Make Money with Fiverr

Do You Want to Know How to Make Money With Fiverr?

Making money on Fiverr is a very possible thing to do. Of all the online money making exploits I have ever ventured into, I have found this one to be the best with my schedule and personal ability. With that said, before I lay out 5 important aspects of making money on Fiverr; let me be honest and tell you that you can not reasonably expect to replace your income with the money you make on Fiverr. Even the top-ranking sellers on Fiverr have only made around $1,000 - $2,000 dollars. Still, with this pointed out, aiming high for numbers like those will still garner you a very useful amount of money. The money I have made on my Fiverr gigs has been enough to help me pay my bills while I am in college, and has been a useful addition to the money I made at my regular job. With all this said, let me get to the 5 facts about using Fiverr which I think will come in handy.

1). Be realistic about how much you can viably earn.

Many people turn to the internet to make money, and more often than not, these people expect the money to magically grow through their computer screens. This is simply not the case. If a person is making a lot of money using the internet, they are very likely spending a lot of time building their reputation and business strategy for a long period of time before they even begin seeing the money.

When using Fiverr, it is important to be realistic and remember that what you earn is not going to replace your income by any means. However, you can realistically earn a couple hundred dollars, if not more if you are really fortunate. I personally have earned about $100 dollars a month over the past few months as I really got involved in Fiverr (do to unemployment coming on the heels of some medical problems). For many people like myself, $100 dollars a month for very minimal amounts of work is a valuable thing!

2). Do not spend a large amount of time doing work.

Next, it is important not to put up gigs on Fiverr that will make you spend more time than you are willing to for $5 dollars (or actually, $4 dollars after Fiverr takes their cut). In the real world, no one would be willing to work for an hour or two for four dollars. Do not change this up just because money is now available to be made online. An old adage goes like this: "Time is money." When you are doing jobs on Fiverr, make sure you are spending your time wisely and making the most money you possibly can.

3). Do not expect sales overnight. It is a process.

When I first began on Fiverr, I initially put up some gigs and essentially let them sit on the site for about 2-3 months without even thinking about them. Then, one day I received an e-mail that told me I had received an order. I immediately rushed over to the site and fulfilled the order, not expecting many more. Needless to say, after that initial order, I began receiving orders in a way I can only describe as rapid fire. To online marketers, this phenomenon is known as the need for social proof. As soon as I began receiving positive feedback, my orders took off and I am now comfortably making money without much effort. Granted, this is not passive money making, but it is very simple and worthwhile for me.

4). Do be a professional.

One thing many people may not completely expect when working for $5 dollars is that they should act professionally. I view my sales on this website in the same way that I view selling any other product. Whether it is a five dollar job or a $10,000 dollar job, the need for professionalism is vital in making money. I have received multiple return buyers simply because I am very easy to work with and able to communicate effectively. Not only that, but I do attempt to help those individuals out who are willing to communicate effectively with me in return. Some of these customers have ordered 5-6 times simply because this service is so good. That is a sign of professionalism and a good customer relationship.

5. Do use Fiverr to get into the online money making world.

I like to view Fiverr as my pushing off point into the world of online business and marketing. I figure, if I am able to effectively handle low-end jobs such as these being sold for $5 dollars; then I will easily be able to handle jobs requiring more from me in the future. Making a little bit of extra money on the side of my regular job and busy college schedule is also a very big incentive for me.

For those interested, my Fiverr account can be viewed HERE.

I will return in a future article with some additional tips for getting into making money on Fiverr!

5 Tips for Easy Money Management in a Relationship

So You Want to Save Money Together?

Managing money can often times be a difficult thing to do effectively. On the surface, it may seem rather easy to do; perhaps if an individual is new to the "real" world or if they lack substantial frequent income. For most individuals though, budgeting and managing money is a vital aspect of maintaining your finances, your relationship, and your sanity.

