The Daily Pumpernickel

Picoworkers Review, Please Read This Before Signing-Up

Name: Picoworkers
Website: picoworkers.com
Price: It is Free to Sign Up
Owners: US Origin (Owners remains anonymous)
Overall Rank: 65 out of 100 (it is promising on Net Business Rating)

What is Picoworkers? Is it A Scam?

Picoworkers is a microjobs website in the similar vein as mTurks and Microworkers. That means that you make do small jobs for the “hirers” then get paid for it and when you pass the threshold passed to your preferable account. Even though, sometimes they delay in payments, but they get paid out in the end. Which is pretty legit, right? READ ON…

What Are the Jobs Like on Picoworkers?

The work inside picoworkers is divided into small tasks and on-going work.

Small tasks may include:
– Like a Facebook page
– Share posts on Facebook that you want to spread
– Follow you on Twitter
– Visit websites and learn about various products and services
– Review your products
– Post comments
– Watch videos
– Signing up to a website
– Any other miscellaneous work…
On-going work may include:
– Customer service rep
– Writing tasks on blogs and other online forums
– Providing content for social media profiles
– Creating simple web pages
– Commenting on blogs
– And others…

There seems to be a variety of jobs which anyone can do easily and at the comfort of their home.

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What is There to Like About Picoworkers?

It has a variety of jobs that you can choose from which makes doing various tasks exciting. Most of the jobs do not take a lot of time maybe approx. 10mins or so, which is the norm for microjobs out there.

The withdrawal transaction is fairly easy and they use variety of ways to pay such as:
– Amazon Gift Cards
– Via Cheque
– Dogecoin
– Ethereum
– Litecoin
I like these cryptocurrencies as they are easy to exchange on various sites.
– Paypal
– Paysafe.com
This is really good as it offers many ways to pay someone or receive your payment. This is unlike Microworkers which needs your address to send a PIN and then to activate which takes really long. Seriously how long do you need to wait to get paid US$ 10? Or give your address out

It is rated promising on the Net Business Rating and reports most if not all have received their payments.

The have high standards, they prefer that workers keep 75% completed work within the 5 months or they have penalties. This means that both sides are happy with the job and it helps wiht your rating overall.

They have a good refferal system which helps you make extra $$$ from finding others for them.

What’s the Problem with Picoworkers?

The fees are high :
– Amazon Gift Cards 3%
– Via Cheque US$ 5
– Dogecoin 5.9%
– Ethereum 6.9%
– Litecoin 5.4%
I like these cryptocurrencies as they are easy to exchange on various sites.
– Paypal 3.25%
– Paysafe.com US$ 1
Which means for a payment of US$ 5~10 it is a bit off putting for some workers, though they have to run a business as well.

For the amount of work done the pay is still not high enough and then you still have to pay the fees. The you might as well try other things like online surveys or watching ads.

There is bit of competition out there and it is hard to get all the work done. Sometimes your work might not be accepted at all.

They remain anonymous owners of the Picoworkers. The company is called Octobrain Inc., though the address seems to be addresses for various businesses.

Some of the microjobs done is ok, but some are not all jobs really as legit. Most are just ways to attract clicks or users so you can buy their products or make money for their clicks which is mentioned as a no-no on some terms and conditions. So choose WISELY.

Is Picoworkers for YOU?!

If you are looking for a part time gig that pays around US$ 30~ 50, this might be for you. They have confirmed payments and look to becoming a trustworthy site. Though…

I do NOT RECOMMEND IT… as I feel Swagbucks might be better.

Or you can check out my recommended way of making 4 figure business.

Will they Provide Training in Picoworkers?

They do not provide a step by step program on how to complete your tasks. Though, most of the tasks are easy and should not take to long to get a hang of. There are a few support forums and guides out there that are in-depth and good to look at especially Net Business Ratings.

Do they have Any Hidden Costs?

Signing-up is fairly easy and there are no hidden costs to log-in to Picoworkers. The also give you US$ 0.75 to use on other jobs you can think of, maybe referring more to their cause is what they look for.

My Final Opinion of Picoworkers

I personally do not recommend Picoworker as to me it is very little money for amount of work done. I feel that the website itself is up and coming and they need more time to streamline their stuff and to make it easier for people to make money. Though for people who want to make an extra few bucks it might be something to look at though use CAUTION.

Check out my recommended way of making 4 figure business.

Summary of Picoworker

Name: Picoworkers
Website: picoworkers.com
Price: It is Free to Sign Up
Owners: Octobrain Inc. US Origin (Owners remains anonymous)
Overall Rank: 65 out of 100 (it is promising on Net Business Rating)

VERDICT: LEGIT, though not highly recommended

BTCClicks Scam? Money Making Way or Time Wasting Ticker?

BTCClicks.com Review at a Glance

Name: BTCClicks
Website: BTCClicks.com
Price: Sign-up Free, though if you want premium mBTC 1.485 (US$ 7.8)
Owners: UNKNOWN (A bit fishy here)
Overall Rank: 45 out of 100 (ALERT)

So What is BTCClicks All About

Basically BTCClicks is a platform that you can earn bitcoin by viewing ads and getting paid for 10~30 second ads for (0.00006mBTC ~0.00009mBTC per ad). It sounds easy right? Though it has limitations, it only gives you 11ads and the threshhold is bit high. Though it is fast and you can do it within 10mins during the day. Though there are warning signs!!!

BTCClicks, What makes it Good?

Takes a short time in the day to do to earn Bitcoins. In a a span of 10~30 seconds you get to watch ads that they provide from their ad buyers then they send you mBTC. It is not really hard and and you can browse through 11 of the advertisements easily in 10min. So it sounds easy enough.

