East Stroudsburg University graduate opens Tannersville takeout

Stephen Cilurso teamed up with high school friend Zach Kozary to debut a Mexican-American fusion grill down the road from Camelback resorts.

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Local vineyards inspire entrepreneurs

The Poconos will become a major wine region in the United States within the next 10 years.Blue Ridge Vineyard and Winery owner Randy Detrick genuinely believes that, citing the region’s “perfect storm” of grape growth and proximity to major markets as reasons to think that the Poconos have what Napa Valley has. What’s missing, for now, is the people.But that’s an open market that Timothy Roselli and Allen Foder are spearheading this summer. [...]

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Aldi reveals monster secret profits

IN an unusual move, the highly secretive grocery discounter has thrown open its books, giving Coles and Woolies more reason than ever to be worried.

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25 Creative Ways to Make Money With Your Musical Talents

So you sing better than Taylor Swift or Nick Jonas, strum a guitar like Jimi Hendrix or Kelly Deal, or play piano better than Tori Amos. Maybe, if writing music or lyrics is your thing, you can compare yourself to Morrissey or Jhene Aiko. Or maybe you’re not as good as any of these music icons — but you’re good enough.

But what if the record companies don’t know you exist, your product jingle submissions are rejected, and you wash out on the first round of auditions for The Voice? When you know you have what it takes, but others don’t yet, how do you translate that skill into something more? How do you make money with your music?

Start by trying a few of these ways to earn money from your musical talents.

1. Be a Karaoke Host

If you check the listings at SimplyHired.com you’ll always find some karaoke host jobs. Sometimes the company provides equipment, and other times you have to bring your own. You might not be paid much for the work, but it’s a chance to practice and display your singing ability.

2. Try Busking

Busking is performing in public for tips, and it can be a tough way to make a living. But if you’re good enough and play in the right places, it’s not a bad way to hone your skills while making some extra cash.

For example, busker Mark Sandusky says he made over $21 per hour playing guitar and singing in the streets of San Francisco, and that was just his half of the take, because he was part of a duo.

3. Start a YouTube Channel

There are two primary ways to make money putting your music on YouTube. The first is to simply make and monetize YouTube videos. If you get enough traffic, you can make some serious money.

The second strategy, which you can try in conjunction with the first, is to use your videos as a way to get discovered. Many successful musicians and even pop stars started on YouTube, from Justin Bieber to Soulja Boy.

4. Be a DJ

The most obvious way to make money as a DJ is to get paid for working at bars, clubs and private parties. But millionaire DJs make it a serious business by building a brand, putting on big shows, selling merchandise and doing endorsements. Also, depending on the venues you work, you might be able to play some of your own tunes alongside the popular requests. You might soon have a following.

5. Play at Bars

Many famous bands got their starts working at small bars and clubs. Former member of Sonic Youth Daniel Kohn suggests that you take whatever you can get at first. He also suggests asking bar owners for a Monday or Tuesday night spot. Few bands want these slow nights, making it easier to get hired. Then you can prove yourself and get the better slots.

6. Do Event Gigs

Small bars and restaurants might be some of the easier places to start, but events can pay better. In fact, the The Fuzz Band made it to a quarter-million dollars in annual revenue by focusing on corporate event gigs. Parties, small festivals and art fairs are other possible events where you might find work.

7. Sing in Church

It isn’t common knowledge, but some churches pay their singers.

The posts in the forum of the Church Music Association of America suggest that $50 is a common payment for singing at mass, and singers at funerals typically make $100 or more.

8. Sell Your CDs in the Street

If you can’t seem to sell CDs of your musical performances elsewhere, hit the streets! A New York Times article about rappers notes that, “The peddlers typically sell around 30 CDs a day, for $5 to $10, depending on their bargaining skills and the buyers’ generosity.”

Places like CopyCatsMedia.com can duplicate your CDs for less than a buck each, including printing and a plastic-wrapped case, so most of each sale will be profit.

9. Be a Band Stand-In

You know what you can do, but why not let a few active local bands know? Offer to be a stand-in for any sick or absent band members. Apart from making a little cash, it might lead to something bigger, like joining a rising band or starting your own.