Handling money while in a relationship can be tough to do, however with effective communication with your partner; it is very possible and perhaps even fun to do. Some newly married couples find finances to be a significant road block on the way to purchasing a home and getting the most out of life. In fact, simply examining the news on any given day will likely allow you to see into the lives of many individuals and couples doing little in terms of budgeting and saving money; and rather splurging and spending every penny of their paycheck.

It is because of those "extreme" individuals and couples that finding feedback on how to effectively manage money can be so important. No one wants to end up dumpster diving and living on the street, however even the richest among us can end up in the slums if they do not manage their money correctly.

1). Effective Couples Money Management Depends on Effective Communication

Unlike the single's amongst us, couples have an advantage of being able to talk directly with someone who should care about their well being. This care should empty out into many facets of life, including the financial sector. In fairy tale stories we often do not see the hard ships real human characters would experience with the "mundane" aspects of life, such as financial planning and so on. We are instead fed characters who fall madly in love and manage to avoid working full-time jobs and having to substantially care about finances. Of course, a film on these aspects of life would make mundane cinema in most cases (unless of course the film was a comedy with Zack Galifanakis).

Moving on, communication in a relationship is the key to all of the hidden secrets (and not so hidden ones) in all aspects of life. Communication can lead to finding a better place to go for vacation, a better sex life, and even lead to a more effective usage of money.

2). Your Spending Should Reflect Your Interest in Maintaining Money

Consider your money in the same way you consider your significant other. When we are in happy and healthy relationships, we tend to want to cultivate and maintain those relationships so they may grow into something better. In the same respect, spending money should be something we do only when necessary and on occasion when we just want to get something, because fun is essential with any relationship type. You will notice the many opportunities and periods of comfort that will arise from saving a little extra money from every paycheck instead of spending it all. Many people arrive at a depressing point in their life when they realize they do not have enough money at a particular point in time. At that moment they find themselves screwed financially, and they will reflect on needless spending and not saving as much of the reason for their financial depression.

3). Take Interest in the Household Financial Process

I have personally witnessed on a few occasions relationships which have a very active and dominant partner, while the other is unfortunately very passive and submissive. These are not strictly terms we can find used in the bedroom, but rather they can easily carry over into finances. Frequently, one partner in the relationship will be almost exclusively responsible for finances (budgeting, spending, and so forth). This is not healthy and is not a good way to get the best out of your money. This is particularly unsettling when both individuals are contributing to the household income.

It is recommend that both partners, when possible, sit down and work on finances together. For many relationships, this will also be beneficial as it will allow you to spend time with your significant other when you may otherwise be doing nothing with them on your time away from work. Just because finances take time, energy, and commitment does not mean you should dump them on your partner. These are not dishes or laundry!

4). "The Designated Spender" and "The Designated Saver"

This is an idea of sorts I seemingly came up with based on my own relationship. If you have two paychecks coming into your home, and both individuals are particularly committed to the extent where you are or would be willing to share a bank account; then this thought may well apply to you.

I have essentially designated my girlfriend's paycheck (the lesser of ours) as "the designated spending money", whereas my paycheck is "the designated savings" paycheck. This may sound somewhat funny on the outside, but think of the reality! If you are able to minimize spending from one partners paycheck, then the savings can add up significantly. Granted, there are occasions in which I have to spend money from my paycheck; however we have been able to save up over $6,000 dollars in the past 2 years using this method. As college aged students whom are financially responsible, this is a pretty amazing feat.

5). Consider Where Your Household Income Is Going and How to Decrease It

I was discussing with someone earlier on how the prices of every day items have seemingly skyrocketed, and can majorly effective the bottom line of savings if they are not accounted for. For example, many individuals may find themselves flocking to a grocery store and picking up regular items for the week. It is important to consider if you could be saving money simply by switching to another store (I use dollar stores myself almost exclusively for grocery shopping). A month of food for my girlfriend and myself using the "dollar store method" has inadvertently led to less than $100 dollars worth of food a month. Of course, we are not so lame as to not occasionally go out and spend a little extra on something we are craving; however the savings we have accumulated over time using this method have warranted us a reason to be able to go out as we do. While this is just an example of shopping at a grocery store, it is important that you track where you are spending money and considering alternatives. You may not realize how much money you are wasting when alternatives exist which can save you a ton!