They have referral program that gives you approx. 50% of what the referral makes which is pretty generous for refferal program. That means you earn from them as well.
– If you do not have refferals they also have a function for you to rent refferals for a certain time.

It is fairly easy to sign up. All you need is All you need is a bitcoin wallet (which everyone has or you can open on CEX.io or Localbitcoin are the one’s I found very reliable), email address and verification. There, you are done. That takes about 5minutes all together.

This is Where Good Parts End

There has been complaints of the payout system being faulty recently. There have been some who received their bitcoin payments but few more others that have found that some payments have been lagging or non-existant at all. Everyone wants to get pain it is hard if there is only 60% let alone 90% of that happening (as it means always a chance you will not get paid) – not good if you are looking to be a legit advertiser.

The background of the company is not really clear and they do not put much effort to hide it (I found scams that do more than them). Looking around in various sites and site sellers, I found out that BTCClicks has been sold around recently so probably they want to make sure everything works out before divulging anything. OR it may be that they are not too sure that they are too legit as well.

It has a high payout threshhold, which is around about 0.1000 mBTC which is around US$ 15 in order to withdraw, while ads are about 0.00007 mBTC/- per ad. This works out to clicking up to 14,285.71 in order to withdraw. Even free bitcoin faucets have a better rate or return that this. This is not really good at all might as well wait few million years if you have no refferals.

There is no support forum for you to use. The really only alternative is Bitcointalk which gives some really good insight into what you are getting into. Apart from that there is nothing inside their website to help others around.

BTCClicks really something you can get into?

If you are looking to get into bitcoin feel you have a little time to spend. You could play around with it, but there is a high indication they are not doing as well (if it is not a scam) and in order to get your first payment you have to hope your referrals click around 14,000 odd times to get your first payment. It is just not sustainable and people generally just give up within 3~6 months of using it.

Does BTCCLicks provide any support?

Nope, nothing, nadda, really no. They do not even have a walkthrough on their own site. If you are looking for help as I mentioned you can look at other reveiw sites or go to Bitcointalk for any good or bad news on this. A lack of support does mean that the site itself does not really care.

IS there Costs to Sign up to BTCClicks

As mentioned the initial sign-up and starting to click through ads are free and easy to get into. If you apply for a bitcoin wallet and sign-up it only takes around 5 to 10 minutes to get through the whole process. BUT…
– They are trying to encourage more refferals to their cause and have offered Premium for approx. US$ 7/- per month. There you can rent refferals, get a better referral programs.

My Final Opinion of BTCClicks…

Bitcoin is falling on definitely falling on hard times and it shows in all the bitcoin things you can do and it becomes hard to be generous after all the hype. That is the same of BTCClicks. They have been fairly reliable when Bitcoin was at its best but have also fallen on hard times (evidenty in their lack of payments). Though their lack of clarity and support rings SCAM and that is not a good business model to follow. I see they tried but definitely not recommend for anyone who wants to make money online.

If you want to look into it I felt that Affiliate Marketing was a really good way to make a business on line at home. You can check it out.

So in Summary about BTCClicks.com

Website: BTCClicks.com
Owners: UNKNOWN
Price: Sign-up Free, though if you want premium mBTC 1.485 (US$ 7.8)
Overall Scam Rank: 45 out of 100

VERDICT: NOT LEGIT! Scam Alert, be cautious when committing to this.

How to Wax Your Surfboard

Even with new inventions in the world today, a surfer still needs to wax his/her surfboard. Many wonder why whould you need to wax your surfboard and why wax a surfboard? How would you go about waxing your surfboard? This article with a few simble methods will give you an idea why and an edge to waxing your surfboard.

Why Wax Your Surfboard

Most surfboards with hard shells are will need a waxing. Hard shells have a smooth exterior, which helps it to go through the water well. Though not good if you want to keep yourself on the surfboard. Surfboard wax is there to help you keep on the surfboard. It creates grooves and bumps on the area you will be on so you do not fly out like a ragdoll on a Sunday Speed Run. If have just started waxing your first surfboard or need good tips for waxing: This is what you need…

1) What Do You Need to Wax Your Surfboard

Here are a few things you will need for waxing your surfboard:

Your surfboard: hardshells are normally waxed soft tops do not need waxing.
Basecoat wax
Top Coat Wax
Wax comb or a useless credit/ gift card
If you need to reapply: wax cleaner or/and hair dryer (hot sunny days does well too) and some paper towels

2) Cleaning Your Surfboard

If you have a new surfboard, you will not need to do much. Just wipe it will a clean clothe if is a bit dusty can go to the next step. Make sure the surface is shiny. Then you know good for waxing.

If you have old wax on your surfboard, you want to clean it well as old wax will dust inside and it is irritating on the skin. Also old wax will fall off in chunks that waste will take away your new coat of wax. You can leave it out in hot day (30 Degrees celsius) or use hair dryer. Make sure to use it. If you are using a hair dryer go over the coat evenly, which will soften it. Then scrape it with a wax comb or an old credit card which works just as well. If it is soft enough, use a paper towel to wipe it clean or wax cleaner to make sure the surface is shiney.

3) Waxing Your Surfboard with Base Coat

The base coat is the most important part of waxing your surfboard, as the top coat might rub off after each surf sessions but the base coat will keep the wax on your board. If the base coat was to rub off then your surfboard will always have a smooth surface even if you were to place top coat.

The purpose of the base coat is to create a pattern of bumps that will last. The base coat is normally really hard so you want to press hard along your board to make sure it sticks to the surfboard. When you feel that your board is starting to feel bit bumpy that means there are bumps starting to appear on your board, which is good.

