Freebies
missions & relief projects
Standarddo you want to know something really shocking about me?
i thought so.
i don’t have any desire to move overseas. if i’m truly honest with myself, i don’t. and it’s not for lack of trying either. i’ve taken perspectives (an amazing and life-changing class!) twice. i do my best to keep updated on what is going on in the world. we are blessed to attend a mission-focused church. but i still don’t want to move overseas. i like america.
you can start booing now.
let me clarify by saying that i would move overseas. in a heartbeat. i understand that God loves the world and it’s people way more than i love america. and i’m all about following God wherever he leads me. we moved to iowa city in faith, and that was a great step for me. if God wants us overseas, we’ll know and we’ll go.
but i don’t know if we’ll ever move overseas, honestly. this is quite possibly the reason why i love those who are passionate about missions and relief work. because i’m frankly not passionate about going myself. but if someone else is, i get so excited.
we are blessed to have many people in our lives who are passionate about many different people groups. i’m so thankful for them-they make me fall in love with the world. they help me see the world the way God sees it.
bryan and i have become eager to help fuel these passions financially, especially since we don’t have a specific goal for ourselves when it comes to missions.
- compassion international has organized some swift and trustworthy relief efforts. consider making a one-time donation to meet critical needs.
- support your friends or family who are going.
- consider taking perspectives in your area and evaluate your role in world missions.
- support a missionary through gospel for asia.
- pick up a copy of operation world and pray for nations.
exodus cry
Standarda little over a month ago, a student organization here at the university of iowa called Students Abolishing Slavery held a viewing of this movie. Nefarious was a powerful film in more ways than one. it plainly described the tragedy of the sex trade in our present world in an artful way.
despite it’s horrific focus and against all odds, the film ended with a hopeful spirit. this organization seeks to raise awareness of modern day slavery and the sex trade, rescue women by setting up lighthouses, and reach and change the hearts of men. but it was clear at the film’s end that only true healing can come from the power of Jesus Christ. this is the message they carry with them.
it was not a difficult decision to choose to give Exodus Cry monthly support. i talked to bryan about it and we decided to add it to our budget.
- purchase and watch the documentary or consider hosting a viewing
- consider making a one-time donation to Exodus Cry
- purchase the “Hold On” cd as a gift or for your family, music inspired by the Nefarious Film
- consider becoming a monthly partner with the Exodus Cry ministry
compassion international
Standardhave you heard of compassion international? you likely have. it’s a cause that has gained wild popularity. and unlike the bachelorette, their popularity is well-deserved.
this is a multi-faceted organization who has found an incredible balance when it comes to the job of supporting impoverished children and families. i’ve listed just a few things they provide:
- a monthly financial support program that connects the able to children in need of clothing, food, and education in impoverished areas of the world
- a deeper connection between the sponsor and sponsored by allowing for pictures, updates and correspondance along with the financial contribution
- amazing compassion-run programs for the children that allow the gospel to be delivered while also meeting the physical needs of those in need
bryan and i support an almost 11-year-old girl from the dominican republic. i love receiving her letters and hanging her cute drawings on my fridge. she has truly become a part of our family.
- consider making a one-time donation to compassion international.
- consider supporting a child in need by committing to $38 per month.
- consider supporting a center for babies and moms.
- consider supporting a student leader by committing to $300 per month.
i’ll randomly select the winner at the end of the week!
lullabies for africa
Standard- consider making a donation to the Lullabies for Africa cause.
“The money collected will go towards traveling costs and fees. Any donations that exceed the $3500 mark will go to help families adopt from Africa.” - check out the adorable handmade goods in the lullabies etsy shop.
- purchase the cd as a gift or for your own children, it’s a beautiful collection of lullabies!

preview for next week & giveaway winners!
Standardi have to tell you, i was nervous and excited for all of you who commented on my blog as i was entering the numbers on random.org. you all had pretty good chances. apparently not very many people were interested in winning free amazon.com giftcards-i honestly expected more comments!
but there were only 5 winners, which means some of you did not win. i guess i’ll just have to do more giveaways next week! next week is what i like to call “give week.” i’m going to be writing about generosity, worthy causes, and how and why we give even though we’re on a tight budget.
and in the theme of “give week” the giveaways next week are actually in support of a cause i’ve been super excited about lately. here’s a picture of the adorable items i’m giving away, i’ll post more about the cause on monday!
and without further ado, here are the winners for this week!
