Saturday, June 22, 2019

Hammock Traction Device For Neck Pain Relief Review

Well here we are again. Time for another product review! This is my second item overview on my blog.

Before we begin, I just want to give a shout out to the folks at VI8. I want to thank them for letting me feature their lovely product and store on my blog. Great communication and friendly! I would highly recommend this store.

Ok, on with the review:

Neck Hammock Cervical Traction Device For Neck Pain Relief And Spinal Decompression (Memory Foam Cushioning With Adjustable Straps, Sleep Mask, And Carry Bag) by AEX















The Unpacking:

This product came in a no-frills plastic bag, with the product code and serial number on it. That's just fine with me, since I'm more interested in what's in the package than the outside. As long as it doesn't get mussed up, it's all good. Everything was in great shape and accounted for.










Handling It Post-Unpacking:

The first thing I noticed was how soft and cushy the fabric on the inside of the head part of the sling was. It was very comfortable and felt like a pillow. The cord for the sling was very thick and felt secure. The plastic fasteners at the end stuck a little when opening and closing but I'm sure with more use that won't be an issue. The carabiner looked  like a typical keychain and it opened and closed the same. The long and short strap were a thin material, but I couldn't gauge their strength until I tried them out. There's nothing overly complicated there.

General Usability and Accessibility (The Important Stuff):

The first thing I noticed right off the bat with this hammock is that it's lower to the ground than I expected. I guess I should have gathered that since I was affixing it to my door knob, that it would be at that level. So a fair warning, if you have a hard time getting up and down from the ground, you may need some help to get everything set up and comfortable. The set up was pretty simple. If you're using the door knob method, use the long strap. Take the loop on the opposite end of the metal hook and put it around the outside door knob. Close the door and wrap the other end a few times around the inside door knob. Make sure to tie it securely, and for most efficient use, and less slack, make sure the metal hook is as close to the door as possible. This will make the distance between the head part of the hammock and the strap shorter. You won't have to have more floor room for this, and again it just seems more secure. Now take the
metal carabiner on the sling cord, without detaching it from the cord, and attach it to the metal hook on the long strap. Then take
the two plastic hooks on the ends of the cord, and attach them to the metal loops at the end of the head rest. Make sure the head rest is positioned so that the side with the most fabric, and less cushion, is on the bottom. This is so when you put your head in, the middle of your head has more support. I assumed this is because it's the heavier part of your head. Also make sure the head rest has the AEX logo on the outside. Now on to actually using this hammock.

I admit it took me a few tries to get positioned correctly. The head rest likes to spin around a bit, and it doesn't sit as flush to the cord, if you hold it behind your head. With more practice, this will be no problem. Once I got my head correctly in the sling, I had to slide away from the door a bit. I got comfortable, and sat there about five minutes. I didn't want to push it, since it was the first time. I would suggest increasing the time gradually. I'm always cautious. As for the sleep mask, it's pretty thin, and wasn't as dark as I'd hoped. I probably wouldn't use it, but wanted to try it out to report on it.

Overall Thoughts and Final Rating:

If you're having neck or shoulder pain, and it's not way too severe, I would suggest this product. If you have a really serious problem, I would, as always, advise going to a doctor. Or if you are a home-health kind of person, then what ever is comparable. The design, ease, and comfort of this hammock are fantastic. It's an easy set up and takes nothing special to use it. All you need is a floor and door with two knobs. I fully endorse this product.

This gets 5 stars! It's very useful without being cumbersome. What more could you want?

If my review was agreeable to you, and you're interested in purchasing the Neck Hammock, please visit the storefront page of my friends at VI8 at VI8 Amazon Storefront.  Please help small businesses and little bloggers like me! When you visit VI8, tell 'em That Snobby Chick sent ya! 

I want to thank you for reading my review. I appreciate any time you took to peruse this post and any other of my posts. I have some more reviews in the works, and am looking for ideas for more non-product posts. Since my first little series is done, I've got to find something new. Again, as I always say, I would love any questions, concerns, or suggestions. All are welcome. I'm hoping to expand here and make something substantial for readers, and of course, myself. I'm looking forward to continuing on. Until next time.

"Good night, and good luck." - Edward R. Murrow








Friday, June 21, 2019

Internet Income Rundown Part 4 (Finale!)

*Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duuuuhhh!* *fanfare continues*

Yay! The last part of my series on internet income! I've had a great time finding a simple and concise way to summarize the best ways I know how to make some beer money. I'm just hoping my experience will be a great tool for someone who is hanging on, or just wants to tuck money away for a rainy day, or even just to buy that Amazon Echo they've been eyeing. I'm sure I'll find more inventive and profitable ways to scrounge up some income from the internet. Everyone needs some help with a project, sometimes. It's all about finding those people who need you. I will keep chugging along, and keep refining the original list. Here goes with the last part:

Swagbucks:

This program is another popular one that I'm sure most people in the business of finding online work are familiar with. As far as these kinds of sites go, I would venture to say that Swagbucks is among the very best. It offers videos, surveys, sign up offers, a search feature, coupons, sweepstakes, live trivia, games, and their own version of bingo, called Swago. There is a small amount of surveys, but there seems no end to the videos and offers. There are no caps on video watching, as far as I can tell. There are promos on offers from certain affiliates intermittently and they are pretty generous. Their social media offers bonus Swagbucks several times a day. They also have several apps exclusively for live trivia, videos, and surveys/receipts. There's a daily check list, and if you complete certain tasks, you get extra SBs (Swagbucks-the site's currency). I always find something to do on this site.

The minimum payout is 200 SBs, which is equal to $2.00. You can redeem the lowest amounts for data credits from Verizon and AT&T. Amazon and Dunkin Donuts start at 300 SBs which are equal to $3.00. There are lots of different gift cards from Starbucks, Macy's, Sam's Club, etc. There are also options for Virtual Visa gift cards, and PayPal, which starts at $25.00. There are always discounts for gift cards too, which is a nice little incentive.

