Category Archives: personal finance

Ebates – Side Income For Shoppers

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Ebates Coupons and Cash Back

In my post yesterday I completely forgot about the extra income I got on Sunday!  I was thinking about the side earning and realized, oh yeah!  I got an Ebate check!

Wait, wait, wait.  I actually got an Amazon gift card, but I chose that instead of a check because there was a kitchen appliance that broke that we’ve been jonesing to replace, and with this Ebate Rebate we could.  So my grand total of side income for April is actually:  $155.19.  Woot!

$42.94 blog advertisers
$40.00 Bestmark mystery shopping
$38.00 Bestmark mystery shopping
-$40.00 Bestmark mystery shopping actual cost
-$45.18 Bestmark mystery shopping actual cost
$100.00 Video Modelling for friend
$19.43 Ebates Rebate
$155.19 Total side income

 Are you an Ebates member?  Here’s the lowdown on it from my own personal point of view.

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Goodbye April, Hello May – and Side Income

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image_1I’ve officially decided that I love Spring.  It’s just a stunning time of year.  It may be freezing still in Seattle, but it’s gorgeous even when rainy.  It helps that happy children are happy, and grumpy kitties are, well, grumpy.  And I’ve taken up a new sewing hobby to keep my mind occupied when I get grumpy…it pulls me out of my mood.

Hobbies for the win. 

image_4

i never claimed to be good at my hobby…

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meal planning lessons

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vegan bean patty, turkey sausage and kale w/balsamic vinagrette

vegan bean patty, turkey sausage and kale w/balsamic vinaigrette

Meal planning is tough.  It is a hard, hard thing to do, at least for me and my family.  My husband and I have been in restaurants for 16 years and 11 years, respectively, and it’s an industry that fosters congregation at, well, restaurants.  How do you break a habit that is over a decade old?

The other problem with meal planning is not just time, but taste.  I get bored of the same food and I also crave new flavors.  It stands to reason, though, that when you are going to the same restaurants over and over (and they’re not terribly imaginative), one may have lost the real reason for going in the first place.  Red Robin, while good, is still Red Robin.  No offense to Red Robin.

Also:  Money.

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prenup agreements – normal or crazy?

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My cousin works for a very popular TV show on air right now.  I’m not sure why but one day we began to talk about reality, and in particular, the difference in realities between a “normal” person, and a “Hollywood” person.  She relayed a story about prenuptial agreements, and how to people in Hollywood – most notably the movie and tv stars – a prenup is normal.

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Panic and the IRA.

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So do you remember how I really wanted to be a lifestyle blogger (or at least have their charmed lives)?  This weekend was a reminder that I am not, in fact, a care bear.  Why?  I simply do not have the means to be one.

I think what is gorgeous about lifestyle bloggers is that they (seem to) lead charmed lives.  I never hear mention of money woes, bounced checks, or debt.  They write about wearing Gucci and pushing Bugaboos.  They can walk around in Christian Louboutin’s because they drive cars rather than take buses.  Their houses look like Pinterest exploded in them.  Their bowls were handmade by talented children from Sri Lanka who love dogs and will grow up to solve the carbon crisis.  While I’d love to have that life, it’s beyond me right now.

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