Bicycle store owners survive, thrive amid Web competition

Southwest Bikes co-owner Ted Jewell tells the story of a man who bought a bicycle from Wal-Mart that was still in the box, then called the Southwest Bikes retail shop and wanted a mechanic to assemble it for $20.

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

Draft order would allow solar panel installation under current rates, rules

CARSON CITY — A member of the Nevada Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday filed a draft order in the net metering debate proposing to allow potential rooftop solar customers to install panels under the current rates and rules.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1MSD0xi

Caesars' public perception takes one step forward, two steps back

Last week the casino operator, which made tremendous strides toward completing the complicated restructuring of its bankrupt operating unit, committed public relations suicide.

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

Why happy people earn more money

It's generally assumed that greater wealth leads to happiness. But instead, the opposite might be true: Happiness leads to greater wealth, and several recent studies support this idea.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1PxqD7g

Arbitrator awards union contract in county's favor

An arbitrator has awarded a contract in favor of Clark County, ending the county's two-year stretch of negotiations with its largest union.

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

Uber, Lyft get glimpse of proposed county regulations

Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft got a preview on Tuesday on the concepts that Clark County officials are incorporating into proposed regulations.

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

Here’s Why Those Snapchat Snapcode “Ghosts” Are Invading Twitter Profiles

Snapchat Snapcode “ghosts” are popping up all over Twitter profiles, and it’s likely to get worse in the coming days. Don’t know what a Snapchat ghost is or why someone does this? Come along, and I’ll explain all. First, if you don’t even get Snapchat at all, let...

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1i0oTcl

Moasis: Location Is The Key To Mobile Ad Relevance And Personalization

Mobile advertising platform Moasis believes that location is the key to delivering more personalized and relevant advertising — not simply a way to capture the attention of nearby smartphone owners. However, the company argues, location-targeted advertising is still very crude and brings a...

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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

‘Your number is up’: Big banks should be worried

AUSTRALIA’S big four banks may be forced to up their game soon, with fresh calls for a shake-up that would end their decades-old dominance.

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

‘The not so fresh food people’

THE owner of this ute has gone to a lot of trouble to exact revenge against Woolworths over an alleged food poisoning incident.

Source NEWS.com.au | Business http://ift.tt/1JY7KMD

Tesla plant said to spark new generation of scientists, engineers

A top Tesla executive told a Nevada business conference on Tuesday that energy technology is on the cusp of a renaissance that will change how the world generates and stores power.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1KiBuT9

Development hosts first look at homes near US 95 and Horse Drive

In no other area is economic revival more prevalent than in the northwest edge of the valley.

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

Marketing Day: Hulu To Sell Programmatic, Nokia’s #MakeTechHuman Podcast & Lies Marketers Tell

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/1EUkIn2

Denver officials stall opening of airport Chick-Fil-A due to their stance on gay marriage

The Denver City Council is taking its time deciding whether Chick-fil-A, whose CEO is opposed to gay marriage, should be allowed to open a restaurant in the Denver airport.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1hZL2aD

North, South Korea agree to end military standoff

North and South Korea agreed early on Tuesday to end a military standoff that sparked an exchange of artillery fire and had ratcheted up tension on one of the world's most heavily-fortified borders.

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

Understanding This About Yourself Will Help You Make Better Financial Decisions

Do you feel like you keep making the same money mistakes over and over?

Maybe you put off asking for a raise, or maybe you find yourself swiping your credit card on yet another impulse buy.

Well, your financial decisions may have a lot to do with your personality, Redbook reports. Psychoanalyst Kachina Myers identifies four “Money Personalities,” as well as ways to understand and overcome the negative aspects of each personality.

Which money personality do you have, and what does it say about how you spend and save?

The Money Personalities

Myers lists the four money personalities as follows:

Financial Innocent

If you’re a financial innocent, you don’t like talking about — or even thinking about — money. You don’t comparison-shop and you don’t ask for raises.

Sometimes, you don’t even know how much money is in your bank account.

(If you’re one of the 4 out of 10 people who doesn’t know how much money your spouse makes, you’re probably a financial innocent.)

Overspender

If you’re an overspender, you spend money as a way to feel good.

You’re likely to make impulse buys and use the phrase “retail therapy.” Bringing new things into your life gives you joy, but it also costs you a lot of money.

Poverty Addict

If you’re a poverty addict, you’re always afraid of running out of money — even when you have plenty.

You put off making purchases and avoid buying anything that feels like a “treat.” After all, you might need that money later.

Money-codependent

If you’re money-codependent, you spend a lot of money on other people. You always volunteer to pick up the tab or bail out a friend, and you like to give people surprise gifts. You use money as a way to give and receive love.

Understanding Your Money Personality

Once you understand your money personality, you can learn how to overcome some of its negative aspects.

If you’re money-codependent, for example, remind yourself that your friends will still like you even if you don’t pay for their meals.

If you’re a poverty addict, it’s time to replace one worn-out household item (which, by the way, might save you money in the long run).

If you’re an overspender, tell yourself to wait 30 days before buying that new pair of shoes; you may find you don’t need them anymore.

If you’re a financial innocent, it’s time to set a meeting with your supervisor and ask for that raise!

Want to learn more? Read the full story at Redbook.

Your Turn: Which money personality do you have? Do you recognize yourself in any of these examples?

Nicole Dieker is a freelance writer focusing on personal finance and personal stories. Her work has appeared in The Billfold, The Toast, Yearbook Office, The Write Life and Boing Boing.

The post Understanding This About Yourself Will Help You Make Better Financial Decisions appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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

U.S. appeals court rules against New Jersey sports betting law

A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday ruled against a New Jersey law authorizing sports gambling in the state, upholding a lower court ruling that voided the state's repeal of some prohibitions against betting on games.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1UbAP6W

Hulu Opens Up To Programmatic With Facebook’s LiveRail And Oracle DMP

The streaming video platform's LiveRail-powered private ad exchange will let brands target audiences with the Oracle DMP. 

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1EU4UAR

Must-Do's Before You Replace Major Items in Your House

Unfortunately, your roof, windows and heating unit may move out before you do.


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

'Value hunters' attribute to Wall Street's sharpest rally of the year

Wall Street posted its sharpest rally of the year on Tuesday, as investors snapped up beaten-down stocks a day after the market's worst performance in four years on fears about China's economy.

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

And the Stock Market Outlook Is… Who Cares?!

Bulls and bears, booms and busts: They make great headlines, but a solid financial strategy is actually a boring one. Photo: Sam Valadi

As I write this article on the morning of Aug. 24th, the Dow just opened down over 1,000 points and CNBC is going crazy with prognosticators predicting what the market is going to do next. This is great entertainment, but it shouldn’t guide you as an investor.

No one can consistently and continuously predict fluctuations in the markets. (Note how CNBC never keeps a running scorecard of its talking heads’ market predictions — it would likely embarrass them.)

You Should Not Be Focused On Variables Beyond Your Control

Moreover, you as a prudent investor shouldn’t be trying to predict market fluctuations, nor should a sound financial plan be affected by them. You cannot control what the market does, and you should not be focused on variables beyond your control.

Instead, you should only be focused on variables you can control. Any historian of the market knows it continuously and repeatedly goes through cycles of getting overheated followed by massive corrections.

The stock market will most assuredly continue its volatile cycles of exuberance and crashes because emotional human participants are what drive markets. Especially amusing is the market history of the tulip mania during the 1600s when, for a short time, a single tulip bulb sold for the equivalent of several years’ salary of a skilled craftsman.

There was also a period during our recent history, in the 1990s, when investors began to believe the stock market had entered a “new era” and would forever continue its double-digit upward climb because of the new Internet economy where profits didn’t matter. Most of those believers finally came back to reality after the crashes of 2000-02 and 2008.

A Sound Financial Plan Is Prepared for Volatility and Crashes

Your job as an investor (or your advisor’s job) is to craft a fundamentally sound financial plan that is prepared for market volatility and market declines. If the success of your financial plan and financial well-being are dependent on what the market does this year or even during the next three to five years, then you have a bad plan.

Let me repeat that point another way, because it’s the most critical piece of this post: The success of your financial plan should not depend on what the market does this year or even during the next three to five years. If it does, then you have a bad plan. 