For those interested in more relationship advice, I have another blog that I run with my girlfriend titled Finding Love in the Cosmos which discusses a variety of relationship issues.

Did you enjoy this article on easy money management in a relationship? If so, leave a comment and let me know!

How to Make Money Using Fiverr

This article is a follow-up to my previous article "Make Money with Fiverr."

With that said, a constant question I find looming around the internet is "how do I make money online?" Many of us seek out articles, some fairly popular ones found in a search on Google; yet others delve deeper in hopes of finding some easy online money making secrets. As far as I am concerned, the biggest secret a majority of online money makers can learn is that there is no such thing as making money overnight. However, there are tools at our disposal which can allow us to build a small money making empire without much effort. I have personally found myself using Fiverr.com because it seems to be the most effective way that I can personally make extra money while using the internet. I do not have the extra time in my schedule to work on some large and elaborate business plan. This feeling may very well be the same sensation many others seem to feel. Making money online is not always about getting rich, but rather about helping ourselves just get by financially from day to day.

For those who are unaware, I am a college student myself; and I attempt to do the best I can at being responsible and managing my money effectively. I am not a professional by any means, however I have managed my money fairly successfully up to this point; and I have learned how to make money using the internet without costing myself a dime. Many other individuals in my situation will very likely be wondering, "How do I make money online." To that I am now able to respond, "I know how to do it, you will just have to listen to me rant for a few minutes then you will know how too!"

First, let me begin by expressing my feelings as to why Fiverr is a great website; and an even better location for making money.

1). The price on Fiverr is set at $5 dollars per service/product offered.

In most markets, the seller has the opportunity to price every product and service being offered. In many scenarios this is a good thing, however Fiverr is unique because buyers are able to browse various gigs and they already know the price without even clicking to see further information about the product. This is important to someone looking to make money because you do not have to worry about setting price points. Rather, your primary concern will be on providing quality products.

2). Buyers have the opportunity to make off like a "bandit."

Because everything is set at a $5 dollar fee, there are undoubtedly individuals who are willing to do a lot for five dollars. At times, it borders on amazing what people are willing to do. As some may know, I am a musician; and just recently I paid a seller five dollars to record a violin section for a song I had recorded. A few weeks ago I received the file, and it was on par with $300 dollar recordings I have heard from other artists.

While I would not advise to undercut your work, it is easy to see why Fiverr can be a fantastic haven for finding unique products and services; without having to worry about some heinous cost. A simple truth about Fiverr is that many people are using it, both to buy and sell.

3). Fiverr is a haven for marketing and outsourcing article writing and so on.

My primary gig that I offer, which has received over 50 orders and positive reviews, is based around leaving quality comments on buyer's blogs. I have had many return buyers simply because the work I provide is on a level that is beyond $5 dollars. In addition to my own first-hand experience with marketing and writing, I have seen on numerous occasions gigs that will allow your website to be seen by thousands of individuals; and even some articles that provide unique article writing for your blog or website. This can come in handy because it will undoubtedly provide your website with viewers, and on the latter, with potentially a lot of unique content for a bare minimum price.

While there are many other reasons why I like Fiverr, these are the ones that rank highest in my own mind. Now, let me reflect on the question, "How do I make money on Fiverr?"

1). Provide a unique service or product.

This one should be obvious. All businesses or product selling strategies involve the need to make yourself unique amongst so many other sellers. It is, of course, possible to sell products that are similar to other sellers; however if you do it better than someone else, or minimally are just easier to work with in general, than seeing an increase in sales will come very naturally.

2). Show interest in your buyers needs.

I have done this on many occasions. It is simply in my personality to be relatively friendly and helpful as I am providing my services. For some individuals, this translates into being a con-artist of sorts and selling mediocre products to individuals who are easy to take advantage. This is not an ethical practice and should be heavily frowned upon in any business. I would advise that you try and be genuinely interested in your customer. It is because of this that I have found many return buyers of my gigs on Fiverr. A few individuals have even order 3 or 4 times, which adds up even if you are not receiving a lot of unique buyer orders.