Since I started actively using Swagbucks two months ago, I've made $50.00. It hasn't felt like I've had to make a big effort to earn, especially concerning the videos. The videos available on the browser site will just keep streaming on autoplay. You typically earn 1 or 2 SB, depending on amount of videos and length of playlist. I've made about 5 SB in an hour. It's not much, but compared to InstaGC, it's decent. This is the easiest passive income I've come across. This is another program that I would highly recommend. The only negative I can say is that when you redeem a Visa card specifically, there is a few days wait after to receive your reward. This is definitely in my top 3. There is a referral program in place, although I'm not sure what they are offering for sign up bonuses these days. It was 100 SB when I first started. To try this site out, check this: Swagbucks Referral Code

UserTesting:

UserTesting is by far the most profitable of the sources I've tried. This is a program that helps companies test websites, apps, and software by providing them "Users" to try out their products. There is an application process, a demographics profile, and a trial test to determine whether an applicant is eligible to participate. After your first test, there is a one week waiting period in which you can't do any other tests. Once you receive the results of the first test, which UserTesting employees have graded, you will get paid and find out if you have what it takes to continue on the platform. The process of testing goes like this: you log into your dashboard, and opportunities to test pop up. You take a survey to see if you qualify. If you qualify, and it's your first time, you need to download a screen recorder provided to you free of charge. You also must give the recorder access to your microphone, and on rare occasions, your webcam or phone camera. While looking at the website or program the tester gives you to review, you must keep giving commentary. There are questions provided on the interface, and some you type in and others you just talk. Even when you type, you need to talk, and answer with your voice. Constant commentary is a must with this site. Most tests take 20 minutes. I've had ones as short as 10 minutes and ones as long as 30 minutes. The site gives testers the chance to rate you out of five stars, or provide comments. It doesn't seem to be mandatory, because I've only been rated on a few tests. The whole process is done remotely.

There is no minimum payout. You normally get paid $10.00 for completing a test, but there are opportunities to participate in live 60 minute interviews over the phone or video conference, which you will get paid $60.00. You receive payment through PayPal, exactly a week to the minute after a test is completed. So far, I've never had a payment be late and I've always gotten paid for any test I completed.

Since I took my first test a month ago, I've made $115.00 ($5.00 was a reimbursement for a test that failed to upload, but I had completed). Like I said, this has been the most lucrative of all the ventures I've tried. It seems, from what I've read, that availability of surveys you're able take depends on your demographics and survey qualification answers. I probably get approved for 10% of the tests I try to qualify for. The convenient thing about this program is that you can use your computer, and there's an app available. It operates on Android phones and tablets, but I'm not sure about iPhones, since I don't own one. There seems to be tests that you can take on your tablet, but when there's one available on the site and I check my tablet, it never shows up. Only phone tests show up on my tablet. This is my only complaint about this site, and it's so minor, that it doesn't even faze me. This is my number one choice for internet income, hands down. If my experience with this site stays this way, I don't see that changing, unless something better comes along. I just don't see that happening. Unfortunately, there is no referral program at this time, but if you have the right set of skills and qualifications, it's not necessary.

Respondent:

This site works very similarly to UserTesting. The differences are that there are less surveys, and the application process for tests is more specific. The application process consists of signing up with your email, and completing a profile with your demographics. You take surveys to determine whether you qualify for a study or not. When you finish a survey, a percentage is shown that shows how qualified you are for the test. You don't take the test right away. You have to wait for the respondent to choose you. The surveys consist of two to twenty plus questions. The test process will vary, ranging from testing websites, focus groups, in person studies, in home studies, long term diaries, product testing, etc. The length of study and pay also vary. The studies can range from five minutes to four hours. Sometimes the longer studies are broken up in to different parts. The pay ranges from $5.00 to over $300.00. The high paying tests require someone in a specialized profession or with a very specific hobby. 

There is no minimum payout. Respondent charges a fee of 5% or a $1.00 minimum. You receive payment through PayPal. Respondents can message you on the platform and you receive a text or email when you are picked for a test. Approval to participate is communicated at an undetermined time. Once you finish the test, the respondent has to approve the test, then you have to be more proactive to keep in contact with them to receive your payment. Once your payment is approved, it takes about a week to receive. I am not a fan of how erratic this process is. I feel I can trust I will get paid, but when I get paid is more my concern. 

I have only participated in one test. It was a 20 minute website test with commentary (just like UserTesting), and I received $20.00 (minus the site's fee). I have taken lots of surveys, and I've only been approved once. When a survey you answered is no longer available, it will disappear from your dashboard. I have some surveys from a year ago still sitting there, and I have high percentages of qualifications. The site isn't very transparent on this selection process. I am going to investigate further. The program is legitimate, as far as receiving payment goes though. There is a referral program. If you'd like to sign up and see if you have better luck than I, click this link: Respondent Referral Code.

Upwork:

Upwork is different from the others I've tried. It's a network for freelancers, and clients and agencies looking for freelancers. There are all sorts of jobs available. There are listings for customer service, technical support, writing, coding, editing, marketing, and I've even seen warehouse jobs, although those kind of jobs are very rare. Basically, any white collar job with contracts, instead of regular employment, is available here. As a freelancer, you must apply and be accepted to use the platform. This consists of a questionnaire about your work experience and skills. I was accepted within 24 hours, and I don't have as much experience with the work that is offered on the site, which is encouraging. As a new freelancer, you start off with a free membership but can upgrade. With the free account, you receive 20 "connects" for free to start. You use "connects" to submit proposals to job listings. Depending on the scope of the project, and expertise needed, the amount of connects varies. Most of the jobs I've submitted to were two connects, which seems to be the lowest amount to bid. You can search for projects by keywords or filtering by length of project, rate of pay and frequency of pay, expertise level (entry level, intermediate level, and expert level), whether the client is verified, and so on. You must fill out a profile and specify your skills so clients can gauge your ability to do the work you propose. There are also specialized profiles you can put together, in case you have a few different types of skills. You can also take tests to show your proficiency in lots of different topics. You have the choice to display these results on your profile page. If you score 80% or above, I would definitely recommend posting them. I'm not sure what the waiting period is for retakes, if you're unhappy with your grade, but you can redo any test.

