Shutterstock

Why do so many of us find it challenging to save money? According to a Federal Reserve report, about 40 percent of Americans would find it difficult to fund a $400 emergency.

Whether or not you have much cash sitting in your bank account, everyone can benefit from saving more money.

It’s easy to have good intentions toward creating a nest egg, but most people soon lose motivation. It’s much simpler to put off saving money until tomorrow and spend it on things we want today.

Maybe we can’t get around paying phone bills, car payments or insurance premiums, but that doesn’t mean we can’t spend less on them each month! We are living in a new era – a time where there has been an explosion of innovative and free solutions that can improve our personal finances and help us save money on monthly bills we simply can’t get out of paying each month.

Check out the following 20 ways to save money on bills you can’t escape:

1. Increase Your Credit Score

Shutterstock

Services like CreditSesame can help improve your credit score and save money every month.

A less-than-optimal credit score might be hurting you more than you realize. Poor credit means that you will end up paying higher interest rates on credit cards, mortgages, auto loans and a whole plethora of financial products that you need to survive.

Lucky for those of us whose credit leaves some room for improvement, Credit Sesame is here to help us boost our scores – and it won’t cost us a cent!

The website offers a free credit report and score, as well as a variety of analytical tools to help you understand what’s affecting your credit and what steps are needed to boost your credit score. It even offers free credit monitoring and identity theft protection.

2. Save Thousands On Your Student Loans

Shutterstock

Wouldn’t you love to save money on your student loans? Credible helps student loan holders do just that by getting them lower interest rates.

One of the best ways to save money on student loans is by refinancing them. Refinancing just means replacing one or more high-interest loans with a new, lower-interest loan. In the process, you can lower your monthly payment and save thousands over the lifetime of your loan.

Credible is an online loan marketplace that can help you save thousands by showing you prequalified student loan refinancing rates from up to 10 lenders in just 2 minutes.

What not give it a try? See how much you could save with Credible now. Credible’s best rate guarantee will give you $200 if you find a better rate elsewhere (terms apply).

3. Lower Your Credit Card Debt & Skip Payment This Month

rawpixel.com on Pexels

High-interest credit card debt can eat you alive, but a personal loan can help you reduce the cost and pain.

Personal loans allow borrowers to pay off debt at once, and replace that debt with one lower interest rate loan. This can lower your monthly payment and save you thousands.

Here’s how it works:

• Apply for and accept a personal loan that will pay off your debt (make sure the interest rate is lower than what you’re currently paying).
• The personal loan pays off your current debt.
• Now pay off the personal loan which is at a lower interest rate.
• Pretty quick and easy way to save money huh?!

These are 3 top choices for personal loans:

• Credible – Check out prequalified rates from as many as 11 different lenders at once in as little as 2 minutes with this free service that matches borrowers with personal loans between $1,000 and $100,000.
• Upstart – This loan company believes you’re more than just your credit score. It considers a variety of other factors, such as employment history and education level, when determining interest rates. You can get a loan from Upstart in amounts from $1,000-$50,000
• Fiona – This company will match you with a lender best suited for your credit rating and will even match you with a more appropriate offer if for some reason you don’t qualify. You can get a loan from Fiona in amounts from $1,000 to $100,000.

Personal loans can also be used for emergency expenses that suddenly arise, medical expenses, repayment of loans, and a variety of other reasons.

4. Use Home Equity Loans to Consolidate

Scott Webb on Unsplash

A home equity loan from Figure can be a great option when you need cash. A home equity loan allows you to borrow against the equity in your home, which could make it easier to obtain a loan at a lower interest rate.

Home equity loans can be used to consolidate a large amount of debt, to finance a home improvement project or make other major purchases. An easy way to save money with a home equity loan is to let Figure find you the lowest interest rate.

Figure Home Equity Loans can be approved for qualified borrowers in just five minutes. It’s no wonder the low-cost loans are known as the “fastest home equity loan on the planet.”

Figure offers great terms on home equity loans with fixed monthly payments, as well as no appraisal and no maintenance fees. Customers can get a loan in amounts from $15,000 to $150,000.

5. Use a Credit Card to Your Benefit

Viktor Hanacek on Picjumbo

If you use your credit card smart and make payments on time, it can be an incredibly great way to save money on everyday things you buy.

A cash back credit card is a great way to do just that. Rewarding you with money back in your pocket when you shop. See a list of top cash back credit cards.

For those that already have credit card debt, a 0% balance transfer credit card could be helpful to you. A 0% balance transfer credit card allows you to transfer the debt from one credit card to a new credit card and can have 0% interest for as much as 21 months. This allows you to save money while paying off your credit card faster with 0% interest. See a list of top 0% balance transfer credit cards.

6. Pay Less for Your Auto Insurance

Andrew Kambel on Unsplash

Auto insurance is one of those bills we all begrudgingly pay every month. But it’s inescapable if we want to drive. That doesn’t mean we can’t find ways to pay less for our car insurance. Insurance companies like Liberty Mutual are offering innovative car insurance plans that save drivers money.

The trusted insurance provider offers affordable auto insurance plans nationwide, saving drivers an average of $509 a year.

Drivers not only could save money on car insurance with Liberty Mutual, but they can rely on its 12-month rate guarantee, lifetime repair guarantee and 24/7 customer service.

7. Save Money on Life Insurance

Xavier Mouton Photographie on Unsplash

You might think saving money means cutting extra costs like life insurance. But you don’t have to leave your family without protection to save money on life insurance. Ladder lets customers customize their coverage levels, so they aren’t paying extra for benefits they don’t want.

Ladder customers can get cheap life insurance prices with just a few clicks, decreasing their coverage anytime with no fees to change the plan. Ladder’s prices are locked in, and customers can cancel whenever they want. Plus, there are not agents or upselling attempts to overcome.

8. Pay Less for Homeowner’s or Renter’s Insurance

Patrick Perkins On Unsplash

Want to save money on your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policies? You’re probably paying more than you need to be. Lemonade offers some of the industry’s most affordable insurance plans.

