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If you are looking for side income, join sitters.com. You can choose between baby sitter / nanny, pet care provider, housekeeper, senior care provider, and tutor. Child care seems to have the most need.This site does a nice job of breaking down things by zip code and proximity to that zip code.
A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their attitude towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. Questions are asked in an interactive group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members.
You can earn anywhere for $50 to over $200 depending on the length and complexity of the group. Usually the hard part is finding them and qualifying for them. So these 2 sites make that task very easy.
On twitter, check out FocusForward and on the web, check out Find Focus Groups
While I am a firm believer in sustainable, organic farming at the local level, Globalists have a totally different perspective. They believe in corporate farming using pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and genetically modified seeds.
At the G8 summit (summer 2009), Globalists highlighted the underinvestment in agriculture in emerging countries. Recent estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organization, which is a division of the U.N., estimated that nearly 1 billion people would go hungry in 2009.
So here are my suggestions on how to profit from the need to grow more food globally. Invest in JJA ($44.66) – an index composed of seven futures contracts, soybeans, corn, wheat, cotton, soybean oil, coffee and sugar. Another good one is MOO ($42.54) – it invests in big agriculture names such as ADM, Monsanto, as well as fertilizer companies.
A proposed lighting ordinance could help bring a rare “dark sky” designation to the upscale community. The measure would restrict the types of outdoor lights and the duration those lights could be left on.
The International Dark-Sky Association has named only two towns in the nation — Flagstaff, Ariz., and Borrego Springs, Calif. — “dark sky cities” for their efforts to reduce what the organization considers unnecessary outdoor lighting. Barrington Hills, IL — with a population of just under 4,000 — would like to be the first town east of the Mississippi River to be named a dark sky city.
Under debate is an ordinance that would limit the lumen output of lights in commercial and residential space; it also would curtail where those lights can be located. For example, no lights could be placed in tree branches or shrubs. And continuously operating most lights would be prohibited.
Once again, no mention of government street lights or taxpayer funded stadiums with excessive water usage or municipalites fining for people who have no garbage, or on and on and on...
Travel
- Ready to start seeing the world? It's smaller than you think, when you go via the COUCHSURFING Project. Use this site to find people who are willing to host you on their couches!
- YAPTA sends you price drop alerts on flights and hotels. If the price of your airline ticket drops below what you paid, Yapta will alert you when you're eligible for a refund from the airline!
Movies/Music/Entertainment
- Find the cheapest prices for hard-to-get sports, concert and theater tickets at TICKETPREDATOR.COM. The site compares prices on tickets from hundreds of ticket brokers in the U.S. and Canada.
- Get free movie rentals from Redbox using their CODES.
- Want to re-live those classic rock concerts from the 60’s and 70’s for free? Then go to WOLFGANG”S VAULT where you’ll find streaming audio from over 50 artists.
- RADIOLOVERS offers hundreds of vintage radio shows all for free.
- Learn how to get all the free music you ever wanted at MYMUSIC.
- Trade your used books, music, DVD's, & video games for like items at SWAPTREE.COM. Simply set up an account and find other users willing to receive - and all for the price of postage.
Credit/Credit Cards
- SIMPLEDOLLAR hasa step-by-step guide to getting your credit card interest lowered.
- Clark Howard has the ultimate guide to credit at everything you need to know about your credit.
- Hassled by debt collectors? Know your rights by reading the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.
- How long will it take to pay off that credit card? Find out with this CALCULATOR.
Housing/Renting
- Are you renting? This neat tool lets you see if you are paying too much. It is called RENTOMETER and is so simple to use!
- Want to cut back on your household expenses? THISOLDHOUSE.COM has a list of 50 DIY tips for your house, each of which can save you between $50 and $500 apiece.
- If you need help avoiding foreclosure, head to DOUGHROLLER.NET. The website has links to government and other websites with information on how to keep your home.
- Need to cut the cost of moving into a new residence? FREECARDBOARDBOXES.COM .
- Should I rent or buy? Find out with a detailed analysis at REALTOR.COM.
Solar
- Power virtually all your electronic devices with SOLAR POWER CHARGERS.
- Does solar power make sense for you? Find out with this quote at SUNGEVITY.
- Get all you accounts in one place with powerful budgeting tools using MINT.COM.
- CHECKINGFINDER is a website where you can search by zip code for high-interest checking account offers.
- MONEYAISLE forces banks to bid on the highest interest rate.
Autos
- Search for new and used autos at ALLAUTOSITES. The site lets you pick search parameters including make, model, price and location. I have also found great information about vehicles at WIKICARS and NADA.
- Tired of paying a mechanic for every minor tune-up or repair to your automobile? VEHICLEFIXER.COM offers video guides to let you fix your automobile yourself and stretch your dollar.
- FRUGALMECHANIC.COM lets you comparison shop for auto parts from more than 50 different retailers.
- GETHUMAN has the direct customer service numbers for more than a hundred businesses, ranging from Avis to Time Warner Cable.
- VOIP-NEWS.COM has a list of 50 tips to get a real voice at any corporation in 10 seconds or less.
- Also check out NO PHONE TREES and DIAL A HUMAN.
