Credit Cards

When most people think of credit cards they think of high interest rates, annual fees, and lots of expenses. What if I told you that you can actually earn money with a credit card? Would you believe me?

What I am about to tell you was originally told to me about 9 years ago by a woman on the phone who was trying to convince me to accept her offer of an American Express card. I declined her offer as I didn’t think I needed a credit card at the time and the annual fee for an American Express card is very high.

But what she said got me thinking, so I ended up getting a VISA card from my bank. The way I use my credit card doesn’t cost me any money and I actually get money back once a year.

I know it sounds too good to be true, but I have been using my credit card this way for 7 years and it actually makes me money. The reason I can make money is that my bank offers cashback on all my credit card purchases. Once a year I receive 1% of my annual spending back on my VISA card.

So now I put all my purchases (well, almost all as some places like McDonalds don’t take credit cards) on my VISA card. I then pay off the outstanding balance each month when it is due, thus avoiding the finance charge.

How can I do this? It’s simple. I keep all my income in my bank account and by the time the monthly credit card bill is due I have enough money to pay it. Of course there is still money owing on the card but it isn’t due until the following month.

In fact I have up to 2 months to pay for some of my purchases. How is that possible? Well, the items I put on my VISA at the beginning of the month go on the bill I receive the following month which isn’t due until the end of that month.

For example, if I buy something on March 3rd on my VISA it will appear on the bill I receive the following month which is due at the end of April. Therefore I don’t have to take any money out of my bank account until nearly two months after I made my purchase! So during those two months my money sits in my bank account earning me interest.

Of course this only works if you are good at budgeting. Some people go crazy when they get a credit card and buy lots of things they don’t really need. I never go over or even close to my credit limit. I stay well within my monthly budget, which I worked out long before I had a credit card.

Occasionally I indulge and buy something I haven’t budgeted for, but I make sure I have enough money (or will have) to pay for it when the bill is due. You have to have good self control to use your credit card to your advantage. It’s also helpful for those unexpected expenses, like car repairs, which you haven’t budgeted for.

I have my VISA through the National Bank which offers cashback on the credit card. Some other cards have similar schemes or offer points which can be redeemed for gifts, prizes or discounts. In fact, VISA and MasterCard quite often have competitions which you are entered into automatically each time you use your card.

Since I receive cashback on my purchases I make it a point to put everything I can on my credit card. On average I get about $160 back each year which more than covers the $25 annual fee. I also have an instant record of all my spending so I can keep track of my budget.

I’ve even setup monthly payments for certain companies to go directly to my VISA which saves me the hassle and expense of writing and posting a cheque. My life insurance, electric bill, and magazine subscriptions are a few examples.

It may sound amazing, but I am sure I’m not the only one taking full advantage of my credit card. Using and paying off my VISA regularly creates good credit which is always useful when you need to get a loan for something big like a new car or a house.

So now do you believe me when I say you can earn money using your credit card?

Harry Potter Mania

As most people know, today was the worldwide release of the final book in the Harry Potter series. Up until 3 years ago I was not even aware of Harry Potter and his wizard friends. It wasn’t until I accidentally won a family excursion on the “Hogwarts Express” through a radio station promotion that I learned about this fantasy world.

I had to look up Hogwarts Express on the internet to find out what it was as I had no idea. Then I rented the video of the first movie so we could get in character for the train ride. I made a Hedwig costume for my youngest (2 years old at the time), my oldest dressed as Hermione and I threw a costume together from my old Halloween stuff to make myself look like Madame Hooch, complete with broomstick.

It seemed a little silly at the time, but when we saw how much the other people and radio personalities were dressed up we didn’t feel so awkward. In fact during the train ride we won a copy of the first movie on DVD (Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone), a music CD, a t-shirt and lots of lollies and snacks because we looked so good. It was a fun morning for our whole family. Little did I know it was the start of an obsession for all of us.

My youngest loved the DVD movie and special features. My oldest began reading the books, with my encouragement, and has read all 6 books twice in the last 3 years. And I made a point of buying the next 3 movie DVDs (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). We even have 3 computer games and 2 PS2 games of Harry Potter’s world. However we never owned the books – I made my daughter check them out from the library instead of buying them.

And now today I was standing in line with my daughters at our local The Warehouse to be one of the first people to get our hands on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. My daughter’s father purchased a pre-order coupon for the book which meant she was guaranteed to get a copy at a special price which could be picked up any time this week. However The Warehouse was giving away hats to the first 100 people to buy the book in each of their stores, so we made a point of being there today.

That’s how I found myself in a queue this morning, 10 minutes before the official release time hoping to get a free hat. The things I do for a freebie! LOL! The time went by quickly as I saw some friends and then got chatting with a couple young ladies in the queue behind us.

My youngest asked for a hat as well but they were only being given out with a book purchase. So we had one hat to share amongst the two girls. While we were chatting with a friend at the entrance after scoring our book one of the young ladies I’d been talking to in line came over and gave my youngest her free hat. She said she didn’t really want it and overhead my youngest ask for a hat. It was so nice to see the friendliness and good will everyone had at this momentous occasion.

