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I came across a lot of great articles/websites this week but the few below are the gems out of the group.  Enjoy!

• If you’re struggling with creating or sticking to your budget, check out these two links: Make Your Budget Successful and Control Your Income and Expenses.
• Didn’t think that you could have a money-free weekend?  Try again.
• Being productive isn’t easy so try out these 5 tips to get started in the right direction.
• What’s the Cost? is a great website to try and find out how much you’re exactly going to pay on many interest-related items.
• Tired of using Ticketmaster to get your event tickets?  Look no further than these four great alternatives.
• I think we all need to write better notes so you should definitely check out these 50 ways to improve your note taking.
• If you don’t think that you have enough time to be productive, check out these 10 ways to be productive in 10 minutes.

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I’m not usually a huge believer in those online websites that say they will pay you to take surveys or to search.  I have read about people who have success with such websites, but a “babysitting” mentality is required.  “When is the next survey posting?  When will the next project email come out?”  I don’t have time to do much as it is and “babysitting” my inbox won’t give me more free time.  Plus, a majority of those sites simply sell your email.  However, I did come across an interesting, and decent, site the other day.

I was referred to Swagbucks by a friend/reader.  She stated that she has been using the site since February and has accrued enough “bucks” for about $35 in Amazon.com gift cards.  That’s not too bad.  It’s a great bonus to cap off other sources of income.  So, I signed up.

The main premise of the site is searching.  You are paid in swagbucks to search for things on the Internet. Instead of using Google or Yahoo!, simply use their Google/Ask Jeeves search engine and get your results.  Every now and then, you’ll earn a swagbuck or two for a search that you do.  It’s a pretty simple concept.

There are other ways to accumulate swagbucks, too.  You can donate old mp3 players and cell phones for swagbucks and you can refer friends.  I haven’t expanded beyond the search feature yet but it seems like a pretty easy and legit website.  When you earn enough swagbucks, you can trade them in for practically anything – gift cards, video games, DVDs, mp3 players.  You name it, you can probably get it.

Overall, Swagbucks is a good site with a simple concept – get rewarded for searching.  Sometimes the best things in life are simple…

As I try out more features of the website, I’ll be sure to post updates.  Also, if anyone would like to join the site, click here.  Not only will you be joining but you can also help me since I will be your “referral.”  I will be placing small ads for Swagbucks on my website in the future so you could also register that way.

Are you member of Swagbucks?  If so, what do you think?  What is your favorite part of the site?  Let us know in the comments below!

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Failure is a part of life that can change you – for good or bad.  There are many people who have encountered failures and disappointments and have given up.  They will never know what could have been since they didn’t push forward.  However, there are quite a few people who have kept trying.  Their failures and struggles allowed them to do better, focus more, and hone their skills.  There is a great video online that highlights some of these people.  I suggest taking a look at it, especially if you’re facing failure right now.  You can check out the video here.  Thanks to Nick Blevins for posting it originally.

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Ah, finally.  It’s been a long time since I have published a “Wednesday Weekly” and it’s good to be back into blogging.  As I was on my sabbatical, I realized that I often become too wordy, especially in my posts that are intended to be short.  So, that being said, my Wednesday Weekly posts will consist of various articles I’ve found helpful, summarized in one sentence.  The less I say, the better the article will be.

• Nutrition Toolbox is a great resource to investigate the nutrition facts of practically any food you’re eating, including various fast food selections.
• Rob Lieber at the  New York Times wrote an interesting article on taking a “Fiscal Health Day.”
• TipNut is a great website to find tips on pretty much anything, including homemade recipes for cleaning supplies and other expensive chemicals.
• Want to save money?  Quit shopping.
• It’s actually fairly simple to get “truly free” stuff.
• If you often have a problem with finding the cheapest price for an item online, you should try Milo.
• When the going gets tough in the corporate world, the tough know how to promote.

Have you stumbled across any good blogs, websites, or articles this past week?  If so, share them with us in the comments!

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I recently had the privilege of sitting down with one of the creators of Folk Media and was asked to write a guest blog post on a topic of my choosing.  Since the website is focused around social media and a “how-to” mindset, I chose to write on post automation between WordPress blogs, Facebook, and Twitter.  It may sound like a boring topic, but it’s really pretty easy and interesting, especially if you’re trying to get a lot of exposure or get your message out there to as many people as possible.  If you want to check it out, click here.  Thanks to the fine folks at Folk Media for allowing me to guest post!

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We’ve all seen the advertisements for free things on the Internet.  Whether it’s a free Coach purse or a free map of outer space, it’s a safe bet to say that you shouldn’t trust supposedly free items online.  Well, I was a bit skeptical of the 100 free business card promotion from MarketSplash but after further research, I became another satisfied customer.

1. Reputable

I don’t like giving out my personal information on the Internet, especially my home address or a credit card number.  I was originally skeptical about giving my address to MarketSplash but once I found out they were subsidiary of HP, I quickly became more comfortable with sharing my information.

2.  Quick and Easy

Dealing with MarketSplash was quick and to the point.  There was no “try-our-other-offers” hassling or some sort of work around to really get my business cards for free.  They were simply free without any strings attached.  After picking out my business card design from the 75 or so templates they have available and filling out the information on the card, I think the rest of the process took less than two minutes.  I wish more websites would adopt this ordering strategy.

3.  Quality

I wasn’t expecting the best when I ordered my batch of 100 free business cards.  I liked the design that I picked but I didn’t really think that they would be reputable cards.  I’m glad that I was disappointed.  I was shocked when I opened the box of business cards to find a high quality product that really demonstrated my high quality pursuit of success.  If their business cards are great, I can only assume the same for their other products.

