MENTAL FUSS

Working Online=Less Stress, More Advantages

Mental Fuss

The World Wide Web has provided too many benefits for every individual these days since it is flooded with countless opportunities. Anyone who have access to the internet can do such a great number of things to accomplish, anywhere he/she may be. One can contact a friend who’s at the other side of the earth, pay your bills, and even earn extra income from it.

It is a fact that more and more people today tend to leave their traditional offices and switch on having businesses and jobs online. Why not? With all the tempting advantages it offers, it is not a wonder why they decided to venture into it.

The thought of embarking into online businesses and careers may make you think twice, but these days it’s so much easier to gain money and become an entrepreneur. The world is becoming technophilic lately, might as well join the clan and benefit from it.

Reasons to try having a career online

Having full control of time is one of the luxuries a lot of working people can’t afford. People tend to plan their days around the hours of their work and try to enjoy what’s left of it afterwards. If you work online, managing time is less miserable since most companies allow a flex-time work as long as you report the exact time allotted for you to work.

Another good thing online jobs offer is that you can have a wide-range of selection regarding the job you want. It provides too many choices of work such as in the areas of web design, ghost writing, marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), email work, social network. All of this has only one general requirement, which is being handy with your computer and the internet.

To work from home is also more convenient rather than working in an office building on a fixed schedule. Think of the hassle of reporting for a certain company and working daily on a 8/9-5 schedule, aside from the fact that it is tedious it can also create stressful situations.

Lastly, you can have plenty of time for your family. The schedule of working online is not that demanding, as compared to working in an office. You can make a good sum of money in these kinds of jobs which doesn’t to snatch your precious hours away from your loved ones.

Suggested Online Jobs

Already convinced of the possibilities presented by having a career online? Here are some of the popular companies who are accepting online workers.

Work online with Nuffnang

Nuffnang is the first advertising company in Asia Pacific to start its affiliate way of letting bloggers in the pacific to advertise ads in their blogs and website to earn money. Nuffnang is a very friendly, rewarding and enthusiastic company to be affiliated with. And you can have your blog site or websites to run in your dialect. Yes, they allow Nuffnangers (bloggers) to use languages other than English. It’s so exciting to be working with Nuffnang because there are lots of rewards and exciting freebies every day. Writing online has never been that exciting.

How to work with Nuffnang and earn money online?

You can earn by having a blog site and displaying Nuffnang ads. That is after you have been approved by them. If you really love writing and blogging, this would be cool for you. Getting approved takes only few minutes unless of course you already have an existing blog site or website. Please bear in mind, your articles and blogs are 100% original.

Work online with Hubpages

Hubpages is another cool online community to be working with. In just one site, you can earn huge money by being an affiliate with Google Adsense, Amazon, eBay and Kontera. How cool is that! What I love about Hubpages is their so easy publishing tools and widgets. It’s so simple that you don’t even need your own website. Yup, no freaking website or blog site. All you have to do is publish whatever in accordance with their terms. I recommend this to those who don’t know HTML and website creation. Plus their community is so friendly and warm. Page impressions are split 60:40, 60 % to you and 40% to them.

How to work with Hubpages and earn money online?

First, you have to be an affiliate of either Amazon, eBay , Kontera and Google Adsense. Then sign up to Hubpages. Once approved you can earn money by publishing hubs (articles) that are 100% original and are in accordance with their terms and policies. That’s it, you publish and earn money.

Work online with Examiner.com

Examiner.com is the inside source for everything local. It’s another site to write, publish and be known. You can write almost anything, especially according to your expertise and what you know. Being an ‘examiner’ you get to write and build your own brand. Like for example, you love to write about travelling the Philippines, you’ll be known as an online traveler in the site. Some examiners trends from “pop culture examiner” “nightlife examiner” “model car examiner” yup, those sorts…BTW you can also earn money by being an affiliate and recruit a successful examiner.

How to work with Examiner and earn money online?

First, apply by going to their website. Then tell about your experience and submit a writing sample. Once approved, you’re now an examiner.

Work with Squidoo

Squidoo is another famous publishing platform and community online and another marvelous way to write online and get paid. Ads are displayed on your lenses (articles) and you get paid via affiliate programs like Amazon, eBay, CafePress and others. Revenue split is 50:50.As of October 2010, Squidoo is one of the 100 most popular websites in the US and more than one million people worldwide visit Squidoo website everyday. Oh my lenses! Work at home jobs aren't totally boring.

