How-To Earn Money for the Holidays

Everything takes money, and these days, money is an issue that 90% of us cannot ignore. Oil prices are projected to be around $6.50 per gallon by fall of 2008, gas prices are spiking to over $4 a gallon in most areas and Christmas may seem far away, but it isn't! Prepare with me, and earn money to have a great holiday from an hour or so of work each night!

I have a wonderful, very supportive family with 5 children. Difficult does not begin to describe the daily struggle to pay the bills, feed and clothe the kids and find a little bit of extra money to get them a small treat occasionally. Granted, it is my choice to sacrifice a second income to stay home and raise my children. I could just as easily go out and find gainful employment. But then I would have to deal with the fact that strangers are raising my children while I work, and this I cannot do. I promised myself I would ensure that my children would grow up to be law-abiding, successful adults. Every one of us has a story of how or why money is tight for us this year, and I want to show you how you can grow a nice little savings account on the side for the holidays this year!

The Internet Rat Race, as I have lovingly deemed it in other articles that I have written, can be a great place to make a little money while relaxing or working at home. There are verifiable opportunities that exist on the Internet that are undiscovered by much of our population. I have the fortune of several very gifted friends who have steered me in the right direction to find these opportunities and take advantage of them. Let's get ready to earn enough to buy our children or loved ones a few nice gifts this year!

Let me remind you, before we get started, that every program I am about to show you is free to join. There are always upgrade possibilities, but you do not need to be an upgraded member of a site in order to add an additional stream of income to your checkbook. I will highlight the ones that will pay off if you upgrade on them, but again, it is not necessary to do so! Also, the programs that I recommend do not require you to purchase anything or take a trial test drive of any product that might cost you money if you forget to cancel the trial. I am horrible with that function of remembering to call and cancel anything, so I stick to programs that aren't going to require a lot of mind power from me.

Clix Sense - Clix Sense has been profiled on television, and is a definite earning opportunity. As a free member, you can expect several links per day, between 5-20 depending on how often you check the site. I recommend doing so before work, after work, after dinner and before you go to bed. Each link will pay you at least 1 cent to view a website for 30 seconds. I have gotten links worth up to $1.00 at times on this program. Minimum payout is $10.00 and checks are cut on the first of the month for anyone with a $10 balance. You can choose to let your earnings add up to $50 before getting a check from them as well.

As an upgraded member, you will pay $10 for the year to get started. Over 500 links will appear for an upgraded member almost immediately, and then, depending on how many times a day you check this site, you will receive between 10-40 links per day to earn from. I have consistently made $10 or more each month from this program as an upgraded member. And yes, I have received a check from them for my earnings.

The earnings do not stop there. Recommending this program to your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors will earn you money as well. After signing up as a free or premium member, you will receive a link to promote this program.

Word Linx - Word Linx is very similar to Clix Sense. This one will pay you 1 cent per website that you view. Ads will pop up at various times throughout the day, so of course, the more you check, the more you make. Free to join, payout is reached at $10 on this particular site, and will be sent to you via PayPal. PayPal is a safe, easy alternative to sending and receiving money online, without giving away any of your personal details such as account numbers. You will see your earnings within your member area, and can request cash out at any time after reaching $10. Payouts are generally processed within 48 hours.

Once again, there is an option to upgrade with this site. It is not necessary to do so, however, as an upgraded member, you will receive more ads than a free member. Currently the price to upgrade is $5 per year, but it is set to go up to $10 per year within the next month. You can also earn from your referrals here, so get your friends, family and others to sign up under you, and earn from their clicks as well. They will thank you for the extra money generated from this site, and your checkbook will love you.

Hits4Pay - Hits4Pay will pay you 2 cents per site visited. This is a completely free program to join with NO upgraded membership. You will receive a $10 bonus to join, and receive 1-5 ads per day as a rule. There will be days with more or less, but you can make a decent additional revenue stream from this program. Payout is $25.00 and will be automatically issued to you through PayPal at the first of the month after you reach payout. Once again, you should recommend this to your family, friends and co-workers, as you will earn from every site they view as well.

Each of these programs has a reliable, proven track record. They are safe to use, safe to use around your children and have a strong membership base to keep them running for years to come. I do want you to remember that they are venues for advertising for other businesses. Do not allow yourself to be taken in by any program that is advertised there unless you have done your homework and are completely sure that it is a good opportunity. As with anything involved in the Internet Rat Race, protecting yourself is your number one rule. If you follow that rule, you will find that an hour or so a day, will help you to build an additional revenue stream to get ready for the upcoming holiday season or whatever you might need additional funds for.

I might also suggest that this is a great summer job for your children. Train them to do the clicking, remind them not to sign up for anything without your permission and set them loose to check these sites throughout the day. The income will grow, they will learn responsibility from their actions and their "job", and you won't have to worry about getting them to and from their job or babysitting job or worry about who they are hanging out with, because they will be home, earning their own income!