5 Ways to Earn Extra Income

I have been blessed to be able to be a stay-at-home mom since 2009. I wouldn’t trade it for the world but budgets were tight in the beginning. That forced me to put creativity into overdrive to give us the quality of life that we are blessed to have. There are crazy ways to save/make money out there and I’m sharing 5 with you today. These ideas will not make you rich or substitute an income, but they might let you get that $6 Starbucks Caramel Macchiato every now and then without feeling guilty. These 5 ways to earn extra income can also help out around birthdays and holidays especially if you build them up year-round.

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Make extra money for coffee and boot splurges (or ease the holiday financial stress) with these 5 ways to earn extra income.

MPoints (mPLUS Rewards)

This one is actually one of my favorites because I earn points for things that I do on my phone already. For instance, I check my weather app every day and that earns me 10-15 points just for doing so. Basically, you sign in on any eligible apps you are already using (or you can download new ones that earn points) and you earn points for checking the app, playing games, etcetera depending on the app. When you collect those points, you can cash them in for gift cards and items. You can also donate your points to charitable causes and enter sweepstakes, but I tend to stick with the gift cards.

EBates

I love this because I earn money on purchases that I am going to make already. The best way to make sure that you are always getting your earnings is to make sure that you install the button on your browser. It will alert you when you go to a site that offers cashback. Once you check out, you will earn a percentage of what you spend back. Then every 3 months or so, they will mail you a check for the amount you have earned. This is a super easy way to earn a little extra cash.

 

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Swagbucks

This one is similar to MPoints in that you earn “Swagbucks” for doing things that are redeemable for gift cards. The pros of this one are that you need fewer points to earn gift cards and you can get free points by following them on social media and answering their daily poll. The cons are that a lot of the points are earned through surveys which can take up a substantial amount of time. However, you can also earn points on purchases (although not as often as EBates), so again I recommend adding the button to your browser and it will automatically detect when this is an option.

Online Surveys

This one can make you some larger payouts; however it is also a lot more time-consuming. Surveys can last anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour or more, and the compensation varies depending on the company. I have done this with a few different sites but just do not have the time available to make it worth my while. I will say that Pinecone Research was one of the best ones I worked with but they also are not always taking on new applicants. Also, for some of them you will have to have certain programs (such as Java) on your computer if you do not already.

Yearly Yard Sale

This idea is actually three-fold: You make some extra cash on items you no longer use or want. You also help keep your house clean of clutter. Lastly, I always recommend donating what you don’t sell to a local church or charity organization. You help those in need and get rid of that clutter. If you’re worried that you don’t have enough stuff to sell, ask friends and family to contribute. Chances are they have stuff that they will happily give you if you cart it off for them. If they want to be in on the earnings, ask them to help you work the yard sale. Extra hands for you and they earn a little cash as well.

Make extra money for coffee and boot splurges (or ease the holiday financial stress) with these 5 ways to earn extra income.

I cannot stress enough how much I love and recommend Ebates and Mpoints. It kind of blows my mind that there are still people not utilizing it. It’s free money, guys! According to Mintel’s online report in 2015 “over two-thirds (69 percent) of US online adults shop online at least monthly…” which means every month they could be earning money. Want to know a little secret? I’ve earned money on free items with Ebates! I love taking advantage of free prints and photo gifts from places like Walgreens and Shutterfly. I have actually earned money back on those purchases that didn’t cost me a dime. If that doesn’t convince you how awesome this is nothing will. Don’t forget to organize your finances before you start earning your extra money. Double-check that your Caramel Macchiato truly is guilt-free.

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Tips to Make Christmas Morning Easier

Kids love Christmas morning.  Their excitement is palpable in the day (and sometimes weeks) leading up to the main event.  Unfortunately, parents are usually up late on Christmas Eve finishing all of those final details needed.  The stockings need to be filled, the gifts from Santa wrapped under the tree, and cookies need to be eaten.  While kids are lying in bed anxiously anticipating that magical morning, parents could stand to have a few more hours of sleep.  While I don’t have the secret to getting your kids to sleep later (although I’m totally open to suggestions), I do have some tips to make Christmas morning easier for you.

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Feet Standing Next to Presents Under a Christmas Tree with text overlay - Tips to Make Christmas Morning Easier

 

[bctt tweet=”These tips make Christmas morning easier and help you catch a few more zzz’s on the big morning. #Christmastips”]

1. Wrap Gifts in Unique Paper

If you have multiple Christmas events to attend, make it easier to quickly differentiate presents.  Wrap each family’s gifts in a different, unique paper.  When it’s time to pack up gifts for each event, simply grab all of the gifts under the tree wrapped in that paper.  This also makes it easier on your kids Christmas morning.  Let them know which paper is for your family and the rest stay under the tree until the event.

2. Let Kids Open Stockings

Put a rule in place that your kids can open their stockings without you.  This will buy you a few more moments of sleep in the morning.  Be sure to set limits on how many pieces of candy can be consumed in advance with your kids.  This is another reason these frugal stocking stuffer ideas are great ideas to prevent stockings simply filled with candy.

