Craigslist

Security Tips for Holiday Shopping

November 30, 2016 By Alexa Mason 1 Comment

November 29. 2016

Shoppers should make sure they are on secure websites when shopping this holiday season. (bykst/flickr)

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Shopping for the holidays is in full force and there are a couple of security tips people should keep in mind to keep their information safe.

Janet Buckalew, the vice president of business development of Pacific Crest Federal Credit Union, said people should make sure the website they’re accessing starts with HTTPS, which signifies a secure site, and to never access personal information when connected to wireless networks in public. It can be easy to forget security tips, she said, but fraud is especially high during the holiday season when so much shopping is going on.

“They’re predicting it’s going to be a record holiday season and I think with all the busyness that we tend to just let our guard down when we need to be probably even more careful,” she said.

Buckalew said it’s a good idea to look through websites and make sure there isn’t anything that looks funny, like misspellings or a web address that ends in the abbreviation for another country. Craigslist is another place where people are frequently scammed. She said when it comes to deals, if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.

Cards with EMV chips are the most secure kinds of cards to use while shopping in person. The chips add an extra layer of security by creating a unique transaction number for every purchase made with the card. Buckalew said skimming is another problem that her credit union saw last year. Skimmers will put devices that can steal people’s information on the front of ATMs where they slide their cards.

“It hit our area really strong last year but we’ve heard that they’re started up again,” she added. “It’s the holiday season so people tend to be more trustworthy and use those machines.”

Buckalew said it’s okay to check ATMs to make sure no pieces fall off before sliding a card. If a part does come off, there could be a skimming device on the ATM. She said another way for shoppers to protect themselves is to check their accounts and statements frequently. If there’s any suspicious activity, they should call their financial institution right away.

Source: Public New Service, republished with permission.

Eric Tegethoff, Public News Service – OR

How to Make Money on Craigslist

March 14, 2016 By Jennifer Clark 2 Comments

Yes, it’s true. You can make a pretty penny using Craigslist. Other than a job listing, posting on the site is free to do, unlike eBay or Amazon. Depending on your strategy, you can create a stream of revenue on the side using this webpage as long as you have an internet connection.

In addition to the free listings, another advantage of selling on Craigslist is the fact that you also don’t have to share your profit with a third party nor do you have to worry as often that you’ll be paying for shipping without the payment coming through from the buyer. The most successful individuals who use Craigslist are buying and selling quickly, don’t keep many items on stock, and accept cash-only payments.

As with anything, this activity does take some dedication, but the following tips will show how you can make money using Craigslist:

Research and know the products. Whether you are selling something you already own or you are preparing to purchase something, look into the product, its typical resale value and customer feedback. You are not going to see much success by trying to sell a used Ikea desk for more than or equal to what you can get at the store itself (or even a center like Walmart). A good starting point of how to price your items is to look what it’s going for used in other locations. Conversely, knowing your product will also help you as you begin purchasing from Craigslist vendors.
Flip and restore items. If you have a bit of a handy talent fixing things up, this is a great option for you to make some extra cash. Craigslist is full of valuable items that are discounted due to damages or simply because they are covered in filth. Choose items to flip in which you have experience, such as appliances or furniture. These items can also be found at yard sales without going through the hassle of browsing online. And with yard sale season coming up, it’s a great time to start learning how to re-purpose old couches and tables.
Find and sell free listings. Some individuals are looking to just get rid of what they deem as old junk because they are tired of it taking up space in their home. You cam find these gems both online and offline. The items often have simple fixes or are just old living room pieces that they don’t want to take the time to sell. So, next time you see that “Free Couch” sign, take it and sell it on Craiglist. Anything you sell it for is a straight profit.
Focus on a niche or specific group. You can create a little side business of strictly selling on Craigslist, but if this is the route you choose to take, you may want to think about specializing in a particular group of products. This creates a focal point for your sales and research while also helping you pick out a prime deal quickly.
- Furthermore, expand your strategies by selling to businesses who are always buying to help put fast cash in your pocket. An example would be selling bits and pieces of metal to scrap dealers.
Make an engaging title and post. Your title should draw in the online consumers and the content of the listing should match. It is best not to say “OBO” (or best offer) after your price to avoid low-ball inquiries off the bat. Be willing to negotiate, but don’t advertise that you will. Address all the questions a buyer may have about your product and include high-quality images. Answer e-mails about your post quickly, and don’t be afraid to let the potential shopper know that someone provided you a better rate for your item (if this is true). If your listing does not get any attention, re-post it within a week to help keep it relevant.

Signing up for Craigslist is the easy part, but mastering it as a regular revenue stream can take some work. If nothing else, it’s still a great way to get rid of the junk you also don’t want or no longer need. Just remember to always meet in public, accept cash only and conquer those negotiating skills. You’re going to need them.

Easy Ways to Make Extra Money Online

February 21, 2016 By Alexa Mason 3 Comments

Technology has taken over the world. It has even taken over many of the job markets out there. In fact, many people are turning to the web when they need extra money. You can blog or edit, fill out surveys, make graphics and so much more. The best part? You can usually do it from the comfort of your own home. Some of the ways to make some extra cash online might not be as obvious as others.

