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Save Money By Avoiding Common Car Maintenance Problems

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Cars today come in a greater range of sizes and shapes than ever before, the choice is simply mind-boggling, and becomes greater every day. However, one common theme runs through them all, and that is increased complexity. In response to our demands for more power, more luxury and more gadgets, the cars manufactured today are more complex than ever. Most are run by powerful computers, and problems are diagnosed by them as well, making it more and more difficult to repair them yourselves!

In turn, the motorist of today is much less well educated about car maintenance than the driver of 30-40 years ago, simply because in that time they broke down so often you had to know how to fix them! Despite the DVLA adding in more mechanical parts to the driving test, such as changing oil and other fluids, it seems we are even more clueless that ever. Some might say this is a general theme with the younger generation, who are far more adept on their phones and online that with their hands!

However, despite the complexity of the modern car and the seeming lack of interest of the modern driver to fix them, there are still basics that everyone should know in case of emergency. These include simple fixes, but also what to look out for in order to diagnose more complex problems, which might turn into a serious accident if not fixed. We have compiled the most common car problems and some simple advice of what to do:

Won’t Start
– If the car wont turn over at all, the battery is likely dead. Jump start
– If the car does turn over but wont start, it could be the starter motor or a problem with the fuel. Call a garage

Steering
– If the steering feels very heavy, you may be low on fluid. Check power steering fluid, wheel alignment and tyre pressure
– If the steering feels light, check tyre wear and pressure

Braking
– If the brake pedal is stuck down or up, the brake booster likely needs work. Call a garage
– If the brakes feel spongy, check brake fluid levels
– If the stopping distance increases, or the car veers off to one side under braking, brake pads may need replacing

The AA has an excellent reference section on their website to diagnose simple car problems, and this infographic from Autodoc gives more detailed information and is a handy take away guide to possible braking problems.

YouTube VS Twitch: Which Live Streaming Platform Is Best For Poker?

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“A New Era For Twitch?” (CC BY 2.0) by BagoGames
Caption: Twitch or YouTube; which is the best poker livestreaming platform?

There are few elements of human history that have changed the world quite as much as the introduction of the internet. Over the last few decades, the world wide web has become an intricate part of our lives, with over 4 billion people, 54% of the world’s total population, using the internet on a regular basis.

How Poker Streaming Started

With every passing year, there is more to discover and more corners of the web to explore, but there are some staples that continue to thrive despite how quickly the internet evolves. One such staple is live streaming, which began all the way back in 2007 with the introduction of a platform aptly titled Livestream. While this specific website may no longer be quite as popular as it used to be, there are more live streaming platforms than ever including DaCast, Upstream, Bambuser and Showcaster. However, the two most popular live streaming websites are without a doubt YouTube Live and Twitch, boasting 315,000 and 800,000 active users on average respectively.

Of course, not everyone in these audiences is interested in the same subjects, which has led to a wonderfully diverse number of topics being livestreamed on a regular basis. On both YouTube and Twitch, PC and video games appear to be the leading genre that most people are interested in. That said, there are also communities centred on music, food, painting, dance, cosplay, knitting, paper craft, makeup, sculpting and almost any other hobby you could possibly imagine.

One genre that has been gaining significant amounts of popularity over the last few years has been poker. Anyone who was around at the turn of the millennium will of course remember televised poker, which began in March 2003 with the inaugural World Poker Tournament that aired on the Travel Channel. This was swiftly followed by the 2003 WSOP Main Event, broadcast on ESPN, and before we knew it poker was being regularly televised for all to enjoy.

Around this same time, online casinos were gaining attention and the iGaming industry was already born. Before long, playing online poker became a pastime that thousands of people around the world would enjoy, which is the situation we find ourselves in today. It made sense then, to introduce poker to the world of livestreaming – especially since platforms like YouTube and Twitch are now receiving as many daily viewers as leading television news channels.

This leads us to the topic of the day: which is better for livestreaming poker, YouTube or Twitch?

YouTube Live

Ever since August 2005, YouTube has dominated the world of online video. However, while YouTube may have 30 million daily viewers, not all of these visitors are engaging in livestreams, which has enabled Twitch to become the dominant livestreaming platform. Still, YouTube Live has a lot of potential and with such a large audience to tap into it’s no surprise that poker has entered the fray.

