IGT selling once-controversial corporate jet

It looks like International Game Technology employees are learning to fly Southwest Airlines.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1hLIpcf

Attention Guys: These 4 Focus Groups Are Paying Cash This Week…

This one is just for the guys.

We’ve been hearing more and more that focus groups are having a hard time getting men to sign-up. And we found four such companies that are looking for panelists this week…

They’ll pay you cash and all you have to do is share your opinion on politics, cars, beer, etc.

1. PineCone ($3/ Per Questionnaire Answered) 

PineCone is probably one of my favorite focus groups, because they pay you a flat rate of $3 per questionnaire answered. That might not seem like a lot, but you can finish them pretty quickly.

There’s no minimum to get paid 0ut (via Paypal.). Sign up for PineCone here.

2. Media Insiders Panel (Up to $15/month + $5 Bonus after 12 weeks = $185/year)

This company has an ongoing project to help media companies better understand how consumers use, view and share TV, social, digital and mobile media. And right now their looking for guys to join their panel. They’ll pay you up to $15/month for as long as you stay on the panel.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Sign up at Media Insiders Panel

2. Install and activate the MI Mobile app onto your device(s). Their app “measures activities conducted on a device, such as sharing, viewing, clicking, chatting, downloading and more. The app also listens for TV shows, and, using technology of Gracenote, Inc., identifies which TV shows was captured.”

Also, at no time is a member’s personally identifiable information ever shared or released publicly, nor will they ever interact with you via social media.

3. If you install their app, they’ll pay you $5/month per device. And you can install the app on up to 3 devices. Plus they’ll send you a $5 bonus after the 12th week.

Here are the devices that they support:

Android™ smartphones and tablets that run Android version 4.0 or greater, and are not rooted. We also accept the Kindle Fire HD, but not the first generation Kindle Fire.
iPhone®5, iPad®, iPad mini®, and iPod touch® devices that run iOS version 5.0 or greater.
***You’ve got be a US resident, 13 years or older, and have a valid email address.

3. Springboard Panel

Springboard Panel is one of the oldest panels in the United States.

Most of their panels pay you $1-$5, but I’ve occasionally been invited to join panels that pay $100 or more. To apply as a panelist, fill out their short form here and then they’ll contact you via email anytime your demographics match up to one of their clients.

This one is only open to USA residents.

4. Ipsos Company

The Ipsos company is a pretty well-known panel and right now they are paying guys to give their opinions on a variety of topics.

As part of the Ipsos Panel, they will reward you with points for every question that you answer and you can later redeem them for cash or gift cards. Plus, once you join the site, you’ll be entered to win a $1,000 and can earn additional entries for each survey you complete.

Your Turn: Have you ever been on a panel before? What was your experience like?

The post Attention Guys: These 4 Focus Groups Are Paying Cash This Week… appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/1J0PsET

Rooftop-solar coalition wants to keep existing rate through Dec. 31

A coalition of rooftop-solar companies has submitted a proposal to the Nevada Public Utilities Commission asking the panel to adopt Nevada's existing net metering rate as an interim tariff through Dec. 31.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1foaGns

Are universities ripping us off?

GETTING into university feels like a dream come true, but many students will never graduate. That’s the point.

Source NEWS.com.au | Business http://ift.tt/1EBi19R

10 Most Deceptive PR Campaigns in History

PR campaigns brought us bacon for breakfast and diamond engagement rings. View 10 of the most deceptive PR campaigns in history to learn more.

Source Business & Money - HowStuffWorks http://ift.tt/1EBc2Sw

10 Most Deceptive PR Campaigns in History

PR campaigns brought us bacon for breakfast and diamond engagement rings. View 10 of the most deceptive PR campaigns in history to learn more.

Source Business & Money - HowStuffWorks http://ift.tt/1EBc2Sw

Subway guy Jared to plead guilty

DISGRACED ex-Subway spokesman Jared Fogle will plead guilty to possession of child-porn charges Wednesday, according to reports.

Source NEWS.com.au | Business http://ift.tt/1MBFgJ6

Why I’m Wrong About These Things That Are Wrong With @Instagram

Wouldn't a native regram feature be nice? How about the ability to add links? Easier multiple account management? An Instagram wish list.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1NDLWmW

Marketing Day: Google Hangouts Gets A Website, E-commerce Report & The Trump Factor

Here's our recap of what happened in online marketing today, as reported on Marketing Land and other places across the web.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1JgznOR

Facebook Gives Page Admins Quick View Of Reach & Click Stats

Saving a trip to the Insights tab, Page administrators now can see basic performance statistics on each post at the Page level.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1Mx9o6J

Mandalay Bay Convention Center opens major expansion

Meeting space at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center grew to 2 million square feet Tuesday with the opening of the property's 350,000-square-foot expansion.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1E1hvaC

6 Awesome Features of the Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Card

Sponsorship Disclosure: A huge thanks to Kaiku and Visa Clear Prepaid for working with us to bring you this content.

I recently added a new card to my wallet: the Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Card. I didn’t have much experience with prepaid cards, but the more I looked into it, the more budgetary sense this card made.

I think the concept of a prepaid card is simple: Load funds onto the card, and use it just like a debit card. If you’re trying to stick to spending a certain amount on groceries, entertainment or travel, one of these cards can be a great tool for limiting yourself to a specific amount.

Unlike a credit card, you can’t carry an interest-generating balance from month to month. And unlike a bank debit card, for prepaid cards meeting the Visa Clear Prepaid standards you can’t spend more than your account balance by overdrafting — which we all know could lead to hefty fees. Sounds appealing, right?

I recently completed a 21-Day Challenge in which I used my Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Card, part of the Visa Clear Prepaid program, to stick to my grocery budget.

Along the way, I discovered a few handy features that reeled me in. Here are some of my favorites!

1. No Fees If You Load $750 a Month

The Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Card is essentially a modern-day spin on envelope budgeting. If you use it enough, you can avoid surprise fees. You just need to direct deposit at least $750 each month, and the $3 monthly fee is waived.

If you plan to use your card to help you stick to your budget in a certain category or for all your day-to-day expenses, this can be a no-brainer.

2. Access to ATMs Outside Your Bank Network

I don’t like to carry cash, but sometimes I find myself out with friends at a cash-only bar. And of course, my bank never has a nearby ATM.

Inevitably, I have to use an out-of-network ATM, so I get slammed with a $2-3 fee from the ATM and a $2-3 fee from my own bank. I’m literally throwing dollars down the drain — just to use my own money!

With a network of 55,000 Allpoint ATMs across the country, Kaiku gives you access to lots of ATMs where you can withdraw cash and avoid fees. Use the app to find one nearby.

I discovered I could use my Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Card to withdraw cash at several ATMs at no charge, including ATMs at 7-11, Target and CVS. Even my favorite cash-only bar just down the street from my apartment has an in-network Kaiku ATM. Win!

3. An Easy Way to Deposit Checks to Your Card

Waiting in lines and filling out forms are on the top of my list of least-fun things to do, which means I don’t enjoy trips to the bank. So I do most of my banking online and use my bank’s mobile app to deposit checks.

The Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Card was clearly designed for people like me, because their app has a feature where you can snap a photo of a check to send the money to your card. Who wouldn’t love that feature?

4. Simple Money Transfers to Friends

Sometimes it’s easy to split costs with on activities with your friends, but not always.

But if your friends also have Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Cards, you can easily send them money you owe for shared expenses.

Kaiku calls these card-to-card transfers, and you can set them up through the app. They’ll instantly move money from one card to another, so there’s no waiting for the transfers to go through.

You can also schedule recurring payments to a friend or family member. So if you need to pay a roommate a certain amount each month for rent or cover your portion of the family plan phone bill, just set up automatic transfers through the Kaiku app.

5. Auto-Pay for Your Bills

One of the easiest ways to avoid late fees on bills is to schedule auto-pay.

The Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Card has a Bill Pay feature so you can make recurring payments to your gas, cable or electric company.

If you just need to make a one-time bill payment, you can do that, too. It’s all done through the app.

6. Budget Tracking

Staying on track with a budget usually entails cutting out some fun. That’s why we sometimes go over budget a little bit — maybe we eat out a few more times than we planned to. Or we decide to just go for those concert tickets because… well, why not?

Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Card tracks spending in “fun” categories and lets you know if it’s time to scale back.

When you log into the app, you’ll see the “Funds-Ometer” at the top. It tracks your average spending in certain categories like eating out, bars and entertainment. The Funds-Ometer compares your 60-day spending average and lets you know if you’re spending more than usual.

As I started using my Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Card more, I realized it could also be a helpful tool for day-to-day spending. It’s different than other prepaid cards because the benefits extend beyond the physical card you keep in your wallet. When I used my card alongside the app, I was surprised to discover that Kaiku offers many of the same mobile banking features as my bank.

Your Turn: Have you tried using the Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Card? What did you think?

Betsy Mikel is a Chicago-based freelance copywriter. She loves biking all over every city she visits to find its best taqueria.

The post 6 Awesome Features of the Kaiku® Visa® Prepaid Card appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/1MwRIbv

Google Gives Hangouts Its Own Place To Hang

Google launches a dedicated desktop page for its free communication tool.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1JgfA27

How to Prepare Your Finances For Baby's Arrival

You may also want an epidural when you give birth to your new budget.


Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1Ljh6mo

US E-Commerce Sales Jump 14 Percent, Account For 7.2 Percent Of All Retail

Overall retail sales ticked up just one percent year-over-year, according to latest US Commerce Department report.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1Pkscp4

Return Path Adds Send Time & Subject Line Optimization Tools To Its Email Marketing Platform

The company says beta tests of the new send time optimization capability increased read-rates by 25 percent.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1NhPa2E

10 things you're paying too much for

As a savvy shopper, you need to always keep your guard up. From foods to services, products and even personal grooming, there are a lot of areas where you might be spending too much money.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1JfuXUa

New Wipes Let Parents Smear Baby Poop All Over Unsolicited Child Care Advice

The UK brand makes its American debut by reassuring parents that they, not the so-called experts, know their baby best.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1K4dhzU

UK inflation surprise fuels rate hike speculation

Rebecca Jones

poundnotes copy.jpg

The UK consumer prices index grew 0.1% in July, up from 0% in June and confounding analysts' expectations.

According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the UK returned to inflation in July, with average prices up 0.1% compared to the same period last year.

This is contrary to market expectations, with the majority of analysts predicting that inflation would remain at 0% in July, as it was in June.

UK inflation surprise fuels rate hike speculation

Feed Copy: 

According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the UK returned to inflation in July, with average prices up 0.1% compared to the same period last year. This is contrary to market expectations, with the majority of analysts predicting that inflation would remain at 0% in July, as it was in June. The ONS says that a smaller fall in the price of clothing compared to last year helped to boost inflation, with prices down 3.4% between June and July this year compared to a decline of 5.7% between the same two months a year ago. Transport services, recreation and culture, and miscellaneous goods and services also helped to boost prices, with higher air fares, the increased cost of toys and games and a surge in bank overdraft charges all contributing to consumer prices index (CPI) growth. Core surprise As has been the case for a number of months the falling cost of fuel and food dragged the annual rate down, as a much lower oil price compared to a year ago and the supermarkets' ongoing price war continue to have a negative impact. However, stripping out the effects of energy and food, UK core inflation rose from 0.8% in June to 1.2% in July. Again, this figure beat analysts' expectations for core inflation to remain at 0.8%. Commenting on the rise in core inflation, Ben Brettell, senior economist at Hargreaves Lansdown, says: "The rise in the core figure suggests that underlying inflationary pressures could be building in the economy, and is possibly the clearest indication yet that the Bank of England might have to raise interest rates sooner rather than later. "Currency markets seem to agree - sterling jumped around a cent against the dollar, and almost a cent against the euro immediately after the figures were released." Maike Currie, associate investment director at Fidelity Personal Investing, agrees with Brettell, adding that markets will be watching the Bank of England's next announcement closely. Turning tide "The tide could be turning on the era of ultra-low rates. Earlier this month, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) minutes showed one member, Ian McCafferty, voted in favour of an interest rate hike. The next minutes could provide some telling insight on whether Carney's vision of a gradual trot towards higher interest rates will in fact turn into a faster gallop," she says. However, Samuel Tombs, senior economist at Capital Economics, warns against over-enthusiasm, arguing that inflation is likely to remain low for some time: 'Looking ahead, the scale of the recent fall back in oil prices suggests that CPI inflation is still likely to turn negative again over the next few months. "And while inflation should pick up at the start of 2016 as the anniversary of the plunge in oil prices is reached, pipeline price pressures remain extremely weak while long time lags between changes in import prices and shop prices mean that sterling's recent appreciation will keep a lid on CPI inflation until the end of 2016." Tombs adds that the inflation outlook is still "too weak" for the MPC to justify raising interest rates this year, with a hike more likely to come in the second quarter of 2016.

read more

Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/1NhmG8Z

NBC Universal invests $200 million in Buzzfeed

Comcast's NBCUniversal said it will make a $200 million equity investment in social-driven media company BuzzFeed, as part of the Peacock's efforts to reach younger, digital-native consumers.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1PxADOu

Want to Pay Off Debt? 45 Honest Ways to Make Extra Money Online

Not all of us want to be Uber drivers. Nor are we all excited about the idea of trading our plasma for cash, walking dogs around the city all day, or selling our poop.

But if you’re a stay-at-home mom, student or even full-time employee who could use a little extra cash, you’re probably looking for ways to make some money on the side. And who wouldn’t want to pad that bank account from the comfort of your own couch?

We know you’re looking for opportunities to make money from home, which is why we’ve put together this list. In fact, these online jobs can be done from anywhere in the world. All you need is a Wi-Fi connection.  

Here are 45 ideas to help you start earning money online.

1. Get Paid to Listen to an Audiobook

Find your headphones and start listening. By signing up for accounts with Audible and Swagbucks, you can make $5 just by reading a book!  

I know it sounds weird, but here’s what you need to do.