The statistics from our past three major bear markets prove this point. I will get into the details of those in a minute.

I am consistently surprised by the number of people nearing retirement I meet with that have practically all of their retirement savings exposed to market risk. When I ask them why their entire portfolio is exposed to the market when they know they’ll need some of this money in just a few years, they tell me they don’t want to miss out on a big run-up in the market.

When I ask them what would happen to their retirement plans if instead the market suffered a 30% decline, a typical response is they don’t plan on that happening. As politely as I can, I try to explain that 1) the market doesn’t care about your plans, and 2) the market doesn’t pre-announce a decline—you’re typically in the middle of it before you realize it.

Lessons From the Past Three Major Bear Markets

Let’s take a look at the major bear markets of 1973-74, 2000-02, and 2008, and the lessons you should take away from those. First let’s examine the important statistics from those three bear markets.

Crash of 1973-74

One dollar invested in the S&P 500 at the end of 1972 fell to about $0.63 by the end of 1974, a two-year drop of 37%. (Note each of these examples assumes you reinvested dividends. Without dividends, your declines would have been even worse.) It was not until six years later in 1978 that the market permanently restored your dollar back to the break-even point and started growing it.

Crash of 2000-02

If you invested $1 in the S&P 500 at the end of 1999, it fell to about $0.62 by the end of 2002, a three-year total decline of 38%. Your dollar briefly got back above break-even in 2006-07 but fell significantly again after the crash of 2008. It was not until 2010 (10 years later!) that your dollar invested at the end of 1999 permanently made it above break-even (so far, anyway).

Crash of 2008

Finally, $1 invested in the S&P 500 at the end of 2007 fell to about $0.63 by the end of 2008, a decline of 37%, and it was not until five years later in 2012 that you recovered that dollar and stayed above break-even.

What History Tells Us

The first number that jumps out at me in these three major bear markets is the statistical irony that the total drop in each of these three events was 37% to 38%. That means if you had retirement assets of $100,000 invested in the market heading into each of these three bear markets you saw them decline to about $62,000 before they started increasing again.

Most investors can’t emotionally stomach that kind of drop in their account, even if they say they can. That’s why panicked selling occurs.

The second number that jumps out to me is even more important — the number of years it took your dollar to get back to break-even. After each of these three events it was at least five years!

If you’re in retirement or nearing retirement, you don’t have five years to wait for your dollar to get back to break-even. Otherwise you’ll be putting those retirement plans on hold because of poor planning, which many investors had to do after the 2000 and 2008 crashes.

So what should you, the investor, learn and apply from these three bear markets? It depends on how many years you are from your retirement goal.

If You’re More Than 10 Years Away From Retirement . . .

If you’re just starting out or mid-career and more than 10 years from retirement, then you should welcome with open arms a crash in the market. At this stage of your career you should be a net saver, and a crash gives you a great opportunity to dollar-cost average purchases into the market at lower prices (i.e., think in terms of continuous bargain shopping on Black Friday).

Those lower purchase prices will eventually boost your long-term gains. For example, investors who courageously kept buying throughout the bear market of 2008 have seen those purchases more than double in just the past few years.

If You’re Within Five Years of Retirement . . .

If you’re planning to retire within the next five years, then the data from these three bear markets overwhelmingly tell us that you should consider having at least your first five years of projected retirement withdrawals protected from downside risk.

If you don’t, then the history of bear markets tells us your retirement plan consists of crossing your fingers and hoping the market keeps going up during your last few years heading into your retirement. That’s not a plan.

Hope is useful in many aspects of life, but not in investing. In investing and retirement, you need peace of mind. That requires certainty with a solid plan.

You can protect the necessary portion of your assets in a number of ways, including options that still give you some upward potential, but that is a topic for another day. The important point here is you need to give some thought to how much of your assets are protected from downside risk.

Many investors believe bonds and bond funds are safe from downside risk. This belief is false! This mistaken belief is widely held because we are still in the middle of a historic 30-year bull market in the value of bonds that began in the early 1980s. (Or, conversely speaking, a 30-year bear market in long-term interest rates, since the value of bonds and interest rates move opposite each other.)

If and when interest rates begin a long-term rise again, you will see many unhappy bond investors, especially ones holding medium- and long-term bonds.

If You Are Retired . . .

And if you are in retirement, then bear market history tells us you should consider having 10 years of projected retirement withdrawals protected from downside risk.

A Solid Financial Plan Is Boring

I believe 24/7 news service has done a disservice to investors because it distracts investors from the financial planning fundamentals they should be focused on. The problem is that fundamentals are simple and boring, so they are not worthy of news coverage and would not fill up the airwaves long enough.

Just remember that 24/7 “news” media is ultimately in the business of entertainment, not protecting your retirement plan. So if the recent market volatility and the press coverage have you concerned, I suggest turning off the television, dusting off your financial plan, and reviewing its soundness.

Tim Van Pelt is a financial advisor and registered investment advisor representative of Steele Capital Management, Inc. The views expressed in this article are solely his and do not necessarily reflect the views of Steele Capital or its management. Mr. Van Pelt specializes in advanced financial planning techniques to help clients advantageously utilize the tax and estate planning code along with smart portfolio planning to maximize retirement income. He helps his clients assemble financial plans that properly fit together with their retirement planning, tax planning and estate planning. You can reach him at tjvanpelt@gmail.com or (608) 577-9877. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, investing, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own investment, tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

The post And the Stock Market Outlook Is… Who Cares?! appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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

Business Briefcase: Businesses get advice on prepping for emergencies

Small Business Assn. offers disaster preparedness webinars Hurricane season is under way. Having a business continuity plan is essential to establishing a successful and resilient small business. The cost of creating a disaster preparedness plan with a recovery component is small compared to the financial losses that may occur if there's no plan in place. [...]

Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/1Lv8Ywa

9 Ways Consumers Can Avoid or Minimize Bank Fees

From monthly maintenance fees to overdraft fees to online bill pay fees, banking is becoming more expensive.

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

This Couple Saves $1,200 a Year Using Prepaid Cell Phone Plans

One of the easiest ways I’ve found to cut costs was on our cell phone bill. When my wife and I were with Verizon over a year ago, we spent about $160 a month on our cell phone plan.

However, when our daughter was born, I wanted to find ways to cut costs without sacrificing our quality of life. We got rid of our cell phone contracts, bought unlocked phones and signed up for prepaid plans. Now we spend only $63 a month, saving almost $100 a month or $1,200 a year.

This is why I will never get a cell-phone contract again.

1. Cell Phone Contracts Aren’t Actually a Good Deal

The standard two-year cell phone contract doesn’t benefit the consumer at all.

I hear it all the time — people wait for their phone contracts to end so they can renew them and get a new phone at the cheaper, subsidized price. For example, an iPhone 6 on contract starts at $200 while buying it off contract is $650, according to Apple’s sales page. Buying a phone for $650 sounds crazy, right?

That’s exactly what AT&T and Verizon have wanted you to think for years. They don’t give you a $450 discount because they’re being charitable. They make up that difference by charging you higher monthly fees while locking you in as a customer for two years.

It’s worse for people on a family plan – everyone has different contract end dates which makes it even harder to leave your provider. The great thing about being off contract is I’m always shopping around for that better deal, and if I find one, I can jump carriers right away.

While Verizon may have just announced they’re getting rid of two-year contracts, not much will change as a result. While their monthly service plans may be cheaper, customers will now have to pay separately if they want to purchase a brand-new phone, likely in 24 monthly installments.  

But here’s the thing: Verizon phones run on a CDMA network, which means you can’t use them with other providers should you decide to move. AT&T, T-Mobile and most prepaid providers use GSM networks, which make it easier for customers to switch providers.

So even though Verizon might not technically offer contracts anymore, purchasing a phone through them essentially locks you into their service. Thanks, but no thanks, Verizon.

2. I Can Get a Cheaper Monthly Rate by Going Prepaid

Here’s a look at the plans my wife and I use:

$35 Cricket Wireless (Wife)

• Unlimited texts and calls
• Unlimited data (2.5GB high speed)

$30 T-Mobile Prepaid (Vic)

• Unlimited data and texts (5GB high speed)
• 100 calling minutes
• Save an extra $2 buying refill cards online using a Target Redcard and Ebates

If you’re switching to a prepaid provider, I highly recommend Cricket. It’s owned by AT&T, so you’re basically getting AT&T service, just at a cheaper rate. Cricket’s 4G data speed is capped at 8 megabits per second, but I don’t notice much of a difference between it and my T-Mobile LTE speed.

