Some 10's from 2010

As we wrap up 2010, here are some 10's I experienced this year:

Ten ways I made extra money:

1. Swagbucks
2. Instant Cash Sweepstakes
3. MySurvey
4. Pinecone Research
5. Recycled cans & bottles for California CRV
6. Entered blog giveaways & instant win sweepstakes
7. Sent in for rebates
8. Sold unwanted items on Amazon
9. Earned interest on savings
   
10. Let my investments grow

Ten ways I saved money:

1. Played The Drugstore Game
2. Used coupons
   
3. Shopped wisely at the daily deal sites
   
4. Planned menus
5. Monitored our budget and spending
6. Used my gift box and wrapping center
7. Shopped online using cash back sites*
8. Bought gift cards at the grocery store*
9. Communicated with my family
10. Assertively contacted customer service when I wasn't satisfied

Ten ways I helped the environment:

1. Used reusable shopping bags (I've gotten pretty good about remembering them!)
   
2. Used less paper goods
3. Washed full loads of laundry
   
4. Washed full loads of dishes
5. Printed less paper (Screengrab and Snagit are two of my favorite tools)
6. Used cold water instead of hot or warm when appropriate
7. Switched to a steam mop that uses water instead of chemicals
8. Bought a lot of organic produce and meat, and shopped at local farmer's markets
   
9. Used reusable water bottles
10. Didn't buy a lot of new things

Ten ways I gave to others:

1. Donated money to my favorite causes
2. Donated material goods to various charities and fund raisers
   
3. Lent money through Kiva.org
4. Gave lots of free and cheap drugstore and grocery items to friends in need
   
5. Sent packages through AnySoldier
6. Volunteered at my sons' schools
7. Supported friends in difficult moments (mostly by listening)
8. Shared information I'd researched (especially about schools, but also about saving money)
   
9. Did some random acts of kindness
10. Played the Free Rice Game to donate rice through the World Food Programme (fun!)
    

Ten of my favorite things:

1. Favorite video game: Batman: The Brave and the Bold. It may be a kid's video game, but it was the exact right level of difficulty for me (I can't handle games that require a great deal of fine motor control).
2. Favorite song: Shout It by Mitchel Musso. Yes, he's that Mitchel Musso, aka Oliver from Hannah Montana. But I love this song, and so does my four-year-old!
3. Favorite recipe: The master recipe in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I almost always have some of this dough in my fridge, and I use it not just for bread but for pizza almost weekly. It's great on the grill or in the oven.
4. Favorite shopping promo: Super double coupons at Ralphs. I went to Ralphs five days in a row. (And I've only gone a few times since then, so maybe they'll notice people are shopping less and bring the promo back?)
   
5. Favorite sporting event: The World Cup. Living in Los Angeles, I don't have a football team to root for, and I'm not a big basketball, baseball or hockey fan. But I watched the World Cup almost every day for the month that it was on - thank you ESPN!
6. Favorite charity: The USO. It's been my favorite charity for some time now, but every time I get an issue of their quarterly magazine, On Patrol, I have a renewed sense of awe and appreciation for the dedication and sacrifices of those who serve in the military. A close second is AnySoldier, which enables me to send care packages to soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as other places.
7. Favorite freebies site: Freebies 4 Mom. I find Heather to be very reliable and trustworthy, so her site is the one I rely on for free Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards and Pampers Gifts to Grow codes and great photo deals.
8. Favorite free Android app: Kindle for Android. Actually, voice navigation in Google Maps is my favorite Android app, but that seems so obvious that I wanted to pick something else and the Kindle app is my second favorite. I always have my Droid with me when I'm out and about, and the Kindle app means I always have a book with me too.
   
9. Favorite trend: Daily deal sites. Groupon rejected a buyout offer from Google, and LivingSocial got a huge investment from Amazon. It looks like daily deal sites are here to stay, and I'm happy about that. Use them wisely and you can save lots of money.
10. Favorite compliment: Whenever someone told me how great my boys are :)

What are your favorites from 2010?

*Topic for a future post!