If you haven’t already joined Swagbucks, you’ll need to create a free account. It takes about 15 seconds, and if you’re not familiar with it, here’s my beginner’s guide to earning Swagbucks.

Use the Swagbucks search tool to find the offer called “Audible.” Audible offers more than 150,000 titles you can download onto your smartphone.

Here’s the really cool part: Swagbucks will give you 600 Swag Bucks just to sign up for an Audible account. The Audible membership is only $1 per month for the first two months, so you can see where this is going.

You can redeem 600 Swag Bucks for up to $6 in PayPal or gift cards, which means you’ll net around $5 right away. Plus, you’ll get free access to thousands of books for free on Audible!

You can then cancel your account at any time, but I chose to keep my Audible membership because it’s so cheap and I like listening to audiobooks when I’m out running (yeah, I know it’s a little weird).

Plus, if you keep Audible for two months, you’ll be rewarded with an additional 1,200 Swag Bucks (worth another $12 in rewards).

2. Get Paid to Search the Internet

Would you change your default search engine if it meant you could earn gift cards to spend at your favorite stores?

Sign up for SendEarnings to make an extra $5 to $10 each month in gift cards to retailers like Starbucks and Amazon. My trick for this is to set your default homepage to SendEarnings, so you’ll never forget to use them for searches. Earning cash will feel like second nature before you know it!

3. Weigh In on Presidential Politics

What do you think of Donald Trump? Are you going to vote in the 2016 Election?

The Ipsos Panel wants to know! Ipsos is one of the largest presidential polling companies and they’re looking for registered voters to share their opinions on the 2016 Presidential Elections.

You’ll earn points for each survey you complete, depending on the number of questions, and you can redeem them for Visa prepaid cards, Amazon gift cards, Starbucks cards or cash through PayPal. Not bad for just explaining who you’re going to vote for!

4. Give Advice — and Sell Digital Products

Like to giving advice? Sign up for Ether and you could earn $1 to $2 per minute or more — though you’ll probably want to have an existing customer base, as the site doesn’t seem to have caught on quite yet.

You can also sell digital content through your Ether account. Once you have a few satisfied clients, an ebook might be the perfect upsell.

5. Let an App Track Your Phone Use

Download the free app Smart Panel and and in return, you’ll get paid up to $75 per year.

It’s run by Verto Analytics, a trusted analytics firm whose goal is to collect anonymous statistics from your phone. They want to know how long you’re spending on Facebook each week, what YouTube videos you like, and how often you check your email.

Once you’ve qualified and downloaded the app, they’ll give you $5. If you keep it installed for at least two weeks, you’ll earn another $10. And then for every month that you keep the Smart App installed, you’ll get another $5. In total, you can earn up to $75 for the first year!

You can redeem your rewards via Paypal or an Amazon.com gift card.

6. Proofread Documents

If you’ve got a keen eye for grammar and formatting, freelance proofreading could be your next great gig — one that pays about $17 an hour. The average rate per page for proofreading is 35 cents, so your earnings depend on how efficiently you work. It’s not a great moneymaker for procrastinators!

Curious about learning how to become a proofreader? Sign up for this free seven-day mini-course on ProofreadAnywhere.com!

7. Get Paid to Watch Videos

Every time you watch a video in your Swagbucks account, you’ll earn cash. If you’ve ever fallen down a YouTube rabbit hole, this is a money-making activity for you. You can pick a video category to watch, like home, travel or entertainment.

Set it and forget it — let those videos play in another tab or on your second screen while you work!

8. Look at Ads on Your Smartphone

Don’t mind seeing advertisements every time you pick up your phone? Install Slidejoy on your  Android phone and you can earn a few extra bucks every month — up to $60 per year!

This app is only available to U.S.-based Android users. When it’s time to get paid, you can choose to receive cash or gift cards to retailers like CVS, Target, Sephora and more.

9. Join Focus Groups

If you have a webcam, you’re probably eligible for focus groups that host online research panels. Focus groups vary in size and type, but most of them provide some sort of compensation — a check in the mail, a PayPal deposit or even a gift card.

My favorite focus group site is ProOpinion, which has a short signup form.

Some participation requirements are very specific, so don’t expect to make piles of money on this one. If you get picked, you’re lucky!

10. Sign Up for a New Bank Account

You’ll need to make sure you’ll actually use a new bank account before signing up online. But a few minutes and smart spending could net you a bonus of $50 to $250, depending on the bank.

For example, right now Chase is offering $150 when you open a new bank account and make a direct deposit within the first 60 days. Check out this post for more details.

11. Serve as a Mock Juror

Fascinated by courtroom drama, but hate wasting the day in jury duty for a measly $4 payout?

Serve as an online mock juror to help lawyers prepare for real cases. You can earn $10 to $60 for about an hour of your time. Instead of hearing arguments from both sides of the case, you review evidence, like documents, videos and photos, at your computer.

12. Test Websites

Sign up to help companies determine how customers use their websites. With UserTesting, you’ll make about $10 for spending 20 minutes  evaluating websites or testing apps. The best part? You’ll be paid via PayPal within seven days.

This opportunity is available in the U.S., but we’re hearing there are a ton of jobs in the UK, Canada, Germany and Australia right now!

13. Jump on the Class-Action Bandwagon

If you use a product that’s involved in a class-action lawsuit, a little online legwork could get you a cash payout. The rules of each settlement are different, but in most cases you’ll have to provide proof of purchase or product use, like a serial number or a receipt. Once you fill out your online claim form, you may have to wait a few weeks or months before receiving your payment.

Psst — we regularly post new class-action settlement information, so check in often to make sure you’re not missing a chance to get paid!

14. Find Your Missing Money

Search online to find unclaimed money from retirement accounts you’ve forgotten, old security deposits and more. Check the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators website to find out how to search in your home state.

This strategy can only help you find your own misplaced money. If you keep good track of your cash already, you may not find anything.

15. Answer TV Trivia

Got a long list of favorite TV shows? Sign up for RewardTV and earn a few dollars by answering trivia questions about the shows you watched last night.

Most of the trivia has to do with shows that have recently aired, so if you’re binging on a three-year-old show on Netflix, you probably can’t compete. But if you love your TV, you can redeem your trivia points for gift certificates to your favorite stores.

16. Resell Domain Names

Love predicting the next big hashtag, catchphrase or business name? Scoop up domain names for cheap, and resell them to the highest bidder on sites like Flippa.

You can also make money by buying and selling active websites, instead of domain names. If a blogger doesn’t want to update their site anymore, but is still making money from advertisers, it could be worth spending a few pennies to take over that property.

Remember, .com URLS are still cooler than .nets and .orgs!

17. Create YouTube Videos

If you can pull in an audience, YouTube advertising can help pay your bills. Whether it’s humor, pets or toy reviews, you can probably monetize your favorite hobby.

It may take time to build that audience that turns views into dollars. The average revenue per 1,000 YouTube views is just over $6. But with enough videos for fans to scroll through, those views can add up over time.