Lemonade’s top-quality renter’s insurance plans start as low as $5 per month, while the company offers homeowner’s insurance for as low as $25 a month.

Not only does Lemonade offer affordable insurance plans, but the company is classified as a Public Benefit Corporation. Lemonade takes a flat fee from every paid premium, and leftover money is donated to charitable causes selected by customers.

Switching to Lemonade if you’re already insured is simple. Just sign up with Lemonade and the company will cancel for previous policy for you.

9. Save Money on Rent or Your Mortgage

Emily Wang on Unsplash

Our largest monthly expense is our home and whether you rent or own, that expense could be reduced if you’re willing to list your extra space on Airbnb. You could choose to list an extra bedroom, or your home when you’re occasionally away. Whatever your circumstance allows, it could drastically help chip away at a rent or mortgage bill.

Listing on Airbnb is incredibly simple and you always remain in control. Read our ultimate guide to listing your space on Airbnb.

Airbnb even provides a quick potential earning estimate based on your space and city.

10. Make Savings Goals

Qapital

Even once you’ve set your mind on saving money, how do you know what’s an appropriate amount? Qapital users don’t have that problem!

Are you reaching your savings potential and stowing away enough for whatever possible rainy day? Will you be able to send your kids to college or retire comfortably?

Qapital is an app that helps you automatically save the perfect amount. Just tell Qapital your savings goals – creating an emergency fund, saving for a down payment on a new home, a ski trip, etc. – and the app helps you supercharge your efforts.

The app can also help you invest with ease. Qapital’s pre-built portfolios are ideal for budding investors – give us a timeline and amount and we’ll do the rest. We’ll even diversify your funds so you don’t have all your eggs in one basket.

11. Automatically Save on Monthly Bills

Trim

When it comes to saving money, making the leap and moving the money is more than half the battle. If you’re one of those reluctant savers who mindlessly stare at their accounts in indecision, why not use a tool that automates the process?

Trim is the no-hassle way to save money. It helps meet savings goals by securely connecting users’ accounts and analyzing their spending.

Then, the Trim app looks for recurring subscriptions to see what expenses can be cut from your monthly budget. It then cancels subscriptions for you (like that gym membership you don’t use), negotiates your rates (like the cable bill you overpay for), looks for better insurance and completes other tasks that will save money every month. It even automatically transfers funds into high-yield savings accounts to maximize your savings.

12. Grow Your Savings

Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash

Our bank accounts should be where our money grows, not where it sits. Traditional banks today pay very little interest, but that’s not the case with top a top 10 online U.S. bank CIT Bank.

This FDIC insured bank offers a plethora of online savings account options that pay more than 20x the national average.

If you’re looking to get the most interest possible for your savings, a CIT saving builder account is a great option.

13. Save Money by Couponing with Technology

Ibotta

How many of us would love to save money like those extreme couponers we see on TV, but we just don’t have the time or the patience to spend hours pouring through coupon pages and sales circulars?

What if you could get many of the same savings with an app on your smartphone? Ibotta, Rakuten, Drop and Paribus all provide cashback bonuses that uses can transform into savings.

Ibotta users earn cashback rewards for their purchases both online and in stores. The free app offers savings on everything under the sun, including groceries, travel, dining, fashion and more. Just check out your Ibotta app before you shop and see which products qualify for a rebate. Purchase the products, provide either photos or screenshots of your receipts, and the rebates will be added to your Ibotta rebate balance.

Once you accumulate $20 in rebates, you can transfer the money into your PayPal or Venmo account, or you can request it as a gift card. Who wouldn’t want to earn a rebate on products you’re already going to buy? And once you get that extra money, there’s no reason you can’t stick it into savings – it won’t cost you a thing!

Of course, Ibotta isn’t alone saving money for online purchases:

• Rakuten – Formerly known as Ebates, the popular savings app offers users as much as 40-percent cash back on purchases made at more than 2,500 online retailers. Simply by beginning their transactions from the Rakuten website and choosing the merchant from whom they plan to shop from there, users receive rebates on their purchases. Every three months, they receive their rewards payment via check or PayPal. It really is that simple: no fees, no forms, no points to track!

• Drop – The free app offers users the chance to earn free gift cards from their favorite online retailers. Just download the Drop app, link your debit or credit card and choose which of Drop’s partner retailers from whom you’d like to earn points. Once you earn enough points to redeem, you can select from an assortment of e-gift cards to a variety of retailers. Read our full Drop review to learn more.

• Paribus – The tool from Capital One might be one of the simplest ways to save money on online purchases. Have you ever missed out on a discount because you didn’t see the offer until it was too late? Don’t you hate it when you buy something only to find out later that the price went down? Paribus will make sure you never miss a deal again. Anytime Paribus detects a price drop for one of your recent purchases, notifies you of the change and helps you get a refund. Start saving with Paribus by signing up with the email you typically use for online shopping receipts. The tool will scan your inbox for receipts and check against prices with stores it monitors. Paribus also saves money by monitoring rates of hotel rooms you’ve reserved and notifying you if those prices decrease. The platform even tracks shipments so you can be compensated for late deliveries. Paribus users have already gotten refunded $29 million!

Paribus compensates us when you sign up for Paribus using the links provided.

14. Save Money Earned by Surfing the Web

Anete Lūsina on Unsplash

How would you like to earn rewards without even making a purchase? With Swagbucks, Inbox Dollars and MyPoints, users simply log on and surf the web the same as you do every day– and even earn instant cash just for signing up! Earning spare change adds up and is another of the best ways to save money every month.

Swagbucks will pay you for online activities like watching videos, playing games, answering surveys or just general web surfing. The rewards are then redeemed in the form of free gift cards or PayPal transfers. So far, Swagbucks users have earned more than $320 million! Read our full Swagbucks review to learn more.

Of course, Swagbucks doesn’t have a monopoly on this earnings game. Both Inbox Dollars and MyPoints offer similar programs to their users, who earn money simply for typical online activities. Better yet: All three programs offer free signup bonuses to new users! Sign up for all three, and you’ll end up with an extra $20 in your wallet.