Coinciding with the release of the book is the latest Harry Potter movie, The Order of the Phoenix, which many of the people in line were talking about. Most had already seen the movie and can hardly wait for the next two movies. Fortunately for us we will be seeing the movie soon as well.

I told my children that we would see the movie when it came out on DVD. However we will be seeing it sooner as we won a double movie pass. The WhatNow TV show had a competition earlier in the month and both my girls entered it. They had to make a “Harry Potter” wand and send it in. There were 350 runners up who would win a double movie pass, tattoos, and an official hat. A few days ago we received a package of those prizes, although the hat is too big for my girls to wear and even too big for my head!

So we are in the midst of Harry Potter mania which will continue for some time as we can’t use our movie pass until August. I think it will only take a few days for my daughter to read this final book but I know she will re-read it many times. I know many adults who are just as fanatical about Harry Potter as the children. And who knows, maybe one day I will get around to reading this famous magical series. Although I prefer to watch the movies!

Kid's Clubs

My last post was about joining clubs to receive freebies and information relevant to what you are interested in. This one is similar but dedicated to children. I know many of my readers are parents (I know this as most are my family and friends in the USA) so I thought I’d give you tips about getting stuff free for your kids.

I have joined my two girls up to many kid's clubs over the years. Some have been online memberships only (access to fun sites and games) and others have been memberships to certain stores or eateries. But all have been free and allow my kids to receive or do fun stuff.

Just last week I signed them up for the Video Ezy kids club and they each received a coupon for a free new release video (valued at $8). It didn’t cost me anything and only took a few minutes of my time. Now they will “get awesome offers every time you come to Video Ezy.” There is even a secret code to access a Kids’ Club page on the Video Ezy website “for loads of cool stuff including competitions, new movies and gossip about your favourite movie stars!”

Wow! Isn’t the internet incredible? All this free stuff and entertainment only a click away. I wish I had this cool tool when I was a kid. However, there is almost too much to choose from these days. My kids are members of so many internet sites that they can’t possible visit them all in one sitting. They usually have a look and a play on a website when they first sign up and then forget about it for a while – at least until they receive an email from the site wishing them a happy birthday or reminding them about a competition.

Other clubs they are members of allow them free meals or snacks, birthday gifts, discounts, competition entries, free products, free downloads, online games, and the list goes on. It’s a great time to be a kid!

Here’s a list of some of the clubs my kids are members of and (where applicable) a shortcut to the site so you can sign your kids up as well. I make sure the websites are appropriate for my children’s age and keep an eye on them when they are online.

1. Westfield – kids get a free gift for their birthday (this year it is a child’s movie ticket)
2. Spotlight – kids get an introductory package which includes pencils, a colouring book, stickers, and craft tips
3. Agent Ani – environmental website with “agent” assignments for the kids to complete to earn points for freebies and competitions (membership is open worldwide)
4. Cookie Bear Club – online “clubhouse” with lots of fun activities and competitions
5. WhatNow – TV2 program site with lots of interesting things and competitions
6. Valentines – kids eat free with an adult and competitions
7. Denny’s – kids eat free with a paying adult
8. Nick TV – online site for the Nickelodeon TV channel with interesting stuff and competitions
9. Texta Kids Club – get a free gift when you join and lots of creative ideas
10. Raxi Maxi Kids Club – This “Gardening Mates Club” is for children who are interested in growing things

This is just a few of the many clubs that kids can join. Most child-friendly websites have some sort of club for kids. Looking at my daughters’ list of Favourites on Internet Explorer I see Disney, Barbie, Yu-Gi-Oh, Neopets, Trollz, Cocopops, Treehouse Fun, Funky Friends, Noodolbot, Tamatown, Winx Club, That’s the Story, Holly Hobbie, Runescape, and Polly Pocket.

That’s just a handful of the many different clubs that kids can join. So the next time your child is Bored or wants something for free, just sign them up for a kid’s club. It won’t cost you anything and the benefits are unbelievable!

Free Clubs and Newsletters

Along with entering competitions I have become addicted to joining free clubs and newsletters. Many of the comps I enter require you to subscribe to their email newsletter or have an option to tick whether you want to join.

I find many of these newsletters quite useful for letting me know about upcoming events and sales. I even receive the odd discount or freebie through them.

Most times I join a club that interests me or offers something free for joining. It doesn’t take much of my time to join – simply filling out a form – and since it is free I’ve got nothing to lose.

Some of the benefits I’ve received from being in a club or joining a newsletter list are:

1. Birthday gifts or discounts
2. Free sample products, such as coffee or snacks
3. Discount coupons
4. Everyday VIP discounts when I show my membership card
5. Special events like member’s only nights or first option to purchase products
6. Competitions
7. Earning free products

I have joined many clubs over the years and I still enjoy benefits from most of them. Those that I lost interest in, or didn’t receive the benefits I wanted, I simply opted out. That can be as easy as an email or phone call to cancel the membership.

