5 Ways to Make Money as a Makeup Artist

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It isn’t a 9 to 5 job, but you can make money as a makeup artist and have total control of your free time.

Traditionally, you can earn a median annual salary of $66,000 (based on data from US Bureau of Labor Statistics), but this is just for a single job. Since makeup artists can create numerous income streams, their income has the potential to grow much more than 66k.

You have two routes: bring your makeup trolley everywhere you go and actually give another person a makeup, or go online and talk about cosmetics. The best thing about this is that you don’t have to choose.

5 Ways to Make Money as a Makeup Artist

You can make money as a makeup artist whether you focus online, offline or both.

Here’s how:

1. Do Makeup for Events

Providing makeup services for other people is the most traditional way of earning through cosmetics. Because not everyone knows how to blend foundations, create shadows and match lippies to the dress or eyes, makeup artists get to earn huge amounts during events such as:

  • Weddings, bridal showers, engagement parties, and similar occasions
  • Prom, junior prom, graduation, and other formal school events
  • photo sessions: may this be solo like Boudoir, family pictures, class picture day, and so on
  • Parties – from birthday parties to girls’ night out, debuts or Quinceañera, and other similar parties may also require makeup services
  • Special events like charity balls, award ceremonies, and other similar events
  • Commercial work – You may get contracts to work as makeup artist for TV shows, ad agencies, music videos and other industries

The amount you could earn from doing makeup for events largely depend on how much your rates are.

Because your job is freelance, you have to consider your own hidden costs such as transportation to the venue, makeup expenses, taxes, etc. and include them into your rate.

Once you decided on your hourly rate, you can now choose from setting package prices, using by-person rates, or any other pricing structure.

2. Teach Applying Makeup

Teaching is a very lucrative discipline no matter what you’re specialization is, but if you’re good with makeup and have the portfolio to back it up, you can make money as a makeup artist teacher.

You have total freedom in the type of makeup lessons you’re going to offer. Some examples would be:

  • One-on-one makeup lessons. Either visit the client’s home, or you meet at your studio.
  • Group lessons. You teach a group of people with certain makeup techniques, such as “day-to-day no makeup look.
  • Professionals. You teach other would-be makeup artists about the trade, from computing hourly rate to choosing the best makeup products to use.

Because these makeup lessons vary, the lesson fees would vary as well.

Generally, teaching professionally (with fellow makeup artists as your students) would cost higher since you’re sharing trade secrets and potentially creating your own competition with every lesson.

If you have the credentials or name to attract a bunch of students, you can also look for a teaching gig at the local Cosmetology School near you.

Imagine how impressive this would look as part of your portfolio.

3. Test and Produce Makeup

One of the most traditional jobs as a makeup artist is working at the hair salon, day spa, or the local store’s makeup counter.

If you love testing makeup products and is looking for ways to gather experience without breaking your budget, these gigs will surely help you gain the knowledge and practice hours you’d need to hone your skills.

Another way to make money as a makeup artist is to produce your own makeup line. This will probably be exclusive to makeup artists who have a lot of experience and plenty of following. If your career is in the level of brand ambassador, you can find white label makeup and produce your own line.

It isn’t going to be easy, but if you have the market and knowledge, the rewards would totally surpass any other way you could make money as a makeup artist.

4. Write Makeup Reviews

Here’s another way to test makeup and get paid from the experiments.

You can write makeup reviews for a third-party company (and get paid per review with a flat fee, or commissions for every referral).

You can also post all the reviews on your website to get 100% of the future revenues. This is a passive income type of earning, so you have to have a ton of patience with the returns.

If you have a good following on Instagram, you can also share your makeup reviews there and make use of any of the income-generating possibilities on Instagram.

5. Make Money Doing Makeup Tutorials on YouTube

Creating makeup tutorials for YouTube is probably the most popular way you make money as a makeup artist these days.

And for good reason. YouTube earns billions of dollars each year and has made ordinary people millionaires from different parts of the world.

Here’s how you can make money with your YouTube channel:

  • AdSense – As an AdSense publisher, all the videos you upload to YouTube will have relevant ads that could earn you money whenever viewers watch the ads. Although the earning per ad view is very small (a few cents per view), this adds up if you have numerous videos on your channel.
  • Affiliate marketing – With affiliate marketing, you mention the makeup on your tutorials, add a link to Amazon (or any other online store) on the video description and earn commissions when the ad-clicker buys anything from that store. Like the Adsense ads, the more videos with affiliate links you publish, the higher your commissions could potentially become.
  • Sponsorships – Partner with makeup brands, promote their products on your YouTube videos and earn a pre-agreed upon amount either per video, monthly, or any other payment structure. Note that this isn’t for beginners, since brands usually go to YouTubers with plenty of subscribers already.
  • Direct selling – If you have your own makeup line (or other products within your niche), you can sell them directly by showcasing them on your YouTube videos.
  • Market your makeup/event business – You won’t earn directly from promoting your brick-and-mortar business, but the exposure those YouTube videos you put out into the world could lead to jobs doing makeup for events, regular contracts for agencies, and other opportunities.

If you need more help with any of these techniques above, I’ve talked about them more comprehensively with my ‘How to Make Money on YouTube’ post.

The Bottom Line

You see, you don’t have to be stuck working a 9 to 5 job if you’re a professional makeup artist. You can expand and grow your own career by mixing and matching the opportunities above.

I recommend you take both quick-cash (doing makeup for events, teaching gigs) and passive-income generating “jobs” (writing makeup reviews or doing makeup tutorials online). Both of these opportunities will give you financial freedom after working at it for a year or two.

How to Sell Baked Goods from Home in 6 Easy Steps

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For people who are gifted with making sweet creations and have been the go-to cake-maker of family reunions, and even gotten treats giveaways or cupcake commissions from friends, the next progression is deciding how to sell baked goods from home.

And why not?

You have the skills, the passion, the market, and now you just have to make it official.

This post will guide you on how to sell baked goods from home, regardless of how big or small you’d like the business to go.

6 Steps to Take to Sell Baked Goods from Home

Selling baked goods to your officemates or family friends can bring you extra cash to your savings, but if you want to make this side gig income a lot bigger, follow these 6 steps:

1. Complete Legalities

The business permits and requirements will depend largely on your location. You may need one, any or all of the following:

  • Create a business entity (like an LLC or partnership) – Launching a business entity is smart because it separates your personal assets if ever your ex-customers decide to sue you for getting sick from eating your baked goods.
  • Business license – Most cities require a business permit regardless of how big or small you plan your business to be. Note that this license is needed for you to operate the business, but you might be required to obtain additional permits to run a food business from home, such as ‘food preparation license’ or ‘food handler permit’.
  • Zoning board permission – Sometimes, in-home businesses might not be allowed to open up shop in the residential area where you live. Check the zoning board about their policies or requirements to be given permission.
  • Health and fire department approval – When obtaining a food business permit, one major part of that process is to seek approval from the city’s health department and fire department. They will visit your home, check your kitchen (or any area where you’ll be baking) and give recommendations on how to renovate your kitchen to be fit for producing baked goods.
  • Sales tax – Some states will require you to collect sales tax on your baked goods and pay either monthly  or quarterly.
  • Insurance – Seek advice from an insurance company to determine the insurance type you need to run your home-based baking business.

Of course, the easiest way to learn which permits you’ll need is to go visit city hall.

They’ll direct you where to go, from the health or fire department, to the business regulations office, and so on. Prepare to pay fees for permits – these are rarely free of charge.

2. Gather Supplies

This will become a major part of your business plan, since gathering all the ingredients and supplies will give you an idea of how much investment you’ll need to start your business. During this phase, you should be able to:

  • Write a business plan – Not only will getting a business plan set-up help you in assessing finances, it will also help in anticipating the future.
  • Decide on you main products – Focus on your best-sellers, before expanding your menu. Once you settle into your new business, you’ll learn which ones are more profitable and marketable.
  • Make a list of ingredients – This includes flour, sugar, eggs, and any other items you’ll need to create your baked goods. You’ll have to replenish these ingredients regularly, so it is better to have a pantry or storage room to keep them organized and easier to detect once a particular ingredient is running low.
  • Make a list of supplies – Separate cooking equipment you’ll only need to buy once in a few years (such as oven, stand mixer, and so on) with supplies you’ll need regularly (like spatula or cupcake liners).
  • Decide on packaging for your baked goods – Go with a box, plastic, or an eco-friendly packaging. Regardless of the type of packaging you choose, you’ll get discounts when you buy in bulk.

Once you’ve gathered all the supplies, it would take you several weeks or a few months to have a regular shopping regimen for your ingredients. Make sure to keep all receipts so you’ll be able to do accounting accurately.

Sell cupcakes from home

3. Set-up Your Online Accounts

I know marketing can be scary, but the internet has allowed small businesses to thrive and compete with better-financed companies because promoting your baked goods business online is virtually free.

However, you do have to set-up these accounts and manage them by adding news, promos, and other relevant posts. For starters, make sure you build online presence on:

  • Facebook – Create a business page, set-up cover and profile photos, list down contact information, and update it with at least 1 post a week.
  • Instagram – Instagram is a haven for drool-worthy pictures, so there’s no better way to promote your baked goods than to share photos of them on Instagram. There are different ways to earn money from Instagram, but if you’re smart with marketing, there really is no need to explore other methods.
  • Twitter – For quick announcements and answering inquiries, Twitter is a great platform because it is designed to keep messages short.
  • Pinterest – Like Instagram, Pinterest is filled with beautifully-crafted photos. The main difference is that Pinterest could serve as your online menu or product catalog, while Instagram is a bit more informal for anything-goes kinds of posts.

All these platforms give you additional (but paid) marketing tools when you’re ready to expand. Boosted posts on Facebook is a good example and a cheaper way to promote your baked goods to a targeted audience.

