I thought it was about time I posted an update on my progress for financial freedom so here it is........

THE RACE IS OVER, I WON THE LOTTERY!

How I wish that was true, until then here is my real update:

Websites

www.lets-makemoney.co.uk

Well, this website is doing OK, though sadly I never seem to have enough time to work on it. I have tons of ideas but never enough from time to implement them. I think most people probably come across this when trying to improve their financial freedom. Unfortunately you have to work to earn money to live, which restricts the time you have to work on your ideas.

I started this website as a hobby, to improve my programming skills. I didn't really see it as a way to earn money at first, but it is making me some money through advertising, not a lot, but it is something I am working on, and it definitely contributes towards my monthly bills.

Other Websites

I started this website as a hobby, to improve my programming skills. I didn't really see it as a way to earn money

Recently I have been asked to build a website for a friend of a friend. Nothing is concrete at the moment, but if this idea is realised it should earn me a few quid in my spare time. I will keep you posted on any developments in this area.

I also have some "vague" plans to build another website with a good friend of mine at some point in the future. We have been bouncing ideas around and we think this will take the form of some sort of on-line shop. We will have to wait and see about this money making scheme, as yet again this will all boil down to time restrictions.

Property Investments

Our Rental Property

Our Rental Property

As you probably know, I rented out my old town house 2 years ago. This is going fairly well. We have long term, reliable tenants, which is the best I could ask for. The only problem I envisage in the future are the difficulties in the mortgage market. We are due to renew our 2 year fixed mortgage in June and that has truly bitten into our monthly profits, though we will still be making money, which is more than many landlords can say. We plan to take out a 5 year fixed rate on this house to protect ourselves from the current uncertainties in the property market. In 5 years time I would hope that the current problems will be long forgotten.

We have long term, reliable tenants, which is the best I could ask for.

Ultimately, this is a long term investment for our future. Regardless of the current property climate, I am still optimistic that come 25 years time, we shall have a nice lump sum to put towards our retirements from this property.

Spanish Property

The Villa that never was!

Now this is a different matter all together! Some of you may know that nearly 4 years ago we invested in a Villa in Costa Almeria in Spain. From the beginning, this investment has not gone smoothly. Not normally a fan of Spain, Costa Almeria was entirely different from what I normally thought of when I imagined of the Spanish Costas. Completely unspoilt, no high rises, brilliant weather. We could not resist investing in a small villa as a holiday home, besides the rental potential was good as well.

So what went wrong? Well, just as I have said Costa Almeria is completely unspoilt, thus far, but with very loose planning restrictions, it was in danger of heading the way most other costas have gone. In essence developers started a build and then claimed retrospective planing permission. This was how it had always worked in much of Spain; controls were very loose.

We are now getting our money back and because of a breach of contract we are seeking compensation too.

Cutting an extremely long and very complicated story short, basically officials realised this was a free for all and not in the interests of the region. As a result all building in the whole of the area was stopped, and all developments have been reviewed and now have to await "official" approval.

Build in Progress!

Our build started for approximately a year, then was stopped. We have been told time and time again that the paper work has been approved and building will begin soon, but after nearly 4 years we can wait no longer. We are now getting our money back and because of a breach of contract we are seeking compensation too. We have not lost any money with this investment, in fact, if all goes well, we have still made some, but it is still annoying that in those 4 years we could have invested money in the UK market, and more than likely have made much more, rather than wasting time and effort on Spain. I have no doubt that this development in Spain will eventually go ahead, but it could take another 2 years before they even begin building again, and we are not willing to wait for that for various reasons. Hey you live and learn though don't ya!

Future Property Investments

With one success and one failure under our belts and the fact that the property market in the UK is going through what some would call a crisis. Are we still interested in investing in property? Absolutely! If prices in the UK begin to fall, it becomes a buyers market again and I will be a VERY eager investor. We are biding our time, saving our cash, ready to snap up a bargain investment property when the time is right. Watch this space!

Share Saves and Share Investing

I had a share save scheme mature last August, and managed to sell at pretty much the top price my company has ever reached. This was truly good luck rather than good management. In essence, changing my name after getting married, delayed the selling of my shares, and actually made me more money in the long run. Though it probably knocked years off my life through the stress, and scarily less than 2 months after I sold, the current woes in the markets kicked in and the price started to plummet!

I have another share save scheme due to mature this year. In August, I have the option to take the shares or take my savings. I would be a fool if I didn't take the shares, since I have more than doubled my money at this point. However, up until September last year I had actually quadrupled my initial investment. It is annoying that thousands have been knocked off my investments value due to overall poor stock market performance, but I am still making money and that's never a bad thing. I will take the shares and hope that the price recovers over the next year and sell once it does.

I would be a fool if I didn't take the shares, since I have more than doubled my money at this point.

The recent falls in the stock market may have had a poor affect on mine and my husbands share save schemes, however, we have taken advantage of this low and bought many more shares outside our share save schemes in other companies, at what we see are bargain prices. We are also continuing year on year to invest in our companies share save schemes and share incentive programs, and each year so far we are getting a nice lump sum.

It may take some time for the confidence in the markets to be regained, but it will happen, and hopefully we will be quids in when it does. Hey making money involves some risk, yes? But so far it is paying off for us.

Surveys and Testing

I still test products and do surveys for money, which does help towards general everyday costs. Last year I estimate I made around £400-£500, for relatively little effort. Some of the surveys are good, some are bad, it's really about trying to find the best effort to reward ratio. For example, last year one of the best rewards I got was for doing my washing. I would have had to have done my washing regardless of whether I was being rewarded or not. All I had to do was put a piece of coloured cloth in with my wash loads every time. They gave me 2 HUGE boxes of washing powder to use for 12 weeks, so in essence I had free washing for 12 weeks too. I was also rewarded with £30 for filling out 2 surveys about my experience during the trial. Including the washing powder I earned about £40 for approximately 30 minutes work. Not bad really is it? I bet you don't get paid that much for even an hour in your job!

If you want to find out how you too can make some extra cash doing surveys then sign up to some of my favourite survey sites here.

Update Over

So there is my update. My next update will be in about 6 months time, hopefully then I may have more to tell.

If you are trying to escape too, then good luck and keep trying, at least you are giving it a go like me, don't let people put you off by belittling your efforts. Others seem content to simply go to work and moan that they don't get paid enough, at least we are doing something about it!