3). Do not expect an immediate turn-around on Fiverr.

So frequently with online money making ventures, people expect they will become instantaneous millionaires. For most individuals, this is simply not the case. Doing work on Fiverr is a great method of making some extra money (I make about $150 dollars a month from Fiverr alone). However, it requires some minimal time and energy (it is work, after all). And since things are priced at $5 dollars, even the best sellers on their website have only made $1,000 - $2,000 dollars. With that said, those are not bad figures by any means; and I am sure many people would like to make some realistic extra money as I (and many others) have been able to do.

In the future, I will be posting another Fiverr-related article detailing my earnings and how I manage to make so much using Fiverr.

If you enjoyed this article on making money using Fiverr, feel free to leave a comment below! I'd love to hear from you. If you have been successful with Fiverr, let me know. I'd also be interested in interviewing someone or having someone write a guest blog post on this blog, if you would be interested leave contact information.

How to Realistically Make Extra Money Online

Let's be frank with each other: we all could use some extra money. Some may think this is a daunting task. How can I have time to make extra money? Some people may respond: "I am already working a job or two." Another common question is, "How can I make money online, without being scammed or spending a ridiculous amount of time for little gain?" This question is undoubtedly more difficult to answer, as so many websites are sleazy or are simply built around having ignorant users and oftentimes just scamming people out of their time and money. To say a little about myself, I am a college student; and worked the past 2 years of my life at Wal-Mart making a poor man's salary (as I would describe it). Prior to that, I worked as a contractor and also had a short stint at a dollar store. Around mid-May, I ended up leaving my job for medical reasons; and up until about the beginning of July I was virtually incapable of moving around and getting outside due to my condition. Fortunately, things are slowly passing and I am hoping to regain energy as the new college semester is just around the corner. I have, however, been able to make a little bit of extra money; and feel I have started out on some online money making endeavors which can potentially last a long time and lead to an increase in money, much of which will be passive or requiring little work, over time. So here is a list of things I find to be important when looking to make money online. Remember, I have become fairly successful in the matter of about 2-3 months; so these are very possible to achieve even within the first couple of months!

Remember: easy money management involves learning how to make an effective use of your time.

1). Fiverr

I consider Fiverr to be my base of operations. My focus when looking to make money online is simplicity. I do not have the time or energy to put into starting up a business, and one thing I despise about making money online is having to "pay it forward" in order to do so. What I mean by that is, I do not like spending money I already have (which is very little) in order to potentially make some money online. This is an important thing most people will need to realize, unless their desire is to go broke. As I have described in this article, Fiverr is a great starting point for making relatively easy money online. At this point, in about 4 months of working on Fiverr; I have acquired around $700 dollars, which is not bad for a minimal amount of work. Even more important to note is that:

a). Fiverr is not a scam. I have already cashed out and received the funds to my PayPal and

b). The amount of work you will be doing on Fiverr is generally very minimal, and not too time consuming.

I spend about 20 minutes a day working on Fiverr orders, and occasionally skip a day or two. Granted, you are not going to get rich using Fiverr; but getting rich is not the point of this article. Those individuals who are very successful online have worked extremely hard. They put in long days not only working on their business, but also researching how to market their own business and so forth. I am providing simple methods to make EASY money, but not necessarily a lot of money. For those of you who are particularly talented, you may find yourself in the "upper echelon" of Fiverr users who are able to make a couple thousand simply by providing great products and services to buyers!