There are a few ways to wax your board and no one is most correct way to do it. As long as you are coving the areas where you are gripping and the area you will be on, it is all good. Here some well-known ways people wax their board.

Circles – You go along the area of your board in a circular motion
Criss-Cross – Apply the wax in a diagona way then the other way perpendicular lines to create checkered pattern
Front-to-Back – You apply along your board parallel to the length of your board to create lines
Psycho – go crazy do spirals go everywhere as long as you cover your are.

Keep at it until you completed the required amount on your board or you feel the depth of the bumps is to your satisfaction. The objective is to cover your board well with the base coat so it creates a foundation for your top coat.

4) Applying Your Top Coat

The top coat for your is softer and tackier, therefore you do not need to press as hard as the base coat to wax your surfboard. It is made that way so that it is sticky enough to keep you on the board while you are surfing. There are different types of top coat for various types of climate. It is normally written on tipnof the label.

The rule of thumb is: you can use a warmer wax in cold water, but don’t use a colder wax in warm water.

Top Coats use various substances in order to make them right for the temperature. For example if you use tropical weather wax in cold weather it might get to hard, therefore you use cold weather wax.

Wax the top coat in any way you feel comfortable with, as long as you give it a good cover over the base coat.

After Surfing

After a surfing session some surfers like to use a wx comb on the coat so it keep the softer bumps on the board so it does not flake off. Though afterwards clean the surfboard cold fresh water to preserve the wax on your board.

How Much Wax To Use

This is a general idea of how much wax you might need for your surfboard. Make sure the areas for your grip and body are well waxed and you are good to go. The better you wax your surfboard the better grip and keeping on your surfboard you will be will you are surfing.

Best Surf Wax to Use

There is different types of makes for various wax’s such as Zogg’s Sex Wax, Sticky Bumps and Bubble Gum surf wax, just to name a few. You can interchange and try use surf wax that best suites your needs though most of it is fairly similar. Most of the surf wax is not biodegradable. You are looking for surf wax and care for the environment try wax that is biodegradable and good for the earth.

Surfing 101: Basic Surf Etiquette You Must Know

Since the riding of waves, the basics of surf etiquette have been etched in the invisible surfers handbook since the start of surfing history. Your instructor might give you the basics of it or some fellow surfer might shout it to you; the basics of surfing etiquette are still prevalent today. Therefore before hitting the waves here’s what you must know about surf etiquette in order to get you into the right ways of surfing.

Why are These Important

The cornerstones of surf etiquette is: respect for fellows surfers and respect for the ocean. Those have been founded on helping you and others enjoy the waves, especially since surfing is gaining popularity and safety at the ocean is very important. So remember these when you hit the waves.

1) Giving the Right of Way

The surfer who is closest to the peak of the wave. This means if you see someone on the right paddling to catch the wave while you are left still not at the peak yet; you give way to the surfer who has already started on the right. There are a few variations which that might happen as well. For example:

If there is already a surfer riding a wave and you are on the whitewash, do not attempt to catch wave. That is called back-paddling, and if the surfer cuts back while you are there, you could easily injure someone.
If there are split peaks on the wave the surfers on each have the right of way. When they take-off both should go on opposite sides of the wave on which they started and not cut into each other.
If the wave closes out and the surfer in front of you is not able to catch the wave, you can try for the wave.

2) Never Drop In on a Fellow Surfer

This is sort of related to the above rule but more explicit. This happens if you as a surfer have already started riding a wave and somebody tries to catch the wave and drops straight in front of you to catch the same wave. This is on the annoying scale of a surfer as: super annoying. It is not fun and also dangerous.

No waves are that good for you to drop in and ruin it for everyone. So never try that! Don’t do it!

3) When You Paddle In…

While you are paddling into the lineup always try paddling in from the side where it is less crowded or where the currents can take you in (which is usually on the side of the wave). Never paddle in front of someone who is taking a wave, make sure you are far into the lineup if you are trying to find the right space.

4) Never Ditch Your Surfboard

This is like your partner in surf. So never ditch your surfboard especially if there is a crowd at the beach. Apart from being stolen it will prevent people from being injured by an unmanned board. Always make it a habit to keep an eye on your board

5) Don’t Snake a Brother

Snaking in the traditional sense is surfing around another surfer or path in a S form intentionally blocking the waves for other surfers. No one respects such a surfer, no matter how good you are. Even if you surf locally, snaking someone is no way to extend your authority on visiting surfers (trust me this happens). I honestly feel it does not prove anything except give birth to annoyance and animosity. No one ever had fun time causing a ruckus, especially if we all came to te beach to surf. So don’t a fellow surfer even if he/she is a beginner.

If you are a known snake, I swear I will find you, I will catch you and I will ban you.

6) Don’t Be a Wave Hog

You might be able to catch all the waves that come to you. Sometimes lognboarders, kayakers, wind surfers and others might be able to catch more waves. But surfing is a give and take, you want to have fun and you want others out there to enjoy the passion of surfing like you. So leave a few waves for others to surf too.

7) Respect the Ocean

Mother nature gives all these good swells and waves that come from them. How better way to repay the debt by respecting the ocean, which includes not littering and keeping it clean. We all want people to love surfing and love the ocean like us, so we all do a little to keep the ocean clean for all to use.

8) Know Your Exp Level

If you are a beginner and have just hit the waves, sometimes it is not advisable to go starting at a crowded line-up. You might want to try a place where it is not as crowded. Even though, they may not be the best waves but you will definitekly catch more waves and make it safer for all. So know your limitations and make sure you gauge yourself accordingly. You will get more fun out surfing by doing that.

