Available again for August! Mobile Xpressions has relaunched their incentive program and if you download their App, they will send you at LEAST a FREE $5 Amazon gift card. You could get more!
Note: This one can only be downloaded on Android 5.0 or below
Here's how to do it...
1. Sign up at MobileXpressions here – You’ll need to share a little bit of information about your demographic, similarly to signing up as a Nielsen household. You’ll also need to tell them what kind of cell phone you have.
2. Download their software – It seems to be pretty easy and it runs in the background of your phone just like any other cell phone app. The site says it will have no affect on your mobile phone performance.
3. Send your data – This step doesn’t really require any work from you as the software automatically send the relevant data to MobileXpression. They don’t monitor your phone calls or personal information but they do check out the web pages you view, the links you access, and the usage times for certain device activities (e.g., text messaging, call lengths, and web browsing).
4. Collect your rewards – Once you've left the App on your phone for 2 weeks, MobileXpressions will send you at least a $5 virtual Amazon gift card just for signing up and downloading the software. They also reward members with weekly contests and will have a drawing for $100,000 jackpot at the end of the year.
Good luck Penny Hoarders!
p>As a collective continent, our money is burning a proverbial hole in our pockets. Except, it’s not quite our money. It’s our credit cards. And maybe they’re not burning a hole in our pockets so much as they’re burning a hole in our credit scores. And maybe this old adage doesn’t aptly apply at all...
Perhaps it would just be better to say that North America has the most credit card debt than any other continent on the entire planet. The United States alone has $800 billion in credit card debt and the most credit cards reported per capita, with six of them for each person in the country. On a yearly basis, each of those people charges an average of $4,000 on their cards.
North of the border, these figures don’t get much better. Canadians may hold only half as many credit cards per person as Americans, but they definitely put theirs to use more often. The average Canadian consumer charges $7,400 to his or her credit cards each year.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="483"]
Credit Card Debt Chart[/caption]
While these numbers may seem shocking on their own, you don’t really get the full picture until you put them into context. Australia, though they charge even more than Canadians on their credit cards per year (nearly $7,900 on average), only hold one credit card each. And that’s really the only continent that can go head-to-head with us on spending.
Most other countries tend to be more cautious with their credit, opting instead to use debit cards (like in the UK and France) or online bank transfers (like in Germany) rather than to charge up a card. And when it comes to charges calculated per year, Europe makes us look like we spend with abandon; French people charge less than $300 each on their credit cards each year, on average. And Germans seem to eschew the “buy now, pay later” mentality as well, only charging an average of $158 per person per year to their credit cards.
But does charging your purchases to a credit card mean that you lack financial restraint? Not always. The primary reason cited for the overwhelming use of the credit card in North America was convenience. When consumers take into account that credit cards are considered a secure way to pay, no matter where you shop, it makes it easier for them to wield their purchasing power without worry. And, whereas cash is most times irretrievably lost when misplaced or stolen, a credit card can be easily replaced.
But we could learn a thing or two from how citizens of other nations manage their credit card use. The Chinese use theirs primarily for large purchases, and Australians use theirs for paying monthly bills. Using a credit card in this way is helpful because it makes it easier to know exactly what your balance is at all times. And if you limit your credit card usage to only specific areas of your budget, you’ll be more likely to pay off the balance within a certain amount of time, rather than become a revolver who is constantly working to chip away at not only the principal but also the interest charges.
Whether we North Americans are more likely to adapt a more conservative view on credit card spending or whether the rest of the world is destined to lean more toward our credit card behaviors remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the amount that you charge to your card on a daily, monthly, or even yearly basis comes secondary to how you pay it off. When you spend big, and even when you spend small, fiscal planning and responsibility is the key.
Ebates is a twist on the online shopping experience, but it may be one of the web's best kept online shopping rebate programs.Unlike most discount sites that seek to provide coupon codes or voucher codes, Ebates gives you cash back for your online shopping.
How Do You Get Cash Back?
I was surprised to hear that you actually get cash back for shopping, but once I did a little research, it makes total sense.
When you use Ebates to go online shopping, you click an affiliate link on the Ebates site. Everything you then spend at your favorite seller is then tracked back to Ebates, and Ebates earns a commission from your purchase. This can apply to most purchases on the retailers site, including stuff like giftcards or even travel.
However, Ebates, unlike other sites, tracks your purchases as well and is able to identify which commissions are from your purchases. And, four times per year (or more if you qualify), EBates mails you a check or sends you a PayPal payment that is a part of your commission.
Is It For Real?
Yes, Ebates actually pays you back a part of the commission they earn. This is why using the site is so beneficial.
If you were going to be doing online shopping anyway, why not try to earn some extra money for doing what you were going to do anyway? Ebates has a lot of major stores that you would most likely shop at - like Wal-Mart, Apple, Toys R Us, Target, even Marriott Hotels!
Do you think you can't get a better deal using Groupon? Well, you're wrong. You can even get a 3% cash back rewards on your Groupon deal by using Ebates!
That is what makes Ebates so powerful. There is so much savings to be had for doing the basic shopping that you would probably be doing online anyway. There is no reason to leave money on the table when you can get cash back rewards so easily for doing what you would normally do.
Update: I just found out that Ebates is giving out $10 Target gift cards to new members!
I call it pre-coffee ergophobia. It's that 30 minute window between the time the coffee begins brewing until the time when the coffee has fully stimulated all of the neurons in your brain. During that time, you're awake but still fearful of doing any type of work which might require brainpower.
It's also the time that I find myself completely unable to fight off the calling of early morning infomercials.
Now mind you, I've never actually bought anything off of the TV, but I seriously think I've seen all of them. The Showtime Rotisserie. OxiClean. The NuWave Oven. And of course, my favorite, the ridiculous "No Money Down" real estate products. If you haven't seen it or already wasted $360 buying it, allow me to spill the beans.
Here are a few of the ways they suggest getting a "no money down" mortgage...
"Buy to Let" Mortgage
These types of mortgages were very popular before the financial crisis, but they are a bit harder to get now. These loans are for rental properties and in order to qualify for the loan you have to use your future rental income as your collateral. It's a bit easier to qualify if you can present a business plan and applications from prospective applicants.
However if you're using a buy to let mortgage calculator, you'll probably notice that your are going to be required to buy PMI insurance with this type of loan. That's because loans issued with less than 20% down are usually required to buy this costly insurance which may reduce or eliminate your profit potential.
VA Loan
If you're a veteran, active duty personnel, national guard/reserve or a surviving spouse, you're probably eligible for a no-money down VA loan. Another huge advantage of VA loans are the exceptionally low rates (The mortgage calculator show the rate at 4.08% this month).
However, in order to qualify for a VA loan, you have to guarantee that you will personally live in the domicile within 60 days of the close. That all but eliminates your ability to rent out the property, unless you buy a home and rent out one of the rooms inside.
Collateral
A little obvious, but if you have another high-value item in your name, the bank may accept it as collateral.
A lot of the programs suggest leveraging your personal home or another rental property in order to qualify for a "no money" down loan. But, who hear has enough equity left in their home to leverage it? Anybody? Cricket...Cricket...
USDA Loan
The Department of Agriculture's has a program for guaranteeing loans for "rural development." However, the definition of "rural" is very loosely defined term. Take a look at the USDA's website to see a map of eligible areas. Unless your looking to build downtown, you'll probably qualify, although there are restrictions on household income and usually need to be a first-time homebuyer.
Another advantage of a USDA mortgage comes from a bank, is that you aren't required to buy mortgage insurance. Instead, the USDA levies a 2 percent guarantee fee, which can be rolled into the loan amount.