©2010 lets-makemoney.co.uk. All Rights Reserved.

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So far in our journey, we have bought a property in Spain, off-plan. We Let Out our old house when we moved homes. We have Share Save and Share Incentive Plans with both the companies we work for and we speculate on the stock market regularly.

I have signed up for many paid survey sites, mystery shopping companies and I use cash back sites regularly; through these I have made and saved hundreds of pounds for relatively little effort during 2007.

I also build this site in my spare time which helps me to grow personally, learning skills that may come in handy in the future. Besides in researching the content and writing the articles I learn so much more about money and the opportunities out there for making it. Furthermore, the site is generating a few quid in itself, so not only is it an enjoyable hobby, keeping my brain ticking over, it is also making money too. If you want to find out how I do this read the make money through websites section.

While I have been doing my little projects my husband Danny has been studying financial spread betting and share trading during 2007, and has recently started to dabble in this with some success. Since the stock market is not doing so well, this is a way for us to make money when shares are going down as well as up.

We plan to buy some more investment properties soon, though we are not sure what or where yet. I am keeping a close eye on what is happening to the UK property market and the current uncertainty about it's stability has delayed our decision to buy another Buy To Let property for the time being. All we are certain of at the moment is that it is time to step up a gear and stop seeing our investments as just security for our retirement, but as a way to retire early and become financially independent.

I am beginning my quest, yes, I may never make it, but at least I am trying, what are you doing to escape the rat race?!

©2010 lets-makemoney.co.uk. All Rights Reserved.

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My Recommended Sites

Share Investing / Trading

Fantasy Trading

• Bull Bearings
• The Wall Street Suvivor
• WinInvesting.com

Trading Blogs

• www.nakedtrader.co.uk
  Fab site from Robbie Burns a guy who knows a lot about trading - enough to escape the rat race and trade at home for a living :)

Saving Money

Save Money on Bills

• EnergyOn
• Save On Your Bills
• energyhelpline.com

Save on Selling Your Home

• HouseWeb
• My Property for Sale

Comparison Sites

• Moneysupermarket.com - Compare & Buy

Great Saving Money Sites

• www.mysavingplace.com / www.101waystosavemoney.com
  These 2 sites are mostly geared for US savers but they are a great read with plenty of ideas for everyone.

Making Money

Cash Back Sites

• eCashBack
• Ipoints Ltd
• earn extra money from home

Making Money Online

• Make Money Online|Work At Home
  Work at home and make money online up to $10,000+ a month with Adsene, affiliate programs, and other money making opportunities with blog or web site.

Building a Website

Great Hosting Sites

• UKHost4u
• UK Domains & UKHosting
• www.eventurebiz.com - Not only webhosting but help with getting your website and business up and running too!
• Namesco

Web Design Services

• Web Design Aberdeen

Help with Building A Site

• DoYourOwnSite!
• www.easywebcreator.com
• www.WebsiteWizard.com

Affiliate Programs / Website Advertising

• BidVertiser

Property Investment

Property Development

• Renovate Alerts

Become a millionaire

Secondary Income

• www.onlineincomesreviewed.co.uk

Investing

• www.familyinvestments.co.uk

Escape the Rat Race

Some Fab Blogs

• escape-from-the-rat-race.info - My ongoing journey into making money online
• www.workathomeincomes.co.uk
• makemesomemoney.co.uk
• www.inspiringjourneytofinancialfreedom.com
• www.doesmoneymakeyouhappy.com

Misc / Fun Sites

• www.ezpaydayloanz.com
• www.thepoorhouse.org.uk
• milliondollarhomepage
• www.scamreview.co.uk

©2010 lets-makemoney.co.uk. All Rights Reserved.

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Ways to Make Money!

Posted:Abigail Andrews – Saturday, May 26th, 2007

Most people complain they don't get paid enough and wait for the pay rise which never comes. One of the the first things people think of doing when they need more money than they can earn in their current employment is to get second job, perhaps working on an evening. Although this is an option it is not the only one.

If you're thinking about getting a second job to supplement your income, take a glance through this list first as there may be easier and more fun ways to make extra money.

By the way, this list is not exhausted by any stretch of the imagination, so keep coming back, I will be continually reviewing and adding to it. Oh, and if you have any ideas please feel free to email me and I will add it to the list, giving you the credit of course!

Make Money as a TV/film Extra

TV and film companies are always looking for extras to star in everything from Emmerdale Farm as a local sipping ale in the pub, to a dodgy geezer in the "new" lock, sock and 2 smoking barrels. People of all shapes and sizes are needed daily, so if you have the confidence to be seen by millions in the background of the local soap opera, then you could make a nice bit of extra cash, as well as having a fun day out "star spotting"!

Furthermore, you can apply to be on TV programs and shows, such as home make over programs or quiz shows. In both of these ways you can win, cash, prizes, or get a makeover for free which is usually worth a substantial amount of money. Check out some of the links below:

Useful sites:

www.beonscreen.com
www.starnow.co.uk

Pay:

You could earn around £80 a day, with bonuses for things like providing your own costume or doing a 'walk-on'.

Police ID Parades

You may laugh but it is easy money, all you have to do is turn up and stand there. Work does depend on your appearance and the traditional physical ID parades are slowly being replaced by electronic databases containing head and shoulder video pictures but you could still earn a one off payment for doing that. Of course there is the risk that you may get picked out as the perpetrator of the crime! :-)

More Info:

Ask at your local police station.

Pose as a Life Model

You don't have to be beautiful or in particularly great shape, but you do have to be brave, confident, un-modest, extremely patient, and able to sit still for a long time.

Pay:

£6+ clothed, £7+ unclothed

Useful sites

www.modelreg.co.uk
Also contact your local Art and Adult education colleges.

In-store Demonstrator

If you are confident and personable then you may fancy becoming an instore demonstrator in a supermarket or department store. Cook a simple dish, show off the new kitchen mop, demonstrate the new stain remover, for example. Mainly evenings and weekends so the hours can easily fit around your current life style.

Pay:

Can be up to £10 an hour. Full time can range between £10k-£16K

Useful sites

Profile of a Demonstrator
Also search for 'field marketing agencies' on the Internet

Event Steward

Football matches and concerts are just two places were stewards are needed. Training is given on the day. However, don't expect to see much of the concerts, if you are lucky you may get a quiet corner and may be able to catch a glimpse, but more often than not you are kept busy and earn your money.

