NextWorth recently launched a great new trade in deal for folks looking for an upgraded iPod. Their new program offers trade-in service availability for Flip Camcorders, Playstation PSP and Nintendo DS mobile game consoles; new additions to the other electronics they already previously accepted.

Basically it works like this – NextWorth users can trade-in their electronics (over 10,000 different types) and receive a payment in cash, PayPal, or via a Target or Amazon gift card in just 10-14 days. Not only do consumers get money back when they use NextWorth, but they also help keep the planet healthy by helping prevent …read more

In this tight economy one-in-ten individuals report that they’ve had to take on a second job just to make ends meet, but those second jobs aren’t always so easy to find or easy to fit in with an existing family schedule. A recent CareerBuilder survey of 4,400 + U.S. workers founds that many are taking on odd jobs to make extra money. The CareerBuilder survey notes the following less conventional ways that people say they’re making money…
Some examples included:

Sell catfish dinners the front porch
Use a portable propane burner to heat oil
Make Star Wars costumes for people
Donate blood …read more

My son is always coming up with wacky money-making schemes, likely because he’d like to be able to afford his Lego obsession. Cedar’s ideas include things like photo-copying money (yes, I told him that’s illegal), bending metal and having people pay to watch (HUH?), and creating his own line of wooden Pokemon cards. Now, while none of Cedar’s ideas are really a hit (he is only eight), your great hobby might be a viable way to make a good income.

According to Free Money Finance, plenty of people have taken hobbies, even obscure ones, and turned them into money making ideas. …read more

So, you’re being as thrifty as possible and you’re still $50 short on the rent. Or maybe you just need to buy a gift for someone special in the next few days and you don’t have any cash to spare. Whatever the reason, you need to earn a little cash fast. Is it possible to earn $50 in a day or two?
There are a lot of ways to make $50 fast. Here are a few to try:

Deliver phone books or flowers. This is sort of seasonal, since there are specific times that phone books are distributed and florists really …read more

I’m finishing up the mystery shopping series with an interview with Jennifer Jones,a Market Force secret shopper who really enjoys doing shops. If you’ve been considering being a mystery shopper, hopefully these interviews have helped you decide whether it is the right fit for you.
Q: How did you start mystery shopping?A: I started for FUN.  I met a lady that mystery shops and she told me how to get started.  I loved it from my very first shop.

Cinthia Reilly is a mystery shopper for Market Force and has taken the time to share some information about what she does with Simply Thrifty.
Q:  How did you start mystery shopping?
A: I started mystery shopping after I watched a news segment on the topic this past summer.  It sounded interesting and seemed like an easy way to earn extra money.  I went on-line, researched it and then applied to become a shopper.  As a mother of three, I wanted to find a part-time job that I could complete on times that were convenient for me.  Mystery shopping allows …read more

I take a deep breath, square my shoulders and step through the front door and into the store. I saunter oh so casually over to an employee and ask for some help. The employee answers my witty, urbane questions and helps me make my purchase. I store all the data about my shopping experience in my razor sharp mind, including employee names and the number of minutes I spent waiting in line. Less than a half hour later, I’m typing up a top secret report with one hand and making my cocktail James Bond style with the other. Sound …read more

Working at home can seem like a good idea; and it can be. There are plenty of legit ways to make money at home, but be sure to check out the situation before you jump right in. It’s not very thrifty to spend more than you make- just to have the privilege to work.
Tips for work at home gigs:
Don’t work for free. There’s a reason it’s called work people. Being a stay at home writer, I see this more than I’d like (among other writers), however, people in other work-at-home ventures see this as well; i.e people asking them to …read more

If a sudden bill, gift occasion, or other money needing issue comes up, and you don’t have savings, or maybe don’t want to dip into your savings for cash, you’ll need to make money another way. The best way to do this (without resorting to selling a kidney) is to sell some household items.
Frankly, this is a good thing, because there’s likely plenty of stuff hanging around your house that you don’t need or even use. First you’ll need to clean out the most obvious places in search of items to sell. Your closet, attic, garage, bookshelf, video shelf, and …read more