4. Market Locally

Aside from getting the word out about your baked-goods business online, you also must be promoting your products locally. Print out fliers and posters, then post it on bulletin boards and other storefronts (with permission from storeowners of course).

The great thing about home-made products is that places like the Farmers Market welcome small business owners like you with open arms. As such, slots get filled out pretty quickly when registration opens up. Be on the lookout for the next dates and locations will be.

And if you’re having a hard time getting a slot into your local farmer’s market, here’s a comprehensive guide to ensure you always do.

Sell donuts from home

Word of mouth is still important, so make sure you build an excellent rapport with customers and your products would do the promoting for you.

When customers taste your baked goods and they become a fan, there’s a good chance that they’ll send referrals your way.

5. Keep Track of Incoming and Outgoing Funds

Tracking expenses and revenues is important to any business, since it is a solid representation of your gains or losses. You can track cost traditionally with files and folders, or you can utilize a do-it-for-you service like ShoeBoxed.

Make sure you begin your operations with a bookkeeping system, so you wouldn’t have to rush during tax season.

If you’re hiring people, set up a payroll system as well.

6. Expanding Your Business

If you’ve set up everything and you feel that your business is ready to jump off to another level, there are several things you should consider:

  • Product research – Add more items to your menu. Try seasonal offerings. Or make a survey what your existing customers would like you to make.
  • Competition research – Check out what your competitors are doing. You don’t necessarily have to copy everything they’re doing, but if you look at
  • Find partners proactively – Look for restaurants, cafes and other local food shops that will be willing to sell your baked goods on site. This is particularly helpful if your in-home baking business has no storefront.
  • Create an online community – If you don’t have a website yet, make one. You can even create an online community by working on a food blog and sharing recipes. It’s a great way to promote your company without being in-your-face to customers with ads.

The Bottom Line

It goes without saying that your baked goods should be better than most home-baked goods.

It isn’t really necessary to have baking certifications, awards or formal training to build a full-pledged baking business from scratch.

You do have to practice safe food preparation, learn everything about food allergies and other dietary issues. If you have a food service background, that training would have probably been instilled in you until today.

Plus, use the information above as a checklist of-sorts on how to sell baked goods from home and hopefully become one of the hundreds of home bakers with thriving small businesses in the country.

If you’re not into baking, you can earn money from your garden if you’re a green thumb or sell your food products to the nearest grocery store.

Here’s How to Get Paid to Shovel Snow

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You may think that shoveling a neighbor’s driveway is only a teenager’s job, you’d be surprised to know that you can get paid to shovel snow, earn big bucks from just a few hours of work each day, and turn it into a snow-shoveling business.

Although seasonal, the trick to snow-shoveling as a business is to find a market, organize your time, and choose the right tools.

And if you’re still doubting how you can turn this into a real business, check out the steps below:

Snow-shoveling Business 101

For this to work as a full-scale business, you need several things:

  • Location – This is important. You need to reside in a city that gets heavy snow every year. It wouldn’t be feasible traveling to another state just to offer your snow-shoveling business.
  • Good health – If you, the business owner, will also be the one shoveling snow, you’d have to be able to take the intense labor you’re going to face. This is especially true if you want to stick to traditional snow shovels, instead of going for a more advanced equipment like an electric snow shovel or snow thrower. And since you will be outdoors in winter for several hours, your body should be able to take the climate day in, day out until the season ends.
  • Personality – The only thing that would give you an edge over your big snow-shoveling business competition is how many of your first customers are friends, family members and referrals. Because of this, your business will always have a personal touch, so your personality will definitely be a major factor in keeping and maintaining your clients.
  • Equipment – Technically, you can launch this business even if you just borrow a friend’s snow shovel. But this business require you to work smart and better equipment (like an electric shovel or snow thrower) would make the job a lot quicker, and let you accommodate more customers.
  • Time – Let’s face it, if you only have a couple of hours available each day, you couldn’t earn enough to consider snow shoveling as a business. There has to be a balance of having time to cater to several jobs and not stretching yourself too far.

Like any kind of business, you’ll need a business plan. You must identify your market and determine how you would like to approach marketing (by word-of-mouth, local ads, online, and so on).

It’s important to invest  in either better equipment or additional people (either a partner or employee). You’d like to accept as much jobs as possible during heavy snowfall, but you can’t do it if you’re using only a conventional shovel. Just think of the customers you’re going to have to say “no” to if you’re still working on a job all by yourself.

How Much Can You Get Paid to Shovel Snow?

You need to be able to decide on pricing before offering your services.

In general, you can get paid to shovel snow from $25 to $75 an hour, or from $100 to as high as $500 per job. The range will depend on several factors, such as:

Hourly vs. set fees

Hourly fees are better for larger properties with bigger areas to clear, such as longer sidewalks or drives, simply because it would take longer to complete the job.

On the other hand, you can also set pricing to certain packages, such as $25 for quick snow blowing under 10 feet area and below 2-inch snow, or $150 for 5-inch snow within a 24 feet driveway.

I recommend you find out how long you can shovel a driveway, sidewalk and so on. Take note of the area size and the amount of snow when you fulfill your initial jobs, so you’ll be able to charge more appropriately in the future.

Location and Demand

The demand for snow shoveling services will depend largely on where you are. Cities that have yearly snowfall will have higher demand for shoveling snow.

In the same vein, if your area has no big companies that offer snow shoveling, you’ll have a higher chance of making it big.

It’s all about supply and demand – the more snow to clear, the higher demand is for shoveling. And with no other business to take care of this demand, you can price your services a bit higher than other areas.

Other Considerations

When pricing your service, consider transportation cost (if you go to the client’s location by car), and maintenance of your equipment.

If you’re going to be using a snow blower, make sure to list down gas as an added expense.

Equipment and Tools

As I said earlier, you can start this business even with just you and a basic shovel in hand. Some people have ZERO investment when they began. But they worked their butts off during intense snowfall to cater to as many clients possible.

However, if you have some funds as you launch this business, consider buying:

  • Additional shovel – You can buy any shovel for as low as $10 and it could last you for a good year. Adding shovels to your equipment ensure you sustain your business even if your existing set of shovel.
  • Traditional shovels with advanced features – You can also go for shovels with wheels or snow pusher/plow to make the job easier. It would cost a bit more than traditional shovels, but it isn’t as labor intensive as before.
  • Electric snow shovel – These cost somewhere above $50 to $200 depending on how long the cables you need and features you’d like to get. There are also battery-powered variations, if you’re not a fan of cords.
  • Snow blower/thrower – Spare $100 to $1000, if you’re interested in buying a snow blower. There are corded electric models, cordless electric snow blowers, and gas-powered snow blowers.
  • Snowplow for your truck – These removable snow plow kits attach to the front of your truck. They look massive, since they cater to larger spaces like outdoor commercial parking, or driveways of mansions.

Get Paid to Shovel Snow with Apps

Shovler is a cool mobile app that caters to both snow-shoveling businesses and the clients looking for these services. It is free to download, but Shovler does get a cut of your fees (15% of it) at the end of a job.

This app makes it a breeze to find people within your community who need their homes or business places shoveled.

As a snow-shoveling business, joining Shovler allows you to accept credit card payments via the app, send you notifications whenever a new job near you is posted.

What’s great about Shovler is that the app computes rates for each jobs based on the amount of snow, size of area needed cleared, and other factors. In general, Shovler charges $2 per square foot.

The Bottom Line

What makes a shoveling business interesting is that you could start big or small.

You have total control on how much you want to expand it – you can be aggressive with promoting via local ads, hunting through Facebook groups, and a wide range of marketing techniques. Or you can keep it small and cater only to family and friends.

Living in a colder climate can sometimes be a hassle, but if you use this time each year to offer your snow shoveling business, you can add significant income to your finances even if you only open up shop during winter.

How to Land a 2020 Census Job and Make $25/hr

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The 2020 Census jobs are now open for applications, so if you have several weeks of free time available, you can be one of the hundreds of thousands of temporary workers hired across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Why would you want to apply to these jobs, you ask? Well, you’ll enjoy flexible work hours, paid training, weekly paychecks and competitive wages.

This post explains everything you need to know about applying to Census temp jobs, how much you can earn, who are qualified, and what types of positions are available.

Types of 2020 Census Jobs Available

Here are the 5 types of 2020 Census jobs:

1. Census Takers

These temp workers help in collecting responses from households that haven’t responded to the census.

You can apply for this position from January to April 2020.

Paid training is scheduled to begin in March and end on mid-May. Actual work occurs from May through July 2020.

  • Location: Field
  • Available positions: Hundreds of thousands across the country
  • Work hours: Since the job is done in the field, work has flexible hours and would depend on the area you’re assigned to. However, most census takers will be required to work on weekends or in the evenings.

2. Census Field Supervisors

They will serve as the supervisor of census takers working in the field.

Their roles would vary on a day-to-day basis, but focus on monitoring performance of census takers and ensuring quotas are met on time.

Applications and job offers will be made until February 2020.

  • Location: Field, office and at-home
  • Available positions: Thousands across the country
  • Work hours: Work schedules follow regular business hours, but can extend to evenings or weekends on specific days.

3. Recruiting Assistants

They’re like HR people, but exclusively working for the Census Bureau.

These recruiting assistants promote employment opportunities available in the U.S. Census and recruit local residents.

They are also the ones assigned to talk to media outlets, communities and other groups about current Census jobs. Compared to other jobs on this list, this one isn’t available at all times, but opens periodically throughout the 2020 Census.

  • Location: Field
  • Available positions: Thousands across the country
  • Work hours: Follows business hours, but can be flexible depending on the location assigned.

4. Clerk

These admin jobs are in-demand and handle many clerical tasks, such as recruitment, payroll, and other functions.

Job offers will be made periodically throughout the 2020 Census.

  • Location: Work is done at census offices across the country
  • Available positions: Thousands of slots
  • Work hours: Follows business hours, but could also extend to evenings and weekends depending on the area.