15. Boost Your 401k Savings

Fabian Blank on Unsplash

Most Americans fortunate enough to have a 401K to which they contribute don’t do much after establishing the account and setting their payroll deductions. Did you know strategic management can make your 401k balance grow larger in less time? Still, who has the necessary time and skill to do that, even if it’s one of the best ways to save money?

Rather than letting your 401k ride until it’s time to retire, let Bloom manage it for your benefit. The team at Bloom are pros at managing investments, and they can apply those skills to your 401k balances. Just by signing up for the program, you’ll receive an unbiased analysis of your retirement funds and suggestions on how to eliminate extra costs, hidden fees and anything else that isn’t contributing to a blossoming balance.

The benefits from Bloom don’t end there! The professional investment managers will offer a full review of your 401k account, as well as ongoing support to monitor for changes that are both hindering and helping your grow your retirement fund.

16. Save Money on Your Power Bill

Gustavo Quepón on Unsplash

Clean energy and saving money on your power bill, what’s not to love?

OhmConnect will help you use energy when it’s cleanest and reward you to save when it’s dirty.

OhmConnect is notified by the utility when a time of intense demand is coming up and rewards you if you’ll reduce your energy usage during this time. If you’ve used less energy, you’ll be rewarded with cash payments or an entry into a bi-weekly prize draw.

It’s only currently available to people who live in California, Texas or Toronto, Canada

17. Pay Less for Your Mobile Phone

Reinhart Julian on Unsplash

It’s true we are practically glued to our smartphones, but that doesn’t mean we can’t pay less for them. Rather than let massive telecom corporations overcharge you for your mobile phone plan, why not save a fortune by switching to Mint Mobile?

Mint Mobile’s reliable 4G LTE phone plans work nationwide and include unlimited talk and text with 2 GB of mobile data each month. The mobile phone plans cost as little as $15 a month, which means switching to Mint Mobile is one of the best ways to save money on your phone bill.

Not only can Mint Mobile users keep their current phone numbers, but they can also either get a new phone or just insert a new SIM card into their current phones. Mint Mobile offers a 7-day risk-free trial, so you can test out the low-cost service plans and confirm it’s one of the best ways to save money.

18. Save Money on Prescription Drugs

Joshua Coleman on Unsplash

Prescription drugs are one of the most menacing monthly expenses facing many people. Even with insurance, prescription medications can carry a massive price tag. Fortunately, services like Blink Health help customers get better deals on prescriptions.

The website offers more than 15,000 medications marked down by as much as 95 percent for the best deals on prescription medicine in your area. Just choose the medication, pay for it online and print the receipt to take to one of 60,000 participating pharmacies, including popular retailers like Walmart and Kroger. Blink Health’s prices are often lower than most co-pays, and it’s a great option for people with high insurance deductibles.

19. Cut the Cord and Lower Your Cable Bill

Siniz Kim on Unsplash

The number of consumers who no longer pay for cable TV is still growing. But cutting the cord doesn’t have to mean giving up on your favorite cable TV channels and shows. Philo offers customers the best of cable TV at much lower prices.

Are you tired of the unfair and predatory practices of the giant cable companies, but you aren’t ready to restrict yourself to the limited number of streaming options? Philo offers the cable television channels you love while you save money on your monthly bill.

Philo is one of the best streaming values on the market – it’s basic package includes 45 popular cable channels for only $16 a month. Its premium package – including 58 channels – is only $20 a month.

Because the service is streamed over the internet, users can watch Philo on any screen, whether it’s their smart TV, their tablet or their phone.

20. Lower Your Car Payment

Ryan Spencer on Unsplash

For many people, a car payment is simply an unavoidable fact of life. You need a car to get around, and vehicles don’t last forever. Seems as soon as you pay it off, your car needs to be replaced. But you can potentially save money on those car payments with MyAutoLoan.

By seeking a car loan with MyAutoLoan, consumers can compare up to four different loan offers in minutes. By finding a car loan with a lower interest rate, borrowers can put the money they save to use elsewhere. Plus, by negotiating the sale with a financing offer in hand, buyers can often pay a lower sticker price overall. The site even offers opportunities for those who want to refinance their existing auto loans.

You don’t have to be a financial whiz to understand the offers you receive at MyAutoLoan. The site offers tools for prospective borrowers to understand how interest rates affect their payments and for what interest rates they might qualify.

MyAutoLoan will match applicants with lenders that directly fit their needs through a patented analysis and evaluation process, and the process can be completed in minutes. Plus, there’s no pressure to use one of the site’s affiliate lenders, and applicants are under no obligation to use any of the suggested matches at all.

Your Bills Don’t Have to Be So Expensive

As you can see, there are ways to save money on almost all types of monthly expenses – from your car insurance to your life insurance policy and credit cards. There’s no need to sacrifice your quality of life, since there are so many solutions that help you save without forcing you to give up on the regular expenses simply can’t part with. Using the tools detailed in this list, you can start taking a whack at your unavoidable monthly bills right now!

The post 20 Ways To Save Money On Monthly Bills You Can’t Escape appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay

A scrap yard, sometimes referred to as a junkyard, is a place that buys and sells scrap metals, like stainless steel, copper, nickel, aluminum, iron, brass, lead and zinc. But you don’t need raw metal to be able to sell to a scrap yard – most of these places deal with old appliances, vehicles, electronics, and other metal-containing goods to dismantle them for the valuable metals within.

If you’ve got an old car or major household appliance that you want to get rid of, you can take it to a nearby scrap yard, where you’re likely to get some money for it.

Scrap yards frequently buy old, broken down cars or appliances and then resell their hauls to refineries or larger scrap brokers. Your scrap metal gets reused and repurposed for something else later, so it’s better for the environment – and frees you from your clunky, unwanted junk.

Check out the following eight tips to make sure you get the most money for your unwanted metal when you take it to a local scrap yard:

Click here to learn about 35 ways other ways to make extra cash.