18. Write Letters to Legislators

If you’re a good writer or editor, you can make $12 to $15 an hour writing letters to members of Congress. You’ll be able to learn more about the issues available before committing to writing a letter, so if you want to stick with your own political views, it’s easy to pick and choose.

Before you apply, make sure you have the required computer equipment. For example, I can’t do this job because the software the companies use doesn’t work on Macs.

19. Work as a Transcriptionist

Are you a good listener — and a good typist? You can make $15 to $25 an hour as a transcriptionist.

You’ll need experience in the medical or legal fields to get those transcription assignments, but plenty of researchers, reporters and Average Joes are willing to pay for someone to type up their recordings.

You get paid per audio hour, so this is another task that’s perfect for people with great focus. If an hour-long recording takes you four hours to transcribe, you still only get paid for one hour. Listen closely!

20. Sell Your Gift Cards

Received a gift card to a retailer you’ll never visit? Sell your gift cards online and get cash in return.

EBay auctions won’t net you much of the gift card’s original value — especially once you deduct the seller fees — but sites like Raise can help you earn 80-90% of the amount on the card. Be sure to “shop” around before choosing where to turn in your gift cards!

21. Sell Your Books Online

Everyone has about a dozen books too many, right? Use Bookscouter to see which buyback company will pay the most for yours.

Make sure the books you want to sell are in good condition before shipping them off to a reseller. Try buying and selling college textbooks (the giant, 101-level books that everyone needs and hates spending $100 bucks for) to maximize your profit.

Sharon & Nikki McCutcheon under Creative Commons

22. Tutor Chess Players

Love to play chess? Tutor other chess players online to make $35 to $50 per hour.

Tutoring sites like WyzAnt can take a big cut (40% until you hit 20 hours of tutoring!), but you’ll get practice (and get paid) without leaving the house. Even if you’re a lower-rated player, you can charge $20 per hour to work with beginners.

23. Rent Your Clothing

You can make money renting clothing through sites like Loanables or Style Lend.

If you’ve got lots of special-occasion or high-end clothes, you could practically be running your own Rent the Runway from your closet!

Make sure to read the fine print on rental sites. Some don’t charge any fees to the buyers and sellers, but some charge a rental commission of 3 to 5% per order. You’ll need to price your wares accordingly to account for any commission handed over to the company!

24. Sell Your Clothes and Accessories

Not using that expensive handbag you received as a gift from a terrible ex-boyfriend? Know you’ll never wear that prom dress again? Sell it!

When you’re ready to send your items to their next homes, use an online consignment store like Cash in My Bag or a Facebook garage sale group. And don’t underestimate those Facebook groups. If you price your used items fairly — probably half off the retail price, if your stuff’s in great condition — you will probably see interested buyers (and extra cash in your pocket!).

25. Sell Your Coupons

What can you do with the extra coupons you won’t use from your newspaper each week? Sell them on eBay.

You’ll have to pay seller fees, but you might be surprised at how much a single coupon can net you — some bring in $300! People are dedicated to getting 10% off at Sears or Target with the right coupon. Are you dedicated enough to spot a sales opportunity when you see it next to the funny pages?

26. Get Grocery Rebates

Once you get home from the grocery store, use an app like Ibotta or Checkout51 to get rebates on the products you’ve already picked up (and used coupons to help pay for, right?).

These apps make it super easy to earn your rebates. For example, with Ibotta, you simply scan your receipt after you leave the store. Ibotta puts cash into your online account within 48 hours!

27. Sell Your Tweets

Love hanging out on Twitter?

Your devoted following could mean extra cash. Marketing companies that work with major brands can pay $25 per tweet or more for you to promote a product, though you’ll probably need to have a pretty big audience for this to work.

Sites like PaidPerTweet allow you to set your own price, which means companies come to you when there’s a good fit available. But the more you participate, the more you can charge to send promoted tweets.

28. Sell Your Crafts

Do friends always ask you to knit them a hat or hand-letter their invitations?

Take your crafty side to Etsy and sell your services or finished products. Etsy takes a 3.5% cut of every sale, but the platform is super easy to use.

You’ll need a digital camera or a recent smartphone to photograph your wares. Great photos and plenty of detail shots are crucial for convincing shoppers to put down their hard-earned cash for a carefully made craft.

29. Create an Online Course

Have a skill to share? Teaching through Udemy or Skillshare could bring in big bucks.

Higher education might be super expensive, but many people will pay $50 or $100 (at least!) to learn something new from an expert.

You’ll have to invest your time planning your curriculum and recording the videos that will accompany your course. But a high-quality presentation will seem all the more valuable to your potential students.

30. Sign Up for Mechanical Turk

This program from Amazon pays real people to do tasks computers can’t do, like choosing the best photo from a set or taking a survey. The downside: Some tasks pay very little for your time.

Here’s a smart workaround: Use Reddit threads to find the tasks that pay the most and/or require the least work so you can make the most money in the least time. With some careful searching and task-choosing, you could earn an extra $100 a week — or more!   

31. Sell Your Snapshots

Upload your perfectly filtered smartphone photos to Foap and let people buy a license to use them. You get $5 every time one of your photos sells. Your photo can even sell more than once, so that $5 for a beautiful landscape shot could turn into $20, $50, or $100 if enough people want to buy it.

Unfortunately, your Instagram feed is ineligible. So snap a picture before you upload it to Instagram, and send the unedited and uncropped version to Foap.

32. Perform Quick Tasks on Fiverr

Don’t mind doing the small tasks that other people hate? Offer your services on Fiverr for $5 per gig. Check our post on Fiverr to brainstorm services you can offer, from the practical to the fun and bizarre!

Just make sure it’s worth your time to perform tasks for $5 apiece. Anything that takes more than 15 minutes probably isn’t worth the effort.

33. Enter Naming Contests

Sign up for sites that host contests to name new companies or websites. You can earn $100 — but only if your suggestion is the winner.

Luckily, there are a bunch of naming sites you can sign up for. And once you’re a member, you can enter any of the thousands of contests to your heart’s content. If you’re creative enough, you could bring in winnings from several contests each year.

34. Sell Junk You Find on the Curb

If you’re always spotting half-decent used furniture or other household items tossed out on trash night, grab them to sell on Craigslist.

You’ll need space to store your finds — and time to scour the streets — before you’ll start to profit. Don’t forget the time you might spend cleaning or repairing an item so you can get top dollar for it when it’s time to sell.

You’ll never look at the trash out on the curb the same way again!

Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose under Creative Commons

35. Write and Sell an Ebook

Are you an expert with advice to share? Create an ebook and make money each time it sells for years to come!

Make sure to set aside time to write an ebook people will be willing to pay for, though; you’re probably not going to knock this one out in an afternoon.

If you have a blog or have written extensively about a topic, see whether you could compile those past articles into a book At the very least, those posts can give you a foundation for your book, and a great head-start on your word count goals.

36. Resell Concert Tickets

Think you know which games and shows are going to sell out?

Buy a few tickets, and flip them once the box office is out. On sites like StubHub, you’re not a scalper — you’re a reseller! StubHub guarantees ticket authenticity for the buyer, which weeds out a lot of the seedy guys selling fakes.