10. Play Wedding Gigs

In a post on DYIMusician.com, Drew Stoga from GigMasters.com says wedding gigs are consistently among the best paying bookings on their website.

“All told, the average wedding pays around $2,000, though we routinely book wedding receptions for $10,000 and over,” he explains.

11. Perform on Cruise Ships

After Josh Greenberg graduated from music school, he went to work as a saxophonist on a cruise ship. He says a typical day is “one or two shows plus maybe a dance set.” He says you can find work through booking agents, but he chooses to be a free agent to leave open more possibilities.

12. Write Songs

Selling songs outright isn’t common, according to WritersWrite.com, and that’s probably a good thing. Who wants to make just a few bucks when a song becomes a big hit?

Instead you typically get royalties. “Mechanical royalties” earn you a statutory rate of $0.0755 per song, per manufactured unit. If the song you wrote is on 10,000 albums, you would make $755.

You’ll earn performance royalties whenever the song you wrote is performed. To collect those, you have to join one of these three performing rights organizations:

• ASCAP
• BMI
• SESAC

13. Enter Songwriting Contests

If, as a songwriter, you can’t break into the music industry in the usual ways, you can always look for contests to enter.

For example, the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) hands out cash, prizes and recognition to 68 winners. You can enter the contest in one or more of 21 different categories. ASCAP maintains a list of songwriting competitions.

14. Make Music for Video Games

Some musicians have found that one of the more lucrative markets for their music is in video games. A post on Kokatu.com shares the stories of several who make a living in this niche.

15. Rent Your Studio

If you have built a nice studio for producing your music, it might be of use to others, so why not rent it out? That’s what Neal Morse did with his personal recording studio, now named “Radiant Studios.”

16. Put Your Music on Spotify

Spotify is a streaming music platform that lets people listen to music for free or upgrade to paid subscriptions. Artists get paid according to a somewhat complex formula. Spotify explains that they take 30% of revenue and distribute the remaining 70% as royalties to “publishers,” who then pay artists according to their agreements.

If you put your music on Spotify using an “artist aggregator,” service you keep 100%of your royalties, but pay a fee to the aggregator service. And yes, you’re paid even for free streaming of your tunes, so tell all of your friends to listen.

17. Enter Singing Competitions

Recent reports suggest that singing competitions are not as popular as they once were, but they’re still around. And one look at a list of the famous singers from singing competitions shows you what the potential is.

18. Teach in Person

If you know how to play guitar, you can probably teach others. If you sing, you can give singing lessons. Websites like Wyzant.com make it easier than ever to find people to tutor without expensive advertising.

19. Create YouTube Lessons

YouTube is not only a good place to make money with your own music, but also a great place to make money giving free video lessons. You can find single video lessons there with millions of views (like this beginner’s guitar lesson). That can translate into big money if you monetize your video tutorials.

20. Create a Website

A website or blog is a great way to showcase your music sell your CDs, and advertise your availability for gigs.

No idea where to start? You can use a platform designed specifically for band websites, like Bandzoogle.com, which has a free trial and plans starting at less than $10 per month. Or to create your own site, follow our guide to how to start a blog.

21. Raise Money on Kickstarter

If you need money to create an album or put together a tour, you can try Kickstarter. John Mark McMillan raised more than $69,000 in 30 days to launch his album.

Just make sure you have a plan so you don’t wind up spending more on your crowdfunding campaign than you bring in. Here’s our guide to running a Kickstarter campaign.

22. Raise Money on Patreon

Patreon has a different model than Kickstarter. Instead of soliciting pledges for a one-time project, you get “patrons” who offer to regularly fund you according to some criteria.

For example, one might pledge to give you $10 every time you produce a new song. You offer your patrons rewards like free downloads of your songs, the chance to hang out with you online, or at least regular reports on the progress they’re helping to make possible. Here’s a more detailed post on how to use Patreon.

23. Record a Cover Song

Can you really make money recording cover songs? Yes, and interestingly, you don’t even need permission from the original artist to do a cover.

A website like EasySongLicensing.com can help you get what’s called a “Compulsory Mechanical License” for as little as $14.95, as long as you aren’t making any changes to the lyrics or tune. Then you can sell your version of “Achy Breaky Heart” or “Uptown Funk” and pay royalties only when your version sells.

