Repost and the things I have earned.

A few people have asked what I have written to companies. I wrote a blog entry in the beginning to this blog with a few tips. It is located here and I have learned quite a few things in the process.

1. UPS will always come when you take a shower in the middle of the day and forget to bring clothes into the bathroom accross the house. If you are waiting for a package this is sure fire way to trigger it to come. It often results in hiding until you are sure the truck has left and then a run through the house to find clothes.
   
2. Companies often don't tell you they are sending something, they like to surprise you.
   
3. Companies also like to get a thank you email when they sending you something free, it often results in being remembered by them in a good way.
   
4. It only takes a few minutes a day to email companies
5. Walmart is usually the most stressful place when you are redeeming coupons. If you do it in Johnstown. The other Walmarts in the area are better staffed and cheaper than Johnstown.
   
6. The companies usually have cycles of when they will send you coupons again. Sending up Google Calendar to remind you is wonderful!
   
7. Even bargain hunters are surprised I get so many good coupons for complimenting companies! I hardly ever complain
   
8. Karma pays off. If you have a good experience at a store call and compliment the staff, they appreciate it in an often Thankless job.
9. More on Karma. Sometimes I randomly have coupons sent to my inlaws or parents. I ask the companies to send to them and explain its my parents or inlaws and they don't use computers often. I haven't told them its me having coupons sent to them. My Mother has figured it out, my Mother in Law has not ;) Shh... Brother and Sister in laws if you are reading!
10. If there are coupons I am not going to use I often do a Random Act of Kindness or RAOK . If I have the address of someone and know they use a product I randomly send it to people. Especially formula coupons !
11. Little Surveys add up and if you earn less than $600 dollars per year from a single source you don't need to claim it!
    

Example it is the first half of February and I have already earned more than I would
have when I was a Catholic High School teacher.

Source               Date         Type    Amount
Jury Duty          1/6/2009 Cash     18.18
Survey Spot          1/12/2009 Check      6
Mindfield Internet       1/14/2009 Check     11
Opinion OutPost          1/15/2009 Check      6
View Point          1/17/2009 Check     14.67
Valued Opinions          1/20/2009 Amazon GC   20
Light Speed Panel        1/23/2009 Amazon GC   10
American Opinion Panel  1/26/2009 Check      4
JANUARY TOTAL                      79.85

Mindfield           2/2/2009 Check $10
View Point           2/3/2009 Check $13.33
Mindfield            2/4/2009 Check $55
MyPoints                  GC $50
Survey Spot           2/9/2009 Check $5
Surveys.com           2/9/2009 PayPal $1
                     
Running    Total for this month                        $134.33


12. Lastly I don't know how I would survive with out Google Documents!
I do however think I am naturally dependent on technology due to my
 choosen field, Instructional Design and Technologies.  Google
 Documents keeps every aspect of my life organized!