2). InfoBarrel

On InfoBarrel, you can make good passive money just by writing articles. Assuming you provide quality content, you will begin receiving a lot of views through Google searches (amongst other search engines). These views can translate into clicks on your Adsense advertisements, which equals more money for you without a lot of work. I myself love the idea of making money passively, and I am sure many others will think the same. In addition to the money that can be made using InfoBarrel, one must also consider how great it is to write and let off some steam. I find writing to be cathartic, so in many ways writing an article (like this one!) allows me to find some strange sense of tranquility. Having the opportunity to calm down, while simultaneously building up my article database (which translates into more potential earnings) is just great by any standard. Very few jobs offer an ability to relax and feel happy while doing the work, so in many sense, working on InfoBarrel is hardly work at all.

3). Amazon Mechanical Turk

I recently found out that Amazon provides a service which allows users to make a little bit of extra money doing miscellaneous odd jobs on the internet. I have been using this website for about a week and have raked in a whopping $11.25. Fortunately, I am not spending a lot of time on there; and I primarily join scientific research studies which are often simple enough and "high" paying by Mechanical Turk standards. I personally find this website to be a useful challenge if you are looking to by something in particular. For example, say you are interesting in buying a 20 dollar video game. Since the ability to make money on their is pretty much immediate (I made $5 dollars in my first hour), focusing your energy and doing work on here for the goal of reaching 20 dollars to buy a video game seems like a great way to utilize this tool. You will not become rich by doing this, however some extra money is always great; especially when all you have to do is click through a few pages, take a survey, or write some small articles. From what I have read, some people make good money on here; though this undoubtedly takes some serious dedication.

These are just a few suggestions for making realistic extra money using the internet. If you have any more suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below!

Strange Ways to Make Money Online

As we all know, the internet holds a lot of strange things within its system. Anyone can put anything they want on the internet. Since the advent of blogs, people can put things ranging from highly useful information, to information on celebrities, to their most personal things due to the influx of "journal bloggers." Much like our own "regular" world consists of many different niches of people, products, and seemingly amorphic ideas floating around in the consciousness of the human world. As is evident, the internet is merely a reflection of our own thought processes. Sometimes this is a frightening reality, but other times it can be a wonderful thing which allows us to take full advantage of the interweb. As such, you should know that there are really strange things to be found on the internet. And of course, as you have clicked into this article, you are well aware that there must be things which you can use and manipulate to make some extra money online.

1). Pay Per Click Search Engines

I can picture you slapping yourself in the face, with a slightly - moderately lowered jaw, as you become aware of the fact that you are able to make money while simply using your search engine. Major search engines, like Google and Bing, do not pay you to use them. Why is this? It seems like major search engines are able to constantly make money, but they do not have to put out that much in comparison. Quite a few search engines are around on the internet which are willing to pay you to use them. The payment is, inevitably, not very high; but let this be one of your passive, long-term money making methods. Remember: Not every money making concept is going to make you rich. However! If you pair multiple methods together, even if they are multiple low-paying methods; then you will be able to reap the benefits of having multiple sources of "low paying" income.

Consider this: You find a method to make $100 dollars in a month. This is not a lot of money in the long run, nor is it enough to supplement your income. Now, consider having 5 methods to making money; all from which you make $100 dollars a month. You are now making $500 dollars a month. You can easily see how this process is VERY beneficial! Not everyone get can rich from one method of making money, but MANY people can get rich by making a little money from multiple niche methods.

One of these Pay Per Click search engines that I highly recommend is SwagBucks. You get paid in a virtual currency which you can then cash out for a variety of different gift cards and products.

2). Amazon Mechanical Turk

I was intrigued about two weeks ago when I found out that Amazon provides a method of making money to users who are willing to perform relatively mundane tasks. As an individual seeking methods to making some extra money online, consider this your "second step" on the staircase to making more money. In about a week, I managed to make $15 dollars using Amazon Mechanical Turk. I primarily did surveys and participated in research studies (which were funded by some major colleges and universities, like Harvard). As a training psychologist, and an avid supporter of science in general, I feel that using Amazon Mechanical Turk is a learning experience for me in many ways as well because the content interests me in many ways. Of even more importance is the knowledge that, making money on here is not very time consuming! Just be wise and take "hits" (this is what jobs are called using the mechanical turk) which pay a decent amount of money. Some people will spend a lot of time working for pennies, whereas I only will spend time working for $.50 cents or higher. I would highly advise you check out the website, as my description will undoubtedly be lack and somewhat confusing.