Pay:

£5+ an hour; with training you can earn up to £15 an hour.

Useful sites

www.recruiteventservices.co.uk
Also search for 'Recruit Event Services' on the Internet

Mystery Shopping

Getting paid to shop is most women's dreams and perhaps with the mention of getting paid, some mens dreams too. Mystery shopping is not just about going to shops to purchase products, it can also entail going to a restaurant, bar or even a hotel for the night. All you have to do is report how you were treated and how good the customer service was. You get your expenses paid and if you are sent to the local supermarket for example, you may even get to keep the shopping you bought. There are worse ways to make money!

Pay:

£6+ a visit, but could be as much as £100 a day depending on what you are required to do.

More Info:

Find more detailed information on mystery shopping here.

Useful sites

Douglas Stafford
Gap Buster
Mystery Shoppers
Performance in People
Retail Eyes
Also search for 'Mystery Shopping' on the Internet

Become a Promoter

Promotions staff are always needed, though its not always easy work. From models to leafleting, sampling to merchandising, exhibition staff, street teams to road shows, the work is endless. However, if you get to go to big events it can be good fun!

Pay:

Varies but averages about 7.50 an hour.

Useful sites

www.stuckforstaff.com
www.promojobspro.com
More info: Search for 'promotions Staff' on the internet.

Medical Testing

You can earn good money from volunteering for a clinical trial and while doing so make a valuable contribution to medical research. However, be warned there are risks and make sure you read ALL the information you are given by the research company about possible complications. Basically the greater the risk the more you will be getting paid. People have had extreme reactions to the drugs they have been given as has been in the news recently, though it is rare.

Hey, if you are too chicken to take part in a trial yourself, think about those friends or family you have who would dare as you can even refer friends and get paid too!

Pay:

Varies depending on the length of the trial as well as the risks and discomfort involved.

Useful sites

www.entertrials.co.uk
www.gpgp.net
More info: Search for 'medical research volunteer' on the internet.

Refer people for jobs

Do you often search the job pages looking for your new career, only to find jobs more suitable or ideal for friends or someone you know. Well, at least now you can get paid for sending your mate an email referring him to the ideal job you found him!

Zubka is a referral platform whereby individuals get paid for referring people for jobs. Anyone can sign up as a referrer and then personally recommend their friends and professional contacts for jobs. Referrers receive job alerts making them aware of new vacancies within the industries they know people. Hirers benefit as well as Zubka can provide a much faster way of finding the right individual, and costs a third of traditional recruitment charges.

Pay:

Large financial rewards for successful referrals, with an average payment of £3,000

©2010 lets-makemoney.co.uk. All Rights Reserved.

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Gadgets that Save Money!

Posted:Abigail Andrews – Tuesday, June 26th, 2007

Save loads of money by buying gadgets that can pay for themselves (and even see a bit of return) over the long term. This usually means they are efficient in some sort of way thus you can be kind to the environments at the same time! These gadgets will also make great gift ideas too.

Battery Chargers Save Money

Price: Depends on how many are changed at once and what type of batteries are charged.
Link: Good deals at www.amazon.co.uk or at www.mdsbattery.co.uk
Tip: Get good quality batteries and buy online as they are much cheaper

Look around your house and you will have loads of items that eat batteries. I have cameras, games, even the solar lights in the garden take batteries! It costs a fortune keeping up to them. You will have to fork out for the charger in the first place and the rechargeable batteries, but they will save you in the long term. Perfect for parents that have children with lots of battery-powered toys.

Electricity Usage Monitor

Price: £70 (approx)
Link: Electrisave at www.amazon.co.uk or on ebay.co.uk

This gadget allows you to see exactly what power your "on-standby" devices are actually using. This will help you decide which devices it is simply worth turning off rather than leaving on standby and thus save money. It's a very useful device to see in real terms how much things are actually costing you to run. You could cut your bills by up to 25%!

Save Money with an Internet Phone

Price: From as little as £20 to as much as £100+
Link: Tesco Internet Phone

PC to PC Phone Calls

Price: Free with PC to PC calls, cheaper than normal providers for PC to Phone calls.

You can call anywhere in the world completely for free and save money! The only requirement is that both you and the person you're calling have computers with internet access. A microphone and headset/speakers are needed, though it's possible to buy phone handsets for computers. The quality isn't fantastic but its perfectly adequate.

Internet Telephony Specialist Skype is becoming the Microsoft of internet telephony. Visit the site for more details.

PC to Phone Calls

Pretty much the same as above, you've a headset or phone plugged into your computer, you then go to a dial pad on the computer screen and dial the number you're calling which can be any 'normal' phone line and not a PC phone. Many providers also allocate you a number on which to receive calls, some even provide an adapter which bypasses the computer altogether and plugs into your regular phone handset.

You could start with these web phone providers to find out more information VoipStunt and VoipCheap.

Electricity Saving Plugs

Price: SavePlug £20 (approx) and IntelliPlug £15 (approx)
Link: SavePlug and intelliplug

By simply replacing your fridge's plug with the SavaPlug you can reduce its electricity requirements by 20%...that's approx £12 per year!!.

The IntelliPlug works by shutting down your computer's peripheral devices (e.g. printer, monitor, scanner, amplifier etc) once you've turned your PC off. Once everything is turned off it only runs on 0.4 Watt (that's virtually nothing).

Energy Saving Lightbulbs Save Money

Price: Varies on type of bulb but approx £6 for 2
Link: Good Deals on Amazon or check out sites like www.evengreener.com or www.naturalcollection.com

Saving energy is good for the environment as well as your bank balance and, with modern lighting technology, is as easy as plugging in a new light bulb! Energy saver bulbs typically use around 80% less electricity than normal incandescent bulbs. So when your next bulb fails and you start to run out of ordinary spare bulbs, then think about paying slightly more for the energy saving bulbs which will actually save you money in the long term!

Programmable Thermostat to Save Money

Price: Around £50
Link: Programmable Room Thermostat at Amazon or on ebay.co.uk

Saving: approx £75 a year, therefore the return on your investment is usually within 1 year.