StubHub takes a 15% commission on every sale, so price your tickets accordingly.

37. Sell Private-Label Products on Amazon

Have the initiative to create labels and packaging? Turn a generic product into a private-label item that could make you thousands on Amazon.

But this isn’t a quick moneymaker: You’ll need to do plenty of research and find a supplier before you start slapping on labels and actually making money. One TPH contributor made more than $1,000 a month, even after paying for Amazon to fulfill his orders. How’s that for passive income?

38. Buy a Few Loans

What?! Buying loans to make money? Hear me out.

Buying a small loan means your money will be tied up for a few months. But when all’s said and done, you’ll earn interest on the money you lent. Check out the Lending Club Secondary Market for more details.

39. Clean Up Search Engines

The web is so full of information, search engines like Google need real humans to help keep it tidy. The work can be tedious, but pays about $12 per hour.

Companies that offer this kind of work typically pay once a month, so it’s not a way to make quick cash. But if you have time on your hands — maybe between jobs or seasonal gigs — you can put in some serious hours whenever the mood strikes.

40. Find Virtual Odd Jobs on TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit helps you connect with regular people who need help getting things done — everything from picking up dry cleaning to calling customer service and tolerating the hold music.

Keep an eye out for virtual tasks, which are mostly centered around personal assistance, administrative work or research help. Last year, TaskRabbit established a pricing floor of $14 for its Taskers. You can rest assured that you won’t be getting paid pennies to solve someone’s Excel woes.

41. Start a Patreon

Have a cool new project, but can’t figure out how to finance it? Ask people to fund your new book, album or podcast by subscribing to support you on Patreon.

Participants pledge to your Patreon each month. So even if you only have a few proud supporters, their support is recurring — indefinitely!

42. Make Money with Old Newspapers and Magazines

Wondering what to do with that stash of daily papers you found in the attic?

You’d be surprised by what people will pay for a news item or magazine advertisement that means something special to them. List them on eBay to earn a few bucks per page! Make sure to have your buyers pay for shipping, so you make the most per newspaper page sold.

43. Create and Sell Paper Decorations

Those DIY instructions look easy, but plenty of people just can’t turn a pile of paper into the beautiful craft they envisioned.

Sell your paper crafts on Etsy or eBay for baby showers, weddings, birthday parties and more. Be sure to check Craigslist, eBay and those Facebook yard sale groups to snag supplies at a big discount.

PermaCultured under Creative Commons

 

44. Write Slogans

Can you write stellar slogans quicker than Don Draper? Enter your ideas on slogan contest websites.

If your slogan for a company or product beats the competition, you could get $50 — or a few hundred dollars, for some contests. If you’re feeling particularly heartfelt, search around for opportunities to enter submissions for greeting card sayings.

45. Write for Your Favorite Blogs

Blogging isn’t all about pajamas and basement living — it’s a big business. You can earn $50, $100, or more by contributing to one of your favorite blogs.

Have personal finance expertise to share? Write for us! If we accept your post, you get $75 and a chance to earn up to $800 in pageview bonuses.

Your Turn: What’s your favorite way to make money online?

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. We would have shared them with you anyway, but a true “penny hoarder” would be a fool not to take the company’s money.

The post Want to Pay Off Debt? 45 Honest Ways to Make Extra Money Online appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/1KtVC0i

Net loss for SLS Las Vegas hits $48.6M in second quarter

The SLS Las Vegas suffered a net loss of more than $48.6 million in the second quarter and has lost more than $83.9 million in the first six months of the year, according to a recent securities filing.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1J0hbYj

A Pacific Beachfront Home for as Little as $110,000

Outside the U.S., a coastal retirement home can be surprisingly affordable.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1EAdvbH

7 Home Renovation Trends for Retirees

Baby boomers are updating their homes in preparation for retirement.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1K3LsI0

When Leaders Should (and Shouldn't) Apologize at Work

Saying 'sorry' can build trust, but it can also make you sound weak. 

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1J1ttNY

How to Build a Strong Frugal Mindset

Over the past few years, I’ve developed a surprisingly strong mindset for making naturally frugal choices, to the point where non-frugal choices often feel inherently wrong to me on some level. For example, whenever I spend money on non-essential stuff that I didn’t account for and budget for, I feel strongly as though I’m making a mistake before I ever spend the money.

Before we get rolling here, let me back off for a second and explain how I define “frugal.” “Frugal,” to me, simply means that I’m getting the greatest benefit possible for the time, money, and energy I’m investing in something. Often, that means finding out how to minimize my financial investment in something, but not always. My time does have a value, as does my energy, so I also find many purchases that are reliable and long-lasting (though expensive) to be frugal over the long run. I also find genuine leisure activities to be a worthwhile expense, provided I get sufficient value out of the purchase.

Some people find that to be a negative thing, but I actually find it to be one of the most empowering mindsets I’ve developed in my entire life. Feeling like that is loaded with benefits.

I am naturally guided toward long term choices. Almost every time, spending money on something non-essential right now is a choice with a short-term benefit and a long-term drawback. The short-term benefit lasts for a little while, but fades, but the loss of that money sticks around. By having a frugal mindset and making frugal choices by default, I’m actually thinking long term. I lose some of those short-term benefits that fade quickly, but I don’t have those long term drawbacks at all. The long term looks great.

I have a strong appreciation for free and very inexpensive things, which has helped me to discover many things I would have never otherwise discovered. Part of being frugal is trying lots of low-cost and free things that I might have otherwise turned away from without seriously considering them. Because I chose not to do that, I discovered quite a few things in life that I deeply enjoy. I’ll discuss this more in a bit.

I simply don’t worry about money in any pressing way any more. The natural outcome of a frugal mindset paired with even a moderate income is that you’re spending less than you earn. Do that for long enough and debts vanish, as do financial worries. My life has very little financial stress in it at this point, as I have no debts at all. I’m in my mid-thirties, my wife and I have our college educations paid for, and we own a very nice four bedroom house near Des Moines, Iowa that’s also fully paid for. We also have money saved for our own futures and for the futures of our three children. We have far less money stress than most people our age, in other words.

I feel free to make professional choices without worrying about temporary wage losses at all. Because of that low money stress and relatively secure position, which is built in large part on the back of a frugal mindset, I’m not afraid to make interesting career choices that might not maximize my income. I walked away from a secure job to write for a living, after all.

Those are just some of the benefits of building a frugal mindset, but how do you build one? I found that a person can actively build a mindset by engaging in certain mental exercises and activities over time. Here are some of the ones that worked – and still work – for me in terms of cultivating my thinking.

The Intentional Choice: Actively Choose to Try the Low-End Version First

This one’s simple: whenever you’re about to buy a product at the store, consider giving the low end version a try first. Just this once, try the store brand or the generic version instead of the name brand you might have otherwise bought. Then, make up your mind about whether that generic or store brand version works for you.

Most of the time, I’ve found that the store brand works really well for me. The only notable example I can think of where it didn’t hold true was with garbage bags, where I had several frustrating rips and spills with generic bags. In almost every other case I can think of, the generic product lived up to what I expected and needed from the product.

