my books. my life.

I’ve never really tried to monetize this blog. I don’t have ads. I have an amazon associate account but I am terrible at actually using it. I pay to host this blog out of my hard-earned money because I like it.

But today I have referral links for you. I want to be up front that they are referral links, but I am not sharing them simply because they are referral links. I am sharing them because they are products/services that I actually love. The referral bonus is just that, a bonus. And remember, I am going to have another mouth to feed. JK. Sort of.

First up: Gazelle.

Gazelle is where I trade in all of my old electronics. They usually pay me enough for my old iPhone to cover the subsidized cost of a new one. Why leave your old devices sitting around when you could trade them in for actual cash?

How does it work?

You tell Gazelle what electronic you want to send them. They give you an offer. If your product lives up to your description of it, they send you money via check, paypal, or Amazon gift cards. It’s worked out for me every single time (several iPhones, an iPad, and counting).’

Interested? Check it out here. Using this link will get you an extra $10 on your first item.

Next up: Stitch Fix.

I won’t be using Stitch Fix for awhile, both because my belly is expanding at a seemingly exponential rate but also because it just isn’t in my budget. But if it is in YOUR budget, it is a fantastic and fun way to get new clothes. I’ve never had a box where I didn’t like at least one thing and I have kept my whole box on at least one occasion. If they get your style wrong the first time, you can teach them for the next box. Easy peasy. And keeping a pinterest page on outfits you like is super helpful for them.

How does it work?

You pay $20 and schedule a box to be delivered to your house. There is no monthly commitment – do it as often or seldom as you like. The box arrives with 5 pieces of clothing or accessories in it. You keep what you want and send back what you don’t. If you keep the whole box, you get a pretty sizable discount. The $20 you originally paid can be used toward items in the box, so as long as you keep one thing, you’re good.

Interested? Check it out here.

Finally: Southwest Chase Credit Card.

I may be a Dave Ramsey follower now, but I haven’t closed this credit card yet (but it is paid off). I was able to get Evan a companion pass for nearly 2 years (meaning he flies for free with me) and I was able to get all three of us to DC and Michigan, Evan and I to Minneapolis and Santa Fe, and myself to St. Louis all on points in 2014. And I think I have enough to cover myself for a trip home in March so we only have to pay for one plane ticket for all three of us to go home. Out of all the credit cards I have ever had, this is the best reward value I have experienced. If you fly and can fly Southwest, this card is amazing.

How does it work?

You sign up. You get 50,000 points just for signing up. You use your credit card. You get more points. You use it at Southwest or one of their partners and you get double points.

Tip 1: They also have a business card, so if you qualify for that, you can get both and combine your signup bonuses for 100,000 points. Then, you only have to earn 10k more to get the companion pass. This is what I did.

Tip 2: Southwest will tell you 50,000 points will get you two roundtrip flights, but used wisely, it will actually get you more. I could get home and back 4 times on 50,000 points if I scheduled it right.

Interested? Check it out here.

So, there you have it. Referral links for three of my favorite products/services. Let me know if you try any of them out.