Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Make Money for the Holidays by Taking Surveys

If you want to get some extra cash for the holidays, you can make some money easily by taking paid surveys. A reader asked me to investigate paid surveys which she thought were all scams... but this is not the case. There are real surveys that pay and some will give you up to $5 just for joining them!! I found some legitimate surveys for you to join.

The way these paid surveys work is you join with your email, and then can take surveys which pay different amounts of money per survey -- depending on what company is paying them to collect the data for them. You will get an alert in your email that says you have survey waiting for you. Often you can click a link embedded in the email and go right to the survey. Otherwise, you can log into the particular survey site and locate the available surveys and what they pay. On the day this article was written one company has surveys which pay anywhere from $30 to $.50.

I have tried three locations for a period of a week. I've made around $40, so far which is hardly a ton of money, but is nice extra cash for my holiday fund! People who are in a more common demographic ..ie.. a young parent...  will most likely qualify for more surveys and make more money. But if you just make a dollar a day doing one survey by December 20th you will have $97 dollars saved for the holidays.

I have some friend who takes their surveys while they watch "their shows" on TV, and make that much every month.

If you are interested here are several companies which offer several dollars just for joining to get you started.

INBOX DOLLARS
This site offers surveys, paid trial offers and emails which ask you to look at an add for money. It pays you $5 just for joining -- the highest of any of these survey sites.
 INBOX DOLLARS

VINDALE
This sites offers as many as ten surveys a day! They offer $2 bonus for joining.
VINDALE SURVEYS

SURVEY ROUND TABLE
This pays you a $3 Dollar value to join. It also has the lowest amount of cash you need to accrue to get your money.
Survey Round Table

MY VIEW
This also pays you a three dollar equivalent to join.
MY VIEW

I hope this helps you get a few extra dollars for the holidays!

Lili Pintea-Reed
All Rights Belong to The Author.


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Delicious Dandelions!

Disclamer:
Never eat any plant you have not have had expertly identified. Please seek out a local expert before foraging any wild plants! Never forage in areas that may have been poisoned or sprayed.



Dandelions are plants brought to the Western Hemisphere by European settlers. They have since gone wild all over both continents. Much hated by lawn lovers dandelions were originally a much valued green  by the original settlers, and soon after by Native peoples also. Packed with vitamins and easy to grow, the dandelion was carried all over the country. Eventually, this wonderful plant fell out of favor with suburban  lawn enthusiasts and is now seen as a intrusive " weed." When I was a kid I helped my Romanian Grandparents harvest dandelions for salads and fried greens. Yum!

Medically it has many vitamins found in green plants. It also has medical uses for the removal of body fluids and is a mild diuretic. So EAT your dandelions!

You can eat all parts of this wonderful plant. Many ethnic  recipes for  "greens" were originally for wild greens like the humble dandelion. The young leaves can be substituted for escarole and endive in green salads. The older tougher and more stronger flavored leaves can be stir fried and added to many ethnic for medleys. The blossoms can be used to make fritters and the famous dandelion wine.

Here are few ideas for you to get started. 

Green Salad:

Use any green salad recipe and substitute finely torn or snipped young dandelion greens for excarole or endive. Easy!

Warm Bean and Wild Green Medley

1 Can of white beans or garbanzos
3 cups of fresh wild greens (can be dandelion or a mixture of wild greens)
One small onion
One clove of garlic

Chop onion and garlic. Saute in oil until soft and translucent. While the onion is cooking, wash and tear the greens. Add to the onion/garlic mixture and cook until wilted. Drain the beans and add at the last minute and heat through. Some chopped tomatoes can be added at last minute. Makes a nice veggie meal with whole grain bread or is a nice side dish for larger meal.

Try and add greens everyday day to your diet to add fiber and healing vitamins.

For more ideas Check out these Frugal Living Books!
Complete Tightwad Gazette
The Complete Tightwad Gazette

Declare Your Financial Independence
Declare Your Financial Independence

Complete Cheapskate
Mary Hunt's Complete Cheapskate

Miserly Moms
Miserly Moms

You Can Afford to Stay Home With your Kids
You can Afford to stay Home With your Kids

By
Lili Pintea-Reed
All rights belong to the author