Smart Ways to Earn Money Online with Internet Junkie

Booted Out of Squidoo But Still on Associated Content.

2009-10-24T17:17:00.003+01:00

During the summer I received an email from Squidoo asking me to review my lenses that were apparently too spammy for their standards.

I had a lot of other things going on in my life at that time and just ignored the request so now my lenses have been deleted. I know some of them were set up merely to promote some Clickbank products so I accepted being "fired" without too much damage to my ego. If my lenses have been deleted I guess an awful lot of lensmasters have been given the boot too because my lenses were far from being the most spammy but if Squidoo's owners want to improve their standards, that's up to them. I can set up another account with them but I don't think I will.

One thing I used to find difficult with Squidoo is that if you really want to make money with lenses, you have to build a lot of them: at least 100. Making 100 lenses might not be so hard over a period of time, but when you think that they all need to be updated regularly, 100 is an awful lot, especially if you want to have a life!

I'm finished with Squidoo but I am going to try and write more articles on Associated Content. Not only writing articles are less time-consuming than building Squidoo lenses but the fact that once they have been published you don't need to go back every 5 minutes to update them is a big plus for me; I like to finish something and then being able to forget about it, especially since I am still earning money every month for articles I've written 2 years ago.

Sure I can't promote affiliate links on Associated Content but to tell you the truth I didn't earn as much as I would have liked on Squidoo promoting affiliate links, be it through Squidoo's own affiliate programs or my own links, so I'm thinking of maybe setting up a blog where I could write some reviews and promote some affiliate products (probably not Clickbank either, something more real that the average person would find useful). I'm not going to do this straight away, as I find that I really don't have time for anything more right now, but maybe next year, when both my children have the same school hours (these school pick-ups are really killing me, there is something not quite right about the Irish school system!).

So here's just to let you know what I'm up to. If you're interested in reading my last articles you can read 5 Top Website Resources for Easy to Make and Cheap Halloween Decorations, which came in very handy for my children this week (the house is now full of ghost and pumpkin garlands as well as bats made out of empty toilet rolls), or, if you'd rather cast a money spell (yes there is one about winning the lotto, but remember if it's too good to be true...) read 5 Free Spells Websites for a Spooky Halloween and if you like them, please share them online!

Free TV on the Internet

2009-10-02T21:07:00.000+01:00

Oops, didn't realize it was so long since I last posted here. Since I last wrote a blog post I moved house and learned DIY - well I bought myself a cheap drill and phone my ex whenever I need curtain poles or shelves installed; I haven't actually used the drill myself, why should I when someone is willing to do the work for free?

Anyway, enough talk of how to abuse your ex, let's talk about free TV: when I went to see my sister last summer she gave me her Dexter boxset and converted me: so after watching Dexter series 1, I was craving for more, especially since I had read that the series 4 was going to be aired on TV soon. I rented the Dexter series 2 in my local Xtravision but the shop assistant told me that the series 3 had not been released yet (at least not in the region 2, which my DVD player and I live in), so I decided to look around on the World Wide Web and found several websites where I could watch TV for free.

Here's what I found so far: depending on where you live, you can watch shows that have been broadcast on your local TV stations; these are the safest to view, in case you're worried about nasty viruses or the law: in Ireland for example, you can catch up on your favourite soaps and shows on the RTE player or the TV3 catch up website. A useful website for the Irish language lovers (or simply students who have no choice but to learn Irish) is the TG4 website, where most programmes are in Gaeilge. If you live in the UK you should definitely hook up with the 4oD website (from Channel 4): they have a much more exciting selection of series but are unfortunately not accessible from Ireland.

There are a lot of Free TV websites but I must say that I find most have crappy content and I would stay away from others that require you to install a toolbar or download software. For Free Internet TV that won't install spyware or adware on your computer, I recommend the following:
- http://www.freeetv.com;
- http://www.tvchannelsfree.com;
- http://www.worldtvpc.com/;

My personal favourite, despite the fact that there are pop up ads that may discourage you from viewing anything on offer, is Project Free TV: it has everything under the sun from Little House on the Prairie to Weeds and, yes, this is where I have been catching up with my favourite anti-hero Dexter. I am not sure of the legality of the website so I wouldn't advise anyone to download any episodes (it says you can download full HD episodes with Vuze) but I am pretty content with my now bloodshot eyes (some of the episodes are a bit out of sync, funny to hear Rita talk with Dexter's voice and vice-versa sometimes and the episodes are watchable but still not the best if you're a bit fussy about the video quality).

If you don't know what I've been talking about, don't worry: it took me a while to differentiate between Internet TV, catch up TV, streaming, downloading, etc... Here's an interesting article for all Internet TV newbies: read The Definitive Guide to watching Internet TV on PC.

PS 1: Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any crap that might get on your computer if you ever decide to download anything through any of the above links; I am also not responsible for any trouble you may incur with the law. If you're unsure whether any website you visit is legal and don't want to run any risks, just don't go there!

PS 2: To the idiot who put a CPA ad which require visitors to complete a survey in order to access the site (which I haven't listed here by the way): I got the hell out of your site and am not coming back; this kind of thing annoys the crap out me and I guess I'm not the only one who won't be staying on your website (really, how stupid can a webmaster get?).

Update: Project Free TV has unfortunately just disappeared but I have just found the next best thing with Free Online Episodes; not so many oldies there like She-ra, Inspector Gadget or Mac Gyver (sigh!) but still lots of excellent shows (Dexter of course, Damages, Nurse Jackie...) so I think I'll hurry and catch with what I've been missing before this one disappears as well.

I'm Taking Time Off

2009-03-27T11:49:00.002Z

I know my blogging has been pretty slack for the last few months, but it's about to get a lot slacker, at least for the next month or two.

During the week, I have been offered social housing and it looks like I will be moving in about 4 weeks (Whoo Hoo!). I know this is not a reason for slowing down in itself but considering the fact that I am going on a two-week holiday (which has been planned since January), I think I'll be spending the 2 remaining weeks packing, cleaning up, buying furniture for the new house (I was renting a furnished house) and negotiating my leaving notice with my landlord (it's normally 56 days and I don't feel like paying rent on 2 places at the same time).