Two things happen when you do this. First, you discover some lower cost options that work well for you, which directly saves you money. If you’re suddenly buying several generic things regularly rather than the name brand thing, your expenses are going to naturally drop. Second, as you have success with this, you become less resistant to trying all kinds of low-cost strategies. Once you start to really witness the effectiveness of better buying habits in your life and how being a little smarter about your choices results in savings, you’ll begin to want to try more of those kinds of tactics and they’ll become completely normal to you.

There are a couple of things worth noting here. First, this really only applies to inexpensive consumer goods, such as household supplies, grooming products, and so on. For more expensive goods, I tend to rely on research rather than a “store brand” rule of thumb, as I take a look at Consumer Reports for anything I purchase over $20 (and I usually trust their “Best Buy” recommendation). Second, if the generic doesn’t work, I have no qualms about buying the name brand next time. I just insist on having actual evidence that the store brand doesn’t meet my needs.

The Impulsive Nature: Avoid Carrying Pocket Money

Carrying around cash and credit cards leaves me prone to impulsive spending, so I typically avoid doing so. Most of the time, I only carry enough cash with me to cover whatever expense I’m facing on that trip.

Of course, this only applies to situations where I primarily use cash. There are specific situations where I use a credit card – when I buy gas and when I go to the grocery store, for example. The only time I actually take a credit card out and about with me is when I’m going to do one of those things.

Between my credit card and cash policies, I usually don’t have the money on hand for too much impulsive spending, and I like it that way. It keeps me from even considering impulsive decisions.

What’s interesting – and this is a phenomenon that holds true through many of these tips – is that when I actually skip out on an impulse buy because I don’t have the cash, the vast majority of the time I just forget about it, and when I do remember it, most of the time I recognize that I made a good choice not spending the money. For me, that tiny minority of events where I regret not having the money doesn’t make up for the huge majority of events where I’m glad I wasn’t carrying money with me.

The Connected World: Delete Your Credit Card Info and Passwords from Online Sites

This same phenomenon runs true online. If I have easy access to money, then I tend to spend it, and the surest route to “easy access to money” online is by storing my credit card info on websites and also storing my account passwords in the browser.

Thus, the natural solution is to delete my credit cards from my online accounts and account information from my web browser. That way, it suddenly becomes much harder to impulsively buy anything.

This is essentially an online implementation of the “ten second rule,” a nice principle I used when I was first learning to get a grip on my spending. The “ten second rule” simply states that whenever I pick up a non-essential item, no matter where I’m at, I hold it for ten seconds and ask myself whether or not I really need that item right now. If I can’t honestly answer with an emphatic yes, I put the item back.

This password and credit card tactic essentially forces the same thing when I’m on my smartphone or in front of my computer. As I’m figuring out my account sign-in information and then looking up my credit card number, I force myself to spend some time thinking about whether the purchase is worthwhile at all. Often, I decide that it isn’t.

The Future Is Now: Visualize Good Frugal Decisions in Advance

I’m not a big believer in the power of pure positive thinking, but I do believe quite a bit in the power of visualization. In fact, I use it all the time in various aspects of my life.

What do I mean by “visualization”? I simply think about an upcoming event that’s going to be challenging and I visualize myself succeeding at it. I picture myself making the good choices and actions that I hope I’ll make and then I picture the event going well because of those choices.

I use this all the time with spending decisions, too. I’ll imagine myself going to a tempting place – for me, this would be a bookstore or a board game store or a home brewing store – and merely browsing the shelves, not buying anything (or buying only an item or two within my budget), and then leaving while feeling happy about things. I’ll visualize this over and over as the visit approaches.

What happens? When I’m in there, the “normal” path is simply not buying anything, and that “normal” path feels pretty good. That visualization subtly but strongly influences what I do during that tempting moment and it pushes me away from unnecessary spending, which is undoubtedly a good thing for my wallet.

The Lasting Value Question: Run Through Your Receipts and Bank Statements in a Smart Way

One thing I’ve really learned over the years is that I generally don’t mind it too much when I spend money on something that creates lasting value, but I really regret it when there’s no lasting value created by a purchase.

What do I mean by “lasting value”? For items, it really comes down to whether I still find that purchase useful a month or so later. For experiences and consumable things, I ask myself whether it created genuinely positive memories or helped build relationships with others or created some other lasting value (like a new skill).

My preferred way of figuring this out is to sit down with a big list of my expenses from, say, a month or two ago and go through them one at a time. For each one, I’ll ask myself whether that expenditure created any sort of lasting value. Sometimes the answer is “yes” and I feel good about that purchase. Sometimes the answer is “no” and I realize that the purchase wasn’t really a good move.

Doing that honestly and regularly has the effect of creating a strong sense in my head of what kinds of purchases will create lasting value for me and which ones won’t. With that kind of sense in my head, I can naturally make much smarter purchasing decisions.

The Social Circle: Cultivate Relationships with People Who Are Frugal

Another area of my life that I spend active time evaluating are my social relationships. Do my friends reflect and exhibit the values I want to display in my own life?

Jim Rohn is often quoted as saying “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” If you look about your own life, you’re likely to recognize some real truth in those words. It’s likely that you share quite a lot in common with your closest friends and confidants.

That’s why it makes sense to choose those people carefully and to ensure that those people reflect the values that you hold highly. Are those people wise with their money? Do those people have a positive outlook on life? Do they value things that aren’t measured in dollars and cents?

Surround yourself with those people and that shared mindset will rub off on you. You’ll find yourself naturally moving toward that perspective on money simply because you’re surrounding yourself with people who have that perspective.

The Ongoing Experiment: Fill Your Free Time with Free and Low-Cost Options

What do you do when you have spare time? Everyone has a number of things that they like to do and those things are likely a mix of low-cost activities and higher-cost activities. I’m no different.

The strategy here is a simple one: make a conscious choice to fill your spare time with low-cost and no-cost activities. Use the cost of the activity as a driving force in your decision.

This doesn’t mean you have to spend your time doing the same old two or three things. The key here is to try lots of different things, even things that you’re initially skeptical of.

One great way to start is to head over to Meetup.com and find community organizations that match your interests, as participating in such groups is often very low cost. Check your city’s website and those of the cities around you. Check out the community calendars on those websites, as well as the parks and recreations departments. Look for free newspapers in your area that often offer a long listing of low cost and free activities and events in the area.

If you do that – and you make an honest effort to try out as many of those groups, events, and activities as possible – you’re going to have far more things to do than you’ll have time for. Try lots of things with an open mind and if you discover through experience that you’re not a fan of a particular thing, then don’t repeat it. Likely, however, you’ll discover that at least a few of those things are quite fun and substantially more enjoyable than you thought, and suddenly you have yourself a new low-cost (or free) hobby.

The Reboot: Establish Smarter Routines for Your Ordinary Spending

We all go grocery shopping for food. We all buy regular household items, too. That’s part of modern life. The thing is, if you do those things without some sort of plan or a smart routine, those activities can easily drain your wallet. You wind up buying a bunch of unintentional stuff.