24. Submit Your Music to a Record Club

Feedbands lets you submit your best tracks to them and, if they like what they hear, they stream your music to listeners who vote for their favorites. Then, once per month, Feedbands offers a musician or group a record deal. They say, “We press your record, you keep the rights, and we write you a big check.”

25. Try Fiverr

You’ll find many ways to make money on Fiverr.com, but can you do it with music? The artist known as “Shiftypop” does. He creates jingles for clients, and 438 positive reviews suggest he’s doing well. But the $5 gigs aren’t where the money is. His extra services can add hundreds of dollars to an order.

Your Turn: Can you add to this list of ways to make money with your music, and have you tried any of these methods yourself?

Steve Gillman is the author of “101 Weird Ways to Make Money” and creator of EveryWayToMakeMoney.com. He’s been a repo-man, walking stick carver, search engine evaluator, house flipper, tram driver, process server, mock juror, and roulette croupier, but of more than 100 ways he has made money, writing is his favorite (so far).

The post 25 Creative Ways to Make Money With Your Musical Talents appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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21 free or cheap date ideas

You don’t have to give up fun even if you’re on a super-tight budget. You just have to get creative. Try these cheap date ideas to have a great — and potentially romantic — time without breaking your budget or even without spending any money at all.

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Why Self-Employment and Early Retirement Go Hand in Hand

Being your own boss comes with certain risks, but also plenty of freedoms — including the ability to sock away more tax-deferred money for retirement. Photo: Nosha

In 2012, I left a steady and rewarding 9-5 job to pursue my side hustle full-time. While it’s true I had gotten extremely tired of working 70- and 80-hour weeks, that wasn’t what finally pushed me over the edge. In addition to craving more autonomy and better work hours, I also wanted to work my way toward early retirement.

A lot of people thought I was crazy at the time. How could I save for retirement when I didn’t have a work-sponsored 401(k), let alone a 401(k) company match? And how would we get by without other work-related benefits, such as subsidized health care, paid vacation, and corporate stock options and bonuses?

All of the concerns people had were quickly compounded by the fact that my husband left his full-time job to pursue self-employment in early 2015, too. With nobody in this house carrying a full-time job with benefits, many people assumed we had lost our minds. But, have we?

Here’s the truth – our precarious situation can feel slightly unnerving at times. Even though I have a proven track record of providing for my family, we still have two small children to provide for.

And I want to do more than just keep a roof over their heads; in addition to providing shelter and sustenance, I want to provide them with educational opportunities, adventure, and an extraordinary life. And as importantly, I have always had a deep-seated desire to pay for my children’s higher education.

Here’s how we plan to do it:

Our Plans for Financial Independence at 46

Although we made some awful money moves before we had kids, we did several things right. That includes the fact that we started saving for retirement at our old jobs in our mid-20s, usually saving around 10%-15% of our incomes. Having that nest egg to build on was a huge relief. Still, in order to retire early, we knew that we needed to increase how much we save relative to our earnings– and continue contributing steadily.

After pouring through my options, I decided to open an SEP IRA with Vanguard right before I quit my 9-5 job. With an SEP IRA, you can save up to 20% of your net self-employment income (up to $53,000 in 2015) every single year.

With the low living expenses we have now – no car payments, no cable television, no smartphone bills, no expensive hobbies – we can afford to tuck a large percentage of our incomes away. As long as things stay the way they are, we should be able to continue contributing up to 40% of our incomes to retirement for the long-term.

Another way we have saved in the past: We both have a Roth IRA with Vanguard. Although our ability to contribute in the future may be limited due to income phase-outs, we maxed out our Roth IRAs steadily each year until 2014. (For 2014 and 2015, contribution limits for Roth IRAs are $5,500 per year, $6,500 if you’re age 50 or older.)

The other prong to our early retirement scheme: our rental properties. Last year, I wrote about the fact that my husband and I purchased two rental properties in my hometown in our mid-20s. Part of our early retirement plan relies on the fact that both properties will be paid off in about 10 to 11 years.

Since we’re 35 now, at age 46, we’ll own two properties that bring in at least $2,000 per month in somewhat passive income. Subtract expenses like property taxes, upkeep and repairs, and vacancies, and we should be bringing in a minimum of $18,000 per year ($1,500 per month) from those two homes.

