Fortune, the MSFreedom board has a special section for Canadian shoppers.
[www.msfreedom.org] They might also have other resources for Canada.

fortune8one Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You are right about the timing Sneakers. But even
> old ideas can be good. So I am going to throw that
> one out again. A lot of people have their own
> webpages or sites for various reasons and the link
> codes are pretty easy to write. So why don't we
> share them. With the cost of linking and
> advertising these days on line it would be a good
> way for everyone to see what is going on with each
> other.


I agree with you, I 90% retired from mystery shopping and merchandising because of the high gas prices, the smaller selection of jobs and the reduction of job payment.

If you want to, check out what I started doing now. It's only a start, but maybe after Christmas I have some more time and it will be bigger and more variety.

[stores.ebay.com]

================================================================================

I also have some news you might not know (see below), where you can save some money right now.
If you have any questions, send me a message.



==========================================================================
DOUBLE COUPON DAYS: all Kmart locations from 11/30 to 12/06
and for Super Kmart locations ONLY from 11/12 to 11/16.
==========================================================================

4 coupons on identical items including varieties per customer per day
75 coupons per customer per day total allowed to use
$2.00 = highest value of coupon before doubling,
if doubling exceeds the price of the item, then the
coupon will only be doubled up to the item price,



Have fun, and thanks for all the help I received from everyone of you!!!
Without you I would have quit a long time ago, and I would have missed out on a lot of FUN jobs.

Thanks again.

vero4112

I haven't the time right now to investigate eBay, but it's certainly on my long-range goals list. Would you believe I've never used it? I have a regular job (low pay), and my merchandising companies are working me hard. I also get several mystery shops each month. I try to get phone assignments, but some of them require so much work, recalls, and reporting time, that I have dropped some companies. I have been mystery shopping long enough that I get regular assignments from a handful of companies. I also get emails and phone calls "out of the blue" because of referrals from other companies, MSPA or the NARMS website. My biggest problem is problem websites. It is very frustrating to try to report something late at night when the website is difficult to use or contrary. I also have trouble fitting everything in in the afternoon after my regular job. Even if the store is open 24 hours, the managers often aren't there late, so it's difficult sometimes if it is an unusual merchandising assignment. My regular job's hours make it impossible to do assignments before going to work. Another problem I have is getting enough sleep. I no longer search certain websites for assignments regularly. I have counted all the companies that alert me by email that there are assignments available and they are just enough in number to keep me active. I'm always looking for better-paying mystery shopping companies or more interesting assignments. I don't lean on the status quo. Companies close, merge, change policies, lose clients, get difficult websites, etc.

What a great topic. I ran a very successful interior plant service biz for 17 yrs.Yes as someone else posted find something that you love doing. I had 3 kids I raised alone, ran a day care, took in ironing, walked dogs, pet sitter. I also had a gift basket business that did very well. I live in a small town and have my name w/ serveral restaurants as a fill in. Lets keep the topic going...oh also I make quilts and do some sewing for several people that don't sew or have the time.
You do what you gotta do!

Sandra Sue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I haven't the time right now to investigate eBay,
> but it's certainly on my long-range goals list.
> Would you believe I've never used it? I have a
> regular job (low pay), and my merchandising
> companies are working me hard. I also get several
> mystery shops each month. I try to get phone
> assignments, but some of them require so much
> work, recalls, and reporting time, that I have
> dropped some companies. I have been mystery
> shopping long enough that I get regular
> assignments from a handful of companies. I also
> get emails and phone calls "out of the blue"
> because of referrals from other companies, MSPA or
> the NARMS website. My biggest problem is problem
> websites. It is very frustrating to try to report
> something late at night when the website is
> difficult to use or contrary. I also have trouble
> fitting everything in in the afternoon after my
> regular job. Even if the store is open 24 hours,
> the managers often aren't there late, so it's
> difficult sometimes if it is an unusual
> merchandising assignment. My regular job's hours
> make it impossible to do assignments before going
> to work. Another problem I have is getting enough
> sleep. I no longer search certain websites for
> assignments regularly. I have counted all the
> companies that alert me by email that there are
> assignments available and they are just enough in
> number to keep me active. I'm always looking for
> better-paying mystery shopping companies or more
> interesting assignments. I don't lean on the
> status quo. Companies close, merge, change
> policies, lose clients, get difficult websites,
> etc.