The best response to that is to simply make a list before you enter a store and don’t buy anything that’s not on that list. Period. Stick to the list. Why?

For starters, it forces you to do advance planning and think about what you actually need instead of what you want on a whim. The process of making a grocery list requires you to think ahead about future meal plans and what ingredients will go into those meals as well as poking through your refrigerator and cupboards for what you have on hand to cover those dietary plans. A similar thing is true for almost every shopping excursion, whether it’s to a hardware store or a clothing store or anywhere else.

The other part that’s useful here is that it gives you something to focus on in the store. You have a list that tells you what you should be buying and you trust that list. Stuff on the list isn’t needed. If it turns out that you see something that you want, nothing is preventing you from writing it down to think about it later, but if it’s not on your list, you don’t need it, so you don’t need to put it in your cart.

I don’t like going into a store without a list at this point. I find that going in without a list means that my cart will be full of random things, many of which are redundant and unnecessary, and that means a lot of wasted money.

The Lack of Fear: Do It Yourself, Not Just for the Savings

Cooking a meal at home instead of eating out is almost always less expensive, but it’s also intimidating for many. It seems like a lot of work that’s potentially fraught with failure. That same attitude takes hold when you deal with things like a non-functioning toilet or a car that needs an oil change. There are many things in life that we could do ourselves, but we pay others to do because they seem fairly difficult or intimidating. It’s obvious that doing these things yourself will save money, but it’s the effort and difficulty involved that causes resistance.

Here’s the thing: when you do things like cooking at home and changing your own oil and fixing your own minor plumbing problems, not only do you save money in the moment, you also improve your own personal skills, which makes it easier to do those things in the future. In other words, by forcing yourself to take on what seems to be a difficult task right now in the quest for saving money, you build a little bit of skill so that next time it doesn’t seem quite so difficult. Push yourself next time (and you won’t need to push quite so hard) and it becomes a little easier and a little easier until you reach a point where it seems so easy and normal that you wonder why you ever spent a bunch of money to pay someone else to do it.

“But who has the time?” People often fall back on the convenience factor here, but if you look at the truth of it, most of the time you’re not saving any time by having someone else do it. If you take your car in for an oil change, you’re just sitting there waiting for that service to complete. Why not just slide under the car and do it yourself, saving $20? If you’re going to a restaurant for supper, you’re driving there, sitting there while the waiter shows up, waiting for your food to get there, and then driving home. It would take less time to just prep the food yourself and put the dishes in the dishwasher afterward.

“But I’m exhausted!” That’s the thing – once you start doing it, the difficulty level starts to go down and it begins to feel like much less effort. You just have to push yourself towards actually doing it the first time or two. That’s where the real trick is.

Final Thoughts

On their own, these individual strategies can help you save money, but where they really begin to shine is in concert. Together, they cultivate your mind to work in a different way – a way that causes you to naturally make decisions that will save you money in the short run without sacrificing quality of life or personal joy. That savings in the short run builds up to a huge financial difference in the long run.

It’s all about mindset. It’s all about your natural reactions to situations. If you put some effort up front into training your brain to make better choices in situations, then you’re going to end up with much better outcomes, and when those choices are frequent, those better outcomes are going to add up to a better life.

Most of these things aren’t complicated. You can do them in a moment or two, after all, and many of them can be done while you’re doing other things.

Get started today. You’ll be glad you did.

The post How to Build a Strong Frugal Mindset appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Source The Simple Dollar The Simple Dollar http://ift.tt/1TRn56k

The Trump Factor: What Your Business Can Learn From Donald Trump’s Wild And Wacky Campaign For President

Brands should take a page from Donald Trump and other candidates who are using social media to capture the attention of their audience, says columnist Jason Warnock.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1PxnNzV

Your Online Presence Is Failing: Here Are 4 Reasons Why

Is your online presence is failing to drive sales? Columnist Mary Wallace lays out four reasons why and what you can do about it.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1WBZsh8

New Perks From AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile: Cheaper Data and Free Netflix

Ever since Verizon Wireless announced it’s doing away with contracts and changing its data plans, other wireless carriers have upped the ante to fiercely battle for your business.

And guess what that means? Big opportunities to save!

AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and other carriers are offering great deals to entice new customers to switch to their plans. If you’re not ready to ditch your cell phone plan altogether, it’s worth looking into whether you can take advantage of any of these offers, especially if you’re willing to compare cell phone plans and consider switching providers.

So check out these new options! And if you hear of other offers that have popped up as a result of the so-called “wireless wars,” we’d love to hear about them in the comments.

AT&T Revamps Its Data Plans

After Verizon announced its plan changes, AT&T jumped in the lower price game and changed its plans as well, a move that could help you save. AT&T has simplified its data plan offerings and dropped rates on certain plans, while adding additional free data to other plans.

For example, the carrier has added data to its 10 GB plan, without raising the price. That plan now includes 15 GB, but the price remains the same at $100 per month. AT&T’s other new options include 300 MB for $20, 2 GB for $30, and 5 GB for $50.

The carrier dropped the 1 GB option (which formerly cost $25) and now lets you double the data to 2 GB for just $5 more ($30).

However, the “per line” charge for smaller data plans are $25 per line per month versus $15 for larger data plans, so keep that in mind if you’re planning to add several lines for family members.

Another appealing option for savings is the 20 GB plan, which has dropped in price by $10 per month, down to $140 per month. Select this plan and you’ll save $120 per year while still having access to the same amount of data.

Get Free Netflix With Your New Phone

If you’re looking to snag a Galaxy Note 5 or Galaxy S6 Edge +, both of which are due to be released on August 21, you’ll get a fun bonus if you go with T-Mobile.

With five major U.S. carriers offering the hotly anticipated new phone, T-Mobile is hoping to win your business by offering a free year of Netflix when you buy one of those two phones.

Purchase your phone before September 30 to take advantage of this money-saving deal. (And if that doesn’t work for you, here’s another way to get Netflix for free.)

Save on International Voice, Text and Data

Several providers have sweetened the deal with international voice, text and data additions. This is ideal for anyone who communicates often with friends or family outside the U.S. or travels to the countries listed below.

Here’s what several carriers now offer:

Sprint’s International Deals

Open World is a new, free add-on available for Sprint domestic service plans.

This program offers cost savings for travelers or those who live near the Mexican and Canadian borders. It provides free roaming in Mexico, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Paraguay.

If you travel in those countries, you’ll also get 1 GB of free data, which is enough to send hundreds of photos to family and friends, catch up on emails, and download music for the airplane. If you need more data, an additional GB costs $30, but you only pay for what you use with a prorated fee.

The carrier also offers calls to more than 180 countries starting at just 5 cents per minute. And in many parts of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, data is $30 per MB, texting is free, and calls are 20 cents per minute, which can add up to meaningful savings if you spend a lot of time overseas.

T-Mobile’s International Deals

Just last month, T-Mobile announced free roaming in Canada and Mexico for anyone who commits to their Simple Choice plans.