1. Knowledge is Power

Before you start selling your scrap metal, it’s important to understand the different types of metal and their value. For example, copper sells for a much higher price than steel. But how do you know what you have?

First, you must understand that metals fall into two categories: ferrous and non-ferrous. Ferrous metals, like steel and iron, are worth much less than non-ferrous metals such as copper, aluminum, brass, bronze, and stainless steel. Even within those categories, prices can vary greatly. It can help to know what common items are made from the various metals:

• Copper – one of the most valuable metals to recycle – can be found in many household items, including plumbing pipes, gutters, roofing materials, and electrical wiring. When it’s in good condition, the metal will be reddish in color, but when worn copper will appear a brown color with rusted green areas. Either can be sold at a nearby scrap yard.

• Aluminum is whitish or silverfish in color, and thin pieces bend easily. The most common source of aluminum you can find is aluminum cans, the type that contain soda or beer. But aluminum is also used in home materials such as siding, gutters, doors and window frames.

• Brass is a heavy metal composed of copper and zinc, giving it a yellowish hue with tinges of red. You will commonly find brass in hardware such as bathroom fixtures, lighting fixtures, door handles, and keys. It also is used on the ends of copper piping. Brass can be sold for a mid-level price range.

• Steel may not be valued as high as other metals, but it is one of the easiest to find. Steel is used to make cars and metal cabinets but is also the metal used to in construction materials such as I-beams, plates and girders. While it may not be worth as much as other metals, it is also heavier, which helps when you are selling it at a scrap yard.

• Stainless steel is composed primarily of iron, but also contains about 8-percent nickel, which means it fetches a heftier price. Stainless steel is used in appliances and kitchenware, so there’s plenty to be found.

2. Use a Magnet

The easiest way to determine if a metal is ferrous or non-ferrous is to test it with a magnet. If a magnet sticks to a piece of metal, there’s a good chance it’s ferrous. If it’s doesn’t stick, it’s probably nonferrous.

You shouldn’t need a large magnet — a pocket-sized variety will be sufficient. Determining if the metals are ferrous or non-ferrous is the first step in determining how much money you can make from it at a nearby scrap yard.

3. Size Matters

Most scrap metal sells based on its weight, therefore bigger is almost always better. Plus, the more scrap metal you have, the greater your negotiating power with the scrap yard. For example, if you have a large load of aluminum, the scrap buyer doesn’t want to lose the sale to the yard down the street.

Therefore, he or she likely will be willing to pay you a little bit more to prevent you from going elsewhere.

Some items are sources of heavy scrap metal. For example, a washing machine generally weighs about 200 pounds, while a refrigerator can weight as much as 250 pounds even after the compressor is removed.

4. Compare Prices

To make the most money for your scrap metal, be sure to compare the prices offered by all local scrap yards. Not only can prices vary depending on a particular nearby scrap yard’s overhead costs, but knowing what one location offers gives you the chance to negotiate a higher price with another.

To discover all the possible locations that buy scrap metal near you, you can search with Google or another search engine with terms such as “scrap yard near me.” Or, you can use your local Yellow Pages to find a list of all area businesses that are categorized as scrap buyers. You also want to ask each place if they pay by cash or check, and if there is a waiting period before you actually are paid.

5. Separate Your Metals

Before visiting a scrap yard with the items you’ve collected, it’s important to separate your metals by type. Sort your ferrous metals from your non-ferrous metals, then sort them again based on their metal composition. Since every metal is worth a different amount, it’s vital you know which types you have and weight them separately.

You can sort your smaller items by placing them in separate buckets. You can also sort them by the level of cleanliness since you will often be paid more for clean metals than dirty metals.

6. Consider Unusual Items

Sometimes scrap metal can be found in unusual sources. For example, most people don’t realize that Christmas lights are a great source of copper – and can often be found prevalently at yard sales and swap meets. The copper within them may not weigh much, but the strings of lights can be obtained pretty cheaply, so there is a profit to make.

7. Store and Transport

When you are ready to sell your scrap metal at a nearby scrap yard, you will need a way to transport it there. How you transport it depends largely on how much space it takes. Two or three buckets can probably be carried in the back of a car, but if you are transporting large items like appliances, you’ll need a truck.

Be careful if using your own or borrowing someone’s new vehicle as these items easily can scratch a truck bed. If you are hoping to sell an old car, you probably will need to have it towed. But you’ll want to make sure the cost of the tow won’t exceed what you can get for the scrap metal in the car. This generally shouldn’t be a problem, though.

Getting the Most Out of Your Scrap Yard Sale

Now you’re fully prepared to say goodbye to the unwanted metal products lying around your property. If you’ve got an old, unusable car, piece of electronic equipment, decrepit household appliances, a scrap yard nearby will very likely pay you to take it off your hands. Selling at a scrap yard or recycling for extra money, are two of the best ways to get rid of unwanted junk.

It’s a win-win: you get rid of your junk, while getting paid for your trouble and supporting the repurposing of recyclable materials. The Earth will thank you – and so will your less-cluttered property.

The post 7 Ways To Get The Most Money For Your Metal Or Car At A Nearby Scrap Yard appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash

Climate change continues to make headlines, and what have you done to help the environment? If you’ve never seriously considered recycling, there’s no better time than the present.

Plenty of people avoid recycling because they just don’t see enough of a direct benefit to compensate for the extra time and effort needed to sort trash, gather used items and deliver them to the proper location. But what if you could make extra cash while helping to save the planet?

So much of what we toss into our trash bins can be exchanged for money. Used bottles, cans, phones, and boxes are just a few of the discarded items that can be recycled – and with enough recycling, the cash can certainly add up quickly. Plus, you’re left with the warm feeling of knowing you did your part for creating an eco-friendly culture.

Interested in learning how to have a side hustle and make money recycling? Check out the following eight items that can be recycled for cash:

1. Scrap Metal

Metal is one of the most sought-after materials for recycling. Steel, which is used in so many everyday items, is the most recycled material on the planet because it can be recycled and reused over and again without and degradation.