The free clubs I am currently enjoying benefits from are:

• Foodtown OneCard
• Whitcoulls
• ITM Priority Card
• The Film Squad
• Spotlight VIP Club
• Doubleday Book Club VIP
• Kidspot
• Whiskas
• The Craft Depot
• OurFreeStuff
• View Auckland
• Mitre 10

If you have particular interests try searching the web to find a club to join. You may find VIP memberships at many of the places you regularly shop. If not, try asking the manager if there is a newsletter to keep you up to date.

New clubs spring up all the time so keep your eyes open and let me know what you find.

Free Firewood

With the New Zealand winter upon us I have been burning a lot of wood to keep the house warm. I know most people buy firewood and have it delivered before the winter begins, however I have never paid for firewood since living in New Zealand.

For two years I used wood from a felled tree in my back yard. This year I am burning wood from old pallets. My friend dropped off some broken up pallets last summer and I stored them in my garage. I am now cutting the bigger pieces up with an electric saw to make them fireplace size.

Of course I know a lot of people don’t have friends like mine who will drop wood at your doorstep, so I have listed some other ways you can get free firewood.

1) Old Pallets
Many companies have old pallets that they just throw away. You may see some piled up at various sites as you drive around. Approach the company manager and ask what they do with their old pallets. They may be very happy for you to take them away instead of them paying someone else to dispose of them. But beware, not all pallets are rubbish. Some companies pay a deposit for the pallet and get that refunded when it is returned. So don’t just go around taking pallets without asking.

2) Newspaper Ads
Read the ad section of your local newspaper. There may be an advertisement for free pallets or old wood. You just need to go pick it up. Who knows, you may even gain an ongoing source of wood.

3) Offcuts
Many construction sites have offcuts of wood they give away. I get wood offcuts from a local furniture company. They have a bin outside their building in Pukekohe where they throw all the little bits of wood they can’t use. I usually give this to my kids for their woodworking table. However it is really good for kindling as it is kiln-dried and small.

4) Advertise
You may wish to advertise in your local paper, or through flyers, that you want wood. If you are willing to pick it up many people might just take you up on the offer. We have many local newspapers which allow free advertising.

5) Word of Mouth
Let people know you are looking for free firewood. That’s how I got the delivery of pallets from my friend. Most people are quite willing to help others out for free, especially if they can get rid of some old wood they don’t want.

6) Garden Waste
When you or your neighbours trim their trees and bushes don’t throw the wood away. Keep it for firewood and kindling. It may be too “green” to use this year but it will be great for a fire next year. Plus you’ll save the cost of disposing the green waste.

7) Tree Felling
With the horrendous windy weather New Zealand has just had I know there are lots of fallen trees around. If you don’t have any on your property maybe you can help a neighbour clear their trees and score some free wood at the same time. Most people don’t have the room to store all the wood they get when chopping up a full grown tree.

8) Demolition
If you know of a demolition site you may be able to get some free wood there. Most people don’t reuse the wood when they demolish a building so you may be able to take it off their hands for free. Just be careful that you don’t burn treated or painted wood. The fumes from the chemicals can be dangerous.

9) Christmas Trees
Yes I know Christmas was 7 months ago and we still have 5 months until the next one, but this is something to think about. Every year we buy a real Christmas tree and I save it to use for kindling the following winter. By the time the cold weather rolls around the pine branches are nice and dry. It also saves me the expense of throwing it away.

10) Inorganic Collection
Many areas have an inorganic collection day. I’m sure you’ve probably seen the piles of rubbish sitting in front of the houses in these areas. You may find some very good bits of wood from old furniture, broken toys, or scrap wood in these piles. As it is intended for the dump you would be saving the rubbish man some trouble by taking the wood for your fire.

So try these ways to keep yourself warm this winter and let me know if you have any other ideas.

Remember when you clean out your fireplace that the ash is very good for the garden. You can sprinkle it directly on the plants or mix it into the soil. However if you are burning pallets or other wood with nails in it, then you cannot use the ash on the garden unless you sift out all the metal bits.

Does Size Matter?

Yesterday I was doing some Mystery Shops. The nice thing about that job is it gives me an excuse to go to the shopping mall more often than I usually do.

While I was “working” I bought some warm clothes for me and my daughter, as the New Zealand winter has finally shone its chilly side. Of course I began looking at the sale items as I am always trying to save.

I was at Kmart and there were many discounted clothes throughout the store. The racks were full of mismatched items of various sizes as one would expect since many customers put things back where they don’t belong.

So I browsed around the women’s clothing area looking for warm pants and sweaters. I found several items but was quite surprised at the size variation as I held the clothes up to measure against my body. I then took what I had found to the dressing room to make sure they fit.

I was shocked to find that all the clothes fit me just fine, even though they varied in size from 10 to 14. Normally I wear a size 8 or 10, which in American sizes would be equivalent to a size 2 or 4. I know sizing varies country to country and have even found that many Asian-made items are smaller than the tag says, but I have never bought a size 14 piece of clothing before.

