Relationship, Health and Money

If you have been hanging around here much the last few weeks, you know we have recently started a series of podcasts covering all the ways you can make money from home.  This week we are covering Making Money Taking Surveys.  This is one of the most controversial subjects in working from home, because it isn’t always very profitable.  Many people feel there are scams and potential for overwork with little pay.  The facts are – surveys at home can be lucrative, but they can also be very time consuming.  This podcast covers all of the basics on how to make  the most of your surveys, all while understanding the limitations.  Sit down, grab a notepad and a cup of coffee and listen in as I cover some of the common things you should know when giving this a try to supplement your income.

PODCAST 003: MAKING MONEY TAKING SURVEYS

HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB

• Reliable Internet Access
• Spreadsheet or Notebook to track completed surveys & payments received
• Schedule to follow for rotating through all survey sites.

BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR EXPECTATIONS

• This is not going to be a full time job with full time income for most people
• Your demographics (age, race, location) are what get you surveys.
• Some surveys will pay only a few dollars each, others will pay large amounts.  This varies widely and is to be expected.  Changes happen regularly.  Don’t depend on having that high paying survey each month.

HOW TO REALLY MAKE MONEY DOING THIS

• Be Consistent.  Don’t do it for a week and give up.  Continue working at it and check in daily to see if you have new opportunities
• Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.  Make sure to sign up for multiple companies that give you multiple opportunities to earn.
• Update your demographics on a regular information.  Any small change can be a significant difference in what surveys you are offered
• Keep notes about completed surveys, amount owed to you and when payment should be received.  Follow up regularly as needed.

BEST SURVEY COMPANIES TO USE:

• Pinecone Research:  This company offers tons of simple surveys with a regular flat rate payment of $3 per survey.  They also routinely look for specific demographics to participate.  Young people between 18-24, men and Hispanics are almost always in high demand.
• Vindale Research:  This group has a wide range of surveys that pay out from $.35 for a short demographic panel, to $150 for a product review and survey.  Some of their offers include making a product purchase then following up with them on a review after using.  They are a reputable company to work with, and if you are consistent can pay out a nice amount of money each month.
• American Consumer Opinion:  This site has been around for many years and is a standard in survey taking.  They offer moderate to high pay per survey and are one of the highest ranking in satisfaction from companies using them as well as the individuals taking surveys with them.
• Opinion Outpost:  This site can be a bit hit and miss, but with their $5 minimum payout level it can also be great for fast money if you are in need.  Demographics are all over the place with their surveys, so just keep trying until you find something that works great for you.
• Quick Rewards:  This site can be tough to navigate, but the no minimum payout portion makes it a favorite for many.  Set up a separate email account just for them, as they will flood you with offers every day.  Anywhere from 15-50 emails a day from them.  Get to know their site and work toward your goal.  Cash out at any time.
• Swagbucks:  While this site and program offers a lot of surveys, they also offer a ton of other ways to earn money.  Their surveys payout in what they call swagbucks – not cold hard cash.  You then redeem those swagbucks for gift cards or products in their store.  This is a great way to earn Paypal money, large electronics or Amazon gift cards.  We earn $250-$300 a year in Amazon gift cards with casual use of this site.
• Inbox Dollars: Similar to Swagbucks with multiple ways to earn, their surveys tend to pay out a bit lower than others.  They have a fee for cashing out, but it is minimal.  This is a site that can be used on occasion for a little residual income at the end of the year.  We earn $120-$180 a year from them with very casual use.  Checking in 2-3 times a week and doing surveys or completing offers.

WHO SHOULD TRY TO MAKE MONEY AT HOME TAKING SURVEYS

• Stay At Home Momes
• College Aged Adults with free time
• Single Individuals with free time
• Retired or Empty Nesters

All of this information is here to help you succeed in making your dream of working from home a reality.  While this is not the work at home income most are looking for, we feel it is important to talk about making money taking surveys, as there are some people reading and listening who only have a few hours a day to work with.  This is a great way for that stay at home mom to create a Christmas fund, or to even help fund their family vacation.  Every little bit helps, and while you work to get your business off the ground, this may be just the thing for you too.