Respecting the Ocean and Fellow Surfers

Sometimes we all mess up and as surfers if happens occasionally. If you accidentally drop-in or make a mistake a curt apology will normally diffuse a situaton. When you are surfing no matter how good you are, always remain humble. If that way you show respect to fellow surfers and to the ocean.

Above All, Respect

Remember you want people to have a passion for surfing as much as you do. So always remember your surf etiquette. It might be hard to take it all in but when you hit the waves and watch fellow surfers do their thing it will slowly become second-nature for you to remember how to surf respectably.

Do you have a good or bad experience related to surf etiquette? I would definitely like to hear it out. Please drop me a comment on experiences you might have encountered.

All About Bitcoin – What in the Blockchain is it All About?

So we hear about bitcoin and cryptocurrencies a lot in the media these days (or from your colleague probably named Dave who thinks he is a cryto-guru and sends you tons of info which you rather throw away). Or maybe you have seen the adverts online for Billionaire investments from kids who made their 1st billion from bitcoin which of which might be believable. Though what is the low-down on bitcoin? Is it a market craze should you follow it as some have FOMO (fear of losing out). Or is it a “bitcoin bubble” as Warren Buffet says which will eventually pop anyway. Should you invest? Read here to make an informed decision!

What is Bitcoin

It is a decentralized cryptocurrency that is currently being widely used almost everywhere in the world. Decentralized meaning it is not controlled by any bank or institution which generally controls money on the world. It touted as a P2P (payer to payer) payment system which allows you and me to pay for stuff without a middleman. These transactions are then recorded in visible ledger and encrypted records that are verified by network nodes in packages called a blockchain.

People are rewarded by receiving Bitcoins for creating records using computer processing power in a process called bitcoin mining. Miners have special programs and GPU/CPU installed in order to mine bitcoins or other cyrptocurrencies.

Bitcoin was created an anonymous developer/ developers in 2009 under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto (in which the smaller fraction of bitcoin is called the Satoshi or 1/100,000,000 or a bitcoin).

There has been lot of people who have high hopes for bitcoin but there has also been a lot of people who are skeptical about bitcoin due to its volatility.

To Hodl or not to Hodl That is the Question

A lot of attention has been drawn to bitcoin lately as it has almost increased by 1400x in price or 300% within a span of few years. Though now it is currently dropping form it’s high of US$ 10,000 to current price of US$ 8,400/ per bitcoin. Again, this shows just how volatile bitcoin can be and a huge question: to Hodl or not to Hodl?

Hodl being a brand new word internet users made up if they wanted to “hold” onto their bitcoins or to sell it. Seems they were typing so fast that like Trump forget the spell-checker hence the word “hodl”.

To people are looking to buy or sell, it seems that blockchain technology still holds a lot of potential. Due to its secure system and ability to package quite an amount of information some have already looked its potential of blockchain for other technology. Some companies instead of selling stocks sell coins as part of their company which is called ICO (initial coin offering) which is sort of like a cryptocurrency. So bitcoin and its technology is still being explored even as we speak especially on how to make it useful for all. So it is a good idea to invest in.

On the other hand staunch opposers 1 famous dude named Warren Buffet for example feels it is an imaginary currency something that can not be held and could magically disappear. And governments have started cracking down on bitcoin especially as a lot of fraud and hackers use bitcoin to in order to convert money. This is also 1 reason why the price of bitcoin is currently tanking. Though some argue that similar to money or real estate leases, people only see it as valuable as is its value written on paper. No different to computerized records.

Currently cryptocurrencies are so easy to make that there is some many stupid ones as it literally takes minutes that some have come up with something called “Jesus Coin”. Seriously no joke. No wonder people are worried,

Hodl verdict: Hodl, but just enough. Never invest all of your money in it.

Being a FOMO

Some might have a fear of missing out (FOMO). Personally never let FOMO be the reason that you want to invest in bitcoin. As FOMO promotes fear and fear triggers you to make hasty decisions and you will do something you regret, especially due to bitcoin madness a lot of money-making schemes are based on bitcoin.

Some schemes guarantee you returns of 300% within 1 month. And some use ICO for people to throw money in their ideas. Some use programs that secretly hack into your bitcoin wallet to take a little of your bitcoin you bought or mined for their use.

Never invest in bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to FOMO! Always throw caution to the wind.

Here is some potential currencies I like think are potentials.

Word of Caution on Bitcoin and Crytocurrencies

The best thing to do is do some research on the cryptocurrency you want to invest in. Put a part of your investment within the crytocurrency you are most comfortable with (even if it is bitcoin) and leaving it. Never lose sleep due to the price of bitcoin. Because it is so volatile, if you kept on looking at the price of bitcoin it will definitely make you lose some part of your sanity.

Crytocurrencies and blockchain technology is great to put something in if you are a believer in future technology though it should always be something you will be comfortable with and not because someone pushed you to it. Always work your way around cryptocurrencies carefully.

Actually John Oliver makes a good intro on cryptocurrency you should take a look at:

Conclusion

As our world gets more and more computerized some cool and strange ideas will come up and it is completely up to you if you trust that technology or you prefer the tried and tested.

Bitcoin is not for everyone even though bitcoin and its fellow cryptocurrencies have potential they will always be computerized records. Again like money it is the value you see it holds.

So what do you think of the Bitcoin trend? Do you prefer to Hodl? Any cool ICO that you know are trending? I would love to know. Please leave a note to share.

Here is some places I go buy bitcoin and crytocurrencies from.

To Make Money I opted to make online business using this No.1 Source.

