Archive for Green Living

Surveys

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If you are looking for creative ways to add a little income to your budget, but don’t want to commit yourself to a part-time job, you should look at doing surveys from home.  I know you may be a little skeptical.  I was too at first.  But after doing some research and discussing it with my husband, I signed up with a few companies just to try it out, and boy am I thankful I did!    

On average, I do inbetween a half dozen and a dozen surveys a month through a few different companies I have signed-up with, and this gives me an income of about $75-$100 a month.  Of course you won’t be making as much as working outside the home at a part-time job, but the benefits of doing the surveys in your home and at your own pace is well worth it I think.  They are something you can do early in morning before the rest of the family gets up, while your kids are taking their afternoon nap or in the evenings after they have gone to bed. 

My husband and I use the extra money when things come along that we would like to have but aren’t necessities that we have alotted in our budget.  For example, I know I mentioned in a previous entry that I have been wanting to buy some Lunapads so that during that during that special time of the month I can be a bit “greener”.  Well, to order what I felt like I needed for my cycle totaled approximately $150.  Typically this would be a blow to our budget, but I used money I had made from taking surveys to make the purchase, and wa-la…I have the Lunapads I have been eyeing!  By investing in Lunapads, I no longer have to worry about throwing away money each and every month on disposable menstrual products, and I don’t have to worry about exposing my body to toxins and chemicals found in these products.  

I am sure you have all seen the advertisements out there, either on webpages or maybe even in your e-mail inbox, but you don’t know what survey companies to choose.  Here are a few I have signed up with and have had nothing but good experience with: 

www.e-rewards.com

www.globaltestmarket.com

www.surveysavvy.com

www.your2cents.com

After you sign-up, I recommend checking your e-mail at least twice a day.  I check mine early in the morning after my husband has left for work and in the evenings after dinner.  The reason for this is a lot of times companies will post surveys for only a certain amount of people to respond in a certain amount of time.  Once that number of people have responded, the survey is closed and your opportunity to make money is lost.  It takes a few weeks to work taking surveys into your schedule but I think the benefits are worth it.  If you are an experienced survey taker, and you have any tips for readers or survey sites you recommend, please leave a comment.

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day!

Blessings to You!

Mrs. T

P.S. I also give survey-taking “two thumbs up” because it is sooo environmentally friendly.  You don’t have to go anywhere, which would use gas and put wear and tear on your vehicle.  It doesn’t require you to print anything out, and they take a short amount of time so not much electricity is used.  The only paper that may be involved is the check you receive in the mail.  Yippee!           

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Changes

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Some of the topics that has been floating through our home are the ideas of conservation, simplifying, green living and frugality.  I have to admit that since Mr. B works 10 hour days, I usually do most of the reading and researching and then I bring it up information I find interesting in the evenings over dinner.  Of course Mr. B and I have always practiced some levels of conservation and frugality such as turning off the water while brushing our teeth; only running the dishwasher when it is full; being careful about how much we print from the computer; recycling plastic grocery bags and newspapers; and using ceiling fans and open windows instead of air conditioning when we can, etc.  (Although we do live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast so that is only possible a couple of months out of the year.)  To be honest, I used to think we were doing so well by doing those handful of things.  Lately though, as I become more aware and knowledgable I see that there is SOOO much more that we could do to help take care of our planet.  In fact, I feel ashamed that we have only been doing as little as we have been. 

One quote that really pulls my heartstrings goes something like this–”We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”  I have to be honest and tell you that I don’t know where I heard that or who said it, but as someone who loves children and hopes to have some of my own one day, it is something that sticks with me.  Over the past few weeks, we have been using cloth napkins and towels more instead of paper napkins and papertowels;  I have bought toliet paper that was made from recycled paper and dishwasher detergent that was biodegradable; and I try to consolidate all my errands (post office, bank, grocery shopping, etc.) to one day.

There are still SOOO many changes that I would like to make but I realize that “going green” isn’t something that happens overnight.  For example, I would like to purchase a set of reusable grocery bags made from hemp or organic cotton so that we can completely eliminate using plastic and paper grocery bags.  I am also saving up to buy a set of Lunapads to eliminate using disposable pads.  (Those of you who don’t already use cloth pads or some other form of alternative protection may be grossed out by the idea, but have you ever thought of all that the chemicals and toxins that your body is exposed to when you wear disposable tampons or pads.  That is what’s GROSS!  Do yourself a favor and do a little research on the topic.  Trust me, your body will thank you!)

Ladies (and gentlemen, if there are any out there) I encourage you to look around your homes and examine your lifestyles.  What disposables in your home can be replaced with reusable products?  What changes can you make in your life to help take care of our planet that our Heavenly Father made for our use?

Blessings To You,

Mrs. T                         

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