5. Office Operations Supervisor

These supervisors manage activities of Census clerks.

They work in or near U.S. Census Bureau offices and manage work schedules, conduct quality checks, and wear many hats to ensure operations run smoothly on a day-to-day basis.

  • Location: Work is done at census offices across the country
  • Available positions: Thousands of slots
  • Work hours: Follows business hours, but could also extend to evenings and weekends depending on the area.

How to Apply

To be eligible for any of the jobs above, you should be a U.S. citizen, 18 years old (or older) with a valid Social Security number, valid email address and fully completed application form.

You only need to submit your application ONCE. Your background and answers to the application assessment questions will determine which type of job you’d likely excel the most.

Applicants interested in being considered for supervisory positions must answer additional questions, which take approximately 10 minutes to answer.

For all positions, other requirements include:

  • Ability to speak, read and write in English
  • Basic computer and internet skills
  • Fingerprinting, criminal background checks
  • Complete training
  • Valid driver’s license (or access to a vehicle)

Non-citizens may be hired, only if no other applicants are willing to take the job.

If you’re bilingual, you have an edge over your competition because the Census Bureau is always looking for temp who can speak other languages other than English.

However, you may still be required to take an English proficiency exam.

Applicants located in Puerto Rico have the option of completing their application forms in either Spanish or English, but the assessments are only allowed to be completed in Spanish. Puerto Rico-based supervisory positions and office-based Census jobs are also required to pass the English proficiency exams.

Sometimes, additional documents may be required after the interview.

You can check the status of your application here.

How Much Can You Earn from these 2020 Census Jobs?

The U.S. Census Bureau only released hourly wages of clerks and census takers. Their pay ranges from $13 to $30 per hour, which depends largely on the town and state you applied to.

To check exact wages, find your location on the drop-down menu to see pay rates near you.

Temporary 2020 Census employees are paid weekly through direct deposit or a paycheck in the mail.

The first paycheck arrives 2 weeks after the first day of work, then every 7 days for subsequent paychecks.

If you were a bit worried about driving to the field, you’d be glad to know that you can be reimbursed for authorized work expenses such as mileage incurred while conducting census work.

Extra Side Hustle after Field Work

The cool thing about doing field work and having flexible working hours is that you can still participate in other side gigs after working your Census jobs.

Here are just several examples, but you can incorporate them into your schedule as you wish:

The Bottom Line

Unfortunately, these 2020 Census jobs are only temporary. If you enjoyed your temp job at the Census Bureau, you can always check USA Jobs or the Census Careers page to see what other permanent jobs are available for your profession.

Don’t have time to work, but would love to receive free government money? (Click this guide to know about your options for free government money)

If you weren’t lucky enough to get a slot this year, don’t worry. Each year, the U.S. Census Bureau opens up these temp jobs once again. Add it into your calendar, so you’re ready next year.

Have you experienced working for Census before? Would you recommend applying for these jobs? Would love to hear about first-hand experiences from anyone below…

How to Make Money by Flipping Furniture

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How To Make Money By Flipping Furniture

Flipping various items has proven to be a lucrative side hustle for many entrepreneurs. Clothes, shoes, electronics, and even houses can all be flipped for a profit.

Furniture is yet another one of those items that can be flipped, and probably one of the more profitable ones, that is if you have the skills.

Repairing and redecorating damaged furniture reduces waste and helps contribute to saving the environment.

Also, there’s something satisfying and fulfilling about transforming something that’s worn, damaged, or even merely unattractive into a useful work of art.

Here is all you need to learn about how to make money from flipping furniture: how profitable it is, as well as how and where to buy used furniture,

Can You Make Money Flipping Furniture?

It’s possible to make money from flipping furniture, but it all depends on your existing tools and materials, skills, and artistry.

Having all the woodworking or metalworking tools considerably reduces your overhead and initial spending. The same goes for materials like paint, varnish, etching acid, etc.

Furniture repainting

If you have to buy tools before you start, it might set you back some and you start your endeavor already too deep in the red.

You can try renting tools from places like Home Depot to minimize your initial costs and then purchase tools for yourself when you start turning in profit.

Cleaning and polishing furniture are relatively simple tasks, but refurbishing and repairing furniture take considerable skills.

Of course, you can take carpentry, woodworking, and metalworking classes locally, but again, this involves cost before you even start. Alternatively, you can learn by watching various instructional videos on YouTube. Real-time feedback on what you’re doing is very limited, but it’s free to learn online.

Even without these skills, though, you can start buying used furniture, simply cleaning them, and then reselling them for a profit.

However, because you can’t add anything to the furniture to considerably increase its value, you’re limited to flipping furniture that’s already in good condition, which is more expensive to buy.

Bottom line: Flipping furniture is most profitable for people who already have experience and comfortable repairing, remodeling, and redecorating used furniture.

Things To Consider When Buying Used Furniture

Type of furniture

There are many different types of furniture that you’d need to familiarize yourself with.

Types of furniture to flip

Wood furniture, when built and maintained correctly, can last for decades. In addition, there is a huge market for pieces of furniture that have been refinished so that it retains its old-world charm while finding its place in a modern home.

Upholstered furniture can also be profitable; simply cleaning the upholstery can spruce the look of the furniture, but reupholstering it can give it a whole new look that buyers may be more willing to spend on.

Another type of furniture that you can flip is outdoor furniture, although they don’t fetch as much as indoor furniture. The wear and tear may be a tad more than indoor pieces, so keep that in mind when you buy this type of furniture.

Antiques are one of the most profitable types of furniture that you can flip if you find the right target market. Because they’re higher in value, the level of scrutiny should also be higher.

Condition upon buying

If you’re buying something that’s already in good condition, you minimize the amount of work you put into it.

It might cost a bit more, but saving on materials, labor, and time can offset the cost and still give you a nice profit.

Uniqueness of the design

You want something one-of-a-kind so that your buyers don’t feel like they’re buying something they can buy from anywhere.

But you need to balance this with its functionality. For example, if a chair looks distinctive but you can’t sit in it, it’s worthless.

A uniquely designed furniture that doesn’t function as it should is no use to anyone.

Where To Buy Used Furniture

Shipping and freight for heavy items like furniture may prove to be too expensive, so you might not want to order from too far away.

Now that you know what to look for when shopping for used furniture, here are some of the places where you can find and buy used furniture for flipping.

1. Thrift Shops

These are probably what first comes to mind when you say “used furniture.”

Thrift shop furniture

You can find good deals in thrift shops, secondhand stores, or charity shops, but just because it’s in a thrift store doesn’t automatically mean that it’s a bargain. It’s possible to find used, even slightly damaged items priced even higher than retail prices.

2. Garage Sales/Yard Sales

When one of your neighbors or other local people in your area do a Marie Kondo or plan to move out and get rid of their old stuff, you’ll want to be there.

They’re highly motivated to sell off their furniture and might be more willing to negotiate with you for a lower price.

3. Estate Sales And Auctions

Estate sales are a good place to find well-loved used furniture. An appraiser normally determines the value of the furniture before it gets offered, so the price isn’t as low as you’d find in garage sales.

Your local paper should have a list of estate sales in your area, or you can go to a website like Find Estate Sales.

If you can find businesses that are closing, they normally sell their assets for a much lower price than retail. Furniture businesses are of course ideal, but pretty much any business that has furniture can be a goldmine of used furniture.

You might get an even better price if you have a lot of cash to spare and can buy their furniture as a lot.

4. Flea Markets And Vintage Markets

Flea markets are another good source of used furniture. The good thing about flea markets is that there are many sellers in one place and thus, they’re driven to sell their merchandise at lower prices, as there’s plenty of competition in one place.

Vintage markets aren’t very different from flea markets; they’re places where home goods and furnishings are old enough to be collectible but not old enough to be antiques.

5. Online through Craigslist

Craigslist, the modern-day local classified ads, is another great source of used furniture from people in your area.

Since Craigslist is a free platform for displaying ads and not really a marketplace, they don’t provide payment or shipping facilities. It’s up to you and whoever you’re buying from to meet up and exchange goods and cash.

Thus, you’d have to be careful. There’s a reason why there are plenty of scammers in Craigslist and you need to exercise the utmost care. Meet up in public spaces as much as you can, take a companion with you if you can, always inspect the furniture carefully, and never ever pay first before you meet up.

Where To Sell Refurbished Furniture

As I’ve mentioned, shipping and freight for furniture may be too expensive, so it’s best to sell your pieces locally.

Of course, if a not-so-local buyer wants to buy your items and is willing to shoulder the cost of having the item sent to them, then there’s no reason not to accommodate them.

Here are some of the places where you can sell your overhauled furniture.

1. Online Through Craigslist Or Other Selling Apps

Selling locally is a better option than selling online, and Craigslist and mobile selling apps let you do just that.

Flipping furniture on Craigslist is as simple as buying them. But if you’re the one selling, you’ll need to market your furniture better, which also applies when you’re selling them through other selling applications.

Clear photos from multiple angles, materials used, size and dimensions, as well as any other details of your furniture should be included in your listing.

It also helps to mention the work you did on the furniture, such as any repairs, paint jobs, upholstery changes, etc.

These details attract serious and interested buyers.

You also should learn to protect yourself from scammy buyers, too. Make sure you’re meeting in a public place, such as the mall or any other building or structure that hosts plenty of people.

If meeting in a public space isn’t possible, such as if the item is too big or if you have some restrictions in driving or in motion, at least do the exchange in a publicly visible area such as your garage, porch, front yard, or anywhere else that people on the outside can see.

Never give up your item without at least seeing the money.

Here are the five selling apps that we highly recommend.

2. Consignment Shops Or Used Furniture Dealers

If you want a quick way to move inventory, this is a good way to sell your used furniture. In addition, selling through a third party give you exposure to a wider clientele who might want to deal with you directly in the future.

