Best Online Freebies

Mystery Shopping - An Excellent Way To Make Extra Money

Copyright 2005 Elaine Currie

Mystery shopping (sometimes called secret shopping) is an excellent way to make extra money. It is very easy to do, you need no previous experience, no special knowledge and no expensive equipment. Mystery shopping can be performed by anyone who is able to go shopping. The mystery shopping companies employ men and women of all ages and descriptions as secret shoppers in order to obtain feedback from a wide range of different people on a wide range of services. Some mystery shopping assignments have to be undertaken by people who are accompanied by children in order to report back on specific facilities in places such as theme parks or family restaurants. (If you don’t have children of your own in the right age group, don’t worry: you are allowed to borrow them from relatives or friends.) If you enjoy shopping, mystery shopping will be a fun way for you to make extra money.

Mystery shopping consists of getting paid to go into a business (eg a shop or restaurant), without the employees knowing that you are anything other than an ordinary shopper, and reporting back to the mystery shopping company. A focus group is when you get paid to sit down with other people who are also getting paid and discuss new products or services, many focus groups are actually held online, so you don’t even have to leave home for carry out the assignment.

The reason mystery shopping companies and survey companies exist is to provide companies with impartial feedback on their employees, products and services. That way they can see where there might be problems and make the necessary changes to improve things.

Mystery shopping companies will pay you to shop, eat at restaurants, have a drink at a bar, visit the cinema, take a trip and take part in focus groups. If you are sent out to do mystery shopping, you might be required to visit a particular shop and just make enquiries about an article to test the staff’s customer service level but, if you are instructed to make a purchase, you are allowed to keep the articles and will be reimbursed for the cost. If you are sent to do mystery shopping at a restaurant or bar, you will be given a budget figure to spend on your food and drink and that money will be reimbursed to you by the mystery shopping company on top of your fee for the assignment. You might be asked to sample new products and these items will be sent to you free of charge. As part of your mystery shopping, you might find yourself receiving free samples to test of anything from detergent to chocolate. (This can also happen if you join survey companies.)

Mystery shopping jobs are obviously easier to find if you live in or near a fair sized town where there are a large number of shops, restaurants etc but, if you live in a rural area, you can still earn money taking part in online focus groups which can be found through online paid survey companies.

After you do a mystery shopping assignment you answer some questions on a form provided by the mystery shopping company and file your report with them. These reports are usually set up as a series of questions with a box for you to add any relevant details the company might request. The reports can usually be completed very quickly and it is best to complete your report straight after you finish your mystery shopping so that you don’t forget any detail. Some mystery shopping companies require you to report to them by phone immediately after you have completed the mystery shopping assignment but, generally, the companies expect you to submit a written report by post or email.

The way to approach mystery shopping is to remember that basically you are like a reporter. You must never add your feelings or recommendations to a mystery shopping report. Your job is to just answer the questions, report the facts and describe what actually happened during your mystery shopping expedition.

If you accept a mystery shopping assignment but then are unable to complete it, make sure you immediately notify the mystery shopping company so that they can make alternative arrangements to avoid letting down their client.

When you start doing mystery shopping, make sure you accept all suitable assignments including last minute jobs and any less than glamorous assignments you might be offered. The top class assignments will be offered to reliable mystery shoppers so you will need to prove yourself and build up a good reputation by making a good job of the lower quality assignments and getting your report in on time. At the start, you might find yourself being asked to do mystery shopping a the local fast food outlet or department store. Once you build up a reputation as a reliable mystery shopper, you can look forward to assignments where you are paid to visit expensive restaurants and designer shops. You might even be lucky enough to get a free trip and hotel accommodation as a mystery shopper.

Always keep in mind that, although mystery shopping is a fun and easy way for your to make extra money, it is a business and you need to behave in a businesslike manner when carrying out your mystery shopping assignments and reporting the results to the mystery shopping company. Your mystery shopping reports will be helping to shape the future of the businesses you visit and you have the chance to make a positive impact on decisions relating to improvements to services and facilities which will be of benefit to you.

About the author:

Elaine Currie has a Work From Home Directory and Auto Surf Review at her Plug In Profit Site: http://www.Huntingvenus.com for people who want to make money at home.
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The Online Shopping Craze

With people now becoming more and more technology savvy and internet hooked, they find online shopping a convenience means of shopping which helps them avoiding any traffic jams, parking problems and is a easy process.

