore, so-called “diploma mill” schools fail to achieve either regional or both regional and national accreditation.

What is a diploma mill?

Westwood College, alongside other institutions such as the University of Northern Washington and Monticello University, is what is popularly termed a “diploma mill” or “degree mill.” According to the FTC, a diploma mill is defined as the following: “a company that offers ‘degrees’ or certificates for a flat fee, requires little course work, if any, and awards degrees based solely on life experience.”

Furthermore, “although many diploma mills claim to be ‘accredited,’ their accreditation is from a bogus, but official-sounding agency that they created.” This fits the bill for my own personal diploma mill of choice, Ashwood University (which actually operates out of Pakistan). I decided to check out Ashwood’s website one night and even chat with one of its customer service representatives. Here’s a synopsis of my chat:

Please wait for a Site Operator to respond!
Info : You are now Chatting with Angelo Parker.
Angelo Parker : How may I help you?
Halina: I’m looking at a degree in biology
Angelo Parker : Sure. How many years of working experience you have in the field?
Halina: I took some high school biology
Angelo Parker : I see.
Angelo Parker : So you want to study or you need a degree based on your experience?
Halina: what courses do you offer? I’m hoping to get a bachelor’s in biology so I can eventually start a Ph.D.
Angelo Parker : Well this is a life experience degree program. We award you the degree on the basis of your working experience and past qualifications. What we do is we take down your life experience and convert them into credit hours.
If these credit hours are equivalent to the credit hours that are required to complete your desired degree then you qualify and we award the degrees accordingly.
Angelo Parker : So there are no courses or classes with us
Halina: OK, but then is this legit for a Ph.D. program at a school like Northwestern?
Halina: I forgot to mention that I did work as a lab tech for a few years. But I don’t have a BS or BA in biology
Angelo Parker : I see. Well now you can get a degree with us in 15 days based on what you already know. The fee for bachelors will be $599
Halina: OK, but will this transfer to Northwestern University?
Angelo Parker : Yes it sure will.
Halina: Do you have any stats about transfer students and how well their degrees transfer to universities like NWU or University of Chicago?
Angelo Parker : Well as the documents are recognized and accredited. You will not be facing any problems getting it accepted
Halina: So, is Ashwood regionally accredited then?
Angelo Parker : Its nationally and internationally accredited
Halina: which national agency?
Angelo Parker : Its mentioned on the website
Angelo Parker : Please check the accreditation tab
Halina: Neither of those agencies are mentioned on Northwestern’s website as recognized. They are asking for regionally accredited agencies like the north central association.
Halina: You said the degree was recognized by Northwestern.
Info : Chat session has been terminated by the site operator.

When I tried to reconnect with Angelo, my chat was terminated immediately. Was it something I said? In any case, if all I need is $599 to get a bachelor’s, why oh why did I spend 4+ years at a community college and then a state school? I really should’ve known better- and apparently my “life experience” bachelor’s degree does transfer to Northwestern University!

Not all schools are as blatantly deceptive as Ashwood University. Westwood is actually nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). In contrast, Ashwood is “accredited” by scam accreditation agencies such as the Board of Online Universities Accreditation (BOUA) and the World Online Education Accrediting Commission (WOEAC). These two agencies are not recognized by the U.S. DOE and may as well be imaginary.

Unfortunately Westwood, although nationally accredited, is not regionally accredited by any of the six national accreditation agencies recognized by the U.S. DOE. This means that most post-secondary and regionally accredited schools (e.g., Penn. State) will not recognize a degree from Westwood as legitimate. Furthermore, many employers will also not recognize a degree from a non-regionally accredited school as legitimate.

However, the fact that Westwood is at least nationally accredited means that its students do qualify for and receive federal student loans. This is because the U.S. government only requires that a post-secondary institution be accredited by one U.S. DOE-recognized accreditation agency in order to receive federal funds.

As a result, many Westwood students end up with $60,000+ in student loans by the time they receive their degrees, which is just perfect for the bottom line of a for-profit school like Westwood. Unfortunately for the students, their monetary investment in a Westwood diploma isn’t as worthwhile.

How can you avoid a diploma mill scam?

True institutions of higher learning used to be easy to spot- they were the “classic” brick-and-mortar-and-ivy schools portrayed in such movies as “Back to School”. Nowadays, many colleges and universities are completely online and operate out-of-state or even out-of-the-country. For all you know, these schools could be operating out of a P.O. box or someone’s basement.