Its surprising how many people actually have a thermostat and either don't use it or it does not work. Programmable thermostats automatically adjust your home's temperature settings, allowing you to save energy while you're away or sleeping. You can again save energy and save money on utility bills when used properly, about £75 a year.

Weather Strip your Doors and Windows

Price: £5 for 5 meters (approx)
Link: Find weather strip on ebay or check out sites like www.evengreener.com
Saving: Can reduce heating bills by up to 10% immediateley.

Ok it's not strictly a gadget but its, well, an item that will save you money. Just think, a 1/4 inch gap along the bottom of a 3 foot wide door is 9 square inches of open space. If you had a 3 inch x 3 inch hole in one of your exterior walls you'd fix it, wouldn't you?

Eco Kettle

Price: approx £30
Link: Get an Eco Kettle here

Your electric kettle gobbles energy, eating as much power as dozens of light bulbs. And since you probably boil more water than you need, you waste the extra hot water and the energy used to boil it every time you make a cuppa. The Eco Kettle helps by letting you decide exactly how much water you boil each time. Independent consumer trials showed it uses on average 30% less energy on than standard kettles.

LCD Monitor to Save Money

Price: approx £100 and falling all the time
Link: Great TFT deals here

What's in front of your eyes? Does your computer have a huge, old-fashioned CRT monitor rather than one of the latest slimline LCD units? If so, it's time to swap, since new LCD monitors can cut electricity use by up to 66% compared to those last century CRT monsters.

Efficient Shower Head Saves Money

Price: approx £7
Link: Search shower heads here
Saving: Save water for the environment while also saving costs of electricity to heat the water.

High efficiency shower head's save money by reducing the amount of water that needs to flow through your hot water heater reducing your energy cost of heating water and water consumption by a whopping 50 percent.

Motion Detector Outdoor Light

Price: All depends on what you want, but from as little as £30
Link: Search outdoor lights

Rather than flooding your front yard with lights after dusk, invest in a motion sensor light, your walkway will light up — but only when someone's headed toward your doorstep. Make sure you set the light up so it is not constantly going off due to the wind blowing a tree in its path for example. Also don't buy a spot light as these use a lot of electricity, a simple standard light will do.

Smart Power Strips

Price: Approx £25
Link: Intellipanel

If you use a desktop computer at home, it won't take long until this device is a money saver for you. Simply plug in your main unit into the control outlet and all of your other peripherals (monitor, printer, speakers, etc.) into the other outlets. Whenever you power on your computer, the other devices power on; whenever you power off your computer, the others power off. Even better, it actually functions as a switch, so when your main unit powers off, there is no phantom standby electricity being drawn to the other peripherals. Not only will you save money on the powered-down peripherals, but you'll save money from the lack of phantom charge. Furthermore This device should pay for itself in less than 2 months.

Solar Christmas Lights

Price: Approx From as little as £15
Link: Solar Festival String Lights or Solar Tree Lights

These should pay for themselves within 2-3 christmas's. Instead of buying strands of electric lights for outdoor Christmas decoration, get a set of solar LED Christmas lights. They charge up during the day, come on automatically in the evening, and stay on most of the night. You can just set them up and let them be with no maintenance cost or effort at all. The start-up cost is a bit high, but the cool factor of LED solar Christmas lights, plus the energy savings, quickly makes up for it.

Laptops Save Money

Price: Approx £400 depends what spec you want
Link: Cheap Dell Laptops

Now that laptops have reached a usability and reliability standard that approximates desktops, it becomes a serious choice whether or not to replace a desktop with a laptop. If you make the leap, you'll find that the energy savings are tremendous. It won't take long for this savings to make up for the differences in cost, plus you'll have all of the laptop portability advantages.

©2010 lets-makemoney.co.uk. All Rights Reserved.

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Make Money With A Website

Posted:Abigail Andrews – Sunday, August 26th, 2007

Website Ideas

There are many types of website you could choose to run. Open your mind, think about what you already know and are good at. Do you have a hobby, do you like writing stories - an aspiring novelist, do you have strong opinions on certain subjects, or do you think you could sell something easily. Bare in mind the best ideas are the ones that have not already been thought of, when you have an idea search google, you may think your idea is unique, but you may find to your surprise hundreds of sites already offering your idea.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Access to Information

One thing that can be sold on the web is access to information! People crave information to educate or enlighten them. By putting your own specialized information into e-books, manuals, reports, e-zines or newsletters, you can start putting a hefty price on the knowledge that you have no doubt been giving away!

Nearly everyone has some specialized knowledge that can be turned into an e-book and marketed on a web site for fun and profit. In fact it is a good bet that YOU have valuable knowledge that you can share with others. If you don't yet, then become an expert in a particular niche and charge for your advice. The great news is that this is the internet, and becoming an expert in a niche often requires nothing more than spending lots of time online, reading and absorbing. No school to attend, no fees to pay.

There are many advantages to selling e-books over regular printed books:

• Easier to distribute - Your e-book can be easily written for any audience and marketed to people all over the world interested in your knowledge for far less costs than a traditional printed book
• Advertising costs are generally less expensive on the Internet than they are in newspapers, magazines or other traditional media.
• It is very easy to add illustrations and even sound and video files to your e-book

I started building this with this site as a bit of fun, a hobby. In writing this site I not only educate my readers, but I also learn so much in researching money and about building websites. It's a good hobby that can make you money, so have a go.

Sell Products and/or Services

E-commerce is what everybody's talking about these days. Basically it refers to setting up an electronic storefront. You can use forms or shopping carts to take your orders. It is best to accept credit cards or electronic checks for payment, but you can have the customer mail or fax an order in too.

There is loads of FREE software out there to help you get started. Most website hosting companies have easy install tools that help you set up your shopping cart very easily, literally buy your domain name, get a hosting company, install shopping cart with very easy installers, tweak to your needs and your away. For example, my host (who I really recommend - without any affiliation to them) Awardspace offer a few shopping carts such as zencart. These are both really good and both completely free.

As you can see something which you probably thought was really difficult is really, really easy. So get cracking. Follow my easy steps to setting up a website in the How to Build Your Website section.

