Looks like this one is going to take off like hot-cakes because I just got my $25 in less than a couple minutes.  It’s so easy that everyone’s gonna want a chunk of the free money pot.

The site is called Revolution Money Exchange (aff), and the best way to describe it simply is that it’s a PayPal equivalent.  Since it was so easy, I thought I’d summarize it here for you guys.  Just like the ING accounts, you get a free $25 for signing up and I’ll get a $10 referral fee.  HOWEVER, there’s no deposit required.  That’s right, ZERO investment.

Here’s the first screen you get when getting started.  I kid you not, it’s only 3 more forms.

1. Name/email/etc.
2. Address/Phone/Contact
3. SSN/Password/reminder question

Once you’re done, you’ll end up on the confirmation page where you can go directly to your account profile page.

Once on the account page, you can see where you can connect to your bank account so you can transfer funds in and out of the account for no charge.

Then below the fold on the account page, you can see all incoming and outgoing transactions.  For new accounts, there is a $25 transaction waiting for your approval in the "Money that has been sent to you" section.  Simply click on the ‘approve’ button and the money is immediately in your account!

As you can see in the screen-shots, there’s a referral program.  Once you’re done, you can stick a referral link on your own page and make $10 from anyone who signs up as well!  There’s a $500 limit to income via this method, but every little bit helps!

I plan on using this in conjunction with PayPal if it gains enough momentum to become a payment type for most places around the web.  If not, I still got my $25 headed toward my account for 5-10 minutes of effort.

Let me know if you have any issues and I’ll be glad to help look into it!  Gotta love free money! 

I found this deal through Kevin at NoDebtPlan.  Thanks Kevin!

After I finally opened up an ING Orange Savings account, I mentioned that I was going to figure out how to create referral links to provide for anyone interested in opening an account of their own.  In order to get the $25 bonus for opening an account, you need to use a referral link from somewhere.  Each person can only create so many referrals, so they are somewhat limited.

Well, now all of my referrals will be made available on the ING Account Referrals resource page in my sidebar.  I included some more details about the program, but it’s REALLY simple folks:

1. You put $250 into an account for at least 2-3 weeks. 
2. You get a free $25 bonus.
3. I get a free $10 bonus.
4. You earn pretty good interest on this account.
5. You can refer other people once you’re in.

So head on over if you’ve been thinking of opening an account and give it a try.  I’ve already got my money, and I plan on using the savings account for snowflaking away my debt over time.

Well, I had all my tax refund money sitting around last week and I was trying to figure out a way to make the best of it before applying every bit of it to some debts.  I keep seeing everyone hyping up the ING accounts because of the free $25 when you sign up and the fact that you can get referral fees for people that sign up using you as a referral.

So I went ahead and opened one using a referral link from a blog I read often, CleverDude.  So I put my $250 deposit in from my main checking account where all my money was, and even before the money was withdrawn a few days later I already had the $25 in my account!

I was very impressed by just how easy it was to get things linked up to my account and get started using it for whatever I want.  (I can take the $250 out anytime after 3/17, which is only a couple of weeks after creating the account.)

Here’s a quick snippet from my bank account page showing the balances already in there (minus the account numbers and bank name):

You can see that my funds are available in a couple weeks, and the account is already earning interest!

So, my plan is to put that $250 back into my main checking account by the end of the month, and just have the $25 sit in there for awhile.  At the end of each month, I’ll start siphoning off some snowflaking amounts into this account until they accrue large enough amounts to make entire payments on my 2nd mortgage.  (I have to pay full payment amounts in order for it to be applied to principle only.)

Also, I’m going to figure out how to make some of those referral links and put them up here as well.  It looks like I just have to email them to myself or something in order to post them, but I’ll have to look at it over the weekend and update when I figure it out.  You’ll get the $25 for opening the account, and I’ll get $10 deposited to my account when you do it.  Then you’ll also be able to make your own referral links for anyone you know that’s interested.  Pretty good deal if you ask me.

Stay tuned for referrals if you’re interested! 

Update: I’ve got referrals available on my ING Account Referrals page in my resources sidebar section.

A couple weeks ago, I decided to go try moving a large credit card balance to a 0% interest credit card offer to try to save myself some unnecessary interest payments.  Well, things appear to have gone very well with this transaction so far.  I now have my almost $6000 balance that was running at an interest rate near 30% completely transferred to a 0% interest card.  This one single move is going to save me nearly $150 a month in interest.

I want to again remind everyone that has credit cards to check the interest rates on them at least once a month to make sure you don’t get hit with a huge rate hike like I did.

So here’s a small screenshot of the summary page on my new card:

And here’s the balance summary of the card it all came from:

I plan on paying my first payment of 128.05 (I just like round numbers…I know it’s weird) and then set up a monthly payment from my bank to send $100 every month for payments.

One very important thing to keep in mind:  I’ll need to either completely pay off this card before 12 months go by, or transfer it to yet another card.  If I don’t, all of the interest avoided during the 0% promotional period will be added to the account balance.

So, I’m setting up a reminder for myself to have that thing paid off by this time next year, or be prepared to move a $5000 balance to another card.

So, now that this has worked out for me, I think it’s time to go look for another offer and float my next card to it!  However, I REALLY can’t wait until I don’t have to do this crap at all.  I hate using credit cards for anything anymore.  Once I get all these dumb things paid off…that’s it for me!

If you haven’t cut up your credit cards already, *tsk-tsk* now’s your chance to win some prizes for doing it!  Get on over to The Penny Saved contest page and check out how to win some iPods and books for sending in pictures of your cut up cards.

Frankly, I’ve not physically cut up my cards.  Half of them are falling apart from over-use, but I’ve just piled them up on my desk.  I can still use them if I just grab them!  (Which can turn out to allow thousands in holiday spending if you’re not careful.)

Good luck with the contest!  (Though I hope I beat you all, LOL!)

Hi everyone, just a quick note about a great deal that’s good until about midnight tonight (Saturday, 2/9/08).

Walgreens is giving away a free Family Value Pack for one photo when ordered through their online service.  You basically upload your photo to your account (we already had one since we order through them all the time) and head to checkout.  Enter code VALENTINE and select the family pack and update the price totals and it will cost you NOTHING!  (includes 1 8×10, 2 5×7, and 4 4×6 pics)

I just ordered mine and it was a piece of cake.  Grandma will just love the big custom valentine card we’ll make out of the 8×10.  (she can’t see too well)

Thanks to Around the Sun for the tip.  (She thanked Coupon Mom, but the link didn’t work.)

Get your free pics today before time runs out!