There is no minimum payout. You can receive payment through direct deposit, wire transfer, or PayPal (there are fees associated with this one). Upwork works as the middle man between you and your client. All funds for projects are filtered through Upwork, and your are paid by Upwork. At the beginning, their share is 20%, and you receive 80% of the project pay. Their cut goes down, the more money you make over time. Project pay varies, as well as contract lengths, etc. You and your client enter in to a contract, whenever you submit a proposal and bid and are accepted for the job. Clients can also invite a freelancer but the freelancer still has to submit a proposal. You communicate with your client through chat, and you receive a preset amount of milestones. Each milestone may have a dollar value, and when you finish that milestone, you receive payment for it. Payments take a couple of days to post, and another couple of days to withdraw to your chosen payment method. There is also an option for auto deposit, but you must have a minimum of $100.00 and you have to designate a certain day of the week. You must also fill out a tax form as an independent contractor to participate. This site has good security and there is a 2 step verification process in place.

As far as my own experience using this platform, it has had mixed results. I have submitted eight proposals to clients who advertised, and received one invite from one that reached out to me. Of the eight proposals I've submitted, I was hired by three clients. Two were for product testing and the other was for writing a few blurbs. I have so far finished the first product test, and that was a positive experience. And I have worked with the third client on a few different short writing jobs. She has contacted me a few times for new work, and my experience with her has been great. It's sporadic, but she's reliable. The second product test is scheduled for July, so I have no insight into that project, as far as execution. As far as the communication, the client has been very communicative. The chat feature works as expected, and I've had no problems. When it comes to being accepted or not to do a project, that's where my negative input comes in. It's just a bummer to be rejected, you know? That's not so much a criticism, but I'll admit it's frustrating.

With all the security measures, proposals, contracts, invites, and vetting process, this is a nice way to do a little work in a specialized skill. The negatives are that you have to bid for work, and you have no idea what the other freelancers are bidding (unless you pony up the dough for a premium membership). The commission fee, as well as having a limited amount of bids to use, and having to pay $1.50 for 10 contacts, if you're using the free membership, is discouraging. I've made $40.00 so far. Part of that went to pay for the product to test (but ultimately the product was free), and the survey for it took less than five minutes to complete. I provided seven short write-ups, which took less than two hours and I earned $20. If you have an in demand skill or degree, and want to work as an independent contractor, I would recommend using this service. If you get more projects, than rejections, I would suggest going for a premium membership. I believe it's under $20.00 a month, and if you're making a considerable amount, that doesn't seem too steep. Unfortunately there is no referral program in place, except for word of mouth.

Yahoo Play:

Disclaimer: I am currently in a dispute over an alleged terms of service violation with Yahoo. I will be as fair as I can with this review though.

This program rewards you for watching pop culture short clips, voting, and playing trivia. You receive a certain amount of points per clip, vote, and correct answer. You trade your points for gift cards, and the cards change each week, and sometimes each day. There is a two offer limit every week. Every 1500 points is roughly equal to a $5.00 gift card. Your points reset every week, so you need to redeem them before they expire. Also, you can only earn a maximum of 5000 points a day. This program is only available on the app. You must have a Yahoo email account. You can only have one Yahoo Play account, even if you have multiple email accounts and can only use the app on one device. You can have more accounts and use other devices, but you won't receive points.

There isn't really a minimum payout, as the prizes change every week. The lowest I've seen is 150 points for a coupon for Groupon, or a discount for a Verizon accessory, among others. The highest payout I've seen is for a $50.00 gift card for Foot Locker or Hotels.com, etc. Those take 15,000 points. The prizes reset every day, sometimes a few times a day, and they are in limited quantities. It's very random, and since you can only redeem two a week, the only gift cards I could see being almost a guarantee are those $50.00 gift cards. Other gift cards available regularly are Starbucks, Amazon, Uber, and Kohls, among others. They range in value from $5.00 to $50.00. Sometimes you can redeem a pair of Ray-Bans, socks, or headphones too.

I have earned $35.00 in gift cards. I still have $20.00 pending, due to the dispute. Putting aside my probable bias, this is a very good program. It's probably the most fun and engaging. There are trivia shows, Hot or Not-like votes, and short celebrity news clips. The hosts of the games, news, and clips are fun and engaging. There are also special celebrity appearances, and a dating game where you can basically bet on the participants chemistry. The prizes are, for the most part, pretty good. The coupons seem like a waste of points though, unless you couldn't play but a few minutes one day in the week, then at least there's a consolation prize. The biggest caveats are definitely the two prize limit, points expiring every week, limited amounts of prizes, and the 5000 point cap per day. I tried a few times to get to 5000 points in a day and never quite made it, so unless you have hours and hours to do it, it probably won't happen. You have a potential to earn 35,000 points a week, but since the highest value prize I've seen is 15,000 points, there's no reason to try to earn that maximum. As far as my partially negative experience, I'm not the only one who's had issues. I've read of others being suspended out of the blue. I'm not sure if these problems have been resolved. That is my warning: be prepared for at-will suspension. There is a chance of it happening. It's such a shame that this program seems to have the harshest penalty, because like I said, it's the most fun one I've used. Maybe it's just too good to be true. I would still recommend it, because I did get paid. Even if it wasn't half the time. Just be careful!


So there you have it, 21 tested internet income sources that pay out. I will make a post in the future featuring my payment proof. I just wanted to mention other programs I'm involved in, but I haven't seen any money from yet:

- 1Q (random surveys sent to your mobile device. This is the only one here that I haven't submitted               anything to)
- McMoney (randomized texts sent to your phone. You get paid six cents a text. Payout is $6.00. I've                       earned almost $5.00)
- Capterra (paid review for computer software. My review is still pending.)
- Canview (product sent to your address that you test. After a week, answer a survey. Receive a                        $5.00 Amazon gift card a week after the survey.)

There are also affiliate programs for blogs and social media accounts, Google Adsense, writing collectives, book clubs, free box clubs, etc. These are ones I'm going to explore further and report back when I have more concrete information.

I will be releasing a new product review tonight or early Saturday. I'm thrilled to be doing another review, and hope this is the start of more. I really really hope this information has been helpful to you. Please comment if you have suggestions or questions. Please let your friends and online contacts know about my blog. Just spread the word, if you can! I would be eternally grateful!

"Take care of yourselves, and each other!" - Jerry Springer

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Internet Income Rundown Part 3

Hiya! It's time once again for me to review some sites and apps I have used to make a little extra dough. This is part three and I'm planning on one more part after this, which I may release right after this one. We'll see. Anyhow, here's some more information on sources of income that actually do pay out. Reminder: these only offer small amounts of money. No getting rich quick! Let's continue, shall we?