My T-Mobile prepaid plan only has 100 calling minutes, which I get around by using Google Hangouts to call over my data connection. It makes regular calling a little less convenient, which is why my wife sticks with Cricket, but I save an extra $7 a month, which is $84 a year.  

3. I’m Less likely to Buy a New Phone

I get it, I get it. We all want the latest and greatest. We get sucked into the marketing that we need “The Next Big Thing”

But really, nothing new has really happened since phones went from 3G to 4G. While screen sizes have gotten a little bigger and cameras have gotten sharper, nothing is so groundbreaking it compels me to get a shiny new phone. I have a perfectly fine iPhone 5s I intend to keep as long as possible until it slows down to a crawl or my daughter breaks it. (Did I just jinx myself?)

4. It’s All About About Total Cost, Not Monthly Cost

Whenever I tell someone to go off contract, the biggest issue they raise is they don’t want to pay full price for a brand new phone. Shoot, I don’t either!

You’re better off buying a used phone on Craigslist or on sites such as Swappa. I talk about iPhones in this post only because they’re the most popular option, but you can also get a good, nearly new Android phone such as the Moto X or OnePlus One for less than an iPhone.

If you have a cell phone contract, you’re still paying full price for a new phone, it’s just hidden in the monthly costs. When you compare the total costs of similar plans, you can see how much you can save if you go prepaid:

Cricket (2.5 GB) for Two Years, Prepaid

New iPhone 6 = $650

Plan ($35 a month) = $840

Total cost = $1,490

AT&T (3GB) Two-Year Contract

New iPhone 6 = $200

Activation Fee = $40

Plan ($80 a month) = $1,920

Total cost = $2,160

New Verizon (3GB) Two-Year Service

New iPhone 6 ($27.08 a month) = $650

Plan ($65 a month) = $1,560

Total cost = $2,210

Total Savings = $670 vs. AT&T, $720 vs. Verizon

By using a plan from Verizon or AT&T, you might think you’re getting the best possible coverage. While I can’t completely disagree with that, I do think that the coverage with most providers work well enough, especially in major areas. Living in LA County, I’ve used AT&T, Verizon, Cricket and T-Mobile and they’ve all worked fine.

Is Verizon and AT&Ts coverage worth the added cost of $670+? Not to me.

While the upfront cost of an unlocked phone off contract is crazy expensive, in the end you save a lot more.

Many people don’t worry about reducing their cell phone bills because they can “afford” the monthly payments. If you can cut your payment by $10, that’s an extra $120 in your pocket each year!

Switching to prepaid cell phone plans means we can put that $1,200 a year toward more important things like retirement, paying off our house or funding our daughter’s 529 plan.

Your Turn: Have you tried prepaid cell phone plans? How much did you save, and was it worth it for you?

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Vic is a simple, unassuming father living in a quaint house in a suburb of LA County. After having a daughter, he was inspired to discover ways to save money while living a richer and fuller life with his family. You can find Vic on his blog Dad is Cheap or reach him on Twitter at @dadischeap.

The post This Couple Saves $1,200 a Year Using Prepaid Cell Phone Plans appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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

Back to school money-saving offers

Laura Whitcombe

backtoschool.jpg

With the start of the new school year just around the corner, you're probably on the lookout for a few last-minute bargains.

With the start of the new school year just around the corner, you're probably on the lookout for a few last-minute bargains.

Parents spend an average of £236 per child getting them ready for the school year ahead, according to research by Santander.

Back to school money-saving offers

Feed Copy: 

With the start of the new school year just around the corner, you're probably on the lookout for a few last-minute bargains. Parents spend an average of £236 per child getting them ready for the school year ahead, according to research by Santander. Uniform, PE kit, stationery and rucksacks all contribute to the bill. Uniform amounts to £40 on average, school shoes £31 and coats another £24. And when other expenses – such as lunch money, travel, after-school activities and gadgets – are factored in, the cost of keeping a child at school is £52 per child a week in term time. That's a whopping £2,028 every school year. The biggest regular expense is school trips, which work out at £10 a week on average, followed by extra-curricular activities at £9 and packed lunches at £8. Parents whose children attend foundation or trust schools spend the most, at £375 on average upfront and then £93 a week. This is slightly higher than the £371 and £93 spent by parents of children attending private school (excluding school fees). Grammar school parents fork out £329 upfront and £76 on a weekly basis. The costs for community schools are £226 and £49 respectively. At academies, they're lower still at £262 and £56. Ways to save If you're worried about the costs, the good news is there are lots of ways to save. Here's a list of some of the best. 1. Cashback sites Websites such as Topcashback have lots of great Back to School deals, such as its spend £10 or more on Tesco F&F school uniform range and get £10 cashback. 2. Cashback credit cards Reward credit cards offer perks including cashback on whatever you spend, wherever you spend it. For example, the Santander 1|2|3 Credit Card pays 1% cashback in supermarkets and 2% in department stores, though it does come with an annual £24 fee. The Platinum Cashback Everyday Card has a very compelling introductory offer of 5% cashback for the first three months. It reverts to 1% cashback thereafter and has no annual fee. 3. Loyalty card deals Tesco Clubcard is currently running one of its popular Boost deals. You can exchange every £5 of your Clubcard vouchers for £10 of Boost tokens to spend at F&F online on all of the back to school range. 4. Supermarket deals The supermarkets seem to be doing their bit to help parents balance their budgets and all are offering some great deals. For example, the George at Asda range has a two-pack of boys' white poloshirts for just £2. 5. Back to school discounts Retailers are clambering over each other to win your custom. Argos has 50% off school bags, BHS 20% off all back to school items bought online (discount applied automatically) and M&S is offering £5 off full-priced school uniform when you spend £40 or more online (the code is SAVE5ONLINE). These deals won't last for long so what are you waiting for?

read more

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

Chipotle will celebrate 'National Career Day' by hiring 4,000 new workers

Chipotle is going on a hiring spree and wants to bring on 4,000 new employees in one day. The company said Monday that it's planning a mass hiring for September 9 that would increase its workforce by about 6.7%. On that day, every Chipotle across the U.S. will open early to interview 60 applicants at each location.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1EhNGm8

Nokia Launches Podcast To Spark Discussion Of How To #MakeTechHuman In Partnership With WIRED

The technology company seeks to elevate its brand via a year-long content marketing/native advertising partnership with WIRED.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1ETD9II

“We Test Everything” And Other Lies Online Marketers Tell

If you don't have a testing regimen in place, you might want to think twice. Columnist David Rodnitzky discusses some common instances where marketers skip testing — and why it's not a good idea.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1Ub59yr

Where Can Marketers Find The Best Customer Data? Under Their Noses

Columnist Mike Sands explains why you should make first-party data a priority and why it will bring you results when it comes to people-based marketing.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1EhDL0b

6 Questions to Ask Before Becoming a Makeup, Jewelry or Cookware Home Salesperson

Here's what to know before working for a direct selling company.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1Eg9rTh

Hidden Spots to Find Money in Your Budget

You can trim expenses easily, if you know where to look.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1Eg9sq4

Stocks to Buy if Democrats Keep the White House

Alternative energy, health care and consumer staples stocks could win with the Democrats.

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

How to Protect Your Assets From a Stock Market Crash

You can avoid significant losses using these strategies.

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

Stocks to Buy if Republicans Win the White House

Analysts say defense, energy and financial stocks are most likely to benefit from the GOP.

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

Money Lessons from a Scandal's Victim

As author Christina McDowell found out first hand, it’s not easy to rebuild after a financial catastrophe.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1U4bf8Z

Gas Could Dip Below $2 Gallon by Fall

Plunging oil prices over the past several months have reached the lowest level in more than six years.

Source CBN.com - Finance http://ift.tt/1Eg3BkJ

Stop Our Exclamation Point Addiction!