How to work with Squidoo and earn money online?
Just sign up at Squidoo.com and start making lenses (articles) you’re interested with. Become an affiliate of companies they allow in Squidoo. It’s another brilliant online writing job. The more you publish, the more the chance of earning of course.

Work with Triond
Triond is another amazing wok-at-home online community. You can write and publish. You can upload your own photos and videos and start earning. It’s an awesome website to publish your original creation, in any media format for the whole world to see. It’s not only a splendid way to earn money but to gain recognition as well.

How to work with Triond and earn money online?

Simple, sign up to Triond.com, create original and quality content in any media format, then they publish your creation to their various publishing website networks that best suits your content –be it poetry, music, sports, photography, travel, health and much more. Revenues are split 50:50 and can be paid via Paypal, check or Western Union.

Online jobs with Odesk

If you wanna work at home like working in an office, this is the job for you. Work in data entry jobs, clerical jobs, web design, oder processing, technical support, virtual assistant, web research, accounting, book keeping, payroll, admin works, whatever that is wanted in Odesk, you can work. You get paid from the time you worked.

How to work online with Odesk and earn money?

Sign up to Odesk and find jobs you want and do the interview. Once hired, that’s it.

La Niña Hangs On Until Summer

Mental Fuss

It is certainly the time of the year again when all you want to do is spend all your day in a beautiful beach resort while sipping your favorite fruit shake under the scorching heat of the sun. Summer time is fast approaching and everyone must be thrilled about it.

However, as the expected vacation draws near, the La Niña season unfortunately tags along with it. Yes, it will be one of those doomed wet summers once more and the days spent indoors because of heavy rains and storm are not yet over.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said they are already close to declaring the onset of summer season because the cold weather-associated northeast monsoon or hanging amihan has started to weaken.

“We are expecting an unusual summer this year due to the La Niña,” Aurelio said.

La Niña season can be defined as an unusual climate condition accompanied by intense rains that brings unusual weather patterns in the country. Due to its effects, the eastern part of our country particularly in Visayas and Mindanao regions would likely experience more rains especially in the afternoon and evening.

Luzon is also not exempted from the possible occurrence as it will be affected by the ridge of high pressure area associated with warm and humid weather apart from afternoon or evening light showers.

So for all the summer-loving throng who are eager to experience the hottest season of the year, better change your swimming and outing plans for now. Settle on fun activities held indoors instead and stay updated on weather forecasts with your fingers crossed, waiting for luck-- not rain, to pour.

Profit Before You Know It Through Online Banking

Mental Fuss

Financial transactions had never been easier since the advent of online banking in the 90’s. Internet/Online banking is a service offered by banks that allows account holders to access their account data via the Internet. Banking is now a piece of cake because with just a few clicks here and some typing there, you are already capable of paying your bills and checking your savings. Whether for control or convenience, online banking is an aspect of banking that nobody can resist.

Advantages of Online Banking

Except from not needing to waste your time and effort while waiting in line in your bank just to check your money and manage your account, here are some of the benefits that online banking offers:

1. Pay Your Bills Online

You can use online banking to pay your bills. This will eliminate the need for stamps and protect yourself from the check being lost in the mail. Most banks will have a section in which you set up payees. You will need to fill out the information once, and then you can simply choose that profile every time you pay a bill online. If your bank will not pay bills online you may consider paying online through the company. Be careful since some of these companies may

charge a convenience fee.

2. View Your Transactions

Online banking allows you to access your account history and transactions from anywhere. This is the quickest way to check and see if a transaction has cleared your account. This can help you to find out the amount of a transaction after you have lost your receipt. It also allows you to find out about unauthorized transactions more quickly. This can help you to resolve the issues more quickly.

3. Transfer Money Between Accounts
Online banking also allows you to transfer money between accounts much more quickly. It is more convenient than using the automated phone service, and can save you a trip to the bank. When you apply or set up your online banking, be sure that all of the accounts you have at the bank are listed. This will make it easier to transfer money and make loan payments online.

