Before the Experiment Begins

Before I began this experiment, I knew I needed to

set up this blog...as a "landing page".

I need to note what it is I am doing

in order to monitor the results of the experiment.

Please note, I may end up continuing to work one...maybe even all

of the programs I've selected...I know I need

more income

and I suspect that if you are following this

blog, that you do to.

Now that this blog is up and operational,

I've joined

BlogCatalog,

started making friends and joined 7 groups.

Unlike the other blogs I've been

writing...some for several years now...

I have been more selective in the groups I'm joining

and the friends I am adding (I'm adding 6 a day).

In the beginning, I am looking for groups, in which the members are

active and serious about the networking they are doing..

the same with friends.

People and groups with like minded interests.

Because I am being so careful in these selections,

it's taking a lot longer,

but I think it will be well worth it

in the long run.

My 'Project PayDay' Mini Experiment

Originally, I was going to include Project Payday as one of the four programs in my main experiment.

I signed up, completed the 'offer', so I could get the Project Payday program for free. That ended up costing me $1.97 to pay for shipping for the 'offer', which I am still waiting to receive. Since, I had never completed any 'offers' before, I ended up signing up for two offers, instead of just the one, without even realizing it.

So then, I get two emails...one from each offer...stating that one of the 'offers' would be taking $39.95 every month out of my PayPal for their subscription. The other 'offer' would be taking $9.95 every month...oh my gosh...I signed up to have $50.00 a month to come out of my PayPal for programs I was only 1 to 10% interested in to begin with....I don't think so!

To be honest, I signed up for the PayDay program after reading a lot of great reviews, saying I would make anywhere from $50 to $250 within the first twenty four hours of signing up. And, I NEEDED the money!

Well....briefly speaking, to make the money I would have to sign up with traders who needed me to go out and complete 'offers'...just like the ones I'd completed to get into the program...when I completed so many, I would get paid from the traders ... provided I had done everything right. I needed to delete cookies, allow pop ups (and leave all pop ups open for at least five minutes), make sure I had all of my information correct (the slightest mistake would disqualify you and possibly get you banned.)

All I could see was my computer filling up with adware and spyware, slowing it up to the point that it wouldn't even run anymore.

Even then, I wasn't completely disuaded...but, I learned that in completely the offers, I had to use a credit card or a bank debit card...I could not use my PayPal card. To be honest, I find my PayPal card the safest form of payment I have.

If you don't take PayPal...then I don't do your program. That's my rule.

Oh yeah, I also called and cancelled those subscriptions...if they end up trying to get the money anyway, I will file a dispute with PayPal.

I wished I could find a "BBB" for internet businesses...maybe there is one, I'll have to research it!

About the experiment

My 30 day work at home programs experiment.
I am going to follow the FREE steps given for FOUR 'make money online' Programs.

A. PotPieGirl Programs

B. Bum Marketing

C. Long Tail Treasure

D. Niche Marketing Websites

Since I will be starting in mid December it will probably end up more like 45 days (because of the holidays), but I will be recording everything here on this blog, so you can read about it, or try it yourself if you like.
I decided to start now, instead of waiting until after the first of the year, because I need to make money from one, or all, of these programs...as soon as possible.

So, I'm keeping a positive attitude that these are viable programs that I can share with you all.

Don't Fall for the "Such and Such is A Scam" Sites

I'm sure you've seen them..."'Such and Such Work At Home Program is a Scam'"..."don't sign up until you read this". They're out there, all over the place. Literally every single program I investigated had several sites out there with pretty much this same wording...substituting the 'Such and Such Work At Home Program' with the name of the actual program, of course.

Perhaps there really are some sites that are 'uncovering such programs as scams'...I've yet to find one that doesn't end up redirecting you to, either the program itself, or their own site 'so you can sign up for that program from there'.

I'm not saying that this is a sign that these programs aren't legitimate or valid...in fact, many of them look like something I would even be interested in...I'm just saying that the site is put up by someone wanting an affiliate sale for this program. There's nothing wrong with it...I guess. It's just that I've been 'misled' more than once, by clicking into these sites.

In some cases, I might go with a 'back door approach'. But, for some reason, I would have a problem signing up with the program through one of these sites. I'm not sure why, but it just bothers me. Maybe it's that 'you told me my shoes were untied, when they weren't'...then you said, "ha, ha...I got you to look."

Is oDesk a real way to Work From Home?

I have signed up for oDesk, taken the tests, downloaded the monitoring software and applied for the jobs.

To date....no interviews, no bites, no favorites....nothing.

The jobs I have applied for...article writing (3), blog writing (2), fast turnaround content writer, graphic illustrator, and personal assistant (2).

All are jobs I am fully qualified to do and I think I'm a pretty fast and very thorough worker. But, I haven't gotten a nibble.

I decided to check the other candidates that had posted for the same jobs...a few were over qualified, some had similar qualifications, but most of the other candidates wanted far less money per hour than I listed (and I was using the median average of other jobs I have held and reducing that by 25%.)

I noticed there were quite a few providers, that had worked quite a bit, whose hourly rate was less than $1.50...some as low as 44 cents an hour. If you can work for that and make any kind of living, (though I think that only those workers who live in countries with lower costs of living would be able to make any kind of living at these wages), I know I can't pay many bills on those wages though.

Since I've yet to be hired, I can't honestly comment on what the work is like. I am going to keep trying to get a few jobs so that I can give an honest evaluation of this company.

Are there really any viable Work At Home Programs?

I think I am like a lot of folks out there...I run out of money before I run out of month. I have to decide, usually based on what is fixing to be shut off first, who is going to get paid and who is going to have to wait. I have lived like this most of my life. And, quite frankly, I'm tired of it.
I'm far too young to just 'throw in the towel' and apply for assistance and far too old to put up with nonsense and scams. But, in order to sort out the good from the, 'not so good', I'll have to check out everything that, at least, looks like it might be viable.

Throughout my life I have been 'scammed' more than once, by work at home programs that seemed to be on the 'up and up'. I've done the assembly at home work, MLM and me have NEVER gotten along well. I've joined sooo many programs, based on excellent products, but impossible for the 'average Jane' to work.

I have already 'signed up' for a couple of programs, so that I can look into them further. They are, "Project Payday" and "oDesk".

I will let you know my findings as soon as I have more information.

Work Hard For The Money

In today's economy, most people don't feel that they have the job security of spending the next 20 plus years with companies that appear financially solvent. If they really do have the finances, perhaps they are outsourcing many of their jobs to countries with less competitive wages. I know that the major insurance company I retired from is now outsourcing entire segments of their work force to countries that may not even offer their product. That means, fewer and fewer positions that can be filled by people who live in the states and cities this company have offices in. The company makes no apologies, after all.... It's about, economics.

Having the freedom of working from home, when the attitudes of so many of our corporate giants have cooled toward local workforce, looks more appealing every day. We have to be careful though, or we risk signing up with a program that promises the moon, takes our money and delivers little more than a nicely packaged packet of recycled materials, much of what we could get for free if we spent a little time researching on the internet.

I, personally, am staying away from the programs that promise returns that are just "too good to be true". Instead, I'm researching those programs which show more believable results and promise that I am going to have to "work hard for the money". These are programs that appear, on the surface, to be viable and practical. Certainly I wouldn't reject the possibility of, one day, being rich...who would??? But, I'm in a position that I need, realistic income, from hard work on a consistent basis. And, I don't have much money to invest in programs that might save me half the time for twice the results. Truth is, I've invested so much in my lifetime, that I've become a little skeptical and very reluctant.