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Increase Income:If
your finances are to the point where it is painful to balance your
budget, either due to your income not being where you want it to be or
your debt is quite large, you may want to find a way to increase your
income. Some ideas may take some time and be large changes in your
life, like going back to school. Others are small ideas that will bring
in a little extra here and there. Just remember the little bits do add
up. In your current occupation, is
there additional training or a certification you can pursue to increase
you income? Is there training you need to change careers? Getting a weekend or part-time job
may be the way you need to pick up that extra cash to pay off some debt
or increase your savings. Consider something that has to do with a
hobby or something you enjoy. Consider retail positions that offer a
discount on products you and your family frequently use, or could be
great gift ideas. I know of one lady that wanted some expensive
furniture from Restoration Hardware. She was able to get a part time
job and at the time they offered 50% off from day one of employment.
What a great deal! Being a secret shopper can be fun
and rewarding. You'll be helping out the business by offering a fair
and unbiased opinion on what they are interested in. They may want to
know if you are greeted with the correct phrase, if the store appears
clean, the condition of the restrooms, how the food tastes in a
restaurant, or a number of other things. Some questioners are longer
than others, but you will be paid more (either cash or reimbursement
for a product or service) if more is expected. When you sign up for a
job you will be told exactly what is expected of you and what the
compensation will be. I have enjoyed free theme park tickets, lunches,
and dinners, in addition to payments from $10 to $50 for certain jobs.
Some jobs can even be completed over the phone. Please don't buy into any of the
Secret Shopping scams out there. There are many scams out there. Be
very leery if you are asked to pay to work in this field. I have seen
many ads that want you to pay even a monthly fee for a list of jobs or
companies you can apply to. These lists are available for free at the
Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) web site. MSPA regulates,
provides certifications and training, and is a great resource for
Secret Shopping information. If you are interested they offer two
levels of certifications. The first level, Silver Certification, can be
completed online in about 2 hours for a cost of $15. I have read that
some companies will offer you better jobs if you have one or both of
these certifications, but they are certainly not required. I recommend
signing up for as many companies that you have the time for. MSPA Resources:
ClixSense: By
clicking on ads (usually a cent each), you can add $10 to $20 each
month or two. It's like finding a lot of pennies in a parking lot. I've
been a member of ClixSense
for a little over a year now. You get paid 1-5 cents for clicking on
each ad and having the page open for 30 seconds. I have seen the clicks
worth as much as $1, but only a few times. They typical ad is offered
at 1 cent each. This is not something you will get rich doing, but
clicking occasionally while you're already in front of your PC seems
like an easy way to earn $10-$20. I did upgrade to what they call
"premium status" for $10 per year, and find you get many more ads to
click on, and in a short period of time you will surely earn that back.
You can also join for free, but just don't get offered as many clicks.
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Frugal Finances