I agree - that's why I only do mystery shopping and merchandising in my home town.

With what I am doing on ebay, yes it takes a lot of time, but I am at home and don't need gas, paper, printerink etc. - this saves a lot of money.
I will built my business after x-mas. Right now I am out of time.
I would like to sell something, where I have to list only 1 item and sell 1000000.
Right now I am swamped with inserting.

But because of this new income - I went to KMART's double day and got the following for FREE (I only paid taxes):

24 bottles shampoo
24 bags of candies
24 TicTac
24 bags of cat treats
6 boxes of Band-Aid
1 tweezer
8 cans Endust

and if I would have gone every day, I would have gotten more.
I only wished, they would have restocked. I went only 3 times together with my daughter to take advantage of being able to have 2 receipts, because they limit 4 identical items.

[stores.ebay.com]

I'll hope to see you there.

Good luck, and let's hear what you are doing. Maybe after x-mas.

msplantladi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What a great topic. I ran a very successful
> interior plant service biz for 17 yrs.Yes as
> someone else posted find something that you love
> doing. I had 3 kids I raised alone, ran a day
> care, took in ironing, walked dogs, pet sitter. I
> also had a gift basket business that did very
> well. I live in a small town and have my name w/
> serveral restaurants as a fill in. Lets keep the
> topic going...oh also I make quilts and do some
> sewing for several people that don't sew or have
> the time.
> You do what you gotta do!


I am happy to hear this, maybe next year I might come back on your sewing.
I would love to do it myself, but my eyes are not that could. I bought a sewing machine, but the light blinds me a lot.
My mom was sewing all my dresses when I was little. I liked it - it was one of a kind!!!
My daughter is into the anime, and she wants a lot of costumes. A lot of times she can't find exactly what she wants, so maybe I came back to you with a special offer before her next convention.

With your quilting - did you think about selling on ebay?

My daughter wanted so bad to sell something, and she hd the idea with organic oatmeal bath, but the incredients are too expensive.

Think about it and come and visit me:

[stores.ebay.com]



Veronika

vero4112 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> fortune8one Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > You are right about the timing Sneakers. But
> even
> > old ideas can be good. So I am going to throw
> that
> > one out again. A lot of people have their own
> > webpages or sites for various reasons and the
> link
> > codes are pretty easy to write. So why don't we
> > share them. With the cost of linking and
> > advertising these days on line it would be a
> good
> > way for everyone to see what is going on with
> each
> > other.
>
>
> I agree with you, I 90% retired from mystery
> shopping and merchandising because of the high gas
> prices, the smaller selection of jobs and the
> reduction of job payment.
>
> If you want to, check out what I started doing
> now. It's only a start, but maybe after Christmas
> I have some more time and it will be bigger and
> more variety.
>
> [stores.ebay.com]
>
> ==================================================
> ==============================
>
> I also have some news you might not know (see
> below), where you can save some money right now.
> If you have any questions, send me a message.
>
>
>
> ==================================================
> ========================
> DOUBLE COUPON DAYS: all Kmart locations from 11/30
> to 12/06
> and for Super Kmart locations
> ONLY from 11/12 to 11/16.
> ==================================================
> ========================
>
> 4 coupons on identical items including varieties
> per customer per day
> 75 coupons per customer per day total allowed to
> use
> $2.00 = highest value of coupon before doubling,
> if doubling exceeds the price of the item, then
> the
> coupon will only be doubled up to the item price,
>
>
>
> Have fun, and thanks for all the help I received
> from everyone of you!!!
> Without you I would have quit a long time ago, and
> I would have missed out on a lot of FUN jobs.
>
> Thanks again.
>
> vero4112


I must be clueless about how most people use ebay. In the late 90's, I used to by stuff there. Then it became overrun with Power Sellers, etc, and the prices got higher, and you weren't dealing with someone who had ever used/owned the item, etc. I stopped buying stuff except some imagery of old HI from estate sales, people's old home movies for art projects, and the occasional super 8 film camera and editor during grad school. Stuff I cannpt get elsewhere.

But you sell COUPONS on Ebay? A people BUY THEM??? Do tell more.

I too have pretty much given up on eBay because of the wholesale lots being peddled there. The fascination with eBay was indeed the notion of the neverending garage sale where you could find trash or treasures. I do find that when I am looking for a specific item that is no longer made it can be a fairly decent resource.