While I was looking around I found several children’s size 6 pants that looked big enough to fit my 10 year old daughter. It was hard to believe that the clothes were sized so small. They were obviously too big for a normal 6 year old to wear. I wondered if my mind was playing tricks on me and that maybe I couldn’t remember how big my daughter was.

However one good thing about having two daughters is that if the clothes don’t fit the older one then they will eventually fit the younger one. So I decided to take the risk and buy the size 6 pants for her.

I wasn’t too concerned about fit as the price of the clothes is what I really look at. I got a fabulous deal on these items – one of my tops only cost $3.50 and it was originally priced at $30. Wow, what a savings! I ended up spending $114.50 for $240 worth of clothes. That’s a 48% discount!

When I got home I had my eldest try on the size 6 clothes and they fit her just fine. I was amazed. Normally she wears a children’s size 8 or 9 as the size for kids clothes usually coincides with their age (she just turned 10 a few weeks ago).

After she tried on her new clothes I showed her my new ones and then removed the price tags. As I was taking tags off the size 12 hooded top I discovered it had a “kidurable” tag which is Kmart’s guarantee for children’s clothing. I took a closer look at the label in the top and discovered it was a boy’s size 12!

I then found out that the two size 14 pants I had bought were girl’s sizes. That explains why they fit me – they weren’t adult sizes. However it made me concerned to think a 12 or 14 year old child would be wearing such large clothes.

I know I am small but I would never think I was the size of a teenager! What is the world coming to if kids are that big at that young an age? On the brighter side Kmart guarantees (kidurable) those clothes will not wear out before they are outgrown, otherwise they will replace them. I think the odds are in my favour on that one!


This photo shows me holding the adult size 10 pants next to my 10 year old daughter holding the girl’s size 14 pants. They are the same size. If my daughter is big enough to wear my pants in four years time I will be shocked.

Are the manufacturers getting the sizes wrong or are we growing bigger children? What do you think? Maybe the next time you go shopping you should look in the children’s department. You may find some good deals and more fashionable clothing as well!

Free Trials

Another great “try before you buy” option is a free trial. However you usually need a major credit card to participate and many of these “trials” can be deceptive. Make sure you understand the length of the trial and the terms. Sometimes you need to pay the return postage or notify the company in writing if you want to end the trial.

I signed up to MovieShack on a 2-week free trial which was great. I got three DVDs at a time to view at my leisure -- no late fees or return date. When the trial finished I was scheduled to be signed up for the $39.95 monthly rate (middle-level) which would be charged directly to my credit card. I read the fine print and change my membership to the $29.95 level one day before the free trial ended.

I am still a member of that website and enjoy watching lots of DVDs each week. I even did a 2-week free trial with Fatso (MovieShack’s competitor). I ended my Fatso membership when the free trial finished and therefore got 2-weeks of DVD rentals (about 6) for nothing.

I even signed up for a free one-year membership of an American Express card in order to get the bonus AA reward points. I made sure I cancelled the card before the year was up so I didn’t have to pay the annual membership fee.

Other free trials I have participated in were magazine subscriptions, book clubs, DVD collections, and informational card series. If I found I wasn’t interested or couldn’t afford the cost of these products I would simply cancel my membership and usually keep the free incentive gift.

Many software programs are available for a free trial as well. Sometimes you download a sample program with limited abilities and sometimes you receive a disk in the mail which you can use for a certain number of days. This is a great way to find out if the program is the right one for you. Many electronic games also come with free trials or demos to entice you to buy more.

If you are not sure the product is right for you then ask for a free trial. Many companies are so confident that you will love their product that they offer a free trial or money-back guarantee. Just be sure you understand the terms before agreeing to the trial!

Borrowing

Borrowing is a wonderful option for reusable things such as movies, books, and toys. You can often get lots of different things depending on who you know, but remember it is not for keeps!

The most obvious place to borrow is your local library. My eldest daughter has read all the Harry Potter books twice but we don’t own any of them. I make it a point to use the library as I tend to only read a book once so I would rather return the book than try to find somewhere in my small house to store it. What is the point of keeping something you’ve already used?

If I want to read it again I can always return to the library. Let them worry about dusting the books and the storage space. Many libraries also offer DVDs, videos, CDs, and even puzzles for loan. Some may have a small fee associated with them (our library charges $2 a week for a video) but it is minimal compared to the cost of buying the item. In fact it is cheaper than renting a video at the shop.

How about setting up a borrowing scheme with your friends and family? I suggest you keep track of the items you loan in a notebook. Be sure to put the date, name of thing you loaned, and the name and phone number of the person who borrowed it. I usually get people to sign for things I loan them. You may even want to put a time limit on the loan to make sure others have a chance to borrow it as well. Books, videos, DVDs, and PlayStation games are very good things to trade with friends as they are infinitely reusable. This saves you the cost of buying new items that you will only use for a brief period or occasionally.

