EzLaptop Scam

For several months I have been reading ads to earn a free laptop from ezlaptop.com. I finally reached the required number of credits and clicked the link to claim my laptop. I got no confirmation email, not have they replied to any of my emails asking for the status of my shipment. Now let me say this - I went into this with my eyes open, knowing that there was a 99% chance that this was a scam. I am quite tired of these sites that make big promises and then scam their loyal members, so I am prepared to file a complaint against these folks. I am going to bulldog this one, folks, and I'll keep you updated as to my progress, or lack thereof. For any of you who have had issues with this site, full contact information can be found here:
http://whois.domaintools.com/ezlaptop.com

Let's band together and let them know that this is unacceptable!

Make money taking surveys

I just wanted to share with you guys a little tip I figured out about earning money from surveys. The smaller the company, the better your odds of winning their prize drawings. Most survey sites will pay you a dollar or two to take a survey, but also have a prize drawing; usually everyone who attempts a survey is entered in the drawing. I have won twice, and both times they were small, relatively unknown survey sites. This month I won $300 from Macorr Research. They are small, I only get a few surveys a year from them, but heck, $300 is nothing to sneeze at! I was informed by email, received a money order four days later. Another little tip: my notification that I had won went to my junk mail folder. If I hadn't checked it (and I usually don't), I may not have gotten my money because they needed my mailing address. Whew! Close call!

MyLot

I don't know if you have ever heard of MyLot, but it is a great social discussion forum that will allow you to talk about virtually anything and get paid for it. They pay via PayPal, and you can set your payout for $10, $25, or $100. I really enjoy it and I have learned so much about earning online that it would seem wrong to not include it here. You will make friends, earn money, and learn a lot in the process.

CashCrate Update

As of today, my earnings are up to $12.05 and this is only my fourth day as a member of CashCrate! I can't tell you how excited I am about this program. I haven't really worked very hard at it at all, so imagine what I could (or you could) earn if some effort is put into it. I am going to experiment with some promotion ideas over the next couple of months and I will periodically reveal them once I determine their effectiveness. I think it would be awesome if you share your techniques on here, too, should you decide to give it a try. Maybe we can build our own little club of top earners :)

Join Me at i5

I just joined this tonight. I read as many reviews as I could find, and it seems that it is a legit program. I will keep you all updated, but I figured it's free, so why not give it a try?

Join Me at i5

Invite 5 is a free membership available to everyone 13+ yrs old worldwide. Register, choose where and when to view
ads and share in the ad revenue. There are 8 different ways to make money, all from advertising. Interact with 10 Cent
Ads yourself or just share free membership with others.

How can this be? Simple - the audience is the only value to an advertiser. Internet users worldwide provide invaluable
access to advertisers for a share of the dollars spent on the advertising. Members of Invite 5 'request' to view and rate
ads while using any website or search page. When you do this, you make money.

In addition to money, membership also has some cool benefits. A totally customizable toolbar lets you choose the
features, colors, icons and the links so your toolbar is as personal and unique as you. And with the auto-login feature,
one click and you're signed in to all your own links. You can also click the i5 logo and see what cash and prizes we're
giving away each week.

i5 members can install the toolbar, browser button or personal widget. Once installed, sign in, click the ads button or
widget to view some ads. When text ads are clicked an ad window opens. After 10 seconds, a 'Rate it' bar displays to
give your opinion - 1 to 5 stars. Select a star and make money. That's how simple it is.

CashCrate - What's all the hoopla about?

I heard people talking about earning cash through CashCrate, but I never really put much stock in it. I thought it was just another one of thousands of offer completion programs, until I tried it. I joined CashCrate three days ago at the urging of one of my MyLot friends, and in those three days I have earned $8 without really trying very hard. I hate doing offers and those "surveys" that consist of saying yes or no to hundreds of offers. I still hate them, but for this kind of money, I will do them, and do them happily! I am not worried about telling you about this before I actually get paid, I know this program is reputable and has been around for a long time. I regret not having signed up sooner. I think about all of the online cash I could have been earning...well, my bad! Don't wait and regret it like I did, click the button and start making cash today. This one's a keeper!