You don’t have to rely solely on items around your house for scrap metal. Try finding scraps when cleaning up your backyard, or volunteer for community clean-up projects and ask if you can keep the scrap that you uncover. Any metal gathered can be used to make money recycling.

Of course, steel isn’t the only metal you can recycle. Some other options include:

• Copper can be found in phones, electrical cords, and other household wiring.
• Brass is commonly used in plumbing joints, pumps, valves and sink hardware.
• Stainless steel is found in water filters, food containers and many kitchen accessories and cookware.
• Aluminum is used in many drink containers, car wheels, engine cylinders, and air-conditioning cores.

2. Ink Cartridges

Printers use a lot of ink, and ink cartridges don’t come cheap. But many companies will buy them back from you once they are empty. Why? They will refill them and resell them, of course.

Used ink cartridges aren’t worth a ton – you can get $2 for each in credit from Staples, for example. But if you recycle yours and collect discarded cartridges from friends and family, you can earn enough each month to pay a bill or tuck some money into savings. Just check out Google to see how many places that will buy them and choose from where you’d like to make money recycling.

3. Used Cooking Oil

Biodiesel is a growing industry that relies on used cooking oil. Collecting it can be a messy task, but you can earn as much as 75 cents per gallon for your efforts. Buyers can be found on Craigslist, or you can look for biodiesel firms like Waste Oil Recyclers that even will come and pick it up for you.

You might not personally use a ton of cooking oil in your own home, but practically everyone you know also uses it. Let them know you are recycling what they would just throw away, and they probably will be happy to let you take the greasy mess off their hands.

4. Wine Corks

Sometimes you can make money recycling from the most unexpected sources. Wine corks, for example, are made of cork, which is a heavily used resource.

Do you drink wine? How many corks do you throw away in a given week, month or year? Once you collect the corks, you can search places like eBay for a buyer. Just list them in lots of 10, 20 or more, and you can turn your love of wine into a modest income – at least enough to pay for one or two more bottles of wine!

5. Cardboard Boxes

As more people turn to online shopping retailers such as Amazon, they collect more used cardboard boxes from their deliveries.

You might not have a need for your discarded boxes, but there’s certain to be someone out there who does. Cardboard boxes can be sold for recycling to places like BoxCycle and BoxSmart. There, people who are planning to move will seek boxes for packing their valuables and purchase them from you, provided they are in good condition.

6. Aluminum Cans

Aluminum cans have long been a way to make money recycling. Not only can you collect your own discarded cans and those of friends and family, but you can further help the environment by picking up cans discarded along roads and sidewalks or in parks and other public spaces. Collecting cans for recycling can be a great activity for kids.

In some states, such as Michigan, aluminum cans from beer and soda have a deposit that can be refunded when you return them. If you are returning more than your own cans, you can make a nice profit on returning them for recycling. In other places, you can sell the cans for scrap metal, in which they are usually worth about a penny apiece – but that can increase in certain locations to as much as 10 cents each.

7. Used Electronics

It’s exciting to buy the latest smartphone – but it definitely is not inexpensive. The good news is that many companies like Gazelle and Decluttr will pay you cash for your old cell phones and other electronics. Eco-Cell, for example, accepts both working and broken phones, tablets, rechargeable batteries, circuit boards, and other electronics.

Plenty of mobile-phone providers, including AT&T and Verizon, will also let you trade-in your used phone for credit or gift cards. You can also get gift cards from Amazon if you trade in your old phones. Plus, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you saved the items from being diverted into landfills where some of their more toxic components can pollute the ground.

8. Bottles

It’s no secret that plastic bottles are a menace to our environment. Not only are they produced with petroleum, but once discarded they aren’t exactly biodegradable. Old bottles not only fill up landfills, but they litter our parks and waterways.

Much like aluminum cans, bottles can be collected to make money recycling at many locations. Some states require a deposit when purchasing the bottles that can be refunded to you by returning them – and all those you collect from others – while other places pay you cash for them with rates depending on the size of the bottle.

The post Make Money Recycling: 8 Everyday Items That Can Make You Extra Cash appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Reinhart Julian on Unsplash

Haven’t you always wished you could make extra cash without leaving the comfort of your own home – or even getting off of your couch?

Completing paid online surveys is not only a great way of making side money, but also a fabulous way to influence brands, recipes, and political action.

Of course, online surveys aren’t some type of get-rich-quick scheme, or everyone would be completing them. But with some spare time and patience, you easily can earn some extra money filling out surveys while you’re otherwise wasting time in front of the television. In fact, filling out online forms can add up to pay for vacations, Christmas shopping or home improvements.

What’s the catch, you might be wondering? Companies and organizations care about the opinions of average consumers. Your feedback helps them determine better business strategies in the future.

Of course, the more paid online survey sites you sign up for, the more opportunities to increase your earnings. Fortunately, there are scads of sites and apps offering cash rewards for completing surveys.

But which survey sites are the best? To save you some time, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite 12 best paid survey sites:

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie

One of the easiest ways to get paid for completing online surveys is to sign up for Survey Junkie. The site uses a series of short questionnaires to match you with exclusive surveys you based on your background. Because you are an invited match to the survey criteria, you’ll often earn more rewards than you would completing a generic survey.

Once matched, you can complete surveys from practically any device and from any location. How great would it be to earn extra money while you’re waiting for the bus or during your train ride home?

When earning cash with Survey Junkie, each paid survey completed is worth points. Once you’ve earned at least 1,000 point – equivalent to $10 – you can redeem them for cash or e-gift cards. Cash out your rewards as you go or save them up toward a major purchase!

InboxDollars ($5 bonus)

InboxDollars

Tired of filling out the same predictable paid online surveys? InboxDollars pays its users cash for performing an assortment of online activities – from watching videos and playing games to reading emails, completing surveys and even shopping! The site has paid its members over $57 million in cash rewards.