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Homestay: Making Money from Extra Space

Another great idea to make money is to make use of the extra space you have in your house. It is worth checking out as it entails you to do minimal work from the comfort of your own home. I have heard of people make a bit of money on the side just renting out the right space for the right time.

So What Is Homestaying

Homestay is fast becoming a popular term. It is basically renting out a part of your apartment for a lodger who is staying there to stay for a few days. Or if you are a visitor, going to find lodging at the residence of a local area you are travelling to. Due to the short time that they are staying, the price you charge can vary to fit what you feel is right.

Though this is best for someone with their own place I have heard of guys renting out a part of their apartment as well (though in some instances it is best to let your landlady know). As long as your area is big enough and the price not too high, it can be a welcoming place for people looking for an alternative to booking a hotel during their travels. It is also a great time to mingle with guests from other cultures and generally getting to know people.

Some people like to use a mediator website and some people like to communicate directly with their lodger (maybe the lodger was referred to by a friend). If you are using a website, they will take some commission but they are also useful as they provide escrow payments and mediation if problems arise. Regardless of what you use always be quick to communicate with the lodger if you are the host.

How Do You Make Make Money

You go through a website that facilitates the booking and during this time you can also directly contact the lodger as well. If it is certain, then he/she pays the amount for the duration of the lodging. When they get there you get to give them a brief introduction, show them the in’s and out’s of the city, and go through the house rules. After the lodger leaves, you clean up and await the next visitor that might come afterwards.

The website that facilitates the booking withholds your amount until you get to the threshold amount. After a few days they release it and pay you via Paypal or other money transactions methods.

What’s The Pro’s & Con’s of Homestay

It is great being a homestay but there are always going to be some pro’s and and con’s you willhave to think about. So here they go.

The Pro’s of homehosting are:

If you are renting your own space, you literally working from home. I have known quite a few people who have made a good amout of money by providing some short-term lodging.
It is a great way to meet people from various places and to mingle as you might be their guest while travelling.
The website makes payment and receiving money really secure as it helps facilitates discussions if problems arise.
Cleaning the area does not generally take a lot of time as most guests stay only for a few days at a time.
The rating system for both guest and host helps to give a honest review of the lodging

The Cons are:

You still have to clean up before and after the guest. Maybe a bit of vacuuming and cleaning the sheets.
The website still charges few per cent extra to the guest as their income.
Very rarely though sometimes you get bad guests and might need to be careful.

Things to Remember While You Host Your Home

So you have signed up to be a homestay and starting to figure out the in’s and out’s of it, but when you are going through the process remember these simple tips.

Always keep the place your are letting out clean. Try to clean before and after the lodger leaves.
Good communication is a must, even if you use a mediating website. Sooner of later the lodger will also need specifics from you. e.g How to get to the place? What time he/she will be checking in? Or if so-and-so date is available. So always be quick to reply.
When the lodger arrives always make sure that he/she knows the house rules even if you have written them in your introduction on the website. Sometimes a mutual understanding is needed to make sure everything is still relatively tidy when they leave.
If you are around. Enjoy the mingling! It is always great to get to know new friends and new places a little better.
Always be aware of the lodger’s culture, sometimes he/she might do things differently to you.
Remember to give them a rating if you feel you liked their experience or if you want to warn fellow hosts of dodgey lodgers.

A Few Good Websites to Try Out

The most widely used homestay site is AirBnB. They have rave reviews and have established themselves in the industry. Though there are other sites you can try as well. I will probably be trying them out as time goes on.

Final Word on Homestaying

If you have some space to rent out homestaying is actually a great way to generate extra cash with minimal effort. Though good communication is needed with guests so you both understand what is expected. Always be courteous as who knows you might be a guest in their place one day.

Do you have any experiences with homestaying? Is it good or is it bad? Please drop a comment to share.

6 Bitcoin Alternatives Everyone Can Try

It’s okay, we all have a fear of losing out.

Do you have the FOMO? Cryptocurrencies has become a huge trend lately that it has been on everyone’s to do list. Though with the many doom-n-gloom sayers and it’s relative volatility investing in Bitcoin has been a topic most are ambiguous about. Though apart from Bitcoin there are also lesser known cryptocurrencies that are also doing quite well and great for anyone to try out. Here are some alternative cyrtocurrencies to try out, if you are thinking for a good Bitcoin alternative.

LiteCoin (LTE)

This alternative is almost the replica to Bitcoin in terms of coding and how it is mined. Though it is different to bitcoin as:

The Litecoin Network aims to process a block every 2.5 minutes, rather than Bitcoin’s 10 minutes. The developers claim that this allows Litecoin to have faster transaction confirmation.
Litecoin uses script in its proof-of-work algorithm, a sequential memory-hard function requiring asymptotically more memory than an algorithm which is not memory-hard. So technically needs less computing power to mine than Bitcoin.

The price of Litecoin is hovering at US$ 159.98 as is a lot more stable than Bitcoin as generally most attention is given to other coins.

A good place to buy Litecoin is from Coinbase and Shapeshift (which deal in smaller amounts), they also trade a few other well-known cryptocurrencies which makes it easy to exchange.

Dogecoin (DOGE)

This coin started as an internet meme during its early days though generally quiet it has started to be noticed by Bitcoin afficiandos everywhere as well. This coin is generally used as a tipping coin if you are using the web. Besides, it has a cute Shiba Inu that people all like. Most people who have bitcoin from earlier days still keep some Dogecoin around as the price is relatively steady and a few website services also use Dogecoin.

The sheer amount of these coins circulating means that the price is not affected by inlfation as other coins and also especially so as the founder removed the limit for Dogecoin.