Start a Directory

Webmasters pay to be listed in your directory. The better your directory the more you can demand. Niche, hand compiled directories are a million times better than the directories which use spiders to search the net, and both companies and users know that. Sites such as google are great but they bring back so many invalid results on searches. If you can specialise a directory, i.e. a directory of the best money making sites, giving it the personal touch, you could make £100's a day.

Silly Sites

The milliondollarhomepage guy got famous for selling worthless pixels on his page. But, because he was in the news/having his 15 minutes of fame people focused on that and paid money for what they would normally have realised was fairly worthless links. He was laughing all the way to the bank, probably due to the stupidity of the people who wanted to advertise with him :)

Award Sites

Create an award and some fancy logos to go with it. The more credible they look the better. Award them to websites you like ... provided they pay you an "admin" fee every year to continue using the logo.

Giving awards used to be a useful way to get back links which increase your search engine ranking. Furthermore, when people's egos are sufficiently stroked they'll pay to continue boasting about how good the "rest of the world" thinks they are.

Online Role Playing Sites

MMORPG, or multimedia online role playing games are virtual worlds where otherwise sane humans lose all perspective and all sense of reality. Or they pretend they do. They spend money on invisibility cloaks, virtual machine guns, characters and even virtual money! Create your own world, there's a thriving economy worth millions of pounds every year. Examples of such sites are Second Life or Virtual Ibiza, both great sites.

Concierge Service Sites

If you know the exact type of shoes you want but can't find them, would you pay someone to find it for you? You'd be surprised how many busy people would. Whether it's a list for the supermarket delivery or a bathroom tap unavailable locally - for some people the hour or two hunting is not worth the 10 quid you'd charge. Maintain preferences for your signed up customers - so they can tell you to order "milk" without having to specify semi-skimmed, 2 litre, cardboard packing, etc. Furthermore develop close relationships with the businesses you use regularly and you could offer eh discount to your subscribers or take it for yourself :)

Blog

Have expertise in a particular subject? Well then, write regularly on that subject and give away your knowledge for free. People will bookmark your blog and visit regularly. The money is in allowing companies to advertise their products and services to your very eager audience.

However, if you don't have expertise in a particular subject don't let that stop you. That doesn't stop most bloggers. Some of them blog on the most mundane things - from what they had for breakfast, to how they spent their day. And still the advertisers come. So, don't have to blog to demonstrate your expertise. Blog to demonstrate your camera obsession and show all the stupid pictures you take everyday. I have some tips on how to set up a website or a blog here.

There are loads of free blogging sites and free blogging software for you to use. Most website hosting companies have easy install tools that help you set up your blog very easily, literally buy your domain name, get a hosting company, install the blog with very easy installers, and away you go. Once more I refer you to my host (who I really recommend - without any affiliation to them)Awardspace who offer free blogging software already installed such as Wordpress or b2evolution. These are both really good and both completely free.

Write for Money

Do people tell you your funny? Do you think you are good at story telling? Can you easily write speeches? How about building to get people to pay for you to solve their wedding speech dilemma? Easy money if you have a talent.

If you have a funny story to share, consider building a website around the story. Here is a very funny example of someone who decided to share his horrible experience on the internet, with a few ads this kind of site could make loads of money. So get your thinking cap on. Story of Tape Worm.

©2010 lets-makemoney.co.uk. All Rights Reserved.

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Free Online Paid Surveys

Posted:Abigail Andrews – Tuesday, June 26th, 2007

There are loads of opportunities to make money out there on the internet and it doesn't cost you a thing to sign up and start to make money by giving your opinion. One of the easiest ways to make money online is through free paid survey sites.

Companies want your feedback, and these days, rather than sending somebody out into the street to stop you and ask your opinion, it is cheaper and quicker for them to pay people online to fill out surveys. The company gets instant feedback in a format it can quickly analyse. By getting instant feedback from several thousand people, they save thousands of pounds by not employing street canvassers, and you get the opportunity to make easy money at home online.

You won't become a millionaire by any stretch of the imagination, but if you sign up to enough sites and you fit the right demographic profile, you could easily earn over £1000 a year, in cash, prizes and reward points. Think of it this way, for a couple of hours a week you could make enough money to pay your gas and phone bill every month, or be able to take your family out for a nice meal more often.

It takes time and effort at first to get yourself going. I spent a whole week browsing the internet, reviewing sites, and signing up, however, after that you need to just sit and wait for the surveys to roll into your inbox and start making some money while sitting and watching some tele...easy money eh? :). Of course, there are ways to make the task easier and in this article I will provide some tips, links to the better sites, and tools which will help on your quest to make money online.

One important point is be wary of the paying membership sites. In your search you will find loads of sites that request payment from £10 - £50, it's your choice if you pay for the information, but please review what they offer and weigh-up the cost. Some will sign you up automatically for hundreds of sites, keeping you updated of new sites as well as providing free software to make surveys easier. Others charge ridiculous amounts for what is otherwise free information that can be found, with a little effort, by searching the internet. Be wary!

Anyway, there is a bit of background, but I can here you shouting, 'just tell me what to do!', well, now that you have found this site, I have saved you some of the time and effort I had to make. Though not exhaustive and definitely a work in progress, I have started reviewing some of the paid survey sites I have signed up for on the following pages - all free and no joining fees! Read my rating and join up for those you feel suit your needs. To be honest I think it's even best to join the surveys sites with lower ratings as the more you sign up for the more chance you have got of making money. Please keep coming back as I will continue to update it and add more as I get chance and have reviewed the sites for long enough to have an objective opinion and there are still many more that I am currently reviewing.

