About disclosure messages

Dear Reader,

Blogging is time away from family and other pursuits, and time away from other paying jobs. That’s why most bloggers like myself, “monetize” to some degree in order to generate an income from their work. It is very important to me, however, that my readers know that they are valued and appreciated and are not simply being used to generate a profit; my primary goal is, and always will be, to help people.

When the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) introduced new disclosure rules for bloggers in 2009, I embraced their ideas and decided to take them even further. My goal is to provide transparency so that my readers can make informed decisions about the products I discuss. Although my good opinion cannot be bought, I want my readers to know if I have been compensated to write an article or potentially profit from the links I include. That’s why I append a short disclosure note to all of my articles that appear to endorse a specific brand or product.

I am a blogger, but I am also you, a reader. My preferences as a reader and a consumer guide my own practices on this website. I place a lot of importance on the opinions of my favorite writers, and I would feel betrayed if I found out that the recommendations I took seriously were made entirely in the context of profit. By providing transparency, I hope that my readers will consider me to be a trustworthy resource as they navigate the confusing world of consumer spending.

My Promises to You

• I will never encourage you to purchase a product or service that I would not be happy to purchase myself (and trust me, I don’t have money to waste).
• If an article is compensated or has the potential to generate revenue, I will tell you.
• I will never accept payment or other compensation in exchange for a positive review.  I do accept free product for testing purposes to enable my honest review. If my sponsored reviews seem overwhelmingly positive, it is simply because I choose products carefully and only work with companies that I already have a positive opinion of. Of course it is always possible that my opinion will be different from someone else’s.
• I will continue to highlight products and services of companies that I am in no way affiliated with in order to help you get the best quality for your money

Following is more detailed information about the types of compensation I take in.

Thank you for your support!

JenSpends.com currently utilizes affiliate links, image ads and direct compensation to generate revenue.

What is an affiliate link?

Many companies participate in affiliate programs that enable publishers like myself to generate a small amount of revenue when purchases are made through our affiliate links.  An affiliate link has a unique ID attached to it, so that the company selling the product can see that my link referred you to the product.  If you decide to purchase the product, I will receive a small percentage as a commission.  I am not affiliated with all of the businesses I write about, but when I am able to offer an affiliate link it gives me an opportunity to earn some income for my time spent researching and writing. Please note: I do not sell text links on my website. Any non-affiliate link that you see in one of my articles is placed there strictly to provide further information about the topic being discussed.

What about ads?

I have several ad spots on my website that advertise a variety of products and services.  At this time ads are hosted by third parties and I do not necessarily endorse the products or services shown.  Unless otherwise stated, I am not directly affiliated with the advertisers.  It is possible that you may see advertisements from companies that I have stated I am not affiliated with.  Although these ads may generate ad revenue, I am not receiving money directly from the company, I do not earn a commission from purchases, and they have not influenced the content on my website.  I do monitor my ads closely and remove those that I find offensive as soon as possible (please use the “Contact Me” link if you happen to see an offensive ad).

Direct compensation

I do not accept compensation for product reviews or any other type of article. I do accept free product from companies so that I can test their products, provide my own photos, and write informed opinions. The free products enable me to introduce you to a greater variety of products than I would be able to afford on my own. I do occasionally receive monetary compensation for my promotional services which include event attendance and promoting events or causes through social media.

To view my complete Disclosure Policy, please click here.