To set up a livestream, all you have to do is set up an account and head to the stream option in settings. That’s all you have to do (assuming you already have the correct equipment and video know-how to set up in a livestream), and you simply wait for viewers to roll in. There’s not really a lot more to say about it. Many of the most popular poker live streams on YouTube are hosted by big companies, so it certainly may be difficult for newbies with no followers to gain any traction.

Twitch

Watch $1000 THRILLLAAA. Last stream before Montreal MILLIONS. LET’S GET THAT W. !pokershares !888 @tonkaaaaP from tonkaaaaP on www.twitch.tv
With so many different categories already available on Twitch, it can be difficult for any specific genre to break out. Fortunately for poker, it is very much a game and there’s nothing Twitch users love more than watching livestreamed games. This may be one of the reasons why the Twitch Poker hub has grown by leaps and bounds over the last two years, swiftly becoming the go-to place for poker livestreams.

Poker professionals often tend to lean towards creating streams that are very similar to the poker we would recognize on television, especially if there’s a big company involved. They also tend to offer premium subscribers Videos on Demand (VoDs) – after all, they know how this business works. Take Parker “TonkaaaaP” Talbot, for example, one of Twitch’s hottest poker players, who recently partnered to stream with 888poker. As well as streaming poker at least five times a week on regular basis, he also offers numerous clips and VoDs to his dedicated subscribers who tune in to watch him play and explain Texas Hold’em on $20-$50 buy-in tournaments.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the poker chip, Twitch encourages newer potential poker livestreamers to join by offering the Twitch Partner program that helps you set up your account and even gives you access to Scott Ball, Global Head of Poker Partnerships. It appears that Twitch genuinely wants more poker livestreamers to use their platform and give newcomers all the help they could want and need, within reason. This is also great news for viewers as everyone wants to watch a happy individual or group enjoying themselves, who has been offered the best advice when it comes to video quality, direction and how they should go moving forward.

Conclusion

It appears then that both Twitch and YouTube have their own benefits when it comes to livestreaming poker, but we should also make it clear that they share the same downsides. Most importantly, if you’re a streamer there is a lot of competition on both of these sites which will probably make it more difficult for any new poker streamer to gather a loyal audience quickly. You could choose to go to a smaller site but as YouTube and Twitch do have the largest audience and so have the most potential. Viewers will experience a similar problem in that there is so much content to watch on both platforms it can be difficult to find the livestreams you will enjoy most. The simple fix for this is just to google a list of the best poker streamers and take it from there.

So, if you have the choice of just YouTube Live or Twitch, which one do we think is the best? We have to go with Twitch as not only do they support professionals, but they also give a lot of help to newbies looking to start their own channels. YouTube certainly has its positives, but we think the video platform is best suited for pre-recorded poker games that viewers can click and watch whenever they want.

What do you think? Do you agree with our decision, or does YouTube Live offer something that we’ve missed? Do you have a favourite poker livestreamer or a channel you’d like us to check out? Leave a comment below.

Technology Hacks For Moving Houses

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Use Shiply to find a low-cost removal company

Shiply is a great place to find a removal company because the registered companies usually have prices up to 75% cheaper than going direct.

Companies on Shiply are able to offer lower prices because they are fitting in their Shiply jobs with their existing work. This means you’re only paying for the spare capacity needed for the vehicle rather than what it would cost for an empty vehicle driving to your home, doing the job, then driving back empty to the depot. On Shiply you just input the details of the move and the type of service you’re looking for (whether you just need a van and a driver, or a full-service complete with packing and unpacking) and wait for the quotes to arrive in your inbox.

Use apps to split your bills

If you’re living with other people, you’ll need to be doing a lot of cost-splitting. There’s the obvious stuff like rent and bills, but you might also like to split the cost of new furniture, your weekly food shop or concert tickets. It might be easy to just use a spreadsheet if there are only two of you, but for three or more housemates there are several apps around that can make life a lot easier like Acasa and Splitwise. Before you know it, you’ll be using it to split costs for all sorts of other situations like holidays with friends, stag/hen parties and splitting the cost of birthday presents.