The advantage is that they come to wherever your furniture is, appraise it, and take it off your hands if they think they can sell it at a profit.

However, you might not get the best price for your items because these dealers also have to make a profit. It might help to think of this minor loss as the price for being able to offload your stock quickly, exposure to new clientele, and having someone else handle selling your items.

3. Flea Markets And Vintage Markets

Renting a space in your local flea market and selling your furniture from there is another good way to sell your furniture.

Buyers who shop at flea markets are normally on the hunt for original, well-made furniture that can’t be found elsewhere.

A good strategy to sell your pieces quickly is to have an attractive display and access to foot traffic so that buyers can see your items on display.

4. Garage Sales

Hosting a garage sale is another way to attract local people to your merchandise.

Advertise your items for sale through your community boards, if you have them, and then invite them to your garage sale.

It’s probably not a good idea to be posting your home address on public bulletin boards, though. Either hold a garage sale in a public space or post contact details such as your email address and phone number so you can send your address in private.

5. Thrift Shops

Selling your pieces to thrift shops should be your last resort, if at all.

You want your furniture to sell at a good price, but shoppers at thrift stores expect low-priced items, so you might not earn enough to make it worth your while.

Tips To Earn More From Flipping Furniture

Learn how to negotiate.

Haggling is a huge part of flipping anything; you want to buy cheap and sell high.

Knowing how to negotiate a good price for the furniture you’re buying to flip allows you to get a good selling price for your refurbished furniture as well.

Avoid working with fake wood.

You want to put out quality furniture every single time, not only to build your reputation but also to get repeat business and solid referrals.

To produce high-quality furniture that lasts for years, you need to stay away from low-quality materials, such as particle board or medium-density fiberboard (MDF).

Those pieces won’t last, no matter how much you sand them or how pretty you paint them.

Know how to take eye-catching photographs of your merchandise.

Half of your business is advertising and convincing your target market to buy your furniture.

A big part of it is making sure that the visual aspect of your marketing is done well. There are plenty of online courses that teach how to take awesome photographs of furniture that showcase details as well as display their overall aesthetic.

Consider expanding your business to doing custom work.

Sometimes, customers want to keep their furniture but also turn it into something unique to them and their taste without having to buy new pieces.

You can monetize your skills in revamping furniture without having to look for furniture to buy and flip. Thus, you can make more money from the same work.

However, before you can make this into a profitable venture, you’d have to have a solid customer base to do this work for and to spread the word, so consider doing this later on in your business.

Quality always trumps quantity.

This is the most important thing to keep in mind if you want to be successful in this business.

This applies to everything. For instance, it’s better to use quality tools and materials that are a bit more expensive rather than settle for cheaper but lower-quality ones.

In addition, putting out fewer, excellently made pieces is a better strategy than churning out inferior furniture.

Is Flipping Furniture For You?

As you’ve probably gathered by now, buying and overhauling furniture can be a profitable way for you to make some side cash.

Hopefully, I’ve given you everything you need to get started flipping furniture and making some side cash from it.

Other Things You Can Flip To Make Money

Buying and selling furniture isn’t for everyone, though.

If you decide that flipping furniture isn’t for you, or maybe you just want to up your flipping game, here are some other items that you can buy at a bargain and then sell:

 

Is refurbishing furniture already something you dabble in? Or is it something you’re interested in learning? Tell us in the comments section below!

5 Places to Get a Free Business Phone Number

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While many of us might not make a lot of phone calls anymore (at least, I know I prefer to mostly send text messages), businesses still do and that’s because speaking to a client over the phone is just easier and builds more trust than an email can.

If you’re a small business owner, gig-worker, or a freelancer then you might want to look into these services that provide free business phone numbers.

Here’s why it’s important to get a separate phone number for your business:

I know that as a small business owner you need to save where you can. Having a free business number for your side-gig not only spares you the cost of getting a landline or an additional phone plan but it also adds a sense of credibility and professionalism to your business.

These days, a lot of people tend to just use their personal phone number as their business number, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, some of our personal lives tend to spill over that way.

For instance, if the client has a messenger like WhatsApp too (which is likely since it’s such a hugely popular messaging service), then they will see all of your profile pictures, statuses, and updates.

On top of that, keeping things organized on a phone that’s used for both your business ventures and personal life gets tricky after a while.

Luckily, there are a number of ways you can get a free business phone number here in the US. I’ve listed some of them below so you can find one that fits your needs.

Do Freelancers and Gig-Workers Really Benefit From Having a Business Phone Number?

It might not seem like it, but yes, you can benefit from getting a separate phone number for your business whether you’re starting a catering business or you have your own floral boutique at home.

Depending on the work you do, you’ll have to pitch to clients, save important contacts, maintain a list of leads, and set up a schedule so you don’t forget anything.

Getting a free business phone number means you can do all of that without having to pay for an additional phone number or another phone.

Though some people do like having a separate phone for work, which is fine as well – it doesn’t have to be an expensive one and you can still use a free phone number on it instead of going for a full plan.

While having a business phone number won’t help you with your scheduling, it can help you keep your personal phone number out of the public eye. There are a number of benefits attached to that, but the two ones that instantly come to mind are:

– not getting bombarded by spam, and

– not having to deal with creeps who now have your phone number.

But probably one of the biggest positives to having an independent phone number for your business is that you don’t have to answer it after hours. Once you’re done for the day, you can just mute those calls and even set up an automatic answering system that says you’ll call them back the next day.

How do Free Business Phone Numbers Work?

Most free business numbers are either virtual or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) numbers. There are a few places that provide this type of service and they will either be able to provide you with a local number or a toll-free number, or both.

Make sure to check that distinction before you sign up. If your clients are spread out across the country then you should opt for the toll-free number instead of the local option.

There are also a couple of different ways this could work. You could do your inbound and outbound calls over a desktop phone. But you would need a headset with a microphone for that.

Otherwise, you can just have your business calls forwarded to your regular phone. This works just as well and is the better option if you tend to frequently be out of the office during work hours.

5 Free Business Phone Number Services

1. Google Voice

We use Google services for pretty much everything these days – from getting work done in Docs or Sheets, to using our Google Calendars for scheduling appointments. So, of course, there’s a Google Voice as well.

The Google Voice app is pretty easy to use and you should be fairly familiar with its setup if you already use any other Google services. The app lets you make free calls (and send free text messages) on your computer and Android or iOS phones.

It comes with some great features too, including the ability to filter spam calls – something all of us need these days – and transcribe voicemails so you can read them later.

This free service is really great for anyone that travels around a lot, but the only caveat is that it supplies you with a local number. If you need a toll-free number to connect with clients in other states then you’ll need to go for a different option. Luckily there are plenty of others!

2. Phone.com

This is a fairly well-known VoIP service that is easy to use on both desktop and mobile devices.

This service isn’t technically free as they have a few pricing plans based on the number of minutes you can call every month. However, their base plan (currently $13/month) does come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and so I felt they warranted a mention here because Phone.com is pretty popular.

The service offers a long list of standard and premium features, that I’m not going to go through here. But a few noteworthy mentions include professional voice recording, voicemail to email, Caller ID (for incoming and outgoing calls), and hold music.

Phone.com provides both local and toll-free numbers which means you’re free to choose the option that best suits you.

3. eVoice

This virtual phone service offers both local and toll-free business phone numbers to people in the US and Canada. It comes with a 30-day free trial, after which you’ll have to pay a monthly subscription, unfortunately.

There are several perks to eVoice, though, and they have a few different subscription tiers to choose from so you can pick a cheap tier if you don’t need a lot of bells and whistles.

There are some terrific bells and whistles, however, if you want them. You’ll get to choose your own number from a list, have a professionally recorded greeting, and get an auto attendant who answers your calls and can route calls to your smartphone or another device (or both if one is for customer service and the other is for billing, for instance).

4. CallCentric

CallCentric is a great option if you want a free business number for inbound calls because it’s free to receive any number of calls on the service. But if you want to make calls yourself, then you’ll have to pay.

That said, any calls you make to other CallCentric or VOIP numbers are also free. And if you do need to make calls to non-VOIP numbers then their plans are still a fantastic option. You get 120 minutes a month for just $2 on the basic plan.

5. FreedomVoice

This is another service that offers a free 30-day trial, after which you’ll have to pay $10 per month (for the basic plan). While this isn’t ideal considering you actually want a free service, the perks help make up for it, at least.

With FreedomVoice you also get a virtual auto assistant, can forward calls to any phone, have unlimited voicemail, and the ability to send and receive faxes online.

If you want, you can also opt to get a vanity business phone number instead, for a $30 activation fee (luckily it’s once-off). This is a tempting option for anyone who would like a unique and memorable number.

The Bottom Line

Keep in mind though, that calls through any of these services are made over the internet and so you will need a connection to be able to make and receive calls.

Depending on how strong your connection is, you might also experience dropped calls or bad “reception” at times.

Also, remember that any calls you make over a network could be intercepted. Although, there are a couple of things you can do to make sure your business stays safe from online threats (and not just in terms of making a phone call) so be sure to check them out.

10 Places You Can Sell Your Old and Used Laptop for Cash

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How do you sell used laptop without settling for bargain prices? Is it better to sell it whole or for parts?

This is a common dilemma for people who upgraded their laptops even before their existing laptops begin to be problematic. Most of the time, the old laptop ends up being stored away while you decide what to do with it, and eventually forgotten.

If you have an old laptop collecting dust somewhere, the best thing you can do with it is to sell it and recoup some of the money you spent for a new one.

Things to Do Before You Sell Used Laptop

Although you could just hop on eBay and list your used laptop, there are things you must do first to ensure you’re going to end up with a good deal.

Check for damages

Check your laptop for damages. No detail is too small.

Look at the exterior (keyboard, monitor, USB ports, etc.) and interior (hard drives, CD drive, and so on).