Be confident that I will also be practising my negotiating skills with electrics and furniture stores, as buying a number of items from one store should entitle me to a big discount!

The good news is that I'm finally getting a permanent place to live (or at least long-term) and that I will be once again (I already bought a car this year) putting my money back in the economy: I'd better start writing a list because the amount of stuff I have to buy is scary!

In case I'm not back by then, Happy Easter to everyone and keep me a chocolate egg!

Do You Know Who Your Facebook Friends Are?

2009-03-23T16:49:00.003Z

I have just read an article on Yahoo News about an English prison officer being arrested for having criminals as some of his Facebook friends.

Of course the fact that he had these people as friends on his Facebook profile was not the only reason while the guard was arrested; the article mentions he had a photograph of him and a convicted fraudster on his Facebook profile (if you don't want to get caught, don't show off with your criminal friends!) as well as the fact that he had been supplying mobile phones and other banned items to inmates of the prison where he worked.

I went on a mad rampage a few months ago, adding lots of "friends" which I didn't know as I was hoping to get people to access my blog and posted items such as Squidoo lenses and Associated Content articles through my Facebook profile. I may have been naive but I never thought I might be unknowingly adding people who may be bad news.

I am not a prison guard or any other kind or Government employee but for my own sake I'd still rather not have any connections with criminals. I think I have a bit of decluttering to do on my own Facebook account: I am planning to reorganize my friends into categories (never thought I might even talk like this about my friends, I'm scaring myself!); of course I'll keep the people I know outside the Internet (I have a cousin who is a policeman, I'd better warn him in case he would have any dodgy friends), I also want to keep all my fellow bloggers, Squidooers, Associated Content producers, etc...

There is a saying that says "Keep your friends close and your ennemies closer" but I'd rather keep any ennemies as far away from me as I bloody can!

PS. You can still add me as a friend if you like, just add a quick note saying how you found me.

Lazy Advertising

2009-03-12T18:56:00.001Z

Last week I received my car insurance newsletter in the post, and in the enveloppe was a sticker designed to display their insurance claims phone number on the inside of the car and their logo on the outside.

While the displaying of the sticker is optional, the incentive to stick it on the car's windows is pretty good, as the insurance company has "sticker spotters" on the roads all over the country who will enter the registration numbers of the cars they see "wearing" their stickers into a monthly draw in which 5 people will win €200. At the end of the year there is another draw in which the big prize is a brand new VW Golf.

I guess that getting their customers to display a logo on their cars must be cheaper than TV advertising or paying for ad spaces on the back of buses: €31,000 (the total value of all the prizes to be won, including the car) plus the cost of printing the stickers as well as relying on word of mouth (which is a big thing in Ireland, since everyone seems to be related, or at least know someone I know) is not that big a budget for a national insurance company.

Another scheme the same insurance company has is "recommend a friend", where people who recommend that company to a friend can get a €50 discount on their next renewal date (which also makes people want to stick with the company to avail of their discount). So I've calculated that for a policy worth €400 (which is what they have quoted me for my next renewal date, as I was trying to get last year's insurance on the cheap), I'd have to get 8 people to take up a car insurance with them in order to get it for free.

I am a bit surprised to see no group on Facebook called "help X get free car insurance" yet but who knows, I might try and set up my own one of these days!

Brainstorming the Nation

2009-03-09T11:17:00.002Z

Not everything is bad about the current recession! At least some people are trying to turn this situation around and find new ways to deal with it. I wish I would have thought of this before, but I didn't, so I'll talk a little bit about the Ideas Campaign here instead.

Well, I guess most of you are now aware of the fact that our Govermnent, even though trying to help the country out the recession, has put its foot into it more than once and is being crticized by anyone left, right and centre (me being in a prominent position).

We were nearly on the verge of an Irish revolution against the Government (which wouldn't really achieve much, since all political parties are the same in my opinion, and I would really resent power-hungry Enda Kenny to be our next Taoseoich; Eamon Gilmore, maybe, but then again...) when Sharon Dove came up with the concept of asking people for ideas that could be implemented in order to get us out of this mess. It's a simple concept, but someone had to come up with it!

So now that the Ideas Campaign is live, anyone can contribute to the economic recovery of Ireland; it doesn't matter how small or big your idea is, it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor or in between, famous or not, as long as you have an idea you should submit it on the Ideas Campaign website. I have submitted 3 ideas myself this morning and I am feeling good about this whole Democracy thing.

Even if you don't think you can come up with an idea, you should still visit the Ideas Campaign website, read the content and maybe taking a look at the different categories you can submit to will inspire you (that's what worked for me). Just remember that no whingeing is allowed, so stay positive.

I can't believe I came up with 3 ideas! What next? Maybe I should go into politics, I am ready to lead this country (God, I'm starting to sound like Enda Kenny; I'd better go and splash some cold water on me now).

I Hate Internet Marketing Freebies!

2009-03-01T15:51:00.004Z

I wanted to write a post about how you can get Clikbank products for free and I remembered that I had seen some before when I scrolled down the bottom of my clickbank portal.

So I decided to take a closer look at my own Portal to see if there was anything worth downloading; I have just spent a few hours downloading Internet Marketing freebies and I haven't even started to read them yet!

I am not complaining about the fact that I am getting lots of stuff for free; it's just the way that this stuff is being made available to me that I have a problem with. I understand that the bottom line is that the Internet Marketing Experts, or Gurus, as they like to call themselves are trying to sell me something, and so their download pages all contain these annoying OTO offers (One-Time-Only). I know how to skip them and I don't care that my email address is probably now included and even triplicated in about 157 new email lists.

It's just so confusing that when you sign up to one freebie, the devil then tempts you with another 4 or 5 extra free bonuses and who am I to say no to the devil? Exactly! So here I go, sign up to A and then get not only A but B+C+D+E; Then I go and sign up to B because I can't remember that it's one of the bonuses I have already downloaded and they give me F+G+H+I and so on...