Websites of Banks That Offer Online Banking

· Allied Bank – www.alliedbank.com.ph

· Asia United Bank – www.aub.com.ph

· Banco De Oro – www.bdo.com.ph

· Bank of Commerce – www.bankcom.com.ph

· Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) – www.bpiexpressonline.com

· Chinabank – www.chinabank.ph

· Chinatrust Commercial Bank – www.chinatrust.com.ph

· Citibank Philippines – www.citibank.com.ph

· East West Bank – www.eastwestbanker.com

· Export and Industry Bank – www.exportbank.com.ph

· Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC Philippines) –www.hsbc.com.ph

· Land Bank of the Philippines – www.lbpiaccess.com

· Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metrobank) – www.metrobank.com.ph

· Philippine National Bank (PNB) – www.pnb.com.ph

· Philippine Postal Savings Bank – www.postalbank.gov.ph

· Philippine Savings Bank (PS Bank) – www.psbank.com.ph

· Planters Development Bank – www.plantersbank.com.ph

· Premiere Development Bank – www.premierebank.com.ph

· Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) – www.rcbc.com

· Robinsons Savings Bank – www.robinsonsbank.com.ph

· Security Bank – www.securitybank.com

· Standard Chartered Bank – www.standardchartered.com

· Sterling Bank of Asia – www.sterlingbankasia.com

· Union Bank of the Philippines – www.unionbankph.com

· United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) – www.ucpb.com

A Thing to Consider While Banking

While you enjoy better returns and more convenience, it is still important to be careful when banking online. You do not want your safety or privacy to be breached. It is important to clear your cookies after each banking session, if you are at a public computer. Additionally you need to make sure that your password is long enough to prevent it from easily being hacked. Never give your online account information to someone who is not an authorized signer on your account.

5 Advantages for Productivity with Google Docs and Spreadsheets

Mental Fuss

The king of Internet business Google has simplified the technology for normal people using computer for common tasks. Google Docs & Spreadsheets has collaborated word processing, spreadsheets and presentations for quick use.

There are several advantages for which you must consider Google Docs and Spreadsheets :

1) Online Availability: The foremost advantage of this hot product by Google is that it is available online, so without the need of any download you can work easily. This consumes less RAM.

2.) Less Spacial: All the data remains online till you work with Google Docs & Spreadsheets you only have to use your Internet connection and web browser. You can work more without the tension of getting runned down by space as Google’s Big Servers store your data.

3.) 99.99% Data Availability: With the reliability Google Provides you be rest assured that your data will be available to you most of times of need. So work without the skepticism of data loss.

4.) Share Your Work: There is no need to email your boss of colleagues about your work. Save your time by sharing your work with other users with a simple invite.

5.) Its Free: Purchasing a software might take some bucks out your pockets but ladies ad Gentlemen this awesome Google Product is free for use. At no cost this product of such high Productivity is of great use.

Purchasing Very good Running Shoes

Mental Fuss

Some people select jogging and operating each and every day and use african mango weight loss to maintain their fat. They’ll call for superior sneakers to supply cushion for their feet even though they operate and also prevent accidents towards the feet. It is rather vital which the feet are comfortable even though your operate, or else undue stress will be exerted with your feet and it’ll direct to accidents from the long operate. Therefore, the significance of using superior and cozy Adidas Samoa sneakers for operating can’t be ignored. The key dilemma here is with the identification of your suitable type of operating sneakers.

About thirty a long time previously, the quantity of corporations production sneakers was less and also the number of designs available was also less. But now you can find an array of designs available from the current market and also the number of brands have also improved quickly. There is a lot of selections given that someone can hardly pick one amid them with self confidence that it’s the suitable one for him.

Working sneakers available right now include characteristics like movement manage, supplemental rear foot manage and more support for your arch side of your shoe. These characteristics are present in several proportions in several kinds of sneakers. Therefore, the runner will have to opt for the correct type of sneakers depending on his operating type and stature. Whilst neutral cushioning is more in a few type of sneakers, balance element is strengthened in a few other designs of sneakers. Therefore, you can find no single model or brand of operating sneakers which can be suitable for the many runners.

The key function of operating sneakers should be to provide cushion towards the feet even though the person is operating and also to prevent harm to the feet from the course of action of operating. Therefore, components like balance, cushioning, arch size and many others. should really be regarded even though keeping each runner in thoughts separately.

A different pair of operating sneakers might be obtained at about 10-20% reductions even though older sneakers might be obtained at even less costly costs. You’ll find older pair by means of numerous sources, even by means ofquick online loans .

If you’re looking for operating sneakers on the net, you will need to make certain of your shoe measurement you may need beforehand. Then you can look at various designs available and see which one fits your sort of operating along with your create and in addition, it available at a reasonable price tag. By far the most vital factor to think about when purchasing an item online is to check no matter if the web site includes a provision for alternative of unsuitable sneakers.

