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How to Start Working from Home and Must-Have Tools

This deal was posted on August 7, 2019 at 10:08 pm by alicia

Want to learn how to start working from home? We’ve got you covered with our best work-at-home tips. Plus, we’re going to share with you a list of must-have tools for anyone who works from home. 

“Work-at-home jobs are scams.” 

“You can’t really make money working from home.”

We’ve heard all of the cliches about working from home and can testify most of them are the farthest thing from the truth. In fact, working from home continues to gain popularity across the globe. With more businesses jumping aboard the “remote train”. 

In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released an Economic News Release for 2018 on workers in the United States. We’ve listed a few key points from the news release below. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Economic News Release 2019 Key Points

  • 23.7% of United States workers worked from home in 2018
  • The majority of work-at-home workers in 2018 were Men with Full-Time job positions.
  • Women who worked from home in 2018 shared a healthy mix between those who work part-time and those who work full-time. With full-time being the common statistic. 
  • Most workers working from home held only a single job instead of having multiple jobs. 

As you can see, people are landing legit work-at-home jobs. They must also be making money from these jobs because a high percentage of work-at-home workers only hold one single job. 

 

Learn how to start working from home and a list of must-have tools

Learn how to start working from home. We’ve got a great list of must-have tools and tips on finding legit work-at-home jobs.

How to Start Working from Home 

Now that you’ve seen the stats, let’s talk about how to really start working from home. We don’t plan on leaving anything out and are going to cover the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of working from home. 

First, ask yourself the following questions. This will help you ensure that you are absolutely prepared for the journey of working from home. The journey before, during, and after begin working remotely. 

 

Working from Home Requires You Taking Care of Your Health

Caring for your overall health is an important part of working from home.

 

How will you care for your overall health while you working from home? 

Keep in mind, many companies offering work at home job opportunities do not offer remote — or part-time — workers medical insurance. Which means you will need to have your own health insurance in place. 

Staying healthy should be your top priority. Take a look at health insurance prices and consider if you can afford this extra expense. 

Another part of your overall health is your mental health. In order to be your best and succeed as a remote worker, seeing clearly has to be a top priority for you. Realize that working in a home office is far from what others portray it as. 

Such as a super quiet and stressfree environment while you’re sitting in your robe sipping coffee. While somedays may portray this, this is a rare situation. Especially if you have multiple clients, multiple kids, or multiple pets. 

Working from home can have many stressful days. Trying to meet deadlines and speak to clients on a totally different time zone than you. Juggling doctor appointments, sick kids, and barking dogs. While staying professional and sane. 

Working from home can stretch your mental calm to the max. 

Another impact a work-at-home job can have on how you feel is how lonely it can actually be. Concentrating on deadlines is tough when you’re enjoying brunch at a local restaurant. Many of your workdays will, in fact, involve little to no contact with others. It can be a lonely world. 

Can you safely afford the costs associated with working from home? 

 

Can you safely afford the costs associated with working from home

 

Going into debt is never a suggestion for any situation. So, keep in mind, if you’re serious about working from home, there will be some costs associated with it. Unless you get lucky and already have everything you need. 

Plenty of factors tie into what your finances should like during your career. Including the life you want to live, your ideal comfortable lifestyle, your current savings or lack thereof, your income, and the obligations you have to payout. 

As we stated above, having your own private health insurance is one possible cost you may incur. Other costs include technology costs, subscriptions, and current and future planning needs. We will discuss each possible cost more in-depth down the road.

 

How to Start Working from Home: Before You Begin Your Search

One of the questions you answered above covers your ideal lifestyle as a remote worker. What do you plan on achieving as a remote employee now and later down the road? 

We would all love to become a millionaire due to working in our pajamas. On the other hand, some of us don’t have time to put in the work required to reach that level. 

Depending on where you want to be is where you need to set your schedule as someone who telecommutes. Below are a few tips on how you can set boundaries and live your best life before you start working from your home office. 

 

Find the right schedule for you and stick to it

One of the first things you should do before you start working from home is to find the right schedule for you and stick to it.

Pick a Schedule and Stick to It 

The top myth we need to nip in the bud right now is the following statement. 

“When you work from home you can set your own schedule and work whenever you want.” 

This is false and bad advice for anyone entering the remote workforce. The truth is, while some people can work when they want, most work-at-home workers find themselves overworking themselves and not setting any schedule boundaries. 

Basically, before you start working, ask yourself what schedule can you work and be honest with yourself. You will find during your job search that many companies actually require even their virtual employees to be available and working for them during a set time. 

If you decide to take a different route such as freelance writing or blogging, you still need to give your clients a set schedule. This will let them know that if they try to contact you out of your set “business hours”, that you won’t be available. 

Remember to stick to your schedule as well as a remote worker. IF you give a little slack and respond to an email at 2 AM, they will continue to expect it. 

Know the Value of Your Skills 

When you’re really broke, it’s hard not to accept any offer that comes your way. Even if it means working 10-hours a day and only being paid $25. (Guity. I was here when I began as a freelance writer.) 

Stop shortchanging yourself and put a value on the skills you have. Set your worth and the people you will want to work for will respect your value and will be willing to pay it. 

Aside from the money talk, also know what job you intend on working from home. Are you a pro at customer service? Can you type like it’s nobodies business? Find out what you’re good at and stick to it. Don’t try and do everything. That is just a bad idea. 

 

Be honest with yourself and potential clients and employers

Always be honest with yourself, potential clients, and potential employers.

Be Honest with Yourself and Potential Clients and Employers 

It’s important that you are honest with yourself and whoever may hire you from the very beginning about what you can and can’t do. We all know it’s easy to make anything look good on paper. But, proving it can be a different story. 

Be honest about the skills you have and how good you are at them. Tell the truth the education and training you’ve been through.

Just be honest. It’s okay not to know everything and being dishonest only wastes valuable time for everyone involved. 

How to Start Working from Home: The Must-Have Tools to Succeed 

The main goal here is to learn how to work from home, enjoy working remotely, and make money, right? Well, you know the old saying. “You gotta spend money to make money.” It’s somewhat the truth. 

We’ve compiled a list of some of the must-have tools you will need to start working from home. We promise, if you don’t already have them, they are worth the investment. 

A Place to Really Call Your “Office” 

When I’m working, I tend to get distracted pretty easily. So, in order for me to be successful while working at home, I need a complete distraction-free area. 

I use a spare bedroom we somewhat transformed into an office space for me. There is a door I can close to keep out distractions (kids, pets, etc.) and a lock for when I’m on an important phone call. 

We all think the work-at-home dream is sipping a Mimosa while staring out at deep blue water while we type away on our laptop. Well, if you decide to work for a large company like Apple as a remote worker, you’re going to need an office space more like my setup. 

This is because almost all big companies who hire remote workers require a quiet workplace to work-from-home. With most remote job opening posts stating that a distraction-free and quiet area is a must for a job offer. 

Another perk of having an actual home office is you have everything you need for any project or assignment right there. While things are becoming more and more portable, an office just offers more room to make sure you cover all your needs. 

 

Quick tips for when you're ready to learn how to start working from home

If working from home is a move you intend to make on a career level, you will want to have a comfortable and supportive office desk and office chair. Working in a home office involves a lot of screentime and spending time at a desk. The wrong office desk and chair setup can ruin remote workers back and overall posture super fast.

Fast, Reliable, and Secure Technology 

Ensuring that all technology you use to work from home is fast, reliable, and safe is a must for anyone working from home. This will save you time and give whoever hires you peace of mind that their information is safe with you. 

Larger companies who hire virtual employees often have very strict criteria on what you must have technology-wise in order to work for them. 

The most popular requirement is that you can not complete the work over any wireless network. Instead, they require you to hardwire your computer to the internet.

The upside to these technical requirements is that more companies are beginning to supply the technology that meets their criteria. 

Also, some companies, instead of providing the technology, they give new remote employees a sign-on bonus. This bonus goes towards the cost of setting up the new employees home office. 

Below are a few technology options we definitely recommend for working from home. 

  • Reliable and updated laptop or desktop computer
  • Smartphone 
  • All-in-One Printer/Fax/Scanner 
  • High-quality microphone 
  • Updated Webcam 
  • VPN 
Great tips on how to start working from home

Large companies often require that if you want to work for them from home that you have your own separate landline for business communication. It won’t hurt investing in a landline as it will help keep your personal and business calls separate.

 

How to Start Working from Home: Finding a Work-at-Home Job Position 

Don’t let all of the details of how to start working from home overwhelm you. In the scheme of things, just like any job, remote jobs have their positives and their negatives. 

Some remote jobs show flexibility when it comes to scheduling. While those that are actual full-time, part-time, or salary jobs as an actual employee and not a contractor with companies aren’t so lenient on the remote worker schedule. 

The most important thing is to decide what will work best for your situation. If you need a schedule with a lot of wiggle room, you may want to consider life as a remote contract/freelance worker. 

On the other hand, having a regular 1st, 2nd, or 3rd shift may sound good to you. You’d do great as a virtual employee for maybe a company like Apple. 

 

35+ legit and free ways to make money online from home

We’ve got a list of 35+ legit and free ways you can start making money online for free!

 

To help you out on your remote job search, you will definitely want to check out our post on legit and free ways to make money online. The list has 35+ ways to make either a little money or start a career as a virtual worker. 

If you think you have what it takes to work from home and can block out all of the extra distractions we say go for it. 

Cut ties with the daily work commute and start working wherever you feel the most productive at. 

Filed Under: Articles, Resources, Work at Home Jobs Tagged With: remote jobs, work from home

Sweepstakes Winner Scams: 5 Red Flags to Recognize

This deal was posted on August 4, 2019 at 4:41 am by alicia

Finding out you’ve become a victim of a sweepstakes winner scam can open up a can of worms. Don’t fall victim to these winner scams and learn how to protect yourself. 

Before you get started reading, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website also has valuable information on how to recognize and avoid phishing scams.

Have you ever fallen victim to a scam? It stinks and that’s putting the feeling it gives you politely. Scammers can steal your identity or gain access to your bank accounts with little information. That’s a scary thought. 

Unfortunately, scams come in all shapes and sizes. Including sweepstakes winner scams. These scams are a little different than the typical phishing emails you get. 

Sweepstakes winner scams trick you into believing you actually won a sweepstake that never existed. 

Scammers have become more advanced in their tactics over the years. Using very realistic looking emails and spoof email addresses to gain their unexpecting victim’s trust. Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish a real sweepstakes win and a fake one. 

 

Sweepstakes Winner Scams: 5 Red Flags to Recognize

We want to help you avoid becoming the victim of these invasions of privacy scams. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of five red flags to look for that scream this is a sweepstakes scam. With also a few examples of what any of the sweepstakes winner scams may look like. 

 

Sweepstakes Scam Warning Sign Sending Money for a Prize

One warning sign that you’re dealing with a sweepstakes scam is if the prize notification asks you to pay a processing fee to redeem your win.

 

 

1. You Must Send Money Before You Can Receive Your Sweepstakes Win 

 

It’s important to understand that some sweepstakes prize wins will require you pay a fee. But, paying a fee to claim sweepstakes win should only be a fee for port or hotel taxes. This could be a possible scenario with a cruise or vacation win.

For information on any fees associated with a sweepstake, make sure to check out the sweepstakes official rules. All legit sweepstakes and contests have a way for you to view official rules before you submit your entry. 

If you get a prize notification that says you must send any amount of money for processing, it’s safe to say you have a sweepstake scam on your hands. 

 

Scam Paperwork to Pay Taxes on Win

Anyone who wins anything with a value of over $600 must file tax forms.

 

2. The Scammer Doesn’t Send Any Additional Paperwork for You to Complete to Redeem Your Win

While it would be nice for a quick way to redeem huge prizes, there is paperwork required for wins over $600+. You will have to pay taxes for wins anything over that amount and will need to fill out a 1099 form prior to getting your win. 

On the other hand, any company can require you to fill out a tax form for wins of any value. While this isn’t common for wins that have values under $100, it does happen. 

 

Sweepstakes Winner Scams Warning Signs You Dont Remember Entering the Sweepstakes

Playing a lot of sweepstakes can make it hard to keep up with all of your entries. But, in order to prevent falling victim to a scam, it’s something you should consider doing.

 

3. You Can’t Remember Entering the Sweepstakes You Won

We get it. With so many sweepstakes to enter, you may lose track. But, due to the high rate of sweepstakes winner scams out there, it is really recommended you find a way to keep track of your entries. 

Let’s say you get an email claiming you won the grand prize in a sweepstake sponsored by a company you’ve never even heard of. Even if the company sounds like a hugely well-known brand, but you can’t remember entering one run by this company, this is a red flag. 

To prevent this from happening and you falling victim to any sweepstakes winner scams, find a way to keep track of your sweepstake entries. There are many ways you can do this. Such as using a free program like Google Sheets and creating a spreadsheet. 

 

Foreign Lottery Wins are Prize Scams

Did you know that in the United States it is illegal to play or win sweepstakes in another country?

 

4. Lotteries or Wins from Foreign Countries are Definitely Sweepstakes Winner Scams

Did you know that in the United States it is illegal for you to enter or win any lotteries in other countries? So, if you get an email saying you won a lottery in another country, this is a sweepstakes winner scams. 

 

Prize Notification Scam Warning Sign Unprofessional Email

Was your sweepstake win email filled with a lot of typos and grammar errors? You could be dealing with a sweepstakes scam.

 

5. Prize Notification Email is Riddled with Mistakes and Uncertainty 

Since most prize notifications come via email, carefully inspecting any sweepstakes win email you get is a must. Because let me tell you, scammers are getting super clever when it comes to creating phishing emails.

There are some scam emails that look legit and noticing any “red flags” may be super difficult to know that it’s fake. Below are a few for sure red flag that you’re dealing with one of many sweepstakes winner scams.

 

Sweepstakes Winner Scams: Red Flag Visual Clues for Fake Sweepstakes Win Email

  • The email is filled with typos and grammar errors. 

Anyone can make a mistake and send an email with a letter out of place or a grammar error or two. But, if you get an email that is completely all over the place with many typos, it’s safe to say you’re dealing with a sweepstakes winner scam. 

Companies who send prize notifications are going to double-check their emails before they send them with multiple errors.

 

  • You aren’t addressed by your name in the email. 

If a prize notification email begins with “Dear Sir or Madam” and not your actual name, you may be dealing with a prize scam. Almost always, in order to enter sweepstakes, it’s required to put your name before you’re able to enter.

We promise, if you won a big prize, they are going to address you by your name. They’re going to know who you are. 

 

  • Email address is from a free email service. 

Small businesses that run sweepstakes may only be working with a free email address from Google and Yahoo. Large companies who sponsor large sweepstakes are going to send emails from a company email address. 

Warning: Scammers are even learning how to spoof email addresses of major corporations. With some sending them as if they are directly from the actual company. Then there are some instances where they will change one letter or two from the real companies name. 

 

  • Unprofessional is written all over the email.

Read over any possible sweepstakes win email you get very carefully. We know what a professional level is and we know when it seems too “relaxed”. While sweepstakes win is exciting, businesses must still remain professional. 

Sweepstakes Winner Scams 5 Red Flags to Recognize

Sweepstake players, be aware of these red flags that could mean a sweepstake is a sweepstakes winner scam.

Sweepstakes Winner Scams: What to Do if You Get Scammed

If you become a victim of a sweepstake winner scam, there are a few steps you must take. Starting with notifying credit bureaus, getting new identification cards, and notifying your bank.

If you want to learn more about staying safe when entering sweepstakes, read our post on how to identify and report email scams. 

Filed Under: FAKE FREEBIES, Resources, Sweepstakes Tagged With: instant win sweepstakes, prize notifications, scams, sweepstakes, sweepstakes scams

How to Identify Email Scams in Your Inbox

This deal was posted on January 29, 2019 at 3:30 am by alicia

If you need help on how to identify email scams, you are not alone. Scammers have been using email for years and years. They create convincing messages that look official and lead innocent people into bad situations. In order to keep yourself safe, it’s important that you know how to identify the email scams that pop up in your inbox.

You have a large family, so the thought of you having an uncle who is a prince in Nigeria may not come as a shocker to you. What may shock you though is that the fact your prince of an uncle just sent you an email demanding you respond promptly.

Why the urgency? Apparently he has $1.3 billion dollars he wants to wire to you because you are his next descendant.

Now, if you read that and chucked a little, then you are already aware of a big red flag when it comes to spotting an email spam. Let’s be real. While we DO use email to communicate over sensitive matters, $1.3 billion is a lot of money.

Wiring over that amount of money is going to raise eyebrows and questions. The fact that someone you have never met, that possibly lives on the other side of the world, wants to award you with that amount of cash should be a red flag enough.

Tips on how to identify email scams

How to Identify Email Scams in Your Inbox

While many of these scams that end up in our inboxes are no brainers if they are email scams are not, scammers are getting smarter every day. Of course, they know we’re onto them. Most of us  aren’t sending them the $49 fee anymore so we can receive our lump sum of $1 million.

Simply put: we get smarter, they get clever.

Tips for Safely Communicating with Email

This is why before we tell you how to identify email scams, we want to give you a few pointers to follow when using email to communicate with anyone.

Avoid unknown links and attachments in the emails you receive.

You, your friends, and your family email accounts can be hacked without you or them knowing. Which means it’s possible that even a familiar email address may show up in your inbox with an email scam.

In fact, scammers often will hack an email account and then send email scams to anyone and everyone — plus more — in the hacked accounts contacts. In these emails they may include a convincing message that encourages the recipient to click on a link or download an attachment.

Even a simple link click can lead an unexpected victim into a lot of misery. Many of these links or attachments will infect your operating system with malware. Malware is basically all of the scary things that have to do with computers: viruses and spyware.

The scammers can install the malware onto your device without you knowing and obviously without your consent. Then they may use the malware to steal important information such as your credit card information or even your social security number.

You can read more about malware on the Federal Trade Commission’s website.

 

More Tips: Tips to Avoid Online Scams

 

Confidential information should never be shared in an email. Not even in an email to your grandma.

Grandma is asking crazy questions again. One day she is calling you and asking you to come help her figure out her computer. The next day she’s blowing up your inbox asking you questions like: “What’s your social security number?”.

Email is such a common and frequently used form of communication now. There’s no doubt quite a few people are guilty of sharing more than they should in an email. While there are secure messaging programs available — that are usually made for businesses and cost quite a bit of money — your GMail account isn’t one of them.

While there are secure options out there, almost any business is going to tell you they will never ask you for confidential information through an email or even over the phone. For this reason alone, if you receive an email that seems to be from your bank, asking for your social security number due to unusual activity on your account — pick up the phone.

Regardless of how crazy you may feel for doing it, if you receive an email like this, don’t reply. Call your bank by using the phone number listed on their website and not in the email. Report to them the email you received and I’m sure the answer on if this is an email scam or not will be found right then.

Tips on How to Identify Email Scams Lingering in Your Inbox

So, that’s basically the basis of making sure you are safely using email. Don’t email strangers or accept downloadable or link gifts from electronic strangers. Instead learn how to identify email scams and nip them in the bud so they don’t have an impact on you.

It’s not uncommon for website giveaways to award virtual gift cards as prizes. You may not even receive an email that you won and they may just send the gift card straight to your inbox.

If your account doesn’t believe this is legit and like spam it has seen in the past, the email may be chunked right into your spam folder. Which, if you’re anything like us, rarely gets any attention.

Somehow spam that is obviously legit spam nudges its way into your inbox folder. Then again, is it spam or did you actually win something from that contest you entered a decade ago? The email looks official and professional. They know a lot about me. It doesn’t seem like a ridiculous offer.

Maybe it is real.

Then again, maybe it’s just a scammer with some season behind them. Ready to communicate with their next unknowing victim.

Before you hit that reply button, you need to do your own FBI work. Let’s make sure what you’re seeing in the real deal. Here’s our best tips on how to identify email scams.

If you want to learn how to identify email scams, start your own extensive research.

Google makes it easy to do some of your own personal research. The best part is that most of the time these email scams are sent in batches.

They all contain the same content with the same promise of a money order of $1.2 billion dollars. Hopefully this email scam has been reported enough that you will be able to find out information right away.

Google can be your best friend when you’re trying to identify email scams.

First you can Google the email address the email came from. If others have had the same email sneak in their inbox, you may see all of the information you need.

Tip: Even when you are checking links on Google, you need to make sure that the source is a reputable source. Not another scammer trying to lure you in with a $19.95 information finders fee.

Unfortunately the answer isn’t always on the first page. Sometimes these scammers can be very clever, articulate, and super convincing. You would be blown away by the stories people share about communicating via email with people who try to scam them. I guess that means we should add “persistent” to their traits as well.

If you want to find out if an email is a scam, you have to do some research.

All that means is that you will have to do a little more digging. Especially if you fell into the scam before you were able to realize it actually was a scam. You don’t want them to get away with it.

Just continue using Google search by inserting specific information about the email into the search bar. This information may be anything the people may have provided in their message. Including telephone and fax numbers, physical addresses, and any names mentioned (person, business, etc.).

If you Google a business name and find any information that looks legit, give them a call using the phone number linked to their website. Keep in mind that even fake businesses will answer the phone like a real business. But, a real big red flag is if you call and they answer the phone like their taking a personal call with a simple, “Hello?”.

If the email doesn’t contain any private or personal information, don’t be scared to ask your social media followers their opinion. Maybe one of them has also seen the same email in their own inbox recently.

Hopefully with enough of your own research you will be able to identify email scams within minutes.

Pay attention to the content of the email.

While some email scams may come off as quite professional, that’s few and far between. That is unless the email only contains this amazing graphic that states you just won all of the money in the world.

We’re visual beings and pretty graphics pull us in fast. But, we already talked about how you should never click links or download attachments if there is any kind of uncertainty. It’s a big no.

Most of the time scammers don’t put a lot of thought into how the actual message sounds or looks. The header of the email is usually broken or filled with weird characters. In the body of the email you will often find sentences that may seem to make a point. They are just are not formed in a way you can understand.

The email is also missing quite a few punctuation marks. It may also come off as overly urgent and pushy. Ordering you to do something within a ridiculous time frame so you can claim something you knew nothing about.

Scammers steal people and business identities to send out eerily accurate email scams. 

It doesn’t take much knowledge or time to find out how to spoof the email address you are sending messages from. Scammers go as far as sending emails that contain email addresses that look like popular companies.

Netflix and PayPal are both popular services that people spend millions and millions with. They are also two companies that have suffered thanks to their users falling for email scams. What happens is the scammer will use a program to spoof the email address they send the message from to match the company’s actual email address.

Well, that’s what the person receiving the email sees on their end without any further digging.

Companies such as Netflix and PayPal have been the victims of email scams.

Email scams that have hit Netflix and PayPal customers often trick the customer into thinking their account has been compromised. The email may say their account is suspended or frozen. It may say that they need to click a link to reset their password due to security reasons.

If you happen to click the link, you may even end up at a website that looks just like where you would reset your actual PayPal or Netflix password.

Basically, the scammer has went above and beyond to jack your information. They have stolen every business branding aspect of a company you trust and made you believe that they were who they say they are.

Once you’ve visited the link and fell into their trap by resetting your password — you may be taken to some awkward page. You may even be taken to a confirmation page.

You’ll just find out that it was all wrong the next time you actually visit the PayPal website to check your balance and they say your password has been changed.

If this happens, you need to contact PayPal right away so the issue can be resolved. The longer you wait the more time the scammer has to ruin your identity, finances, and private life.

Scammers can be whoever they want to be when they send out email scam. 

In addition to their very business-like emails, they may also claim the email is from a super important person. We often find email in our spam folder that contains subjects claiming that the email is coming from the FBI.

Not only do they claim to be FBI agents, they also claim to be actors, doctors, teachers, widows, and even children. Basically any human figure that they can add a story to that they believe makes their random email seem more legit. (Such as a widow who was left billions of dollars by her dead husband and she has picked you at random to keep her money safe.)

Here’s an example of one of those emails from my personal spam folder. Although I must admit this one is not formatted well at all and throws off so many “this is a scam” warnings.

Tips on how to avoid and identify email scams that creep into your inbox

Make sure that all names associated with the email match up.

If you’re somewhat familiar with on how to identify email scams, one thing that may stand out when checking over a message is matching everything up. One way is by matching the email address with the rest of the message.

Scammers will often ask you to email a different email address with you reply than the one the email was actually sent from. Emails may also be signed by a name or include a company that is in no way, shape, or form a match to the email address it says it is from.

Let’s say you receive an email from randyp86689@isendemailscams.com. But, the email is signed by Jennifer Smith with a law office located in Africa. That obviously doesn’t match up with the sender email address. Something more along the lines of janderson@lawofficesinafricanotscam.com would have been more believable.

Example of an Email Scam that Doesn’t “Add Up”

Here’s an example of exactly this. This email was actually caught by Gmail’s spam filter. After seeing it, I’m sure you will understand why. The grammar and punctuation is all over the place and the format is definitely not professional. This email has SO many red flags. (Not including the HUGE red alert box Google provided me with at the top of the email. This, of course, will not always be there with a scam email.)

Find out how you can find out if an email is a scam or not

The email starts off in all caps from someone that is from the Foreign Operation Department that wants to speak to me about a payment they say they owe me. The name the email is from is far from foreign and a very generic name. Now, if you scroll down some you will see the sender also asks that you respond to an email address that is different than the one the message is from.

Is this email a scam? Tips on how you can find out.

Remember not to click on any links in a suspected scam email. Even if it’s a supposed link to their business website. Instead you can just type the business name into a Google search and find the information you are looking for without any risk.

Research the internet presence of the company the email says it is from.

Hop on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and any other social media outlet and search for the company listed in the email. See how many followers and likes they have. Look at their reviews on social media and on Google. It’s more likely a business is a scam if they have a Facebook page with two followers than hundreds.

Don’t forget to check out the website they claim is their businesses. Go to their sections that tell about the company background, who runs the company, etc.. For the best results, visit all of the main pages of the company website and match up the information you see there to what you have in your email and what you see on social media.

Visit the section of the website where you can contact the company. See if the information listed there is the same as what is in the email. (Although this, of course, can be spoofed and the internet can basically make you whoever you want to be behind a screen.)

Find out if the email message is authenticated.

Before we explain how to check if a message you receive in authentic, we want you to make note of one thing. Sometimes even legit emails may come through as not being from an authentic source. This doesn’t automatically determine that the message is spam.

You can find out more about why a legit message may come back as not authentic on the Gmail Help website.

Ok, so here is how you can check and see if the email you just got in your inbox is authenticated or not.

Checking if an email message is authenticated with Gmail.

Google makes it super simple to check on how legit an email is. Especially if you have an Android device. Open your Gmail app and open the email you want to check. Click on the “View details” option and then select the “View security details” option.

In order for the email to be authenticate, you must see the following when you tap “View security details”:

“Mailed by” Header and “Signed by” Header

Both headers must include the same domain name at the end.

Going back to the email above, you can see below that the email headers for this specific email do not match.

Check if an email is authentic if you DON’T have a Gmail account.

If you’re using a mail client such as Outlook, the steps are a little different. The main thing you are looking for now are the Email Headers. Each email service will have different steps you have to take.

If you use Outlook as your email service, you can check the headers in just a few simple steps. Open Outlook and open the email you want to check the headers for. Click the “File” option and then the “Properties” option. The email headers are listed in the “Internet headers” box.

Google has a great breakdown of most of the popular email services, like AOL and Hotmail, and how to check their message headers. You can visit their help article on how to trace an email with its full header.

How to Report Email Scams

Scamming people is a serious offense that is not taken lightly. People across the world have been scammed out of billions and billions of dollars thanks to email scams that lure you in with attractive promises. Attractive promises you will never get. All they really leave you with is a huge mess to clean up and a throbbing headache.

Reporting the scam may not give you instant gratification, but it will leave you feeling proud in the end. By reporting email scams you have a greater chance the scammer is caught and lessen the chance of the same thing being done to others or even possibly you again. While it will not eliminate scamming at a whole, it is definitely a start.

In the United States, you can forward the entire scam email message to spam@uce.gov. This email address is for the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the part of their department that handles scam emails.

You should also file a complaint by visiting the FTC Complaint Assistant website. In addition to having the chance to report any email scams, you can also learn a lot more information on scams to watch for, notorious scams, identify theft resources, and much more in relation to protecting your identity online.

Protecting Your Identity When You are a Victim of an Email Scam

Everyday people fall victim to email scams. They share account passwords, banking information, social security numbers, and more with people they believe to be trustworthy.

Becoming a victim of an email scam is the last thing anyone would want to go through. Especially if you do not become aware that you have been scammed until later down the road. Sometimes it isn’t always evident right away. Not until the scammer has really put a dent on your bank account and credit cards. 

In addition to reporting the scam email, here are a few more steps you need to take to protect your identity in the event you may have shared information with a scammer.

Contact all of your financial institutions to report you are a victim of a scam.

Even if you don’t believe your bank or credit card information is at risk, you should still contact all financial institutes you have an account with. This includes credit card companies, loan companies, and banks. By contacting them and giving them a heads up, hopefully you will be covered if your accounts feel any impact from your situation.

Report your incident to all of the major credit bureaus.

It doesn’t take too much information to try and get credit approval in someone’s name. Especially if you have all the right information. Often companies will do instant approvals without any actual photo identification. Giving your scammer instant access to the line of credit they opened in your name.

We can only assume the person who sent you the email scam isn’t going to pay the bills for the credit they took out in your name. Instead they will probably use it all up, maybe open more credit, and then leave you in default. Owing the credit card companies for their shopping spree.

This is why something you must do when you discover you’re an email scam victim is contact all three major credit bureaus by phone. These companies are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. We have provided contact information for each below.

Equifax https://www.equifax.com 1-888-548-7878

Experian https://www.experian.com 1-888-397-3742

TransUnion https://www.transunion.com 1-800-916-8800

Order new forms of identification.

While whoever sent the email to you may not have your driver’s license in their actual possession, that doesn’t mean they don’t have a picture of it or the information from it. When you fall into a scam email, the best thing to do is to just go ahead and order new forms of identification.

This includes any government issued IDs. Such as drivers licenses or military IDs. In most cases, the first replacement is usually free. Sometimes there may be a small nominal charge that is only a few dollars for replacements.

Identify Email Scams and Keep You and Your Family Safe

When you identify an email scam, you’re looking out for you and your family’s well-being. You’re taking the steps to do your best to avoid these simple emails that can end with less-than-desired results.

Have you ever been the victim of a scam? If so, what steps did you take to keep your identity safe? What steps are you taking now to prevent falling victim to a possible scam in the future? Let us know! Your experience may help someone in a life changing way.

With so many email scams surfacing over the years, make sure you share these tips with your friends and family as well.

 

Filed Under: FAKE FREEBIES, Julie's Freebies, Resources

Freebies for Federal Employees During the Shutdown

This deal was posted on January 22, 2019 at 11:14 pm by alicia

Furloughed federal employees are feeling the sting of the recent, and longest, United States government shutdown. Some businesses are stepping up and helping by offering freebies for federal employees affected by the shutdown. Including everything from free pizza to free classes to learn a new skill.

Freebies for Federal Employees During the Government Shutdown

 

More than likely you know someone who has felt the impact of the most recent government shutdown in the United States. The recent shutdown has impact hundreds of thousands of federal workers causing many to work without receiving any type of pay.

Deals and Freebies for Federal Employees During the Shutdown

Many businesses are reaching out in an attempt to help that burden by offering great freebies and deals. Check out this list of freebies for federal employees affected by the recent government shutdown. There are tons of freebies that include pizza, tacos, classes, and even free skydiving.

PayPal Interest Free $500 Cash Advance for Federal Employees

PayPal recently announced they are committing to fund $25 million dollars to help federal employees affected by the shutdown. The company is currently offering $500 interest free cash advances for existing PayPal Credit customers.

Pay It Furloughed Buys a Beer for Federal Employees During the Shutdown

Federal employees affected by the shutdown can score a free beer thanks to the creators and donors behind the website PayItFurloughed.com. Pay It Furloughed makes it possible for you to donate a beer to federal employees feeling the sting of the government shutdown.

Special Bill Payment Options for Furloughed Federal Employees

Everyone from major cell phone companies, including AT&T and Verizon, to local water companies are cutting federal employees some slack during the shutdown. AT&T is offering extensions and adjusted late fees for customers as long as the shutdown is in effect.

Companies such as Ford and Mercedes Benz are also offering customers impacted by the shutdown car payment options as well. Including deferred car payments and late free adjustments.

Hotel Association of NYC Offering Free Emergency Hotel Stays for Federal Employees

The Hotel Association of NYC is offering federal employees impacted by the shutdown free stays in many hotels throughout the New York City area. On their website the association states they do not want to see anyone in dire need turned away from a room just because of their current financial situation during the shutdown.

You can visit their website for information on how to apply for a hotel stay.

Boston Market Offering Free Chicken for Furloughed Federal Employees Until October

Boston Market and all of its 400+ stores are offering a free whole chicken to federal employees until October 13, 2019. Just bring your government ID to your local Boston Market and score your whole chicken freebie.

The YMCA is Pausing Monthly Fees for Federal Employees During the Shutdown

The YMCA is also offering federal employees a sigh of relief when it comes to paying their monthly gym membership by helping or even waving monthly fees until the shutdown is over. You can contact your local YMCA to find out more.

More Freebies for Federal Employees During the Shutdown

Depending on where you live, business owners in your local area may also be offering shutdown freebies for furloughed workers. Here’s a look at a few businesses who are helping federal workers with freebies in their local area.

Kings Dining and Entertainment Doral in Miami

Free bowling Monday – Thursday 3 to 6 p.m. for federal workers with a valid government ID. http://kings-de.com/

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

According to their Facebook post, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in the DC area is offering federal employees free movies through January.

OceanFirst Bank

OceanFirst Bank in New Jersey is suspending home equity loan and mortgage payments for up to 90 days.

Make sure to share this information with any federal employees you know that are feeling the impact of the government shutdown. If you know of any other freebies for federal employees, make sure to share them with us!

For more freebies, make sure you check out the freebie section of the website!

 

Filed Under: Freebies, Resources

SPIN & WIN on FACEBOOK LIVE!

This deal was posted on February 5, 2018 at 1:27 pm by Julie

NEXT SHOW: March 27, 2018 at 7pm Central

Join us on the Julie’s Freebies Facebook page as we go on Facebook Live with another Spin & Win show! By interacting with our live feed you will be able to get a chance to get a spin on the Spin & Win WHEEL!

How do I get a chance to Spin?

Contestants are picked randomly from comments on the Facebook Live video Feed on the Julie’s Freebies Facebook Page. Simply be commenting on the live video as the show happens for a chance. If you are picked your comment will be pinned to the top of the feed and your name will be called out for your Spin!

Do I have to pay any money to enter?

NO! Never pay money for prizes either! It is completely free to watch and completely free to enter.

How many times can I comment?

Comment as many times as you want. Just don’t put random stuff like dots. Try to interact with the video and your comment may be randomly chosen. It seems that the longer the comment the more likely it is that Facebook will not see it as spam (which means we can see your comment to pick you).

How do I get you my address if I win?

At the top of the Julie’s Freebies Facebook Page there is a message button. If you win a prize during the Spin & Win live show, just send a message to the page with your shipping information.

How long will it take to get a prize I won?

Less than a week in most cases. We try to get prizes out as soon as possible, usually the next day!

Can I tell my friends about this?

Okay, no one really asked this but YES PLEASE! Share with your friends!! Feel free to share info about our live shows on your social media accounts, blogs etc. Its always fun with a friend 🙂

Filed Under: Resources, Sweepstakes

Help for the Holidays

This deal was posted on November 27, 2017 at 11:36 pm by Julie

Earlier this summer, we posted an article titled “Want a Free Christmas? Get Started Now!” You can read the article here. Frankly, we were overwhelmed by the response. There were so many of you who reached out to us.

Some of you wanted to know if there was a contest you could enter to win a free Christmas. Others were baffled at why we’d titled the article that way, as the holiday is now upon us and there’s not enough time. And still others of you sent messages to us – we could hear your tears through your words – expressing your desire to give the best Christmas to your kids. You wanted to know how.

Unfortunately, the holidays aren’t fun for everyone. It sounds clichéd, but it’s true: parents are forced to choose between food and holiday gifts. Children are saddened as they wonder why Santa was so generous with their friends. And those who are more fortunate are left feeling unable to help.

If you’re one of the thousands of parents who struggle each year, there are organizations which can help you. Throughout the year, Julie’s Freebies is committed to directing you to great deals and, yes, freebies that you can take advantage of. But we know the holidays are hard. Here are a few ways you can ensure that your kids have the holiday they deserve.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is one of the most widely known charitable organizations. The foundation dates back to 1865, and while it was founded by a Christian group, the help they give isn’t limited to any one religion.

You’ve likely seen it in the mall. It’s a huge tree, and there are paper angels hanging from it. More angels than you could possibly count. On the back of each angel is a name, and a list of items that person would like for Christmas. You may be surprised what you see on those lists. Some ask for Xbox games, sure. But others ask for underwear and bath towels.

If you’d like your children’s names to be on the Angel Tree, please contact your local Salvation Army. Scroll down until you see a local office which offers seasonal services, and contact that office directly. You’ll fill out an application, and the Salvation Army office will tell you exactly how to get free toys for Christmas.

Toys for Tots

Toys for TotsToys for Tots is another national organization which provides free toys for Christmas. Unlike the Salvation Army, there are no strict requirements. However, there’s also no guarantee that your family will receive free toys for Christmas.

To contact Toys for Tots, first visit the website. Select your state and your county to determine if your county is covered by the Toys for Tots program – some are not. Then, simply request that your family be put on the list to receive free toys for Christmas. It really is that simple. Be sure to do this as soon as you can, as some counties may close registration before others.

The United Way

Your local United Way office may be able to help if you need free toys for Christmas. Doing so is simple. You’ll go to the United Way website and enter your zip code. Find out if your local branch of United Way is participating in a toy service this year.

If so, you’ll be able to register to go “shopping” at the United Way office. The organization receives thousands of new, donated toys each year, and those toys will be available to you. Usually you’ll be allotted one to two toys per child in your household. Most United Way offices will provide free toys for Christmas to kids 16 years old and under.

Other Ways to Get Free Toys for Christmas

If you’re in need of assistance, don’t be discouraged. There are hundreds of organizations across the country which offer free toys for Christmas. You’ll just have to do a little bit of research if the organizations above aren’t participating in your area.

The first place you should contact is your local Department of Social Services. Yes, the government office. DSS has a bad reputation, but the social services office proves invaluable to many parents, year-round. Many DSS offices sponsor a Christmas program for children. For example, in Durham, North Carolina you can register for the Share Your Christmas program.

Next, ask your kids’ school principal! Schools are an excellent resource in assisting you to find free toys for Christmas. Teachers and administrators are often very involved in the community, and they’re discreet as well. They understand that financial hardship is a sensitive situation, and will help to direct you to resources for your child.

Finally, inquire of churches and religious organizations in the area. Many churches offer programs to assist the local community. Those programs can help with toys, or they can help you take care of the rent so that you can buy a few gifts for your children.

We understand that Christmas is stressful. Money is always tight, and there are more days than dollars. But there are good and honest people who want to help, and that help is yours for the asking.

Filed Under: Resources

Zombie Frappuccinos coming to Starbucks

This deal was posted on October 22, 2017 at 9:35 pm by Julie

Remember the Unicorn Frappuccinos a few months ago? It looks like Starbucks has a new specialty Frap coming soon that will be the newest craze. This time they are doing Zombie Frappuccinos from October 26 – 31!

Will you be trying one of these?

More details

Filed Under: Resources

Learn to Coupon | The Beginners Guide

This deal was posted on September 14, 2017 at 9:35 am by Nicole Leave a Comment

The Beginners Guide To Couponing

We all know that couponing can be a very useful hobby. Before I started it I had a lot of questions.

  • Will I be able to find the deals?
  • Will I spend more money then save?
  • Will I have the time?
  • How do I stay organized?
  • Will I even be able to learn how to coupon at all?

I know I had all of these questions and then some, so I am sure that other people like me will have the same questions. I will answer all of them and tell you what you will need to get started.

Supplies

When you first start couponing there is a few things that you need:

  • Coupon supplier
    • Newspaper Subscription
    • Coupon Fairy
    • Website where you plan to buy coupons
  • Good pair of scissors/paper cutter
  • Binder with baseball sleeves for organizing coupons(quick access)
  • Printer
  • Store Flyers

Organizing Your Coupons

There are a lot of different ways that people can organize their coupons. Some people choose to cut them and keep them in a binder, others like to keep them still in the insert, and others like to use the little coupon organizer folder.

You can organize your coupons however you like to make them fit you. You just want to make sure you can get quick access to the coupons that you are looking for. You could even use a table of contents for all of your coupons. If you put the coupons that expire first in the front then you know what you need to use first.

Starting Small

When you first start couponing, it’s best to learn one store inside and out. When you know so much about one store it’s easier to get better deals at that store. Pick one store, learn the policy on using coupons and print it out to have in your coupon binder for reference. If you have any issues with a cashier you can look back and show them the policy and they should not have a problem with you using your coupons(as long as it is the correct way).

  • One Per Purchase – Cashier’s like to tell you that this means you can only buy one of the product per transaction per day. This is not true, this means that you can only use this coupon how it says. EX: If the coupon says that you can only buy one per purchase, technically means you can only use one coupon for one product. You can still use multiple of the coupons, but you have to have the same number of coupons to products. You can not have more coupons then you do product.
  • Know the prices – To make your life easier, I would go in the store and write down some prices of the products that you are planning to buy, or buy the most. You can even write down all of the prices if you like. So when you get a coupon for a product and you don’t know the price you don’t have to run to the store to check the price.
  • Limits – Some stores will have a really good deal on a product and they will have to limit the product that you can by per person per day. Some coupons will limit how many like coupons you can use per transaction. To bypass this you can just split up your transactions.
  • Shop Early – If you have other people that coupon in your area then you might want to consider going to the store pretty early in the day to make sure there is product there for you to get.
  • Bigger isn’t always better – Naturally when you buy a bigger item it is going to cost more. If you have a coupon that does not tell you that you have to buy a certain size of a item, then you can buy a smaller item and get it for almost nothing or free.
  • Check Clearance – Don’t forget to check in the clearance aisle, these items the store is trying to get of the store will be in a certain area for a discounted price. You can use coupons on these products unless the coupon says otherwise
  • Cash Back Apps – With cash back apps you can take a picture of your receipt and get extra savings with things that you already buy.
  • Check your receipt – Make sure you watch the cashier and that everything rings up the way it is supposed to. If you are questioning something then check your receipt and make sure that the savings are all there.
  • Stack Coupons – You can use store coupons with manufacturer coupons, you can also use instant store discounts along with this, and cash back rewards to get extra savings.

*I would recommend starting with Dollar General, they have so many sales, they offer $5 off $25 purchase, $3 off of a $15 purchase, $2 off a $10 along with taking store coupons, manufacturer coupons, and digital coupons.

Watching For Sales

The whole point of couponing is getting a item with it is at its cheapest and using a coupon to get it free or very cheap. You want to make sure you can get the sale ad as soon as it comes out. There are a couple different ways that you can get them:

  • Getting the Sunday paper
  • Going to the store
  • Download the Flipp app
  • Download the store app

When you get the sales ad you want to take a look at it and see what you can find. See what coupons you have for the items that are going to be on sale. At places like dollar general they have sales where you can get $3/15 before coupons, so after you take the price off for all of your coupons you can try to have a really low total, maybe even a total in the negative.

To keep track of all the deals and make it easy when you go into the store you do a match up. To make it easier on you, we already do this for you. Make a list so that you can just go in the store and know exactly what you are getting and how much it should be.

Stacking Coupons

This can be confusing to say the least. Some coupons can be used together, Its just determining the store coupon from a manufacturer coupon. Dollar General also offers digital coupons, you can stack these with store discounts and instant discount. Digital coupons can not be combined with manufacturer coupons, they are both manufacturer coupons.

  • Store Coupons – You can find these in your digital coupons. Sometimes they will be sent out in inserts. You can combine these with manufacturer coupons(paper, internet printable, or digital coupons)
  • Manufacturer coupons- These come in a few different varieties and you can not combine these with other manufacturer coupons. These come in:
    • Insert Paper Coupons
    • Internet Printable
    • Digital Coupons

Building Your Stockpile

Building your stockpile will take some time, everyone knows that you can’t just build your stockpile over night. Here are some tips on building your stockpile:

  • Buy for the future – Don’t just buy one of something that is really good deal especially if it is something that you really use.
  • If a coupon comes out for something that you find a good deal for your family, order more of the coupon. Having multiple of one item is how you grow your stockpile. Extra coupons will grow it quicker.
  • All new couponers will go overboard when they first start, if you get a lot of a item because it was free and you can’t use it just donate the product to someone that can.

Filed Under: Coupons, Resources

Want a Free Christmas? Get Started Now!

This deal was posted on June 29, 2017 at 12:11 pm by Shana 4 Comments

free-christmasIt’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas, right? Let’s face it. Christmas is expensive. Not only are you paying for Christmas gifts for family members, but there’s also the cost of entertaining friends, travelling and that huge jar of whiskey pickles you’re bringing to work for the White Elephant gift swap.

So, with those expenses in mind, you can begin to start working on a free Christmas. There’s no time like the present! (Get it? Present?) Here are a few ways that you can earn extra money and have your Christmas paid for.

InstaGC

We’ve talked quite a bit about InstaGC on Julie’s Freebies. That’s because it’s one of the easiest ways to earn cash and gift cards. When you sign up for InstaGC, you’ll complete surveys, watch videos and even just surf the internet to accumulate points. Those points will add up quickly, and you can exchange them for gift cards.

If you’re looking to give gift cards as gifts this year, InstaGC is a great place to start. But you can always use those cards to buy Christmas gifts, or exchange your points for an American Express prepaid card. Those can be used anywhere! Go fill out a profile on InstaGC and you’ll be on your way to a free Christmas!

Pinecone Research

If you like survey sites, you’ll love Pinecone Research. Pinecone Research is similar to other survey sites, in that you’ll be assigned surveys based on your lifestyle and interests. But there are two things that you might like about Pinecone Research. The first is that panelists like you can participate in product testing. You’ll earn points for it, while trying out a new product before anyone else. The second is that there are oodles of ways you can cash out your points. You can redeem points for a check, for a prepaid Visa debit card, for merchandise or for sweepstakes entries.

VIP Voice

Another way to earn a free Christmas is through the surveys at VIP Voice. VIP Voice works a little bit differently than the other survey sites, though. Instead of trading your points for cash or rewards, you’ll use them to enter auctions and sweepstakes. The sweepstakes prizes are awesome – you can win a chunk of cash or you might win a travel package. The auctions are nice, too. You’ll bid on everything from smart TVs to home appliances. Give your rewards away as Christmas presents, or use them to buy yourself something.

YouGov

YouGov is another way to earn money toward a free Christmas. This company is a huge internet based market research firm. It’s been so successful that it’s actually a publicly traded company. The site is fun, too. When you visit the site, you’ll instantly be able to share your opinion on musicians and bands, movies and politics. As you complete surveys, you’ll earn points which can be traded out for cash or for gift cards to Amazon and other cool places.

It does take a while to accumulate enough points to redeem for gift cards on YouGov, though. So why not start now? You’ll have all the points you need by Christmas, and you can spend them any way you like.

MTurk

MTurk isn’t a survey site. Instead, you’ll be able to complete tasks for money. Most of the tasks don’t require much thought, and you can do them while you’re watching TV. MTurk is owned and run by Amazon, and when you get paid for your tasks, you can either have the money deposited to your bank account or you can instantly convert the money to an Amazon gift card.

The tasks that you complete can be anything, and a lot of them are quite fun. For example, you can earn money by clicking on images of animals, or by writing a one sentence description of a website. Payment is very quick, and you can earn quite a bit on MTurk.