Toy Libraries are popping up in a lot of places nowadays. Some are completely free while others require a small rental fee or deposit to cover their costs. It is a great way to let your kids try out toys before you make an investment in buying them. I find that many times my kids get bored very quickly with a toy they have been begging me to buy. This way you haven’t invested a lot of money (or maybe none at all) to find out that your kids don’t really like the toy.

In the past I’ve borrowed a barbecue and dishes for a party I had as well as snow clothes and gear when our family took a trip to the ski fields 5 years ago. There was no point for us to invest in our own snow gear as we were only going for a few days and didn’t intend to return to the snow anytime soon. I’ve borrowed a car, costumes, movies and books from friends. I’ve loaned my hedge trimmers to the neighbour, a ladder to a friend, shovels to the school, and paint brushes to a relative.

Just make sure you treat anything you’ve borrowed with respect as it isn’t your own property. Therefore you should return it in the same (or better) condition as you received it. You should also make a point of thanking the person you’ve borrowed from, even if you’ve got a reciprocal agreement. It’s always nice to know someone appreciates what you’ve done.

I’d love to hear stories about other borrowing schemes people have set-up. So send me an email or make a comment to let me know how borrowing has saved you.

Samples

Samples are great if you want to try out something before your buy it. A couple evenings a week my local grocery store has stands throughout the shop offering free mouth-size samples of food products. Of course their intention is to get the consumer to immediately buy the product. Often they give out discount coupons as well.

However there are other ways to get free samples. Many websites offer samples when you sign-up to their newsletter. In this way I have received coffee, noodles, cat food, and cereal. Sometimes you can even be bold enough to ask for a free sample. Many companies are quite willing to give a little product away in the hopes of continuing sales.

Recently I received an email telling me I can get a free coffee sample. The interesting thing was the email came from a fashion newsletter! So, you never know who is going to offer something for free or when. If you are interested in a sample of free coffee then check out Barista @ Home. Sign up for a free coffee sample and enter the competitions while you are there!

More samples available online right now are (please note that some of these are for Australian and New Zealand residents only):

Huggies DriNites
Poise Products
Wrigley’s Solano
Life & Leisure magazine
Sustagen
Purina Beneful dog food
Fancy Feast Gourmet Gold dry cat food
LibraGirl starter pack
Marquis Condoms
Resene Testpot
Huggies Little Swimmers
Coffee Break Coffee Bar
Bell tea
So Good trial offer
Calarox
Ethiopian coffee sample
Ecrín Curative Skin Therapy
Chandelier Crystal
Skin Care products
Disinfecting wipes
Olive oil
Tanning lotion
Naturalamb condoms
Purina pet food

Other great places to get samples are “trade” shows. Here in New Zealand there is the annual Parent & Child Show as well as the Royal Easter Show. Of course you have to pay for a ticket to get into the event (unless you win one like I often do) but once inside you can usually get away with buying no food. Have a good look around the venue and you will find many stalls offer free samples of their food. Of course their aim is to get you to buy the product, but if you are clever like me you will simply fill yourself (and your children) up on the free samples all day and not buy anything.

Many times I even have a friendly chat with the vendor and score a bigger sample. My children have even received free small toys because the vendor thought they were cute (it pays to put them in adorable dresses with pony tails!).

I know there are many more free samples available online in the USA, Canada and the UK, so if you live there just do a Google search for samples or go to your favourite website and see if they have anything on offer. Once again, let me know if you find anything worthwhile to share.

Buyer Beware

I’ve been using the FindSomeone online dating service since February. This site has two membership options: Gold and Basic. As a Basic member you have free access to most features however you can not send the first message, so you have to wait for a Gold Member to contact you.

I decided to upgrade to the Gold Membership for one month as there were a couple of men I wanted to chat with. At the end of the month I ended my Gold membership as I could not afford to carry on since I now have car repairs to pay for (see my earlier post).

I thought that I would go back to being a Basic (free) member. So imagine my surprise two days ago when I attempted to respond to some smiles and messages I had received and the following screen appeared on my computer.


The only option I was given was to “choose a plan” and pay more money. I thought this must be some kind of glitch in the program as I just wanted to continue as a free member, like I had been a month before. So I sent a message to the website help desk via their contact page.

A day later I received an email saying “Please note that the Basic status is only available to new members who have not used the site before and who want to have a look around before upgrading to a Gold membership. As you have already become a Gold member this Basic status is no longer available.”

The email ended with this statement “I apologise if this wasn't made clearer on the site when you first entered into the subscription system.” Not only was it not clear, it was not even mentioned when I upgraded to Gold. In fact, as I recall when I became a Gold member there was a notice that said I could change my subscription at any time using the Options feature.

This seems like a scam to me as my profile still exists, so people can view my profile but I cannot respond. I’ve only got two options now – either pay for the Gold Membership which I cannot afford or cancel my membership altogether. Since I cannot use any of the features to communicate with others what is the point of being on their site any longer.

So if you have sent me a smile or message lately, don’t think I am being rude and ignoring you . . . I am unable to respond. I guess I am just destined Not to Find Someone!