Check out our past podcasts and don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter so you don’t miss out on any new updates on the site!

Podcast 001:  Becoming A Successful Work At Home Entrepreneur

Podcast 002:  Making Money As A Mystery Shopper

Let’s just be honest here.  Most of us truly want to lose weight at some point in our lives.  Whether it be for health or vanity reasons, it is a goal that many of us embark on and will struggle with, and rarely is it an easy task.  These 7 Easy Diet Changes That Promote Weight Loss are simple and easy to make into habits.  They allow you the chance to make positive changes without feeling deprived or stressed about every little calorie or hour on the treadmill.

7 Easy Diet Changes That Promote Weight Loss

• Stop Drinking Soft Drinks or Alcohol On Weekdays.  For some people weekend parties, events and barbecues with friends mean a few soft drinks or mixed drinks so start with only cutting these out during weekdays.  One canned soft drink a day can be anywhere from 120-180 calories.  Over the course of one week you can easily shave 1000 calories from your weekly intake if you typically drink 1-2 daily.  I found using a Klean Kanteen helped me tremendously.  The reusable bottle helped me to not think about what I was drinking, and it kept it cold and handy.
• Cut the Starches In Half.  Instead of having the whole baked potato, all of the rice with take out or 2 pieces of toast cut your serving in half.  This is actually what a regular serving is closer to being.  You can replace the missing portion with more vegetables or simply leave your plate a little more sparse for extra calorie savings.
• Skip Dessert.  Make dessert a rarity rather than the norm on your menu.  Save 200-300 calories a day if you skip desserts and treats.  You can apply this as you would the no soft drink rule.  Make week days no dessert days but allow treats in limits on the weekends.
• Skip Creamy Salad Dressings.  Ranch Dressing is by far the most popular salad dressing and dip in the United States but it is also laden with fat and calories.  While low fat varieties may offer the flavor you want they are often still high in sugar and calories.  Skip the creamy dressings and top your salads with salsa, lime juice or a flavorful vinaigrette.
• Use Greek Yogurt.  With the rise in popularity of Greek yogurt over the last few years you can easily afford the now common breakfast or snack treat as a useful product for everything from smoothies to vegetable dips.  Greek Yogurt is a great addition to many baked goods instead of oil.  It is also a wonderful substitute for the mayonnaise or sour cream in many dips and sauces.  With a mild flavor that adapts readily to many recipes you can’t go wrong with the increase in calcium and decrease in fat and calories.
• Don’t Clean Your Plate.  It has been proven time and again that we as a society have inflated our portion sizes to astronomical proportions.  The average meal out at a restaurant contains easily 3 full portions for an adult.  Make a rule of eating only half or less of an entree you order in a restaurant.  At home use the smaller plates in the cabinet or even invest in a portion control plate that will help you visualize what healthy portions are. We love using the healthy portions plates that make it easy for us to see how much of each item we should be eating to be in a healthy portion range.
• Don’t Eat Seconds (Except of healthy vegetables).  Skip the second portion of protien or grains.  If you are still legitimately hungry have another portion of healthy (steamed, roasted, baked or boiled) vegetables.  Still hungry? Push your plate away, sip water and chat with your friends or family at the table.  Allow your body to digest what has been eaten and send the proper signals to your brain telling you that your need has been satisfied.

While none of these alone will cause you to see drastic changes in your weight, the combination can cause a decided difference in the number you see on the scale.  Plus using these 7 easy diet changes that promote weight loss can crate wonderful healthy habits in you that will stand the test of time and help you to maintain weight loss and overall health.

Want more tips on improving your health?  Check out these great posts!

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One of the biggest reasons people say they don’t eat healthier is the cost of healthy foods. We were in that category for a very long time, but with some work and planning we learned How To Afford Healthy Foods.  I have been an avid couponer for most of my adult life, but I never saw coupons for the healthier foods.  Certainly not for things like vegetables, meats or organic foods.

HOW TO AFFORD HEALTHY FOODS

Shop the outside perimeter of the store. Avoid the center aisles of your grocery store that include packaged and processed foods. Even the healthier versions of your favorite items can pack a wallop to your budget. Instead focus on spending your money on things like produce, lean meats, dairy and dry rice and beans to create hearty meals full of flavor and nutrients.