MyPoints.com

MyPoints is a site where you earn points for various activities. You do not actually earn cash, but the points are just as good as cash. There are so many ways to earn that everyone is bound to find something they enjoy. You can earn just by reading emails received from them, you can complete offers, you can earn huge points by shopping through their site, and you can earn by joining other sites that are affiliated with them. They also have an affiliate program, which I have not tried, that pays cash. I personally use my points for emergency gas money since I earn enough for $20 BP gas cards a month. They do not have a referral program, this post is just for your earning enjoyment. If you click on the post title it will take you to their site. Have fun with it!

Cash from old phones

This is something I had completely forgotten about until today. You can make some seriously good cash from old cell phones. I have this system going that has been working for me for almost two years, and I am so sorry I didn't think to share it until today! This awesome website, CellForCash will buy your old cell phones from you. They will even send you a prepaid mailer to send it in. Their customer service is awesome, staying in contact via email, through every step of the process. The phones don't even need to be in good cosmetic shape, they only need to be able to be powered up. You don't need to send in cords or chargers, so if they fit your new phone, no need to give them up. How can I keep making money once I get rid of my old phone? Good question! Check online auction sites for phones that have something broken on them, you can usually pick them up for cheap. I just keep two browser windows open so I can check to see what I can get paid. If it's enough to make a profit, I go for it. If you have the time, you can really clean up this way. Hop on over to CellForCash and see how much you can earn!

Some tips for oDesk

I have had few folks email me because they are having trouble getting hired on oDesk. I do believe it is hard to get hired as a newbie, so here are some tips for a successful oDesk experience:

1) Once you are signed up with them, take extra tests in areas you are familiar with. Take as many as you think you can pass. While you are testing, open a second browser window to look up answers if you're stuck. oDesk doesn't expect you to know everything, just smart enough to find it. Assuming you score well, it will be posted on your profile, which will attract employers.

2) When you are applying for a job, make sure your cover letter is perfect. Send samples of your work, especially for writing jobs. Tell them why they should give you a chance to prove yourself as a newbie.

3) Make sure you aren't bidding too high. Be sure to look at the average bid for the job, then bid lower. An average bid means that some have bid higher and some lower, so if you want the job you will need to underbid the average.

4) Look for jobs other than your main interest. For example, if you are looking for writing jobs, consider data entry. Try to get a few small fixed price jobs to boost your "rep" on your profile. The more positive buyer feedback that shows on your profile, the more likely you are to be hired for a bigger, better paying job.

5) Apply for as many jobs as oDesk will allow. Apply for anything you are capable of doing. You will build a good reputation quickly. The more jobs you do, the more jobs you will get.

6) Do not ever agree to be paid outside of oDesk. You will risk being banned, and you will probably get scammed (I did). If someone is so broke that they need to save a couple of bucks on oDesk fees, do you really think they will pay you at all? I wish I had realized this when I first started, because I got scammed out of several thousand dollars. It was a hard lesson learned, and I am tellng you in the hope of saving you from the same heartache.

Don't give up! If you keep applying you will get hired. Once you get that first job, more will follow.

More on Paid To View Videos

See the picture of dollars? That is NOT what I'm earning. This morning I have a grand total of .49. Now, to be fair, I have discovered a few things to make this more worthwhile. I discovered that I do not have to subject myself to watching a 10 minute video I have seen several times already. It is sufficient to allow the video to load and then close it. The giant penny still credited to my account. Still no offers to earn more by commenting, though. I am going to continue with this for the sole purpose of determining at what point, if any, I get the higher earning offers. I plan on taking this through to payout, so I can let you know if I get paid or not. If I actually receive payout, I will then post the link to the site so you can sign up and earn if you choose. At least if you choose to sign up, you will know exactly what you're in for!