This perk lets you visit friends and family in those countries and go on vacation without worrying about your phone bill. Voice, text and high-speed data charges are free in North America.

“We just created one giant country in North America,” T-Mobile CEO John Legere told PC Magazine. This gives you the freedom to roam and communicate freely throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

AT&T’s International Deals

Customers with AT&T can now enjoy free calls to Canada and Mexico.

Call a friend in Toronto and text your aunt in Puebla without running up your bill. If you purchase a 15 GB or higher plan, you’ll have both unlimited talk and text to both countries, which can be a significant cost savings if you spend a lot of time communicating with people who live in those countries.

Get a Refund If Your Cell Provider Was “Cramming”

If you’ve ever had a mysterious charge on your wireless phone bill, you may be due for a refund from your carrier.

You’ve probably heard of texting a certain code to a certain number to make a donation to the Red Cross or another charity, but sometimes unscrupulous companies use this system to rack up your bill with unauthorized charges.

Typically, these charges are under $10 a month and many people don’t even notice they’re added. Oftentimes, they’re for “premium text message subscriptions” such as horoscopes, sports scores or trivia.

Several carriers have reached settlements recently with state attorney generals and federal authorities over these unauthorized charges. This means you could be eligible for a refund.

If you’ve had unauthorized third-party charges on your Verizon bill since July 1, 2010, submit a refund claim by December 31.

If you’re a Sprint customer with unauthorized third-party charges on your bill since July 1, 2010, submit your refund claim by December 31.

And to prevent any further unauthorized charges, call your carrier and ask them to block third-party charges from your account. Many companies will allow you to block these charges before they even pop up on your bill.

Negotiate Your Cell Phone Bill

If none of these options apply to you, you’ve still got one more avenue for decreasing your bill: call your carrier and negotiate with them. They know you’ve got lots of options for providers, so they might be willing to work with you. It never hurts to compare cell phone plans!

Here’s a step-by-step guide to negotiating your monthly bills.

Kristen Pope is a freelance writer and editor in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The post New Perks From AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile: Cheaper Data and Free Netflix appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/1fmOKch

Radius Bank’s New Hybrid Checking Account Offers Nice Perks

Do you find yourself transferring money back and forth between your low-interest brick-and-mortar checking account and your high-interest online savings account? It’s understandable. After all, who doesn’t want to earn the most on their money and still have access to all that online checking accounts have to offer?

But here’s the thing: transferring money is a pain. I much rather be spending time with family than worrying about my account balances or the interest I’m earning. I’m sure you’re in the same boat.

What if you didn’t have to transfer money and could still get an awesome interest rate? It’s now a reality folks, and it’s called Radius Hybrid – a new all-in-one checking account from Radius Bank.

Let’s take a closer look.

Maximize Earnings Without Transfers

You’ll be hard-pressed to find even a couple of saving accounts that offer such a generous amount of interest: up to 1.00% APY. And keep in mind, this is a checking account – most checking accounts don’t come anywhere near this amount of interest.

The main benefit to this is that you’ll no longer have to transfer money between accounts in order to maximize your earnings. You’ll need to have at least $2,500 in the account to earn the most interest, but if you’re budgeting and saving like you should, you’ll probably have enough to make this work.

Protect Your Money

Radius Hybrid accounts are FDIC-insured which means your money is insured up to at least $250,000. Why would you need a savings account if your money is protected in a high-interest checking account?

I can’t think of a better way to protect your money than to have your money in an FDIC-insured account like Radius Hybrid.

All-in-One Features

Radius Hybrid comes with many of the features you’d expect from a checking account and more.

You’ll get a debit card, online banking, and mobile banking. These are the essentials.

When it comes to moving money, you’re covered. There are free internal and external transfers (just in case you need them). You can deposit your paycheck right into the account and also complete mobile check deposits via mobile banking. You can even make fee-free deposits and balance inquiries at ATMs displaying the NYCE® Shared Deposit Program logo. Finally, you can get unlimited deposits via postage-paid Bank by Mail envelopes.

Need to make a withdrawal? Yep, you can do that too. You’ll get unlimited, fee-free withdrawals at all Radius Bank ATMs and Banking Center locations. You’ll also get unlimited surcharge-free withdrawals at ATMs displaying the SUM(SM) Program logo. Travel? All foreign ATM fees will be rebated each month!

There are a variety of ways to make purchases with your Radius Hybrid account. First, you can pay bills and people using bill pay through your online banking account. You can also pay with your phone and their free Radius Pay app linked to your Radius Debit Card. Finally (and probably most importantly), you can make signature and PIN-based purchases in stores and online with your Radius Debit Card.

You can also stop payments, make wire transfers, and have overdraft protection. You’ll get all the handy bells and whistles.

By the way, there are no monthly fees. Many accounts of this caliber have them, so this is a nice perk. And your first order of checks? Free.

Radius Bank has truly created a well-rounded checking account with just about everything anyone would want from their bank. Two thumbs up from me.

How to Open an Account

Opening an account is super simple.

First, read all about what Radius Hybrid has to offer. You can use their Radius Hybrid Calculator to determine how much interest you’ll earn over the period of 12 months.

When you’re ready, sign up. The process goes like this . . . .

You can apply from your phone or tablet by just taking a picture of your Driver’s License and they’ll pre-fill your contact information for you. Pretty easy.

There’s only a $10 minimum balance to open an account. With such a low minimum and no ongoing monthly maintenance charges, anyone can afford to start an account.

Final Thoughts

Radius Bank’s tagline is “Built Around You.” I think they’ve proven themselves worthy of such a tagline, because it’s true.

Remember a few years ago when banks wanted to charge you fees just for using your debit card? Ridiculous. It’s time that banks start treating customers with respect and create accounts without frustrating fees.

When you sign up for a bank account, you’re adding your money to a pool of capital that they can use to make loans or participate in other investments. In return, you should have easy access to cash, all-in-one features, a great interest rate, and easy-to-use banking tools. Radius Bank’s new Radius Hybrid account delivers that and more.

Source Good Financial Cents http://ift.tt/1IZTdg0

The Generational Content Gap: How Different Age Groups Consume Content

Columnist Kerry Jones shares recent research about online content consumption preferences and habits across different generations.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1HTNbtg

5 Creative Ways to Trim School-Related Costs

Taking advantage of used clothing and car share programs can help cut expenses. 

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1NCDRPy

Selling Your Old Cellphone? Read This First

Follow these steps to avoid smartphone scams and earn the most money back.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1JeFYF6

8 Money Lessons Your Child Should Know Before Leaving for College

Since parents can only help so much financially, students must stick to a budget while on campus.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1LiHnB2

7 Smart Things You Can Do Now to Cut Expenses the Rest of the Year

Reduce your bills in an hour or less. 

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1MAfGE9

In Google’s Android-Candy Universe “M” Is For Marshmallow

Someday, in a museum, there will be an exhibit of all the statutes of all the different versions and flavors of Android. The latest — Android 6.0 or “M” — is being called “Marshmallow.” The official SDK is now available for Android developers. When Google...

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1EzKHAj