There's no getting around it: Marketing messages are glutted with exclamation points. Columnist Patrick Armitage says it's time for marketers to stop the deluge and instead raise the creative bar.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1WQ793i

How I Bought All My Kids’ Back-To-School Clothes for $38.16

Like many parents, I use to have a bad habit of making a mad, last-minute dash for back-to-school clothes.

My procrastination often resulted in spontaneous spending for the closest ensembles I could find and an outrageous bill that left me kicking myself later on. As a single parent, I simply had to monitor my pennies a lot better than that.

My daughters are eight and seven, and what fits them in August will definitely be too small by December, so spending hundreds of dollars on new clothes is out of the question.

Here’s how I shop secondhand strategically — and how I put together a back-to-school wardrobe for both girls for less than $40.

I Appreciate Hand-Me-Downs and Thrift Stores

Some parents turn their noses up at the idea of accepting used clothing from others because they may feel like a charity case.

However, as a solo parent, I love the concepts of “free,” “discounted” and “BOGO” (buy one, get one). I put my pride to the side for a minute and gave it a try. And when I saw how much money I was saving from thrift shopping, I was proud to call myself a cheapskate!

I Visit Different Thrift Stores

While I love Once Upon A Child, in my small town of Newport News, Virginia, there are a few other stores for children including a Boys and Girl’s Club thrift store, a few CHKD thrift stores and several Goodwills.

I try to visit these different stores at least once to get an idea of what type of items they have. A CHDK thrift store may have way more children’s items than the neighborhood Goodwill store.

Additionally, I pay attention to the sizes they carry. Do they cater to toddlers, school-aged kids or teenagers? This helps me determine which stores are most useful when shopping for my family — and which will help me save the most money.

I Focus on Thrift Stores Close to Wealthy Areas

We all want nice things, especially for our children. I’ve found thrift stores in wealthy zip codes in my area tend to have nicer items.

Wealthy folks have the money to purchase nice items and are more likely to drop their old things at the closest thrift store. Doing a quick Google search of thrift stores near wealthy neighborhoods helps me determine where to shop first.

I Follow Thrift Stores on Social Media and Sign Up for Their Newsletters

Signing up for email newsletters, and following the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds of popular children’s thrift stores like Once Upon A Child helps me take advantage of deals.

Recently, I bought all my kids back-to-school clothing at a “stuff-the-bag” sale — everything had to fit in standard shopping bags. I left with two over-stuffed bags of used, well-kept clothes for my girls:

• 14 shirts
• 1 skirt
• 1 dress
• 1 pair of shorts
• 9 pairs of pants

…all for $38.16!

Companies tend to give special coupons and deals to their most loyal followers, so email subscribers and social media fans get first dibs.

I Get Up Early to Take Advantage of Thrift Sales

And when I don’t, I regret it. When I arrived at the store for the stuff-the-bag sale at 9:15 a.m., there was already a line down the sidewalk — and the store didn’t open until 9:30!

Tons of other people want to take advantage of the same sales. Do yourself a favor and get there earlier so you can get your hands on the cutest hand-me-downs first!

I Take My Kids Shopping

While some older children may be less than enthusiastic about thrift stores, I say, don’t hide your thriftiness from your children. Take them shopping with you, and teach them to get excited about finding great deals!

My kids love to dabble in the toy and book sections, and because these items are so heavily marked down, buying them a “new” toy is not a huge money hassle for me. It could even spark a change in money habits for them that could last into adulthood.

These strategies make shopping for my children a breeze. It’s not a decision between clothes and the cable bill anymore!

Your Turn: How do you save money on back-to-school clothes for your kids?

Monica Leftwich is a working mom and freelance writer who loves to discuss topics like women’s health and single parenting issues. When she’s not working, she’s eating sushi, making spaghetti and meatballs for her kids, or belly dancing. Find her at monicaleftwich.com.

The post How I Bought All My Kids’ Back-To-School Clothes for $38.16 appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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

40 Free (or Extremely Low-Cost) Things I Genuinely Enjoy Doing – and You Might, Too

Live music is like magic — and many communities offer free concerts, like this one in Portsmouth, N.H. Photo: Prescott Park Arts Festival via Facebook

A reader recently “called me out” via Facebook:

I don’t really buy your claim that there are more “free” things to do than you have time to do for the rest of your life.

It’s a claim that I make pretty regularly, and I’ll say it again here. There are more free (or extremely inexpensive) things out there that I want to do than I have time to do over the rest of my life. There simply isn’t enough time to do all of it.

Because of that, I am slowly having a harder and harder time motivating myself to do things that require spending money. Knowing that I have so many free (or nearly free) things that I want to do makes it harder for me to justify spending a lot of money on leisure and entertainment.

So, then, what are these free things that I would spend my hours on? Here are 40 of them.

Now, I’m not going to argue that many of these won’t be appealing to you. What I fully expect is that everyone who reads this article will go through the list and shrug their shoulders at about… 30 or 35 of the items on the list. Everyone has different interests, after all.

Still, there are two key things that are really valuable from this list.

One, I expect most people will find about 10 or so things on the list that actually describe things that they would want to do. When you find those, mark them down, and the next time you’re looking for something to do, do one of those 15 or so things!

Two, the 10 or so things that appeal to each reader will be different from reader to reader. Some readers will find No. 14 exciting, while others won’t. Some readers will be on board with No. 29, while others will not. Everyone is wired differently, with different interests.

So, here we go. Here are 40 things I genuinely enjoy doing that are free or extremely cheap. If I actually did these things to the full extent that I would like to do them, I’m pretty sure I would completely run out of time.

1. Read a large swath of the great books out there.

This alone could eat up years of my life. There are so many truly great books out that deserve my attention and time, yet the reality is that there simply aren’t enough hours to read them all.

Take one area alone: philosophy. It’s an area of interest of mine, but if you start making a list of philosophical works that are worth reading, like, say, this one combined with this one, you’ll have dozens and dozens of books to read.

What about other subjects? I want to read great works of literature, of economics, of science, of fantasy, of science fiction, of history… the list goes on and on, and in each of those areas, I could make a long, long list of books like the one for philosophy.

Not only that, I like to journal many of the books I read. I almost take notes from them, and in some cases, I do take notes as I go. I don’t want to just read them, but absorb them.

The best part? I can get infinite books from the library, for free. Almost all of the books I would list can easily be found at my local library or through interlibrary loan.

2. Train for and run a sub-25-minute 5K.

For experienced athletes, this might seem like a simple thing to achieve. It’s not a mind-bending accomplishment. Yet, it is something that I know I have the potential to achieve. I was able to run a mile in well under nine minutes in high school, so I know that I have the potential within me to pull it off.

It just requires getting up off the couch and actually doing it. I have to go outside and start.

Yeah, my times right now are atrocious. I’m far from that 25-minute goal. But I know that with each 5K that I do, using some smart techniques that won’t injure me and also will help me build endurance, that time will go down. And down. And down.

It’s up to me. No one else.

3. Volunteer for the political campaigns of candidates I care about.

This is something I’ve done in the past, and here in Iowa, where the presidential candidates start invading almost two years before the next presidential election, there’s almost no “down time” between political campaigns. I can volunteer almost any time I like for candidates that need my support.

To me, supporting a candidate for office means more than just voting for that candidate on election day or writing that candidate a check. It means actually going out there and doing some of the dirty work that gets a candidate elected. Calling people. Knocking on doors. Running errands. Driving people around. Setting up computers, and fixing them. Filling out paperwork. Those are the kind of “grunt work” tasks that make a difference.

That takes time, particularly as elections approach. It can eat up every second of free time if you let it. However, if you believe in a candidate or a cause, it’s a great way to use your time. It also doesn’t cost a dime.

4. Make a good sketch of things in the world.

The catch here, of course, is “good.”

All you really need for this is a pencil or a pen and a sheet of paper. Sure, you can get all kinds of specialized equipment, but when you’re just learning how to make a good sketch, that’s really all you need.

5. Teach a class for local organizations on personal finance (that isn’t tied to selling stuff).

A few years ago, I spoke at several local libraries and a number of community groups about personal finance issues. I had a nice presentation that went along with it and ended up having a ton of great discussions with people.

Then our third child was born and I found myself having to turn down a few opportunities and stopped chasing new ones… and it died out.

I’d like to start it up again. I need to redo the presentation I made and get in contact with some local libraries again.