Be clear about the defects you know, such as ‘laptop not charging’ and admit if you haven’t found a diagnosis to a broken laptop.

Find the original boxes, cables and other accessories

Prepare the original box that came with your laptop.

If it isn’t available anymore, find the accessories such as charger, cables, manuals, CD installer, and so on.

In general, if you have original accessories still working, you have a higher chance of selling the laptop for a better price.

Save copies of your files and clear the laptop

You also have to copy your files, photos, videos, and even browsers (with saved passwords).

The easiest route is to move it to Google Drive, or any cloud-based storage you have. Once you’ve saved everything, just delete all your files and reformat the laptop.

If the laptop isn’t working when you plan to sell it, find out how to retrieve files off a hard drive.

Know the value of your used laptop

Like all kinds of gadgets, the value of laptops decrease quickly.

You should visit appraisal sites like Gadget Value to learn how much you could sell your laptop for.

It’s important to know the make and model of the laptop to get the most accurate estimate possible.

Unfortunately, the site only values laptops from the last 10 years, so you can only get laptops from 2010 to the current year appraised.

Compare pricing

Visit buy and sell sites like eBay and search for the laptop make and model.

Do this for all similar sites, so you could get an idea how much you could sell your laptop.

Now that you’ve prepped your used laptop for sale, it’s time to list it on (one or all of) your chosen sites below…

10 Places to Sell Your Used Laptop

eBay (with over 170 million users) remains the best place to sell any used items, but Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Groups comes in a close second.

Craigslist isn’t the most intuitive or best-looking design-wise, but it is still a popular way of selling used items locally.

All three are free of charge, so you can list your item there simultaneously.

Note that the list of the best places to sell your used laptop below no longer includes eBay, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.

1. Device Pitstop

Device Pitstop exchanges laptops for cash and accepts trade-in as well. They also accept tablets, smartphones, and game consoles.

Unfortunately, since you do have to bring in the laptop to the store personally, this will only help those living in or near Minnesota, Colorado, Michigan, and Kentucky.

2. Gadget Salvation

This service is a hassle-free one.

You simply fill up a form with details about your laptop, which will help them quote your item properly. Once you agree to the price, they will send you a postage-paid shipping label so you could ship off your laptop to Gadget Salvation via any UPS store.

Once Gadget Salvation receives the laptop, the company’s team will test the laptop and assess if the laptop conditions you stated are accurate.

If not, they might send you a revised offer. You have the option of  accepting or rejecting the offer. You can cancel the deal anytime and still have the laptop shipped back to you free of charge.

If you do accept the offer, expect the payment after 48 business hours via PayPal, bank transfer, Venmo, or check.

3. LetGo, Offer Up, Varage Sale, Close5 and other Buy-and-Sell Apps

Launched in 2015, LetGo lets you sell your laptop (and other items like furniture, cars, clothes, and so on) as quickly as taking a photo and listing it onto the marketplace.

Sellers decide on the price and who they sell the laptop to.

If someone is interested on your used laptop, you have to meet up so they could review the item in person and you could receive the cash once the buyer decides to buy it off your hands.

Offer Up, Varage Sale and Close 5 work exactly the same as LetGo.

4. Mac Me an Offer

As the marketplace of MacOfAllTrades.com, it’s pretty obvious that the site focuses solely on Apple products.

So if you’re trying to sell a Mac, just fill out a form telling them all about your laptop, wait for an estimate and formal offer, then decide if you’re OK with the offer or not.

Once you accept the price, just ship the laptop using Mac Me an Offer’s paid shipping option. Receive the agreed-upon amount within 3 business days via check or PayPal.

5. SellBroke and SellLaptopBack

SellBroke and its sister site SellLaptopBack both let sellers list their laptops and other devices.

Like other marketplaces on this list, SellBroke and SellLaptopBack will quote your item based on your detailed description of the item. They’ll send you a quote back, and if you agree, they’ll give you a pre-paid shipping label via UPS.

There’s one difference though: SellBroke and SellLaptopBack guarantee that all personal information of the seller would be permanently deleted before putting the laptop back on sale.

6. Nextworth

Nextworth has been around for over 12 years and has paid out over $210 million through the 3 million gadgets that has passed their way.

Unlike other sites, Nextworth may not accept certain brands or types of gadgets depending on need.

If you get lucky and the site is accepting your laptop’s make and model, follow the same process of quoting, shipping the device and getting paid through check or PayPal.

7. SellAGadget

This site was launched only in 2017, but it has a pretty solid ranking on TrustPilot.

Like others on this list, the quotation and shipping process are straightforward.

SellAGadget provides free mailing labels through UPS and USPS. Payments are sent via PayPal, Chase Quick Pay, or Amazon.com Gift Card.

8. Swappa

Founded in 2010, Swappa is a user-to-user marketplace for gently used laptops and other devices.

You have control over pricing and who to sell the item to. Swappa just makes it safer and easier to handle payments. The site doesn’t charge seller fees, which gives it an advantage over more popular sites like eBay.

Trade-Ins and Swap Sites

If you’re open to trading your used laptop instead of selling it for cash, there are several programs you may find interesting:

  • Best Buy Trade-in Program – Best Buy’s Trade-in Program makes it easy to get rid of an old gadget. Just let them know about your device’s make, model and condition, wait for an estimate, and if you agree with the offered price, bring it over to a brick-and-mortar store or ship it to Best Buy for free. Payment is via a Best Buy gift card.
  • Amazon Trade-in Program – This program allows customers to receive an Amazon.com Gift Card in exchange for Amazon Devices, laptops, electronics, books, video games, and other eligible items.

The Bottom Line

This is list is everything you need to sell used laptop for cash or trade in for another gadget.

The cool thing about buy and sell marketplaces these days is you can do the transactions from start to finish with minimal effort on your part.

Just send the device using a prepaid shipping label, let the company assess your laptop, and if you (or the company of your choice) do not agree on the price, the laptop will be sent back to you without charge. How easy is that?

So instead of leaving your old laptop collecting dust in a corner of your room, put it to good use and turn them into cash today.

13 Money Making Apps to Turn Your Phone into an ATM

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Before we dive into the best money making apps, let me first ask you…

How much time per day do you spend staring at your phone?

If you’re anything like me, you’re glued to your phone all hours of the day.

In fact, you’re probably reading this article on your phone right now. And if you aren’t you probably glanced at your phone at least twice already to see if there were any new notifications.

There probably wasn’t, but you still looked anyway.

Truth is, we’re addicted to these damn things. But wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to turn that addiction into a little extra cash?

Advertisers are spending more money on mobile ads than any other platform, coming in at around $70 billion per year.

You can get a little slice of the pie just by using the right apps.

I did the research for you and found 13 apps that make you money.

All you have to do is download them and get to work.

You might also want to look at this list of selling apps. These are apps that will pay you money for things you have sitting around your house.

13 Highest Paying Money Making Apps

If you’ve read any other “money making app” list, you’ve probably come across a lot of the same apps or premises.

Answer surveys, shop online, or do mindless stuff on your phone for a few pennies.

Some of those are in here, but I really wanted to explore new avenues for making money off of your phone and I certainly didn’t want any repeat tasks.

The opportunities below are “best in show” meaning these apps pay the most amount of money in their category.

I broke down each section with the app name, what you need to do to get paid, and a screenshot or two of the app in action.

1. nielsen: Get $50 to Download an App

nielsen logo

Want to make $50 just for downloading an app? Nielsen has you covered.

Nielsen is a consumer research agency and they want to know how you use your phone, meaning where you shop, what kind of music you listen to, what websites you visit etc.

They do collect all of this data anonymously and keep your information private.

Why collect it at all? They use your demographics to figure out what people who are similar to you may be interested in or what they may want to buy.

Nielsen app

All you need to do is download their app, install it, and you will earn $50 per year.

2. Google Opinion Rewards: Answer Questions About Yourself

Opinion Rewards Logo

Let’s be real.

Google already knows pretty much everything there is to know about you.

This doesn’t mean they don’t want to know even more. This app will send you a notification to answer a few questions about yourself, your spending habits, your travel habits, or just where you’ve been recently.

Google Opinion Rewards Survey

The short surveys are usually 3 questions long and will net you anywhere from ten cents to a dollar. A survey will usually take less than 30 seconds to answer.

It’s an incredibly quick and easy way to pocket some extra cash. The only drawback is having to wait for the next survey.

3. Foap: Take Pictures

Foap Logo

How many images and videos do you have on your phone?

You probably have more than your phone can even store.

Foap has built a platform for advertisers to connect with phone photographers.

You add your photos to Foap’s portfolio and get paid any time an advertiser wants to use your images.

Foap App Screen

Your images will have to be enticing to advertisers. It’s unlikely candid snapshots are going to net very much money, if any at all.

So make sure you think about things like composition, lighting, and the subject.

The right photo could be worth quite a bit of money.

4. DietBet: Lose Weight

Dietbet Logo

You know how losing weight sucks?

Do you also know how much it sucks to lose money?

Well, DietBet has taken the two ideas and combined them into one hellish app that will help you get fit and make money at the same time.

Dietbet App Screen

You join a pool and bet a certain amount of money that you will lose a certain amount of weight in a certain amount of time.

Everyone who hits their goal, gets a percentage of the prize pool.

Everyone who fails, well, doesn’t.

This app will require you to do a little more work than the others, but you may also live a longer, healthier life.

For the true masochists there is also RunBet, StepBet, and SweatBet.

Download all 4 to slim out your waistline and fatten up your wallet.

5. ShopTracker: Share Your Amazon History

ShopTracker Logo

How many Amazon Prime boxes arrive at your doorstep each week?

Probably a lot.

You can fuel your Amazon shopping addiction and get paid $36 per year just to share what you buy with the ShopTracker app.

Shoptracker App

ShopTracker will automatically send you a gift card each month that you have the app installed.

Installing an app, forgetting about it, and getting paid each month sure beats having to work out for money.