Have people help you via TaskRabbit

Moving home can be a stressful time, and if you’re not a well-practised DIYer it can be a frustrating and drawn-out time before you’re settled with everything where you’d like it to be. Luckily there’s an app for that! There are a several apps where people can register as a tasker and be paid to do odd jobs for people – this includes things like putting up shelves or assembling furniture. If you think you’ll struggle to find the time and/or patience for this, there’ll be someone else to give you a hand.

Let your shopping come to you!

There’s a subscription service for everything now. Perfect for busy people (everyone) and means less time shopping for essentials. For food there’s HelloFresh where you can get recipes and their corresponding ingredients delivered every week. You even get to choose which recipes you want to receive in advance from the weekly menu. These services mean you can spend more time enjoying your new home and less time planning meals and visiting the supermarket.

With non-food items, there are many companies do deliveries now from clothes to contact lenses and beauty products.

Green your home

If you’re looking to make your new home an environmentally-friendly zone, there are so many companies around now that can make this easier for you. Many of these companies are also subscriptions which post everything to your door regularly – be it weekly, monthly or quarterly depending on the product. Types of green companies include those for bamboo toothbrushes (not plastic) and recycled toilet paper – you’ll never be caught short again!

All About IRS Form W7

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The IRS form W7 is an application form provided by the internal revenue services for people who are not subjected to possess the SSN that is the social security number. The W7 form is meant for receiving the ITIN from the IRS so that one can file for the income tax returns successfully. The ITIN number is used by the income tax officers to identify people who pay taxes so that they can easily sort out the list, calculate the revenue and charge people who do not pay taxes on time. The IRS form W7 is subjected to complete and cover two major tasks-

  • To apply for a new itin (individual taxpayer id number).
  • To renew an itin that has either already expired or will be expiring in the near future before one would have to file for the income tac returns for the year.

People who already use the SSN for filing income tax returns doe not have to think or worry about the tax id number because it does not apply for candidates who have SSN. This is meant for those people who do not pass for the SSN regardless of their immigration status. Each and every individual whop earns above a certain amount is liable to file income tax returns once every year to provide the government with their share of revenue.

People who have been paying the income tax also doe not have to worry about applying for an itin but must always be careful about the expiry date of the same. It is recommended to apply for the individual tax id number before it expires or before it is time to file for the tax returns. For those who are new on the list of income tax payers and are stressed out about the various legal formalities to be completed and are wondering how to apply for itin here are the details.

The Irs form w7 helps one in applying for the individual tax id number. This form is available online. One can simply log on to the official web site and find the form there. The web site is very used friendly and easy to understand. It carries answers to all the question a candidate might ever need to know. If there is something one feels like asking about that is not present in the frequently asked question list, then one can simply chat with the customer support online or can also give them a call and get the queries sorted.

One can find the list of documents that are needed for the verification by IRS. The alternative options are also provided. The instruction to fill up the form and arrange the documents are more than enough to apply for the itin. One needs to fill up the IRS form W7 and attach the documents along with the form and send it to the IRS mailing address which is also listed in the web site. Once the verification is done the ITIN will be mailed to the candidate.

4 Interesting Reasons Why You Should Buy Samsung 65 Series 7 Premium TV

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Are you in search for the best home TV? Look no further and buy a Samsung 65 Series 7 Premium TV from Harvey Norman. For a sleek and stylish television and top-quality watching experience with your loved ones, you won’t definitely go wrong with it.

Samsung’s 65-inch MU7000 series is an exceptional, mid-range 4K TV. It is worth paying for because of its outstanding features and specifications. Sitting in your living room or home theater conveniently with this TV is just an awesome experience to look forward to.

Listed below are a few important reasons why it is time to purchase your own Samsung 65 Series 7 Premium TV:

Samsung 65 Series 7 Premium TV is future-proofed

Upgrading your TV is a wise move if you haven’t bought a new one for years. In case you are looking for a more high-tech television, then this future-proofed for most formats Samsung 65 Series 7 is the ideal one to purchase. It is a smart TV that does not only deliver 4K resolution, rather High Dynamic Range compatibility. As a result, you can easily watch all HDR10 content from various websites, like Amazon and Netflix.