For me, this isn’t a thing to make money. It’s just something I enjoy doing. I love helping people reach a better understanding of their finances so that they can make wiser decisions for today and for tomorrow. This lets me do it in a very face-to-face way, and it doesn’t cost me anything.

6. Take photos of every kind of bird that lives naturally in this county.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying taking photographs of the birds native to my area, of which there are a lot. I started by taking pictures of an unusual-sounding bird that resided on the roof of my neighbor’s house and had a strange song that kept attracting my attention. I took several pictures trying to identify it… and realized that I had a lot of fun doing it.

So, now, I’m taking pictures of birds everywhere with my phone and using online tools to identify the birds. I can find quite a few different ones just within a short walk of my home and even more if I ride my bicycle there.

It’s fun to discover a bird that I haven’t seen before, to stay still and figure out where it is, to position my camera and get a good shot before he flies away. It takes patience and awareness, but it’s well rewarded.

7. Start a (better) permaculture setup in our yard.

Our goal, eventually, is to fill much of our yard and garden with perennial plants that survive well in our normal climate. In central Iowa, there’s quite a variety of plants that do just that.

This includes things like experimenting with plant layers, improving our natural use of water, minimizing soil runoff via natural means, and so on.

Ideally, we’d like to reach a point where our yard produces fruits, vegetables, and herbs with almost no effort each and every year. That will take a lot of work, though, but it’s work that’s enjoyable, mostly very inexpensive, and can be done almost any time.

• Related: Financial Independence and Permaculture

8. Create a semi-inspirational YouTube video channel and thoroughly populate it with videos.

I’ve had an idea for a great YouTube channel for a while now, one that combines inspirational material with truly practical ideas. I’ve brainstormed many aspects of the channel, but I’ve never taken the time to continue to put it together.

I have the equipment I need – a camera and some video editing software are already in my home. It’s all about the time and the energy.

My hope is to involve one of my children in this project on the technical end if they’re interested, which leads into my next idea.

9. Help each of my children launch a microbusiness of their own.

I’d love for my children to gain an understanding and appreciation of entrepreneurship beyond the mere “lemonade stand” level. There are lots of simple enterprises they could take on themselves, from starting a YouTube channel to providing a driveway clearing service during the winter snows.

There’s a lot of work involved in making something like this successful, and getting involved with their entrepreneurial plans as a hands-on advisor sounds wonderful to me. My interest is mostly in helping them see and avoid pitfalls as they build up income streams for themselves.

Are they young for this? Perhaps, but not overly so. There are plenty of opportunities out there for them right now!

• Related: Four Businesses Kids Can Start Themselves

10. Volunteer to coach youth sports.

Coaching youth sports – especially for very young kids – is something that appeals greatly for me. It opens the children to a number of concepts, such as the fact that hard work usually pays off and that you can build skills over time. Not only that, it’s just simply fun to run around on a field of play and participate in a sport.

It’s something I enjoy on many levels, but it’s also a real commitment of time and energy to do it, so I don’t do it every single season. I generally volunteer when I am needed, but I end up enjoying it thoroughly.

So, not only do I actually enjoy the coaching aspect, I also enjoy learning more about how to coach youth sports. I read books and watch videos on the subject as well.

11. Visit and hike the trails of every state park in Iowa.

Here’s a complete list of Iowa’s state parks and preserves. All of them are well within a day trip of my home here in central Iowa, with some of them within biking range.

Packing up a picnic lunch, heading to one of these parks, exploring the trails, enjoying lunch somewhere, then returning home is a pretty low expense, considering it’s not only a full day of entertainment for me, but also for my children.

Most parks have enough trails to explore and things to see that you can spend more than a day at each one thoroughly enjoying the beauty and the offerings.

12. Take all of the classes online that are needed to complete – or come as close as possible to completing – a degree in a particular subject.

With the advent of huge numbers of online courses at sites like OpenCourseWare, it’s now possible to mimic most of the coursework for a college degree online for free from the comfort of your home, provided you’re willing to piece together the degree “program” yourself from a number of different websites.

I’ve actually been doing this with philosophy off and on for the past several months. I fill my spare time with things like PL SC 114.

I listen to the lectures, take notes by hand, pause the lectures when I need to, then when I’m done, I transcribe the lecture notes I just took back into the computer into Evernote, looking up things that I’m unsure about and clarifying anything that confuses me along the way. I also do the recommended reading (or as close to that reading as I can) between lectures, using free online resources.

The end result is that I feel as though I’m building a strong background in philosophy, one that will aid me when I study other subjects in the future. Topics I plan to address after I’ve done philosophy include mathematics and political science.

• Related: College Without the Degree (or the Cost)

13. Study the Bible in its entirety.

I’m fascinated by the Bible, not just as a purely religious text, but also as a cultural text, too. It’s a book that was written by hundreds of people over centuries, but also includes whole documents from beginning to end. In different places, it’s written for different audiences. There are so many different ways to look at this document.

Because of that depth, I’ve always wanted to take a true thorough crack at it, digging deep into commentaries and concordances to really get a stronger grip on that book which has shaped so much of the modern world.

I have a great structure in place for actually doing this, but it, again, requires a lot of time invested that can be broken down into lots of little pieces, meaning it’s perfect for me to pick up and fill my spare time with it.

14. Learn how to play the old guitar in my closet.

I have a guitar that has sat in my closet for years. I’ve always wanted to learn how to play it. I have a number of videos and tools on my computer to teach me to play, as well as many musically-inclined friends and relatives that can give me tips.

One big motivation is the nascent musical appreciation of my children, two of whom are actively involved in learning to play an instrument. It’s an experience I’d love to enjoy with them.

Again, it’s a matter of sitting down and devoting my spare time to actually learning this. I have the equipment and materials I need, so there’s no extra cost. It’s all about the time.

15. Grow successful crops of barley and hops to make my own from-scratch home brew.

I love making my own beer. It’s not a free hobby, but once you have the equipment, it’s not terribly expensive, either. The big expense comes from the grains and hops involved.

So, why not grow my own grains and hops?

It won’t add any expense to the process, really. If the crops go well, then it’ll reduce the costs quite significantly. Plus, it seems like a fun project. All I need is, again, some time to make it happen.

16. Solve a Rubik’s Cube, then solve it quickly (in under, say, 30 seconds, as a great party novelty trick).

I used to be able to solve a Rubik’s Cube. At one point, I could solve it quickly enough – in perhaps two or three minutes – that it was a neat little party trick. Lately, I’ve tried a few times recently and I just don’t remember the algorithm.

It’s just a simple party trick I’d like to add to my repertoire of little things I can do, but it takes practice. For starters, I have to fully re-learn how to do it. For another, I need to practice it until I can do it quickly.

Again, this takes time, but this is the definition of something I can just pick up and do whenever I’d like.

17. Do as many pushups in a row without stopping as possible, and keep raising that number. Repeat with planks and other exercises.

Pushups. Situps. Planks. Burpees. There are a lot of great body-weight exercises that people can do to get themselves in better shape. The value in them is through repetition – doing a bunch of them quickly to elevate your heart rate, test your strength, and get your blood pumping.

I can do a nice number of each of these, but I’d always like to see that number go up. How high can I get those numbers before my muscles won’t do it, before I have to quit? The higher, the better.

The nice part about body-weight exercises like this is that I can basically do them anywhere. I can do them in my living room or in my wife’s grandfather’s guest bedroom or in the back yard. It doesn’t cost anything, either.

18. Attend any and all free musical concerts in my town and in adjacent towns.

Throughout the year, my community and some of the ones around us have free musical concerts in the park or in certain venues. These are usually announced online through the city websites and thus it’s easy to find them if you just look around for them.

I love live music. It’s like a magical emotional amplifier for me. It makes me want to get up and dance or slam my head to the music or feel the depths of emotional despair. It’s like magic.

When that magic is free, I want to be there.

19. Record and promote a long-running podcast.

I’ve dabbled in podcasting before, but I never really stuck with it. I enjoyed the process, but at the time I was working so hard to build an audience for The Simple Dollar that I felt burnt out doing it for two things at once.

Now, things are different. I’ve been thinking of jumping back into podcasting and have dipped my toes in here and there. I already have all of the equipment I need, which really isn’t too much, at least to get started.