The price of Dogecoin is currently US$ 0.003443 to 1 Dogecoin. The best place to buy and see Dogecoin is Shapeshift.io

Monero (XMR)

The cryptocurrency that focuses on decentralization and privacy that most people crave in cryptocurrency. It is a growing coin that bitcoin users turn to as all the restriction attention is turned to Bitcoin. It has improved on Bitcoin through:

The trading of coins is purely private the sender and receiver of Monero is supposed to be untraceable.
The mining of Monero is made to be divided equally by its miners making it more rewardable to mine.
The price of Monero is consistent even when it was going hard for Bitcoin.

The problem with Monero is due to its private nature hackers make use of it as their go-to currency as well. Though, this has not stopped people from taking interest in the coin.

The current price of Monero is US$ 209 to 1 Monero. I usually use CEX.io for trading in Monero for Cash.

Ethereum (ETH)

This cryptocurrency has also been growing in leaps and bounds as another go-to currency if Bitcoin is not your cup of tea. It is mined differently from Bitcoin and is more secure in terms of transactions this crytocoin is what governments and stock exchange companies look to as the answer for an agreeable crytocurrency. This currency rose by approx. 1500% within 5 years of its introduction.

The price of Ethereum is currently around US$ 600 to 1 Ether. You can buy and trade Ethereum at CEX.io and at most trade sites as it is a widely liked alternative to Bitcoin.

Ripple (XRP)

Ripple is a cryptocurrency that uses something called a RTGS (real-time gross settlement) system that was established by the Ripple Company.

Basically means that it is based on a real-time database or ledger that keeps track of transactions which means it can be used as real-time currency.
Because of its nature, a lot of banks and investment companies prefer to use Ripple as the go-to cryptocurrency. It is also a great cryptocurrency if you are looking for something more secure than Bitcoin.

The current market price for Ripple is US$ 0.66 to 1 Ripple. You can trade and buy Ripple from CEX.io and Kraken as well.

Honorable Mention: Bitcoin Cash (BCH)

This coin has gained some traction as the “other” Bitcoin as it was created from the change in mining that halved the way Bitcoin was originally mined. The original programmers have had argument on how Bitcoin was supposed to be mined and divided therefore giving rise to Bitcoin Cash. The prices initially soared but have mellowed down as most people still preferred Bitcoin.

The price of Bitcoin Cash is currently hovering at US$ 978 to 1 BCH. It can be traded in various places that trade Bitcoin as well such as CEX.io, Coinbase, Shapeshift and etc.

Choose Alternative Crytocurrency Wisely

Crytocurrency still has its potential as a worldwide currency that everyone can use and most shops and stores have tried to adopt them in their payment system, but it also has its own dangers as well due to its volatility and risk tp been stolen by hackers. The technology called blockchain still has not reached its full potential.

If you are planning on investing in Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrencies always make sure you are ready to part with your initial income as these currencies are still more volatile than other forms of investment. Also, various currencies also have different characteristics so always do a little bit of research into the cryptocoin before planning on buying or mining it. And if you are a bit FOMO (fear of losing out), you should keep 1~2 coins in storage just for keepsake or memento.

Though if you get it right even though the risk is great but the rewards for getting it right are worth it.
Any good news on Bitcoin or the above crytocurrencies? Please leave a comment to share.

10 Awesome Household Money Saving Tips

Part of ‘making money’ is saving the money that you already have. Here are some money saving tips that have helped me and hopefully it will help your money go a little further without much compromise. I’ve also included a few things to keep in mind when saving money.

A Little Goes a Long Way

This can easily be saved by just being a little more prepared – a travel mug to take coffee that you’ve prepared at home, a re-usable bottle for water (better for the environment too) and snacks that you can pre-pack into a little bag or Tupperware dish to take with you – and voila, a killer saving! I had a habit of buying water or a coffee while out, this could cost up to £4 per week (at work), so this works out at £200 a year!

There’s nothing wrong with still buying something now and then, but the point is to get out of the habit of spending small bits and get into the habit of saving small bits of money, you’ll soon see that it adds up.

Shopping Online – Offers & Vouchers

One of the great things about shopping online is that many places have special online offers or vouchers that you can’t get instore. Some have these emails piling up into their inbox and can’t be bothered to look through them. Some great people put these vouchers online and you can search for them. So if you are shopping online, it’s always worth having a little search on your favorite search engine (usually Google) to see if there’s any deals or vouchers about. In some places I’ve already decided what I wanted, but manages to save 20% and delivery just by using this little money saving trick. I just look for “*name of shop* offers or vouchers” and see what comes up there’s usually a website like voucher cloud, which has a bunch of different vouchers on the site.

Shopping Online – Basket Hack

Caution, this doesn’t work with all shops, but some places – supermarkets especially, where you’re signed in and you’ve done some shopping – if you leave things in your basket and leave it for a few days, a magical little voucher or deal comes through your email to encourage you to check out. Another way save some money when you’ve already though you were going to spend the money there anyways! There are many baskets that people don’t bother checking out, this is a company’s way of trying to get you to check out and buy from their site. This has happened on a grocery shopping site (Sainsbury’s) and I’ve heard it happens on other websites too.

Buying in Bulk

Although things in larger packs look more expensive, if you look at the amount you are spending per g or per unit, it’s usually cheaper. For example, rice. For 100g you may spend £1, but for 1kg or 1000g the price is £8, so per g its 20% cheaper to buy the larger quantity. You may want to think about the space you have at home first, there’s no point if you don’t have any space to put 1kg of rice but it will save you money in the long run. Sometimes this can just be in the supermarket where they have larger packs, either that or Amazon is quite a good place to find things in bulk. There are some shops that specialize in selling things in bulk too like Costco. I but some we cat food – about £5 for 1pk (12), I found the same brand on Amazon, 5pk (60) for about £20 – saving me £5 for 3 months (£20 over the course of the year).