Samsung 65 Series 7 Premium TV is budget-friendly

For some, it might be an expensive piece of technology. But if you take a look at its features, you would know that it is definitely on the budget-friendly side of the company’s mid-range products. Samsung truly creates offerings, especially televisions that stand out from the crowd. If you are to buy one, be sure to consider the overall package and not the price alone.

Samsung 65 Series 7 Premium TV has a first-rate black level

When you are planning to buy a new TV, make it a point to check the picture quality. It is also important to note that this Samsung TV has an excellent black level or shadow production because it is built upon a superb foundation and contrast performance. This means you can see favorably dark shadows in TV shows, cinematic movies, or anything you are watching.

Samsung 65 Series 7 Premium TV has balanced grayscale and precise colors

Another great thing about this Samsung mid-range TV offering is that it exceeds regular dynamic range color expectations. It creates saturated blues, greens, and reds, which are used to make other colors in a TV. As a result, you will be satisfied watching any content and won’t be disappointed in any way.

Samsung is known to produce amazing offerings since it started. Up to this day, it continues to strive hard to bring the best technology to people from across the globe. One of which is the Samsung 65 Series 7 Premium TV. Simply take a look at these reasons why you should purchase one and you will be convinced that it is worth your hard-earned money. It is absolutely a great buy, especially if you love watching TV and you want to level up your entertainment or gaming experience. As guaranteed, your TV experience will be top-notch with Samsung’s 65-inch MU7000 series.

Nearing Retirement? Make Sure You Won’t Run Out Of Money

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Are you nearing retirement? Wondering how to make sure you won’t run out of money during your old age?

The simplest recommendation is most likely the idea of waiting until you’re 70 to claim Social Security and then use the IRS’ required minimum distribution table to know how much you could withdraw from your savings each and every year. Based on information provided by a research scholar from Stanford Center on Longevity, this might be the best approach for people who have saved anywhere between $100 000 and $1 million.

The traditional way has long been that you should withdraw 4 percent of your retirement savings in the first year and increase the amount yearly depending on rate of inflation.

Some people try not to use the money at all, using it only as an emergency fund and some people do pretty much the opposite, using their retirement funds as a checking account. Neither of these versions are too reasonable.

Whether this recommendation is the way to go for you, we can’t really say. It could be great but we couldn’t give you a definitive answer. However, it is definitely reasonable to make a retirement plan and think through it all logically. That’s the very minimum all of us should be doing, independent of the age. Financial planning is important to make sure you don’t run out of money too soon, or to make sure you had any in the first place.

Working during your first theoretical retirement years is also a good idea, especially for some people who are used to and still capable of being active, for them to keep doing some work is the best idea. Not just because of money, but just to keep themselves active. For other people, like me, can i buy powerball tickets online might be the first question that comes to my mind when I start thinking about financial planning. Meaning, I would usually just think about anything else than planning and money and hope to get lucky.

How To Identify And Develop Great Sales Managers

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Working as a sales manager is both rewarding and challenging. Unfortunately, it’s also a job with high turnover. According to a September 2015 article published on Openview.com, the average sales manager stays in the position just 20 months. The short time on the job is even less than that of the typical salesperson and many managers are forced out instead of leaving voluntarily. Those who do leave on their own often cite the stress of managing multiple priorities such as hiring staff, administrative duties, and managing a sales team with varying degrees of ability.

It’s important for hiring managers to recognize qualities of a good sales manager as well as for existing sales managers to have the opportunity to improve their skills. When considering the first issues, human resources professionals should understand the top performing salespeople don’t always translate into the best sales managers.

Top Skills of a Successful Sales Manager

When looking for a new sales manager, one with an outgoing personality who can lead and guide others is preferable to someone who has more of an introverted working style. The best sales managers know how to direct members of their team to uncover a problem and then help them discover potential solutions. This is a far more effective approach than simply telling someone what he or she does wrong and demanding that the salesperson fix it. Some other qualities to look for include:

  • The ability to maintain professionalism amongst people the sales manager may consider friends while remaining reasonably authoritative at the same time. This is a fine line because becoming too authoritative can create resentment and mistrust among the team.
  • The ability to manage his or her own strong emotions, especially considering that sales managers must deal with irate customers and discipline underperforming sales personnel. Those situations are already ripe with emotion and don’t need additional fuel added to it.
  • The best frontline sales managers one the ones with good listening skills, who effectively direct their team, consider customer feedback, and work well with other departments.