Site	Details	Reward
	Paid surveys between 50p and £3. At £5 or more, your rewarded with a voucher for a well-known high street or Internet shop. Surveys are fairly frequent, and I was invited to test a hair product which paid £10, plus I got some free conditioner. Surveys very frequent!	High street Vouchers Sign up now 10/10
	One of the UK's leading paid survey companies. Results often featured in national newspapers and on the television. £1 to sign up, then 50p to £1 per survey. Nice site, frequent surveys. Min £50 balance before cheque issued.	Cash Sign up now 9/10
	Test&Vote, now also known as La Luna, is an interactive, modern site. Test products and earn vouchers for surveys. Surveys are fairly regular. Payment is in points which are traded for vouchers for stores like HMV, Halfords and CDwow!	Vouchers Sign up now 8/10
	Well established and one of the originals. You can earn money by completing surveys but by also writing reviews on anything from appliances to hotels! Rewards are good and surveys are frequent. Payments range from £1 to £3.	Cash Sign up now 8/10
	Dialego is an established German market research institute. Complete surveys and earn points making money. You can help sponsor children from developing countries, redeem them for online shopping at Chateau Online or Amazon or with £40 in Points you can redeem for Money. Surveys not very frequent but pay nice amounts.	Cash/ Vouchers Sign up now 5/10
	A leading market research panel. Every survey earns you points. 100 points = £1 and with up to 500 points attached to each survey, the money soon adds up and can be taken in the form of cash! Nice!	Cash Sign up now 9/10
	Basic site with reward in form of amazon voucher. No cash option. Worth signing up to but don't expect too much from it. I still have my eye on it and will come back with a more informed opinion in the next couple of months.	Amazon Vouchers Sign up now 5/10
	TNS operates in over 70 countries worldwide. Obviously good for those of you who shop at Sainsbury's as all your points can be immediately transferred to your Nectar card, if you don't have a Nectar card then you may not want to bother with this one or you may want to go get a card first at as it is the only reward available. However, if you do collect nectar points it is well worth signing up. In one month I collected approx £8 in nectar points, does not sound much but probably only took about 30 mins of my time in total,it was easy money!	Nectar Points ONLY Sign up now 9/10
	Another established market research business with a great reputation. They have been quiet in recent years due to the sale of myvoice, however, they promise now to be back and the surveys should come flooding in. Once you have gained 2000 points you can convert your points into £20 vouchers from leading high street retailers. I will not rate them highly for now because of this, but if the surveys do appear I will reassess my opinion.	Highstreet Vouchers Sign up now 4/10
	When you have accumulated a total of 150 bonus points, you will receive a pay-out of £15. I have given this a rating of 7 so far as it offers a cash reward, which I believe is what most people are after. They also automatically transfer funds for you when you reach your total, which is very handy as you don't need to keep an eye on your account balance. However, I have not received many surveys as yet. This is another of those sites where you cannot just join, you need to receive a personal invite, I am still searching for one for you so please keep checking back.	Cash Sign up by invitation only - come back later 7/10
	A modern trendy site, with CASH incentives for completing surveys. Must accumulate £25 first, but money is transferred straight to your bank account. Good site, but again still need to see how many surveys I get approved for so will update in a couple of months. For now, I like the site design and it looks promising.	Cash Sign up now 9/10
	Receive Lightspeed Points for completing most surveys. Then, redeem your points for Paypal cash, high street vouchers or Gifts. Surveys are regular and points are generously awarded.	Cash / Vouchers/ Gifts Sign up now 10/10
	By one of the leading names in UK market research namely ICM Research. Typically paying £1 for every 5 minutes you spend completing surveys, provided the survey is completed in full and within an acceptable amount of time (based on average length) so be careful, no cheating and wizing through questions to complete quickly! Minimum withdrawl is £50, and payments will be made by cheque.	Cash Sign up now 6/10
	Synovate is one of the largest marketing research firms in the world. Accumulate points which are equivalent to cash. Surveys are regular. Withdrawals can begin at £5. You can transfer points to other members of your household which is also a good feature.	Cash Sign up now 10/10
	Ipsos Access Panels is a European company and is part of the Ipsos Group, one of the leading market research organisations. I seem to get regular surveys from this company and the points are really mounting up. One problem however, is finding the link to sign up. Ipsos was on my list of sites to join but I could find no way of signing up for their panel. In the end, I sent them an email asking if I could join the response was "no"! Panel membership is by invite only. BUT no worries i have done some digging........the links to sign up to the right may or may not take you to the membership page. If it doesn't go to "A Penny Earned" site recommended in the free directories section below and you can find a link there.	Vouchers-Argos. Boots, WHSmith Sign up now 9/10
	ZoomPanel members can participate in surveys, in home tests, focus groups and other market research projects. A one stop site for a variety on money making schemes. I only gave this a lower rating due to the reward of "gifts". I am not keen on this type of reward as the gifts look a bit naff and probably are not really worth the amount the per point they claim they are, however, if you are a traveller you could probably mount up some nice points for hotels like the marriot which may come in handy!	Gifts e.g. memory sticks, cameras, etc. Sign up now 7/10
	If you want to raise money for charities there is no better way than joining opinion world. Perhaps it should be done as a gesture of good will? But it is not a money making survey site. You will get the chance to enter draws for prizes but there is no other reward I am afraid. Funnily enough though surveys from this site are more regular than any other.!!!	Sign up now 5/10
	Voice in a crowd is a new survey site that offers registered users the chance to win prizes from £20 to many thousands of pounds in value. You have to login to the site to complete surveys for which you recieve entries to a monthly draw for prizes. I am not that impressed with this site at the moment, I always forget to login and there are no email reminders. Its worth signing up to be a member, but is in my list of poor survey sites unfortunately.	Prize Draw Entries Sign up now 4/10
	Canvasse Opinion offers 2 main incentives such as a Quarterly Prize Draw and Individual survey incentives. It also brings you the results of the Top Gear Motoring Satisfaction Survey to help you make informed decisions about your car purchases. A strange incenive, I know, but it must appeal to some people! :)	Prize Draws & Gifts Sign up now 5/10
	Join GlobalTestMarket now to start earning money for your opinions! Registration is easy and you will start receiving online paid surveys shortly. Share your thoughts on the latest movies, products and events, and you will be rewarded with cash.	Cash Sign up now 6/10
	Become a member of the Harris Poll Online and you will have the opportunity to influence important decision makers in government, corporations, and non-profit organizations. You can help shape the policies, products, and services they offer you! Redeem points for rewards that include a variety of merchandise and gift certificates. You can also participate in our sweepstakes for cash prizes!	Points for Gifts Sign up now 6/10
	KNOTs was established in 1996 so its a well established panel. You will be invited for surveys by e-mail where you will be told you will be exactly how many points you will be rewarded. You can redeem your points for vouchers from a wide range of leading shops. You will automatically receive an invitation to this campaign once you’ve reached 1600 points for a £10 voucher.	Vouchers Sign up now 5/10
	Rest assured your personal information is safe, and participation in surveys is anonymous. When a survey which matches your profile you'll receive an invitation by email. The invitation tells you what the survey is about and the rewards you will earn once you complete the survey. For those of you with morals you can dontate your earnings to a number of charities, of course if you already donate elsewhere then you can choose to be paind in cash and add your earnings to your pot!	Cash & Charities Sign up now 7/10
	Panelbase.net is one of the fastest growing research communities on the internet. For every survey that you complete, you will be rewarded in one of two ways. Some questionnaires will carry rewards between £0.50 and £3, which will be added directly to your account. In addition to receiving cash, other surveys may include entry in to one of the many prize draws where you could win anything from a case of wine, to an iPod or huge plasma TV! As soon as you reach the redemption threshold of £10 you can withdraw your money or convert it to high-street vouchers.	Cash, Prize Draws & Charities Sign up now 8/10
	You will receive £5 just for signing up and as a member of Response Panel, you will earn points for every survey you take part in. Each point has a value equal to £0.05 and points are awarded based on the length of time the survey takes to complete: 1 point = 1 minute = 5p. You will receive anything from 5 points (£0.25) to 60 points (£3.00) according to length of the survey. We also give a token 1 point as a good will gesture if you are screened out of the survey mid way.	Cash by PayPal or cheque Sign up now 6/10
	Planet Pulse values your opinion and rewards you for your time. 'Pulses' is the e-currency of Planet Pulse. You will be rewarded with Pulses for every completed survey. 100 Pulses = USD1.00. Convert them to cash, donate them to charities or redeem them for great gifts!	Cash, Charities, Gifts Sign up now 5/10
	Through thats-what-i-think.co.uk, you can express your opinions about what you see on TV and Movie screens and hear on the radio. You will have a chance to see and hear new releases before they're made public and help decide if they are up to your standards. Your opinions are passed directly to the decision-makers in the entertainment industry! Earn opinion points which are redeemable for great prizes, including gift certificates from Amazon.co.uk. You can even use your points to make donations to your favorite charity!	Cash, Charities, Gifts Sign up now 6/10
	For every survey you participate in, they credit virtual money, in so called trendchips, to your account with which you can shop at one of the cooperation partners such as amazon.co.uk. Not received many surveys at all but is worth signing up just incase as I have been a member of sites like this before and received little for motnhs then all of a sudden been inundated with surveys.	Cash, Vouchers, Charities Sign up now 4/10