However, even the physically present colleges and universities can be scams. After all, it’s not hard to rent a few rooms or even a building, slap a school logo on the doors and call sham classes into session. When a scammer is reaping tens of thousands of dollars per student, even paying several thousand dollars for a physical school is worthwhile in terms of return on investment.

Thus, if you are thinking about signing up with a relatively unknown college or university (i.e., no known alumni and recently founded), first check this school’s accreditation. Then, check the school’s reported accreditation agencies against those posted on the U.S. DOE website and see if they are federally recognized.

Finally, go to the respective regional accreditation agency, such as the North Central Association’s Higher Learning Commission, and input your school of interest. If your school doesn’t pop up, look elsewhere for your educational aspirations.

Beware of schools that claim that you can receive a degree for your life/work experience with little or no class time. A bachelor’s degree that takes just a few months to complete, classes where almost every student gets an “A”, and pressure by school advisors to receive as much financial aid as possible all hint at a diploma mill scam. In short, do your research and utilize your critical thinking skills for more than just class tests and quizzes.

Congratulations, Murphy!

On a happier note, my dog Murphy just received his acceptance letter from Ashwood University. I listed Murphy’s life experience in biology as working in a medical lab (he went to several veterinary appointments with me) and proctology (Murphy excels at butt-sniffing). Here is his congratulatory letter on his upcoming bachelor’s degree in biology:

Congratulations Murphy!
We are pleased to announce that based on your resume and your profile score calculated using the CPAAS® profile evaluation system, the evaluation committee at Ashwood University has finally approved you for Bachelor’s Degree. You are among the 5% of candidates who qualified under the CPAAS® profile evaluation system.

CPAAS® is globally renowned and patented evaluation system that performs detailed analysis of your resume, online profile, past accomplishments, and professional and educational background through proprietary global libraries and databases.

You can now pay the amount from the link provided below and get your Bachelor’s Degree within 30 days from today. Once you make the payment, you will also be able to access the Alumni Area of Ashwood University and get exclusive privileges and discounts.

I always knew Murphy was smart.

Mobile Apps that Pay You To Submit Your Photos

Written By:Halina Zakowicz

Published On: February 12, 2015

You may heard of Flickr and Dreamstime, photo websites that sell your photos and then pay you a commission from them. These sites pride themselves on offering professionally taken photos, and that typically means that you, the photographer, need to own an expensive DSLR-type camera. If you don’t, you’re going to be limited in selling your photos.

Luckily, a new wave of mobile apps have popped up that pay you for your mobile photography. These sites accept and sell mobile photography, for the most part, and share the proceeds with the respective mobile photographers. This is great if the only thing you can call your camera is your iPhone or Android-based smartphone.

Who’s buying these mobile photos? The customers vary, but they might include bloggers who are tired of using obvious stock photography on their posts and want to go with more “real-time” and original photos. Company execs and newspaper columnists are another bunch who might purchase your mobile pictures, especially if those pictures include cool visual effects (more on that later).

So, which mobile apps sell your photos? Here is a good starter list for you to peruse:

Foap

This mobile stock photo site sells open source photos for $10, with the photographer earning $5 per sale. You can sell the same photo as many times as you like, thus earning money on the same photo again and again.

When you sign up with Foap, you are first asked to review and rate five photos on a scale of one to five stars. Then, you are allowed to upload your own photos. Other “foapers” rate your photos, also on a scale of one to five stars. If the average rating of your photo is at least 2.5 stars, that photo gets included in the Foap marketplace.

If you’re not sure which photos to upload, Foap offers Missions and Contests sections that ask for photos of a given theme. The Contests section can be especially lucrative, paying $100 or more to the winning photo.

You can also promote your photos via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, email and other broadcast platforms.

Instagram

This site does NOT pay you (at least not directly) for your photos. Yes, you read that correctly. Instagram is actually a social media platform for sharing photos, not a commercial app. However, there are three reasons why I’m still listing the Instagram app as a place to make money from your photos.