Anyway, now I've got some reading to do and probably also lots of lists to get unsubscribed from. I guess this is when I'm supposed to give you the download link for one of the free products but since I was in a frenzy and can't even remember all the new IDs and download links I must have created, all I can tell you is that if you hate Internet Marketing Freebies as much as me, go to your own Clickbank portal and scroll down to the "Recommended Free IM Product Resources"; if you haven't got one you can go to mine here (you can also get one for free through the same link, but that's only if you want one).

The guru said I had to taunt you so here's some of what you can get for free:
- 15 Free niche E-books with master resale rights and sales pages;
- E-book Auction Cash: How to make a killing selling E-books on Ebay in 5 easy steps*;
- PLR Fortunes: Huge master resale rights package;
- PPC Giveaway: Ebook about how to make a fortune with Google Adsense.

These are just the main free products; if you decide to get them, watch out for the unanounced free bonuses!(Damn these Gurus).

* Update: Ebay doesn't allow the sale of Ebooks anymore but it could be worth checking out other auction sites that permit this; just check the terms of your chosen auction site (thanks to the Knowledge Lady for pinpointing this).

Do You Use Webtext?

2009-02-22T17:55:00.003Z

I'm not sure what other mobile phone company doeas this, but I'm with O2 and I have just found out that I can save a bit of money every month by using Webtext instead of using the traditional SMS method.

I am not a big texter (I probably send a maximum of 10 SMS's per month) but for someone who uses SMS a lot, I think that, if they are not doing it already, using webtext is a much cheaper option.

Webtext is the same as SMS, except that you use your computer to send messages to other people's mobile phones. For people like me who have not been born with texter thumbs, there is also the advantadge that you type an ordinary message from your computer (a bit like sending an email) using your regular computer keyboard.

O2 provides its customers with 250 free webtexts per month, whether they are on a bill contract or on a prepay package while Vodafone and Meteor give their customers 300 free webtexts per month; if you are with any of these mobile phone providers, all you have to do is register on their website for free and start using your free monthly allowance.

If you are living in Ireland and are thinking of switching mobile phone provider, check out this Callcosts.ie; it is a comparison website that will let you enter your average daily or monthly usage to help you work out which package is the best for you moneywise. If you think you are paying too much for your broadband or home phone, you will also find options that suit you on the same site.

That's all from me for today, so don't forget to give your thumbs a rest thanks to free webtext and good luck with your bargain hunting!

Beware of Facebook Ads That Are Scams

2009-02-15T17:19:00.002Z

I have just logged on to Facebook and saw an ad that I just had to click on to learn a little bit more about it:

The ad said the following:

Mum makes $5000 online - See how I made $5000 online as a stay at home Mum.

Yes, I know, it sounds too good to be true, but a little more information can't hurt, right? So I clicked the ad and was taken to a page that looked like a blog called "Amy's Income Blog". The post read how a stay-at-home mum from Ireland made a monthly income of $5000 online with a programme that costs $1 and that is called Earn Google Cash. Since I am also in Ireland, I thought this might be worth a try and I clicked on the Earn Google Cash link to see what this programme was all about; I mean, it has the word google on it, and I'll find out soon enough if this is a legitimate new programme from Google or if it has one of those flashy "spammy" sales letters, in which case, I'll forget all about it. So on I clicked and I was taken to a page that said:

We're sorry! This offer is not available in your area, you will be redirected shortly.

(Oh, how I hate those!). Remember how I said this woman wrote she was in Ireland, like me? Well it seems she's just a big fat liar, and just by looking at her blog a little further, my opinion that this is a scam was confirmed: her page url http://www.amysincome.com/?t202id=24138&t202kw=

really looks like an affiliate link to me (the person who bothered putting up the ad on Facebook could have at least cloaked their affiliate link!), moreover, she spells "husband" "husand", not as bad as me spelling it "husbank" ($$$!), but still, this doesn't look very professional to me. Don't tell anyone, but I flagged this particular ad as a scam on Facebook (I feel like such a troll right now!).

A little more online research and here's all the praise I could find about this Earn Google Cash system. click the following links to learn more:
http://www.reviewopedia.com/www.earncashfastwithgoogle.com.htm
http://electronplumber.com/10-ways-to-spot-an-internet-scam-google-cash-too-good-to-be-true
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/AdWords/thread?tid=48061309f684ad4c&hl=en.

So, made you mind up yet? I just don't want to say to you later on : "I told you so!"

Do Not Follow These So-Called "Recession-Proof" Systems to Make Money!

2009-02-08T14:11:00.005Z

I am sure that, like me, you have come accross a number of online sales-letters that guarantee a "proven" way to make money during the recession. I haven't signed up to any of these systems, so how do I know they are scams?

Well, for one, when was the last time there was a Worldwide recession? Not so long ago actually, but one big difference was that in the seventies and eighties, there was no Internet, and the only way for normal people like you and me to make money was to hold on to their jobs or to have the "Idea of the Century" and the means to make it come real by investing in a brick and mortar business. So maybe some people have found a way to beat the recession, but when they tell you they have a proven way to do it and they'll "let you in on their secret" in exchange for money, run away as fast as you can!

I could also make a sales-letter because, yes, there are some areas in which people have to spend money, recession or not, but I'm not that sleazy so I'll let you in on my own secrets right now and you don't even have to pay me or sign up to anything, because these are things that anyone can figure out for themselves. Here are some recession-proof niches you can capitalize on (if you want):

- Write about the recession, how we got there, how to get out of if (if you can write that book, please send a free copy to all World leaders);
- 101 ways to save money (or any other number you can think about);
- Anything relating to being friendlier to the Environment (it should be easy since it usually goes hand-in-hand with saving money);
- If you're a brainy scientist, find a way for people to create their own energy to power their homes and cars (I have this picture in my mind of having the TV linked to an exercise bike so that my kids can only watch TV while exercising, then I didsmiss the idea when I visualize myself on the same exercise bike but linked to my computer!);
- Price-comparison websites;
- Jobseeking, upskilling;
- Research and development of new sources of energy (whatever happened to water-fuelled cars?)

