Iconic brand Quiksilver goes under

STRUGGLING surfwear brand Quiksilver has finally gone under, filing for bankruptcy in the US and handing over control to a private equity firm.

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Here's what Donald Trump has planned for your wallet if he's elected president

Although Donald Trump has only released one position paper, in his many public appearances the billionaire has given a few indications of what a President Trump might mean for Americans. Here's a look at where Trump stands on eight key issues, and how his positions will affect your wallet and the U.S.

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Wahlburgers restaurant to open at Grand Bazaar Shops in Las Vegas

The Wahlberg family's Wahlburgers are coming to Las Vegas later this year with a new restaurant at Grand Bazaar Shops at Bally's Las Vegas.

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Appeals court asked to review ruling blocking legal NJ sports betting

New Jersey's horse racing industry on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to review its decision blocking legal sports gambling in the state.

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Technology changes rise to the forefront at this year's G2E

The two keynote speakers at last year's Global Gaming Expo angered half the audience. This year's addresses are sure to infuriate the rest of the crowd.

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Facebook To Small Businesses: Use Pages As Your Primary Mobile Solution

Facebook today introduced several updates to Pages that make them more mobile-friendly and add a number of useful new features. The upgrades were characterized as the “biggest [Pages] update since 2012.” At the highest level they consist of the following changes: New, prominent call to...

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Officials OK $100,000 salary boost, bonus for LVCVA chief

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter has received a $100,000 annual salary increase and a one-time $127,862 bonus.

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Allegiant flight to Las Vegas diverted due to maintenance issue

Passengers on a Monday Allegiant Air flight from Bismarck, N.D., to Las Vegas were collecting their suitcases Tuesday after their flight was diverted to St. George Regional Airport in Utah.

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Marketing Day: EBay Turns 20, New YouTube Data & Engagement Vs. Monetization

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.

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Facebook Is Testing Tweaks In The Design For Brand Pages

The Call to Action button for Pages has been made more prominent in the most significant of changes that haven't been rolled out to all users.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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EBay Celebrates 20th Anniversary With “20 Days Of Deals” Promotion & Major Update To Mobile Apps

Launched in 1995, the online marketplace now includes 25 million sellers, 157 million buyers and more than 800 million product listings.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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YouTube Reportedly Prepping For Independent Viewability Measurement

A report by the Financial Times cites advertiser pressure for the move.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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DIY Beauty Products: How to Make Your Own Sea Salt Spray, Body Lotion and More

How much do you spend on beauty products?

The average woman spends $15,000 on makeup during her lifetime, reports Mint. Other women listed monthly costs from $25 to $300.

It’s clear that we’re willing to shell out to take care of ourselves. But what if you could save your hard-earned cash and customize your regimen to your needs by making a few of your own health and beauty essentials at home – with ingredients you already have in your pantry?

You can! Here are a few DIY beauty products that’ll help keep both you and your wallet looking good.

1. Volumizing Sea Spray

On those all-too-frequent days I can’t get to the beach, I use this hair spray for lots of lift and a breezy scent. You could pay as much as $40 per bottle, but these replacement options will keep you volumized for mere pennies per ounce.

I’ve riffed off a couple of great recipes in my time, but the main components of a great texturizer are salt for volume, a softener to counteract the salt’s drying effect, and something to make it smell great!

Combine a cup of hot water with a tablespoon or so of coarse salt — sea salt or Epsom salts work great. The more salt, the beachier the look. Add in aloe, some conditioner you already have or maybe some of the water-based gel in your cabinet to add softness and hold.

After it cools, add a few (optional!) drops of essential oil and pour into your spray bottle. Bend over your sink and spray liberally on damp or dry hair at the roots. Shake, scrunch, flip and otherwise adore your instant big, sexy, beach-day look!

I used this spray almost daily when I was working up north and missing my seaside Florida hometown.

Off-the-shelf cost: $12.99 for 5 ounces

DIY cost: $1 per bottle at most, and your first batch of ingredients will last forever.

