Meanwhile, I wanted to share a few links with my faithful readers (both of you, lol [I kid! My stats show there's a lot more visitors than I give myself credit for]). Seriously, enjoy!
First, I'd like to mention NCP. I MAY have mentioned them in the past, I don't recall. Basically, if your household is selected, you scan purchases to earn points. You can also take surveys to earn points. Then you redeem those points for prizes. When my back started getting really bad, I used about half of the points I then had for a steam mop, which I absolutely love! So I can vouch for this company. They're currently accepting applications (it appears it'll run to the 19th), so click here now!
The next thing I'd like to mention (which again, I may or may not have mentioned before) is TopCashBack. You simply sign up (and get a $10 signup bonus), then search for the store you want to shop at. You click through, and do your shopping as usual. And a percentage of your total will get credited to your account. Once you reach the $20 minimum, you can request the payout. They don't have EVERY store, but have a wider selection (and better percentages) than other sites I've looked into.
Here is one I know I haven't mentioned. Around 2 years ago, I started looking into more affordable cell phone options, because I couldn't afford a "high" mobile bill anymore. After much research, I went with Tello. You can customize your plan in a way that other providers don't seem to allow. Minutes, text, and data can be picked and chosen (for example, 100 minutes with free text and no data or no minutes and unlimited data, etc. All the way to unlimited everything). They even have pay-as-you-go, and pre-configured plans! You will need a Sprint compatible smartphone (if you don't have one, they do sell a few options. Or check eBay or something). And yes, you CAN port your number in most cases (I did). In spite of being cheap, their service is reliable (unlike a mainstream company I used to go through). I definitely recommend them.
I'm almost certain I've mentioned this one before, but they've been changing and improving, so I'd like to bring them up again. PinchMe allows you to order a few samples every month (and there are ways of earning extra samples, should you wish). You just try the products and give feedback...sometimes as simple as answering a couple multiple-choice questions!
One last thing I'd like to share with you is Proton. ProtonMail provides email accounts that don't mine your messages for data to sell (unlike Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc). The messages are encrypted, to help protect your privacy. They have paid upgrades (mostly more storage space), but I find the free email to be enough for my personal needs. They also have ProtonVPN. The free account is limited to only a handful of servers (none of which allow P2P, if you use that). But they have several plans ranging in affordability (I use the Plus plan, myself...a balance of features and cost). They're based in Switzerland, and they do not keep logs (unlike many free or low-cost VPNs). They're faster than the other VPNs I've used (free and paid), and are down significantly less than the others. There's also the option to temporarily block internet traffic if the VPN disconnects (Killswitch), and the Plus and Visionary plans allow you to take advantage of "Secure Core" (routing your traffic first through a Swiss connection, THEN through whichever location you choose) for maximum privacy.
That's it for now. Until next time....