We’ve talked about some ways to make extra money here before.  I know many of you are using Swagbucks, we’ve talked about MyPoints, we’ve talked about doing baby food testing, we’ve talked about being paid to write; we’ve even talked about donating plasma (or actually, NOT donating plasma).

The next great way to make some extra cash is a new company called Zipments.

It’s a courier service, which makes me feel so – big city. Like subways. And street vendors.

People who need something moved (or, ‘Zipped’ I should say) post a job with information about what they need moved, and the time frame they are looking for.

People who want to make some extra money look at the jobs they have posted, and see if they are headed that way. They bid on the price, and then Zipments charges 10% to the shipper so it’s a good deal for everyone.

I am going to Holland this weekend for a blogging conference called Gleek Retreat, and I will definitely check and see if anyone has a Zipment available! I hope it’s blueprints. That would just be cool.

You do need a PayPal address and a mobile phone. That way they can call you when a bid has been accepted, and pay you when you’re done – within 24 hours!

You can sign up and learn more from the Zipments website, and there is a ton of information on their blog, including how to get notifications via text!

Make sure you follow them on Facebook for job announcements too! You can also follow on Twitter for jobs.

So what do you think? Are you going to check it out?

A stipend was provided to me for writing this post.  All opinions are my own.

I realize that I am a very unlikely source for this information.  I am a fashion ‘don’t’ pretty much every day. It’s not so much that I have decided to start accessorizing and profess any special knowledge of it; it’s more that accessories are changing.  Take a look at what is hot:

• Trade in that cute purse for something a little more boxy.  How about an actual box?  DTE Energy has an Energy Analysis you can do online and receive an Energy Efficiency kit that is pretty sweet (I got one last year).  Mine included weather stripping, an energy efficient faucet nozzle, insulated tape (to wrap around ducts and pipes), and a bunch of other stuff I just handed over to my husband because I had no idea what it was.

• Put down that snazzy new belt and pick up a bus pass.  You likely know by now that the Rapid will receive extra funding to expand routes and add buses.  Given the dramatic decrease in home values and the dramatic increase in gas prices; the actual dollar amount of the millage per household annually is approximately what it costs to back out of the driveway.

• Toss the fancy scarf aside and get in contact with your credit card company.  You’ll want to know their policy about and availability of temporary credit card numbers.  Shopping online just got even hotter and we are going to find the best deals in cyperspace – but the hackers will be out there in hordes and you need to stay safe.  Added feel good bonus:  you can’t shop much more locally than your couch.

• Cast aside those perfect pumps for a some snazzy gardening gloves.  Savvy Chic Savings has some great ideas for starting a garden and Eat Local West Michigan has a great list of gardening classes.

West Michigan is resourceful and hard-working.  We’ve weathered the recession better than the rest of the state, and will continue to live well in spite of economic conditions.  I’ve been handing out bus schedules to my friends and re-thinking my driving routes and plans.  It doesn’t make sense to spend $15.00 driving to 3 different stores in order to save $5.00.  My kids LOVE riding the bus and we can’t wait to incorporate it into our summer.  There will be more to come from me about how to make it in this relentless economy.  We change, and adapt, and move on.

What are you doing differently this summer as a result of higher gas prices?

We can totally do this – with the right accessories.

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I wish we could afford for me to stay home with my kids, but I have to work..

Seven years ago, my husband and I agreed that I should stay home with A.P. when he was born.   I was the primary wage earner  and there was no way we’d make it on my husband’s income for long.  I would stay home for a year, then go back to work.

That was the plan.

Then A.P. turned one, and there was no way I could leave my sweet little boy with someone else.  I halfheartedly tried to look for a  job, and wholeheartedly tried to get pregnant.

Three months later, I was still happily without a job, and happily with child.

When Maybelle was born, we decided to wait until she was a year old and then I would go back to work.  At that time, my husband realized there was no way he was going to ship his sweet little daughter off to be cared for by someone else.  I tried working a seasonal job for a few years, but what works best for our family is for me to be at home.

I  hear that comment often; the one about ‘wishing we could make it on one income“.  So when our temporary plan turned into our lifestyle, how did we do it?  When my husband was laid off – twice – how did we make it?

We have come to realize something very unexpected, but important.

Everything we have had to deny ourselves comes with a positive result.

I spend a lot of time meal planning around grocery sales.  I love to cook, and I am not afraid to try new recipes.  However, my family is sometimes a little afraid to eat them (but they do).  As a result, we do not have picky eaters.

We go out to eat for the experience; not because no one feels like making dinner.  It comes out of our small entertainment budget and always involves a coupon.  As a result, we are fairly easily entertained.  Going to an Ethiopian Restaurant is a big night out for us.

We don’t have a huge amount to spend on fun, but we find ways to do it frugally; especially during hockey season.  I know every way possible of getting inexpensive hockey tickets. As a result, we have a fun family activity we love to do together.

We are lower-middle income, according to statistics. It’s just enough to get by with a tiny bit of wiggle room.  As a result, there isn’t much to argue about.

It has made us confident parents.  We didn’t honestly want kids right away, but that’s what happened.  What we wanted right away was a  Nissan Altima.  We still look at them longingly. We gave up a lot for those little stinkers, and as a result, the parental plague of guilt doesn’t come around to visit us often.

We can’t afford a lot of camps or classes for our kids, but as a result we discovered that there is plenty of frugal fun in Grand Rapids and it that it doesn’t cost a lot to provide a great childhood!

It has made us thankful for what we do have – but also what we don’t have.  We are reliant on each other in a way that we wouldn’t be had our income been bigger.

What about you? What have you given up, only to find that the end result was better than what you had in the first place?