2. Dry Shampoo

When your day is too full of responsibilities excitement for a full shampoo and conditioning, you reach for dry shampoo for a grease-free look that won’t strip your hair’s natural oils – but there’s no need to strip your wallet, either.

Dry shampoo dispenses greasiness with an oil-absorbing powder that disappears in your hair. Depending on your hair color and what’s on your shelves, you can try cornstarch, fine arrowroot flour, baby powder or even unsweetened cocoa powder (my personal fave, though I’m a pretty dark brunette and a total chocoholic). Apply to your roots and comb through until the product disappears.

Not into smelling like a chocolate cake or a baby’s bottom? I like to comb in a drop or two of that essential oil I use in my sea salt spray for scrumptious-smelling hair.

Off-the-shelf cost: $20 for 5 ounces of a fancy kind, or $5 for 3.4 ounces of a drugstore brand

DIY cost: You probably already have these items in your pantry. Otherwise, maybe a couple of bucks at your grocery store’s bulk bin.

3. Exfoliating Salt or Sugar Scrub for Hands and Body

This product is pretty much just sugar or salt, oil and something that smells good. Go ahead and raid your pantry and grab that essential oil.

Plus, you can choose between a micro-exfoliating granulated sugar scrub or a macro-exfoliating coarse sea salt scrub, experiment with white or brown sugars, coconut or olive or almond oil… the possibilities are endless.

I’m planning on making these for holiday gifts this season, since they’re inexpensive, useful and pretty to boot!

Off-the-shelf cost: $15 for 8 ounces, but I’ve seen these bad boys go for $40 from premium dealers. No way!

DIY cost: About $3 per batch, depending on the type of oil you choose

4. Body or Face Lotion

You can make a fabulous body lotion by simply adding a few drops of lavender or tea tree oil to the coconut oil you’re already using.

Or, experiment with shea butter-based lotions and try other nourishing oils, like avocado or jojoba. Depending on how much you trust your face, you could try a gentle mixture — I’m pretty oily, though, so I’d proceed with caution!

Off-the-shelf cost: Amazon lists a 12-ounce Aveeno lotion for $5.75, which is pretty standard for drugstore body lotion. Facial skincare products are hugely variable and can be quite expensive, like $24 for 2 ounces.

DIY cost: About $3 to $5 per batch

5. Facial Toner

Check out the ingredient list on that refreshing spritz you use before your moisturizer or in the middle of the day — it’s pretty much a bottle of watery perfume!

By experimenting with tea, rose water or witch hazel, you slash costs and get to figure out what works best for your skin on the cheap. If you’re starting to amass those essential oils I keep mentioning from all this DIY, check out some of these skin-type-specific recipes.

I like using a cotton pad to apply my toner, but you could grab another spray bottle if you enjoy the spritz effect.

Off-the-shelf cost: $50 for 8 ounces is not unheard of, though you can find drugstore options for around $5 for the same size.

DIY cost: Depends on your ingredients, but could cost pennies or up to $4 per batch

6. Face Masks

Whether your skin is dry, oily or a combination — and even if you’re dealing with acne well after high school — you can try tons of at-home treatments. Raid your kitchen for apple cider vinegar, honey and egg whites. How about avocado and cocoa powder?

The good news is, not only do you already have these ingredients on your grocery list, but you can try a variety of treatments without breaking the bank. My oily summer skin loves apple cider vinegar, but milk and honey feels decadent before bed!

Off-the-shelf cost: $25 for 3 ounces was one of the cheaper options I saw at Sephora, and who knows which one’s right for you?

DIY cost: From pennies to $5 per mask, depending on the ingredients you choose

7. Tooth-Whitening Treatment

Don’t throw away your store-bought toothpaste just yet — this treatment doesn’t contain cavity-fighting ingredients, and is meant to work in tandem with your normal brushing.

My favorite method is to combine a few tablespoons of baking soda, a pinch of salt and some lemon juice (doesn’t have to be fresh) until the mixture is the consistency of paste. Replace your toothpaste for an evening brush session or apply and let stand for one to three minutes, but only once per week. Acidic lemon juice and baking soda are pretty abrasive, so don’t overdo it!