Update: My video viewing escapades

Well folks, this will take a bit longer to evaluate than I originally thought. Why, you ask? Well, because it is incredibly, painfully boring, quite frankly. I had hoped for amusing videos, educational videos, or even just plain cute videos. Instead, I am subject to video spam. The videos range from around three minutes long to a whopping ten minutes, and all pay the same .01, no matter the length. There were promises of bigger money to comment and/or subscribe, but so far, nothing I have been permitted to watch has had that option. My earnings so far? .29! Take that to they bank...lol! I'm not ready to call it a scam, although it may well be a waste of time, but I am willing to give it a little more time. Maybe it will get better as I earn more pennies. Stay tuned!

A New Online Earning Opportunity

It seems as if the newest trend in online earning is viewing videos for cash. There are several programs out there that are in beta mode, and a couple of them that have been up and running for awhile, albeit rather quietly. In the world of earning cash online, anything that promises fast cash is usually replicated by every budding entrepreneur on the planet, so I am immediately suspect of something that hardly anyone is talking about. Let's face it, there are thousands upon thousands to ptc and ptr sites, it's all you read about on everyone's blog. Hardly anyone is talking about video earning. I decided to bite the bullet and join one. My plan is to participate for a week, give you all an update, and then again when I reach payout. The one I chose to join has a low payout of $10, and pays via PayPal. Stay tuned for more info, maybe I have uncovered a new way for us all to make a few bucks more!

SheToldMe.com - A New Way To Earn Money Online

This is a site that I use regularly to boost my AdSense earnings, and to promote my blogs. It functions much like Digg, in that you find a great story or blog that you want others to view, post your story, and then any AdSense revenue is shared with you. You will need an AdSense account, and will need to have your publisher ID ready when you sign up.

The best way to utilize the site to earn online cash is to work with Google Hot Trends to find the hottest articles to publish. Get familiar with Hot Trends, then choose your article from the hottest topics. This will virtually guarantee traffic to your story.

For a more detailed explanation, watch this video series http://www.blogtrafficgenius.net/btgvideos.html

This series will show you step-by-step how to use Hot Trends to increase your AdSense revenue and earn more money.

More about oDesk - the real earnings are not always immediate

I decided that you folks might benefit from hearing a little more about oDesk and how it has helped me to not only earn money from home by simply doing data entry jobs, but has taught me the first steps toward truly earning a full time income online. I will explain to you how this opportunity came about, and hopefully you will benefit as much as I have. I don't stand to earn anything from this post, I'm not even posting a referral link, but this is too exciting not to share it with you.

One of my first (and best) online data entry jobs entailed working on an online resource directory called Boomja. I had never heard of it, but I didn't need to know anything about it, I only needed to research and enter data. I soon discovered that Boomja is a massive online directory for virtually anything you would want resources for. I must admit that I found the job a bit challenging at first, but I stuck it out and it became second nature. I finished the first job and was thrilled when I was offered a second one, and then a third. Now, this is the first benefit; ongoing work that is familiar and has become easy to do. I became curious about the Boomja directories, vaguely recalling an email telling me I could build my own. At that time, I was still trying to figure out how to enter the data, building my own directory was not anywhere on my radar. I finally went and checked it out, and sure enough, I found that it is free to build a directory based on the topic of my choosing. I had to submit an application, which was approved within 24 hours, and I then received a comprehensive instruction manual. The manual included not only the basics, but great information about how to market the directory, monetization, keywords, etc. That's the second benefit; the directory instruction manual has taught me so much about marketing sites in general. I went ahead and started my directory, added Google AdSense, and viola!, every page I completed loaded AdSense ads. We're talking hundreds of pages here, all included in my AdSense account. Therein lies benefit number three; passive revenue from AdSense. So, if you're following this so far, I am not only being paid to build directories for other people, I am learning how to build a rockin' directory of my own. Finally, I have been offered the opportunity to be paid for marketing the directories on sites like Digg and Reddit, and I will be receiving an instruction manual to show me the best way to do that. Guess what I will do with my new lessons? You guessed it, apply it to my own directory. My directory is already earning a small amount, and it's not done, nor have I marketed it very much. I am so excited at the potential once I complete it and truly begin to market it. You can also have this same opportunity. Just go to Boomja.com and see if it looks like something you want to try. I suggest you take a look at other directories before you apply. As with any other legitimate income, this is not a free ride. There is a lot of work involved in setting up a Boomja directory, I have been working on mine for months.