What I need is blocks of time. Again, time. It’s the magic element of all of this. Not money.

20. Run for the school board of my local school district.

For the most part, the local school board does an amazing job and a thankless one. So why run for the school board (and take the time to serve on it)?

Sometimes, school board slots are filled by whoever can be convinced to run, for starters. They need people.

At the same time, I’ve seen a few decisions that the board has made over the past several years that has made me scratch my head. Those are few and far between, but they do exist. (One big one involves the school calendar.)

That’s why I’ve been considering running for the school board during the next election. Not only does it fill a community need, it also matches an interest of mine. It’s something I care about and am interested in that could potentially use the help.

21. Run a full role-playing game campaign.

I’ve loved role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons since I was a teenager. It provides a great imaginative outlet and a way to explore the differences between good and evil while also developing creativity and teamwork, all in the construct of a game.

I’ve run role playing sessions before using material created by others, but I’ve always wanted to create and run one using entirely my own ideas.

This takes a lot of work, but I’ve seen in the past how fulfilling it can be to run an adventure someone else wrote, and I can easily see how much more fulfilling it could be if you run your own adventure.

22. Finally finish the research for and write the nonfiction book that I’ve been toying with for years.

I have long been fascinated by the America First movement, which was a political movement in America that was opposed to World War II in 1939 to 1941. I’ve actually read a bunch of source documents, including documents from the movement, news reports about them, and other materials, and I’ve got a powerful idea for a book about it with a ton of references.

The problem is… it takes a lot of work to turn all of that stuff into an actual book. I have a pile of research materials, but can I turn it into something wortwhile? I also have some serious holes that I need to fill with some evidence for my claims.

It’s just sitting there for me. It’s an enjoyable task (for me, anyway) that won’t cost me anything other than time and focus and mental energy. Can I step up to the plate?

23. Volunteer for a regular shift at the local food pantry.

I’m essentially on a “call as needed” roster of volunteers at my local food pantry, which means I’ve had to work a shift twice this year and I showed up to help unload a bunch of food another time. That’s not a high level of volunteerism and I’m interested in stepping it up a notch.

A food pantry is a powerful piece of one’s community. It helps people keep food on their table when they might otherwise struggle, often helping in ways you never see. It gives aid to people at their lowest moments, something society really struggles with, and it’s done with the goodwill of others, nothing more.

That’s amazing. I always feel really good when I work there, and I want to do more.

24. Write a successful mobile app.

I’ve been experimenting with Swift, which is the new programming language that iOS and OS X apps are built with. I’ve written some really simple test applications, but I’d like to take that to a whole new level.

I have a really interesting idea for an app, but it’s really complicated. I’m going to have to learn a lot from where I’m currently at in order to be able to pull it off.

The thing is, I know I can get there. It’s just a matter of, again, spending the free time to learn some things.

25. Call my mother or my father or other people who are truly important in my life.

This is something I need to do on a regular basis, not just for my own well-being, but for the well-being of the people I care about most.

I like the words of J.K. Simmons on this topic, from his win at the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor: “And if I may, call your mom. Everybody — I’m told there’s like a billion people or so. Call your mom, call your dad. If you are lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call them. Don’t text, don’t e-mail. Call them on the phone. Tell them you love them and thank them and listen to them for as long as they want to talk to you.”

Thank you, Mom and Dad. I need to give you a call.

26. Fully organize some of the more disorganized areas of my home.

This is one of those things that seems like “work” when you think of it from a distance, but as you’re doing it, it feels good and when you’re done it feels really good.

There are many nooks and crannies in our home that need to be cleaned, from the rafters in the garage to the closet in my office. It takes time to empty out those spaces, figure out what needs to stay and what needs to go, and figure out what to do with all of that stuff.

A lot of it needs to go, and it will feel good when it does.

27. Build my rock collection.

Our front garden is decorated with rocks that our family has collected from different journeys over the years. We have rocks of all kinds and all colors, from sparkly geodes to unusual chunks of jet black, from fossils to smooth white ones.

To find them, however, we need to go out there and explore the world. We need to wander around beaches and hills and stream beds. We need to look at and clean lots of rocks.

Activities like this and bird watching synergize quite well, and they provide great motivation for getting out of the house and doing something fun. Plus, it’s all free!

28. Learn to identify trees and mushrooms native to Iowa by their leaves, fruits, nuts, and plant shape.

Once upon a time, I was pretty good at identifying trees in western Illinois. Where I live now, the trees are largely the same, but I’ve forgotten more than I remember at this point. It’s a skill I’d like to sharpen again.

Along with that, I’d like to become better at identifying wild mushrooms. I find mushrooms fascinating, as they’re an amazing example of how life always finds a way.

This takes time. It takes books, too, but they can be checked out from the library. It’s another activity that’s very synergistic with walking in the woods, looking for rocks, and other similar activities on this list, but it makes those trips ever longer.

29. Prepare all of the meals in a few amazing cookbooks that I have.

I have several cookbooks that are loaded from beginning to end with great recipes. I dearly love Egg by Michael Ruhlman, for example, and I also love The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart and Ron Manville, just to name two.

I’d love to dig deep into those books, preparing the multitudes of recipes within, and even trying some of them several times to really understand the techniques.

The only thing I need is ingredients. It really doesn’t cost any more than making normal meals at home. It just requires time.

30. Learn how to use Adobe Illustrator and Adobe After Effects.

I’ve had a copy of Adobe Illustrator for a couple of years (I won a key for it in a contest), but I’ve never really understood how to use it. I’d love to learn how to utilize the program to design logos and a few other things.

Similarly, I have a copy of After Effects that I’d like to use to aid in some of the videos I want to make.

Adobe’s software is really powerful, but there’s a lot to learn with the interface. I can’t wait to dig in. Again, since this is software I already have, there’s no real cost involved here.

31. Play every board game in my closet at least a dozen times.

Board gaming is one of my main hobbies. I go to a community game night once a week, as well as a friend’s game night on a pretty regular basis. I love playing thoughtful strategic board games.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve built up a nice collection of such games (as this hobby started early in my teen years). Honestly, though, I haven’t played many of the games on my shelf nearly enough.

My goal is to eventually play every game on my gaming shelves at least a dozen times. Some of them are far above that count, of course, but there are quite a few deserving games on there that haven’t reached the “dozen” count yet. Let’s change that.

32. Run for the city council and serve as well as I can.

Most of my comments about the school board also apply here. For the most part, the city council does an amazing job and a thankless one. So why run for the school board (and take the time to serve on it)?

Two reasons: One, sometimes there aren’t enough people to fill the ballot. Two, there are always decisions that a city council makes that are tough and, from the outside, sometimes those decisions aren’t clear. I’d like to be involved in making those decisions and making them clear.

That’s why I’ve been considering running for the city council during the next election. Not only does it fill a community need, it also matches an interest of mine.

33. Write and edit the fantasy novel that’s been bumping around in my head.

About once a month, I get filled with fire about the fantasy novel I’ve been thinking about for years. I’ll write several rough chapters of it, then I’ll re-read them and feel as though they don’t really match the vision in my head.

Usually, at that point, I just delete them.

Lately, though, I’ve been saving those rough chapters. I feel like they all fit together in some way, though I haven’t really figured out how. Can a novel come out of this? I certainly hope so.

34. Prepare for and ride RAGBRAI.

RAGBRAI refers to the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. It’s a week-long affair in the summer where people can ride their bikes from one side of Iowa to the other – usually from the Missouri River to the Mississippi, dipping a bike tire in the water at each end.

It’s more of an endurance event than anything else, and it would really challenge my bicycling skills. I can bike easily to the next town over and back, but RAGBRAI would mean days of riding that are each several times that distance.

It would require lots of training and preparation, but, again, I already have what I need to tackle this. I just need the time and initiative and energy.

35. Raise my morel hunting skills so that I can bag a few pounds each spring.

Every spring, I spend a bunch of hours in the woods looking for morels, which are a type of sac fungi that are considered a delicacy in many circles. However, morels do not grow in farms like many other fungi do – the only way to find them is by locating them in the woods. I even wrote about this in the past.

It’s an adventure, but it’s one I’m bad at. I’ve found exactly one morel in the last several years, sadly enough.