Free Survey Directories

These sites will find survey sites for you saving you the hassle of searching the internet by sending you emails to let you know to sign up to any new sites. However they are not exhaustive and if you want to make decent money i also recommend doing your own searches occasionally:

Paid Survey Directories

These sites will find survey sites for you saving you the hassle of searching the internet by sending you emails to let you know about any new or existing survey sites. However they are NOT FREE so if you want to spend some cash to save some time, here are some sites you could start with. Please research and read about these yourself to check out what exactly you get for the cost, i cannot guarantee all the information below is completely up-top-date but it will give you some idea:

Free Tools

Join Pay Pal

Most surveys,auctions and many f the methods of making money online require that you sign up to pay pal. You can do so by clicking this link.

Download Robo Form

This is pretty much a free tool though it does have limited functionality for passwords and logins, it will allow you to fill out web forms much more quickly. Roboform is the top-rated Password Manager and Web Form Filler that completely automates password entering and form filling.

©2010 lets-makemoney.co.uk. All Rights Reserved.

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Running Costs and Legal Requirements of Buy to Let

Posted:Abigail Andrews – Saturday, May 26th, 2007

Although becoming an investor landlord will not break the bank, there are quite a lot of costs involved that puts it well beyond the reach of most people. Here are some of the costs you should be aware of:

Acquisition Costs for Buy To Let

There are considerable costs involved in purchasing a property, these are:

• Deposit - 15 - 20 % of the purchase cost of the property.
• Application / Mortgage Arrangement fee.
• Conveyancing fees.
• Surveyors.
• Stamp duty.

Most of these vary and increase with the purchase price of the property. Be aware of them when setting your budget.

Occupied Running Costs of Buy to Let

The title speaks for itself really, these are the costs you will have to pay with tenants living in the property and which must be factored in when you calculate how much you are truly making from you Buy to Let. Remember to over estimate these costs, you are fooling nobody but yourself by underestimating.

• Mortgage payments.
• Accountant's fees - you may need one as your portfolio grows, though not with your first few properties.
• Legal Charges - if you do not use a letting agent and you employ a solicitor to deal with the Tenancy Agreement.
  If you manage the property yourself and you do not employ a solicitor, you should factor in the cost of purchased legal forms, like the Tenancy Agreement and books such as Landlord Letters. Allow for approximately £50 a year for such things, though free documents and advice can be found on the internet these days on sites such as www.landlordzone.co.uk There are other legal costs depending on your circumstances. be aware of them all.
• Tenant referencing, approx £35 per tenant if you use sites like www.tenantverify.co.uk.
• Minor repairs, allow 10% of rent over 12 months as a mean average.
• Water charges, normally paid by the tenant but some water companies impose the charge on the landlord; check with the water company for your area.
• Replacements and renewals for carpets, furnishings, fittings and equipment (allow 10% of rent over 12 months).
• Building insurance, some policies do not offer cover to let property and block policies offered through service charge payments rarely provide adequate protection to landlords. Be careful.
• Landlord's contents insurance, if your property is furnished (some policies do not offer cover to let properties or between tenancies, or for those considered to be a high-risk, for example student lets).
• Any management or service charge payable. The owner / long-lessee is most often liable. Usually only applicable to apartments.
• Gas-safety inspections which are legally required and must be conducted by a CORGI (Council of Registered Gas Installers) engineer. Factor in about £60 a year.
• Letting agent fees, 10-15% of monthly rent depending on the services you require.
• If you are letting the property furnished you will have to purchase all relevant furniture and white goods and kitchen utensils and also replace these if they break.
• Electrical safety inspections. A five-year check of wiring and system installations is considered good practice but not currently a legal requirement.
• Other expenses / Administration Costs - such as the use of a car to get to and from the property, telephone, postage, stationery, photographs for inventories, copying keys and photocopying manuals and documents.