Sponsorships– You can make money from your mobile photos if you’re already on Instagram and have a lot of comments, likes or followers there. Companies (which also often have Instagram accounts) are likely to notice your social popularity and sponsor you to take photos of their products/services. This “discovery’ process is not guaranteed, however.
Instaprints– This website links to Instagram and enables you to sell your photos as physical prints (e.g., posters, greeting cards, mouse pads). You set your own rate for your photo, then Instaprints adds a flat fee for the physical product (which includes the Instaprints base fee). Upon purchase, Instaprints completes the printing and shipping of the physical image to the buyer. You are paid once a month via Paypal.
Twenty20– This site, previously called Instacanvas, also links to Instagram and maintains a gallery of your images, which buyers can peruse and purchase from for online download or for physical printing. Much like Instaprints, Twenty20 also handles the printing and shipping portions of the purchase. Unlike Instaprints, however, you cannot set your own rate. Twenty20 prices your images (a starting range is $2-$7/image) and gives you a 20% cut of each sale. Payments to your Paypal account are made once a month.

Snapwire

This app is a fusion between Foap and Twenty20 in terms of look-and-feel. Unlike the two aforementioned apps, however, Snapwire emphasizes the photographers, not their photos. As such, photographers get center stage here and their portfolios house their images. Snapwire also sets the image pay rate from $5 to $100, with photographers keeping 70% of the sale price.

Buyers can search by photographer and purchase their photos from the portfolios. However, Snapwire focuses more on contests (called Challenges) as a way to pay and reward photographers for their good work. Prize purses typically range from $25-$150, with the winning photos getting heavily promoted and thus having a good chance at making even more money.

This app also assigns point-based levels to photographers, with the scale ranging from Explorer>Shooter>Advanced>Expert>Elite>Pro. As you win Challenges or add more and better photos, you are assigned more points, which helps advance your status (and pay rate).

Stockimo

This app is offered by the biggest stock photo agency in the world, Alamy, and it was also one of the first paying apps to be offered for mobile photos. With Stockimo, you upload your photos and have the content “curated (i.e., rejected or accepted)” to fit the standards of the agency. Then, your content is priced according to the buyer’s usage intent. Example use rates include the following:

Advertisement: $500
Book use: $150
General/online use: $20

If you were an Alamy contributor prior to April 2014, you get 40% of all photo sales. After April 2014, new subscribers receive a 20% share of sales. Also, depending on the type of usage license you pick, your photos can be sold repeatedly.

Make even more money from your mobile photos

Learn to point and shoot.

Selling your mobile photos involves more than just snapping pictures of your dinner and uploading them. To make the really big bucks, you should first learn how to use all of the features on your smartphone camera, including its ISO, cropping/editing features, and (optional) effects. Also, take a basic photography course (such as through Coursera or Udacity) and learn how to compose your shots. While mobile apps don’t require that you have the latest and greatest DSLR on hand, they do require that you know a thing or two about taking pictures.

Tagging your photos is not an option.

If you wish for your mobile photos to be found by customers and companies, make sure you tag them. Excessively. In fact, there are even apps out there, such as TagsforLikes, that will help you create and store tags for social sites like Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Akin to SEO, the easier you make it for people to find your photo content, the more likely it’ll be that your photos get viewed and purchased.

Special effects can help you.

Most professional stock photo sites turn away photos that are enhanced with special effects (e.g., stickers). However, mobile photos fit a wide variety of client needs including humor, real-time reporting, personal blogging, etc. Thus, investing a few bucks in a cool filter or photo effect tool like Aviary may actually open you up to new business opportunities.

If you do start enhancing your photos, create a special area for these images and keep them separate from the “normal” ones. This way, your customers won’t be bogged down by crazy purple landscapes or odd thought balloons while looking for basic stock photography. Meanwhile, those customers who are looking for such imagery will know where to go.

Follow (and duplicate) the trends.

Going back to SEO, you should follow what images are trending on your apps and add to that content as much as possible. For example, Foap frequently showcases and sells holiday and seasonal images. Thus, you could start shooting holiday/seasonal photos a few months ahead of time and have this content ready to go for the next upcoming holiday/season.

Likewise, news media networks often need stock photos to go along with a trending story, so keep your eye on the national news and tag your photos with keywords that would fall in line with a reporter’s topic search. In short, don’t keep your photos in a vacuum.

11 Online Banks that Give You the Highest Interest Rates

Written By:Halina Zakowicz

Published On: June 30, 2014

Is your brick-and-mortar bank stiffing you when it comes to your savings account interest rate? I didn’t even realize how low my banks’ interest rates were until I started perusing my savings accounts. Read ‘em and weep:

The following is my savings account annual percentage rate (APR), as well as the interest paid to me, by BMO Harris Bank.