• Related: What I Wish I Knew Before Buying Rental Property

In the meantime, we’ve been prepaying the mortgage on our primary residence in order to get it on a similar timeline. Since it should be paid off in less than 10 years, I’ll also be able to stop paying $1,500 per month toward our mortgage before then.

But, what about college?

Although I haven’t done everything right, I made some smart moves early on when it comes to my children’s college funds. As soon as they each got a social security number, I started contributing to a 529 college savings plan for each of them. When they were babies, my monthly contributions were only $25 per month, but that amount has grown steadily over the years. And in addition to the money I stashed away, I also put most of their birthday and holiday money in their accounts as well.

The result: If I continue contributing steadily, I believe I will have enough money to pay for each of them to attend community college or an in-state public school. If not, I should be pretty darn close.

• Related: More Than One Kid? How to Save for College

Putting It All Together

With all that said, here is our plan: Once our rentals and primary home are paid off, we’ll have $1,500 per month in somewhat passive income to sustain us. Meanwhile, we’ll also drop our largest monthly bill – our mortgage – and own our home free and clear.

My goal is to find a lifestyle that allows us to live on $3,000 per month (adjusted for inflation) from ages 46-59. That way, we would only need to earn an additional $1,500 per month before we can start withdrawing money from our retirement accounts.

At this point, that should be a piece of cake. Part of our online business includes three websites that we own outright, all three of which bring in some income each month. At this point, I feel confident that they will continue earning at least $1,500 per month as long as we continue running them as we do now. In fact, they should even continue to grow over the years.

Also keep in mind that, although we’re shooting for early semi-retirement, what we really want is financial independence. In other words, we want choices.

With enough money in our retirement accounts and other investments, and enough passive income, we hope to secure a future with unlimited options, including the ability to continue working full-time if we want, hustle part-time, or even not at all.

As a workaholic, I am well aware that I may never be able to stop working altogether. But that’s not the point; the point is, I want the freedom to decide.

My Biggest Worries About Early Retirement

Although it might sound like I thought of every detail, there are certain components of our plan that are difficult to prepare for — the biggest one being health care.

Faced with out-of-control costs in our country and state, we joined a health care sharing ministry in lieu of traditional health coverage earlier this year. Still, it’s hard to say how long that will last.

Further, it’s hard to know how future changes to the nation’s health care system might impact our finances. At this point, health care is one issue I have chosen to deal with on a year-to-year basis, while also knowing that future changes might require us to work longer than we’d hoped.

My other early retirement worry is the fact that we’ll still have kids at home. In 10 years, my oldest daughter will be 16 and gearing up for college. It’s possible that I’ll want to continue working part-time until I know for a fact I can get both of them through college, and be able to help with other big events: things like weddings, first homes, and — dare I say it – grandchildren.

Simply put, it’s hard to plan for a future that isn’t quite here.

Why Self-Employment and Early Retirement Go Hand-in-Hand

With all of those concerns and worries in the back of my mind, I still feel that we’re on the right track. At our old jobs, we had limited income potential and could only save for retirement up to the annual 401(k) contribution maximum (up to $18,000 in 2015). Now we have unlimited earning potential and the ability to save a lot more pretax dollars for retirement.

Meanwhile, we now have the free time to cultivate additional passive income streams to sustain us, continue working to earn as much as possible, and build a happier, healthier future for our family.

And that’s why self-employment and early retirement go hand-in-hand. When you don’t have a reliable paycheck to count on, it forces to you to not only confront your biggest fears, but to do something about them as well.

Here’s the truth: All I have ever really wanted is freedom – freedom to do as I please, freedom to live the life of my dreams, and the freedom to make choices based on my needs and desires, not based on how much money I earn.

Self-employment certainly isn’t perfect. But for me, it has proven to be the fastest way to get there.

Do you think self-employment and early retirement go hand-in-hand? Are you planning for early retirement? If so, how?

The post Why Self-Employment and Early Retirement Go Hand in Hand appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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‘He wasn’t there for me’

SHE was a normal teen before she became a mining heiress overnight. Now, she breaks her silence on the billionaire father who neglected her, and her fight for inheritance.

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