Freebies

There are many ways to get things for free. No, I’m not talking about stealing! I mean getting products for nothing, zip, nada, zero. Freebies come in many shapes and sizes – samples, free trials, cash-back, borrowing, giveaways, vouchers, and of course prizes (I mentioned competitions in my last post).

Stay tuned to my blog for tips and stories about getting things for nothing. As the saying goes . . . the best things in life are free . . . and I can show you how true that is!

I sign-up for many different website newsletters so that I can be informed of discounts, freebies, and competitions as well as things of interest – like kid’s school holiday programmes. There are hundreds of thousands of freebies and competitions available online, but only a few are relevant for New Zealand. Being a member of these sites takes the work out of trying to find new comps and wade through the huge lists which appear when using a search engine.

Generally it is free to sign up for a newsletter or online clubs. It is usually very easy to unsubscribe to them as well if you don’t want any more contact with the company. Simply send an email or change your preferences on their website – check the bottom of their email newsletter for details. Just make sure you do it after you receive your freebie, sample or the end of a competition!

I have listed some freebie websites on my blog (to the right) and I will continue to update that link area as I find more sites of interest. Most of the sites listed are New Zealand or Australian, but many times you can find a counterpart for your country. It may be as simple as changing the end of the URL from NZ to COM.

If you come across any more sites of interest for me and my readers let me know in a comment or email. Thanks!

Competitions

As I mentioned in my last post I am addicted to entering competitions. This seems to have become even more of an obsession since I moved to New Zealand. Probably because I have won quite a few prizes and nothing fans the flames of an addiction more than the sweet taste of victory. However, I have to admit I haven’t won the “big one” yet but I do win lots of little things.

To name a few things I have won since moving to New Zealand (I can’t name everything as it would take up too much space): Microwave oven, Nintendo game system with two games (unfortunately this was stolen from our house in Papakura two weeks after we got it, back in 1997), dishes, movie passes, Easter Show tickets, Home Show tickets, Dorothy the Dinosaur Show tickets, $50 voucher for Pumpkin Patch, $40 voucher for NZGirl, books, CDs, DVDs, videos, stationery, LCD monitor, baby products, and so on.

Most of these things I have won in the last few years which is why I can remember them. There are some things I won I didn’t need or couldn’t use, like the Dorothy the Dinosaur Show tickets, so I simply on sold them. I can always use money. I do try to only enter competitions for things I want or need, however with the show tickets I didn’t read the fine print properly and it turned out the show was in the middle of the week when my girls were in school. I couldn’t take them out of school to go to a show in Auckland. However I made another family very happy by selling them the tickets for half the retail price on TradeMe. So it wasn’t a complete loss.

My advice is to read the fine print when entering competitions, even if you don’t think you’ll win. It is those times that you do get the prize.

Last year I had my daughters enter a colouring competition in the hopes that they would be one of the 50 runners up and get a double movie pass. Much to my surprise and my eldest daughter’s delight I got a phone call to say she won the grand prize which we didn’t even know what it was. A few weeks later at school she was presented (literally as it was wrapped like a Christmas gift) by an ASB bank manager a brand new Playstaion 2 console and a Buzz Junior game with controllers. She even got her picture in the local paper. That was a wonderful prize as I couldn’t afford to spend a couple hundred dollars on a game system, especially with my tight Christmas budget at that time.

The amazing thing was the next day a package arrived for my youngest which was a Leapster TV console game system that she had won (I’d entered her name in a mail-in competition). So both my girls had their own TV game systems and I could reclaim the computer, so I thought!

What has really increased my interest in entering competitions is the Internet. Now I can enter lots more competitions for free. In the past it would cost the price of an envelope and a postage stamp, which has just risen to 50¢. Now I can enter virtually hundreds of competitions, however the chances of winning are lessened because there are thousands (possibly hundreds of thousands) of people entering these competitions as well. But even with those odds I still seem to win a few.

My top 10 tips for entering competitions:

1. How many entries can you make? Many competitions only allow one entry per household or email address. However there are some, usually mail-in comps, which allow multiple entries.

2. Do you qualify to win? If you’re doing online competitions check to see if the country you live in qualifies to enter. You can’t rely on the URL to tell you what country the comp is for.

3. Are you prepared to win the major prize? This may sound like a silly question, however you must think about it. Many “trip” prizes are to be taken within a specific time frame, so if you don’t have a passport or cannot take time off work to go, then don’t bother entering the comp.

4. Are you willing to have your name or photo used for promotion? Most companies will print your name and possibly your photo if you are a winner. If you don’t want the publicity, then don’t enter the comp.

5. Don’t get your hopes up. I find that I don’t win the competitions I really want. However it is when I enter a comp and then forget all about it that I get the prize. I don’t know why or how this works, but it does.

6. Don’t enter competitions that charge you money. I’m always wary of comps which require an entry fee. If you aren’t getting something for your money then steer clear.

7. Don’t spend a lot of money on a competition. If you have to buy something to enter a comp then only do it if the product is something you would normally buy. Don’t go out of your way to spend a lot of money just to enter a competition. You will be disappointed in the end.