One thing I'm trying to do is be a census worker. This is temporary job that they say will be for 10 weeks this spring and then again in 2010. Pays $13.25/hour. I took the test, but don't know my status yet, but I do know they are looking for many workers. The website is www.2010censusjobs.com

Bonused jobs hit my email morning, noon and night for Hilton Head and Charleston, SC. Live there! Several hours of driving for me

I did the 1990 Census working in the temporary local office, first answering the phone questions from folks about how and whether to fill out the form that came to their address; then doing the call back to clarify internal discrepancies on the forms; then supervising the folks doing the phone calls; then supervising the folks reviewing the forms; then training the field workers who were going out to in person get folks to fill out forms who had not mailed them in. It was kinda fun but taught me never to trust census data

I was a field worker in 1980. It was enlightening.

By the way, I did check on the census jobs. Due to the economy there has been an enormous turnout of folks so in the counties around me the jobs are all taken. But realize that many of those jobs won't begin for months, so it is likely that employment will reopen later in the spring or summer. The local guy I was chatting with indicated that for all of their testing sessions they were having 2 to 3 times as many people appearing for testing as they expected because so many folks had told their friends, who decided to come along and test.

Hi all,
What about monetizing a website. I've got a blog and have made a scant $11 so far, but it's money that I didn't have. I wondered if there were other bloggers on this forum that could post their site. PM me if you want the web address. We talk about saving money and diy projects.

As far as costs, the web hosting I use is about $5 per month and domain name registration is about $8 per year.

Sneakers, www.findfocusgroups.com lists focus groups, but most of them are in large cities (none here in Iowa listed on that site).

I've also sold my stuff and my parents stuff on ebay. I make a 30% commission for selling their stuff whenever they find something to sell.

Easy but low paying work from your computer is Amazon's Turk. The post jobs on their website that computers can't do. Jobs range from pennies to a few dollars and there are 60,000 jobs on there.
That website is [www.mturk.com]

I heard from a friend recently that about 6 months ago she began picking up curbside furniture, the end of the moving sale leftovers and freebie stuff from CraigsList. She has turned her garage into her workshop and is refinishing the stuff and then turning around and selling it fresh, stable and whole in garage sales of her own. Her skills were only modest at first, but she has gotten quite good with the sander, the stripper and the varnishing or just turning the piece into a painted one. She has more time than money at the moment, so getting $50 for a table she has under $10 in materials and 10 hours work in is appealing because she enjoys doing the work. She recently picked up a couple of upholstered pieces and has discovered that she can do a really good reupholstery job. So she is now 'hunting' at select Goodwills and Salvation Army locations as well. She is thinking about getting more skill and a photographic 'portfolio' of her reupholstery work to turn that into a home business in and of itself.

How are the census applicants doing? Typically, how many hours a week are required or available and how long will the job last?

Last fall, I did a little substitute teaching. The school district where I live pays $60/day (3 classes/1.5 hours ea) for non-certified teachers. Personally, I'd much rather mystery shop

I help friends that lack cooking and bartending skills by catering their parties. Its a win win for me because I dont have ample space to entertain but I have all the dish and glass ware and I love the kitchen. I give me $$, I'm a coupon Nazi so I keep whatever I dont spend, go to their house and cook a lot of it there, some is pre-done. Not a lot of cash, but its fun! If its a themed party I help with signature drinks and themed food and decor.

The other I do is host wine tastings. Amateur or experienced (most think they are...) I supply the wine, following the hosts budget or theme and then teach how to taste, how to pair or how to look more wine savvy than you really are! Love it..reminds me of my life pre-baby!

I know that there is a wine sales from home company now that "host" tastings, aka sell you wine, and to be honest I havent recognized many of their brands to vouch for them or not.

Sell books on Amazon.com. You have to do some research to know what kinds of books sell. Some that don't are fiction, book club books, love stories, most cookbooks. The best sellers are textbooks, how-to, art. Also, don't buy library books with the library information. They don't sell. I have just been doing this for a short time but wish I had known about it sooner. The lowest prices are found at thrift stores and yard sales.

We are doing Mock Jury duty for some lawyers in a few weeks.

Was this advertised by the lawyers?

Yes, it was advertised on Craig's List.

Get 100,000 people to send you $10.00