Reading is one of my favorite things to do.  I would rather read than watch television, mow grass, cook supper, clean house, etc.  Being the frugal person I am, there is no way I'm going to pay more than a few dollars for a book.  One way to find cheap books is to look at yard sales, flea markets, or thrift stores.  You can also borrow books from your local library.  But, if you are anything like me, you don't have a lot of extra time to peruse these places.  What I prefer is a site called PaperBack Swap which is an online used book marketplace that's easy and fun to use.  It makes you feel good to pass on books to other readers in order to make room for more books.

Not much these days is free, but registration at PBS is free.  They do have a disclaimer saying that in the future, they might charge a small fee annually.  After you register, upload the list of books that you want to swap by ISBN number - it can be a small list or a large list.  Make sure your books are in good condition(no water damage, torn pages, covers must be intact, etc.).  There are book exchange guidelines that have to be met.  I would suggest posting at least 10 books to begin with because PBS will give you 2 book credits free for posting your first 10 books.  You can immediately use these credits to order 2 books!  These books come directly to your mailbox.  The books you receive are free and are yours to keep ... unless, after you read them, you want to swap them again.

When someone request one of your books, PBS will send you an email and give you 48 hours to accept the request.  Once accepted,
you purchase shipping and print the label right from their website!  They give you 5 days to actually mail the book.  Most books can be wrapped in the plain paper label that you print.  At times, I have had a book that is a little too large for the label so I wrap it in a paper bag and attach the label to the bag.  Be sure you tape your package securely.  Postage is generally less than $3.  If you buy postage through Paypal, you can instantly get a book credit which means you can use that credit the same day to order a book from another member instead of waiting for the member to receive the book and mark it as received.  At the time of this posting, Paperback Swap boasts over 4 million books available for swapping!

A wonderful asset at PBS is their live help.  If you can't figure out just what to do, or have any type question, there is someone there to help you figure it out.  I've been using PBS for several years and have not had any problems sending or receiving books.  I actually look forward to opening my email every morning to see if I have a book request from someone.  On those days that I have a request, I ship the book out and turn right around and order something I've been wanting to read. 

Imagine getting paid to take pictures!  Something so simple, a hobby for many, can bring you some extra moola.  Think about it.  There are websites that sell consumers the rights to use their images.  Where do you think they get those images from?  Someone has to be taking pictures.  Why can't it be you?  Shutterstock boasts of over 280,000 images added daily.  They charge consumers $29 for the use of 2 images, $49 for 5 images, etc.  Browsing their 28 million image collection is free.   By clicking on 'Become a Contributor', you can sign up to sell your photos and/or images and start making money right away. 

Get paid 25 cents per download for your images - and up to $200 each time you refer a subscription buyer.  Check out the Earnings Schedule to get more information on what you can earn.  The longer you work with Shutterstock, the more you can earn, up to $120 per image!  Keep in mind your images must have a resolution of at least 4 megapixels. Shutterstock only accepts images in JPEG format.  They are looking for commercial images that they can sell, not your normal amateur photos - a good idea is to look through magazines and other places to see what sells. 

It's easy to get started.  Sign up with an email account, verify your email address, upload a user I.D. such as a driver's license or passport.  Then upload 10 images showing your best work.  Again, I advise that you do a little research and find out what sells before you submit your 10 images, because once submitted, if you are not accepted, you have to wait 30 days before you re-apply.  This may sound discouraging, but don't give up because there is plenty of money to be made in this line of work.  Most applicants don't get accepted to Shutterstock the first time.  Your reviewer will comment on the photos that don't meet their standards, the ones that are not commented on gives you a good idea of what they are looking for.