 

Close Up of Sausage French Toast Breakfast Bake

3. Prep the Night Before

Make the early morning as easy on you as you can by doing prep work the night before.  Make a breakfast casserole that can be thrown in the oven while you’re opening gifts.  Get the coffee pot ready so that you can just hit a button for your morning caffeine.  Any early morning staples you and your family have, prep as much as you can on Christmas Eve.  This makes being a zombie in the morning slightly easier.

4. Get Electronics Ready

Make sure you have extra batteries or that the batteries are charged for your cameras.  Empty micro SD cards to ensure that you have plenty of space for Christmas photos.  Check and test all of these things a few days prior to Christmas so that you can get any replacements or repairs before stores are closed.

5. Empty Receptacles

There is a lot of waste on Christmas morning between wrapping paper, bows, tags, and item packaging.  Be prepared by taking out your trash and emptying recycling containers the night before.  This will make clean-up much easier on the big day.

6. Get Tools Ready

A lot of toys need to be assembled and some gifts just have tricky, hard-to-open packaging.  Get tools ready (or at least located) on Christmas Eve.  Some good tools to have ready are:

Basic tools like these will be immensely handy on Christmas morning.

 

Feet Standing Next to Presents Under a Christmas Tree with text overlay - Tips to Make Christmas Morning Easier

These tips can make Christmas morning easier and help you catch a few more zzz’s.  What other ways do you make Christmas morning easier for your family?  Let me know in the comments!

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Feet Standing Next to Presents Under a Christmas Tree with text overlay - Tips to Make Christmas Morning Easier

 

More Ideas You’ll Love:

4 Tips to Get in the Holiday Spirit

The holidays are a magical time of joy and celebrations.  The season reminds of what’s important and encourages making more time for family.  Unfortunately, life doesn’t always respect that notion.  Whether you are dealing with money problems, sick children, or marriage troubles, sometimes it can be hard to get in the holiday spirit.  The stress and pain of your circumstances make it hard to put on the brave face and deck the halls.  If this is you this year, here are 4 tips to get in the holiday spirit.

 

Here are 4 tips to help you get in the holiday spirit if you're struggling to find cheer this year amidst existing life stress.

 

[bctt tweet=”Here are 4 tips to help you get in the #holiday #spirit if you’re struggling to find cheer this year amidst existing life stress.”]

 

Remember What the Season is About

First and foremost, you have been given the amazing gift of forgiveness through Christ.  That is the best gift that you could ever receive.  Sometimes when you are struggling it helps to remember this beautiful truth.  Secondly, if you have children it is important to remember that they don’t understand the issues going on in your life.  They do notice your mood and they will definitely notice if you’re having trouble not getting the tree up this year.

 

Here are 4 tips to help you get in the holiday spirit if you're struggling to find cheer this year amidst existing life stress.

Put up Your Decorations

It may be the last thing you feel like doing but it can be beneficial to force yourself to put up your decorations.  Having the décor surround you can actually help to lift your mood.  It can be especially beneficial to infuse comforting holiday scents that you enjoy.

To help make the process easier, get the kids involved.  True, your tree probably won’t have the meticulously designed look that it has when you do it but the creativity your kids will show can also help improve your spirits.  Trust me; there is something hilarious about a 7 foot tree decorated by kids less than 4 feet tall.  Your kids will also love having control over such an iconic part of your holidays.

Write It Out

Instead of sending out cards this year, write heartfelt letters to friends and family.  Don’t just give an update on your life and kids.  Focus on the recipient and write with the express intention of giving them joy during this sometimes stressful season.  Purposefully uplifting others also helps to boost your own mood.  It is an excellent way to spread joy and love whilst also benefiting you.

Another way to write it out is to use a free-form journal.  This is a great tool to help you work through pain, worry, and frustration that you may be feeling.  There are tips for how to use this journal on the tutorial but for this specific instance I recommend mutilating the page after you have written out your feelings.  Physically destroying the words you’ve written can be very cathartic and help you move on.

 

Here are 4 tips to help you get in the holiday spirit if you're struggling to find cheer this year amidst existing life stress.

Take a Personal Day

Once of the best things you can do for yourself during times of stress is to take a personal day.  Take a day off to do something that is completely unrelated to the holidays.  If you need ideas, here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • See a movie
  • Read a book you’ve been putting off
  • Get pampered at the spa
  • Get to the gym
  • Take a hike
  • Check out free classes being offered in your area

The most important thing to remember is to do it alone.  You may be tempted to ask a friend or your spouse but this will be most effective done on your own.  We are never truly ourselves until we are alone and it is important to have some alone time to recharge.

These 4 tips to get in the holiday spirit can help you turn your holiday around but also know that there is nothing wrong with you if you are struggling this year.  It is normal for the pressure of the holidays to exacerbate the issues that you are already facing.  If you are having a hard time, it is okay to take the time to mope and wallow (as long as you set a specific amount of time in which to do so).  Once you have, choose to fake it ‘til you make it, as they say.  This can be powerful and you will wake up one morning and realize you are not faking it anymore.

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