As I said, this is just too good not to share. If you are willing to put the time into, there is a tremendous amount of income waiting for you through Boomja directories. See, I told you, no referral links, just info you can use. Happy earning!

PTC/PTR Sites..earning cash from reading ads

As promised (albeit a bit late...sorry), I am going to tell you a bit about the PTC/PTR sites that I belong to. You won't ge rich, but you will earn cash. I have signed up for hundreds, but there are only a few I remain active in because they actually pay me cash. I have one that is my absolute, hands down, no holds barred favorite. I will, of course, save the best for last.

First on my list is Hits4Pay
http://hits4pay.com/members/index.cgi?firemom31

This site does have a rather high minimum payout of $25, but they do give you $10 at sign up. I generally get between 3 to 7 ads at a time, so the earnings add up rather quickly compared to similar sites. The only drawback I have seen so far is that occasionally there will be several days with no ads, but I don't consider this a major problem. If you decide to try them, make sure your profile is complete, check as many interests as the system allows, and make sure you click on the link in each ad. I had a bit of trouble with this at first. I didn't realize that it wasn't enough to just view the ad. You must click on the link at the bottom, which will bring up a frame. When you have viewed the ad long enough, it will give you the option of viewing the next ad. On a 1 to 10 scale, I give this one a 9.

Another favorite is DollarClickOrSignUp
http://www.dollarclickorsignup.com/members/register.php?ref=firemom31

This site is nice because it has several different ways of earning, which takes some of the boredom out of the whole process. The site owner runs contests, games, and other types of competition to keep it fun. There are ads to view for cash, as well as offers to complete. Personally, I hate offer completion, now matter how much cash I can earn, so I would like to see less of that and more PTC on this site, but overall, it's pretty good. There are several ways of receiving payout, each with a different minimum requirement. There is an eBay virtual gift certificate for $5, for example, or a $5 money order. If you choose PayPal, the minimum is only $1.00. This site gets an 8.5. They could have a 9 or 10 if there were less offers and more PTR.

Next on my favorites list is YouData
http://www.youdata.com/join/firemom31

YouData allows you to create a "MeFile" that details your demographic information and interests. The site then sends you ads that you are paid to view, then paid again to read. They pay every Friday via PayPal. You will most likely make more during your first two weeks, then the earnings trickle down. I almost removed this site from my favorites because I haven't received an ad in two weeks. I decided to keep it for a couple of reasons. First, other members I have spoken with are still getting ads, but the main reason is that they are fairly new and I believe they are struggling to maintain as one of the few honest sites out there. I decided that I am willing to hang in there with them; I think it will pay off in the long run. This one is a 7.5 until the ads start coming in again.

And my very favorite site...{insert drum roll here...lol}...PaidToClick
http://www.PaidToClick.in/index.php?ref=firemom31

This site just rocks! They have a minimum payout of $.02 for free members, and all you have to do to get paid is click the withdraw link and insert your PayPal address. Not only do they have a great low minimum, but there are several ways to earn, including PTR, PTC, offers, and referrals. By only using PTC and PTR every day, I get a daily payout. It isn't tons of money, but what other site will let you get paid daily? Also, may sites make it hard to even reach one cent per day, this one makes it easy. I just can't say enough good about this site. The only drawback for me is that PayPal is the only way to get paid, and I despise PayPal. But hey, I'm not gonna let that stop me from earning. You won't be sorry if you join this one, I promise!