3). Make Money Playing Video Games

Okay, this one is not as simple as you may hope; but it is very possible to make money while playing video games. Generally, money can be made testing video games online if you are lucky enough to find one of these jobs. Periods where you will be able to make some money tend to run around the alpha and beta phases of game development. These are the early and buggy periods of the game. If you are looking for work in this sort of job market, I would suggest looking for low-end indie developers; as it will be much easier getting in to test their games as opposed to a major company like Electronic Arts or Activision. An alternative method to making money while playing video games comes from monetizing the value of in-game items and currency. You may have seen a few news articles over the past several years especially related to individuals selling currency in massively multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft and Runescape, and managing to make a decent amount of "real world" dollars in the process. I had a friend when I was younger who consistently purchased gold for his Runescape personality, at around $10 "real life" dollars for about 5,000 virtual gold pieces. Of course, I found this to be insane from a consumers point of view. However, there are many willing and able individuals who are very much ready to purchase virtual currency and virtual items. Insanely enough, there have even been a few people who have managed to horde in game items and currency; and manage to sell enough that they have become millionaires. In the online game Second Life, a woman by the name of Ansche Chung managed to be one of these millionaires by video game usage.

As you can well see, there are quite a few ways to make some legitimate money online. I will be fervently posting up new, often strange, methods to make money using the internet. If you have any suggestions or thoughts on this article, feel free to leave a comment below!

How People Manipulate You with Their Online Business

It is no secret, though it would appear many people would like to act like it does not occur: people are out to manipulate and scam you out of money on the internet. In order to actually learn how to make money management easy, you should learn become aware of scams and sales tactics that often bombard you while visiting websites. The goal of money management is learning how to save your money as opposed to spending it unnecessarily. I have spent some time in the online business sector, trying to make some honest money while I am recovering from some medical issues. I have been able to acquire around ~$800 dollars in the past few months, partially due to luck, partially due to finding a niche which has proven itself to be a very good choice, and even more because I have contacts who are familiar with online business and making money online (specifically: my brother who is active entrepreneur online).

In recent weeks, I have spent a lot of time with him; in part working on our online endeavors together. One reoccurring conversation that we have had, and will likely continue to have, is how many individuals are frankly not ethical in their business practices; and will do whatever they can in order to get more money online. The unfortunate problem is that the entire online business world is littered with these types of greed driven individuals. Sometimes they are easy to spot, and other times they slip by relatively unnoticeable unless you are aware of their tactics. As such, I have put together a list of manipulative tactics online entrepreneurs frequently use; and even some reasons as to why they are able to get away with their downright evil business tactics.

1). The internet allows individuals to be anonymous.

This may come as a fairly expected attribute on this list, however this is the basis of our abilities to essentially do whatever we desire to do from behind our computers. Many of us live alternative lives online. We can descend into the world of online gaming, and become so absorbed in our alternative persona; our character. On forums, we typically engage in conversation behind a screen name which does not personally identify us; and further: we can say whatever we want about ourselves and act as if it is the truth. There is little in the way of a check-and-balance system. Now, how does this relate to online businesses? It relates because individuals who are running said businesses have access to the same "invisibility cloak" (forgive me, my nerd is showing). In the same way that Frodo and Sam (from Lord of the Rings) were able to use their cloaks to hide from the legions of warriors outside of Mordor, these business men and women are able to go unseen as they look to personally destroy YOU (as opposed to the mystical One ring).

2). People can make extraordinary claims with no backing, or fake backing.