InboxDollars offers cash rewards to members just for taking online surveys, watching videos or playing free and competitive games. The site offers practically anyone the chance to earn extra money on the side.

Not only do users earn a $5 just for signing up for InboxDollars, but in addition to earning cash, they gain access to an assortment of cashback deals, coupons, and free samples.

Swagbucks ($5 bonus)

Swagbucks

One of the most popular sites to offer users gift cards and cash for online activities, Swagbucks offers a variety of ways to earn rewards. The site gives out 7,000 free gift cards every day. Users can watch videos, complete surveys, play online games and even just surf the web at large to earn extra money.

Swagbucks users can perform online activities from their desktop or mobile devices, so they can earn from anywhere they have an internet connection. Points earned from activities can then be redeemed for gift cards to Amazon, Wal-Mart an assortment of other retailers — or even Paypal cash.

Not only does Swagbucks offer users a wide variety of ways to earn, the program even offers $5 just for signing up!

MyPoints ($10 bonus)

MyPoints

By offering gift cards or PayPal cash transfers to its users, MyPoints is another simple way to earn money online. The platform offers traditional paid surveys, but it also offers rewards to users who play games, watch videos and shop at their favorite online retailers.

Online shoppers love earning money with MyPoints. Since the site is partnered with more than 1,900 online retailers, users get cash rewards for making purchases they would have completed anyway – as many as 25 points per dollar spent. Points earned from shopping, filling out surveys, playing games, reading emails and watching videos can be redeemed for gift cards to more than 75 online retailers.

MyPoints is confident its users will recognize the value in their memberships. So confident, in fact, that the program offers new members a $10 Amazon Card when they make their first $20 purchase through the platform. MyPoints has paid out over $236 million in gift cards and Paypal cash to its members.

Vindale Research ($1 bonus)

Vindale Research

Looking for a way to complete paid online surveys to earn money across a wide variety of topics? Vindale Research pays users to fill out surveys related to health and beauty, food, politics and so much more. Earnings are sent to users as cash through PayPal transfers or even checks in the mail.

Vindale Research has partnered with some of the world’s most trusted brands, including companies such as Disney, Amazon, Netflix, and Starbucks. The site prides itself on paying users cash money for surveys, not points or gift cards. Vindale Research has already paid out about $7 million to members. New members earn their first $1 just for signing up.

PointClub ($5 bonus)

PointClub

Looking to make some quick money on the side? PointClub pays users to take online surveys.

Point Club members are paid points for taking surveys – the longer the survey, the more points it’s worth. Points can be redeemed for a variety of gift cards.

While the average paid survey through PointClub pays points valued anywhere from a few cents to a couple of dollars, the program is fairly generous to new users. Just for signing up, Point Club users earn 500 points, they earn another 500 points for completing their registrations and another 1,000 points for confirming their email addresses!

Start earning your first 2,000 points by signing up for PointClub.

One Opinion

OneOpinion

Leading market research companies count on One Opinion to gauge consumer opinions. Market research is big business, and One Opinion members, therefore, earn points toward some amazing cash rewards.

Signing up for One Opinion is simple, and users receive emailed invitations to take online surveys, worth varying numbers of points. Accumulated points can be redeemed for cash rewards like VISA gift cards.

Opinion Square

Opinion Square

Do you want to earn cash by taking paid online surveys but want to avoid the endless tide of offers hitting your Inbox? Opinion Square sends users just three or four surveys each month.

Opinion Square surveys are targeted to your specific interests based on your web searches. New members install tracking software that collects data based on your demographic and interests, so you’ll receive surveys only about matters on which you actually hold an opinion.

Surveys completed with Opinion Square award points to users, which can be exchanged for a list of gifts totally almost 25,000.

Pinecone Research

Pinecone Research

Want to earn a steady cash payout for taking online surveys? Pinecone Research awards users $3 for every survey completed.

A trusted market-research firm, Pinecone Research partners with companies seeking consumer input on new and improved products. For participating in the research, users not only earn cash rewards, but also learn about innovative products before they hit the market and influence which ones make it onto store shelves.

MySoapBox

MySoapBox

Do you pride yourself on your opinions? You aren’t the only one! Because brands want to know what you think, MySoapBox will pay you cash rewards to let them know.

The online research community gathers consumer feedback on products, services, and members’ experiences. Users earn rewards for completing paid surveys, and they can redeem them for gift cards to popular retailers like Walmart.

E-Poll Surveys

E-Poll

Tired of taking the same boring online surveys asking your opinions on products you don’t use? E-Poll Surveys users earn rewards for taking surveys about movies, music, shopping and a variety of other interesting topics.

Users can earn cash rewards from E-Poll Surveys from anywhere since they can take surveys in their spare time with practically any type of computer or mobile device. After signing up, they receive surveys by email, offering 500-1,000 points each that can be redeemed for cash or gift cards.

Plus, E-Poll Surveys holds a monthly drawing, awarding an extra $1,000 to one lucky member and $20 each to 50 more.

VIP Voice

VIP Voice

Earn VIP points for every survey taken with VIP Voice and use them to win significant cash prizes.

Survey takers aren’t just nameless numbers with VIP Voice. Members’ opinions are valuable, and so they are awarded exciting prizes – including vacations, electronics, gift cards and more – each and every day.

VIP Voice members simply take paid online surveys about their favorite companies and earn points that can be redeemed toward sweepstakes entries and auction bids. The more surveys completed, the more extravagant sweepstakes prizes available.

Complete 5 surveys in your first 30 days with VIP Voice and earn 25,000 bonus points.

The post 12 Best Sites To Take Paid Online Surveys For Extra Money appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Twitter/MacRumors

The iPhone 6 may officially go on sale Friday, but eager Apple fans will be lining up in anticipation of the coveted new device long before. Images of the precious cargo have already begun to surface, however. A pilot released photos of Friday’s delivery as it passed through Alaska via his plane’s cargo hold on its journey from China.