How Current Sales Managers Can Improve Their Performance

Sales managers who want to stay in their current positions and eventually earn promotions shouldn’t feel afraid to ask for honest feedback from teams they manage as well as superiors and other sales managers. This is especially true of those who have concerns about their on-the-job performance. While the sales manager might not agree with all feedback, it gives him or her a starting point for improvements.

The most successful sales managers embrace learning at every level. That means saying yes to continuing education classes after hours, mastering new technology, and continually searching for additional knowledge. Salespeople look to their managers for guidance. Those who see their manager never feeling satisfied with the status quo are much more likely to take on the same attitude.

Another quality of great leaders is recognizing that they need coaching as well. Whether that’s the sales manager’s own superior or someone in a larger network isn’t important. The key to ongoing performance improvement is learning from those with more experience and asking for help when needed.

Sales management is not an easy job, but it could become a more fulfilling one by employing some of these tips.

 

Why Most People Chose To Register Their Company As An LLC

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Before you can apply for a tax ID, you will need to ascertain your business entity type. Once you have ascertained your business entity type, you can straight away apply for the Employer Identification Number (EIN) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). To apply, you will have to provide your company’s legal name and social security number of the company’s principal officer for the purpose of the tax ID. The principal officer should be a member of the company.

If you have not decided on your business entity type, you can visit the website of Gov Doc Filing to take a simple survey created to guide you to choose from one of the following entity type. If you have any question, you can contact one of their professionals to clear your doubts concerning your application.

One of the most common business entities utilized by business owners is the Limited Liability Company (LLC) because:

  • It provides a flexible business structure
  • -It protects your personal assets from being at risk
  • It has no taxes at the corporate level
  • It has the flexibility to structure your company to fit your needs.

The owners of the Limited Liability Company are called members and these members may include individuals, corporations, other LLCs, and foreign entities. There is no limit to the numbers of members in forming an LLC. A single member LLC is a lone member establishing the LLC. The LLC members will be taxed as a sole proprietor where profits and losses are passed through the individual’s federal tax return to the IRS.

For a multi-member LLC where there are more than one member, it is taxed as a partnership. The profits and losses are passed through to the individual members’ federal tax returns. They can also choose to be taxed as a corporation instead of a partnership. If the LLC is formed by a husband and wife, they may choose to be taxed as a single member LLC.

The main reason why many choose to form an LLC company is because of the provision of liability protection on their personal asset. Creditors cannot claim the personal asset of members to pay off the company’s debts.

Before filling in the LLC tax form, the Internal Revenue Service and other agencies have to be informed:

  • If there is a change in your LLC mailing address or business location.
  • If there is a change in the person who is responsible to act on the behalf of the business.

The notification of change is to ensure that the smooth running of your company will not be hindered or disrupted, and that your company continue to receive whatever notification sent out by the government agencies.

Technologies That Will Likely Disappear In The Upcoming Years

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The world of technology never ceases to change and develop! More and more gadgets are being created with the latest technologies available. As new ones appear in the market, people tend to forget the existing gadgets and no longer use them. Take a look below at some of the technologies that are likely to disappear in the upcoming years.

3G Technology

3G literally means Third Generation of mobile telecommunication technology. When it was first introduced, it revolutionised the telecommunication industry. Today, most mobile phones support 3G. But since the technological world keeps innovating, 4G, 4G LTE and even 5G are being developed.

It means 3G will most likely be of no use in the upcoming 2 or 3 years, as the latest mobile phones may not support it. As mobile technology continues to grow, these different generations provide more security, speed and reliability. It is expected that the functionalities that were missing with 3G will be included in 4G, 4G LTE and 5G.

Passwords

Do you use many passwords? You will be surprised to learn that it is possible that passwords will no longer be in use in the upcoming years! However, not to worry because instead of passwords, more and more computers will scan people’s retina or recognise their voice. Such biometric information is becoming popular these days.

