Things I'm Learning

I've already been contacted by several places asking me to put ads on this Blog to make money. While I won't aplogize for getting some referral benefit through the links at the right side of the page or asking your favor of allowing me to refer you to some programs I'm in, I won't add links simply to make money. I have only linked a few businesses that I like and have helped us.

When I started doing all this stuff, I did it mostly for myself and my family budget. In fact, my dear, sweet friends laughed uproariously at me & teased me mercilessly about it. Then, I got free food for our group one night, and Julie asked, "Where are you finding this stuff?" I avoided eye contact hoping to subdue the teasing and said, "On the internet." She did a characteristic gesture, leaning forward, with fingers pressed to her thumb and said, "No! Where specifically are you getting this stuff?" That's when she stopped teasing me. Before you feel too sorry for me, I should admit that I can dish it pretty well, too ;-)

This wierd hobby of mine is born of a combination of a period of insomnia that coincided with the bad economy. In doing my experiments, I learned to protect my computer, sort out the "bad" or "hard" freebies, and got more efficient at the whole thing. Soon, I had an e-mail list where I could link people to places past the most danger-prone portions of the process (like cookies & spyware & spam). I will not promise to eliminate them, but I will do my best to avoid them & also to disclose risk. It got confusing to keep track of what I'd already shared, so I started this blog as a way of simplifying it at the same time as being able to do some babbling that you're free to ignore. It also enables me to lay things out in a way that you can pick and choose things.

My goal is to make it as easy as possible for people to use the work I've done - I like my efforts to go as far as possible. I will not post ads that pay me to allow them to gather information on you. I will link places that I have used and like, and I will gladly take referral bonuses on that as a thank you gift from anyone using the site and from the sites that get business from people who use them & this blog. These sites may gather info on you, as well, but the links will be for your potential benefit, rather than just a place that might pay me. The sites list privacy policies as you sign up for any of the rewards programs, and you can opt not to sign up.

On that note, anything that says "participation required" or "accept offers" or "sign up for offers" IS ALMOST NEVER WORTH IT! I find these to be the worst of the "deals" out there & they are creeping up on reputable sites more frequently, so look for them before clicking. Just for entering the labyrinth, they gather info on you. It becomes like a phone call into an infomercial thing where you have to say no to at least 10 hard sells to limit it to the one thing you were convinced you wanted (that doesn't work anyway) - this happened with "green bags" with my husband and father-in-law on the phone . . .

Good night & have a great weekend!