ClixSense

Another stressful week at work left me with the desire to quit and make a living at home, but of course we know that's not currently possible. However I do strive to get us out of debt so that one day it might be a possibility... Who knows what next school year might bring, I may find a new job...

Anyway, as I go through the ways I make money online, I'm reminded of an old favorite: ClixSense. I've been a member since July 23, 2007 (so my information page says). ClixSense is a website where you simply click on ads. You keep the ad open for 30 seconds, and you get paid. Most ads only pay a penny, but it can add up quickly. You don't have to watch the ads; you just keep the page open. I have one going in another tab right now as I write this. It is free to join ClixSense, but you can upgrade your account to premium for a small fee ($14.99 a year) and that gets you more ads. I have a premium account and it more than pays for itself.

Yes I have been paid by ClixSense. They currently pay by check but are in the process of updating their site to add PayPal.

If you are interested, check it out: http://www.clixsense.com/?2170684

Garage Sales

So I am a garage sale junkie. Unfortunately in Ohio, the winter means it is too cold for many sales... But I was able to find 2 last weekend. One was a sale at a high school and one was a moving sale inside a house.

I had to work in the morning, so we got to both sales later on. Which is fine with me, because that's when the markdowns occur. Especially at fundraiser sales, which often have fill-a-bag type deals. Well the high school sale didn't have a fill-a-bag, but one of the workers was shouting out that anything marked 25 cents was now free. I got a few knick-knacks for free, which I will use to sell at my class store (reward for good behavior), as well as a wax dipped bear, a dog science kit, and a boatload of books for my classroom library (a few for my personal interest too). At this sale I spent $5.00.

At the moving sale, I wasn't finding much at first... Not my style (older stuff) and too pricey for the thrifty queen here. But I ended up finding a pair of unique bookends with globes on them for $2.00. Of course, at every sale I go to, I bring up the fact that I'm a teacher when I'm looking for things, and the lady here told me she had a bunch of office supplies. She gave me several nice new pens, pencils, permanent markers, dry erase markers (I go through so many of these!), etc. for a dollar, and I found a box of colored pencils for a quarter. So here I spent $3.25.

Everything pictured cost $8.25. Can't wait for spring so I can go to sales every weekend :) Still need to build up my post-weight loss wardrobe...

Another one bites the dust...

Paid off our Capital One card! DH will call to close the account tomorrow. We are down to only 3 credit cards with debt now (have a few that are open with no balance). It feels so freeing!

Listia: Like Ebay, but Free!

So about two weeks ago, I stumbled upon this awesome auction site called Listia. Since then I have become addicted to it! But it's okay, because I'm not blowing any money! Listia is free to use, and instead of using cash to pay for your auctions, you earn credits by listing your own items, posting to your Facebook and Twitter, and just exploring the site.

In the past year, I've lost over 40 pounds by doing Weight Watchers. While I am so happy to be at a healthy weight now, the tightwad in me is bummed that none of my clothes fit anymore. So I'd been on the lookout for a way to get rid of my clothes but earn a little profit. Since so many of my clothes were purchased second hand anyway, or they're not name brands, consigning/selling them to stores like Plato's Closet are not an option. Well Listia is the perfect solution for me, because I can sell my clothes, earn credits, and then bid on new clothes and other items that I want.

The only cost is to pay for shipping. Most sellers offer free shipping, so I've been having to pay when I take my items to the post office. But to me, that's such a tiny cost, because I'm getting awesome stuff in return. So far I have won a rooster charm (I love roosters!), some teacher reward stickers, a seashell soap dispenser, 3 shirts, and a cat calendar. Everything imaginable is up for grabs on Listia! Some of my favorite categories are the pet supplies (handmade dog outfits), coupons (FREE item coupons), clothing, books, and health & beauty.

Check out Listia! It is awesome! Please use my referral link so I can get a few credits!

http://www.listia.com/signup/308580

Marking one item off the list...

iPad is paid off.

Nielsen Ratings

I got a lovely surprise in the mail today. A month or so ago, I received a survey from Nielsen Ratings with $5.00 inside as a "thank-you". Of course I filled out the survey because, well, they gave me money! Plus I've always wanted to be a Nielsen Rater. Well I got picked to record my TV viewing habits for a week. I got the diaries in the mail today, along with THIRTY dollars!! Wow!! How awesome! I think it will be neat to record what I watch, and I would have done it for free. But thirty bucks is certainly an incentive!