Unoccupied Running Costs of Buy to Let

These are running costs you will need to pay when the dwelling is empty, of course some of these costs can be limited if you do the work yourself. These are likely to include:

• Gas and electricity charges for heating and lighting (heating will be needed in cold weather and lighting will be required for viewings and/or whilst undertaking maintenance).
• Council tax, at a reduced rate for empty properties. Allow two monthly payments per year.
• Interior decorating and exterior painting, a considerable expense if a contractor is hired.
• Cleaning (labour and materials); allow for pre-tenancy and post-tenancy cleaning. Allow for professional carpet cleaning every two years.
• Gardening, when the property is empty. Add an element for the upkeep of any garage, outbuilding, fencing or walls.
• Tenant advertising, or tenant-find agency charges. Factor in at least £300 per term, as it is the same wether the tenant stays 6 months or 1 year.
• TV licence, if a television set is provided.

What are the Landlord's Legal Obligations?

It is important that landlords fully understand their obligations. The Disability Discrimination Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Race Relations Act also apply to anyone letting, selling or managing premises. If you are in doubt about anything seek legal advice. These are just some of the main obligations, you can find many sites on the internet which will give you a full break down. This is a summary and in no way complete.

• repairs to the structure and exterior of the property, heating and hot water installations, basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary installations
• the safety of gas and electrical appliances
• the fire safety of furniture and furnishings provided under the tenancy
• ensuring that the property is fit for habitation
• repairing and keeping in working order the room and water heating equipment
• the common areas in multi-occupancy dwellings
• Not disturbing their tenants
• Following the correct procedure if they want the tenant to leave
• Following the rules on rent
• Giving the tenant certain information

Here is a very useful guide from www.communities.gov.uk if you are contemplating letting out your property:
Assured and Assured Shorthold Tenancies: A guide for landlords. You may also find Housing Health and Safety Rating System - Guidance for Landlords and Property Related Professional useful.

©2010 lets-makemoney.co.uk. All Rights Reserved.

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How Can I Save Money?

I don't spend much!?!

Posted:Abigail Andrews – Saturday, May 26th, 2007

You really have to work hard at this. All of us like spending money, spending less is hard because buying stuff is fun. Most of us don't really know how much we actually spend a day. We may approximate, but usually, if we start writing it all down, we are surprised at how much money we waste on "rubbish" we don't really need.

Most of us don't really know how much we actually spend a day.

One insurance company has estimated that on average each of us spends approximately £2000 a year on stuff we never use. So next time you want that new car and think you can't afford it, start thinking of how much you spend on things you don't really need. I don't just mean those cans of pop you buy at work everyday, I also mean when you leave that light on in the kitchen when you are watching the television in the front room, I mean driving round on flat tyre's, I also mean that magazine you buy and only half read, or that top you buy that you wear once.

Saving money is one of the first and most important steps to taking control of your finances. Financial health begins with earning money, but for good healthy finances we also need to know how to manage the money we earn. Ultimately, you need to educate yourself to be financially healthy. It's scary how many people have no idea how to manage their money, particularly how to save money and why they should. It's even more scary how many people do not know what the reality of their financial situation is. They don't know what they earn and what it costs them to live. They have no idea what their total outgoing's are, and what's more too many people do not have any savings.

The following pages concentrate on saving money to be financially healthy. There are changes you can make to save money, right now, big and small. Make some small changes today and by the end of the month you may be quids in!

Steps to Saving More Money

Analyse your Current Financial Situation

Get your last 6 months bank statements and wage slips and analyse them to death.

• Work out what you are actually spending your money on
• Work out your total incoming's
• Work out you total outgoing's
• Work out where you are wasting money and set your self budgets, daily, weekly and monthly
• Work out budgets for food, luxuries and essentials

In future set yourself time every day, week or month to go through your finances. Stop turning a blind eye and ignoring it, its an important task.

If you can't be bothered at least thinking about where you waste money and where you could save money, then you may as well stop reading now.

Record your Finances

There were days where I went to the cash point and withdrew £20. By the end of the day it had all gone. For the life of me I could not remember what I had spent the money on. I could have sworn I had a hole in my purse. Even if you don't think you spend much money, it is worth jotting down what you are actually spending your money on. When you add up that 60p can of coke you buy at work 5 days a week, it's approximately £152 a year. If you had to buy your cola allowance on a yearly basis, would you really want to hand over £152 to "cola company" in one go? I bet not!

So keep a diary of your spending. Every time you spend money, write it down. Just doing that will mean you spend less and save money. At the end of the week or month - analyse it. You will be staggered by how much you money you waste.

Spend Less than you Earn

For some people, self-control is a real issue and if the money isn't 'accounted for' immediately, they tend to spend it on impulse and luxury items that are non-essential.

If you find yourself in this category, or have trouble saving money, you could think about creating a savings account that is automatically funded each month. To do this, you may need to create a monthly budget to determine a monthly savings goal. If you do create a budget, make sure that it is realistic, matches your lifestyle and that it leaves plenty of room for hidden expenses that seem to pop up regularly. If you create an unrealistic budget you'll be likely to save less than what your budget calls for, become frustrated and resort to your old ways.

Cut Back on Little Things to Save Money

Calculate how much you spend on things you don't need a everyday at work. A can of pop, a bag of crisps, a sandwich and a newspaper and a coffee - approximate total £5. STOP! If you made your own sandwich and took dilute juice to work, drunk the free coffee, and did without the bag of crisps, you could save at least £3.50 a day. The equivalent of approximately £900 a year. That would probably pay for your car expenses like insurance, tax and MOT for a whole year!

Stop Spending Tomorrows Money

Credit cards and loans kill your financial freedom and ultimately cost you more, as most people do not pay their credit card off in full every month. Even those with the best intentions usually end up paying interest at least 6 months of the year. So cut up those cards and pay them off as soon as you can. If you have not got the cash to buy, don't, you can't afford it!

Stop, Think and Don't Impulse Buy

Only carry money you need and make a pledge to yourself to only buy after at least 30 minutes thought. Next time you see a top you "must have" or a CD that screams "buy me", or even something as simple as a can of coke, STOP! Use those extra minutes to think, 'do I really need it? will I ever use it? will I use it more than once?'. If the answer is 'no', put it back. There is no harm treating yourself occasionally but make sure you get the best value from your treats!

A final thought - The key to successful money saving is spending less than you earn! Ultimately - STOP SPENDING!

©2010 lets-makemoney.co.uk. All Rights Reserved.

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