Shopkick:

This is another app that I would put in the strictly phone category. They have a site, but for the purposes of what this program does, I would strongly suggest using your phone. This site rewards you for checking in at select stores, scanning select receipts, and scanning select items in store. You can also attach several online shopping accounts to the app and you will receive Kicks (Shopkick currency) for every dollar you spend. The amount of Kicks vary depending on store and promos. Be warned, it can take more than two months for the Kicks earned through online sites to post to your account. You can also watch short clips to earn a few Kicks here and there.

The minimum reward offered is a $2.00 gift certificate from Walmart, Target, and other retailers. You can also redeem your Kicks for higher amounts from ebay, Nike, Lowe's and Papa John's, to name a few. If you manage to accumulate 1.9 million Kicks, you can even get a Vespa! Each $2.00 gift certificate is worth 500 Kicks. Daily videos (which usually are the same three) are worth one Kick each. The other videos offered show up at random, and are usually worth between three and five Kicks. Make sure your location is enabled, so when you arrive at a qualified retailer, you'll get 10 kicks. Sometimes there are promos in which some retailers are worth more Kicks when checking in. Kicks earned in store and purchased item scans are worth various amounts. There is a wide selection of merchants available on this app.

I have used this app off and on for over three years, and I've only made about 6700 Kicks (equivalent to over $13.00). It's not much, but if you have a job like I used to have, which requires lots of driving to lots of different stores, this app can prove quite helpful. It seems there have been more opportunities added to the app in the last two years, of which I personally couldn't take advantage. But maybe you can! If you'd like 250 Kicks to start (available by checking in at a participating store within seven days of signing up), here's a referral code to get you started: KIND368873.

Google Rewards:

I'm sure most people are familiar with this one, because, hey, it's Google, right? If not, here's the main points. It works quite a bit like Panel App, except you only get short surveys (two to five questions) based on places you've visited. There's no passive points given. And again, the surveys seem random and you don't receive points from everywhere you go. The points are given as cents and dollars (although I've never seen more than 30 cents per survey). Location services for this app, as with some others, is very crucial.

There is no minimum payout. The points are used as credit towards purchases on Google Play. This includes: games, apps, books, music, movies, and even in-game purchases. If you use lots of apps, or play lots of games, this is a great program. Also, it's satisfying to be able to find an e-book or movie you like and have the full amount in Google Reward points. The one downside is that your credits expire after one year and of course you can only use them on Google Play.

I have been using this app for about three years, and have made $60.00. If you don't travel, or go anywhere new very often, you won't earn as much. Also, your Rewards account is connected to your Google account. If you leave your main device at home, and bring a secondary device with you out and about and you're logged into your Google account, you can still receive surveys. I like this feature very much. It's so convenient. Unfortunately, as far as I know, there are no referral incentives. If there is one, please clue me in!

Prolific:

This site is available on PC, phone, and tablet. As far as I know, there is no app available. It lets you know what opportunities are available for which device, which is great. This site offers surveys and studies, like most other sites on my list. The difference is that the payouts are better, but there are fewer studies. Most surveys are worth between £0.15 and £0.25 a minute. I like the surveys offered here, because you don't have to spend time trying to get qualified. Sometimes the survey is just a qualification, but you always get paid to do it. The only caveat is filling out a demographics questionnaire. Luckily, it doesn't take long, but you need to update it every once in awhile.

The minimum payout is £5.00, and can be transferred to a PayPal or Payoneer account.

I have used this site for almost three months, and have earned around £50.00. This is another site where there doesn't seem to be a referral program in place. If anyone knows if there is, please let me know!

InstaGC:

InstaGC is another program that doesn't have an app attached to it at this time. This site is pretty much the same as InboxDollars, featuring surveys, videos, and offers. It's also been around almost as long. The points are worth one cent per one point.You earn one cent for every 20 videos streamed on InstaGC's main site. The lengths of clips vary from 30 seconds to over five minutes, although there hasn't been the longer videos in awhile, thankfully. There are affiliates on the site that also offer video streaming. The rewards vary depending on the affiliate. I recommend Hideout TV. I've not had any problems getting videos and ads to play. On these sites, you have to watch the ads to earn the points. There are several affiliates to choose from, so there's something for everyone. They also offer sweepstakes, games (from an outside affiliate, but you need to pay to play those), and you receive bonus points each week depending on how many tasks you accomplish on the site.

The minimum payout is $1.00, and is available in the form of lots of different gift certificates. I think Amazon is the only one with that minimum though. This site offers several different ways to cash out. You can have it direct deposited, in the form of a gift card, in the form of a Visa prepaid card, or PayPal. The PayPal option isn't available until you have earned and redeemed $50.00 in any form. From what I understand, the minimum payout for PayPal is also $1.00.

I've been a member of this site for almost three months, and have accumulated $45.00. I have redeemed through Visa cards exclusively. If you want to cash out over $25.00 on to a Visa card, it may take a few days to receive. Lower amounts are almost immediate. To get started, and earn 10 points to begin, click this link: www.instagc.com/ThatSnobbyChick.

Gain.gg: 

This site offers the same features as InstaGC, minus the sweepstakes and games options. The difference is that there are far less offers, and more surveys. The conversion rate on Hideout TV is a bit higher on here as well. Every 10 points is worth one cent. I haven't tried out the other video sites offered here, so I couldn't gauge the quality. There is a Steam group available to join, for which you'll earn 50 points. It's not very active, but is an option if you like the social aspect. They have a chat compartment on the main site as well.

There is no minimum payout, just like QMee. That makes this site very attractive. Unfortunately, with less choice in activities, I feel there isn't as much to earn.The cash out options are PayPal, and various Bitcoin currency. I'm not at all familiar with Bitcoin, so again I can't comment on that process. For sure, PayPal has no minimum payout. The only caveat is that when you want to initiate your first payout, an administrator has to approve your request. After the first time, deposits are almost immediate.

I've been using this program for a little under two months, and have only cashed out about $6.00. I use this site to cash out my Hideout TV points. I've been squirreling away those points, and have about $5.00 saved up. If you'd like to sign up and receive 100 points upon joining, here's a referral link: Gain.gg Referral Code.

Hideout TV: (Bonus Review!)

I figured since I had just mentioned Hideout TV twice in this part, I should probably do a quick summary. This is a site that partners with various programs that offer members points for participating in various tasks. I have it attached to my InstaGC and Gain.gg accounts. It's one of the better video streaming services to earn cash that I've found. It features up and coming streamers and vloggers, and has a good selection of videos. It's available on your computer, phone, and Amazon Fire TV. There is an Amazon app available, but it only shows ads on Amazon Fire. It will stream on your phone or tablet, but you won't see ads and won't receive points.

You receive three points for every ad seen. Ads occur about every two minutes, but it depends on the video. Sometimes it's a longer period in between. You have to watch the whole ad to receive your points (no "skip ad" allowed!), and they suggest having your device unmuted to earn maximum amounts. I haven't seen much of a difference either way, but I would err on the side of caution, and just do it. It can't hurt. They have a Facebook page and you can receive updates from the site itself, which comes in handy, because they are constantly offering free points. You also get a code to redeem after you watch your first ad for the day. On a good day, I can redeem around 60 points, which is equivalent to around seven cents. Not bad!

I've been cashing out my Hideout points on Gain.gg, and they are worth 10 points (which is equal to one cent) per eight Hideout points, which is equivalent to a little less than three ads. To break that down: (roughly) 3 ads = 8 Hideout points = 10 Gain.gg points = one cent. If you're lucky, that's one cent every six minutes. This is the best rate I have seen thus far and there's seemingly no limit to how many videos you can watch in any given time frame. To get started with Hideout TV, click this link:Hideout TV.


Thanks for checking out the latest part of my Internet Income Rundown series! I sure hope these methods will work for you too. The next part will be the last part, and it will be available very soon. I'm in the process of working on another review for a Testzon seller, and am still bidding on sponsors and affiliates. I'm not terribly good at marketing my concepts here on my blog, but if you don't try, you can't accomplish anything. I've also applied for a few writing sites, but the opportunities through those companies are few and far apart. If you have any suggestions, ideas, questions, or criticisms, please comment here. I'm open to discussions, debates, and what have you. I welcome them, actually! Please stay tuned for the content I have coming up!

Catch you later!



Monday, June 17, 2019

My First Product Review - LED Magnifying Glass

Time for my first review! I'm so excited to show you guys what I got!

To start off, I want to thank my friends at Ms Story, for letting me feature their product and store on my blog. Their customer support email is best_time_vip@163.com if you want to join their VIP program or have any questions. So, without further ado, here's my review:

8 LED Dual-circuit Desktop Hand-held Folding Magnifier

The Unpacking:

The magnifier came in a basic but durable packaging. All components were present and unbroken. Everything was wrapped separately in plastic, and the USB cord was wound up neatly with a tie. Our first impressions are positive!



Handling It Post-Unpacking:

The material of the magnifier itself is made of plastic, including the handle and lens. It doesn't feel too light or too heavy, just right. It's comfortable to hold and move. Although it has a simple design, it isn't cheaply made and feels very substantial. I have small hands and had no difficulty holding and maneuvering this, and I'm sure all hand sizes would be just fine with the mechanics.























General Usability and Accessibility (The Important Stuff)


The first thing you'll notice is there are two options to power this baby up: batteries and USB cord. If you want to be more mobile, you'll need 2 AAA batteries to run the magnifier. These are not included, but they're a very common battery, so finding quality ones shouldn't be hard at all. As for my purposes, the USB cord is the best option. It doesn't use the cord to charge. It's just like any other corded device with no internal battery. Of course, you need to plug it into the correct USB port, but again, this is a very common cable, so there should be no issues here. I hooked it right up to my laptop and I had no issues. When I pressed the button, it clicked right on.

Now on to the gadget itself. Right off the bat, there's great news here. You can just use this as a regular old magnifying glass, if you want to or need to. But what's the fun in that? To turn the lights on, you just press the black button under the lens. It doesn't need to be held, it just stays on. There are 2 light settings: bright and brighter. When you turn it on, the bright option is first. All you have to do is just push the button again, and you get the brighter option. To be honest, I didn't see a huge difference in the light brightness settings. It's noticeable, but not crazy noticeable. Either setting made it super easy for me to see what I was reading. This is a very good magnifying glass, lights or no.

As far as accessibility, I found it to be pretty good. It comes with a built-in stand. It's a little less durable than I would like, but it does do what it should. The stand is nicely integrated into the base of the magnifier. In fact, before I really examined the box and instructions, I didn't even notice the stand! Whoever designed this did a great job with that stealth factor.












Overall Thoughts and Final Rating:

If you have vision problems, or just need to see something close up, this is a great product. I totally recommend it. The design, durability, and function all work great. It's convenient with it's power options and is portable enough to take anywhere.

This is getting 5 stars! Awesome magnifier!

If you liked my review and want to purchase this product for yourself, please visit my friends at Ms Story on Amazon. The generous folks over there gave me a 50% discount code to share with my readers. Click this link: https://amazon.com/gp/mpc/A3MIXSB5OTENWF and enter the promo code 50KJ2R47. This is good towards anything in Ms Story's shop. It's good from 6/17/2019 at 1pm PDT to 6/27/2019 at 11:59 PDT. Please help support a small business and help me help a small business. I would very much appreciate it.

Thank you for checking out my review, and I'll be back very soon with the conclusion of my Internet Income Rundown series. Ciao!


Pre Product Review Yadda Yadda Yadda

Hi, everybody! I want to use my blog to help others by writing summaries of internet income sources. These sources are very accessible. You're using an internet connection to read this, so you can use it to make a little extra money. I am not an expert, but I have some insight, and I think advice is always helpful. I realized this week that I could use this platform to help others and help myself too. In the end, being altruistic isn't my only goal. Of course, I'd like to make a little more profit, just like anyone else. I wouldn't be trying to earn extra income by doing surveys, lending my smartphone as a way for other companies to make money, or doing repetitive tasks to give businesses the data they need to further their ventures. I am using the same resources that I'm backing here. I am you, in essence.

In that spirit, I have expanded my methods of earning money by helping small businesses. The route I am choosing and experimenting with is going to be doing sporadic reviews of products for sellers. I can give them a hand up and that will also give me a hand up. I use a myriad of products and services, just like anyone else. I know most of us find overviews and opinions vital in our decision as to whether we want to purchase an item or service. There are many small businesses that need advertising and analysis of their products, and I am more than happy to do that. If you know a small business who needs some advertising by a real person, or you are a small business who needs some advertising by a real person, leave me a comment at any time.

I am a new member on Testzon, a website that offers free and discounted products. This gives consumers and reviewers a chance to try out items for a small business. The original business model seems to be that these reviews would be Amazon reviews. As an unspoken agreement, those reviews would be positive. This didn't sound right to me. After doing some research, I discovered that these kinds of reviews are tricky, and may violate Amazon's Terms of Service. I decided that I can offer my reviews on my own blog, and put a link in the review for the Amazon product. I don't know enough about the law to make a judgement on whether promoting a product or service with a review is ethical or not. I am going to delve deeper into that process, as I go along. For now, I'm going to err on the side of caution and keep my reviewing to this outlet. If I find I am mistaken, I will add the review to the product page. If anyone has better information on this subject, please don't hesitate to reach out!

I will be testing a product tonight. I am going to give an honest and solid written review and will be showing pictures of various stages of using the product. I just wanted to write a preamble in anticipation for this event. Please stay tuned to my next post, which should be released within the next 24 hours. Also, I will be finishing up my Internet Income Rundown series this week.

Thanks for reading!

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Internet Income Rundown Part 2

I want to get more on a regular posting schedule here. I am now convinced that I should finish this series in succession, as opposed to spacing the posts apart. I have some things in the works, and I get very scatterbrained, and I have a feeling that being more organized would make my blog be more consistent. I want to offer advice and a service to you, the reader. I found blurbs from other bloggers on this subject to be invaluable, and paying it forward seems appropriate.

Amazon Mechanical Turk

Among internet money seekers, this site is probably one of the most well known. MTurk, as it's affectionately abbreviated as by users, offers micro tasks. Micro tasks are small jobs referred to as HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks). The requesters use this platform to have people check up on automated tasks, or to do simple tasks that A.I. hasn't quite caught up with. I always think of this site as a virtual "factory" where MTurkers work on an "assembly line". From basic data entry to the obligatory survey, MTurk offers a spectrum of tasks best left to humans. Most of the payouts are very minimal, starting at 1 cent to do a 1 minute job. If you get on a good clip of copying receipts or transcribing hand written notes, you can make about 2 dollars an hour. I know that's not much, but if you're just zoning out watching Netflix, these tasks take no effort. Of course, there are also opportunities to do higher paying HITs which require specialties. If you have a degree or are an expert in a field, you can take Qualification Tests, which will qualify you for more niche jobs and studies.

The minimum payout here is $1.00, which must be transferred to an Amazon Payments account. You can link a bank account, and when the transfer from MTurk is done, you can transfer to your bank. Funds will be available in your bank within 5 days, but I usually have it in 2 days. You can also just use your Amazon Payments account balance like gift cards, and buy items off Amazon. As far as I've seen, these are the only two choices for payout.

I've used this site off and on for almost 6 years, and have made about $200.00, in total. The last $60.00 I've made have been just in the last 3 months, since I haven't had to leave the house to do any work. It does get monotonous, or just surveys may be available, which you can sometimes get paid better for doing on other sites. If you want the mix of repetition and surveys, this site is for you. By the way, you can access this site through your browser on your PC, phone, or tablet. For optimal use, I recommend using a computer. I haven't heard any news of an app yet, but I'm hoping this might be implemented.

    
This is an app you can install on your phone or tablet, and you receive a small amount of points automatically every day. It's only available on mobile, as far as I know. Probably because it uses your location.There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to how many points it divvies out. Where you make the most points is when you go run errands or travel, because the app will ask you a few short questions about where you went. It seems to be random, and it won't ask you about the same place every single day. Every 2000 points is worth $1.00.

The minimum payout is 2000 points, which will yield a $1.00 Amazon gift card. The app offers gift cards from Amazon, Visa, Walmart, and Google Play. You can also enter various sweepstakes for nominal points. There is also a sweepstakes you can enter free each month. 

I have been using this app for around 3 years, and have made around $30 in Amazon gift cards. I used to drive a whole lot in a previous job, and I got several surveys a day. I rarely get them anymore. If you travel or drive for work, this is a more profitable app.

I have a referral code, but I'm not sure what they offer now for a beginner. It was 1000 points when I signed on, so I'm assuming that is still the rate. : Panel App Referral Link


You can use this site through the app on mobile or tablet, or on PC. This is another run-of-the-mill survey site. I found that I didn't get nearly as many survey opportunities as other sites. Most surveys pay out $1.00, but again, there aren't many offered. A nice thing it offers though is a 10 cent consolation prize if you try to qualify for a survey, and don't get approved. This only works for maybe 5 tries. There's really nothing different about these surveys. If you're familiar with other sites, this is par for the course.

The minimum payout for this program is in the form of a $10 gift card. I've always gotten Amazon gift cards, but I've heard that a different card may be offered in different areas. I'm in the United States, so if you live outside my country, they may offer something else.

I have been using this app off and on for over 3 years and have made about $40.00 in Amazon gift cards. I have been hearing that Quick Thoughts has been arbitrarily suspending people's accounts, but I have had no problem in that department. That's just some advice I wanted to give, so be advised that this may be a risk upon using the app. Also, there is no sign up bonus or referral program in place.

Perk Apps

This is a group of apps that I honestly would only recommend if you have a good internet connection for videos, and like scratching tickets almost endlessly. The best app of these is the trivia app. It's fun but the pay out is so minimal. For every multiple choice question you get right, you get roughly 1 point. Each 3000 points is worth $3.00.

The minimum payout is a 25 cent Amazon gift card for 500 points. They also offer a Perk brand cash card, which is available at 3000 points for $3.00. They also offer sweepstakes, and the scratch cards give chances to win various gift cards. The gift cards available include Starbucks, Amazon, Home Depot, etc. They also have PayPal available.

I used the trivia app, the TV app, and the scratcher app for about 2 months off and on. I only made enough points to get a $2.00 Amazon gift card. I don't have a great internet connection, and couldn't take advantage of the videos, so maybe others will have a better time with it. I had to uninstall it because it was not advantageous at all. I'm still mentioning it because I have heard that some people have made an okay profit with it.

Apps That Pay You To Play Other Apps

I have used 4 variations of this kind of app: AppLike, Fitplay, Coin Pop, and Mistplay. I have had mixed results with these.

AppLike is the one I started off with, but I no longer use it, because it just kind of disappeared. I can't reach anyone from their support. It's too bad, because I made $35 in the span of two years. They offered PayPal too, which was great. It's not available now, but worth the mention.

Fitplay apparently is under the same umbrella as AppLike. It is still available now. It's an app that gives you coins for downloading and playing recommended games and using certain apps. You have to be a new user to the apps provided for them to show up as an option. As you keep using the paid apps, the profits go down. The minimum payout is 4999 points which equals 50 cents from PayPal. They also offer Amazon and Steam gift cards, among others. When you sign up you automatically get 4444 points. I've had no problems with payouts with this app. I've been using it for about a year and have made $10.00. They have a referral program where for every person you refer who installs and uses the app, you get 250 coins, plus 25 % of their lifetime earnings. The referred person also gets 25 % of their friend's earnings. Here's a link to begin with your 4444 coins and 25 % of my earnings : Fitplay Referral Link

Coin Pop is pretty much just a clone of Fitplay and AppLike. It may be the same company, but I'm not sure. They offer different apps than the other two, so it's nice to get that variety. The minimum payout is also 4999 points which equals a 50 cent PayPal credit. They offer the same gift cards too. Some gift cards include: Chipotle, GameStop, and IHOP, to name a few. You also receive 4444 coins upon signing up. The referral program works exactly like Fitplay. To sign up and receive the 4444 coins and 25 % bonus, go to this link: Coin Pop Referral Link.

The newest app I've utilized is Mistplay. It is different from the others as there are definitely more apps, and it seems the points and experience are more transparent. You can view your progress in a circle ticker around the level number. You automatically are given a mix list of games, but you can download any that are on the dashboard. There is a mixture of all the apps I've seen on the other three apps. So far it seems you can earn a lot quicker with this. I've had it for 2 months, and have already made $20. The nice thing is that some of the games offered are ones I've played before and I can use the same account. I have picked back up on several games that I lost interest in, which is a very nice incentive just on it's own. This app is more social than the others, as they have a chat option, and you can follow others. You can see others stats, including games they play, which may give you ideas for new games to try. The minimum payout is 400 points which is equivalent to a 50 cent Amazon gift card. They also offer Visa Virtual gift cards, and have just added Google Play, Playstation, XBox, GameStop, Apple, Nintendo, and Starbucks cards. You can also use your points to purchase cool avatars for your profile. Here's a link to begin with 50 points: Mistplay Referral Link.

Out of these 4, I would definitely recommend Mistplay over the others. The one down side is that it takes more battery to run, as it has to display over other apps. You can always disable it though while not playing. I haven't seen any problems in doing that. It's the most fun, most versatile, and I've made more profit more quickly than others. Not to mention, I don't feel like I HAVE to play. I can enjoy myself.


Well, that's another section of my internet income list. I still have 10 to go and I'll probably break that up into 2 more parts. I'm finding it therapeutic to give these somewhat thorough reviews of these sources of profit that many people may not know about. Again, you won't get rich, but it's nice to know if you need gas money, or need to buy lunch, you might have a little bit of money tucked away. I try to just forget about having a balance on some of these sites sometimes, and then it's like a little surprise. I don't do that very often though anymore as I've been trying to keep track and be more organized lately. I just started a blog on Wordpress, but it's in progress. I haven't posted a proper entry yet. The site is thatsnobbychick.000webhostapp.com, if you want to check it out. I'm planning to migrate this blog there, or that blog here. I haven't decided yet. Anyways, enjoy my list, and maybe make a few bucks.

Byeee!!















Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Internet Income Rundown Part 1

After taking a hiatus to really muse over what I want this blog to be about, and still contemplating, I figured I should follow-up with my last entry. I have been using various sites to earn a little beer money, and lately actual income. Here's a rundown of the ones that actually pay out.


This site is actually an app for your phone or tablet. You download it and it runs in the background and you get paid 5 points a day just for having it installed. If you enable the survey booster, surveys will be available at random increments. The payouts for these are pretty typical, about 3 to 10 cents a minute. The nice thing is that the app also tells you what percentage chance you would have to be qualified for the survey, so if you think it would be a waste of time, then at least you have some idea. 

The minimum payout is 150 points (that's for a $1.00 Amazon gift card). There are many gift cards to choose from such as a Virtual Visa Card, Red Robin, Target, and Starbucks. Most minimum payouts on these are usually 500 points ($5.00). The only downside is that they don't offer PayPal.

I have been using this app on 2 different phones, one for the last year and half, and the other about 6 months. I've made about $100 using this method. Mind you, when I first got this app, all it offered was the daily 5 points and referral points. Now someone would have a much easier time making more money.

Here's a referral code to get you started  (I'm not sure how much you'll get, because they change it quite a bit, but I would say it's going to be at least 200 points): Mobile Performance Meter Referral Code

    
This is another app for phone or tablet, but is also available on PC. The site offers surveys and some discounts. The surveys are the more lucrative choice, but there are a few discounts I saw that were decent. When you do the daily poll or answer at least one survey each day, after 5 days, you get a 10% bonus for every survey you complete. If you skip a day, then the count starts again. The payouts on these surveys are typical again about 3 to 10 cents a minute.

There is no minimum payout, and they offer PayPal. There are also gift cards available, but I haven't been able to access them, as I try to look at them after I cash out my account.

I have been using this app for 2 months, and I have made $44.00. I don't use it every day, but I feel like anybody could make more than that, if they are more diligent.

Here's a referral code for 50 cents to get you started : QMee Referral Code


This is a podcast player that pays you to listen to any podcast. It's an app available on phones and tablets. You get paid 1 point per 10 minutes your first day. After a 2 day streak, you get double points for every day you use it. If you miss a day, then the points go back to 1 point per 10 minutes. They offer featured podcasts that pay 1.5 points without the streak, 2.5 with the streak. There is a daily limit of 6 hours that you get rewarded to play. But you can listen however long you want, you just won't get points.

The minimum payout is 1200 points ($2.00 Amazon gift card). They offer gift cards for Amazon, Target, Starbucks, and also offer big price items, such as headphones. The best deal to me is the $5.00 Amazon cards, because they are only 2000 points. There doesn't seem to be an incentive to save up, unless you want a slight discount on headphones. They also offer lots of options for charity which they put the most emphasis on, which is nice.

I have been using this app on 2 devices, on 2 different accounts. I have been using this app for 2 months, and I have made $20 in Amazon gift cards. If you love podcasts, this is great because you might as well make a few coins while doing something you were going to do anyways.

Here's a referral code for 150 points to get you started : nicolbs7


This is a very well-known site that's been around since 2000. You can access it through computer, phone, or tablet. It offers lots of different ways to earn money, such as surveys, videos, TV Channels, offers, and web search. The surveys payout around the typical 3 to 10 cents a minute, but there are far fewer available compared to other survey sites. This holds true with offers, and pretty much anything else on the site. They have variety but not as much quantity, although you probably won't get as bored just doing one thing. The TV channels are only available on the app, and they payout through a progress bar. It has 3 tiers of scratch offs, and each one offers higher rewards the more you fill it. I have earned a maximum of 15 cents for a full progress bar. There is a finite amount of clips you can watch a day, and I usually go through 3 progress bars, and that takes about 4 hours. And of course, it's not called Inbox Dollars for nothing. You get 2 to 3 emails from them a day. All you do is click a link in the email, and you get more progress on your progress bar. You can also access the emails on the app, which seems easier to me.

You'll receive a $5.00 bonus for signing up, but there's a downside: the minimum payout is $30.00. The rewards can be payed out through check, PayPal, and various gift cards from Amazon, Starbucks, Chili's, etc. As far as PayPal and checks go, they charge a $3.00 service charge. I'm not sure about the gift cards though. Once you initiate your first payout, it takes about 2 weeks to get your reward, and then you need to use the site during that 2 week period to receive your reward. This is very strange to me, and I can see where someone may not want to use this avenue. The plus side is that once you get that first payout, you become a gold member, and then get bonus points depending on what activities you do. 

I've been using this site for 2 months, and have cashed out $42.00 (minus the $3.00 service charge). I have $15.00 in my Inbox Dollars account right now. So, I've accumulated about $60.00, and I only click the emails, do the 4 maximum web searches a day, and max out the TV channels now. I did more at the beginning, but I've taken on more sites, and just keep my account active to slowly chip away at the $30.00 minimum.

Here's a referral code to get you started: Inbox Dollars Referral Code

That's four of the many sources I have been using for internet income. I wanted to be as thorough as I could be, so I am going to divide this up into several parts. I may release them in a row or I might post about something else as a pallet cleanser between each. Like I said, I'm still getting acquainted with what I want to achieve with this blog. I'm going to be experimenting a bit, and see what I like. I'm just hoping I can be of help, and also put my creativity out there. Keeping my fingers crossed. Peace!







Thursday, June 6, 2019

All Da Internet Monies

As mentioned in yesterday's post, I have been trying this working from home thing. It's been about 2 months that I've been actually putting time into it, and I wanted to share my sources of Internet income. Right now I'm just going to make a list, but I am planning on giving more in-depth reviews on each source, and also showing payment proof. But for now, just bare bones. I'm going to list 4 that I've contributed to in which I haven't made anything yet, and then the more lucrative ones after.

Have Yet To See Profit:(will update when something happens)

1Q
McMoney
Capterra
CanView (update: it took almost a month from applying, to receiving, testing for a week, to doing a brief survey, and finally receiving my gift card. The gift card was a $5.00 Amazon gift card. The testing and survey process was super easy. Also, I got a free product, so can't go wrong.)

Update since 6/6/19:

I have a few more things to add to this list:

Clickworker
S'More
Springboard America

Again, I'll update if and when anything comes of these sources.

Ones That Pony Up: (I have proof, will post at a later date)

Mobile Performance Meter
QMee
Podcoin
Inbox Dollars
Amazon Mechanical Turk
Panel App
Quick Thoughts
Perk App
Fitplay
Mistplay
Coin Pop
Shopkick
Google Rewards
Prolific
InstaGC
Gain.gg
Swagbucks
UserTesting
Respondent
Upwork
Yahoo Play App

I just want to stress that none of these are get rich quick schemes. You can make a few hundred dollars a month but as far as I can see, you can't make a living from these. Also, some pay better than others or have lower payout thresholds. Also, from what I've heard, using a blog affiliate might be another option. I'm using LinkFromBlog.com but am awaiting activation. This is another thing I will update when I know more.

Well, that's it for now. I will do a more thorough analysis of each site at a later date. Just wanted to see if this might help someone.














Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Being a Freelancer

I have never done a blog before. Newbie here! Yay!

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love writing but I just never thought anyone would find my words captivating. Then I found myself in a situation where working from home made the most sense. Believe me, I'll get into that in a later post. So I really had to look inside myself. We're talking Roto Rooter, excavation site levels. Writing! But how to utilize it to my advantage?

After much Googling and reading blogs and articles, I realized that I should write. And hopefully make a little scratch doing it. But if not, I could still feel the accomplishment of doing something I like doing for once.
All signs pointed to freelance writing. I put in an application for a freelancing site, wrote a comprehensive profile, did some tests, and threw a net out. It took a few days of submitting proposals and crafting cover letters before I got a response. The first two were product testing. I know, I know, not really writing perse, but I needed a warm up. I've been filling out surveys and doing a little market research, and I knew that these projects would do nothing but help.

The day after I was offered these projects, I received an offer to do some copywriting. I have no experience with this. I dabble in poetry, short stories, and prose. But, hey, I figured I'd give it a shot. And I am glad I did! I've done about 4 blurbs for this client, and I'm getting some much needed training and criticism. Apparently, I'm not too shabby with this writing thing. Now I can say I'm a freelance writer!
I started this blog so I can hone my skills, voice my opinions, review some cool stuff, and analyze the things I'm the most snobby about. So get ready for the snobbiness to begin.