I just flew 195,000 iPhone 6 & 6+ from China to US,” the pilot, under the username goforblacksky, wrote on the web forum MacRumors on Monday. “Believe me, this is not the only airplane hauling stuff. I’m guessing about 20 – 30 heavy’s a day coming out of China,” he wrote. “Another crew will take the airplane on to Chicago. It’ll be on the ground at O’hare about 9am Sept. 15.”

Photos From Inside a 747 Flying iPhone 6 Units to the U.S. http://t.co/yBJmN6KGSe by @julipuli pic.twitter.com/CH2c5Ap6uV

— MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) September 15, 2014

While the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will be delivered to customers beginning Friday, many will have to wait for additional shipments to arrive throughout September and through October. According to Apple, the first 4 million orders set a new 24-hour record, beating 2012’s 2 million orders for the iPhone 5. Last year’s iPhone 5s and 5c were ordered by 9 million customers in their first three days on sale.

https://twitter.com/uniondesign/status/511579240568197120

Fortunately for those who can’t wait for the new phones, at least one pilot had their desires in mind:

I gave it a little extra gas coming over the Pacific, just to get them here a little quicker,” goforblacksky wrote of the shipment containing 195,000 iPhones, weighing 256,000 pounds. “You’re welcome.”

Another image, apparently of a 777 cargo plane loaded with 93 tons of new iPhones, surfaced on China Daily:

A Southern China 777 loading 93 tons of iPhone 6 units for shipment to U.S. pic.twitter.com/wP8gm07Bkr

— Rene Sierra (@sierralx) September 15, 2014

Hoping to snag an iPhone 6 but haven’t placed a pre-order? Better start camping out now!

The post See The Inside Of A 747 Carrying A Shipment Of 195,000 iPhone 6 Units appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Flickr/ Peter Shanks

The Centers for Disease Control, along with a plethora of other health, scientific and academic organizations, have for some time warned of “super bugs,” or antibiotic-resistant organisms. In fact, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics each year, leading to at least 23,000 deaths.

According to a series of studies at Sweden’s Lund University, however, 13 lactic acid bacteria found in the honey stomach of bees may be provide a cure for super bugs such as antibiotic-resistant MRSA. According to one of the studies, the bacteria, when mixed into honey, healed horses with persistent wounds.

The healing properties of honey are nothing new. Used to treat infections for millennia, honey, bee pollen, propolis and royal jelly can now be found in therapeutic products including moisturizers, candles, soaps and cure-alls. The newly-discovered lactic acid bacteria were tested on severe human wound pathogens such as MRSA and VRE, with positive results in a lab environment. Even better evidence was its success in treating the persistent wounds of 10 horses whose owners had tried various other treatments to no avail.

Antibiotics are mostly one active substance, effective against only a narrow spectrum of bacteria. When used alive, these 13 lactic acid bacteria produce the right kind of antimicrobial compounds as needed, depending on the threat. It seems to have worked well for millions of years of protecting bees’ health and honey against other harmful microorganisms,” Lund University’s Tobias Olofsson said. “However, since store-bought honey doesn’t contain the living lactic acid bacteria, many of its unique properties have been lost in recent times.”

The post Could Honey Replace Antibiotics? appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Stack Lighting

Artificial light has definitely gone through its share of developments since Thomas Edison introduced his first incandescent bulb in 1880. From the advent of neon signs in 1923 to the invention of LED in 1962, the world has continued its ages-old obsession with convenient light. Remember the Clapper? Recent years have brought us smart light bulbs that can be controlled via WiFi and Bluetooth connections. But Stack Lighting brings us even more with its Alba light bulb. The high-tech bulbs use integrated sensors to maintain proper lighting levels without wasting energy. Not only can users can adjust each bulb’s color temperature, but motion sensors enable the lights to turn off and on — no switch required.

The Alba light bulb is so smart, in fact, that it can be synced with your own circadian rhythm, programmed to dim when you are ready to relax for the night and turn on with your alarm to wake you up naturally in the morning. The Alba bulb even adjusts its output and color temperature to coincide with ambient lighting, brightening during darkness and on cloudy days, while dimming in response to the sun.

The Alba light bulb, first unveiled during TechCrunch Disrupt’s Battlefied competition, is intended for both home and commercial use. The Alba is available for pre-order for $150 which includes two BR-30 bulbs and a hub costing $150 ($60 for each additional bulb.)

The post Alba: The World’s First Responsive Light Bulb Reacts To Its Surroundings appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Flickr/ Dominik Morbitzer

What do you know about lithium? You might remember from chemistry class that it’s an element on the periodic table. Or maybe you heard your bipolar friend talk about its therapeutic properties. Some people might even think lithium is just a really cool song by Nirvana. All of those assumptions would be correct, but what if lithium was something added to our drinking water based on the theory it could benefit our mental and emotional well-beings? As Anna Fels described in her recent op-ed for the New York Times, studies support just such a proposition.

According to Fels, the naturally-occurring element lithium is already present in the United States’ water at concentrations as much as .170 milligrams per liter. While that amount is less than one-thousandth of the minimum daily dose given to bipolar patients, scientists have found evidence that even such tiny doses of lithium can promote brain health, improve mood and even decrease the rate of suicide—the 10^th leading cause of death in the United States in 2011.

As early as the 1970s, studies found that animals with minimal amounts of lithium in their diets had higher mortality rates and more abnormalities of reproduction and behavior. Likewise, a 1990 study found that residents of Texas counties with the least amount of lithium in their water had significantly higher rates of suicide, homicide and rape when compared to people whose water had higher levels of lithium. In fact, the group that drank water with the highest level of lithium had almost 40-percent fewer suicides than the group with the lowest lithium level.

Almost 20 years later, a Japanese study that looked at 18 municipalities with more than a million inhabitants over a five-year period confirmed the earlier study’s finding: Suicide rates were inversely correlated with the lithium content in the local water supply,” Fels wrote. “More recently, there have been corroborating studies in Greece and Austria.”

