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Welcome Frugalistas!

What exactly does frugal lifestyle mean?  I believe it’s being smart and savvy in your choices. Prioritize and take control of what’s important to you and you will come out ahead.

This blog and website offers frugal tips and money saving ideas to help you live a richer life. Save money on everyday living. Start living the "Frugal Lifestyle" today.

Spend Less  • Earn More • Live Better

My Multiple Streams of Passive Income

8/21/2017

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​Do you want to make some extra money, don't we all? I'm always on the lookout for new and creative ways on how I can make money without much effort. Am I lazy or savvy with money?  I would say probably both. Either way, I like earning easy residual income in my spare time or in some cases in my sleep.

I've tried many different ways to fulfill this goal - ever since I traded my 9 to 5 corporate job to a more carefree and stress free life. I wanted to find multiple ways to make money without having to get another "job". I traded my "time for salary" for time freedom so that I can do more of the things I truly enjoy.

I have learned that with one source of income, as in a job, when that goes away - you are left with no other means of earning money! I like to diversify my ways of making money. Here's a list of my proven and fun methods of making extra money!
 
​Watch Movie Trailers
I've been earning money with Swagbucks for over a year now. My favorite ways to earn are... watching movie trailers (before they hit the theaters) and answering interesting surveys or polls! But there are countless more ways to make money. You even earn a bonus just for signing up! Click here for more details.
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​Open A New Bank Account
I received a promotional offer in the mail from my primary bank to open a new account. I simply deposited a designated amount and kept the account open for at least 6 months and I made $200. The trick here is to make sure you have the amount they require earn the bonus. If you need to close the account, make sure it's not before the required term so that you actually receive the bonus and don't incur any fees. I have opened several new bank accounts, each with a generous bonus from $100 to $200. I have also taken advantage of credit cards with sign-up bonuses, where I have earned $300. 

​Install An App
This method is one of the easiest way to make money. Simply install the app on your smartphone, the company will pay you for every month you keep the app installed. It won't interfere with your data package and you don't have to answer a bunch of survey questions. It truly is "set it and forget it". Here's a list of apps from The Penny Hoarder to get you started.

​Start A Home-Based Business
If you want to be your own boss, where you can work as much or as little each day - there are many work-from-home opportunities for entrepreneurs. However, many of them require high up-front cost to start - which goes against my frugal nature. But alas, I've discovered a handful of companies that you can start with little to no investment. It's nice receiving residual income on a regular basis. I can proudly say that I have multiple eggs in my basket that makes money! Click here for more details.
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Sell Your Stuff
One of my ongoing goals is to purge and get rid of anything that I don't need or use anymore. I either donate, throw away or sell them. And in some cases, I've gotten perfectly good items from friends who didn't want their stuff anymore - so I turn around and sell it for pure profit. It's pretty easy - just take photos of each item, add good descriptions then post them. I've sold many things on Craigslist, LetGo and Facebook Marketplace.  I've also sold some vintage items on Etsy. Not only did I make some extra money, but my life is a little less cluttered and more simplified.
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Use Cash-Back Credit Cards
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There are plenty of cash-back reward credit cards out there. I make sure I am maximizing the money I will be getting back by choosing the proper credit card that pays the most percentage on any given category. For example I rotate between my Chase and Discover cards to get 5% cash-back for groceries, restaurants or gas stations. In addition, my Chase Unlimited card gives me 1.5% cash-back on all purchases, so I use this card for other items. I monitor my credit card expenses daily and I always pay the balance off every month.
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Get Cash Back When You Shop
Another easy way to get cash back when you shop anywhere are with shopping apps. One of my favorite is Ibotta, which earns me cash for shopping at local grocery stores and other retailers. My other favorite cash-back shopping portals are Mr.Rebates and BeFrugal - both offer cash-back rewards for shopping online. Why not get money back for something I'm already going to buy? They all offer cash bonuses when you sign up.
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Take Photos Of Your Receipts
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I found an app that pays me for taking photos of my receipts from any shopping trip! It's easy money, plus I have copies of my receipts in case I lose them. Just download the Receipt Hog app on your smartphone, snap your receipts and watch those points accumulate which you can redeem for cash or prizes. They also have fun games, like slots to earn more bonus points.
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Lower Your House Payment
I wasn't in the market to refinance my primary residence, and I receive several junk mail from various mortgage companies enticing home owners to refinance with them. However, I got a letter in the mail that convinced me to at least call this company to find out how much I can actually save. Long story short, I did refinance and saved almost $150 a month!  You can read all the details on how I did it here. 
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Invest In Real Estate
This method is by far the most lucrative and rewarding for me. About 8 years ago I invested in a mobile home cottage by the ocean, which I paid cash for.  My boyfriend and I leisurely renovated it and enjoyed the beach lifestyle when we were there. We sold it 4 years after I bought it to a nice family who couldn't get a mortgage from a traditional bank. The solution was to finance the loan (with interest) myself - it was a win win solution! We did the renovation work upfront, which didn't feel like work because it was enjoyable, then reap the rewards for years to come. Read all about this savvy investment here.
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Micro-Invest In Real Estate
This method is basically crowdfunding for real estate investors. It's a great way for me to invest money in real estate without shelling out a lot of money and without doing the labor of renovation. I discovered a company called Groundfloor that I can invest a little (or a lot) of money on properties across the U.S. I like that I can choose which property I want to invest in. The best part is that the returns are 6% up to 14% - you can't get those interest rates from a bank. 
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I have several other ways I make a little bit of cash here and there, such as recycling or from our annual garage sale.  My goal is to discover other creative and fun ways to live a richer life.
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Disclaimer:
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support towards my multiple streams of income :)