I would definitely recommend checking out MarketSplash, even if you don’t decide to order anything.  They offer a wide variety of customized products at reasonable prices.  If I had to choose between VistaPrint and MarketSplash, I would side with MarketSplash.

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There are way too many blogs and articles surfacing on the Internet each day to keep up with everything that I want to read!  Even so, I’ve managed to highlight a few of the articles I took a look at this week.

• Everyone loves free stuff, especially free music.  If you’re interested in getting free music to your desktop, check out this article on getting millions of free songs to your desktop.  (MakeUseOf)
• Tired of giving out the same old business card to people and never getting called?  Wow them with an SMS business card.  Yes, a business card through text message.  It’s free and a great way to make a memorable impression.  (Fast Company)
• A lot of folks face career indecision.  If you are one of those folks, I suggest checking out Path101.  It’s a great site that will allow you to take a career skills profile test, compare your resume with what employers are looking for, and gain tips on how to land the interview and the job.  (Mashable)
• Sometimes people take things too far, including breaking the law.  Now, you are able to protect your Mac from being stolenand if it is, it’s easy for you to figure out where it is and who has it.  If you’ve got a Mac, this is an essential application to install.  (MakeUseOf)
• Ramit Sethi just released a book titled “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” and it has garnered a lot of reviews.  Check out Trent’s review of the book on The Simple Dollar if you are interested in gaining a better understanding of your financial life, security, and happiness.  (The Simple Dollar)
• The grocery store is probably the place where most of us spend a majority of our money, whether we like it or not.  To solve this issue, Five Cent Nickel compiled a list of 45 ways that you can save money when going to the grocery store (and not just by using coupons).  (Five Cent Nickel)

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This is the third installment of the series “Recession Hot Spots,” which gives you an idea of some places you might like to frequent in these unstable financial times.  Each article is pretty much a stand alone post so if you like this edition of “Recession Hot Spots” make sure you check out part one and part two.

Google Books/Google Video

Summary: We’ve all heard of Google but some people don’t know what the folks at Google do besides creating an awesome search engine.  There are a lot of features that Google offers and a vast majority (if not all of them) are free to use.  Two of the coolest features that Google offers is Google Books and Google Video.  Google Books is exactly how it sounds – books by Google.  Well, not exactly.  Google has created a massive database offering a ton of free books to whoever wants to read them.  A majority of the books are specialty books that are written on one specific topic but you can often find novels and magazines as well.  Google Video can be compared to YouTube (another great recession resource).  Google Video offers videos for anyone to view and collates videos found on different sites on the Internet. Most of the time the video will be hosted on YouTube but there are videos that are not.
Economic Benefit: I think this one is pretty cut and dry.  If you can get content for free, then why not?  There are some limitations when using Google Books (i.e. the book may not be totally viewable online) but it is worth a shot.  I recently found one of my school books for this semester on Google Books and if I would have checked the site before purchasing it, I could have saved some serious money.  Google Video is great for finding how-to videos and for looking up interviews and documentaries.
Other fish in the sea…: Google Books is not the only place you can find free books.  Check out this article that details many more options for your ebook viewing pleasure. Read more…

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I have a lot of catching up to do on my RSS feeds but I have read a few articles this week that have peaked my interest.  Here they are…

• J.D. from Get Rich Slowly reviewed an article from This Old House that details 50 money saving ideas to do around the house.  There are some great ideas on this list and is a must read for any home owner!
•  A lot of people don’t know how their daily lives affect their brain and how well they think.  Best Online Colleges released a list of 50 ways to improve your brain’s performance.  If you’re looking to get more accomplished at work, home, or school, this would be a great place to start!
• I think we’d all like to get a better deal on what we buy, whether it’s something small or something large.  Lifehacker released a list of 10 tips to get a better deal no matter what you’re buying.  There are some great pointers on the list that I will definitely put into action.
• One of the greatest feelings is when you buy something on the cheap, especially during a big sale.  SmartMoney.com highlighted the best time to buy certain items, including airplane tickets and computers.  If you’ve been wanting something, you may learn to hold off for a few more days to get it at a reduced rate.
• Want to learn more about your finances and the economy?  Check out this list of free online finance courses, most of which are brought to you from leading universities across the country.

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Last week I highlighted a few places that everyone should be using during this recession – Hulu, eBay, and Redbox. I’m going to detail a few more resources that you can use to pull yourself and your family through this recession.  We don’t know how long it’s going to last, but we can definitely get through it.

Discount Stores

• Summary: Let’s all be honest for a second.  Discount stores, especially places such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, get a bad rap most of the time.  People think that only homeless and the underprivileged shop at these stores because the items they sell are secondhand, smelly, and dirty.  This is most certainly NOT true.  If you have ever set foot into one of these stores, you know that you can find some really great items here, including clothing, dishes and cutlery, toys, and books.  Some  of them may have imperfections but a lot of them are hardly noticeable.  If you haven’t given discount stores a try, you are missing out.
• Economic Benefit: Simply stated, you can get a lot of great things on the cheap from discount stores.   I recently purchased a 7-in-1 game table, new in the original box, for $60.  It would have cost me close to $150 to purchase the same table from Sports Authority or Wal-Mart.  A majority of my dress clothes have been great Goodwill finds.  You can find quality items at discount store, it just takes a discerning eye at times.
• They’re everywhere!: There are plenty of stores out there, both national chains and local entities.  Some bigger national chains include Goodwill, the Salvation Army, Gabriel Brothers, Big Lots, and Ollie’s.  These types of stores will often have ads in the local papers so be sure to scour them for stores near you! Read more…

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