#1: Christy
#2: Alicia
#3: Kaylee
#4: Ami
#5: Karlee
congratulations! you will all receive an email today from amazon.com with your giftcard information!
iphone apps + giveaway
Standardwhat it is?
i recently read this article on making money with your iphone. most of the apps out there simply advertise certain products by having you scan barcodes when you’re in the store.
shopkick and checkpoints are two apps that i use.
how does it work for me?
if i feel like it, i’ll run around walmart, scan some barcodes, and earn some points. i haven’t earned enough points to mean anything yet, so i’m not convinced it’s worth my time yet. but, like all of the things i’ve mentioned this week, i’ve found that it doesn’t actually take a lot of my time once i figure out a system.
i don’t by any means make extra trips to the store just to get these points, but i’m in walmart a couple times a week anyway, so i’ll make some scans if i’m not pressed for time.
if you don’t have a smartphone, which i know is many of you, i would liken these apps to technology-driven mystery shopping. i’ve never mystery shopped personally, but i know this is a viable way to earn some extra cash, too, and you don’t even need a smartphone! : )
where’s the proof?
i don’t have any proof yet, as i mentioned earlier, but on shopkick, i’ve earned 561 kicks in about 3 weeks. i’m a little less than halfway there to earn a $5 target giftcard.
enter to win another $5 amazon.com gift card today! here’s how to enter the giveaway today:simply leave a comment answering this question: what you’re favorite way to earn “free money?”i’ll randomly select a winner for today’s giveaway at the end of the week!
pinecone research + giveaway
Standard
what is it?
i try to complete the survey as soon as it lands in my inbox. most surveys allow only 2-3 days to complete, and i’ve missed several opportunities because i simply forgot to respond.
i enjoy taking the surveys, even though it is the most time consuming “free money” thing i do.
disclaimer, pinecone only allows for a certain number of researchers. i’ll try to post the next time they have openings.
ebates + giveaway
Standardwhat it is?
ebates pays you for shopping online. you can receive on average 1-4% cash back simply by clicking through this site to get to the store site.
how does it work for me?
basically, i use ebates whenever i can. i don’t do a ton of online shopping other than on amazon.com and ebates unfortunately doesn’t offer any cashback for amazon (darn!). however, i do occasionally purchase things from target.com, gap.com or somewhere else. i’ve also recently noticed that they link to a lot of airfare websites, so i’m definitely going to use ebates the next time i buy plane tickets! when i hear of a good online deal or decide to order online, i simply go to ebates first, search for the store i’m using, and click on their link.
this creates a “ticket.” after i complete my order, ebates processes my cashback-it’s that easy!
disclaimer: ebates only processes payment 4 times per year and you have to have over $5.00 (not including your sign-up bonus) accrued before you get paid.
where’s the proof?
while i love getting that extra rebate, i still don’t shop online a lot, so the pay off isn’t as big for me. but i never refuse free money! i’ve earned $49.76 since june 2009.
another note: shopathome.com is a similar website. i also have an account here, but i prefer ebates by far. shop at home requires $20 in earnings before they pay although they do pay monthly if you’ve reached over $20.
inbox dollars + giveaway
Standardwhat it is?
inboxdollars is basically an advertisement service. they send advertisements via email and you get paid $.01 or $.02 for clicking to confirm you’ve read the email.
how does it work for me?
each morning, after i’ve gotten through my swagbucks routine, i click on my inboxdollars toolbar where it tells me how many unread emails i have. rather than reading them when they come to my actual email inbox, i go directly to my inbox on their site. by doing this, i only check those emails once a day and it takes about 10 seconds to click through them all. i usually receive between 4-5 per day.
these emails are basically spam and i’ve become numb to subliminal messaging. however, i’ve never received any actual spam because inboxdollars doesn’t share my email. i only receive emails directly from inboxdollars and i simply delete them on the spot.
they also require that you earn $30 before “cashing in.”
where’s the proof?
while this is considerably slower-going than swagbucks, i still find it to be an easy and fun way to earn a little extra cash. since january of 2010 i’ve earned $55.24. because of the $30 rule, i’ve only cashed one check for $33.74 and have $21.50 in my account. i roughly spend a total of one hour on this throughout the year.