Your Nerdy Best Friend

A few years ago I purchased a fairly expensive antique Coca Cola thermometer for my mother for Christmas via Ebay. It looked awesome to me when I wrapped it, and Mom adored it… until she saw that the mercury thermometer was broken, rendering the piece much less valuable.

Too bad WeGoLook.com didn’t exist way back then. For $49, a background-checked “Looker” will go check out any item you need to eyeball before you buy: furniture for your office, a car for your business trips, equipment for your company. They will go see the item (or property), confirm the existence and basic functionality, check out the details that validate your purchase and much more. They even take up to 10 pictures and include them in a report.

In addition, you can purchase add-ons, such as a video, shipping and more. It’s a worthwhile investment when you’re making a big purchase.

If you like this tool, try…

• Zaarly
• Elance

(PS — they’ll also go check out a date if you’re meeting people online — thus eliminating a potential creep factor!)

WeGoLook.com: Onsite Inspection of Auction Items, Autos, Properties, Field Services

Here’s a quick, easy way to make your resume more appealing so it stands out in a crowd.

Vizualize.me is a free site that lets you connect your LinkedIn profile to an online graphic resume. In seconds, you can have a fun, colorful representation of your skills, experience and education, plus a handy list of your recommendations.

Watch the brief video to see how easy it is to make…

Take your job hunting or networking a step further by turning your Vizualize resume into a t-shirt for about thirty bucks. Clever, clever.

vizualize.me.

Clever, clever Best Buy folks set up@Twelpforce, a Twitter account that gives free tech answers just for asking. Great public relations idea, and a fantastic free resource.

Also, check out CrossLoop, another great resource for help with your computer.

Twelpforce twelpforce on Twitter.

Oh, I love free stuff, and I love people who make it easier to download free stuff.

Visit the Ninite site, and check off the free applications you want on your computer, such as Firefox, Chrome, iTunes, Audacity, Skype, AVG, Adobe Reader, Gimp… The list is fantastic! (And it reminds me of all the great tools I still need to cover here on Cheapskate Freelancer.)

Once you choose your programs, click to install, and Ninite will manage your installation. This is great when you are doing a full upgrade to Windows 7.

Ninite Easy PC Setup and Multiple App Installer – Great For Win7 Upgrades.

Freelancers and small businesses from all around the world are waiting to help you on Elance. All you need to do to hire a pro is to create a project and put it out for bids. You can find providers who meet your needs and invite them specifically to bid on your projects, or you can wait and see who finds you.

The cool thing about Elance (besides the very affordable prices you can find) is that you don’t release payment until you’re satisfied, so you can guard against a flighty freelancer.

Elance | Hire experts to do your work: outsource to companies, consultants and freelance professionals..

What a fun, free idea to find new books, music, videos and games! Go through your book and media shelves to find items you no longer want, and enter the UPC or ISBN code into your SwapTree account. SwapTree finds people who want what you have and connects you so you can trade. You can also create a list of media you want, and SwapTree will go as far as a three-way trade to make it happen.

I’ve gotten two books so far, all for the price of postage. And the best thing is that you don’t have to go to the post office to ship. For a small fee, you can print out your trackable shipping label with postage to paste on your package.

So happy I found this.

Swap & Trade Books, Trade Music, Swap Video Games, DVD & Movie Exchange – SwapTree.