You can find many other recipes for at-home whitening treatments, from strawberries to hydrogen peroxide to our favorite stand-by, coconut oil.

Off-the-shelf cost: $30 for 28 treatments of at-home strips — or hundreds of dollars at the dentist’s office

DIY cost: Less than $1 per batch, many of which will last a few weeks on your counter in an air-tight container

Although a few of these recipes require some initial investments like essential oils, glass containers, spray bottles or shea butter, you’ll be left with ingredients to keep making personalized beauty products for a year or longer — and with extra cash in your pocket.

Your Turn: What are your favorite DIY beauty products? Share your recipes and savings in the comments!

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!

Jamie Cattanach is a writer and adventurer who lives in Saint Augustine, Florida. She spends her hoarded pennies on fine wine, dark chocolate, gasoline and sweaters for her greyhound, Odin.

The post DIY Beauty Products: How to Make Your Own Sea Salt Spray, Body Lotion and More appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Media General to buy Meredith Corp., owner of Channel 5 in Las Vegas

Media General Inc. said it would buy diversified media company Meredith Corp. for about $2.34 billion to create the third-largest local TV station owner in the United States.

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Four Emergency-Fund Substitutes – and How They Stack Up to Cash

Photo: AAA via Facebook

Many services act as emergency funds, in a way — insurance, basically — for very specific situations. In exchange for a monthly or annual premium, these companies promise to ease the financial burden of an emergency or provide cash when you need it most.

But are these services worth it? Would you be better off just putting that money into a fully stocked emergency fund?

Four Partial Substitutes for an Emergency Fund

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular protections out there to see what exactly they offer — and how much they cost:

AAA or Roadside Assistance

Cars are a common source of unexpected – and expensive – problems. When your car breaks down on the side of the road, whom do you call? If you’re a member of AAA or another roadside assistance company, you can rest assured they’ll help get you home and get your car to the shop. (Your car insurance policy may also offer some type of roadside assistance coverage.) While costs for this service vary by company and location, a basic AAA membership runs from about $50 to $70 per year. That includes:

• 24/7 roadside assistance benefits
• Free AAA maps, TourBook guides, and TripTik routing maps
• Member-only discounts on auto and homeowners insurance
• Travel planning services with exclusive savings and special member benefits
• Access to discounts at more than 150,000 retail locations around the world

Frequent drivers and owners of older and used cars will obviously get more value out of this service. But even then, what if your car doesn’t break down? When that’s the case, you’re simply paying $50+ per year for peace of mind.

If you take advantage of the many discounts and perks that come with being an AAA member, that level of comfort may very well may be worth it. If you don’t, however, that annual membership could be money down the drain.

What’s more, roadside assistance only gets you to the mechanic’s shop — it won’t cover expensive repairs like new tires or replacing the alternator.

Extended Warranties

Whether you’re buying an automobile, a refrigerator, or a toaster, you can purchase an extended warranty that guarantees repair or replacement of your item for several months — or even years — after the manufacturer’s warranty expires. If your dishwasher or dryer breaks, such a warranty can mean the difference between a costly hassle and a free phone call. But are these extended insurance policies a good idea?

According to recent coverage from Consumer Reports, extended warranties on automobiles are an “expensive gamble.” Reportedly, 55% of those surveyed who purchased an extended warranty on their car — the average cost of which is about $1,214 — never used the coverage.

Extended warranties on electronics and appliances can cost anywhere from $20 to several hundred dollars. It’s important to note, however, that most expensive consumer goods come with a 12-month warranty already. And how you pay for the product matters as well. For example, some of the best credit cards out there offer extended warranties on certain expensive products if you use your card to make a purchase.

• Related: Eight Hidden Benefits of Credit Cards

Identity Theft Protection

You have good reason to be worried someone might steal your identity. According to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, the Federal Trade Commission received 2 million complaints of identity theft and fraud in 2013.