I can think of a whole lot more areas that are either not being affected by the recession (like parenting advice) or positively affected by it (everything related to saving money).

I'd like to think that everything is not as bleak as it seems and that all the people who have been badly affected by the recession can see some light at the end of the tunnel. It's not a matter of saying "Yes we can" anymore, it's a matter of actually doing it!

Internet Junkie for President!

Bargains and Special Offers Websites and Forums

2009-02-01T16:27:00.004Z

If you're looking for ways to save money, it is worth checking out online forums where people share their finds of bargains ans special offers.

If you live in Ireland, check out Rollercoaster.ie (a parenting forum that was recommended to me by my doctor a few years ago); not only you can get excellent advice and support from other parents if you're worried about your little ones but they have also recently added a section called "Bargains and Special Offers" where you can find anything from the cheapest pizza to the cheapest medicine and vitamins.

I found another good site that should be of some interest particularly for people in the U.K.: Money Saving Expert talks about everything to do with money and they also have a forum where users post all their money-saving tips, coupons codes, freebie lists, and where you can find any kind of money advice.

If you're not fond of online forums, you can always write your shopping list while checking out the bargains at your favorite supermarkets by visiting their websites; this way you can decide if you should have the half-price steak or the 30% off chicken and where to shop in order to find the best deal overall. Here are my favourite shopping websites for groceries:

- Aldi: click on your country and check out the current week's special buys; this website even has a great selection of chef's recipes using the ingredients you can find there. A great way to eat great food at low prices!

- Lidl: this is the same style as above, with also links to recipes containing a handy shopping list. After looking at the list of countries, it looks like this chain only exists in Europe so if you're outside, try the Aldi above.

- Supervalu may be slightly more expensive if you use it for all your grocery shopping, but they do excellent promotions so if you only buy the bargain products there, you may actually save more than if you buy everything in one discount store. (P.S. check out their €1 offers this week!).

- Tesco also has a good website and here you can also shop online if you can spare the cash for their delivery costs; you can check all their prices as well as the current special offers but I don't find this site very friendly; however this is very useful if you don't own a car.

- Dunnes Stores: I haven't been using this site but felt I had to include it as it is one of the main grocery shops (they also do clothes and homeware) that can be found in Ireland; I don't think you can shop online with this one but check out their special offers; I'm not too crazy about the fact that these include mainly branded products that, even with the discounts, often don't come as cheap as the supermarket brand but you may be able to save money on the meat products.

Once again, my advice is to shop around to save money but be careful not to spend more petrol running around looking for the best bargains; if you can save €10 by buying all your groceries at shop A in one week, don't go to shop B in the same week just to save €0.20 on one product.

Lightbulb Moments: Cash in Now!

2009-01-27T11:53:00.002Z

While I was browsing for some affiliate products to promote, I was suddenly hit by an idea to earn money. It's a bit naughty so I won't reveal my exact plans just now, but be assured that it's all above board.

It's a bit fuzzy in my mind right now but I can already tell you that it involves creating a new blog, one or more Squidoo lenses and some YouTube videos.

Well, in these recessionary times, one must be inventive to succeed! It might take me a while to put my new plan into action, but in the meantime I can alway deposit my next Clickbank cheque that is due to arrive very soon: Money, Money, Money...

The Benefits of Careful Spending and Saving

2009-01-19T17:42:00.005Z

Hi and a Happy New Year to everyone!

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and please accept my apologies for not posting earlier: Christmas shopping, a new computer course I've started locally (free of course!), and my taking up again of my old knitting hobby (after buying a big bulk of yarn on Ebay I've decided to knit sweaters for all of the family, I'm only halfway through but still enjoying it!); add in the mix a bit of pure lazyness and you get 2 whole months of this blog not being updated!

Anyway to get back to my topic, after about 2 whole years of hard savings, I've finally managed to change my car!

Before:
A Seat Ibiza costing me a bundle on motor tax due to its powerful engine, which is a feature I don't need, doing most of my driving in town or on Irish roads where speed is a no-no (pot-holes and cie...), central locking and passenger window out of order, faded paintwork with moss growing out of the rubber joints, a tyre that seemed to leak air even though my mechanic assured me there was no puncture:

After:
A neat and very sleek looking Hyundai Accent with "all mod cons" (remote central locking and immobilizer, air-conditionning, CD player, front and back electrical windows, electrical adjustable mirrors), not new but it feels like it is, extremely pleasant to drive (if only we were not on this small island, I'd drive it all the way around the world right now!):

(Ok, I know I haven't parked very well but what do you want? I'm just a girl after all!)

I'm sorry if this post feels like I'm boasting but I just had to share the joy! With all this talk of recession, I just wanted to say that all's not bad; I have lived for the last few years as if I was in a recession so now that prices are coming down, I'm coming out and even if the banks go bust, who cares? All my money's been spent on my new toy!

P.S. I don't really mean that; I know that a lot of people are going through a rough time right now and I hope that things will soon get back on track for everyone (except maybe those who've helped making this whole mess; you know who you are!)

Christmas Bargains Online

2008-11-28T18:20:00.000Z

Since it's nearly Christmas and I've become some kind of hermit, I've taken up online shopping. Nothing like benefiting slightly from currency conversions and saving petrol while at the same time avoiding the crowds!

Some of the best deals I've found lately are on Ebay. I have recently discovered a quick and convenient way to go straight to the cheapest items by checking out Ebay Deals where you'll find the auctions ending soon, some of which haven't been bid on yet (I had to struggle with myself not to start bidding on a Nintendo Wii console with Wii Fit and great games packages just now!).