We have all stumbled across sales pages on the internet where we find individuals claiming to have made "millions of dollars" within a week. Even smaller numbers, like $1,000 dollars within a week of starting up an online business is almost always atrociously inaccurate. The unfortunate truth of most, if not all, of these sales pages is that they are scams in the most elaborate form. They play to your free will, and your overwhelming desire to make money with some sort of ease. Psychologically, this is simply terrible. I doubt very many people have even stopped to consider the real effects these manipulative lies have. For example, consider the individual who has recently become unemployed as a result of recession and high unemployment levels. This individual has a family and children to care of. With little income coming into the household, of course the thought of "making money quickly" looks very appealing. As a result, this individual will start seeking money making ideas from online resources. Go to your Google search bar in the corner of your screen, and type the word "making" into it. As you will see, a list of frequently searched terms will come up; with "making money online" being one of them. It is evident that we all desire some extra money, and where better to turn than the internet? Returning to my original point, people can claim anything on the internet! Go onto any forum and begin acting like you are someone else entirely. You can very likely get away with it without much problem. Online business is often-times merely a charade. It is like a tragic theatrical play. The greedy "leaders" walk away with millions of dollars, while those who need assistance walk away with nothing; or rather, a deficit. Finally, we all know that sales pages love to incorporate earning reports. These are generally just "snapshots" of an individuals money deposit. The major problem with these is that they can easily be photoshopped. I have done this myself with a little assistance from my graphic designer girlfriend. The ability to make oneself appear very financially successful is extremely easy, and when individuals are not aware of this; they will very possibly buy into what they perceive as "evidence." In the words of my favorite scientist Carl Sagan from his book Cosmos,

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

While he was undoubtedly referring to claims of ESP (extra sensory perception) and the supernatural, we can heavily relate this quotation to modern online business practices. In the words of the Tea Party Movement towards President Obama, "Show us your papers." This is the terminology we could very well be using in relation to every online business, as so many of them are built on fictitious premises; and are only allowed to bloom because of deception and consumer ignorance.

3). Hidden referral links While this may not be the worst thing in the world, it is undeniable that this is a dishonest act; and when one adds this to all of the other dishonest acts it becomes unforgivable and unignorable. Hidden referral links are, just that, hidden referral links. Referral links are links which generally link to products with a specialized referral code attributed to the website owner or article writer. You can typically determine when they are used by hovering over the link and looking for the character chain "ref", generally followed by a sequence of numbers which specifically identify the account holder. These are frequently used on websites because when an individual clicks through that link, and purchases the item it is referring too; the website owner is able to take a percentage of the earnings. In many respects, it is not the fact that these referral links are used; but rather that they are used without individuals being aware that they are present.

In the future I will return with some additional problems I have found relating to how online businesses are able to manipulate their viewers and customers. If you have any comments or questions about how people manipulate your with their online businesses, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

How to Get Things for Free Using the Internet

Easy money management comes in three parts as I see it: learning how to manage your money, learning how to earn more money, and most importantly learning how to save the money you already have. One of the keys to saving money is learning how to get things we often need (or want) for free.

So, with this out of the way, how can we manipulate and use the internet to gain access to free things? Like many people, I undoubtedly find free things to be some of the best things in the world; if only because I do not have to pay to use them.

1). Online Contests

I always questioned the validity of online contests, until I managed to win 2 of them in my lifetime. Many companies will offer a contest to win something for signing up on their mailing list, for example. This is how I managed to win a pair of shoes, 2 shirts, skateboard magazines, skateboard trucks, and so on. Some advice I would offer would be to try and find relatively small websites which are offering things for free by signing up for a mailing list. This diminishes competition. On larger scale websites, it is still worth signing up (as it takes about 20 seconds of your time); however the probability of winning is generally very low. I have won things from three websites, all of which were relatively small and in need of viewership. There also exist other types of online contexts. Some may require you to answer trivia questions or often menial tasks. The same rules should apply across the board. Like gambling at a casino, your goal should be to find places where your probability of winning is higher.