Cook from scratch.  Our son loves macaroni and cheese, but the organic brand can be up to $2 per box and is barely enough to feed him for two meals.  Instead of buying packaged kits, we stock up when organic or whole grain pasta is on sale and then make our own from scratch.  I can make much better quality and better tasting macaroni and cheese for him for for $2 that will feed the whole family for 2-4 meals.  Instead of 2 servings, my $2 has created 3-6 servings.  This also gives me control over sodium content which is really important to our family.

Shop local for produce. When Spring and Summer farmers markets are open take advantage of the great deals on fresh local produce. You’ll often find much better prices on seasonal vegetables, as well as find local organic produce at a fraction of the cost in stores.  Our local farmers market is small, but we can almost always find some great deals on items like squash, tomatoes, corn, okra, green beans and black eyed peas.  I love when we arrive to see the local Asian growers there because it means I end up with things like Bok Choy and leaks which we love using in stir fry. soups and more.

Buy in bulk and freeze or can when on sale. During seasonal sales on things like fresh berries and vegetables, stock up to prep and freeze or even can the bulk. Well stored frozen fruits and vegetables can be excellent eaten later in the year when seasonal prices have changed and they aren’t cost effective. Invest in a vacuum seal storage system for this purpose. It will be well worth the cost and pay for itself time and again.  You can even grab a hand held vacuum sealer to use on smaller items for under $20.

Buy locally raised beef and chickens. If eating grass fed beef and antibiotic hormone free chicken is important, look into local farms that sell them. There are many ranchers that raise grass fed beef for butchering. Ask around your local area and check prices. You can often buy a side of beef for a fraction of the cost of in store meat purchases.  This can be a big expense that is tough for some to handle all at once, even if the overall savings is great.  Alternately you can look into deals with companies like Zaycon that offer smaller bulk purchases of meats delivered to your local area.  We love their chicken deals, and many find their bacon and beef prices to be better than local stores.  We also use The Fresh Market and take advantage of this chain grocer store low pricing on meats.

Raise your own. From growing your own produce garden in the summer, to raising chickens in your backyard, you can easily shave thousands of dollars from your budget by taking matters into your own hands. Even a handful of container gardens can provide you with hundreds of dollars in fresh produce to supplement your grocery purchases.

Saving money on quality foods doesn’t have to be difficult Knowing how to afford healthy foods can help improve your families health while saving your budget.  As we have changed our eating habits over the last year, we have found how much easier it is to afford healthy foods.  It takes a bit of wok to establish a routine, but it is worth it.  There are great options available not only at healthy groceries, but also your traditional chain grocery stores like Kroger and Walmart.  Watch for organic brands, locally grown organic produce and always stock up when you find a great deal.

If you are seriously looking to change the way you eat to include healthier options, take a look at a couple of our posts about our own healthy eating journey.

Breakdown Of Organic Food Costs For Our Family

Free Weekly Menu Plan Printable

Weight Watchers Beyond The Scale SmartPoints system has been life changing for me. So, as any good blogger will do, I am out to help you see the benefits about this and learn more about how it works. Every day I get someone who asks me how to do SmartPoints for free. I so wish I had a magic answer, but I don’t. The truth is, there is no free program, but there are a lot of options that can make it affordable for any budget.

Why I Choose Weight Watchers SmartPoints System

This post contains affiliate links from Amazon and Tupperware.  I earn a commission on purchases made via these links. 

First things first. I have to talk to you about my history with diets and eating habits. I grew up in a family where food was your reward, a means of showing love, and more often than not the comfort we turned to when sad or happy. Family time was almost always centered around food, and the result for me given poor genetics was being overweight at an early age.

Looking back, I realize how many of my food choices are 100% emotional. Being able to move past that and work on making healthy choices was a must. Weight Watchers gives me the tools to do that. Not only can I eat what I want, but I am being taught how to portion control as well as how to cope without using food as a crutch.