Overstock: I haven't bought anything there because the shipping charges from the U.S. to Ireland were too high but try it out if you are in the U.S. They have a wide selection of refurbished items (these are just like new and have been quality checked so you might end up with even better quality than a brand new shop-bought item). Sign up to their newsletter and they will send you regular emails with even greater discounts.

Having 2 young children a lot of my Christmas budget will be spent on toys (Ok, chocolate too!) so my usual shops are Argos, Smyths and Toycity(which seems to be still under construction; pretty disappointing at this time of year). I used Argos' and Smyths' websites to compare prices and used last week's promotions to fill the bottom of my wardrobe with well hidden Christmas presents (just don't go and tell my girls as they still believe in Santa!).

If you don't like the idea of shopping online or are afraid not to have your purchases delivered on time for Christmas, you can always use your local shops' websites to compare prices and then head to the stores offering the best deals. On top of the delivery cost that you won't have to pay, you'll also save yourself a lot of time and the stress of physically visiting each store.

Another idea that I haven't tried myself but could be worth its penny is to ask a store to match a cheaper price from another store (you could take along a printout of your desired item from the cheapest website with you). If you compare stores within the same country, a retailer might lower an item's price for you so you won't take your business elsewhere (probably a good thing to try especially if you plan to buy several gifts in that store).

The Freebie Hunt Is On!

2008-11-20T17:21:00.003Z

We may well be in a recession but there are ways you can still try and get free stuff without having to spend a fortune.

If you feel lucky (or even if you don't), you can try and win prizes. Find out about promotions locally or even online. The best example I can give you is the promotion that was held for 3 days at my local Renault garage and which I participated for free on Monday: all I had to do was test-drive a brand new Renault Megane (without being obliged to buy anything) for my name to be entered in a draw with a chance to win one. I must say I got a little kick out of making the salesman feel very nervous sitting in a car being driven for the very first time by a reckless French woman driver; at least that's the feeling I got judging by the sweat on the guy's forehead!

Another thing I did is join the online newsletter from a national radio (Today FM; I just love listening to the Ray D'Arcy show!) and it turns out that the newsletter they send me once a month has great free competitions: this morning I entered one to be in a chance to win a case of 12 bottles of French wine and another for tickets to a kids' show in Dublin with 2 nights in a hotel.

These are great competions because they are free to join but before you go and join all online competitions, make sure you read all the fine print and don't join a site like this: I came across it a few weeks ago and thought at first that this was a great opportunity but it's only after reading the full terms and conditions that I found out it was actually a mobile phone subscription service: the first text is free but after that and until you unsubscribe, they will send you a text that will cost you €2 every 4 days; a great way to be left without phone credit when you need it the most.

Read the local papers, listen to radio ads and sign up to any newsletters you may be interested in; the more competitions you enter, the more chances you get to actually win something!

Squidoo Still in my Good Books

2008-11-12T14:03:00.005Z

It has been a while since I have talked about my lenses and since the September earnings have just been paid to lensmasters, I thought that now is a good time to update you on how I am doing with Squidoo at the moment.

I am not running to buy a new car yet (although I could really do with one) but yesterday Squidoo credited my Paypal account with a whooping $30.77, my highest payout yet from Squidoo!

Granted, there were $9.58 included in that figure which I had been accumulating from previous months because Squidoo only pays lensmasters who have earned $10 or more, but even considering that fact, November has brought me my record revenue from Squidoo so far of over $20.

My best lens for the month of September (shared advertising revenue is being paid 2 months after the actual month in which it has been earned) was my Squidoo Lensrank Experiment which was a real success for me as it stayed in the top 2000 lenses for most of the month, earning me a handsome $11.52! I also had 4 lenses that didn't rank too bad and earned me $1.92 each and 3 lenses that made $0.08.

In case you are wondering about the total not adding up, my November payment also includes Amazon affiliate revenue (I am not an Amazon affiliate but can still get a small portion of this through Squidoo) earned in October from my Halloween lens; this was a lens that I created at the end of September and ranked pretty well throughout the month of October so I should see more royalties for October that will be paid in December.

Here's for you if you'd like to see what I am up to on Squidoo:
All my lenses so far.

P.S. Christmas is coming soon so why not experiment on creating a Christmas wishlist lens like I did here? Join Squidoo today, it's free! A word of warning though: you could actually enjoy this a lot (I know I do!).

Haggle, Haggle and Haggle Some More!

2008-11-04T10:48:00.003Z

The time has come again for my car insurance renewal. Once again I went online and compared prices and since I took my ex-partner off my policy, my insurer was quoting me a premium with a huge increase this year.

I got several quotes ranging from under €200 to over €500; of course when you decide on an insurance cover you must also look at what's included in the policy: for example I could have gone with a company that was charging me €177.70 but only covered me for damages done to other people and properties with a €500 excess and did not cover me for fire and theft.

I found a quote for a reasonable insurance cover that was over €150 cheaper than my current insurance but I didn't really like the hassle of switching companies since I am at the moment with a reputable insurance company with an office in my town so I phoned them and asked them if they could match that other quote. The person who answered the phone put me on hold for about 2 minutes and came back and told me they could give me the same cover that I already had with them for about €100 less, which I thought was reasonable since they do have a few extras included in the policy such as breakdown assistance and free car rental for up to 35 days.

What about you? Does your insurance company overcharge you? If you don't shop around and compare prices, you will never find out. Insurance companies are used to people haggling so don't be shy! I am sure that a lot of companies (and not only insurance companies) bank on the fact that their customers don't bother questionning what they are being charged.

I Got My First Clickbank Check!

2008-10-30T20:43:00.003Z

I was going to post a picture of it here but since my scanner hasn't been working for the past 2 years (don't use it often enough to have it fixed or replaced) and the photo I took with my camcorder is ridiculously small (I don't have a digital camera), I just won't bother. Anyway, I guess you'll just have to take my word for it when I tell you I have received a check from Clickbank for $84.48 (the figure isn't big enough for you to think I am lying!).

