Use Half.com to get BigCrumbs referrals.

 Money Tips  1 Response »
Jun 292010
 

If you’re not familiar with BigCrumbs, it’s a cash back website where you get cash back on purchases at participating online retailers such Buy.com, Walmart.com, etc. The difference is that you get a small percentage of cash back for your referral’s purchases also. Build up a network of active referrals and you might build up a small stream of passive income to pay for a meal here and there. Also the cash back rates are pretty competitive when compared with sites like Fatwallet.

I buy and sell things on Half.com from time to time. I noticed that Half.com gives 4% cash back on purchases through the site. So I decided that each person that purchases an item is a potential referral to BigCrumbs. So in all my correspondence with each buyer I’ll usually list the tracking number, shipping update, etc. and also end with a short spiel about earning cash back on future Half.com purchases.

I’ll link my referral link using the url shortening service bit.ly.

 Posted by dan at 9:25 am

Are you taking advantage of BoA’s Museums on Us promotion?

 deals  3 Responses »
Jun 162010
 

This promotion has been around for awhile but it seems a lot of people still aren’t aware of it. The first weekend of every month Bank of America cardholders are treated to free entry at various museums, zoos, etc. In my experience you’re limited to 1 ticket per cardholder. Find out more information at http://museums.bankofamerica.com.

Last weekend my girlfriend and I visited the Bronx Zoo. Even though we’re both from and reside in the NYC area we’ve never visited before so it was a great chance to see it. We’re each Bank of America cardholders so we saved the $15/ticket entry. I believe that Bank of America reimburses the participating location for each ticket (although probably at a reduced rate).

The next dates are July 3rd and 4th. We’re planning to visit the New York Aquarium in Coney Island then and check out the boardwalk afterwards. Afterwards the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space museum is looking good for an August visit.

 Posted by dan at 2:52 pm

Invest in a steel water bottle.

 Uncategorized  3 Responses »
Jun 142010
 

For the past few years I’ve always used plastic water bottles to take water on the go. This has netted me substantial savings over by not purchasing a beverage at retail prices from a vending machine or convenience store when I’m out at class, work, etc. Recently I acquired a stainless steel water bottle when my girlfriend found a deal for 2 for $20 at a local Brookstone.

After using the bottle for a couple of weeks I highly recommend it for both cost and environmental reasons. You cut down on plastic bottle waste and you save money by having a re-usable container. Whether you get your water in gallon jugs, through a filter or straight from the tap you’ll definitely be saving money over the long run.

While there are many different companies with their own offering the two most important things you look for are actual stainless steel (some are made from aluminum) and BPA-free. Other than that, factors such as easiness to clean, insulation, top cover, etc. are up to you.

 Posted by dan at 6:47 pm

Energy in common. Micro-financing for green projects.

 Kiva, Reviews  1 Response »
Jun 102010
 

I recently discovered an organization called “energy in common” that has an identical concept to Kiva with a slight twist. The site is a platform for individual lenders such as you and me to help provide financing for third world entrepreneurs. Essentially profiles of borrowers are posted, you choose who you want to disperse your funds towards and the money gets distributed to a micro-finance field partner which funds the loan of the borrower. The key difference is this organization funds projects which are green or environmentally friendly.

I took the plunge and made two loans. The first contribution was $25 made to Abubakar Sadiq for a solar home system. The second was $100 made to Patience Ampong for a clean burning stove. Both loans have respective repayments of 6 months and 3 months so I can’t comment on that process until later in the year. I’ll surely post another update on how things go.

If you like the green focus and looking for an alternative for Kiva I wouldn’t suggest you hop on board just quite yet. Energy in common seems to be a really young initiative. There are usually less than 10 loans available at a given time and the website is still a work in progress. Keep an eye out for this organization though. Kiva proved that a platform for micro-financing fundraising through the masses can work and hopefully this survives its infancy.

 Posted by dan at 9:13 am

Do you tip at SONIC?

 money matters  2 Responses »
Jun 012010
 

For those of you that don’t know or have never been to one. SONIC is a drive-in where you park your car, order your food from your car and a carhop comes out (usually on roller skates) with your food. Two locations recently opened up in my area in the past few years so it’s still a bit of a novelty around here.

Since the chain is relatively new to my area I’m not quite sure what the tipping etiquette is. Usually I’ll tip a dollar or two but the last time the carhop gave me a weird look when I handed her a tip (I usually pay by credit card).

Generally you don’t tip fast food employees at other chains such as McDonalds, Burger King, etc. However on the other hand they are bringing out the food to your car. The carhops will also run back inside to get you miscellaneous condiments if you ask too. I wouldn’t tip if I got the food through the drive-thru.

 Posted by dan at 7:33 pm
© 2011 Endless Gibberish Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha