If you haven’t heard about this yet, there is a huge giveaway going on over at MoneyCrashers. The contest is simple to enter and there are loads of prizes. Prizes range from cash, Apple Ipod’s, Amazon Kindle’s, personal finance books and more.  At last count, the total prize tally was over $7500 in cash and prizes.

Hurry up and enter the contest! The winners will be announced on February 3rd.

http://www.moneycrashers.com/new-year-2010-giveaway-bash/

I'm all about free money. These days, it's hard to find accounts that are paying bonuses for opening an account. I found out the other day about PerkStreet Financial.

PerkStreet has partnered with the Bancorp Bank, member FDIC, to provide several of its banking services, including FDIC insurance. This free online checking account gives you a number of perks for having the account AND now, until February 28, 2010 you can also get a $50 bonus for opening an account.

While this account may not be best for everyone, if you need or would like a separate free checking account, this one can be perfect. Opening an account is quick and easy. It took me about 3 minutes to get it setup. You will need your drivers license and a debit card, credit card or check from your current bank and at least a $25 opening deposit.

From the website, here are a some of the FAQ's:

What are the benefits of having an account? By using your debit card without a pin, you can earn free coffee, music or 1% cash back.

What are the perks? 

• 1% cash back: Choose from a PerkStreet Financial Visa^® Gift Card or gift cards from Target^®, Best Buy^®, Amazon.com^®, GAP and Ticketmaster^®
• Music: Choose to receive credit for songs at iTunes^®, Rhapsody^® or Amazon.com^® Gift Cards for MP3s or millions of other items at Amazon.com
• Coffee: Choose reloadable gift cards from Starbucks^®, Dunkin Donuts^®, Peet’s Coffee and Tea^® and Bruegger’s Bagels^®

How much does it cost? The account is absolutely free. There are no account minimums, maintenance fees or charges for using your debit card.

How can PerkStreet offer so many perks? By having no branches, they don't have to spend billions of dollars to open and maintain branches. They use the savings to offer perks to customers.

How do I make a deposit? You can add money to your account by direct deposit, transfer money from an existing checking or savings account, make free deposits at any UPS or Mailboxes, Etc store and PerkStreet will receive your deposit the next day. You can also mail in deposits.

How do I withdraw money from my account? You can withdraw money for free at over 37,000 STARsf surcharge free ATM network or at any merchant that offers cash back for purchases. You can use ATMs outside the network for a $2 fee.

Is your money safe? Yes. Every PerkStreet account is FDIC insured up to $250,000 and all PerkStreet Financial Visa Debit Cards are protected by The Visa Zero Liability policy. This policy ensures that you won’t be held responsible for any unauthorized transactions.

The account is just like a regular checking account since you can pay bills online, check your balance online or by phone and receive text balance alerts via email or mobile phone. You can also get help via phone anytime of the day and most calls are answered within 30 seconds. 

I think the account is pretty cool so I signed up to be an affiliate. I freatly appreciate it if you use any of the above links on this page to open an account. The holidays are coming and I can really use the extra money. :-)

I've been a member of Mypoints for a long time. I didn't realize how long I'd been a member until I received my "Happy Anniversary" email this morning.

As shown in the picture below, I've been a member of Mypoints for 11 years!!!!

How does it work? Basically, once you sign up and complete your profile, you have several opportunities to earn points. The minimum point level is 5 points and the quickest and easiest way to earn points is to read the e-mails they send. I usually get anywhere from 2 - 10 e-mails a day. There is no time limit to read the e-mails but I usually click on them daily. Even if I get 10 e-mails in a day, it only takes about 2-5 minutes to complete them. You can also earn points by completing surveys and by shopping online.

What do you get? Once you have enough points in your account, you can redeem them for a variety of gift cards. The lowest value gift cards start at 500 points and increase to several thousand points. The points value increase with the dollar value of the gift card. Once you choose to redeem your card, the gift card is then mailed to you within 1-3 weeks. They do have several gift cards that you can redeem online.

If you haven't signed up for a Mypoints account, it's really quick and easy to do so. Once you open an account, you can then refer friends to earn even more points!!

Over the years, I've redeemed the gift cards to Target, TJ Maxx, Home Depot and my favorite - Starbucks!!! This is one of the ways I can continue to enjoy my Starbucks coffee guilt-free.

If you are worried about getting a lot of spam, I recommend setting up a separate email account.

For a limited time, WT Direct is offering a cash bonus to new clients for opening a new savings account.

To get the bonus, here's what you need to do by July 31, 2009.

• Apply online for a WT Direct account. (It's quick and easy. I opened an account with them a few months ago. Unfortunately, there was no bonus at that time.)
• Deposit $10,000 or more before July 31, 2009
• Keep funds on deposit through October 31, 2009
• Must not have had an account in the past twelve months

Cash bonuses are based on the following tiers:

• $25 bonus for a $10,000 balance
• $50 bonus for a $20,000 balance
• $75 bonus for a $30,000 balance
• $100 bonus for a $40,000 balance
• $150 bonus for a $50,000 balance

Haven't heard of WT Direct?
WT Direct is part of the Wilmington Trust family of companies with a strong 105 year history.
The account is FDIC insured up to the maximum Federal limit of $250,000. The WT Direct savings rate is consistently among the top 5% of US Banks. There are no fees to maintain the account and no minimum balance; although you will need a minimum of $10,000 to open the account.

Don't have $10k to open an account? You can also try HSBC instead. No fees and no minimum balance. Easy transfers to and from other accounts.

Looks like I am going to be digging my Chase Card out of the depths of my sock drawer. I received a mailer today for an offer I can't refuse. Usually, I get balance transfer checks from them that all end up in the same place...the shredder. The interest rates vary from 4.99% until the balance is paid in full or 0.99% for a limited number of months. I probably would take advantage of the balance transfer offers if they offered a zero percent interest rate and no balance transfer fees. Of course, I'd deposit the money in savings and payoff the balance before the intro period expired.

This offer was a little bit different. They are offering $5 statement credit each day I use my card during the month of July for a maximum of $155. Since I currently have a zero balance on the account and will pay any charges off in full, I am actually making a little extra money.

Frequently Asked Questions from the Flyer:

What do I have to do to receive a $5 statement credit? $5 will be credited to your account for each day you make a single purchase with your card regardless of the dollar amount or number of purchases you make in a day.

Who qualifies for this offer? As long as your Chase Card is in good standing, open and not in default when the credit is posted, you qualify. Note: The offer only applies to the account that received the offer. The last four digits of the card number is posted on the inside of the flyer in the upper right corner.

When will I receive my statement credit? The credit will be reflected within 6 to 8 weeks following the last calendar day in which the credit was earned.

I haven't quite decided what I will purchase but it will be something small since there is no minimum purchase. I may end up buying a pack a gum each day!!

Did you receive this offer? What do you plan to buy?

Get your own Chase Credit Card:

This offer will expire tomorrow (Thursday) May 15, 2008. Hurry up and get your free and easy $25 before the promotion ends.

If you haven't heard about Revolution Money Exchange, you should certainly check it out. It's free to send and receive money and unlike Paypal, there is no transaction fee!

They are currently offering a $25 signup bonus when you open an account before May 15, 2008. I would greatly appreciate it if you sign up using the link above. You get a $25 bonus and I will get a $10 referral bonus. Once you open your new account, you can then use it to refer other people and get the referral bonus for yourself (up to $500).

What are the benefits of using Revolution Money Exchange (besides a sweet $25 signup bonus).

• Secure transfers.
• Free to send and receive money.
• Free to request money.
• Free to transfer money to your bank account.
• You can send up to $1000 per day, not to exceed $2500 in a calendar month.

It is quick and easy to open an account so be sure to open an account today and get your free $25 bonus. The bonus should show up in your account in a couple of minutes so you won't need to wait weeks for the money.

One of the hottest topics of conversation on and off the Internet is about the Economic Stimulus Rebate checks being mailed out. Everyone wants to know when they will receive their payout and what they plan to do with the funds. Some people have already received their rebates and have either used them to actually stimulate the economy by making a purchase they would not have normally made. Others have done what I would do and just stick it in my savings account. Unfortunately, now I'll be using it to make up the shortage in my mortgage escrow account.

I've heard some people saying they will use it to start a savings account. It's great that they will be actually be using the money to save for future needs and not blow it. It's important to have money to fall back on in those lean months. If you are using your stimulus check to start your savings, that's great. If you already have a fully funded savings account, that's great too.

You don't have to wait for an economic stimulus check to give your savings account a boost. There are numerous ways to find a little extra money in your monthly budget. Every little bit helps. It can be $5 or $50 but with regular savings, the amounts add up.

Where will you get the extra money to add to your monthly savings?

Adjust your W4. Are you paying too much in federal taxes? If you get a large tax refund every year, you are probably giving the government too much money. Adjust your federal withholding and put extra money in your pocket with each paycheck. Check out the withholding calculator at the IRS website.

Take Advantage of Free Money. If you haven't signed up at Revolution Money Exchange, you should definitely consider it. RME is like Paypal but without the fees. Right now, they are offering $25 just for opening an account. It takes less than five minutes to sign up, doesn't cost anything and the bonus is instant.

• If you want to open a new savings account instead, consider using ING Direct, you get a $25 bonus when you open a new account with at least $250.
• If you want to get a little extra money from your everyday purchases, consider opening a Upromise account. Upromise contributes a percentage of your purchase to a college savings account when you shop at participating stores or buy participating products. Anyone can open an account whether you have kids or not. If you don't want to use the savings for college, you can withdraw the funds from the account for free.
• Have a little extra time on your hands? Consider signing up for survey sites like Mypoints where you are paid to take surveys, shop online, etc.

Save Money on Expenses. Do you really need all the premium channels in your cable package? Do you need home phone service and cell phone service? Can you reduce your cell phone to a lower plan? Do you pay too much for insurance? Take a few minutes to get quotes from multiple auto and home insurance companies to see what you can save. InsureMe.com is a great place to get multiple free quotes.

Those are just a few ideas of how to save extra money to boost your savings each month. There are a gazillion other ways to save money each month. Do a simple search for "saving money" on Google and you will get hundreds of ideas to save money.

Save Money on Gas with the Discover Open Road Card - 5% Cashback on Gas and Auto Maintenance

Reminder: Please subscribe to SingleGuyMoney.

Image Credit: Mykl Roventine

I posted about Revolution Money Exchange the other day but I am posting it again today since the offer has been extended. The free $25 signup bonus has been extended until May 15, 2008.

I would greatly appreciate it if you sign up using the link above. You get a $25 bonus and I will get a $10 referral bonus. Once you open your new account, you can then use it to refer other people and get the referral bonus for yourself (up to $500).

What are the benefits of using Revolution Money Exchange (besides a sweet $25 signup bonus).

• Secure transfers.
• Free to send and receive money.
• Free to request money.
• Free to transfer money to your bank account.
• You can send up to $1000 per day, not to exceed $2500 in a calendar month.

It is quick and easy to open an account so be sure to open an account today and get your free $25 bonus. The bonus should show up in your account in a couple of minutes so you won't need to wait weeks for the money.

More Free Money:

ING $25 Referrals

We're a quarter of the way through the year and I haven't updated you guys on how my goals are going. With the poor economy, it is even more important to have a plan for your finances and track every penny.

The last time I posted about my financial goals was back at the end of December 2007. Things are moving along slowly but surely on the financial front.

My main financial goals for 2008 are:

• Increase my Net Worth to at least $75,000. As of yesterday, I'm at around $70k. The stock market will have a big effect on this number. I am currently down about 5% in my 401k and down 11% in my brokerage account. I am sticking to a strict budget to manage my cashflow. If you want to start a budget but aren't sure where to start, consider taking advantage of the free trial at Mvelopes to get some ideas on how it works. Be sure to cancel before the end of 30 days so you won't be charged.


• Increase my Freedom Account balance to $5000. I was doing pretty well until I had to borrow money to pay for repairs to my rental property. I also paid for my landlords insurance policy for the year and paid my auto insurance in full for 6 months.


• Increase my Rental Property Account balance to at least $1500. Right now, the account has about $94 in it. Here are some $25 ING Referrals that I am using to help build the account balance back up. If you use one of my referrals to open an account, I will get a $10 bonus for referring you. Be sure to open the account with at least $250 to get the $25 referral bonus. If you don't have $250 to open an account, you can use this link instead.


• Decrease my non-mortgage debt to less than $40,000. This one is moving pretty slow. I am tempted to take money out of savings to pay off the car loan but with the slow economy, I never know when my job might decided to "reduce the workforce". Right now, I am right around $45,000.


• Increase my credit scores. I would like to have at least a 720 credit score with all three bureaus. So far, I am 2 out of 3. I'm not sure what is going on with Experian but I keep hovering around 700.

Have you heard of Revolution Money Exchange? Like Paypal but without all the fees. Sign up by April 15, 2008 to get the $25 bonus.

If you haven't already, please be sure to subscribe to SingleGuyMoney.

Here are just a few of the of deals and bonuses going on around the web right now to help you bring in extra money without much effort or save money on a purchase.

Upromise: Join Upromise by April 30,2008 and get $10 just for opening an account.

ING Referrals: I've made it easy to get an ING referral without having to send an email. Simply click here and use one of the referral links I've setup. Be sure to open the account with at least $250 to ensure you receive the $25 bonus.

Ebates - Where it pays to shop online! Get $5 when you sign up and make at least one purchase.

Tracfone Prepaid Wireless: Motorola Phone and 120 minutes for $29.99

(No Contract - Great for Teenagers)

Quickbooks: Save up to 20% on Quickbooks Accounting Software.