Quality Over Quantity

With some things its worth spending a little bit more money on. You may have heard of the saying, save a penny but spend a pound. Sometimes buying something cheap means that it doesn’t work properly or that it doesn’t last. I particularly find this true with shoes. A good pair of shoes with decent soles may cost a bit more, but often last years. I’ve also been on the other side, I’ve bought cheap shoes and they’ve only lasted a couple of weeks. Be sure you actually like the more expensive item though, like I said, sometimes it lasts years! For shoes examine the sole of the shoes, make sure they’re not too thin and are of good quality, try them on and make sure they’re comfortable and that you can’t feel too much of the ground (if the soles are thin you’ll feel the difference). Look online for reviews and get the opinions of others too.

Keep an Eye on your Accounts

Not just for suspicious activity, but it is worth seeing if there are things like gym memberships, magazine subscriptions or any online memberships, that you don’t need anymore. Cancelling these can really save your household some money. Look out for those direct debits too – make sure if you’re no longer you’re receiving a service from a company e.g. you’ve changed phone contract providers, they’re not still charging you!

Clearouts

De-cluttering and having a clear out is good to make more space in your own house, but you may be able to sell things online and make some money out of those unused/unwanted items. If you haven’t used it in the last year, then realistically you probably don’t need it anymore.

Recently for me I’ve also realised the value of buying PS4 games on disc rather than from the Playstore. The Playstore may be convenient, but after completing the game you have nothing you can sell on. I’ve made over £30 selling 2 games we no longer play. We were then able to use that money to buy other games we were interested in.

Buying New Items through Bidding Websites (Check it is a Good Deal Though!)

This is a new avenue of saving money I’ve come across more recently. Others going through their items may be selling them online, sometimes unused and in its original packaging – but cheaper than you would find from the store itself. If there is a particular brand, for me again usually shoes, that you like, sometimes you can find it “new, BNIB (brand new in box)” for a price you like – bargain! Caution, make sure you look through all the pictures to make sure its new and to your liking and read the description carefully. There was someone in the news who ended up buying a picture of an item and not the real item! I personally have a look on eBay, there are sometimes brands that I’ll look for (e.g. Heavenly Feet shoes) that can be expensive, and checked the price in their sale. Sometimes if the sale is good I’ll buy it off the original site I’ll buy it from there. Other times I’ve found Clarks real leather shoes, new, going on eBay for <£10 (RRP >£50)

Savings Accounts

This is just a small note about savings account – there are so many, and it often depends on your circumstances what’s best for you. Just remember, try to get a savings account (especially if you’re saving over a period of years) that will give you a return (% interest) that is better than inflation. For example, If you have £100, and your saving account gives you 2% per year (so think +2%) but inflation is 3% (think -3%) then it may be worth thinking about using the money for something else or looking to save somewhere else. Tax free ISAs in the UK are good – but shop around and see what’s available.

Save by Habit

Get in the mindset of looking out for a bargain (a real one, not just an advertised one) and have a good money saving ethic. This will help with those household savings that you can keep for a rainy day or sunny holiday.

So any awesome ideas on how to save? Please let me know.

The Art of Making Money: Swagbucks Review

How Swag is Swagbucks?

Name: Swagbucks
Website: Swagbucks.com
Price: None you just sign up,
redeem Swabucks 1000SB = £5 or US$10
Owners: Prodege
Overall Rank: 7 out of 10

Swagbucks: Making Money from Online Surveys & Videos

Swagbucks is another great way to make some extra money online. It it one of the most reputable websites where you can do surveys, watch videos and install & try out apps for their online money. That online money can in turn be exchanged for for rewards such as gift cards and money.

What is So Good About Swagbucks?

So what makes Swagbucks so good?

Well, it is one of the most reputable survey sites out there where you can use. It is used by a lot of students and some households online to make and extra buck as you only have to watch videos or do a survey.

The videos are generally short & easy to watch and surveys quick to do. So you can actually earn Swagbucks (their internal monetary system) fairly quickly. If you spend most of your time on a computer they try to make it fun with games and music as well.

You can also draw money easily to Amazon, Walmart giftcards which is quite useful or just for cash into your Paypal account. It generally takes a few days and most users have very little complaints of redeeming their Swagbucks.

Too Bad:

You still have to watch and do the videos or surveys which means you have to take time on your computer or mobile still. And you have to do quite a few of them to actually make some money. As mentioned 1000SB = £5 or US$10, therefore to technically make money you would have to watch approx. 200 videos/survey with time of 1~2mins. A bit time consuming you are a outgoing person.

It is geographically restricted it is only really usable in the US, UK or Australia, which too bad for other countries.

If you do not use Amazon giftcards or Paypal it might be a little harder to get paid.

Is Swagbucks Legit?

Well it is one of the more trusted survey sites out there. It even has it’s own Wikipedia page which shows how much notoriety it has gained. If you look at the Better Business Bureau it has an A rating. There has been no complaints from my side or on the forums (most complaints are the providers themselves). So feel free to try it.

So is Swagbucks for you?

Maybe, but only if you are in the US, UK or Australia. This is a really down side as for others who want to earn money it is just so much harder. If you are a student that is looking to make a few bucks on they wayside or looking for another income as you just arrived in mentioned countries. This is one of the best methods to help with a few expenses or for some “beermoney”.

Is There Training or Support?