Very recently the online shopping has taken pace and most of the companies actually encourage their perspective customers to go online shopping by introducing online discounts on various items.
Online shopping helps us to avoid parking hassles, traffic jams and we all know that we now have actually started preferring to buy online. This is where online shopping becomes a dream for everyone.

Online shopping in a way to encourage customers doing more online shopping offers many discounts during festival seasons and actually people end up buying products in large quantity.

Many families even now buy weekly food shopping online as now everyone prefers doing the food shopping in this way and we now don�t have to wait for our items scanned and does not have to put up with the children asking if they can have this or that.

Online shopping revolution has only just started and more and more web sites are going online as this is an imposing way to offer this service and that their websites will become even more impressive and easy to use for the consumer. People particularly women will forever love to go shopping but I think for certain goods, for instance larger and more luxurious items, that they will be mostly bought online.

In approximately five years time the majority households in the UK will have admittance to the Internet consequently initiating even more latent customers to the alternative of online shopping.

ACME Shopping Info is a information and resources directory providing articles and help topics about shopping and online shopping.

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Your Shopping Style - Test It

Human beings come in many types. So do our styles vary. All of us have our own unique style. Let us discuss few and find out how to improve our shopping style and how to test our shopping style.

Immediate shopper - this kind of shopper looks at something, likes it, finds the price and buys it. This shopper does not think why and how that product is better to others, nor cares to compare any prices. I like it, so I buy it. Shopkeepers love this shopper.

Thoughtful Shopper - This shopper looks at a product, and thinks about it. Why should i buy it? Should I buy it? How will I use it? Will it be useful? Am I making a mistake buying it? Or should I buy it? What about the cost? This shopper will think about everything and then take a considered decision.

Confused Shopper - This shopper is confused. Does not know why he/she entered the shop at all? Why and what to buy? What will be the use? What about this? How about that? The shopper is confused about the whole shopping and is a big headache for the stores.

I Will Buy It Later - This buyer is a unique specimen. He/she will look at all the products. Discuss about few thoroughly and compare the prices. Will decide about what is to be bought and then suddenly walk out saying - I will buy it later.

What is your shopping style? What kind of shopper are you? What is the best style? The best way to buy something is of course to first know what we need, know our prices limits, search for the best, satisfy ourselves about the quality and then buy the product. The trouble is that very few people buy like that. As I said before human beings come in many types, now I add that humans are not rational animals.

Try these fun-shopping quizzes to find out you shopping style and enjoy life. Shopping is after all considered fun by most of us. Why not to have fun with that? Try these shopping quizzes - Are You A Smart Shopper? , Know your Spending Style and Are you a purchase-person or a sales-person? Quizzing yourself about your shopping style is a fun way to find out more about yourself. The results can never be accurate, but fun is guaranteed.

CD Mohatta writes for ecards and online greetings, screensavers and desktop wallpapers. The topics of his writings include love, inspiration, holidays, birthdays, nature, religion and spirituality, success etc. You can have his writings on your desktop with free desktop wallpapers. These are static wallpapers which can be your computer desktop background all the time. Read the messages and get inspired all day. Also try out some of the free ecards at ecarduniverse.com. You will find lovely video animated ecards in all topics like expressions, celebrations, family, friends and many more. The third site in which he writes is of quiz cards. You can take Tests and Quizzes to find out about yourself and your relationships.

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How To Pick The Perfect Shoes

Are you looking for the perfect shoes you can wear this season? How do you pick the right shoes, though? Here are some tips for you to buy those perfect shoes:

- Find shoes that you are comfortable in. No matter how cute they look, if you are not comfortable in the, you will not wear them. And, if you don’t wear them, you just wasted your money.

To make sure you are comfortable in the shoes you want, make sure you try them on at the store. If you are shopping online, make sure you find the correct size you need. Check with the web site’s measurements, to make sure that the size you are getting is actually your size.

- Find shoes that match with different clothes. Even the best shoes will not be worn too match, if they only match one outfit. Make sure you purchase versatile shoes, that will match with different outfits you have.

The best colors for shoes that will match with many things are black, brown, grey and white.

- The more expensive they are, the more things they should match. Of course all of us own a pair or two of pink or red shoes that we love, but that don’t match too many outfits. So, create a rule - the more expensive the shoes are, the more outfits they should match. If you find a $20 pair of pink shoes that you just must have, get it. However, if the pair costs $100, it should match more then just one t-shirt you have.