It won't finance my Christmas yet, but if I add the €130 on my Paypal account (that's about $160) and my Adsense balance of $49.78 (another $50.22 to make payout yet), I reckon I'm not doing too bad!

Now let's think: $290 in about 12 months; I made an average of $24 per month or $0.80 per day. Yep, I'm definitely wasting my time online! Now, let's try a new career as a hooker (maybe I'll just marry a rich man instead, which is quite the same thing really).

Earn 100% of Your Pages' Advertising Revenue at Stumpedia Articles

2008-10-20T11:26:00.006+01:00

I have got to know Stumpedia a few months ago but back then, it was just a directory for Squidoo lenses. Now Stumpedia's owner has launched a new site where you can get paid for your articles.

I haven't tried Stumpedia Articles yet as I am trying to slow down the hours spent at my computer, but if you have an Adsense account and write articles (it's never too late to start!), I would recommend joining this one as it is still pretty new, which means that the on-site competition between writers can't be too tough yet!

Of course the site being new, it probably isn't as popular with search engines as other article websites such as Associated Content or Wiki How, but it should grow in the next few months because article sites usually do well with Google and other search engines as they contain fresh (often updated) and useful content.

I haven't seen a FAQ section on Stumpedia Articles' home page so all I know is that "publishers (that's you if you sign up) get complete control and management of their ads and 100% of the advertising revenue". Since I have spotted some Google ads on the website, I guess that means that if you decide to become a member, you can add your own Adsense publisher ID on pages containing your articles and get Adsense revenue when readers click your ads.

If you decide to sign up to Stumpedia Articles, make sure to do some keyword research before you publish your articles as this will maximize your adsense earnings.

Irish Budget 2009: How Does It Affect You?

2008-10-15T11:29:00.003+01:00

I know budgeting is a tough job and although I am not really qualified to judge Mr. Scrooge's decisions, here are a few obvious things that I just know are going to come out of this:

The finance minister wants to encourage foreign investment in Ireland but didn't even think of what he is doing to the Irish people whose jobs depend on the stability of companies that are already settled in Ireland: increasing VAT and applying a 1% levy on all annual wages under €100,100 is all very well to finance the hole our government has dug itself into but it would only be fair if this money actually went to fund our children's schools and facilitate students' access to higher education, because after all, our children are our future! Unfortunately our schools have now been promised even less teachers and third level education fees are increasing: how fair is that?

This decrease in purchasing power will undoubtedly result in people spending less on the Irish economy which could result in even more job losses and the government needing more money to finance social welfare payments...I wonder where that money is going to come from?

Oh yeah, and how exactly the VAT hike doesn't apply to people on social welfare as one Minister said earlier? Well, apparently all that social welfare recipients spend money on is children's clothing and food (and possibly cheap booze, now that the duty has been cut by 50% - wine goes up, low-alcohol drinks go down: I don't get it, do you?); not heating oil, not electricity, not phone costs or anything else. Well at least they can still get drunk on cheap beer and cider to help ease their worries.

Thanks, Minister, you can expect to see me soon sleeping rough on your doorstep clutching a bottle of Blue Nun (or riding around on my bicycle shouting abuse at the current government since my car just ran out of petrol)!

An Easy Way to Update Your Blog When Inspiration Goes Missing

2008-10-07T12:32:00.006+01:00

I have decided to do a little experiment today. As you can see in my last post: Spot a Golddigger-wikiHow, I have just posted an article from WikiHow.

I did not write this article myself; I just republished it under a Creative Commons licence. I guess you could say that I'm cheating by not writing my own content and yes, I could have just read the article, rewritten it and not given credit or linking to the original author, but that's not what I've done here.

After reading the article on WikiHow, I just saw that I was allowed to republish it on my own blog and I thought that perhaps it would be a good idea to use this when my blogging inspiration dries out. Of course, I can't really say now that my inspiration really dried out as I am writing this post but I just thought that some bloggers out there could do with the tip when they haven't written anything for a while and are looking for a quick way to post an article.

As long as you respect copyright laws, it is not against the law to publish duplicate content; you should be prepared to get a Google slap, though, especially if it's something you plan on doing a lot of (ouch! That hurt!).

Spot a Gold Digger - wikiHow

2008-10-07T12:26:00.001+01:00

Spot a Gold Digger - wikiHow

How to Spot a Gold Digger

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Have you ever been suspicious that the person you're dating is more interested in your money than in you? If you are concerned about this and want to find out, here are some ideas to accomplish this and protect yourself before it is too late.