Biometric information like retina and fingerprints scan, voice or face recognition are more secure than passwords, as they are not easily hacked. Longer or more complex passwords can also be cracked! But since fingerprints or retina are unique, they help in enhancing online security. Even if one day, passwords will no longer be in use, your account at Lucky Pants Bingo will still remain active and safe for you to enjoy free online bingo, along with other amazing games.

Dish TV

Are you used to watching TV which requires a dish to function? Dish TV too is likely to disappear in the upcoming years! The reason is the development of internet TV. It comes with more functionalities that can definitely enhance your viewing experience. It is expected that around 40% of internet TV will penetrate the market by 2020.

An internet TV uses a web browser to broadcast TV shows. It can be easily accessed and the programmes are available on demand. There are different options as well, such as the possibility to pause a show and resume it afterwards or watching in slow motion. You can also stream your favourite shows or purchase movie packages from Amazon on Demand or Netflix. These options are not available on dish TV, which explains why it may disappear in the future.

Digital Cameras

Fans of photography? For many years, digital cameras have been in use! They successfully replaced film rolls and Polaroids. But with the development of smartphone cameras, they are likely to disappear in the next 5 years. Mobile phone cameras have a better quality and you can easily share your photos with your contacts. On iPhones, you can even create personalised photo albums to store your pictures.

There are still high-end digital cameras like DSLRs which provide a higher level of flexibility, quality and clarity. Smartphone cameras have not reached that level yet. But if special lenses are added to them for more focus, DSLRs too can become obsolete in the upcoming years.

Cheques, Credit Cards and ATMs

Can you imagine life without chequebooks, credit cards and ATMs? In the upcoming years, these can disappear too! According to researches, more than 90% of people under the age of 35 use online banking or money transfer systems like PayPal for their financial transactions. The use of paychecks have also gone down considerably.

With the development of mobile payment apps and cryptocurrencies, cheques, credit cards and ATMs will no longer be of any use. Salaries are transferred directly into accounts and people can access the funds using electronic payment methods or eWallets.

As newer technologies are taking over, the traditional ones will quickly become obsolete in the coming years. It is important to keep up to date with all that technology has to offer in the future, so as not to be left behind.

Great Ideas For Making Some Extra Money Online

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In these times of austerity, saving money is essential. With household costs continuing to rise, cash-strapped individuals are constantly searching for ways to cut back on expenses. The internet offers a number of money-making possibilities for those who find themselves desperately waiting for pay-day to come around.

Source: Magda S Saltzman via Twitter

Sell Your Old and Unused Technology

Technology is constantly evolving and we can soon lose interest in the latest smartphone or iPad. There are a number of sites which accept unwanted devices and although posting off your old phone is unlikely to pay the bills, it is a hassle-free way of earning some extra cash, which should help keep things ticking over until the end of the month. Services such as Music Magpie will also purchase old CDs and DVDs and it’s usually quick and easy to receive your payment.

Make the Most of Free Bonuses

Top online casino and sportsbooks offer tempting incentives to sign-up for an account and these can be a great way of making some extra cash. Oddschecker has compiled a list of the latest online casino bonuses which includes 50 free spins courtesy of William Hill. If you don’t wish to part with any cash, it is advised to search for operators who are offering a ‘no deposit bonus’. It is a great way of potentially making a profit and is also a tremendously fun way of playing with the casino’s money.

Complete Surveys Online

Companies are constantly requiring feedback from their customers whilst marketing agencies also regularly stage online focus groups. It is possible to make some extra money through filling out online surveys with questions on everything from your preferred brand of toilet roll through to your favourite video game. There are a huge number of websites available and rewards vary from Amazon vouchers through to £20 in cash. It is a great way of earning an extra income without leaving the house.

Source: NECS via Twitter

Enter Competitions

This is not a surefire way of making money but there are an incredible amount of competitions online and you’d have to be terribly unlucky not to win any sort of prize. There are a number of websites which collate online competitions and the majority of them are completely free to enter. Some operators give away cash prizes whilst others offer goods or services. Any unwanted prizes can be sold on sites such as eBay at a later date.

There are hundreds of ways of earning a little extra cash each month and if you’re struggling to make ends meet, it could be worth exploring a few of the options available online. Whether you’re downloading vouchers or selling your unwanted technology, every penny counts and there are plenty of potentially profitable opportunities awaiting on the world wide web.