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Try as I may to stick my head in the sand and ignore the fact that gift-buying season is approaching, it’s time to get proactive. Waiting until the Christmas season is full-on, and then discovering you are short on cash flow, is a bad predicament to be in.

But I will let you in on a little secret…Christmas does not come as a surprise. It does not “sneak” up on us unexpectedly every year. The reality is that we all have 364 days to prepare for Christmas, so it’s time to share some ideas on not only making extra $$$ for the holiday season, but finding creative ways to save money on gifts as well.

SO…to achieve this I’ve teamed up with Thaleia from Something2Offer once again to bring both of our readerships some kickin’ good ideas on not only ways to MAKE extra money for the Christmas season (that’s my job), but introduce creative and cost-effective ways to MAKE gifts your whole family will love and cherish (that’s Thaleia’s job). You may remember the wildly successful series Thaleia and I did together last year called What it Takes to be a Virtual Assistant. You can read the series here.

Be sure and check out Thaleia’s this week on Fun and Simple Christmas Gifts Kids Can Make

This week I am super-stoked to have a guest blogger who just so happens to be someone I have followed and Squeally-Fan-Girl admired for quite some time. Allie Irish from Ramblings of a WAHM is a smart, savvy, go-getter mom who always has amazing ideas and insights on the act of working from home. Allie has some great ideas on hot to work Online Tasks to Eliminate Debt. Enjoy!

 

CrowdSource in Helping Me Pay Off My Credit Cards, What Will You Do with Your Extra Cash

by Allie Irish

Image Source:

 

Have you ever thought, “Geez, I wish I could have just a little extra cash to ________”.

You get the idea, fill in the blank.

A few extra dollars a month can do any off the following:

• ·         Pay down credit card debt
• ·         Pay off a car faster
• ·         Buy a tank of gas
• ·         Treat the family to ice cream
• ·         Get a manicure (treat yourself)
• ·         Place extra cash in a savings or retirement fund
• ·         Pay for the internet so you can work online
• ·         Be put away for that vacation you want
• ·         Buy holiday gifts

 

The list can go on and on.

For me personally I make a few extra dollars a month to pay off those ridiculous credit cards I thought I needed 8 years ago!

If I pay an extra $20 a month that takes off $240 a year and that is not only cutting my payments but also really saves me in interest paid.

Sure, that is not much, but it is something. And a good start to reaching my goals of no debt.

 

What do I do to earn that extra dough?

 

I am a freelance member of CrowdSource.

CrowdSource is a site where people do simple tasks for some extra cash.

When I say simple I mean I can sit down at the end of the day while watching TV and earn anywhere from $2 to $12 in an hour.  At the lower end are simple tasks like looking up websites and giving back links and information.  At the higher end you can write for the clients of CrowdSource.

At first I was thinking, “Geez, I’m earning less than minimum wage!” But this is NOT my main source of income (and never will be) and I’m doing it without much effort.  I log in, check for some simple tasks like a Google searches or checking a video is in terms of service violations, do the tasks while I watch a bit of Food Network or DIY and then logoff.  It is super simple. And the money is deposited in my PayPal Account the next morning.  (If my tasks are approved, but I have had no issues.)

My first month I only earned about $4 but I didn’t know the site that well.  The next month I was able to understand how to earn more and made closer to $20.  And the next hopefully $20-30, all this just going straight to pay off my credit card.

I have no shame, I’ll do mindless tasks to get that credit card to disappear faster.

A little about CrowdSource:

• ·         It is a very reputable site that always pays on time (I get paid the next morning no matter how small the amount).
• ·         You will need to pass assessments to get in.
• ·         You will need PayPal and Amazon mTurk accounts.
• ·         The help forum is a great resource to speak with fellow workers and the team members.
• ·         The process to be hired on as a freelancer takes about a week.

To learn more about earning some extra cash for helping to reach your financial goals or simply to pamper yourself every so often, check out CrowdSource.

 

 

Allie owns and writes Ramblings of a WAHM blog where she strives to help the home business mom find perfect integration between her work and her life. She knows that when mom prospers everything she cares about prospers also: her family, her life and her business.  Grab her free ebook, “7 Steps to Start Successfully Working at Home.” Join her Facebook community and check her out on Pinterest. “Helping Home Business Moms Find Success at Life, Family and Home Business”