2). Craiglist.org Free Listings

Craigslist has been a strange phenomena since I started browsing its pages. Sometimes I do this for fun and because I like to snoop (haha), and other times I have a very specific need which I may be able to have filled for a low price or even free. It amazes me to this day what types of things people are willing to give away for free. For example, as a musician, I have been amazed when I've seen many individuals giving away for free classic Hammond organs; which can actually be sold for hundreds of dollars. I have never picked one up, but eventually I intend to actually pursue them. One could honestly make a small business exclusively on free products you can pick up from people around your local area. Other free things I have seen include video games, vinyl records, clothing, baby accessories, computer parts, and so on. While, of course, not everything is worth going out and picking up; some things can really help take a financial burden off of a person. Interestingly enough, many people are not even aware of the free section of Craigslist!

3). Free Classes

It is amazing what sorts of things are available for people willing to go out and look. I have read quite a lot about free classes, in virtually any subject or area of study. There are the expected free exercise classes in many cities, which perhaps stem from the new health initiatives the government seems to be endorsing. Beyond this, many may not be aware that they can audit virtually any college course they are interested in. This is particularly great for older individuals amongst us who do not need a college degree, or who cannot afford the price of college. I took a philosophy course once which was audited by an older gentleman. He was able to sit in the class and even participate at no cost to him. It is a great opportunity for individuals to learn and thoroughly enjoy the classroom atmosphere without having to sacrifice money, or even have to do the course work.

4). Free Music

There are very few art forms that people of all creeds and cultures flock too like music. In this day and age, an album at a record store can cost on average between $15 and $20 dollars. As a musician myself, I even find that price range to be relatively atrocious and detrimental to the human desire to hear new music. Now, when I refer to free music; I am in no way supporting piracy of music. I am a musician myself, and you cannot imagine the laboring hours spent just on a small handful of songs if you do not create music yourself. Everything from composition, to tedious recording, to even more laborious mixing and mastering is an art in and of itself. Do not disrespect artists by illegally downloading their music. There are so many outlets for attaining music at very fair prices, and even for free; that is should be unnecessary to even download music illegally. For example, websites like Pandora provide free streaming music via their internet radio. This is not just a deposit of underground musicians either, as you can find many big names. Additionally, the way their system works allows for you to find musicians similar to the initial musician you search for. This will help you to grow your musical interests substantially! There are also many other websites where you can find music for free as well, such as Bandcamp (many musicians give out free song and album downloads, including myself) and Last.fm. It may take some searching, but free music is readily available all over the internet. As an additional word of advice, you may also be able to attain albums legally which you would generally pay hefty prices for via websites like Amazon.com and Ebay at used prices which can be around $2 or $3 dollars. When it comes to music, never pay full price.

5). Free Movies and Television

Since the dawn of the technological age, people have consistently been searching for ways to minimize their payments on entertainment, amongst other things. Undoubtedly, there have been many companies in the recent past who have started up business models which provide services at a virtually free cost. Website's like Hulu are taking the world by storm, and essentially side-swiping the television industry. Additionally, movie theaters have seen a decline in sales because we are now able to catch up on old movies which we have been meaning to see from the comfort of our home. To my surprise, even Youtube has begun offering free movie's; and currently features relatively new ones like Pineapple Express . In addition to free movies and television, you can also minimize your monthly entertainment bills by dropping your cable and picking up a service like Netflix. It is extremely worthwhile as far as I am concerned, and provided a very large range of films and television shows; even including foreign films and HBO tv shows which you would have to pay even more money to watch on regular television. In some uses of the word "free", it can also mean "the best bang for your buck" as far as I am concerned. That is really what we all want, is it not?

6). Free Cultural Outlets

Some inexperienced travelers may be surprised to find out that a lot of free entertainment is available when it comes to cultural exhibits. Just two weeks ago I took a trip with my family to New York City, and went to the Museum of Natural History. As a student, I was able to get in for the price of a donation. For some people, this means free. For myself, well, I gave them two dollars as my gratitude for being able to enjoy the exhibits. Often when you think of large cities like NYC, high prices spring to mind. This does not necessarily have to be the case, as most cities offer a lot of free entertainment and cultural exhibits.

Did you enjoy this article on getting things for free using the internet? Feel free to leave a comment, or suggest alternative ways to get things for free online as well!