8. Beware of referral competitions. Many comps will give you extra entries if you refer friends – give out people’s names and addresses. Check that this is okay with your friends first, as no one likes junk mail. However I don’t mind as I can easily delete the email if I’m not interested.

9. Remember to read the fine print. It’s always good to check the rules before entering a competition. Some competitions have age restrictions and time limits. The deadline might be expired or years away, in which case you’ll have a very long wait to see if you win. You may even find that the company will send you emails or letters promoting their product. If you don’t want further contact then don’t enter the comp.

10. And finally, tell others about your wins. If you do win a prize let others know. The company that gave you the prize will benefit from you telling others. I believe it’s a karmic thing – if you share your good news, or even your prize, then good things will continue to happen. I’m hoping giving out these tips will put me in good stead (karmic-wise) to win the “big one”! I’ll keep you informed.

In the future I plan to create a Competitions link area on this blog, so if you know of any good comps let me know. Check back often to see my progress and please let me know if you win anything from my advice or blog.

Saving

I’ve been reading another website, John Chow dot Com, about writing and maintaining blogs. It suggested I add new posts regularly and write about something I am passionate about. So I got to thinking . . . what am I passionate about?

I know what I am good at, and what I like to do, and what I don’t like to do, but passion? I don’t really feel passionate about much these days. So I approached the question in a different way. What do I consistently do that others don’t do?

Yelling at my kids? No, most (possibly all) the mother’s I know yell at their kids. Computer work? No, I am good with computers but I can happily go days without turning one on, if I had my way. Crafts? I do like my crafts and have tried a great variety, but lately I haven’t had the time or energy to do much. Gardening? I was very “in to” my garden a few years ago but I think that was just a way to escape the unhappiness I felt in my marriage.

Then it hit me . . . the one thing I always strive to do . . . in every aspect of my life . . . SAVE! My friends know I save money any way I can, but I’m talking about saving everything: time, money, things, energy, and even the environment.

There you have it – I am passionate about saving things! That doesn’t mean I am a hoarder, although I do have a lot of little pieces of scrap material and wrapping paper that I am sure I’ll find a use for someday. But I do know when to have a good clear out, if only to make way for more stuff.

So besides my ranting about whatever happens to take my fancy at the time I will try to do regular posts about saving. Don’t worry, I won’t be talking about investments or which KiwiSaver provider is the best. There are many other experts on the WWW who can help you with those problems. I will simply let you know ways in which I have saved things.

Being a single mother of two young girls I find lots of ways to get things cheaply or free. I am also addicted to entering competitions, probably because I quite often win (the small prizes, never the really big ones). Sharing my strategies and past experiences on saving would definitely create a lot of posts and hopefully you will benefit from reading them as well.

In fact, if you have any good ideas or stories to tell about any great deals you have gotten or anything about saving please let me know either in a comment or an email. Who knows, if your story is good I might just post it here!

Tagging

This afternoon I walked down the hill to post an item I had sold on TradeMe and I noticed the doors to my front garage had been tagged (graffiti for those Americans reading this). I don’t know why they call it tagging in this country. If someone can explain that to me, please do.

Anyway, it was disappointing to see as I live far away from the centre of town in the start of the rural area of Tuakau. There is no footpath in front of my property and there are only a handful of houses around here. The only way for someone to be in the front of my garage is if they had stopped in a car.

As I walked down the hill, about 2.5 km, to the centre of town I noticed I was not the only one that had been tagged. There was little spray paint signatures dotted here and there. There was no real pattern to what had been tagged. Some fences went unscathed while the "for sale" signs in front of one property were completely defaced.

I don’t understand why boys do this. I know I am jumping to a conclusion assuming it was boys, but you don’t usually see groups (or should I call them gangs) of girls loitering around like they are up to no good.

Graffiti is just plain destructive. I don’t see what the culprit gets out of the action. You can’t even understand what is written. Is it sloppy handwriting or just some sort of code? Maybe it is simply misspelling, which I would equate to the lack of education these hoodlums must have. They certainly haven’t learned to respect other people’s property.

Fortunately it is an old garage – the original single-garage that was built with the house in the 1950s. I use it for storage of firewood and some garden tools as it isn’t very secure. So I am not too upset as the doors are old and shabby. But I didn’t want to give these brats free advertising so when I returned home I got out the turpentine and wiped the silver paint away. I was surprised at how easy it was to clean up and that the original brown paint of the doors was intact.

I know it is the school holidays and lots of children are at home unsupervised, but I would think they could find something better to do with their time than deface property. And what are children doing out after dark, not to mention where do they get the money to waste on spray paint? In this country spray paint can only be sold to people 18 years or older, which would imply that older kids are doing this or getting the paint for the younger ones. Now if I were a store owner and a teenager came in to buy spray paint I would give them the 3rd degree. What are you buying this for? I would act curious as to what project the kid was working on and hopefully arouse enough guilt in them to prevent the sale.