5 Quick Tips for Spring Cleaning

Mental Fuss

With warmer months just around the corner, spring-cleaning isn't far away. Whether you want to clear some of the winter clutter or just feel like a change in scenery, spring-cleaning can make it happen. Now is the perfect time to clean out the garage, basement and/or attic. If there are any items that you don’t plan to use, this article will tell you how to get rid of them while making money doing it. As we all know, this can take a lot of work but a few simple tips can make your spring-cleaning experience a breeze.

Tip 1:

If you are storing away your winter clothes, consider using large plastic storage containers that feature snap-on lids. These can be found in the house wares department at most stores and are very inexpensive. Storage containers are very important to keeping your clothes dust and discoloration free, which may otherwise be a problem if they are left hanging in the closet from one season to the next.

Tip 2:

When packing your clothes, roll them instead of folding. This not only eliminates creases and wrinkles, but also saves a lot of space. You will be able to pack a lot more clothes with this technique.

Tip 3:

Label your clothing containers as “Spring”, “Fall” and “Winter”. This will help you to easily locate your wardrobe inside the closet.

If you have any clothing that you don’t plan to wear or simply have outgrown, consider donating them to a local goodwill or other nonprofit organization. Rather than tossing them out, your clothes can provide revenue for a worthy cause and help the less fortunate to be able to afford clothing that would otherwise be unattainable.

Tip 4:

If you are looking to clear out some knick-knacks or perhaps even some Holiday decorations in order to make room for new ones, consider a trip to the local flea market. Everyone is looking for a bargain and they just may be looking for something that you no longer wish to own. A setup fee is usually required which, depending on the location, can be $10.00 to 20.00 per day. Otherwise, you can always sell items at internet auction sites, including Yahoo and eBay.

Tip 5:

Break down your chore list so that the overall task will be easier. For the bigger outside jobs like pressure washing driveways and decks etc. hire a company to make the over job of spring cleaning easy. Then break down the inside room by room and break it down over time to make it easier.

To the cloud! Wait, the what?

Mental Fuss

"The cloud" seems to be promoted everywhere lately, even making its way into a Super Bowl commercial .

But what exactly is the cloud -- and why should you care?

Despite the recent advertising push from companies like IBM ,Microsoft and Salesforce.com , the cloud is actually nothing new. It's a catch-all term for Internet-based services, which have been around for the better part of the last two decades.

Hotmail, Amazon.com (AMZN, Fortune 500) and eBay (EBAY, Fortune 500) were all cloud forerunners that have existed since the mid-1990s. Today, popular cloud services include Netflix, Google Docs, Windows Live, Flickr, Facebook, and MobileMe, to name just a few.

So if it's nothing new, why have you never heard of it until recently? Well, the cloud's previous monikers included not-so-catchy names like "application service provider," "software as a service" and "on-demand software."

Understandably, those never really caught on with consumers. Whoever hit on the marketing concept of "cloud" should be considered for a corner office at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

Partially due to the easier-to-sell name -- but also because of improving services -- the cloud finally started to catch on in the past few years. It's taken off like wildfire since the second half of 2010.

Last summer's bidding war between Dell (DELL, Fortune 500) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ, Fortune 500) for cloud storage company 3Par kicked off a slew of deals for cloud companies. The expensive M&A kept going right into 2011: Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500) put in a $1.4 billion bid for cloud-provider Terremark two weeks ago, and last week Time Warner Cable (TWC, Fortune 500) scooped up cloud platform company NaviSite for $230 million.

The tech field believes this decade's leaders will be the ones that capitalize early on the trend.

"The cloud will be the dominant method of computing for the next 20 years," said Eran Frajun, vice president of Asigra, a cloud backup provider. "Companies want to own a piece of that stack."

The cloud advantage

For consumers, the cloud carries many perks .

You can create a document on the train ride to work using Google (GOOG,Fortune 500) Docs on your mobile phone, then open the file on your work PC when you get into the office. You can start watching a movie on your Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) Xbox, continue watching it at the gym and finish it on your laptop. You can save and share your photos on the Web, use your browser bookmarks on any computer and even automatically back up your computer to a remote server.

Most of the computing tasks you do every day, like surfing the Web, checking e-mail, watching videos and writing documents can be done in the cloud.

One big holdout for consumers is iTunes, which doesn't yet allow you to access your music and media remotely from any computer. But that's coming soon: Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) is opening a server farm in North Carolina that is reportedly capable of hosting all of that data.

For businesses, cloud companies are selling their services as cheaper solutions to existing problems.