Are you saving up for Christmas? Check out these sites, and be sure to let us know if there are others that you like. Everyone wants a free Christmas – sign up and start earning today!

Filed Under: Resources

Get Paid to Write for Julie’s Freebies

This deal was posted on September 10, 2015 at 12:50 pm by Julie Leave a Comment

freelance-writingLooking for some extra money? I am currently looking for guest posts on topics related to free stuff, frugal living or coupons. If you would like to submit a post for consideration, copy and paste the post into an email and send it to contribute@juliesfreebies.com

What do you pay? – Currently I am paying $25 per article published. However, I am open to bonuses based on traffic that an article generates. Payment is only provided to those whose articles are actually published. If you would like to run an idea by me before submitting an article, that is fine too.

What kind of articles are you looking for? – I am open to ideas. I would like articles that are specific to saving money or living frugally (or getting free stuff). I am looking for articles that haven’t been covered on my site before. Below are some that have been written in the past so you can get an idea of what I am looking for:

  • 60 Restaurants Where you can Eat Free
  • Search for Unclaimed Property Online
  • 13 Ways to Earn Cash for Christmas
  • 18 Tips to Make Your Next Garage Sale a Success

Hopefully these will provide you with some ideas of what types of articles I am looking to publish.

How long does the article need to be? Minimum on articles is 650 words. This may sound long, but honestly most good articles are going to be longer than that. If you have a post that is shorter, you can still submit it, but it isn’t as likely to be published.

Do I need to include a photo? If you find a stock photo online that would go well with your article, you can include a link (no need to purchase it, I can purchase it if I go with that image).

How long does it take to get paid? I will send over payment (via paypal) when I publish the article. I will let you know as soon as possible after submission if the article will be publish or not.

Will you edit the article? I will try not to do too many edits on the article, but there could be some. In any case, even if I do edit the article, you will still be paid for your work!

How do I submit my articles? Please COPY AND PASTE your article into an email and submit it to contribute@juliesfreebies.com 

Filed Under: Books, Resources

Search For Unclaimed Property Online

This deal was posted on July 29, 2013 at 2:08 pm by Julie 8 Comments

find-unclaimed-moneyI have seen these types of things make their way around in the past, but a lot of time it just doesn’t pan out. Today I was looking at unclaimed property in my state after a friend tipped me off that they saw over $1000 in unclaimed money in my name. I went and have started the process of claiming that, but also went and checked and found that every state has an unclaimed property registry. I thought I would put together a list of the states and each of their sites that you can search on. By the way, this list links to sites that are ran by the state, not any unofficial sites that you may see floating around

Most of the unclaimed property is from financial institutions. Old bank accounts that you may have forgot to close and just forgot about, also insurance payments or refunds if the company couldn’t get in contact with you. I posted the link to my home state on my personal Facebook and quite a few people found some money from places like PayPal, utility deposits, just about anything you can think of where someone could have money they didn’t know about any more.

Let me know if you find yourself some extra money that you didn’t know about or had forgotten about! Feel free to share this post so that your friends all over the country can easily find the proper place in their home state to search for unclaimed property. Also, if you have lived in more than 1 state, make sure to check them all! You could have money left behind from a previous state!

 

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona 
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virgina
Wisconsin
Wyoming

 

Filed Under: Frugal Living, Resources

10 Amazing Uses for Vinegar

This deal was posted on July 19, 2013 at 4:57 pm by Julie 1 Comment

Vinegar has to be one of the most amazing things around. I will admit, I didn’t know much about what all vinegar was good for, I thought it was just stuff I bought around Easter to use in the mix with my egg dye! Little did I know it has some really great qualities, not only for food but also for helping to clean! Here are 10 things that I was amazed to find out that you could do with vinegar!

1. Remove Stubborn Price Stickers

There are some stickers on products that are so stuck that I think to myself that it must be a devious plan from the store to cause me a headache. Especially those Target clearance stickers that never seem to want to come all the way off. Rub them with some vinegar and use a credit card or other soft plastic card to scrape the sticker right off!

remove-price-sticker-with-vinegar

2. Clean Dirty Glasses

Got some glasses that are dirty and just driving you crazy. Try adding just a few drops of vinegar to the lenses and wiping them down with a soft cloth. This should remove any build up on them and get them really clean!

clearn-dirty-glasses-with-vinegar

3. Remove Wax from Furniture

I know I have had this happen in the past and have tried everything to get wax off. It seems to especially happen with my Scentsy products when I try to change out the wax over furniture instead of on a kitchen counter. Heat up the wax with a hair dryer on the highest setting, once it is heated wipe with a cloth that has equal parts water and vinegar on it.

remove-candle-wax-furniture-vinegar

4. Disinfect Toilet Bowls

Here is a great way to disinfect toilet bowls. Simply pour a cup or two into the bowl and let it sit over night. Not only will this disinfect your toilet bowl it will also help to fight off those dreaded rings that never seem to want to come out!

clean-toilet-with-vinegar

5. Clean Shower Doors

If you are anything like me you find yourself extremely frustrated with the build up on shower doors. Use vinegar to clean them down and it will help remove all of the hard water build up. Use a variation of this tip for shower heads. Soak shower heads in a mixture of water and vinegar to help remove the stuff that builds up inside of them!

clean-shower-glass-with-vinegar

6. Remove Rings from Collars and Cuffs

Tired of seeing those rings around the collars and cuffs of a white dress shirt. Use 2 parts vinegar to 3 parts baking soda to create a paste. Scrub that into the ring and let set for about 30 minutes. Throw it in the wash and the rings come out! I can’t tell you how much money this newly learned trick is going to save us around here!

remove-ring-around-collar-vinegar-baking-soda

7. Clean Out Your Dishwasher

If you are like me you think of a dishwasher and just think about it cleaning dishes. Well turns out a dishwasher needs a little TLC and cleaning of its own (only makes sense, right?). Pour a cup of vinegar into the bottom of the dishwasher and running it with no dishes in to freshen it up and remove some of the build up in it!

wash-out-dishwasher-with-vinegar

8. Clear Clogged Drains

Clogged drains are never fun to deal with. Neither are the harsh chemicals that many people pour down them to clear them out. Next time try this much more environmentally friendly solution. Pour half of cup of baking soda down the drain, follow it up by pouring a cup of vinegar down the drain. Once it is done bubbling rinse warm water down the drain!

unclog-kitchen-drain-vinegar-bakingsoda

9. Peel Boiled Eggs More Easily

Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the water your are boiling your eggs in. Not only will this make your eggs much easier to peel it will also reduce the likelihood that you get cracked eggs! Genius!

vinger-for-boiling-eggs

10. Clean Windshield Wiper Blades

When it is raining out do you ever go to turn on your wiper blades to only find that the streaks left behind make it even harder see than the rain did? Instead of buying new blades, try cleaning them with vinegar. Put some vinegar on a wet cloth and wipe down the blades a couple of times, this should help get rid of the streaks left behind by dirty blades

clean-dirty-windshield-wiper-blades-vinegar

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