- Don’t buy shoes that are extremely trendy. While they are really hot right now, they will be out of style next year. Instead, spend the money on the shoes that can be worn a few seasons.

Remember to pick the shoes that you are comfortable with, and they are stylish, but not extremely trendy - those are the shoes that will last for a while.

About the Author :

Love shoes? Visit http://DealGirls.com Shoes at http://dealgirls.com/shoes/ for information on the latest shoe styles. Source: www.isnare.com
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Online Car Buying Guidelines

Guidelines in buying cars online

The Web is a hassle free place to shop for cars. There are many advantages to shopping cars online. First, it greatly reduces the hassle of dealing with car dealers and salesmen. When buying a car online, you don’t have to listen to a dealer talk about the specs of a car. You just have to read all about it in a website. You don’t have to go to a showroom, you just to have to point and click your mouse and you could browse through different make and models of cars. And if you want to take a second look at a car it’s very easy.

The advantage of shopping for a car online is that all transactions can be done without you having to go out of your room. After ordering the car you want and paying the price, all you have to do is to wit for your brand new vehicle to be delivered to the nearest dealer. Some dealers would even deliver the car right at your doorstep (or garage for that matter).

There are basically two types of online car shopping website. One will only get you in touch with a real car seller. This means you have to transact the traditional way. Then there are websites that would take car of everything. Some websites would even deliver the car at your doorstep. Of course this would entail a bigger amount of service fee. And deliveries are made only to nearby areas.

But before you click and buy, you must first know exactly what kind of car you want. Determine the types of car you’re looking for and the price you are willing to pay for that car.

Below are some other tips on how to buy a car online.

1. The most important thing to do is to research. Don’t get too excited. Check on the different packages available.

2. Make sure that the Website you go to is secure and reliable. Most sites would let you browse by car type, by price range or both.

3. If you don’t want to make all transactions online then you could ask the dealer to meet you in person once you found him on the Internet. Upon meeting the dealer, negotiate with him as you would a normal car dealer and then sign the papers.

4. It’s not necessary to pin the model, year and male of the car you want to buy. Just a general picture would do. Determine how you will be using your new car and the reason why you are buying a car in the first place. Ask yourself what features are important to you. Do you give much ore importance to fuel efficiency than speed or vice versa? Are you more concerned about safety features than a good sound system? After you’ve done all these, it’s time to determine your budget. Just how much are you willing to spend for a vehicle?

5. Once you have decided on a brand and model car it would be prudent t6o check on the history of the particular car line. You can easily do this by consulting consumer magazines and websites. You could also check out the website of the cart’s manufacturer (e.g. Ford, Toyota, BMW, etc.)

6. If you cannot afford new models, there are websites hat sells used cars. Popular search engines usually have an automotive section so this is a good place to shop. If you don’t find one here you can try searching using the search string “used car.”

7. Check the background of the website of the online car dealer by clicking on the “about us” section of the site. It is advisable to buy only from websites which has detailed information about the vehicles they are selling. Ask if they have conducted inspections of each car in their lot through independent mechanics. If they have, then you’ll know that that website is a good place to shop for cars. Most manufacturers’ Web sites have detailed information on models, including available options, photos and MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price).

8. Read reviews about the different make, model and year of cars. A good website must also have reviews and ratings for the cars they are selling. But you should also cross check by visiting independent car sites or sites that do not sell cars or are connected to car companies to get a more objective review.

About the author:

Jay is the web owner of http://www.new-cars-in.com New Car Quotes, a website that provides information and resources on searching for new cars, new car pricing, loans, and dealers. You can visit his website at: http://www.used-cars-in.net Used Car Prices
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Stop Credit Carding

I understand how hard it can be to quit.

Though I am now credit card debt free, I once used them quite frequently. I charged up more than I should have buying things that I probably don’t even have anymore. My husband and I sacrificed, paid them off and put them in our past.

But every once in a while, they creep into my thoughts.

Credit cards are a hard habit to break. I find myself thinking that I could drive to the bank, get a card out of the safe deposit box and just go shopping for what I want. Earlier this evening, I was going through a folder and saw a credit card tucked in it. I was really happy, thinking here’s a card! Then I saw it was expired.

I’m thankful it was.

It is hard to stop spending money. We are so indoctrinated into believing that we can just buy now and pay later. What we aren’t told over and over again is that when we pay later, we pay big time.

If you are looking to get out of debt, make a better financial situation for your family or buy a home, you have to quit charging right now. Cold turkey. It is the first step, an essential step, to paying off your debt.