Steps

Understand what a gold digger is, and is not. There's nothing wrong with a person being concerned about your financial stability. A long-term partnership means depending on each other through the ups and downs, and being financially reliable does help with that to a degree. The difference between a gold digger and someone who values your role as a provider is that the gold digger would deride and perhaps leave you if you lost your ability to provide for them financially. A good person can appreciate your financial resources, but a gold digger appreciates only that, and will not see the relationship as worthwhile if you're not well off.
Gold diggers drop hints that they're having trouble paying their bills (sometimes they might even ask you directly for a "loan" to tide them over). They know that you don't want to see them get an eviction notice, or get their car repossessed, and you're a good person who's in a position to help. But there's a difference between a gold digger and someone who's just fallen on bad times. What you should be looking for is if, despite their situation, this person is making poor financial decisions. Do they buy a brand new car with luxury features when they're struggling to pay rent? Do they buy $300 shoes or watches when their phone service is at risk of getting cut off? Do they go to expensive restaurants when their credit cards are maxed out, because they "work hard" and they "earned it"? Many gold diggers know better than to ask you to fund their more luxurious tastes, at least in the beginning; they'll tap into your desire to help them afford the things they need (food, shelter, transportation) so that they can spend their own money on the things they want.
When they discuss their financial woes, suggest ways in which the suspected gold digger can make money fast. When you mention the possibility of them selling their luxury car, video console, guitar, diamond bracelet, or any other expensive item that could keep them from becoming homeless or having their utilities cut off or car repossessed, how do they respond? The average person will be saddened and may even become angry or upset, but a gold digger will be appalled at the very idea that they should have to give up their prized possessions in order to meet their own basic needs. They'll treat the idea as ludicrous.
Look for a sense of entitlement. Gold diggers feel that they deserve to be treated well, and that includes knowing that someone is willing to spend money on them. Maybe it's because they had a bad childhood or relationship, and they feel they deserve to be happy (and it just so happens that their joy carries a high price tag). Or maybe they feel it's their right to be able to pursue their big dreams at the expense of financial stability, and, coincidentally, haven't considered who will foot the bill of their soul-searching. Have you noticed unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment? This sense of entitlement is one of the symptoms of narcissistic behavior, which has other symptoms that a potential gold digger might harbor:[1]
- grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
- preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
- believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
- requires excessive admiration
- lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
- often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
Ask them meaningful questions.
- What is the best gift they've ever gotten? Gold diggers will almost always cite an expensive, material object, not a uniquely personal and thoughtful gift.
- What's the biggest thing you ever had to give up to do or get something you really wanted? What you're searching for here is evidence of delayed gratification - the ability to give up something now so that you can achieve something greater, later. Gold diggers are notoriously spoiled or sheltered, and have never had to really wait, work, or struggle for what they want because somehow, someone was always there to help.
See what questions they ask you. Certain questions which might seem harmless might really be an attempt to judge your ability to provide. None of these questions, alone, should get you worried but all of them on the first date should definitely send up a red flag:
- How much do you make a year? Why would she/he ask this question? Because a gold digger is a mobile calculator, therefore every question that relates to money is calculated to determine the percentage of the total amount that she/he believes she/he "deserves".
- Are you a homeowner? And what type of car do you drive? They are trying to determine your overall worth and whether being with you is a profitable investment for them.
- How many kids do you have? Your answer to the question will help her/him determine (calculate) much of your income and attention goes to your children and how much time you can devote to her/him. A gold digger is a needy individual that will take up a lot of your money, time and energy.[2]
Search for signs of generosity and gratitude towards you. After having gone on several dates, has this person ever offered to pay? When you do pay, does he or she say thank you? Do they ever offer to help you in other ways? (And no, physical intimacy doesn't count); do they cook you dinner when you've been out working late? Fix your computer? Run an errand for you when your schedule's especially tight? If these character traits are missing, is this really someone you want to get involved with? A person doesn't develop gratitude and generosity overnight...
Indulge in a pipe dream. A pipe dream is basically a long shot. Take one of your childhood fantasies and run with it. Tell the person you're dating that you're thinking about becoming the mechanic, farmer, supermodel, writer, [insert dream career here] you've always wanted to be. Explain how if you were to ever do this, it would require a significant lifestyle change; you'd have to go back to school, relocate, or whatever would make it clear that your standard of living will go down dramatically. How does this person respond? Do they seem concerned? That's normal. A good person will encourage you to follow your dreams while simultaneously helping you think of ways to do it practically and responsibly. A gold digger will look horrified or disgusted and say things like "You're not really serious, are you?" OR they are ready to call it quits and leave because you are paying attention to "you" instead of "them".
Watch yourself. It feels good to help people, whether you just helped someone avoid becoming homeless, or you're helping an aspiring artist or entrepreneur launch his or her career, but you have to be careful that you don't fall into a pattern where your help become the norm, so much so that without your financial assistance, the relationship would crumble. If you're the kind of person who has trouble saying "no", or who is intensely sympathetic and compassionate, you're more likely to bump into a gold digger. You might also face the feeling that this is one of the most attractive or intriguing people you've ever dated, and you don't want to ruin your chances, but don't be fooled by a good looking exterior. It could cost you.

Tips

Gold Diggers can be business partners as well.
Protect yourself by maintaining your financial independence. Keep your own bank accounts and approach joint accounts and credit cards with extreme caution.
It's not a coincidence if your date goes to the bathroom every time the bill shows up or always forgets to bring his or her wallet.
If this person complains that you don't ever do anything nice anymore, think of 2-3 inexpensive dates and one expensive one and see what your date says. A gold digger will reliably pick out the most expensive one, every time.
A gold digger moves the relationship too fast, perhaps trying to push marriage and not signing a pre-nup agreement. If you mention a pre-nup and this person makes up every excuse and tactic necessary to get out of it, this is another red flag that you are dating a gold digger.
Once a physical relationship has started, a gold digger will usually not engage in "physical" activities unless given incentive i.e. taken on a date, given a gift, etc.
It's always a good idea to check court records to see if the gold-digger has been divorced. You can learn a lot by reading their complaint, motions and responses, etc. Don't simply rely on 'their side' of the story.
Have you met their family? You can learn a lot from people close to them.
Watch other people's reactions when they hear you've been out with someone or spending time with someone. Often, others will attempt to subtly let you know through reactions and comments that the person is a gold digger.
Most people don't want to be obliged or beholden to others for large sums of money. A gold digger doesn't have to be prompted twice to take a "loan" from you. Think about what makes sense: would you open up to someone you just met about your financial woes? Would you take a loan from a guy or girl you've been out with once? Probably not, but a gold digger is looking for his or her next "sugar daddy/mama" at all times.

Warnings

If you find yourself dating gold diggers more often than you'd like, think about where you meet people, and how you present yourself. If you look like you could be somebody's "sugar daddy" or "sugar momma" (successful, with a high standard of living) then guess what kind of crowd you're going to attract?
Don't become overly stingy in an effort to spot a gold digger. The above steps all involve getting to know the person, and observing their behavior. You don't have to pretend to be a total cheapskate in order to judge someone's character.
Gold diggers are often thought of as female. Men can be gold diggers too.
Watch out for people who frequently change jobs, or go long periods of time unemployed. Be careful when there is always an excuse to explain their unemployment, especially when the reason is always someone else's fault (I got laid off, my boss hated me, they wanted me to work all the time, there was no room for advancement, they kept shorting my paychecks, etc.) Stuff happens, but when it happens to that person over and over, it's a red flag.
Many gold diggers won't let go of one relationship until they have a more lucrative one on the line. Watch out for the guy or girl who grows close to you, and more dependent on you, but won't let go of the unhappy relationship they are in. They may be working both ends against the middle, wringing the last drops out of their current relationship, while setting you up to be their next.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Is Your Partner a Gold Digger? - Original source of some of the information on this page, shared with permission. See discussion page for details.