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14 Real Ways To Make Money Online

8/7/2017

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​Looking to earn some money on the side? The Internet can help. Wise Bread has rounded up 13 scam-free ways to make money online, from TaskRabbit to Skillshare. Keep reading and start raking in the money!


Thanks to faster and better start-ups sprouting all around the country, you are now able to make some extra dough on the side. You might even be able to ditch the whole 9-to-5 nonsense and set your own hours by booking gigs online. Whether it's tutoring children on the fine art of calligraphy or delivering meatball sandwiches to hungry office staff, there is a way to make money online, waiting for you.

JACK (& JILL) OF ALL TRADES
Let's start with the gigs that are available to those who are competent in many skills, but not necessarily outstanding in any particular one.

1. TaskRabbit
Unlike Liam Neeson in the movie Taken, you don't have a set of "particular skills." But if you have a lot of free time and a great attitude, then TaskRabbit allows you to make money for tasks such as:
  • Waiting in line for concert tickets.
  • Installing blinds.
  • Assembling Ikea furniture.
  • Cleaning an apartment for somebody moving out.
  • Becoming part of a flash mob.
This service is currently available in 19 cities - including Austin, TX; Chicago; and Seattle - and each task is insured up to $1 million. While the fine print states that TaskRabbit takes 20 percent from your fee, it also guarantees you a minimum of one hour for payment.

2. Postmates
If you felt the biggest adrenaline rush watching Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Premium Rush, then you are a perfect candidate for joining the urban courier service Postmates. The service only requires you to be older than 18, have a method of transportation (e.g., bike, moped, car), and an iPhone.

Deliveries range from restaurant takeout to shopping pickup, so you have to be flexible, upbeat, and ready for anything (legal).

3. Fiverr
What if you're a bit more experienced than the average master of all trades? If you are really good at one of your many skills and are able to complete it fast, then you can churn that specific skill on Fiverr. Some examples of Fiverr gigs are:
  • Record a professional voice-over in an English or American accent.
  • Take pictures of yourself while holding a sign and looking pretty.
  • Design a logo.
All gigs pay $5, so you need to be creative to provide irresistible "gig extras" - such as same-day delivery, files in high resolution, or alternative takes - for your clients to book. Gig extras often range between $10 and $20 and provide a well-needed boost to make Fiverr worth your while.

4. Fancy Hands and Zirtual
Unleash your inner Peggy Olson, Joan Holloway, or Pam Beesly by offering your kick-butt secretarial and personal-assistant services to the highest bidder. Through Fancy Hands and Zirtual, you can get paid for requests such as:
  • Coordinate airport pickup and car rental for a traveling businessman
  • Research the cheapest (and fastest!) way to ship an unusual package from DC to Miami
  • Coordinate appropriate meeting times for a party of 15 people
  • Organize a Dropbox folder of pictures for a real estate broker by property listing.

5. Airtasker
This company is a trusted community platform that connects people who need to outsource jobs and find local services, with people who are looking to earn money and ready to work.