According to Fels, the authors of the Japanese study speculated that lithium exposure might actually protect and enhance the growth of neurons. A further study found that therapeutic doses of lithium administered to treat mood disorders correlated with increased gray matter among bipolar patients’ brains. Those authors, too, speculated that lithium may promote the growth of neurons.

Furthermore, additional studies have found that those who take prescriptions of lithium are less likely to suffer from dementia.

Lithium is, by far, the most proven drug to keep neurons alive, in animals and in humans, consistently and with many replicated studies,” Tufts University School of Medicine’s Dr. Nassir Ghaemi wrote, according to Fels. “If lithium prevents dementia, then we may have overlooked a very simple means of preventing a major public health problem.”

If lithium were ever artificially added to a water supply, much as chloride is today, Fels points out that it wouldn’t be the first time. 7-Up, in fact, was original called Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda and contained lithium citrate as recent as 1950. Other commercial drinks, including beer, were also made with lithia water. Lithia Springs, Ga., was even a sacred site to Native Americans, seemingly because of the curative powers of its naturally lithium-enriched water.

Some scientists have, in fact, proposed that lithium be recognized as an essential trace element nutrient,” Fels concluded. “Who knows what the impact on our society would be if micro-dose lithium were again part of our standard nutritional fare? What if it were added back to soft drinks or popular vitamin brands or even put into the water supply? The research to date strongly suggests that suicide levels would be reduced, and even perhaps other violent acts. And maybe the dementia rate would decline. We don’t know because the research hasn’t been done.”

The post There Is A Mood-Altering Drug In The Water Supply, And You Might Be Drinking It appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Shutterstock

Contrary to warnings issued in the cult-classic “Reefer Madness,” Colorado’s and Washington’s legalization of recreational marijuana sale and use did not result in rape, suicide, insanity and mass hysteria. In fact, if recent data is any indication, decriminalization has done just the opposite. Not only is tax revenue in the two states steadily blossoming, but crime rates are taking a nosedive. Although it may still be too early to draw a firm conclusion, the facts thus far are swaying many to ask how legalization could benefit other states — or even the nation as a whole.

Colorado Reaps The Benefits

Of course the hardest data comes out of Colorado, which decriminalized marijuana possession in late 2013 before legalizing its sale from authorized dispensaries beginning this year. According to Denver’s Department of Safety Public Information Standards, Colorado’s major metropolitan area saw a 4-percent decrease in violent crime between the January through August periods of 2013 to 2014, most significantly a 30-percent drop in homicide rates and a 15-percent decrease in the number of sexual assaults. Furthermore, property crimes — including robbery, larceny and auto theft — fell by 9.9 percent during the same period.

“Every major institution said this would be horrible and lead to violence and blood in the streets,” Brian Vicente, one of the authors of Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana in Colorado, told the New York Times. “None of that’s happened. The sky did not fall.”

Perhaps more impressive is the increased tax revenue Colorado is now enjoying from both residents and tourists. In the first six months of 2014, Colorado collected $18.9 million in taxes from recreational marijuana sales alone. And the Colorado Center of Law and Policy projects the state could save as much as $40 million per year in costs associated with enforcing marijuana prohibition.

Not only is Colorado enjoying the additional tax revenue, but the regulated marijuana industry is also boosting the state’s economy by creating jobs. As of May 1, the Marijuana Enforcement Division has issued 9,641 employee badges, required for anyone who directly handles marijuana. Furthermore, although a direct association cannot be proven, Colorado’s tourism industry has been booming since recreational marijuana’s Jan. 1 legalization. According to a report from the Marijuana Policy Group, marijuana demand by visitors to the state is estimated at 8.9 metric tons in 2014—about 44 percent of metro area sales and as much as 90 percent of retail sales in heavily-visited mountain communities.

Washington Follows Suit

In the first two months that the recreational use of marijuana was legal in Washington, the state has found that green isn’t merely the color of weed. Quickly picking up steam, Washington’s marijuana industry has collected more than $3 million in taxes and generated more than $12 million in overall revenue, according to the Washington State Liquor Control Board. It may be too soon to draw conclusions from the small amount of data, but sales doubled in August to $6.9 million from July’s initial $3.2 million. Tax revenue also more than doubled from legalization’s first to second month. Further data indicates the revenue will continue to grow, as Washington saw $1.9 million in sales during the first eight days of September, leaving it on pace for $7.1 million for the month — an amount that would garner $1.8 million in taxes.

Federal Implications

Colorado and Washington offer evidence that the nation as a whole could easily befit from the repeal of marijuana prohibition. Individual state as well as federal dollars currently spent on enforcing marijuana laws can be redirected to more worthy causes. Not only would governments save money on law enforcement, but the amount of taxes that could be collected on a booming marijuana industry could go far in alleviating a subsisting federal deficit, currently about $128 billion. Just think about it: Both Washington and Colorado apply a 25-percent sales tax and excise tax to marijuana — paid by growers, processors and retailers before additional taxes are paid by consumers. If the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau were to apply a federal marijuana tax much as it taxes alcohol and tobacco products, that money could do wonders for federal revenue without increasing other sales or income taxes. It seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?

The post Marijuana Tax Revenues Continue To Surge In Colorado And Washington, Crime Rates Decline: When Will The Rest Of The Country Follow? appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Twitter/The First Lady

Whoops, Michelle Obama! Did you really mean to say that? Yesterday, the FLOTUS innocently tweeted an update to her followers, describing her and President Barack Obama’s activities commemorating Sept. 11.

The President & FLOTUS joined millions to #Remember911 with service by assembling backpacks with @KaBOOM volunteers. pic.twitter.com/OpIhhQLIlb

— First Lady- Archived (@FLOTUS44) September 12, 2014

Granted, the KaBoom organization actually “works to bring balanced and active play into the daily lives of all children, particularly those growing up in poverty in America,” so it was a noble gesture on the part of the First Couple. But talk about an awkward coincidence on the anniversary of 9/11!

The post Michelle Obama’s 9/11 Tweet Is Really Uncomfortable appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.