Oak Bank, which has a fairly high credit rating and is a one-owner, one-branch and one location bank located in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, offers the following interest rates:

Even my Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union, which I assumed would have higher interest rates due to the fact that it is a credit union, only offers a 0.05% annual interest rate on its regular and money market savings accounts:

Classic brick-and-mortar banks seldom pay more than a 0.05% APR and often require that you maintain at least a thousand bucks in the account in order to collect your piddly interest.

In light of these abysmally low interest rates, it’s no wonder that people are draining their bank accounts and investing in stocks, bonds or even gold. Still, you do need to have ready access to cash in case of an emergency; so, you need to have at least some funds squirreled away in a savings account. The question, remains, however, just which banks have the highest savings account interest rates.

The answer lies in online banks.

Unlike the brick-and-mortars, online banks don’t have physical locations to pay for and upkeep. Staffing costs are also reduced because most of the banking is automated. These cost savings usually translate to higher interest rates for you. Furthermore, online banks, just like their brick-and-mortar siblings, are FDIC insured.

Here are some online banks that offer the highest interest rates. I’ve organized the banks from highest to lowest rates.

EverBank

First time account holders of EverBank’s Yield Pledge Money Market Accounts earn a 6-month bonus rate of 1.40%, and a 1.01% APR thereafter for up to the first $50,000 invested. While a minimum $1,500 is required to start a money market account, there is no actual minimum amount required to collect interest.

MySavingsDirect

This New York-based bank offers online Mysavings Accounts that pay a 1.00% APR. There are no fees or minimum amounts required; also, you can fund your savings account directly from your current checking account.

Synchrony Bank

This bank offers an Optimizer Plus High Yield Savings account that pays one of the best interest rates ever at 0.95%. Money market accounts pay a 0.85% APR. There is no minimum balance required; however, you are assessed a $5 monthly fee if your account falls below $50. Interest is compounded daily.

CIT Bank

With just a minimum deposit of $100, you can have your savings account with CIT Bank earning a nice 0.90% APR. Savings accounts that are $25,000 or higher earn a 0.95% APR with CIT. This St. Louis-based bank has been around since 1908.

Barclays

Barclays online savings account offer a high 0.90% APR, no hidden fees or account minimums, as well as easy transfers from your other existing banks. Plus, you can set up direct deposit so that you can save money regularly. The bank also offers CDs with a 0.35%-2.25% APR.

GE Capital Bank

Another clear winner in the high APR category is GE Capital Bank- this online institution pays a whopping 0.90% on savings accounts and requires no minimum balance. Yearly CDs pay a 1.10% APR, and 5-year CDs pay an even better 2.25%. The bank offers no checking accounts, incidentally, just savings instruments.

Ally Bank

Headquartered in Midvale, Utah, Ally offers a competitive 0.87% interest rate on savings accounts and a 0.87% APR on money market accounts. Neither account requires a minimal balance.

Ally also offers some convenient perks like the ability to link all your other bank accounts to your Ally account. You can also deposit your checks simply by snapping a photo of them with your smartphone.

Discover Online Savings

While better known as the credit card that gives you cashback rewards, Discover also operates an online bank that pays a hefty 0.85% APR on savings accounts. While an initial $500 is required to fund your account, there is no minimum required balance, and no monthly fees are assessed if you fall below your initial funding amount.

Discover also offers CDs at a 0.95% APR (for 12-month CDs).

FNBO Direct

This online branch of the First National Bank of Omaha offers a 0.85% APR and requires only a $1 deposit to start an online savings account. FNBO Direct also pays quite well on CDs, with 6-60 month CDs all earning a 1.15% APR.

American Express

Yet another well-known credit card company, American Express also offers personal high-yield savings accounts that pay a 0.80% APR. No monthly fees are assessed and there is no minimum balance required. American Express also offers 36-month CDs that generate a 0.90% APR.

Capital One 360

This bank offers several online savings options, including a 360 Savings Account for adults and a Kids Savings Account. Both items currently pay an APR of 0.75% and require no minimum balance. There are also CDs available that pay from 0.40%-0.90%.

Online banks: Make your money grow

When it comes to keeping a savings account, why have your money earn a measly 0.01% or so when you can earn over 1% with some of these online winners? While such an APR doesn’t compare to what you can earn by doing P2P lending or stock trading, nevertheless, online savings accounts serve their purpose by giving you ready access to your cash whenever that rainy day or vacation comes up.

