#The Short Version: When you click through affiliate links here on this website, you get the same deal you would if you went directly to the site. The only difference is that you’re supporting Wichita on the Cheap when you use my links.
Wichita on the Cheap is an idealistic pursuit, but it isn’t funded by any non-profit or charitable organization. In order to fund this site and be compensated for my work, I use advertisements and affiliate links.
Advertising you understand. Affiliate links may need explaining.
If you’ve spent any amount of time on the Internet, you’ve probably seen affiliate links without realizing it. Many Internet-based publications use affiliate links in addition to advertising to generate income. They look just like regular links on the surface. When a visitor clicks on an affiliate link and subsequently makes a purchase or takes some other kind of action (like signing up for something), the referring website may receive a commission on that sale or be paid for that action. The commission comes out of the advertiser’s pocket, not yours.
Affiliate links at Wichita on the Cheap are always clearly disclosed.
If a post contains an affiliate link, you’ll see a note at the bottom saying so. The FTC wants all bloggers to do this (though they don’t all comply), but I would do it anyway because the point of using affiliate links isn’t to deceive anyone. The point of using them is just to get some kind of paycheck for all this work. And when readers understand that using an affiliate link helps me without hurting them, they’re usually happy to do it.
But no one is obligated. Ever. And not every post contains an affiliate link. I write plenty of posts (most of them, in fact) for which I receive no kind of monetary (or other) compensation whatsoever. **I should also point out that I won’t make any agreement with an advertiser that requires me to post anything. If it doesn’t seem like a good deal, it’s not going on my blog. ** However, I have no control over what happens after someone leaves the site, so please do check everything out thoroughly. I won’t knowingly post about any deals or companies that are no good, but I don’t know everything. (Just don’t tell my husband I said that.)
If you want to know the truth, the biggest sponsor of Wichita on the Cheap is my awesome husband, who is a licensed building contractor who works hard to keep us afloat. I’d like to help him out more, however, and so I’m really trying to make Wichita on the Cheap a success financially while at the same time keeping you informed about the best deals in Wichita.
Now that you understand affiliate links and advertising, you can support your favorite bloggers. If you have a favorite blog that clearly discloses affiliate links, consider using them. Another great way to help a blogger is by telling your friends about it. Higher traffic (i.e. more people visiting the site) usually makes a blog more appealing to advertisers. And when you take advantage of a deal you’ve seen on a blog or a website, please tell the merchant where you heard about it. It does make a difference. Thank you!
If you’re a blogger, you might want to check out some of these affiliate programs:
My Savings Media
Logical Media
Escalate Affiliate Network/a>
LinkShare
Wichita on the Cheap is brought to you by freelance writer Carolyn Erickson, who has called Wichita her home since the 90s (and she’s been a cheapskate longer than that). Although 