For instance, small businesses that can't afford the servers it takes to host a website or run certain business applications can borrow space from cloud companies that run massive data farms.

"With the cloud, individuals and small businesses can snap their fingers and instantly set up enterprise-class services," said Roy Stephan, director of IT architecture and engineering at tech solutions provider Intelligent Decisions. "Like collective bargaining, small businesses can get together and spread the cost out among themselves."

One noteworthy example is Microsoft's Windows Azure platform, which allows users to tap into the same technology that Toy Story maker Pixar uses. The movie studio uses an entire data farm to create its movies, since rendering just one frame on one computer would take more than 250 years, Pixar business director Chris Ford said at Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference in October.

Rather than keep all that processing power to itself, Pixar brought it to the cloud, letting Microsoft's cloud customers buy access to its server farm to render computer graphics at significantly faster speeds than they'd be able to on their own.

Of course, not everyone is all gung-ho about the cloud. Security remains a concern, since cloud data moves out of a user's control to servers that live in who-knows-where that are managed by who-knows-who.

Just ask the poor photographer who lost 4,000 photos on his Flickraccount. Or the people whose data was hosted data on Google's Chinese servers and accessed by hackers.

As with any growing technology, there's going to be bumps in the road. But there's little doubt that the cloud is becoming the new normal for computing.

So get ready to live your life in the sky -- and maybe even, at last, host your iTunes collection there.

Are social networking sites addictive?

Mental Fuss

In April 2009, Oprah Winfrey logged on to Twitter and sent her first "tweet," taking online social networking out of the hands of the computer-savvy and into the living rooms of every American. These days it seems like everyone and their grandma has a Facebook page, Twitter account or LinkedIn profile. People are logging on every day, obsessively updating their profiles and checking the status updates of their online friends. It's a fun way to pass the time and stay in touch, but can these sites be dangerous? Can you become addicted to social networking?

Social networking is not a new concept. In fact, it's been around as long as we have. A social network is simply the structure of relationships among individuals. Everyone on the planet is part of one big social network, but we also belong to smaller, more distinct subnetworks. We define these subnetworks by criteria like our families, friends, jobs, schools, hobbies and more. You have a social network at work. You have a social network at the dog park by your house. You have a social network with your college friends. You have a social network with your Tuesday night book club. The list goes on and on, and many people in your network may overlap. Additionally, your contacts multiply all the time, as you meet new people through the people in your existing networks.

Social networking Web sites evolved from these face-to-face networks. The online sites, though, are powerful because they harness the strength of the Internet to manage and map out your relationships. You can physically see your network -- your friends, your friends' friends, and so on -- and how you connect with all of them.

Social networking sites allow people to manage their relationships as well as find new ones. Some communities, such as LinkedIn, target professionals. Some, such as the crochet/knitting community Ravelry, target people with specific hobbies. And some, such as Facebook or MySpace, are general interest community sites that allow users to form smaller communities within.

Once you join a social networking site, you may find yourself spending a lot of time there. Is it all in good fun, or can online social networks be addictive?

Groupon Alternatives: 10 Best Group Deal Sites

1 comments

Mental Fuss

There has been a lot of buzz about Groupon lately, with the the rumors ofGoogle buying Groupon for at least $2.5 billion . Groupon is a great resource for finding deals specific to your location. You simply sign up for the Groupon e-mails, and each day, you get a new deal available to buy only that day. Groupon may be one of the bigger names in the deal-a-day to your e-mail craze, but there are many, many more sites just like it. Of course, most of these sites only feature deals for major cities, but it's worth checking them all out to see if your city is included.

We rounded up a list of 10 Groupon alternatives to help you find the best deals in your city. Check them out:

1. LivingSocial

Just like Groupon, LivingSocial sends you a deal each day to use at a local business. You purchase the deals, and then receive a link to your voucher within the next business day. After you buy the deal, you'll get a unique link to share. Then, if three people buy the deal using your link, your deal is free. Deals vary widely in category, from restaurant discounts, to spa treatments, to pottery painting. Plus, right now until December 13, you can get buy-one-get-one-free deals on many LivingSocial deals. LivingSocial also has an iPhone app to get deals sent straight to your iPhone.

2. BuyWithMe

BuyWithMe is along the same lines as Groupon or Living Social, but unlike those two sites, BuyWithMe isn't necessarily a one-day-only type of deal. You usually have a few days to buy the deal, which is nice since you don't have to make snap decisions. The site is unique in that each deal requires a minimum number of people to sign up before the deal expires in order for it to go through for everyone. So, if the minimum isn't reached, you're not charged for the deal that you're not getting.