Don’t Get Hosed: 7 Ways You Can Evaluate A Stock Before Buying It

Written By:Halina Zakowicz

Last Updated:October 22, 2013

In last week’s post on investing in stocks, I outlined how you could go through a company’s SEC statements such as the income statement and balance sheet to gain a better feel of its financial health- and also whether you should invest in its stock. I’ve also discussed how dividend stocks can help you attain a passive income.

However, there are many other quick and useful measures of a company’s financial health that you can take advantage of. These measures, also commonly called fundamentals, come in handy especially when you are comparing companies in the same industry or wondering if it’s time to sell a given stock. So, without further ado, here are some fundamentals to examine when you are evaluating a company stock:

EPS

EPS (earnings per share) was briefly mentioned last week as the net income a company generates divided by its number of shares. If the company also pays a dividend, that sum is subtracted from net income before that income is divided by share number. This is something to keep in mind when investing in companies that appear to have low reported EPS, such as the REIT stocks Armour Residential (ticker: ARR) or Resource Capital Corp. (ticker: RSO); many companies have a low EPS because they pay out a significant portion of their earnings as dividends.

In essence, EPS is a measure of a company’s profitability. Furthermore, EPS is not always a positive number; companies can post considerable earnings losses or no earnings whatsoever. More than anything else, a company’s reported EPS is a big event in the investment world; investors and analysts eagerly await the day that companies post their quarter or annual earnings in EPS. A reported EPS that beats estimates can cause a company stock to skyrocket; conversely, an EPS report that misses analysts’ estimates can result in a huge stock price drop.

P/E ratio

The P/E (price over earnings) ratio is a measure of a company’s stock price over its annual earnings per share. The P/E is used to judge the value of a stock in terms of how much investors are paying for it; for example, the current P/E of Amazon (ticker: AMZN) is a whopping 316, indicating that its valuation has gone sky-high and the stock currently trades at 316 times its annual earnings. Such high investor expectations for Amazon could easily be dashed, however, causing the stock price to plummet (i.e., undergo a correction).

On the other hand, Altria Group (ticker: MO) has a P/E of just over 15, meaning that it trades at 15 times its annual earnings. This stock is still valuable and is probably not overhyped by investors to the point of being prone to a correction. Incidentally, when a stock is touted as being undervalued or overvalued, the term is being applied to its low or high P/E, respectively.

The P/E is both an emotional and logical measure of a stock’s perceived worth and will vary by industry. Investors love sexy tech stocks like Amazon, which is one reason why its P/E is so high. On a more rational level, though, Amazon is also investing heavily into its business to become and stay #1 in the online marketplace. Investors who follow the company’s financial reports know that Amazon’s retained earnings are a big part of shareholder’s equity, a point I touched on in last week’s investment article. However, Amazon’s high P/E could easily fall if investors suddenly become spooked about the company or its management.

Alternately, because smoking has fallen out of favor with many people, Altria Group’s P/E is just over 15. However, the company makes solid earnings every year and even pays a sizeable dividend. Altria investors are thus less likely to become scared that the stock is overvalued and sell their holdings. This is also reflected in Altria’s low beta, the next stock parameter we will be studying.

Beta

The beta is a measure of a stock’s volatility relative to an index such as the S&P 500 over a period of time. It is a useful parameter to study if you are considering investing in a stock simply to gain its dividend (something I like to call dividend poaching) or are looking to invest in a stock for less than a year. Beta is also useful if you are wondering when you should invest in a particular stock in order to minimize risk and maximize return.

The beta is actually a slope of the stock’s trendline (Remember your high school algebra and y = mx +b? The beta is the m) and can range from negative to positive. If a stock’s beta is 1.0, that means that its price rises and falls in sync with the market’s. A stock beta of 1.4 indicates that this stock is 40% more volatile than the market while a beta of 0.5 indicates that the stock is 50% less volatile than the market. For example, if the stock of a company like Widgets-R-Us (ticker: WRU) has a beta of 1.2, that means that should the market gain 10% in a year, WRU will be up by 12% (or an additional 20% of that 10%). Should the market fall 20% in a year, WRU will fall 24% (or an additional 20% of that 20%).

Conversely, if the company has a beta of 0.5, its stock will fall only 50% compared to that of the market. Thus, should the market fall 20% in a year, WRU will fall by only 10% (or only 50% of 20%). There is a useful online tutorial if you really want to explore the concept and even calculate your own stock’s beta.

