Sunday, August 3, 2008

Another Online Survey Referral: SurveySavvy

I have been a member of SurveySavvy.com for a couple years now and have been very impressed with how easy it is to earn a little extra cash! Unlike other program, SurveySavvy pays you a set amount per survey completed. It is stored in your virtual account with them until you request a check. It's amazing how fast it adds up! As with any legitimate survey website, there is no cost to join SurveySavvy.com.

If you have a teen in your family, there is a recently launched a survey portal for teenage respondents.

To become a member, click here.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Online Survey Referral: MySurvey.com

Online surveys are a fun and easy way to make extra money and earn cool prizes. By registering for free with MySurvey.com, you become eligible to participate in studies and earn points which can be converted into cash, merchandise, or raffle tickets. The survey topics are on a variety of topics and products and, sometimes, you even get to try products as part of the survey!

To sign up, please visit MySurvey.com.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Mystery Shopping Referral: National Shopping Service

Throughout my next several posts, I will be highlighting several mystery shopping and on-line survey companies that I have had personal experience with. I'll go over the basics and tell you about some of the cool shops I have done....soon enough, you'll be making some extra money and getting free products! Note: I am only highlighting legitimate companies that I have worked with that do not charge a fee to join. If anyone requires money to join, it is most likely a scam.

Today's company: National Shopping Service

National Shopping Service, also called NSS, is a mystery shopping company that has been around since the 1970s. They specialize in a variety of industries and offer an easy-to-use Intranet site that allows shoppers to select jobs and submit reports. Checks are cut on the 15th of each month after the shop was performed and are mailed to the shopper's home address.

My personal experience with them has been great--the jobs are fun and the shopper support reps are very helpful. I have done shops for Papa John's and Panda Express. They usually reimburse the total cost of the food and sometimes even have a bonus attached to the shop!

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Frequent flyer miles are your friend

I am working on some posts about travel deals but, before we can get to there, I need to let the world know about a great thing known as frequent flyer miles. I am a Delta-fanatic but will try to keep this as neutal as possible!

Basically, I got hooked on these programs as a mere 13-year old on the 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C. I vividly remember signing up for the American Airlines AAdvantage program from a phone in some airport terminal. I was able to accrue miles over the next few years and eventually earned myself a free trip to Chile (60,000 miles). As I got older and diversified my airline travel, I dabbled with United Airlines' Mileage Plus and Southwest's Rapid Rewards. But I found my home with Delta's SkyMiles program. You see, in college, I flew to South Africa for my summer study abroad trip and soon found myself with approx. 25,000 miles! A year and a half from then, I had elite status. Getting upgraded to first class for free is awesome, as is checking in and boarding from priority lines. Not bad for a little loyalty!

I recommend that the next time you travel, you sign-up for the airlines' loyalty progam. Who knows how much you will end up flying. Not sure what airline to start with? Follow these tips:
  • In the US, there are three main alliances: SkyTeam (Delta, Continental, Northwest), Star Alliance (United, US Airways), and oneworld (American). If one of these domestic carriers jumps out at you, that may be a good place to start. If you travel internationally, take a look at what international partners are in the alliance so that you can earn miles on those long haul flights.
  • Don't forget, nothing is stopping you from signing up for multiple programs. Just try to be strategic so that you can accrue enough mileage on each account to keep it active (rules vary by program).

Once you're with a program, you can discover all the fun ways to earn even more miles. Practically anything can get you more miles these days. For example:

  • Hotel Stays
  • Car Rentals
  • Grocery Store purchases
  • Airline-affiliated credit cards (be sure to check annual fees)
  • Online shopping (FTD.com and 1800flowers.com always have promotions)
  • Netflix memberships
  • Investment programs like Sharebuilder
  • Dining programs
  • Loans

Feel free to post a question if you need me to elaborate on any of the topics above.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Burger King-Visa Partnership This Summer

I know the recent theme has been food, but what can I say--It's one of my favorite things in life!

This summer (from June 1, 2007 - August 31, 2007) Burger King has partnered with Visa to create a promotion where every 10th purchase is free if you use a registered Visa card. There is no minimum dollar amount for the qualifying purchases so you can get something from the 99-cent menu and it will count as one purchase. When you get to your 10th purchase, you will be given a credit of up to $7.00 on your next Visa statement. Pretty easy, huh? To enroll, click here.

And for anyone who is saying "I can't find anything at Burger King that fits my diet", think again. Visit Healthy Dining Finder and get recommendations for healthy meals at fast food joints. My favs are the Tendergrill Chicken Salad and Chicken Sandwich (it has yummy honey mustard sauce instead of mayo!)

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

AAA.....more than just roadside assistance!

Most people who have an AAA membership only buy it for roadside assistance and an alternative to the DMV lines. But what many people don't know is that your card can be shown at a variety of places for a discount. Some examples:

  • Many restaurants offer a 10-15% discount when you show your card. For a list of participating establishments, go to the AAA Dining Program site.
  • There are great discounts on lodging, vacation packages, car rentals, and even airport shuttles.
  • Have out of town guests visiting? Or are you taking the family to a local theme park? Check out the Attractions & Entertainment page for money saving deals.
  • Getting a prescription that isn't covered by insurance? You can use your AAA card to get a discount. Check with your local pharmacy to see if they participate in the program.
  • There are dozens of other retail discounts on their site...check it out!

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Click here for free food

Ever since I was little, I remember always signing up for restaurant's dining clubs (or signing up my parents and reaping the benefits!). My earliest memory was the infamous Burger King Kid's Club. Every year at your birthday, you'd get a free kid's meal....and when you're eight, that's pretty awesome. Even in my 20's, I still take full advantage of these clubs in hopes of savings some money and still getting to enjoy eating out.

Check out local restaurants's websites and see if they offer any e-mail clubs (sometimes found under the "offers" or "promotions" tabs). For example, at Armadillo Willy's restaurants in California, you can sign up for Willy's e-Club and receive coupons and free items on a regular basis. I recently received a coupon for a 2-for-1 entree coupon and, before that, a free appetizer or dessert coupon.

Kentucky Fried Chicken and Quizno's also do e-mail clubs with valuable coupons.