1-800 Contacts: Save up to 50% and get free shipping on your contact lenses.

At the beginning of last year, I set an unofficial and unadvertised goal of increasing my passive income. Since then, I’ve signed up for Mypoints and Ebates and I’ve been pretty happy with the proceeds with minimal effort on my part. It’s not a lot by any means but every little bit helps.

This past weekend, I signed up for Upromise. I’ve heard of them before and they are actually a featured sponsor of SingleGuyMoney. I was under the impression that the program was only for individuals with children looking to save money for college. After looking more into the program, I realized that Upromise can benefit anyone.

If you don’t have a child headed to college and decide to open an account, you have a couple of options:
Save for Someone else: You have the option of designating a beneficiary of the funds you earn in your Upromise Account. You can save for your child, your sister or brother, cousin, friend, next door neighbor or virtually anyone you wish.
Save for Yourself: Save to help yourself with college costs or withdraw the funds to use for whatever. Withdrawing money is as simple as mailing in a withdrawal request.
The money you earn can be saved in a 529 plan, credited towards your student loan or saved in your Upromise account.

Earning Money:
Earning money for your Upromise account is as simple as doing what you do every day. Once you sign up and link your debit, credit and/or grocery rewards card, everything is automatic. More than 550 companies and over 8,000 restaurants will give you college contributions through Upromise. The percentage cashback you earn is listed on the website in the company list. You can also earn money for shopping online through the Upromise website.
Like to dine out at your favorite restaurant? Sign up as a preferred diner and earn up to 8% towards your college savings if the restaurant is a participating member. You don’t have to guess if the restaurant is a participating member. Just pop in your zip code under dining and you’ll get a list.
There are numerous ways to earn money with Upromise. Considering opening an account today. It’s free, easy and takes no time to sign up.

If you are one of the few people left in the country that doesn't have an ING Orange Savings account, I still have referrals left. By opening a savings account with at least $250, you can get a $25 referral bonus (I will get $10 - Thanks in advance).

Tricia @ Blogging Away Debt was kind enough to take a couple of my referrals to help me out.

If you would like a referral, you can contact me here; or you can go over to Blogging Away Debt.

It's finally the end of another work week and time for relaxing or having fun on the weekend. Need to add a few bucks to your Emergency Fund, House Fund, Car Repair Fund, etc instead?

Below, you will find a couple of easy signup bonuses that will help you get closer to your goal.

Open a free checking account and get a $25 signup bonus. Open a regular savings account and get an additional $10 bonus. Open a regular savings with at least $1000 and you get a $25 bonus. All I need is your email address to send you the referral. Your email address will not be saved or sold. Email me here. New customers only!


Open an Electric Orange checking account or a Orange Savings account with at least $250 and you will get a $25. Open both and get $50. Email me here. New customers only!


Want to shop, save money and get a referral bonus?




Click, HERE, to visit Ebates.

Well, it's not really raining money, it is more like a slight drizzle. When I opened my email inbox and my postal mailbox, it wasn't filled with the usual junkmail. Today, they were filled with money. How much money you ask? Well just keep reading.

• Ebates: I received my "Big Fat Check" of $43.90 via email from Ebates. As I posted before, this website allows you to shop at all your favorite stores online AND you get a rebate for purchasing thru the Ebates website. The rebate percentage is clearly listed on the website. I hate going to the mall so all my holiday shopping will be done thru Ebates. They are offering a $10 signup bonus thru the end of today (11/15/07) and then it goes back to the normal $5 signup bonus. You must make at least one purchase to get the bonus. With the holiday season approaching, that shouldn't be a problem. Signup HERE.

• PineCone Research: I completed a survey yesterday and received my $5 payment today. The surveys are pretty easy and take about 5-10 minutes to complete. They usually send a payment via Paypal the day after the survey has been completed. I signed up a few months ago and I get about 2-3 surveys a month. I certainly won't get rich doing this but every little bit helps. Signup HERE.

• MyPoints: A couple of weeks ago, I redeemed some of my points for a $50 Target giftcard and it arrived today. I have been a Mypoints member for a few years now and would estimate I have received over $500 just for clicking on emails or shopping thru the Mypoints website. Tip: You may want to setup a separate email account to use for MyPoints. I usually get anywhere from 5-10 emails a day. Signup Here.

I'll be sure to enjoy my $98.90. Do you want to make a little money for doing a little bit of nothing? Be sure to click on the signup HERE links. I only get a referral fee from Ebates.com. Is there a site that you use to get free money with little effort? If so, feel free to share.

If you enjoyed this post or enjoy reading about my personal finance journey, please subscribe here.