Participating in Clinical Trials - Extra Cash

A great way to make extra cash is by participating in clinical research trials. You can earn anywhere between $600 to $3000 (or more) depending on the study. Pharmaceutical companies are always looking to test new drugs or new variations, to see their effect on humans. At a research study, you are provided shelter, meals and a small dose of whatever medication is being studied, to assess the medication's absorption in the blood. You stay in a controlled environment, for a period of time (usually one night or two) and are monitored. The facilities are clean, the employees are nice and it's a great way to get a check-up. You have to undergo medical screening, prior to being accepted into a study.

jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you are looking for a tax-free way to supplement your income, this just might be for you.(If you are afraid of needles or get queasy at the sight of blood, then this is definitely not for you.)

Check your local newspapers for company advertisments or online under the search paid clinical studies or research studies.

Below is a site I came across with a listing of companies. Good Luck.

Clinical Research

Pizza dinner on a budget

image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

With so many of us, trying to fit so much in a day, it can be difficult to get a hot, delicious and nutritious dinner on the table some nights. My children recently began taking swimming lessons, and wouldn't you know, swimming is around dinnertime. I can feed them earlier, which would probably leave them hungry later on in the evening (which means a late night snack) or we can have dinner right after swimming. I have chosen the latter.

Our favourite place to eat (on a budget) is Pizza Nova. They have a wonderful promotion, walk-in, 1 topping pizza - $7.99 for medium and $9.99 for large. We order 2 large pizzas and half & half the toppings (that way, everyone gets a topping they like - my son likes sausages and my daughter likes cheese.) With 4 drinks and 3 dipping sauces, our dinner came to $28.82. We ate there, so there was no dishes to do after and we took the leftovers home, for lunch tomorrow. Yum!

Check your local Pizza Nova for their walk-in specials, and you too could be having family pizza night soon.

Mountain Blue Eyes has nursing moms covered

Quality tops make breastfeeding easy for the active mother

Breastfeeding should be a comfortable experience for both mom and baby, and conducive to any lifestyle. This is the vision behind Mountain Blue Eyes, an Alberta-based company that specializes in nursing apparel for the active mom.

Specially cut to fit post-pregnancy curves while keeping optimal modesty in mind, the collection of tanks, tees and fleece sweaters use light-weight, breathable fabrics, that dry quickly and wick moisture away from the body. The material is also antibacterial and resistant to piling, a common problem with fabric used in athletic clothing. All of the tops feature discreet openings that provide easy access while keeping other areas including the stomach and back, covered.

With a keen understnading that hungry babies won't patiently wait to eat while mom tries to find a secluded feeding spot halfway up the side of a mountain, owner Catherine Decelles saw an opportunity to provide nursing mothers with quality, functional clothing that could keep pace with a dynamic lifestyle. Inspiration struck on a ski trip, when Catherine attempted the awkward transition from outdoor activity to feeding.

"I was quite frustrated with my nursing wear that was quite frily, but didn't easily allow me to snowshoe or cross-country ski with my kids, and then come indoors and comfortably breastfeed. I started to do a bit of research to see what types of fabrics were availabe and found there wasn't any nursing clothing in a wicking fabric or a comfortable fleece, which is basically what I live in myself," says Catherine. "As an active new mother, I wanted clothing that would facilitate both outdoor activities and breastfeeding. I started Mountain Blue Eyes to meet this need. We have designed technical quality clothing that makes breastfeeding easy, whether snowshoeing in the Canadian Rockies or urban hiking with your baby. I hope you will enjoy wearing these clothes as much as I do!"

Active wear by Mountain Blue Eyes is available at several Canadian Retail Locations. For more information about where to purchase or wholesale opportunities, visit http://www.mountainblueeyes.com/ .

Eco Tax to be paid by taxpayers!!

So, it has been announced that the very poorly managed and blundered "eco tax", which caused many consumer confusion is gone. However, the government has decided that they will keep the project going, to the tune of $5 million dollars.

Now, instead of the tax being paid by consumers, it is being paid by taxpayers...but wait a minute...aren't they one and the same?

What the @#$@!! is MHSM?

 If you've bought paint or varsol or any other type of "hazourdous waste" at Wal-Mart or other retailers, you would have probably noticed a charge for MHSM. The first time I saw this charge, I asked the cashier what it was and she mumbled something about me buying Varsol. Anyway, I knew this was my cue to do further research. Basically, what MHSM does is, it ensures  "unwanted “household hazardous” or “special” wastes are either reused, recycled or disposed of responsibly." Stewardship Ontario

 I don't mind paying these fees, first the plastic bags, now this MHSM. (The environment is just as important to me as it is to the next person.) What I do have a problem with is the way some of these fees are implemented and subsequently collected. There is little information about them and when you inquire, you are not given a clear answer, and are left to do your own research. That's not fair, it's not right and as consumers, we deserve better, considering that all these fees and taxes end up falling squarely on our laps or in our wallets. We are the ones that fund these "initiatives". Would you ever pay a bill which you didn't know what it was for? Then next time, you see an unwanted fee on your receipt, question it!

I think many retailers are pocketing a good portion of the monies collected and once again, consumers are funding BS causes.

Click here to find out more about MHSM.


Unhappy Shopping!!

A Ladybug in my Mexican food

Tonight I had dinner at what was my favourite restaurant. Although I looked forward to the meal, I wasn't as excited as usual and the proceeding events would confirm my feelings.

We received our appetizers after our meals, my rice was undercooked and my Piña Colada was gritty and watered down. I was willing to deal with all these disappointments, as the meal itself was not bad, until I saw it....a ladybug, right in my meal. I lost my appetite right there! I called the waitress over and showed her my uninvited meal. Of course she was very apologetic, asked me if I wanted anything else (to which I replied, "no, nothing, I would NOT like anything else") and took my plate back to the kitchen. She came back, still apologizing and said that my meal would be taken off my bill and I would not be charged. When she walked away, I told my husband that they should be crediting us our drinks and be taking at least 50% off our meal if not free.

When she came back to the table I told her what an awful dining experience I had endured and that after a more than 10 year love affair with this establishment, I was not returning there again. I also explained to her that if the manager or owner did not have the good grace to come and apologize in person (after a patron found an insect in their meal, of all things) they should at least be crediting us some or all of our meal, and not just the bug infested meal-I found a bug, did they think I was going to pay anything for it?

To make a long story short, our bill was credited 50% and I divorced my favourite Mexican restaurant.

Well, good riddance to bad bugs is what I say.

P.S. If you encounter a similiar problem, don't be afraid tell the establishment what you think and demand what you want. I think my ex-restaurant will be paid a visit from Public Health.



Happy Shopping!!

Free McDonald's Coffee

From March 1 - 14, McDonald's is offering their small, premium roast coffee for free, all day.

Coffee wars are on...McDonald's vs. Tim Hortons (Roll Up the Rim). Let the games begin.

Happy Shopping!!!