I need to raise my skills. I also need to find new legal places to look. Both of those require time, but they don’t really require money. They just require talking to people and spending time out in the woods.

36. Develop and publish my own board game.

I have an idea for what I think is a really good board game. It exists in an awful prototype form.

On top of that, my two oldest children and I developed another very simple card game that uses only 15 cards, but makes for a brilliant bluffing game.

I’d love to see both games published. The second one is a very simple one and is probably closer to publication, but both need a high quality prototype made. It’s a simple, inexpensive craft project to get to that point. From there, it’s all about improving the games and then showing them to publishers.

37. Make a very low-budget movie.

My two sons have both expressed interest in film making and we’ve made a few simple films at home, but I’d like to work with them to raise the level of the filmmaking.

We have a high-quality video camera ready to use that shoots in 1080p. We also have a costume closet and a lot of areas nearby that would be great for filming.

The thing that stands in our way is a script (which needs work), a cast, and some careful scene planning.

Our first endeavor will probably be a short film of some kind.

38. Raise my chess skill to at least a “master” level.

A long time ago, I used to work with someone who had a pretty good chess ranking. On the occasions when I played with him, he decimated me, but he also repeatedly told me that I had good tendencies and just needed to work at the game to get better.

I find that whenever I study chess, I enjoy it quite a bit and I do see the improvement. My biggest opposition to studying chess is lack of opponents.

However, my own children are starting to become interested in the game, particularly my oldest child. Perhaps this is the time to really start sharpening my chess game.

39. Prepare for and run a marathon.

This is something of an extension of getting ready for a 5K, but on a much larger scale. A marathon is a very big goal compared to my current fitness level, but it’s one that really interests me.

As with most other goals on here, I have everything I need to make it happen. It’s just simply choosing to spend time each day to actually make it happen.

I feel like this one is a goal that I can do at the same time as the 5K goal, at least at the start, but they do require somewhat different training as I get closer to this one.

40. Help out with a community theater.

I’m not so much interested in the acting (though I could see myself in the right role, such as the major-general in Pirates of Penzance), but I am interested in things like lighting, stage craft, and so on. The mechanisms of making a stage play work are interesting.

Thus, I’ve long considered volunteering for a community theater with regards to the “back stage” things that need to be done.

This type of experience would also help with the idea of making movies, as discussed earlier, as the crafts are quite similar.

Final Thoughts

I’ve long said that the idea of boredom is basically alien to me. I have more things to fill up my life than I will ever have time for.

This list is proof of that. In this list alone are enough free and extremely low cost things to do that I can never actually do all of them well in the free time that I have left on this earth. The first one alone could do that, let alone the others.

Yes, as you read through this list, you’ll probably find a lot that aren’t of interest to you. However, you probably found a few that did sound compelling, and if you spend some time thinking along these lines, you’ll probably come up with more.

Now, what’s keeping you from getting started? And why would you ever choose to do expensive things when you have a handful of compelling free things to fill your time and energy with?

The post 40 Free (or Extremely Low-Cost) Things I Genuinely Enjoy Doing – and You Might, Too appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Source The Simple Dollar The Simple Dollar http://ift.tt/1KK4Nd2

All National Parks are Free Today! Get Outside for the Last Days of Summer

Rumors of pumpkin spice lattes filling your social media feeds? Summer is quickly winding down, and there are only a few days left to enjoy quality time with the family before the air gets that crispy edge.

If you still have a few days to enjoy with the kids before back-to-school season, it’s time to pack in as much free summer fun as possible — including enjoying some time in the great outdoors.

For today only (Aug. 25, 2015), there’s a special freebie up for grabs: in honor of its 99th birthday, the National Parks Service is waiving entrance fees to all of its parks.

How to Get Into National Parks for Free: The Details

The 408 national parks across the United States offer everything from breathtaking scenery to seasonal events to fun activities for the whole family.

Kids can learn more about the parks and pledge to preserve nature as part of the Junior Ranger program. History buffs can explore archeological sites, take mine tours, walk heritage trails and more. Or you can simply enjoy the stunning scenery at one of the 597 National Natural Landmarks located in 48 states.

On most days, entrance fees vary by park. Popular sites like Yellowstone charge from $15 (per individual) to $30 (per vehicle) for a 7-day pass, while less-traversed sites like Everglades National Park in Florida charge $5 per individual and $10 per vehicle for a 7-day pass.

But for today only, you and the kids can get in for free! The 99th birthday bash fee waiver includes entrance fees and commercial tour fees, but does not cover extras like camping or concessions.

NPS is also throwing a #FindYourPark campaign with fun extras like Find Your Park Experiences across the country and a list of 99 Ways to Find Your Park, wherever you may be.

Not all national parks charge for admittance; while 127 require entrance fees, others are always free.

Other Options for Free Park Days

The National Park Service was established in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Today, NPS provides a wide range of services, including preserving local heritage, educating the public about climate change and offering an Artist-in-Residence program.

Miss the 99th birthday bash? Here’s a list of days when you can get into parks for free throughout the year.

We’ve also written about how to use a special pass to get into a handful of parks at a reduced rate, and how to live for free as a campground host.

Your Turn: Will you visit a national park today? Which one?

Kelly Gurnett is a freelance blogger, writer and editor who runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

The post All National Parks are Free Today! Get Outside for the Last Days of Summer appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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

US Traders: Get Ready for another Wild Ride

Investors are bracing themselves Tuesday for what could be another wild ride on Wall Street. Chinese stocks fell again, but there were signs of hope on other markets.

Source CBN.com - Finance http://ift.tt/1PPPt36

7 Ways To Leverage Social Signals To Improve Content Performance

When it comes to content and improving search rankings, don't shrug off social, says columnist Jim Yu. Instead, think of social, content and search as a three-pronged approach to achieving marketing success.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

Source Marketing Land - Internet Marketing News, Strategies & Tips http://ift.tt/1V74OiM

Jackson Twp. winery is growing as fast as a grape vine

The Mountain View Winery has been growing at what owner Linda Rice called a “crazy, ridiculous rate.”The Jackson Township winery, complete with two tasting rooms and a seating room for 30, is about to celebrate its six-year anniversary and has begun to outgrown its space on Effort Neola Road. To keep up with business, Rice and her husband, Randy, recently purchased 90 acres of property down the road to convert into an organic vineyard and 3,500 square-foot tasting room. [...]

Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/1JgOdS5

7 Tricks to Lower Your Rent

Sick of writing that massive rent check? Try these tips to pay less.

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

FTSE 100 leads European bounce as China slides further

Rebecca Jones

stocksandshares copy.jpg

The UK's FTSE 100 index led European stockmarkets higher on Tuesday as China's market continued to tumble following Monday's global market rout.

The UK's FTSE 100 index led European stockmarkets higher on Tuesday as China's market continued to tumble following Monday's global market rout.

The FTSE 100 index was trading up 2.6% to 6052 by mid-morning on Tuesday, after shedding close to 5% on Monday in one of the worst global stockmarket sell-offs since the collapse of Lehman Brothers bank in 2008.