No food restrictions or specialty foods. One of the biggest struggles I have with the term “diet” is that it usually includes limitations on food groups or a requirement to purchase specific foods. To me, this is not only hard to afford but also tough to juggle when you have picky eaters in your family. Being able to truly eat anything on the Weight Watchers Beyond The Scale SmartPoints system made it more appealing for me and our family.

I can cook the same recipes I always did, and simply portion and account for points. Alternately, I am choosing healthier versions of foods, but avoiding things like low-fat or fat-free since so many of those products aren’t terribly healthy, in my opinion. So, I make the same salads, entrees, sandwiches, and more and the entire family enjoys it together. No fancy foods. No pricey products. No supplements. Just everyday food.

Teaches healthy habits. The SmartPoints system is all about making healthier choices. Those who used Weight Watchers in the past will see that a lot of foods are higher in points value now than they used to be. Things that are higher in sugar and carbohydrates are now higher in points value. So, those low-fat treats that are high in carbohydrates are often now more points than they were in past plans.

However, things like lean meats and healthy fats are lower in points value. Also, most vegetables and fruits are now free or zero points. Making healthier choices has never been easier. The SmartPoints system is perfect for helping you learn to eat more vegetables, lean protein, and to drink more water. That to me is much better than buying a shake, a tablet, or having surgery. This is my personal opinion for myself.

Affordable options. Weight Watchers has a lot of choices to make it affordable. Whether you are an online member only or a member who attends meetings, you can almost always find something to fit into your budget. For $20 or less per month, you can get support, tips, their points system, and a wonderful Connect community of others on the Weight Watchers program.

The NEW myWW Program is Here and it’s Our Most Customized Ever! WW is Weight Watchers Reimagined. Join Today!

Alternative programs. While I personally feel using Weight Watchers directly is best for accountability and encouragement, you can choose alternative programs that work well while not being a monthly fee. My personal recommendation is to purchase the Weight Watchers SmartPoints Calculator. This works to not just calculate your points for food each day, but it also works as a method to calculate what your points should be each day and week. If you want to do SmartPoints for free, this is the closest you can come to doing the program without spending a monthly fee.

Many also use the iTrackBites app as a one-time cost of $4.99 to track their food intake.  While it is not identical to the SmartPoints system, it is easy to use and more affordable.  My personal experience with it was unfavorable, but thousands like it as an alternative.

Weight Watchers SmartPoints Recommendations:

• Join support groups like my own SmartPoints Online Support & Recipes Group or the Weight Watchers Tips & Recipes Group on Facebook
• Invest in a quality scale like this Precision Digital Scale with Body Mass Index, Body Fat Percentage, and a 440-pound capacity.
• Kodiak Protein Packed Pancake Mix – this is the base of many of my recipes and is ideal for making sweet treats and muffins without tons of added sugars
• Measuring spoons, cups, and a digital scale for making sure all of your meals are properly measured and points are accurate.  I recommend the Tupperware Measuring Cups and Spoons, and the Ozeri Digital Scale.
• Meal prep storage containers that are portion controlled.  Preparing things like vegetables, fruit, or even lunch portions in advance helps me stay on track.  For preparing meals for the freezer, I have used the Pyrex Food Storage Containers or the Tupperware Freezer Storage products.  For general food storage, I prefer using the Tupperware Snack Cups, Tupper Minis, Microwave Reheatable Cereal Bowls, or the Tupperware Vent N’ Serve products.  Yes, I love my Tupperware, but it stands up over the years and doesn’t fall apart or break easily like other storage.

To help get started on the Weight Watchers program, there are some amazing tools out there. I found that of course, great blogs with recipes help, but also online support groups.  These tips and thoughts are just my personal experience with Weight Watchers.  I am not affiliated with Weight Watchers directly, just a current program participate who loves it and wants to share.

More Weight Loss Tips:

• Choosing The Right Weight Loss Plan For Yourself
• Ultimate Ideal Weight Loss Solutions For Lazy People

Living in Michigan brings about a need for a quality Organic Skin Care routine. I never truly realized just how brutal winter weather could be on my skin until I was here for a few months and started seeing my eczema flare up.  So, I dove in head first and began really exploring options.  I have really focused on using organic products on my skin over the last few years because I am hesitant to use anything that can create more damage to my already sensitive skin.  I decided to share some of my favorite products with you in hopes that you too will benefit from my research and experience.