I’m looking at you DietBet.

6. ibotta: Get Paid to Save Money

ibotta logo

ibotta is a shopping app that keeps money in your pocket.

(They’ll also give you $10 just for creating an account.)

Instead of paying full-price for items, ibotta will find coupons or discounts for you.

You scan your phone at checkout, or take a picture of your receipt, and ibotta will deposit CASH back into your account.

ibotta app

You were already going to buy this stuff already. Ibotta just gives you the chance to pay a little bit less than you would have.

Plus, the rewards come in cash money.

Meaning dollars in your account, not points or credits or Schrute bucks.

Deposit your money into a Paypal account, Venmo, or cash out in gift cards.

7. Roadie: Deliver Packages

Roadie Logo

Planning a roadtrip? Going out of town? Just enjoy driving?

Roadie connects businesses with drivers.

You simply download the app, input your route, and Roadie will let you know what options there are for pickup and delivery along the way.

Roadie App

You can earn anywhere from $60 for a local delivery to a whopping $650 for a long-haul drop off.

Best part is, this isn’t Uber.

You are picking up and dropping off packages, not people. You don’t have to entertain strangers or worry about someone throwing up in your back seat.

Roadie drivers get added perks at restaurants and discounts on car services as well.

8. Gigwalk: Complete Local Tasks

Gigwalk logo

Open up the Gigwalk app and you’ll instantly see a list of tasks that need to be done around you.

Most of the tasks revolve around making sure a product is being properly displayed in the store.

You walk to the store, verify the display is being show appropriately and the product is priced correctly, then snap a picture, then get a payout directly to your Paypal account.

Gigwalk App

You pick the gigs that interest you the most.

Pay ranges from $3 to $100 per task completed.

9. SlideJoy: Rent Out Your Lock Screen

Slidejoy Logo

How many times a day do you unlock your phone?

It’s okay, you can round down to the nearest hundred.

It’s a lot right? And you probably don’t even need to look at your phone to unlock it.

Well, SlideJoy will pay you to put a few ads there.

Slidejoy App

The ads are unobtrusive and it’s wasted space anyway.

Now, you can get cash every time you unlock your phone.

You can cash out your earnings directly to a Paypal account or exchange them for gift cards.

Either way, you’re making money by utilizing a screen you would otherwise be ignoring.

10. Swagbucks: Watch Videos

Swagbucks Logo

I’ve been a huge fan of Swagbucks for a few years now.

In fact, I’ve cashed out well over $1,000 since I first joined.

(They also pay you $5 just to sign up!)

Swagbucks gives you the opportunity to make money just by watching videos on your phone.

swagbucks app

You login, watch the videos that interest you, then you get paid.

You can also answer surveys and get cash back when you shop.

You are basically getting paid to Youtube.

11. Acorns: Invest Your Spare Change

Acorns Logo

Acorns is a pretty cool app that works entirely in the background to help you grow your savings account.

Every time you make a purchase, Acorns will round up the total to the nearest dollar, and take your spare change and invest it into the market on your behalf.

Acorns app

So that $3.40 coffee now “costs” $4.00 even, but the extra 60 cents gets added to a stock portfolio and grows silently in the background.

It’s a great way to save up for retirement or even a vacation without even realizing you’re doing so.

(Take notes, DietBet. Someone else doing all of the work for you is way cooler than getting paid to move around.)

12. Userfeel: Test Out Websites

Userfeel Logo

Userfeel is looking for people to open up websites on their phone and narrate their experience using the site.

They want to know what you think, how you interact, what can be improved, and any information you can share about a page.

You will be helping website owners identify and fix problems with their sites.

Each test will run about 15-20 minutes and you will earn $10 for each test completed.

This gives you the opportunity to make up to $40 per hour just by testing website.

Not bad at all.

13. Rover: Walk or Board Dogs

Rover logo

You can get paid to play with dogs.

Seriously.

You can even get paid up to $25 per hour.

How much time have you spent playing with dogs for free!?

Rover connects pet owners with pet lovers. If you have extra time during the day, you can find local dogs that need daily walks, play time, or cuddles and get paid for your services.

Rover App

The real money is in overnight stays. Pet owners don’t want to drop their animals off at kennels any more. If you can provide a safe, friendly space for someone else’s pet, you can make quite a bit a money.

I would suggest signing up for Wag! as well. The premise is exactly the same, play with or board other people’s pets and get paid.

The more sites you join, the better chances you have of getting paid to play with animals.

Finding the Best Apps That Make You Money

I hope this list helps put a few extra dollars in your pocket each month.

Sure, you aren’t going to get rich, but you already use your phone a ton, you might as well have a little extra spending cash at the end of the day.

If you are looking for some quick cash, be sure to read my guide on how to make money online fast. There are 5 tasks in there that if you complete them all (takes about 30 minutes) you’ll make $126.

Let me know if any of the above apps work out for you.

(Am I really going to end this post using the words “work out” and not make another DietBet joke?)

(Yes.)

How to Buy Amazon Returns and Flip for Profit

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A Complete Guide To Buying Amazon Returns

We’ve often heard how one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

But in the case of Amazon returns, one man’s returned goods is another man’s inventory.

Buying Amazon pallets and then selling them doesn’t sound like a solid business plan, but other people have earned thousands of dollars from doing this.

However, just because others have profited doesn’t guarantee that you will, too. The key is knowing everything you can about the process: where to buy the pallets, how you can find good products for flipping, and maximize your profits.

In today’s blog post, we’ll look at how buying Amazon returns and flipping them can be a profitable exercise.

How Do Amazon Returns Work?

Amazon is the world’s largest online retailer, and one of the reasons they’re the biggest in the world is they do their best to make it easy for their customers to buy from their website.

One of the ways they do this is through their return policy.

Amazon’s return policy is a lenient one. For most items, Amazon allows customers to return orders within 30 days of receiving it, whether it was a damaged or defective item or for whatever reason.

The thing is, even though many of these products get returned unopened, and presumably, in the same condition as when they were shipped out, Amazon sellers can’t sell these unopened products back on sale as brand-new.

Shipment delivery

So what happens to all those returns that Amazon readily accepts?

Some of the returned items end up on Amazon Warehouse, where they’re sold at a discount.

The items that end up in Amazon Warehouse are usually those with packages that have been opened, even damaged, and the products have been used but still in good condition.

Amazon liquidates the rest of that returned inventory to small business buyers through their own online US-based liquidation marketplace as well as a European liquidation marketplace.

Business buyers go to these sites and look for liquidation lots of returns and overstock inventory in various sizes and parts.

These lots may have been casually sorted by product category. For instance, home décor, kitchen equipment, apparel. But this isn’t very strict. A liquidation lot marked as containing “home décor” may very well contain random pieces of clothing, toys, or beauty products.

In addition, these lots are sold via auction, much like eBay. That is, buyers can name their price and the highest bidder wins the lot.

Because Amazon only sells these liquidation pallets to businesses, individuals like you Instead, you’re going to purchase from what’s known as a third-party wholesaler or liquidator.

They buy the liquidation lots from Amazon in bulk and then they sell it to smaller businesses and individuals for a profit.

Pros And Cons of Flipping Amazon Returns

Advantages

  • Much lower cost per item than buying retail or even wholesale
  • Can attract more buyers by selling items at competitive prices
  • Can select certain pallets containing certain categories of products

Disadvantages

  • Requires research to find the right liquidator
  • Quality of items in a pallet is hit-or-miss
  • May end up more expensive with the freight costs

Where To Buy Amazon Returns

Here are some reputable places where you can purchase Amazon return pallets.

1. Liquidation.com | Amazon Liquidations

Liquidation.com is probably the largest liquidation company on the internet, working with over 11,000 retailers aside from Amazon.

Similar to eBay, they auction off the pallets based on a starting bid.

They source their Amazon pallets from customer returns from Amazon, as well as through Amazon Liquidations. Not all of the pallets they offer have photos displayed, especially those from Amazon Liquidations from fulfillment centers, which are usually sealed.

Liquidation.com provides a list of the contents of each opened pallet, like those from customer returns. The retail prices are also indicated on the list.

They give you the location of the warehouse they’re shipping out from, but they don’t allow you to pick them up physically. You can opt to let them handle the shipping or find your own shipping service.

2. Direct Liquidation | Amazon Liquidations

Direct Liquidation offers plenty of Amazon pallets, and they also work with other big retailers, such as Walmart, Target, Lowes, and other retailers.

Again, similar to eBay, there’s no fixed price for a pallet. There’s a starting bid based on a percentage of the estimated retail price of all the contents of the pallet and you get to compete with other bidders to get the pallet.

Direct Liquidation also shows photos of the pallet to give you an idea of the condition of the contents, plus it gives you a list of what’s inside plus the estimated retail value.

They indicate the warehouse location, too, so you’d know if it’s driving distance from you, or at least you can estimate how much the freight would cost if you have a pallet sent to you.

3. BULQ

BULQ is another reputable liquidation company that offers pallets at a fixed price. They even have a measurement for what a pallet is: 48”x40”x42”. They also sell smaller units called cases, which measure 24”x20”x23”.

BULQ works with many different retailers, but the website doesn’t have a specific section featuring pallets that they sourced from Amazon, so you’ll have to search for “Amazon” on the search box to see those pallets.

The prices for the pallets are fixed. The shipping fee per pallet is fixed as well at $200, no matter where the pallets are shipped from.

The pallets are organized by category, and the contents of each box are examined for quality, which they list down on the pallet description.

BULQ indicates the quality of the items in the pallet prominently on the pallet page, as well as a detailed list of the items inside plus the retail price of each item. They even guarantee a 98% and up accuracy for this list, or they refund the difference in price.

4. TDW Closeouts

TDW Closeouts offers pallets from various department stores and online retailers, but of the other companies here, they’re the most secretive.