3. Tippr

Another collective buying site is Tippr . The model is the same: subscribe to the e-mails by selecting the daily deal newsletter for your city. Ulike Groupon and LivingSocial, you'll get three deals a day from Tippr instead of just one. The site stands out from other collective buying sites because as more people buy a deal, the discounts get larger for everyone who buys it. So, a deal you think you're getting for $25 can go down to $20 by the time the deal-buying window has closed. Once it has closed, you'll receive a voucher via e-mail. Another of Tippr's unique feature is that it provides a 100 percent price guarantee, so you can feel confident that you're getting the best price when you buy a deal from Tippr.

4. DealOn

DealOn sends you daily e-mails with a deal for you to buy within 24 hours. Like Tippr, DealOn gives you the day's lowest price after the deal window has closed. For example, today's deal started at $35, but is now down to $33. The lowest price it will go to is $31, but the deal has a value of $70, so you're saving over 50 percent already. The goal with both DealOn and Tippr is to share the deal with others to help drive down the price.

Check out the rest of the Groupon alternatives after the jump!

5. kgbdeals

Saving anywhere from 50 percent to 90 percent on activities, clothes, and food is something you can't pass up. Kgbdeals offers a handful of bargains each day. Right now, there are seven deals being offered on the site. Every day brings a new deal, but some expire quickly or are a limited quantity, while other deals are held open for several days. Typically, deals end at midnight.

6. HomeRun

HomeRun is very similar to Tippr and DealOn in the group buying aesthetic. The more people that buy the deal, the more the discount. HomeRun offers new deals each day, and sends a daily e-mail to inform you of the fresh offers. There are currently three deals for sale on HomeRun's site. It covers all areas, such as spas, salons, restaurants, events, and more.

7. BloomSpot

BloomSpot is slightly different from the previous sites mentioned. BloomSpot offers exclusive deals on luxury restaurants, spas, weekend getaways, and more. You're going to be spending a little bit more money on these deals. For example, you can buy classic European bikes starting at $396, a stay in the Equinox Resort in Vermont -- starting at $117 per night, and going up to $552 a night--, or a New Year's Eve champagne cruise under the Brooklyn Bridge for $599.

8. ScoutMob

And now for something completely different. There are sites like ScoutMob that basically give you the same discount you would get from buying a deal, but you can get the discount for free. Here's how it works: You sign up, get a daily e-mail with a discount to a restaurant in your city (usually 30 percent to 50 percent off), and click the "Get It Free" button. You will then have the option of having the coupon code sent to your e-mail, or to your phone. So, instead of, for example, paying $20 for $40 worth of food via Groupon, you're getting the 50 percent off coupon to spend as much as you want at the restaurant. Kind of a nice change of pace from the style of the previous deals.

Scoutmob is available in select cities, including San Fransisco, New York, and Atlanta, but it will soon be offered for Seattle, Los Angeles, Springfield, Denver, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Nashville, Washington DC, and Boston.

9. Blackboard Eats

Similar to ScoutMob, Blackboard Eats delivers exclusive deals for top restaurants and on artisanal culinary products. Restaurants and merchants cannot and do not pay to be featured on BlackoardEats like they do on the other sites mentioned. Instead, according to the site, "Featured restaurants and products are selected by our seasoned food editors and reviewed anonymously by writers from publications including Gourmet, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Saveur, and Zagat. To maintain objectivity and honesty, BlackboardEats pays for all of its writers' meals, and never accepts comps." The site tells you what you must try at each restaurant, a price range, as well as other helpful information. Simply sign up, get the e-mail, click "Get This Special," and the passcode will be sent to your e-mail. Some restrictions apply, so check each deal carefully.

10. Deal Aggregator Sites: The Dealmap / Dealery / Yipit

As you can see, there are a ton of these group-buying sites. It can be a little overwhelming, and your e-mail inbox can look like mine (with 20 different deal e-mails waiting for me each morning). If you want to clear the clutter, there are sites like Dealery , Yipit , and the Dealmap, that round up all those offers flying around your inbox.

The Dealmap is special because it lets you view deals on a map, or list, across the US. You can filter results by 10 different business categories, or eight deal types. For example, you can search for only deals on health and beauty, or deals specifically for restaurants. The "types" of deals you can view include things like daily deals, printable deals, over 50-percent-off deals, romantic deals, kid-friendly deals, etc. The site also has an app for iPhone and Android.