Top Winter Organic Skin Care Products

This post does contain affiliate links.  I make a small commission through purchases made through these links. 

Block Island Organics:  A few months ago, Kelly, from Block Island Organics, sent me a bottle of their moisturizer.  It is made from 22% Zinc Oxide.  It’s not just used as sunscreen, but is a wonderful daily moisturizer. I decided to give it a test run for a month right after we moved to Michigan and was really impressed with the quality.  I have used Zinc Oxide in the past as a sunscreen, but never really thought about how it could be a great option for moisturizing my skin in the process.

With sun reflecting off the snow here in the winter, I realized pretty fast how important it was to wear sunscreen every day when I was going to be outside.  Adding into that the fact that I really did need the extra moisturizer on my skin, it was nice to have a good soothing layer to protect my face.  This is definitely one organic skin care option that I love and believe in the quality of, as well as know the company works hard to provide excellent products.

Lena Jeanne Cosmetics:  I confess, Lena Jeanne is actually my cousin.  Even if that wasn’t true, I would have to recommend her anyway.  Her line of products is all organic and hand created by her.  She has a PhD in Biochemistry and has spent months studying how various products work to help our skin.  She has a full line of makeup, moisturizers, cleansers, and even lip products.  Everything is made to order with the best quality products she can find.  If you want to invest in amazing organic skin care, this is definitely the place to go. Bonus: Her facial lotionis a miracle worker.  Seriously – it is one of the best products you will ever invest in for your skin!

Crunchy Mamas:  A few years ago, Crunchy Mamas reached out to me to do a review of their products.  I have since come back a few times, as well as sent many friends their way.  I adore their lip balm.  I legit cannot get enough of the lip balm.  I will fight you for a tube of the Honey-Lemon lip balm. I am that serious about it.  I have been eyeing their deodorant and am pretty sure my Sister would be covetous if I bought some, so I am fairly certain it will be on my list of things to grab for her upcoming birthday.

Beauty Counter:  I keep seeing this company being represented by friends, so when fellow blogger and super crunchy mom, Crystal Collins started talking about them, I knew I had to read more.  Lo and behold, just days after I started working on this post, I received a package in the mail from them to check out thanks to the ShiftCon conference.  I know now that their body wash, lotion, shampoo, and conditioner are going to have a permanent place in my bathroom.

I haven’t actually tried the makeup items from them yet, but I have read review after review of this brand from some of my most trusted friends and so I feel 100% confident in including them on my list of trusted organic skin care lines for winter skin care as well as year round skin care.  Not only do they have a full line of skin care products, they seem to have some amazing quality makeup for those beauty lovers on your list.

Origins Skin Care: A mainstream organic skin care line that I have tried in the past and loved is Origins Skin Care.  I’ve used various products including the moisturizers, cleansers, and masks with great results.  The moisturizers especially are handy for me and the dry skin issues I have in the winter months.  If you are uncertain, there are tons of great gift kits you can choose from that have trial sizes of multiple products in their line that you can test out to see what works for your skin.  This is often my favorite way to try something new on my skin.

While I don’t often cover beauty topics here, I felt like this winter sharing some of my favorite winter organic skin care products was timely.  Moving to Michigan with often negative temperatures in winter has definitely been shocking to my skin.  Arkansas is rarely under freezing more than a few weeks during winter.  We definitely don’t have more than one week with snow during the entire season.  Already having had weeks of snow this year means my skin has taken a beating.  I love my new state, and I adore the snow, but I definitely have to invest in some quality organic skin care like the products above to keep my skin looking and feeling soft and pretty to combat this tougher winter weather!  For more self-care tips and great products you can make for yourself at home – check out the links below!

Check Out These Homemade Beauty Products:

• Homemade Lemon Lotion Bars
• Lemon Lavender Foot Scrub
• Honey Almond Sugar Scrub
• Citrus Basil Body Scrub
• 20 Homemade Sugar Scrub Recipes