In closing, I would like to address the subject of payment proof. I have been asked by a few people to provide proof of payment. I see no reason to do this. It takes time that I don't have. With today's technology, fake payment proofs are generated all day long, so why should I spend time posting something that can easily be faked, just to prove I earned a few dollars? The sites and methods of earning that I review and recommend will speak for themselves, the proof comes when you earn for yourself. I would encourage all of you to avoid making decisions about opportunities based on a screenshot of someones PayPal account. I could generate one showing I have been paid $7000 if I wanted to, and so can those who are hawking their wares. They want you to believe they are making thousands per day so that you will pay them for the opportunity to do the same. Bottom line, if it sounds to good to be true, don't go there, even if there is "proof". Now go earn some money, and have an awesome day!

Just so you know...

I am gathering info, and tomorrow I will publish my experience with PTC/PTR sites. I will only tell you about the ones I actually participate in. See you tomorrow!

Captcha - Earning Immediate Cash

As promised, today I will talk about Captcha data entry as a way to earn extra cash online. If you are very fast at data entry, this may be for you. First, if you want quick cash, you will need to have a PayPal account, since most will offer that as a payment processor. If you want fast cash now, you don't want to wait for a check in the mail, right? Second, for those of you who don't know what Captcha codes are, those are those little jumbles of letters and numbers you are sometimes required to input at the bottom of a form, just to make sure you are human and not a bot. Many companies do data entry outsourcing, and Captcha entry is the easiest for them to assign to home workers. So, on to the resources...

By far, the easiest and fastest is www.PixProfit.com This site requires only your name and PayPal address to get started. Once you reach $3.00, you get paid. It just doesn't get any easier. There is no referral program, you won't get any spam from them, it's just sign up and start working. If you are have a good typing speed and can sit and type repetitive information, you can earn some serious quick cash here. If you really want to make this into a job, you can get a few friends together and form a work team. You all type as fast as you can, the payments go to one person, you divide the profits.

Another good to find Captcha data entry work is www.GetAFreelancer.com There many other work at home opportunities there, but you will have no trouble finding Captcha work at this site. It is similar to oDesk, but not as detailed. There are no tests to take, you simply register and bid on jobs.

Bottom line, if you need to earn extra cash from home, and you need that cash quickly, Captcha is the way to go. Good luck and happy typing!

Next post, I will be discussing paid to click and paid to read programs, the good, the bad, the ugly.

So, you want to earn money working from home...

Let's face it, times are hard for most of us. We all need to earn some extra cash, right? Unfortunaltely, there are lots of unscrupulous scammers who earn their extra money by scamming the rest of us. You can earn part time income from home, even full time income, if you are careful to choose the right job source. I have been working from home in addition to my "regular" job for several years. Did it make me rich? No. Did it pay some bills and buy some groceries? Absolutely! After watching so many people get scammed, struggle, and ultimately get nowhere, I decided to share what I have learned.

If you really want to earn money working from home, the best site, hands, down, no competition, is:

The On Demand Global Workforce - oDesk

Keep in mind, the operative word here is "work". When you sign up with oDesk, you will work. There is no easy money. You won't just sit back and collect your cash. You will take a competency test to qualify you. It is not a hard test, but it does require reasonable intelligence. You will need to take some time to look around the site, read the FAQ's, and understand what you are doing, before you apply for your first job. When you apply, be prepared. You will need to submit a cover letter to introduce yourself. There are guidelines for a good cover letter on the site, so don't be afraid of it. You will also need to be prepared to install an IM service on your computer, most use Yahoo Messenger. Many prospective employers will use this for a live interview. If you have already done some data entry work, have your data entry resume ready to copy and paste during the interview (if you didn't submit it with your cover letter). There are many other jobs available, not just data entry. There are one day jobs, long and short term jobs, part time, full time, hourly and fixed rate jobs. This site is a work at home Nirvana! The best part? You won't have to worry about getting scammed, they are completely legit.

If you sign up for eDesk work, please come back and post about your experience, good or bad, so others can benefit from your knowledge. Oh, and tell em' firemom31 sent ya!

Check back for my next post - Earning from Captcha data entry.