A couple years ago during the Christmas school holidays I noticed that two of the 10 solar garden lights I had lining my driveway were missing. I called the police and they simply said lots of kids are causing trouble at night because of the school holidays. They didn’t even bother to take my name or address. That night the other 8 lights went missing. This meant the thieves had to walk the entire length of my driveway along the side of my house to steal them. If the police had bothered to drive by they may have caught the kids.

I didn’t feel very safe after that, so a week later I had an electrician install sensor security lights at the front and side of my house. Of course there was nothing left for the little buggers to steal, but I didn’t like the idea that someone was walking around my property at night. On the good side, the lights are a good security to me when I arrive home after dark. However the garage doors that got tagged are out of the range of the light’s sensor.

I just hope the boys ran out of spray paint and don’t return. It could be much more trouble and expense for me it they tag something else!

Time Flies

I can’t believe I’ve gone a whole month without adding to my blog. Shame on me! Even more unbelievable is that half the year is gone!! Where did it go?

In June I was sick with the dreaded cough/sore throat thing that lingers on. Everyone I talked to either had it or knew someone who had. They always said the same thing – it last for weeks and is worse at night. I still cough now, but I think it is more out of habit than real sickness.

June also brought a lot of activity with the end-of-term wrap up plus lots of birthdays. Last week I was out every night. Too bad the weather finally decided to turn wintry cold and wet. That made the nights out even more unbearable – coming home to a cold house and being too late at night to start a fire. I would just jump in bed and turn the electric blanket on.

It is the start of the two-week school holidays here in New Zealand. Yippee! Except now I have to figure out how to entertain my girls for two whole weeks. Right now they are with their dad and he plans to have them several times this week as he is on vacation. If the weather continues to be wet and miserable I anticipate a lot of indoor activities and some very strained nerves. But here’s hoping my girls decide to play nicely and be little angels for two weeks. Ah yes, I’m in dreamland again!

This week I am definitely staying home as my car is at the mechanics undergoing serious “head” repairs. I only hope it isn’t as bad as they think once they open her up. I can’t really afford to fix the old girl, but I love my car and can afford even less to replace her right now. So I am crossing my fingers for a good outcome, meanwhile I am on the look-out for ways to make some extra cash.

I have already put a lot of things on TradeMe and will do a tidy up around the house to find any more “junk” that I can turn into someone else’s “treasure.” I think online auctions are the best invention. I always use them to compare prices and get bargains. It’s a great way to do a spring clean without the hassles of a garage sale. Sometimes I am amazed at what sells and what doesn’t, but it is so easy to just click relist when the auction ends without a buyer.

I’ve discovered a new way to supposedly earn some money – affiliate programs. My friend told me about the great deals at the Fishpond website so I had a look and found the affiliate link. So now I have signed up and have put a link here on my blog page. So click on it to get great bargains on books, movies and music and I’ll get a little kickback as well if you buy anything. I will find other affiliate programs and put links on here, so come back often to see what is new. You’ve got nothing to lose as you still get the same price for your products while helping me pay for my car repairs!

I’ve been wondering how the companies can afford to offer these kickbacks. What is the real cost for these products? I was a Tupperware dealer for many years and often when I told people about it, especially men, they would claim it was a multi-level marketing company. But it isn’t as all the dealers get the product at the same price and you don’t have people working “below” you unless you are a manager. You don’t need to recruit people, who recruit more people, who recruit more people, in order to earn any money. A dealer receives a one-time gift for each new recruit; there is no on-going payback.

Pyramid schemes never made sense to me. If the company is willing to pay out so much money to the higher levels based on how the lower levels sell, then what is the actual cost of the product? No wonder the products sold in that way are so expensive. It isn’t because of quality it is simply because too many people have their fingers in the pie.

I think everyone would be better off if they simply offered the product to the general public at a “normal” price as determined by supply and demand. Making something more expensive doesn’t mean its better; it simply means fewer people can have it. And in the end it is the low-income people that lose out.

I don’t know if promoting other websites on my blog will earn me any money, but it isn’t costing me any money to do it. I am of the mindset that you don’t have to spend money to earn money. I have always strived to work smarter, not harder. That doesn’t mean I don’t like hard work, but why should I work hard if I can avoid it.

When I investigated Mystery Shopping four years ago I found lots of websites, mainly American ones, advertising “Secret Shopper” jobs but the catch was you had to pay for the list of companies that wanted shoppers. So once again there was another scheme going on. The websites were selling information which should be free and could be if the individual did enough research. Paying for the list didn’t guarantee that the individual would get any mystery shops.

That’s why I avoided those websites. I only signed up with a company that didn’t ask for any money. I simply filled out a form online, chatted on the phone to someone, and next thing I knew it I was an employee. To date I have never even met the people I work for! I think that shows the power of the internet – that I could work for a company for over 4 years and never even meet any of the other employees. So I believe there are legitimate ways to make money online, but sometimes it takes a little digging to find the right ones.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress with earning money through affiliate programs, just keep on clicking!