↑ http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/narcissisticpd.htm

↑ http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-5-Tips-on-How-to-Spot-a-Gold-Digger&id=1028124

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Spot a Gold Digger. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Can You Live on £1 a Day?

2008-09-30T10:16:00.003+01:00

As President Bush's $700 billion bailout plan is rejected by Congress, the World's economy is facing even bigger trouble. In Ireland, hundreds of jobs are being lost every week so if you are having trouble making ends meet, you might find the following article useful:

Kath Kelly is an English teacher who recently spent a full year living on just £1 a day (£1 is currently $1.80 or €1.26; I used this currency converter). Kath Kelly paid her bills in advance and lived on £1 a day for her daily expenses. She lived mostly on freebies, and she says that her social life even improved during her "free" year (although I'm not sure a sane person would see drinking cheap booze outside as a social improvement).

Without going to that extreme, there are ways you can find to save money:
- Walk or cycle if possible instead of using your car;
- Bring the kids to the playground (if weather permits) instead of the cinema or overpriced activity centres;
- Plan your menus in advance, write a shopping list to avoid unnnecessary trips to the grocery store;
- Recycle stuff: here's how you can reuse you old toilet-paper rolls;
- Find out what foods are in season and that you can pick for free in your local area (apples, blackberries, mushrooms, mussels, winkles...);
- Keep your eyes open when you walk (my daughter has an eye for coins on the streets and she has a new addition for her money-box almost every day);
- Surf the Internet for free samples and enter free competitions (you might win something that you can keep or even sell on Craigslist, as Ebay is getting too expensive or so I'm told);
- Reduce you electricity bills;
- Don't spend money on stuff you don't need: make your own lunch to bring to work instead of buying the all-expensive, all-fattening Subway sandwich, don't fill your wardrobe with clothes you'll never wear, etc.

There are lots more ways you can avoid to spend money; I wrote an article a while ago on how to save money on your grocery shopping. Saving money is not rocket science, but sometimes it is difficult to resist temptation when you see TV commercials and all that's on offer in the shops.

Meet My New Best Friend: Social Marker

2008-09-23T11:53:00.004+01:00

One of the things I find the most time-consuming for bloggers and anyone else who needs to get some sort of traffic to webpages is submitting content to social bookmarking websites. Up until now, it was a real chore that took me away from creating content (quite ironical since I had to submit lots of content to be able to actually submit my own!) and I just submitted my articles to a handful of social media sites manually but a few days ago I started looking into a few social bookmarking tools.

If you have been reading this blog for a little while, you probably know that I love getting free stuff so I was a bit disappointed last week when I saw a few automatic social bookmarking tools costing around $100; I came accross Social Submitter and downloaded the free demo version but I didn't get the chance to use it before the 3 day expiration period; then I heard about Bookmarking Demon which looks pretty good and I guess I could have bought it with my Clickbank affiliate ID but even though, the $97 price tag put me off.

Among the best I could find and that were free was Socializer, which isn't very bad, but isn't something I would call "automatic"; Socializer is slightly better than having a bookmarking folder containing all the social media sites you are a member of and inputing all your articles' details manually into each site, one by one.

I thought I was going to be stuck with using Socializer until I found Social Marker; I was pretty happy to find out this automatic Bookmarking tool was free and even though I had to download Firefox to use it (shame on me, I was still using Internet Explorer 7 until 2 days ago!), it is well worth the trouble.

When I find some content I want to bookmark, all I have to do is click on my toolbar link for Social Marker and I just have to type a description and tags for the article (the URL and title are automatically copied but check the fields, just in case) and select the websites I want to bookmark my link on (there are 49 to choose from and the most popular websites like Digg and StumbleUpon are included) and click on the "Submit" tab. You don't need to re-enter your article's details for each website as Social Marker makes it very easy for you to just copy and paste the details in each bookmarking site without making it feel like a spamming tool.

Other free Social bookmarking tools that I haven't tried:
Social Poster;
SocialList.net;
These seem to work similarly to Social Marker; you can do your own search and find the bookmarking tool that works best for you.

Of course as with all social bookmarking tools and websites, you still need to participate a little on each website and submit and vote for links other than your own but with Social Marker, that job is much quicker and best of all, it's completely free!

My Squidoo Lensrank Experiment Is Finished!

2008-09-17T16:17:00.003+01:00

About a month ago, I created a new Squidoo lens called Squidoo Lensrank Experiment.

Using my knowledge and the knowledge of other lensmasters (I found a great number of Squidoo tips lenses that were very helpful and I also used information from Squidoo's forum) I gathered all the all the Squidoo tips I could come up with and used them in my Lensrank Experiment.

What makes my experiment interesting for other lensmasters or anyone thinking of joining Squidoo is that not only I used all the tips I am talking about, I also disclosed what I was doing as I was applying my tips; I reorganized everything and republished my all-new Squidoo Lensrank Experiment yesterday.

The outcome of my experiment is not bad, as I got my best lensrank on August 26th with my lens getting an overall lensrank of 765 (I started out at 641191). Although lensrank changes everyday, my lens has been in the top 2000 for most of its lifetime so far; I still have to try and update it often to try and keep a good lensrank (at least until the end of this month, as Squidoo royalties are now being calculated based on average lensrank for the month), and I am also also working on a few new lenses at the same time. The good news is that I now have my own Squidoo blueprint to help me with my other lenses.

If you have a Squidoo account, check out my Squidoo Lensrank Experiment; you can even bookmark it if you think you can use my Squidoo advice in the future. If you are wondering what the heck Squidoo can do for you, why not find out by making your first lens for free?