From simple to complicated tasks, Airtasker can help you complete your household chores, virtual works to business works.
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Airtasker is currently only available in Australia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Please note that people can only post tasks if they are in other country. If people are completing tasks, they must be located in the same country and have local working rights such as minimum wage. Both of these conditions apply to remote tasks. (Note: We will expand into other countries soon and maybe change the above conditions in the future, and it will be announced in our Facebook page and blog.)

TEACHER & TUTOR
If you've got skills so mad that you can take somebody to school, then you can make money online by offering your teaching and tutoring services.

6. Skillshare
Skillshare is such a popular option to make money online by teaching, that even actor James Franco jumped on the bandwagon with a 15-video lesson on screenwriting for short films. Heck, even famous marketing whiz Steve Godin offers not one but two courses.

Other examples of classes you can create to make some side money include:
  • How to use Adobe Illustrator.
  • What it takes to make perfect Southern fried chicken and biscuits.
  • How to knit a colorblock triangle scarf.
  • What do you need to write a one- to four-minute comedy sketch.

7. WyzAnt
I cannot tell you how to pronounce the company name, but I can tell you from personal experience that WyzAnt is pretty neat. This tutoring search engine matches students with more than 75,000 tutors in hundreds of subjects, such as math, science, test prep, and foreign languages.

The site is great for new and experienced tutors to expand their client base without spending any money on advertising. Most WyzAnt tutors set their hourly rate between $30 and $60. Keep in mind that the site keeps 40 percent of your payment until you become an established tutor. However, WyzAnt does offer several incentives to boost your earnings. For example, they often run promos during which you keep 95 percent of your payments when referring new students to the platform.
8. Tutor.com
Unlike WyzAnt, Tutor.com focuses on online tutoring. Since you meet with your students in an online room, you are required to have a good computer and a reliable Internet connection. Another important difference from WyzAnt is that Tutor.com offers you a minimum average of five hours per week, which is important for teachers looking for more steady income. As a sample of potential income, Tutor.com claims that its most active chemistry tutors earn anywhere from $800 to $1,600 a month.
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9. Preply
Preply is a new marketplace startup for tutors where students can find them and order lessons. Lessons might be online (via skype) or locally.  

There are around 50,000 tutors in various subjects such as languages as well as school or college subjects and even hobbies. Prices vary from $2-$3 and up to $100 per hour.

Preply might be a good source of income when you need extra cash - you can start teaching students in your native language in a conversational manner.

DRIVER

If you've got a nice set of wheels and driving skills that would make Jason Statham of The Transporter green with envy, then you should explore becoming a freelance driver.

10. Lyft and Uber

Lyft

Known for the pink mustaches on the hoods of its cars, Lyft is a peer-to-peer transportation service that focuses on smartphone users that request rides on the go. The entire application can be completed through your smartphone, and it includes:
  • A background check.
  • A review of your driving record.
  • Current auto insurance.
If you pass the driver orientation, then you are on your way to making money as a part-time driver. Lyft welcomes both full-time taxi drivers and part-timers looking for an extra buck.

Uber
If you talk about Lyft, you have to talk about Uber. Both transportation services are pretty much the same. However, there are a couple important differences between these two:

•  Uber comes in two flavors: Uber (black town car, fancy-pants service) and uberX (lower-cost Uber service). Lyft is comparable to to uberX.

• A driver that uses both Uber and Lyft, whose answer has been upvoted more than 200 times on Quora, claims that:
  • The majority of Lyft drivers are women, while the majority of Uber drivers are men.
  • Generally, uberX is cheaper than Lyft.
  • While Lyft focuses on friendliness, Uber focuses on professionalism.

11. Getaround and RelayRides
Do Lyft and Uber sound like too much work? If you are not interested in playing Driving Miss Daisy anytime soon but do have a car sitting around most of the time, then you can look into Getaround and RelayRides. Both peer-to-peer car-sharing services allow people with idle cars to rent them out to individuals.

Along those lines, you might want to:

HOST
If you enjoy being the hostess with the mostest, then cash in your good customer-service skills with these three options.

12. Airbnb
If you've got a spare couch or a whole rental property, then you can post on Airbnb, an online marketplace for vacation rentals that connects hosts and guests around the world.

The great thing about Airbnb is that you have total control over your pricing and your guests. Also you can decide how much (or how little) your property is available. By forcing all users to link their Facebook profiles to their accounts, Airbnb turns out to be a more reliable source of guests than alternatives, such as Craigslist or random bulletin boards. You get a better overview of who is interested in your property.