Education/College
- Intellectually curious but can't afford tuition? ACADEMICEARTH.ORG has free lectures from some of America's most learned professors online.
- Check out my free education post and 4 Sites That Teach You How to Do Anything.
Shopping
- TINY MASSIVE
is an online search engine that combs the Web to find you the best deals on
just about any product you can think of. Simply tweet a search query to
@TinyMassive. It will then reply to your tweet with the number of results
matching your query. If you follow the link in the TinyMassive tweet, you'll be
brought to the results page.
When is the best time to buy …? Learn the day at the cheapest day to buy certain items. - FREE
SHIPPING offers coupons & coupon codes to over 800 Stores!
Tired of buying toys only to see your kids get bored with them? Try RENTAL TOYS for a low monthly membership fee. - SAVVYCIRCLE alerts members when the price drops on a "wish listed" item. The site supports most major retailers, so after adding products to your shopping list, the site "watches" the price and sends an email when the price drops.
- Discount women's, men's, and kid's shoes, plus clothing, handbags, & accessories can be found at 6PM.COM.
- WOOT is an online store that offers one product each day at substantial savings.
- DAILY STEALS and NEWATNOON are WOOT clones.
- Head on over to FROOGLES for bargains, free stuff, deals, closeouts, clearance, and overstocks.
- Find expert and user reviews on just about any product at PRICERUNNER.COM. The website is a shopper's delight that aggregates info on everything, from laptops to espresso makers, to help you make an informed shopping decision.
- SHORTCUTS coupons attach electronically to your participating grocery store loyalty card, so they are always with you when you shop!
Cell Phones
- Free comparison-shopping with your cell phone when you're in a store! How cool is that?
- Hunt for coupons on your cell phone with CELLFIRE.COM. The site lets you scour for discounts at your favorite stores and download them to your mobile phone.
- Send free text message using FREEETEXTSEND.
Giving to Charity
- GOODSEARCH.COM is a search engine that donates half its revenues to the charities its users designate. Yahoo powers it, so results are pretty good. Just 500 people searching 4 times a day can raise about $7,300 in a year!
- THEHUNGERSITE is another great way to give to charity just by clicking.
- Look for money a relative left you or perhaps an account you simply forgot about at MISSINGMONEY & UNCLAIMED
- Got stuff? Rent it out and make a little extra cash at CROWDRENT.
- If you have gift cards collecting dust, turn them into money at GIFTCARDRESCUE.COM. The website is a shopper's delight that lets you sell or exchange unused cards.
- Get cash for old or unwanted gadgets at GAZELLE.COM. The site pays for any tech item, no matter how old, and provides free shipping.
Saving Extra Money
- The FREECYCLE Network is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Their goal is to reduce waste by connecting individuals who are throwing away goods with others who are seeking them. They use Yahoo groups as their conduit so you must have a Yahoo user ID.
- Research, compare and lower your monthly bills with LOWERMYBILLS.COM. The website, gives you the inside scoop on finding the cheapest rates on home loans, credit cards and auto and health insurance.
- BIRTHDAYFREEBIES is the premiere place for finding birthday freebies, birthday offers, birthday specials, birthday deals and even birthday party venues from local and national businesses.
- Don’t like my money saving tips? Try the 50 ways to trim your budget.
- Want to save tens of thousands of dollars? Read how you can save $20,000 In 1 Year.
- 88 ways to save money, and counting... I love the way this expands like the old windows explorer.
- Giveaways are real popular in a bad economy. How do you find them? Go to the big list of giveaways.
- Get you hands on all that CONTRABAND TSA has been collecting at airports, and be sure to visit the PROPERTYROOM for incredible savings from this police auction online.
Miscellaneous
- Get all the information you need on federal recalls at RECALLS.GOV. A joint project of several government agencies, the website lets you search for product recalls and sign up for email alerts.
- Looking for love? These dating sites are advertiser supported – PLENTYOFFISH and DOWNTOEARTH.
- Avoid speeding tickets by utilizing this cool DATABASE OF SPEED TRAPS.
- Looking for free wi-f? Check out WIFIFREESPOT.COM or WIFIFINDER or WEFI.COM.
- Lost an owner's manual? Find it at OWNERIQ. The site also has user forums to help you operate any gadget.
- Check out the E-Justice Blog at CRIMINALJUSTICEUSA. The website has a list of 100 free do-it-yourself legal resources that can be found on the web.
- Got empty milk jugs? 35+ uses for plastic milk jugs.
Mainstream media continues to state that traditional IRAs are tax deferred until retirement. Well, that depends. If your IRA owns mortgage-leveraged real estate, you owe UBIT. If your IRA or 401(k) owns an active business structured as a pass through entity (such as an LLC or partnership), you owe UBIT. UBIT, or Unrelated Business Income Tax, applies to tax exempt organizations including retirement plans. To pay UBIT, Form 990-T must be filed with the IRS.
Gold is a very popular investment these days. Is it possibble to own collectibles such as art, coins, and physical gold inside an IRA? No. When an IRA purchases a collectible, the amount used to make the purchase is treated as distribution to the owner. It is included in the owner's gross income, and if the owner is under age 59½ and does not qualify for one of the exceptions, a 10% early distribution penalty is imposed on top of the income taxes.