Swagbucks provides a small video of how they do things and will also send you the occasional pointer to your email to help you get along. To use Swagbucks one you get going, is generally easy to get into.

Also a great way to get some support from others it to use Swagbucks reddit forum in which they discuss problems that you might encounter when using Swagbucks.

You have to Pay for Swagbucks?

No, you basically sign-up and you get straight into business. Though you might have to fill a few of your details though you can use it at your leisure. So it worth trying out.

Here it is if you feel like trying it out.

In Conclusion

As mentioned Swagbucks is actually one of the better sources of income if you want to make money from home and it can be a steady source of income if you have some time to spend on it. If you looking for longer steady source of income it might be better to try blogging (internet marketing). There is another site called Earnhoney (which I wrote about) where is not geographically restricted.

Though it is just best for the time being or for spare change.

So is Swagbucks Legit? Can you make money from it? VERDICT: LEGIT, and plausible but not for steady income.

10 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Website

So you have started your blogging adventure and you have started to slowly add content to the website. But the traffic just is not getting there. I think most people who have a legit online business will find trying to increase and leverage traffic one of the hardest parts of their online job.

Here I am gonna try give you some pointers on how I generated traffic naturally to a few of my sites and maintained it.

Though there are other ways to increase traffic like PPC (pay per click), and some click bait methods but we are going to just discuss the best ways to generate traffic naturally.

1) Choosing the Best Niche for Your Topic

Before even trying to generate traffic this should’ve been one of the more important things I needed to do some keyword research on before drawing up a website (though now I know better). Let’s face it, even though you can create a niche out of virtually anything but some things interest people more than other things a good example is sports people are going to love watching NFL football more than watching extreme ironing.

So you have to draw up more than 1 niche (preferably what you love to write about) and dig deep into each topic making taking note of the SEO competition and traffic generated.

Pick a niche that you love and is traffic worthy there you will start having people naturally browse through your pages.

2) Powering Your SEO via Titles

This also requires some research as the will always be similar titles but some will generate traffic more due to being either written in proper English (some exceptions to the rule) or 2) because they are phrases most people use. If are going though using your keyword research tool, best to target the low-hanging fruit i.e titles that have low competition with best traffic.

Some of the best titles are longer phrases i.e instead of “lose weight”; the other title “Awesome Ways to Lose Weight” is much more SEO powered.

You can always use the Google search by typing 1 word will give you relevant suggestions and those suggestions are also what people frequently look which means it is good for a title.

3) Engaging in Comments on Your Site & Others

Readers and bloggers alike love interaction from people and feel they are being cared about on your website and giving some input on others as well. So some bloggers love to surf the net and find things they are familiar with niche to comment on or offer some suggestions.

Though you would not add your website in the comment itself you could use it as a signature or your profile. If people find you useful they will come to your site.

4) Make Sure of Overall Health of Your Site

This is where Google Webmaster or Bing Webmaster is really useful. If you are a reader you do not want to go into empty pages or pages with errors on them. Therefore, always use your webmaster tools to check if all your pages are going smoothly if they aren’t, fix them quickly.

5) Getting Indexed on Search Sites

The more articles you write the more you will notice that some are are going to be indexed on Google or Bing. The more of your pages are indexed on search sites the more they will be found during searches and the more authority you have on the topic at hand.

This is also the reason why if you have your own website and not free ones like blogspots and siterubix, are more likely to be trusted and indexed overall by Google. Though choose carefully if you want buy your website, always best to be absolutely sure.

6) Leveraging Social Media

Once your website is set up and enough content is inside you can always put posts about your websites on social media. I found that the best social media sites are Instagram, Google+, Pinterest and Twitter. The other like Facebook are starting to lose track due to situation with the news and view that it is for older generations.

Always try to pick a few like, 2 or 3,that you feel are good for you and work on these. Anything else is really time-consuming and not good for business.

7) Be a Guest Blogger

This is similar to comments as you gain notoriety by being helpful to others in order to generate traffic. Though this will include writing whole articles for websites apart from yourself. Again if people like what they read they will come visit your website or follow your social media.

I found some sites offer this for like Fandom Wikia sites always offer external input. They do not pay you but you gain popularity by helping them expand their topics.

Or Cracked, they are now offering readers US$ 200/- per article that is included in their site. You can get popularity and money.

Invite others to Guest Write

This entails that you hire writers to write articles for your site. Either this comes later or you can get your best friend to help you. If they have a good social media standing, their followers are sure to follow your site too. You get what you pay for, so make sure you check if the content is good.

I like using Freelancer as it has a lot of competition who are willing to give you quality content writing.

Incorporating Imagery & Videos in Your Posts

This is the fun part of content writing finding the best images to add to your articles. Videos such as YouTube always give you a code to embed their videos from but for pictures you have to find pictures that are royalty free in order to place them inside your site.

For good pictures you can either take them yourself, via your phone or screenshot, or on the internet which I sometimes use Google Search (are going to advanced settings and changing it to commercial use) and sites like Free Images and Wiki Commons.

Studying Board Sites on Latest Craze of your Niche

This is what I do which I think pays off and which people do not really do. Some research can be done of boards such as Reddit, 4Chan and Quora. Sometimes you can put your article in as an answer to their questions this gives a quick boost to your traffic. There you can find what kind of problems people might have regarding your niche and give you a direction on which to write about.

Sometimes you can post your articles in these boards but discretion must be used as each board has its own set of rules.

Always Aim for Great Content

Always remember to write about what people care about first and to write it in a way that people can relate to. There is always are going to be ways to generate traffic its how you make the most of them.

I hope that this has helped you to increase your traffic to your site.

Do you have any cool methods? Please let me know in the comments below.