Get out the scissors and start cutting up those cards now. Don’t write down the expiration date and code on the back. It will be too tempting to use these on the internet or over the phone to shop. Cut the cards up and throw them away.

If you want to keep a card for emergencies, you need to take it to your safe deposit box in the morning. Or freeze it in a big bowl of water in your freezer. Make it inaccessible to you. For example, not only is our emergency card in a safe deposit box, it is in a bank in another town. In a small town forty miles away from anywhere I would want to shop. No Walmart or shopping center close by. It is out of the way. That one decision of where to put it has saved us a lot of money.

It will take a while to get used to not charging. You can no longer simply pick things up and throw them in your shopping cart. The process is often made simpler by using cash to do all of your shopping. When you go grocery shopping, take in the allotted amount of cash and nothing else. You won’t be tempted to put more in your cart out of fear of embarrassment. If you leave your wallet in the car, you won’t be tempted to use your debit card or checking account. You can only spend what you set out to spend.

Kicking the credit habit is hard. But it is worth it. Even though you dream about charging things every once in a while, the benefits will help keep you strong. Life without credit card debt is much easier.

Martin Lukac represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate and mortgage rates. We specialize in daily updates, mortgage news, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

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Looking around for COUPON CODES can get tiring! So we found the perfect site that has several hundred of the LARGEST online retailers. This site has all the latest coupon codes, free shipping deals, discounts, overstocks, clearance items. The best part is that there are NO "memberships"!!! You don’t have to fill out any long forms, or supply any personal info. Just click on the link for the deal you are interested in! We will take you right to it. Simple as that.

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Make sure to share this site with all your friends! No reason why everyon can’t save a little money! They are always adding more coupon codes, percent off deals, and free shipping… so check back often!

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Advertising in a High School Booster Club Program Pays

Most small businesses in many communities spend thousands of dollars each year in advertising that may not pull in customers like it should. And then there are the small advertising opportunities, which it seems do great and cost hardly anything. Consider if you will advertising in a high school booster club�s program. Perhaps it is for the football team or the high school band.

Each one of those students and their parents also live in the local community and would rather support local small businesses that support their kid’s school. If you are a community-based business then you will get extra kudos from customers and you may find them shopping in your store even if your prices are a little bit higher than the local Wal-Mart.

So many small businesses fail to advertise in these types of programs and it is amazing that they will pass up an opportunity to put a business card size add in the program, which will only cost them about a hundred bucks and will be seen by nearly every single person in the school and most of all the parents. It is simple and it is cheap and it makes a statement about your company and your place in the community.

Any business can make a profit and scrape the cream off a community without giving back, but this does not make sense for longevity through the thick and thin of upturn and downturn cycles in our economy. If you are one with your customer and actually part of the community and you support the customers who support your business year in and year out; you will find your business becoming successful overtime. Please consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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Looking For a Rewards Program That Offers Free Money for College Students?

With the rising cost of books, tuition and housing, it’s no wonder that college students are looking for ways to cash in on anything that can lighten their financial load. It isn’t easy trying to balance an exciting social life, education and your finances at any age � not to mention in your teens and twenties. Luckily, there are companies out there who understand the importance of academic success and offer great incentives like free money for college students. And the rewards don’t stop there. Here are some other things that companies are offering to help ease the burden:

Free stuff for college students, free stuff for teachers, free money for completing offers, free cash-back shopping offers and the certainty that through top online rewards programs, you will get paid!

All it takes on the part of students is a little time and effort to fill out a few forms and complete offers, read paid emails, take surveys, etc. In exchange, you’ll find yourself receiving great rewards like free computers, televisions, free gift cards to your favorite stores and restaurants, free gas cards and much more.

In addition, rewards and incentive programs help make it easier on you when you do have to spend money by offering lots of cash back rewards on items you’d normally purchase. Here are just a few of reward companies’ shopping categories:

Clothing, art and collectibles, books and magazines (you can find textbooks too!), DVDs and videos, music, travel items, sports and recreation purchases, and a whole lot more…

Gerardas Norkus is a successful author and publisher of http://www.1st-in-rewards.com

Great tips on receiving free merchandise and money from top online rewards programs.

(c) Copyright 2004. All rights reserved.

Publishing Guidelines: You may freely distribute or publish this article provided you publish the whole article and include the copyright notice and links in full. A courtesy copy is requested upon publication.

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