To help you prevent an identity theft disaster, companies like LifeLock offer credit monitoring and restoration in the event of identity theft for $9.99 to $29.99 per month. With their top-tier plan, you get identity theft and credit monitoring, plus special perks such as lost-wallet protection, identity monitoring, data breach notifications, and a $1 million total service guarantee.

What they don’t tell you, however, is that you can do a lot of this yourself for next to nothing, as Consumer Reports has noted. You can get a free copy of your credit report from all three credit reporting agencies through AnnualCreditReport.com — just stagger your requests throughout the year so you can review one of them every four months. What’s more, credit card fraud is by far the most common type of identity theft — and you’re only on the hook for the first $50 in fraudulent credit card charges.

Supplemental Insurance

When it comes to supplemental insurance providers, few stand out as much as Aflac. With its quirky duck persona, legions of salespeople, and promise to cover you in the event of an emergency, the company has grown to cover more than 50 million people worldwide.

Current products include accident insurance, cancer insurance, critical illness insurance, life insurance, hospital insurance, short-term disability insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance. When you become sick, hurt, or unable to work, Aflac promises to foot the bill in the form of cash assistance. Since Aflac and other comparable coverage is considered “supplemental,” you typically buy a policy as an add-on to your existing life and health policies. And with so many types of coverage offered, prices vary and may be based on plan type, age of applicant, and level of coverage.

Would You Be Better Off With Cash?

While any of these services can come in handy when you’re in a bind, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a good investment. In fact, extended warranty issuers, supplemental insurance companies, and identity theft protection services consistently get a bad rap with user review services like Yelp and Consumer Affairs.

Furthermore, the fact that all of these companies need to make money means someone needs to lose. In other words, like any other type of insurance, you’ll likely pay in a lot more than you ever receive in benefits.

That’s why, chances are, you’d probably be better off forgoing all the “extras” and having a fully funded emergency fund instead. With three to six months of expenses in the bank, you can take care of almost any emergency that pops up, whether it’s work- or health-related, or simply the cost of a repair.

Since you can use cash to pay for anything, a solid emergency fund is the best insurance of all. Start building yours now.

Do you pay for any “extra” services like these? Do you agree that a cash emergency fund is the best insurance of all?

The post Four Emergency-Fund Substitutes – and How They Stack Up to Cash appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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This Smart Spending Trick Will Help You Make Better Buying Decisions

Imagine you’re standing in the middle of Target, staring at a row of vacuum cleaners. You could get one for $50, or you could spend $500. All you know is, you want one that won’t break and leave a pile of dust on your carpet.

When you think about buying something, your budget can guide you toward the price tag that works for your personal means. But it’s hard to budget for something when you’re not sure of the value of the investment you’re about to make.

How are you supposed to know which product presents the best investment for what you can afford?

Consider Cost Per Use Before Buying Big-Ticket Items

In these uncomfortable moments wandering the aisles, I turn to the “cost-per-use” concept. I like the way Trent Hamm of The Simple Dollar explains it:

How much do I have to pay for each use I’m going to get out of that item (before it spoils or breaks)?

I don’t apply this method to things like groceries or perishable food — the math would drive me crazy. But when I’m buying a product that I want to serve me well over the course of weeks, months, or even years, I pull out the calculator.

With cost per use, “The value of an item is directly related to how much use you get out of it,” Hamm says in a guest post at Christian Science Monitor.

“The more use you get from an item, the more you should expect to pay for it. The “sweet spot” of a purchase, then, is one that has the most uses for the cost.”

How does the cost-per-use concept work in practice? Here are three instances where determining cost per use helped me make smart purchases.

The Winter Coat

A few years ago, I ventured to the department store to buy a new winter coat. I knew what I wanted: a sturdy, wool pea coat that would defy the biting cold of damp Mid-Atlantic winters.

A quick survey of brands and styles I liked resulted in prices in the $200 to $250 range. Before you tell me that’s too high, think about it: You can’t just throw a wool coat together in six minutes like you can with a T-shirt. While I wasn’t expecting the finest of luxury craftsmanship, I did expect to spend more for a coat that looked and felt like it would last a few years.