Beta is useful because it allows you to predict how a company stock will behave relative to the overall market. Predictability is good if you are risk-averse or need to time your trades in order to gain company dividends and then quickly sell to buy the next dividend-bearing stock (i.e., dividend poach). Likewise, let’s say you have some money to invest in the market but will need it in a year or less to buy a car or house (not recommended, by the way, but I’ve certainly done it). In such a case, you could invest your cash in a company stock that has a low beta, helping to ensure that you don’t lose your original sum- unless, of course, the entire market starts heading down. The criticism to this approach is that you probably shouldn’t invest money that you will need in a year or less.

D/E

The debt to equity ratio is another good measure of a company’s ability to successfully handle its finances. If you think of the company as a person you’re about to lend money to, would you want to lend money to a person who works a minimum wage job yet has massive credit card bills, two car payments, a mortgage and is paying child support? Even if this individual has big plans for the future, would you trust that your loan will be repaid? A company should be similarly scrutinized.

The debt to equity ratio is calculated using the following formula:

D/E = Total Liabilities/Shareholder Equity

Total liabilities include business loans, mortgages and supplies- in essence, the total leverage potential of the company. This is divided by what the shareholders (as well as the company) have invested into the company. A company with a high D/E ratio may be rewarded by bigger earnings the following quarter or year; however, it may also stagnate under high interest payments and growing pains. A higher D/E ratio tends to raise the company’s beta too. Over time, you generally want to see this ratio decrease.

Incidentally, if you’ve ever obtained a loan, your personal D/E ratio was likely calculated by the lending institution or bank.

P/B ratio

The price to book ratio or P/B is, just like the P/E, another measure of a stock’s perceived worth. The formula for this ratio is the following:

P/B = Stock price/Book Equity (BE = Assets – Intangible Assets + Liabilities)

Assets are defined as cash, inventory, accounts receivable and equipment while liabilities are items such as loans, mortgages and accounts payable. Intangible assets are assets that are certainly valuable to the company but are harder to liquidate; examples include intellectual property, copyrights and trademarks. Thus, book equity is what would be left over if the company went bankrupt and had to liquidate.

A stock with a P/B ratio less than or equal to 3 might be a great bargain or it might have some fundamental issues. Because of this ambiguity, the P/B ratio should never be used as the only measure of a stock’s true value. Some reasons include the following:

1. The P/B ratio favors “old school” companies with a lot of assets.

2. Intangible assets are not accounted for or they are viewed as liabilities. This ignores many research, technology and service-based companies.

3. Events like acquisitions and share repurchases artificially deflate or inflate the P/B ratio, respectively.

Because P/B does not provide a complete picture of corporate health in and of itself, it should be paired with another parameter: the ROE.

ROE

Return on equity is defined as a company’s net income divided by its shareholders’ equity:

ROE = Net Income/Shareholders’ Equity

The ROE restates the EPS but on a hard, dollar-to-dollar basis instead of just dividing the company’s earnings by its number of shares (which can be increased or repurchased anyway). A company’s ROE and P/B should rise and fall with respect to each other- if they don’t, something is intrinsically wrong with the company. After all, a company with a high ROE should attract investors who bid a higher price on the stock. In some cases, though, a company might have a high P/B yet a low ROE. This indicates that company growth in terms of its stock price has not translated to improved company profitability. Without increased profits, shareholder value will stagnate. As such, this company would be a company to steer clear of.

ROI

The whole point of investing is for you to achieve an ROI or return on investment. The most basic ROI can be calculated using the following formula:

ROI = (Gain – Cost)/Cost

While the formula itself seems self-explanatory, remember that stock gains can include dividends, price appreciation or both. Alternately, you may have stock depreciation mixed in with dividends. Then there are the costs to consider, some of which include trading fees and taxes as well as your original investment sum. It’s important to track these numbers because you certainly want to see a return on your investment.

Also, the IRS taxes you at different levels on dividends as well as short and long-term capital gains. Rumors abound that dividends will soon be taxed as regular income. Capital gains taxes could increase from their current 15% maximum to 20% maximum for long-term investments. Meanwhile, short-term capital gains are being taxed at regular income tax levels.

Taxation of your hard-won stock trading profits is the biggest reason why holding onto stocks for at least one year (or longer) is recommended. Other recommendations for maximizing your ROI will be discussed >next week in my ongoing article series on how to successfully invest in stocks and make a passive income.

Photo credit provided by Florian Richter.