They offer the pallets online, but you can’t order from the website. You have to call them and inquire about what pallets they have available, how much they are, and how to get it shipped to you, wherever you are in the world.

It looks like it’s geared more toward medium to big businesses, not only in the US but worldwide. They’ll ship to various countries.

But if you’re from Florida, specifically in the Fort Lauderdale area, you’re in luck: you can visit their 35,000-square feet warehouse and buy from them directly. They’ll give you better prices as well if you buy direct.

Things To Consider When Buying Amazon Return Pallets

Making money from flipping Amazon return pallets is a relatively new trend, so here are a few tidbits of advice to help you make as much money as you can.

1. Buy only one or two pallets initially from a liquidator.

You’ll want to get an initial, first-hand grasp of what a particular liquidator’s pallets are like.

Not to say that all liquidators aren’t trustworthy, but buying a liquidation lot is already a big risk, and you don’t want to add more risk by going in blind.

2. Manage your expectations of the condition of the items.

The items in the box won’t all be brand-new, in the original packaging.

The packaging, if there’s even any of the original packaging present, will be damaged, at the very least. The conditions of the items range from slightly used to almost worn out.

Buying liquidation lots is a numbers game. When buying a lot, you’re essentially betting that at least a few of the items are still in sellable condition.

Don’t get discouraged if you’re halfway through your pallet and it’s all trash. In his business, it’s typical to throw away a third to half of everything.

3. Electronics involve a larger investment.

When you buy an electronics lot, be aware that you’re signing up for a huge time investment.

First, you have to test each and every one of them if they’re working. Once you’ve sorted out the working ones and the non-working ones, you’ll have to check if there’s a market for broken units of these electronics.

If you do manage to find a market for these broken units, then at least you can sell them off. Otherwise, you’d then have to find a market for its parts.

It’s a lot of time to invest in items that you don’t even know if people will buy.

4. Understand freight costs.

Pallets may weigh hundreds of pounds, depending on the merchandise involved, meaning it might cost you a few times more to ship the pallet than the cost of the pallet of returned goods.

Focus your search on companies within driving distance to minimize your costs.

5. Sell your inventory as fast as you can.

When you sell an item, it may seem like the logical pricing strategy is to get as much profit as you can for it, so you tend to price it higher.

But when you’re dealing with pallets of Amazon returns, it makes more sense to sell more of your inventory, even if it’s for a lower price than you wanted than squeezing every dollar you can out of a single item.

This strategy makes sense when you’re dealing with plenty of inventory. The more units you can sell, the more profit you earn from all the units sold.

6. Invest only what you can afford to lose.

The most important thing to remember is that buying Amazon returns is NOT a guaranteed way to make money.

And because there’s a high risk, I would absolutely not recommend investing all your life savings in this endeavor.

The Bottom Line: Is Buying Amazon Returns Worth It?

Buying Amazon returns is an interesting side cash opportunity that will only grow as online retail grows.

If you find the right places to buy Amazon return pallets and if you buy the right pallet, you have a great chance of being successful.

Other Resources

Here are some other ways to make money with Amazon.

Or if you want to start a profitable business from home, here are some of the possibilities.

Have you ever bought a pallet of Amazon returns, or returns from any other retailers? Share your experiences in the comments section below!

You Can Paid To Play Fortnite Using These 7 Methods

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Different Ways To Get Paid To Play Fortnite

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve almost certainly heard of Fortnite, an enormously popular and sometimes controversial online game.

What you might not know is that playing this video game can make you some money.

As of September 2019, the highest-earning player is Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, who has earned over $3 million in prize money. The top 5 earners have collectively earned $9.5 million.

That’s some very real cash.

You might not earn as much as Bugha right away, but you can still earn a few dollars from playing. Here are some ways you can get paid to play Fortnite.

What Is Fortnite?

Before we get into how you can earn money from playing Fortnite, let’s look at what Fortnite is and why it’s popular.

Fortnite is an online first-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games.

It is available in three distinct game mode versions, and by far the most popular is Fortnite Battle Royale, a free-to-play game that can be played by up to 100 players that involves being dropped in an island where they have to build bases, find weapons, and eliminate all the other competitors until only one player is left standing.

The Battle Royale mode is free to download and play, but users have the option to make in-game purchases, such as Battle Passes, costumes, skins, and dances, using V-Bucks that can be bought with actual money or won in in-game challenges.

Why is Fortnite so popular?

As of March 2019, Fortnite has 250 million registered accounts, and the highest number of players active in a single month is 78.3 million in August 2018.

Surveys show that 62% of Fortnite players are aged between 18 and 24, and 22% are between 25 and 34. The number of hours played weekly ranges between 6 to 10 hours.

Obviously, Fortnite is highly popular among the youth, but why?

1. It’s free.

In-game purchases are fully optional and don’t give players any unfair advantages over other players. They’re either cosmetic or access to additional content.

2. It’s available to be played on multiple platforms.

You can play it on your smartphone, PC/Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

3. It’s well-designed.

The designers conceived Fortnite as a more creative, visually appealing, and youth-friendly version of a first-person shooter game, which was in stark contrast with other dark-tinted, violent first-person shooter games.

4. It’s a complex game.

Fortnite offers opportunities for players to express their creativity through building forts and encourages them to slink their way through the virtual world and find secret spots and hiding positions, enabling players to win games without firing a single shot.

5. It’s generally a positive experience.

There are some instances of teasing and taunting, but players rarely get aggressive and abusive with each other. It’s a refreshing change from the usual behavior of players of other video games.

How To Get Paid To Play Fortnite

1. Play in tournaments.

Anyone can make money playing Fortnite by joining an online tournament.

Third-party websites such as E-Sports Hub, Toornaments, and GamerzArena host matchups that reward winners with prize money.

Players purchase credits on the site that hosts the tournament they’re interested in, the site then generates a bracket against other players, then everyone plays for prize money.

You might earn a few dollars per tournament, but if you join a few tournaments in a week, the prize money can add up to a few hundred dollars a week. If you get better at it, you can earn more prize money.

Fortnite Tournament

Fortnite also hosts its own in-game tournaments for Solo players, Duos, and Squads, where you play for a target score that allows you to win prizes.

Also, the Fortnite World Cup is a free-for-all annual esports competition with a total of $30 million in prize money divided up across various competitions.

2. Bet in tournaments.

If you understand the game, know what it takes to be a good player, and have a handle on your odds, you can get on third-party sites such as Unikrn, SickOdds, eSportbetting, or Esportsonly and bet on Fortnite tournaments.

Note: If you’re struggling with a gambling problem, chat, text, or talk to a gambling helpline.

3. Stream or upload to Twitch and YouTube.

Twitch and YouTube are both streaming online video platforms that allow you to broadcast whatever you’re doing. Twitch is more popular with gamers, but YouTube is also fast catching up.

Twitch Streaming

Video gamers use Twitch or YouTube to broadcast themselves playing games. The broadcast usually shows the game that you’re playing from your perspective.

You can broadcast it with your audio commentary or video commentary in an inset. Viewers can interact with you through a chat window.

Below are some of the ways you can get paid to play Fortnite while you’re streaming your game.

Be sure to check out my full-guide on how to make money on Twitch here!

Become a Twitch Affiliate.

Twitch streamers with more than 50 subscribers and have broadcast for at least 500 minutes in the past month can become Twitch Affiliates.

When you become an affiliate, you can then earn money from ad revenues, subscriptions, and Twitch Bits, which are pseudocurrency that viewers buy from Twitch and then give to their favorite streamers through Cheering. Twitch gets a percentage from your Twitch Bits.

Turn on YouTube ads.

You can turn on YouTube ads if you’re on YouTube, but bear in mind that YouTube is stricter with your content; they prefer content that’s more “family-friendly.”

Fortnite on Youtube

As you will see as we go down this list, you’ll need to have thousands and even hundreds of thousands of viewers, followers, or subscribers for you to monetize their views.

Accept donations.

Viewers can show their support by donating through various ways.

You can set up a PayPal.me link to share to your viewers so they can donate directly to your PayPal account.

Another way is to use a stream management tool, such as Streamlabs OBS or Muxy for Twitch, or StreamElements or SuperChat for YouTube.

If you have fans, they’re usually more than happy to support you, but they won’t donate if they don’t know that it’s an option. Show your donation links on as many places as you can, and mention them on your streams.

Encourage your viewers even more by including a list of your top donors on your profile page, as well as giving them a shoutout in your stream.

Encourage viewers to subscribe.

Following a channel on Twitch is different from subscribing to it. Following is free but subscribing involves a monthly fee, which you split with Twitch 50-50.

In return for this monthly fee, subscribers get perks such as special emoticons to use in a stream chat room, loyalty badges, and more importantly, exclusive chatrooms, competitions, and content that’s not available to free viewers.

YouTube has a channel membership feature, but you can only turn this on when you have more than 50,000 subscribers (which is free and is the equivalent of followers on Twitch). As with Twitch, this comes with various perks.

Promote affiliate links.

Affiliate marketing is yet another way you can get paid by playing Fortnite.

Affiliate marketing involves promoting links for products or services on affiliate sites. Affiliate programs that you can choose from include GearBest, NewEgg, Zavvi, and the classic program Amazon Associates.

When you’ve proven yourself as an affiliate marketer, you can apply to Epic Games’ Support-A-Creator Program that allows a few creators to earn money from Fortnite.

Creators get $5 for every 10,000 V-Bucks spent by other players to support them in-game. So you earn from your viewers’ support, and Epic Games supports you even further.

Get sponsorships.

Brands take notice of content creators that have a lot of engaged viewers. When brands sponsor you, they’ll pay you to promote, show, or even mention their products in your stream.

Fortnite Sponsorship

When you’re ready, you can check out Twitch’s Bounty Board Program or YouTube’s FameBit, which connects video creators with companies who are interested in sponsoring their content.

Sell your own merch.