FTSE 100 leads European bounce as China slides further

Feed Copy: 

The UK's FTSE 100 index led European stockmarkets higher on Tuesday as China's market continued to tumble following Monday's global market rout. The FTSE 100 index was trading up 2.6% to 6052 by mid-morning on Tuesday, after shedding close to 5% on Monday in one of the worst global stockmarket sell-offs since the collapse of Lehman Brothers bank in 2008. European stockmarkets also enjoyed a mild bounce, with Germany's DAX up 3.1%, France's Cac 40 up 3.4%, Spain's Ibex 35 up 2.8% and Italy's FTSE Italia All Share up 3.3% by 11.20am on Tuesday. Dubbed 'Black Monday' by market pundits, 24 August saw global equity markets shed an estimated $1.6 trillion. In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average index closed 3.6% down after shedding 1,000 points at the open. This followed a 3% slide on Friday (21 August). The global sell-off was prompted by concerns over the ability of the Chinese government to halt the slide in China's stockmarket, combined with the country's slowing rate of economic growth and the falling value of its currency. The Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index shed 8.5% on Monday, marking the worst sell-off in a single market since the crash of Lehman Brothers bank in 2008. On Tuesday the index continued to lose ground, shedding 7.6%. In response to the crisis, the Chinese government announced a cut to its main interest rate by from 4.85% to 4.6% on Tuesday night (Beijing time), marking the fifth interest rate cut since November. The People's Bank of China (PBoC) also cut also cut banks' reserve requirements, which is the level of cash that Chinese banks must park with the PBoC, by 0.25 percentage points to 18%. This is effective as of 6 September. Investors on the sidelines On Tuesday morning the UK's chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne warned the UK was 'not immune' to the global crisis. "Britain is a very open economy, we are probably the most open of the world's largest economies. And so we are affected by what happens, whether it is problems in the eurozone or problems in Asian financial markets," he told the Financial Times. Commenting on the recovery of the FTSE 100 and equivalent indices around Europe on Tuesday, David Madden, market analyst at global trading firm IG, warns global markets are not yet out of the woods. "While the moves we've experienced this morning in Europe are encouraging, the market still has a lot of ground to make up before we're back to normal levels. "In these situations, dealers are very fearful of a false dawn, and unless the market moves above certain technical levels we could be heading for another move lower. Too many traders have been traumatised by yesterday's collapse, and are waiting it out on the sidelines," says Madden. Nigel Green, chief executive of deVere Group, offers a similar view. While large falls in equity prices tend to be viewed as a buying opportunity by adventurous investors, Green suggests that now is not yet the time for 'bargain hunting'. "Investors must be vigilant of the Black Monday events and what has led to them. They need to ensure that their portfolios are properly diversified by geography, industrial sector and asset class in order to manage risk and navigate the growing volatility," he says. "In terms of what investors should do, it is not 'sell in a panic', or the opposite reaction: 'fill your boots with bargains'. For most long-term investors, it is 'keep calm and carry on'. It's nearly impossible to predict what the stockmarket is going to do in the immediate future – and it is much too early to say if the current sell-off is nearing its bottom."

read more

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

25% of students have borrowed £350 in payday loans

Hannah Nemeth

studentpounds.jpg

Some 25% of undergraduate and postgraduate students in the UK owe an average of £342 to payday lenders.

Some 25% of undergraduate and postgraduate students in the UK owe an average of £342 to payday lenders.

Not only do 25% of students have money owing to payday lenders but a whopping 92.4% incur late charges, with 54.5% admitting to always being charged for paying back the loan late, according to Future Finance.

25% of students have borrowed £350 in payday loans

Feed Copy: 

Some 25% of undergraduate and postgraduate students in the UK owe an average of £342 to payday lenders. Not only do 25% of students have money owing to payday lenders but a whopping 92.4% incur late charges, with 54.5% admitting to always being charged for paying back the loan late, according to Future Finance. And it's not just payday lenders who are benefiting from the financial struggle students face, as 24% of those studying admit they have gambled to try to improve their finances, while 13% have taken part in clinical trials. To supplement their student loans, nearly two thirds (64%) of students in the UK work part-time but more than a sixth of these believe this affects their studies. Meanwhile, more than half (58%) relied on the Bank of Mum and Dad for extra money, with only 8% of students saying they could rely on their university for support. Almost two-thirds (64%) of students spend a lot of time worrying about money, while more than a quarter were anxious that financial hardship would make then give up their university course. University students need an average of £8,000 above what government-subsidised loans provide to cover their tuition and living expenses, according to a report by the National Union of Students. Bad choices Brian Norton, chief executive of Future Finance, said: "The growing gap between the costs of education and available financing sources is still leading students to make bad choices or, in some cases, exclude them from furthering education altogether." For the Moneywise guide to cutting the cost of student life, click here. http://ift.tt/1WPM0X8

read more

Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/1V6QDKt

How to Work From Home as a Transcriptionist

By Sheeroh Digitization is gradually taking over everything and transforming the manner in which things are done. Most of all, it is taking them online. We are banking, shopping, dating, and socializing online. Better still, people are working online! Transcription is one of the available work from home jobs whereby freelancers are converting their skills […]

Source The Work at Home Woman http://ift.tt/1MQOqS7

Who is the new Star Wars villain?

WE KNOW he wears a lot of black, wields a three-pronged lightsaber, and really likes to collect Darth Vader memorabilia. But who is Kylo Ren?

Source NEWS.com.au | Business http://ift.tt/1ESP0qk

Dorm Room Essentials: What’s Worth Buying and What Should You Skip?

The end of summer means it’s time to go back to school, and for many of you, it means heading to college.

As an incoming college freshman, you’ll feel tempted to bring or buy everything you see in the “dorm survival” section of the store.

Let this recent college grad be the first to say: Don’t.

Many students show up on campus with tons of stuff they never use, and some have overlooked crucial dorm necessities. I spoke with several college students and recent grads for their suggestions on what to buy for your dorm room and what to skip.

Dorm Must-Haves

You’re definitely going to be happy you bought these items. Just make sure to compare prices before you buy to get the best deal.

Look for back-to-school promos, discounts and promos using sites like RetailMeNot, or try one of these browser extensions to automatically find the best price. To earn a little money back on your purchase, buy through one of these cash-back websites.

1. Minifridge

Whether you’re looking to store leftovers from the dining hall, cook your own quick meals in a dorm kitchen or just keep a few cold soft drinks, a minifridge can come in handy.

On nights you’re up late finishing a paper or studying, you’ll be glad to reach into your fridge for a late-night snack or beverage.

Check with your university to see if they offer any special deals on minifridges. Some colleges rent fridges or give significant discounts when you purchase them at the campus store. If that’s not an option, try Craigslist, Target, Wal-Mart and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

2. Flip-Flops

Promise me you won’t be the freshman who goes barefoot in a communal bathroom. Yuck!

Bring a pair of flip-flops. You’ll be grateful when you’re braving the shower shared with 20 or 30 other freshmen.

3. Fan

Nothing is worse than burning up in a dorm room!

Unfortunately, many freshmen are stuck in outdated dorms without air conditioning, and in some places, it’s too humid to open the windows. You’ll definitely be happy to have a personal fan blowing cool(ish) air toward you.

4. Mattress Pad

Every college is different, but one thing I heard across the board was that dorm room mattresses are often uncomfortable!

For your own sanity (and the sake of your neck and back), get yourself a mattress pad. Ask an friend or family member if they still have theirs, or compare prices at Wal-Mart, eBay, Target, Amazon or Kmart.

5. Extra-Long Sheets

When I moved to college, I downsized from my comfy queen-size bed to an extra-long twin bed and had to buy new sheets.

Check with your housing department before you arrive on campus to find out what size your dorm room bed will be, then look for deals on this unusual sheet size.

Unnecessary Dorm Items

While some of these items are fun to have, they’re not crucial. Save your cash and skip these purchases:

1. Microwave

As a freshman, you’ll likely eat most of your meals in the dining hall. Plus, many dorms have microwaves in communal lounges or kitchens, and some schools prohibit students from having microwaves in their rooms.

2. Decorations

While decorating can be fun, it doesn’t have to break the bank! Instead of springing for framed posters or Christmas lights, try DIY decor.

“I keep my room decorations pretty simple. I make collages of artwork or magazine clippings,” says Julia, a rising senior at Williams College. “Handmade decorations are the best!”

3. Printer

While a laptop is almost essential, a personal printer? Not so much.

Many college campuses offer free printing in the library, and some dorms have printing labs in their basements. Check with your residence advisor to see what amenities are offered in your hall.

4. TV

Unless you’re getting a hand-me-down from an older sibling or bringing one from home, don’t buy a brand-new TV for your dorm room. While it’s nice to have a bigger screen to watch when others are around, Netflix on your laptop is just fine and it beats wasting money on something you may hardly use.

“It was cool to have [a TV] for whenever there was some show I wanted to catch, but you don’t need one,” says Agnes, a recent graduate of the University of Maryland. “You mostly never have time to watch it and you could always catch things online the next day.”

Freshman year is fun, but it shouldn’t break the bank. With the right preparation, the transition into your new dorm will be easy and budget-friendly. Best of luck, Class of 2019!

Your Turn: What do you think of these dorm essentials? What did you love having, and what did you wish you hadn’t bought?

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Maryann Akinboyewa is a social media strategist and writer.

The post Dorm Room Essentials: What’s Worth Buying and What Should You Skip? appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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