13. DogVacay
Turn your love for pooches into a business by becoming a DogVacay host. This is a great opportunity for dog lovers that have either the available space or the skills (e.g., grooming, training, or walking). This online community takes a 15 percent service fee for hosts, provides $3 million in commercial general liability, plus $25,000 of veterinary coverage for dogs in your care, custody and control, and provides 24-7 emergency support.

Keep in mind that the site highly encourages its hosts to create a PayPal account to process payments. If you insist on getting a check through the mail, be ready to take a $5 charge and wait up to seven business days for payment.

14. JustPark
If you want to keep things as simple as possible, then you can rent out your parking spot through JustPark. This is a great way to make money online in crowded cities, where parking spots are limited and come at a premium. The beauty of this service is that theoretically you can make your parking spot at home available while you're at work and vice versa. Talk about maximizing your earnings potential!

- Damian Davila
     
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    What does living frugally mean to me? Well, it does NOT mean being cheap, quite the contrary, I believe it’s being smart in your choices, such as how you spend your money everyday. Prioritize and take control of what’s important to you. I always strive to spend less on almost everything.

    In this challenging economy, some of us have had to cut back on our expenses. Wouldn't it be nice to still have the things or services you want and need but not have to pay full price or even better, get them for free? 

    Choose value and quality over quantity or fads and you will come out ahead. The great benefit of being frugal is that it eliminates waste and clutter which in turn helps our environment.  By doing simple changes towards more “green” and frugal ways, together we can make an impact on our planet. 
        

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     Hi, my name is Marissa Winfrey and I have been living the frugal life ever since I can remember. I have always looked for great bargains and getting the best value for my money without compromising style and quality.

    My background is in visual display and interior decorating. It’s always been my objective to recommend cost effective solutions to my clients. I, of course, practice what I preach! I have furnished my own homes mostly with furnishings and decor items from my own little vintage boutique, estate sales, discount stores, flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores and even curbside discarded furniture!

    My frugal practice goes beyond the home. I offer money saving tips on just about everything, from shopping to travel and everything in between. I hope my blog and website will inspire everyone to be their own Frugalista.
        
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Read and learn about useful tips and tricks from experts on how to live "the frugal lifestyle" everyday!  Check out the books below, to see more of my top picks of frugal and financial savvy books, please visit The Frugal Book Store.
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Living The Savvy Life:
The Savvy Woman's Guide to Smart Spending and Rich Living
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It's Not About Being Cheap.  Living the Savvy Life isn't about being a cheapskate, a miser or a tightwad.  It's about having security and peace of mind by spending less than you make.  It's about knowing where you stand financially on a daily basis so you can make intelligent fiscal decisions. 

​It's about being penny-wise on the things that are less important to you so you can spend money on the things that are important to you. It's about choosing to purchase only the things that you love and make you happy.  
It's about finding, attaining and maintaining balance.  Are you ready to start Living the Savvy Life?

   
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​Thrifty: 
Living the Frugal Life with Style


Best-selling author Marjorie Harris offers a timely and entertaining guide to living the richly frugal life. From tips on how to haggle to becoming a frugal fashionista, maintaining your home on a budget, and thrifty gardening, travel, and entertainment, Harris provides essential guidelines to living a quality life on less. Written in her trademark witty, engaging, and accessible style, Thrifty is packed with simple and savvy tips drawn from Harris' own fulfilled, thrifty experience. Bonus tips come from renowned experts such as best-selling author Margaret Atwood, chef Jamie Kennedy, actor R. H. Thomson, travel writer Sylvia Fraser, and The Globe and Mail's style columnists.
  
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How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: 
Retirement Wisdom That You Won't Get from Your Financial Advisor
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How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free offers inspirational advice on how to enjoy life to its fullest. The key to achieving an active and satisfying retirement involves a great deal more than having adequate financial resources; it also encompasses all other aspects of life -- interesting leisure activities, creative pursuits, physical well-being, mental well-being, and solid social support. 

What sets this retirement book apart from all the others is its holistic approach to the fears, hopes, and dreams that people have about retirement. This international bestseller (over 110,000 copies sold in its first edition) goes way beyond the numbers that is often the main focus of retirement planning in most retirement books.
   
To see more of my top picks of frugal and financial savvy books, please visit The Frugal Book Store.

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