When you make it big as a celebrity streamer, you can partner with manufacturers and create your own merchandise to sell.

Selling your own brand by selling mugs, T-shirts, cellphone cases, etc. not only adds to your revenue but promotes your brand to other viewers and gets you more fans and subscribers.

YouTube has merch shelf, while Twitch has a Teespring extension. Both allow you to manage your merchandise for sale.

Here are some reminders before you start streaming.

Get the highest quality webcam you can afford. When your content of choice is video, getting the clearest, sharpest quality you can get is crucial.

Your viewers want to be able to see your expressions, and you want to be able to convey your personality.

Don’t skimp on your internet connection. You need a fast internet connection for playing Fortnite in the first place, but you’ll need an even faster connection if you’re going to stream videos.

Plus, you’ll have to be online almost constantly because you want to be online when people are online and watching.

Don’t quit your day job… yet. If you manage to get plenty of subscribers and a steady income, then you can probably quit your day job at some point and make a living by getting paid to play Fornite.

But it doesn’t happen in a matter of days. It’s going to take some time. And if you quit your day job before you’re ready, you’re in a situation where you don’t have a backup source of income, and you’re setting yourself up for financial ruin.

4. Become a professional eSports Fortnite gamer.

Fortnite: Battle Royale is now in the realm of eSports, and if you have mad skills, you can join eSports tournaments as a pro gamer and play for prizes in the millions of dollars.

You can compete Solo, get a partner and compete as a Duo, or join a team. For an idea of the top Fortnite teams, here’s an unofficial list.

Fortnite Professional

Just like professional football or basketball players, you can then find brand sponsorships on your own or backing from an eSports franchise team owner willing to pay you to play for their team.

5. Coach other Fortnite players.

If you’ve built your reputation in Twitch, in eSports, or in both, you can earn even when you’re not playing Fortnite by sharing your expertise with other players as a coach.

Some of the websites that offer coaching include GamersRdy, ProBoosting, and Eloboostpros. You can also offer your coaching services through freelance sites such as Fiverr or Upwork.

You’ll find that Fortnite coaching is in high demand nowadays, with gamers willing to pay as high as $20 to $30 an hour or more.

6. Boost other players’ accounts.

Another way to get paid playing Fortnite through your expertise is to boost other players’ win or kill statistics, power levels, or simply play daily quests if they had no time.

The same websites that offer Fortnite coaching normally offer account boosting as well. Interested gamers would go to these websites to get boosting services, they provide their Fortnite account information, and you get to work doing what they need you to do.

This is perfect for you if you don’t like the idea of coaching, and depending on the specific task or goal that you have to accomplish, you can get paid anywhere from $10 to hundreds or even thousands of dollars at a time.

7. Sell Fortnite accounts.

Yet another way to get paid playing Fortnite is to create an account, play excellently, collect various items, and win lots of times.

Afterward, you can sell these Fortnite accounts loaded with skins, emotes, and accessories on third-party, unofficial marketplaces, such as eBay or Craigslist. Once a transaction is confirmed, you can send the email address and password of that account.

While this is not exactly illegal, it is certainly frowned upon in the community, so if you go this route, protect your personal information and do your best to fly under the radar.

Start Making Money To Play Fortnite!

Playing video games is not just a hobby anymore; you can get paid to play Fortnite and make a lot of money doing so.

If you’re a beginner to Fortnite, start honing your skills and becoming a good player to catch hardcore Fortnite fans’ attention.

Additional Readings

Here are other ways to make money playing video games.

Also, here are more ways to make money from your hobbies.

Do you play Fortnite? How do you plan to earn money playing Fortnite? Tell us in the comments!

7 Smart Ways to Save Money on Groceries

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Ever wondered if you can save money on groceries enough to make a dent on your overall savings?

Just about anyone could cut down on the price of their monthly groceries if they tried. Armed with an open mindset, willingness to try and some effort, it is definitely possible.

So how do you do it?

7 Tips to Lower Your Grocer Bill

Here are 7 useful tips you can make incorporate into your day-to-day lives from 2020 and beyond…

1. Learn the Art of Choosing Coupons

Here’s the thing about coupons – there is an unlimited supply of coupons everywhere.

  • You can download multiple coupon apps and be updated with the newest coupons by the hour.
  • You can visit hundreds of websites that exclusively organize these coupons for you.
  • You could get coupons straight off the racks of your favorite grocery stores.
  • You can even do it the old-fashioned way and strip them off magazines and other coupon booklets.

If you’ve ever been hooked to extreme couponing (I have a guide to do that here), you probably know how overwhelming it can be. Like anything done in excess, couponing can consume your time.

However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take advantage of coupons. If done right, couponing could save you money that would’ve have been wasted if you paid for items full price.

There is no right or wrong way to use coupons, but choosing which ones to focus your time on is important. If your household has a baby or two, make coupons of baby essentials a priority. If you have pets, then filter coupons that are known to showcase pet-related deals.

Simply put, the coupons you choose now should benefit your unique situation.

2. Coupons vs. Sale Prices

Here’s a tricky scenario: if you have a choice between using coupons or sticking with sale prices, which route do you take?

On one hand, coupons could help you stock up on grocery at home while they’re still discounted or having a type of promotion. However, if you’re using coupons to buy beyond your grocery list can quickly blow the lid off your budget and leave you with a surplus of that item but not much of others on your list.

In cases like these, buying your intended quantity but with sale prices can be the better move.

3. Get Modern with Apps

Those who are responsible for budgeting and grocery shopping should definitely find an app that would best fit their needs. Know that there are thousands of apps for grocery-shopping alone, so you have be specific with your goals before diving into Google Play or Apple Store.

  • Price comparison – Compare prices of the same products between two or more stores. Use apps like Basket Savings or Price Cruncher to make the decision easier for you.
  • Getting cashbacks – This doesn’t technically save you money as you shop, but you earn some of your cash back if you follow specific tasks, such as taking a photo of a receipt and uploading into an app. Ibotta and Fetch Rewards are two good examples of this.
  • Grocery list – One of the simplest, yet decades-old advice when it comes to budgeting is making a grocery list. Fortunately, apps today help not only in making sure that you’re on top of the household and pantry items that run out, but also help you stick to your budget. Apps like MealBoard or AnyList (with its shareable list) were designed for this purpose, but most other grocery-focused apps include a type of list-making capability.
  • Coupons – Don’t be consumed by hunting for coupons. Be smart and choose apps like Flipp and Grocery Pal feature coupons from brands you love, your favorite stores, or other relevant coupons based on your interest or lifestyle.
  • Grocery delivery – If the chore becomes expensive in terms of gas, snacks for the kids on the way to the grocery, parking fees, and other expenses that add up from the time you leave your house, go shopping and back home, then grocery delivery may be a money-saving option for you. Sort through apps like Instacart or Shipt and see if your area is included within their delivery zones.

There are also apps like Key Ring that save your store membership details for easier swiping.

4. Skip Branded for Store-Brands

Many household have favorite brands of food, cleaning products, toiletries, or other day-to-day needs by now. It’s a pretty common thing – from your toothpaste to breads, and everything else under the sun.

Sometimes, we’re left out with better, newer brands because of our own biases.

If you really want to save money on grocery, try to skip some of your favorite branded items for their store-branded alternatives.

There’s a good chance your grocery store has sampled quite a lot of brands for that particular product (for example: peanut butter). The one grocery stores may pick to be branded as their own have gone through varying levels of testing (for quality, taste, consistency and other considerations), so the possibility of getting a product that meets your preference is high.

5. Try Something New

Like the advice above, trying something new will open up many doors you were unaware, weren’t checking out, or simply didn’t care for before.

When it comes to grocery shopping, here are some ways you can try something:

  • Reduce the amount of meat or produce you buy
  • Check out a new grocery store
  • Instead of ready-made, make from scratch
  • Change grocery schedules. Early grocery shopping can be a good idea if the store you frequent pushes clearance items as soon as they open up. Saturdays are always busy, so stores stock up on all products and less clearance items are available.
  • Reduce the frequency of grocery-shopping per week. May it once or twice a week for better planning.
  • Bring your own bag, especially if your grocery store charges you for each bag.
  • Avoid last-minute grocery runs. Don’t grocery-shop when you’re hungry because studies have shown that not only do you choose unhealthy food when you’re hungry, the probability of just randomly getting stuff NOT listed on your grocery list (and breaking your budget) is very high.

Even the simplest of change can save you some money on groceries.

There’s no harm in trying.

6. Plan and Prep

How well you plan your grocery-shopping could affect how much money you can save.

For example:

  • Frozen vs. fresh – Know when choosing frozen meat is ideal and when to go with fresh produce. Your choice will directly affect your meal prep, since you might need to clean, cut and store fruits and vegetables, or even meat as soon as you buy them.
  • Seasonal sales – Your plan should also change by season and depending on the sales cycles of local grocery stores. It’s okay to switch between stores throughout the year.
  • Plan for bulk shopping – If you’re a member of wholesale clubs, visit at least once or twice a year for products you’ll be using the entire year. Make sure to separate a budget for your scheduled stock-up, so your regular weekly or bimonthly grocery-shopping wouldn’t be affected.

Of course, this can be hard at first, but once you’ve got it down for an entire year, the following years would be easier.

7. Create a Realistic Budget and Stick to It

This is the hardest advice to follow, but it is possible. Just set a realistic, grocery budget and stick to this budget as much as you can.

The savings you earn will add up eventually. Be patient.

Do One or All, Save Money on Groceries Either Way

Whether you’re looking for ways to save money to be used for something else, or add to your grocery fund, these 7 tips are pretty solid advice.

Use them all, or pick just a few. I bet as long as you incorporate some of these tips to your regular grocery shopping, it could still result in something positive financially.

And if you’ve got this grocery-shopping, money-saving thing mastered, you can even turn this into a side gig and offer your personal grocery shopping service to others.