Sell Your Stuff Online

Not all of the money to be made online is through actually doing anything. Actually, there are tons of websites that allow you to simply sell your stuff. Whatever you have to get rid of, there is probably someone out there that will want to buy it. Here is a list of places to sell your stuff online:

LetItGo: LetItGo is a relatively new site but it is a great place to let some of your stuff go. List a price (or even list it for free) and people come and get it.
OfferUp: OfferUp is a website where you can do exactly what the site says: offer your stuff up. Name a price, people pay and you have extra cash.
eBay: eBay is one of the older sites where you can sell your stuff online. You can auction or list it as a “buy it now” to get some extra cash in your hand.
Amazon: Amazon.com also has a selling option. You can sell just about anything on Amazon.
Facebook: Many areas have Facebook yard sales. People list photos of their items and name a price and you can meet up.
Swappa: Swappa focuses on smartphones and tablets that are in working condition.
Craigslist: Craigslist is a great place to sell your stuff too. Although it has a bad rep for its sex ads, Craigslist is a great place to sell your car, rent an apartment or even sell furniture.
eBid: eBid.com is similar to eBay. You place items for sale on a bid system.
Threadflip: Threadflip is a website where you can place your designer items for sale. These can be anything from clothing to handbags to jewelry.

Online Career

Another way to make many online is to find a job that you can do online. There are a ton of opportunities for this and most of them you can actually pursue a career in (or make a part-time job for extra money). Most of these require some former knowledge or experience, however, they are all great ways to make extra cash.

Resume Help: You can help other people better their resume and make money doing it!
Edit: Plenty of online news websites and blogs need editors. Sometimes this can be part-time or full-time and can pay pretty well.
Starting websites: People often need help starting their own websites. You can make money doing this for them.
Social media: Many companies look for people to manage their social media accounts: post, reply to comments and interact with their audience.
Ghost writing: Ghost writing is writing for others. People post your writing on their website but you do not get a byline.
Virtual assistant: Many companies look for virtual assistants to reply to emails and monitor websites.

If you are looking for more ways to make money online, you can look on websites like Indeed or LinkedIn and search for “telecommute” positions. Good luck on your quest for making extra money!

Photo: Flickr: Pictures of Money

Ways People Make Money Playing McDonald’s Monopoly 2014

October 8, 2014 By Jeffrey Strain 4 Comments

Hoe people make money on the McDonald's Monopoly game

While the vast majority of people look forward to McDonald’s Monopoly each year for the prizes (most notably, the $1 million Boardwalk game piece prize), there are a set of people who look forward to the game for a different reason — it’s when they earn some extra spending money. There are actually a small group of people who look forward to the game each year so they can make a few hundred (and sometime several thousand) extra dollars. What these people have done is realize there’s a big difference between playing the McDonald’s Monopoly game to win and making money with the game.

The simple trick to making money at McDonald’s Monopoly is not to play. The actual odds of winning any prizes worth significant value are extremely slim (your best chance was actually with the pre-promotion sweepstakes), but providing a service to those who are committed players can be an excellent opportunity to make a little extra money. If you are wondering how much money a person can make by doing this, last year a reader reported making over $1000 from the game. So, how can someone make several hundred dollars off the McDonald’s Monopoly game? With a well thought out plan, and understanding the dynamics which cause people to pay for game pieces.

Understanding the Odds

One of the main reasons games like McDonald’s Monopoly are so successful is the majority of people have little understanding about how the odds of the game work. Not understanding the odds, people playing to win a prize will usually collect game pieces backwards. In other words, instead of trying to collect just the rare pieces, they try to collect all of the pieces.

The most logical approach to winning at this game is to try to collect a rare game piece. Once you have the rare piece, you can then get the common pieces to fill out the property set with relative ease on your own or through other means such as from friends, eBay or Craigslist. There is no reason to go out and spend money getting common pieces until you have a rare piece in hand.

This, however, is not how most people approach the game. Most people set out trying to collect as many game pieces as possible. This way, if they manage to get one of the rare game pieces, then they will already have the other property pieces needed to win. As a result, people end up overpaying for common property pieces when trying to fill in as many blank game pieces as they can on their boards.

Selling Pieces

One way people make money off this game is selling the pieces they collect on websites like eBay and Craigslist. The strategy tends to work best in the early days of the contest when those who don’t understand the odds scramble to fill up as much of their board as they can. Game pieces can sell for several dollars when there happens to be a bidding war for even common pieces. Most are listed in the early days for $1 or more.

Even as the game progresses, it’s still possible to make money selling game pieces for the online codes. These are often sold for $0.25 or more each, so if you’re able to get hold of a lot of game pieces, you can earn quite a bit this way. Most people who make money off the game do so by collecting as many pieces as they can and selling them to others.

Selling Instant Win Prizes

Even more lucrative than selling the common property pieces and online codes is to sell instant win prizes. You can eat those medium fries yourself, or you can sell the game piece to someone else who will use it. Most times, the prizes sell for about 50% of their retail value, but for those who collect a lot of game pieces, they’re sure to come across these instant win prizes as well which can be sold for money.

Inserting Codes

This is a new way that at least one person is making money off of the game who emailed me to tell me about it. Apparently there are some people who want to say they have won the online game prizes, but don’t want to be bothered with the time it takes to input the codes into the online portion of the game. The person does the full service for these people. He collects the game pieces and inserts the codes for them under their account, and they keep any prizes they may win. He charges $1 per code entered, and claims he’s making $50 a day doing this for several people.

The key takeaway from this is that the way to make money off of McDonald’s Monopoly is not to play the game yourself, but to provide a service which makes it easier for those who do play the game. Doing so can put some extra spending money into your pockets each year the game comes around.