If you’re headed to a department store, don’t leave the house without checking for the store’s latest coupon or deal. Sometimes entire departments get marked down, no coupons required; sometimes, kind cashiers give you a coupon discount even if you didn’t bring the newspaper circular with you.

In my case, a store discount knocked a nice $225 coat down to $175. Consider my estimate that I’d wear the coat almost daily for three months each year (December, January and February), about 90 days. My cost per use for that $175 coat: just $1.94.

Would you fork over two bucks every time you walked out the door if you knew you had a warm coat ready to wear? I would.

In my mind, that coat was worth the money by the end of its first winter. It’s still kicking, and I plan to wear it for years to come — a worthy investment to calm all my cold-weather worries.

The Ladder

My new apartment has tall windows. We’re talking sky-high. As I signed the lease, I squinted up at them, wondering how I’d ever install curtains. More importantly, how was I going to change the batteries in the smoke detectors posted high on the loft-style walls?

Buying a ladder for $80 to $150 didn’t make sense — I didn’t have anywhere to store it beyond the four times a year I’d probably actually need to use it.

Renting a ladder didn’t seem to make financial sense either, but at least solved my space issue: I could rent one from Home Depot for $21 per day — plus a $50 refundable deposit.

I figured my best option was to pay about $85 per year to do all my odd jobs on those four days (cost per use: $21, so long as I didn’t lose the ladder on the way back to the store). It still didn’t feel financially savvy.

Then I got lucky: I discovered a few ladders in my building’s storage room. Management only uses them to paint apartments and do routine maintenance. So instead of buddying up to the hardware store rental counter, I just have to buddy up to my landlord and use the building’s ladders for free.

Even luckier: The previous tenant left his curtains up for me. They look pretty good considering they were free and required zero installation effort. When I discovered the curtains in place on move-in day, I was so glad I hadn’t impulsively plunked down $100 to buy a ladder.

The Wedding-Guest Dress

I recently received an invitation to the wedding of a dear friend. It included a surprising dress code note: black tie optional.

As I stared at the invitation, I took a mental trip through my closet. My minimalistic efforts meant I owned just a few dresses — none of them fit for a fancy wedding.

I first considered taking a fashion risk and buying a “lady tux.” I’d channel Janelle Monae’s style in a finely tailored suit I could wear again and again. Comfort, meet style, meet dance floor.

But would I really wear it again? If I didn’t have formalwear in my closet to begin with, how many times would I wear a suit that would cost at least $500? I couldn’t justify the cost for wedding attire when I’ll also be paying for airfare and hotel to attend the celebration.

My solution: consignment. I set a budget of $50 and have started to drop by my favorite consignment and secondhand stores to scope out their formalwear. Finding a swanky lady tux is probably not in the cards. But a flattering dress that fits well? No problem.

I may not end up with the most current and fashionable dress at the wedding, but I’m confident I’ll be able to find something I’m comfortable with — both when I pay for it, and when I hit the dance floor.

The cost-per-use concept isn’t one that follows me around all day. As mentioned above, I don’t sweat the small stuff, like groceries.

But when I’m weighing the options for a purchase I’m hoping to use or appreciate for years to come, I pull out the calculator. No shame in my cost-comparison game.

Your Turn: Do you use the cost-per-use method to guide your purchasing decisions? Do you consider it for all buys, or just certain categories?

Lisa Rowan is a writer, editor, and podcaster living in Baltimore.

The post This Smart Spending Trick Will Help You Make Better Buying Decisions appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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9 Questions to Ask When Choosing an Independent Living Facility

From location and meals to services, you want investigate your options before selecting a community.

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10 Signs You Should Take Your Business Elsewhere

When companies don't treat you well, it's time to leave them.

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How Successful People Beat Stress

Five expert-approved strategies to knock out work stress, boost energy and become a top performer.

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6 Tips for Going Back to School in Retirement

There are many low-cost ways to take college courses as a retiree.

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US stocks open higher, getting a boost from China's rally

 NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks opened sharply higher Tuesday after a late rebound in China encouraged traders. The market was rebounding from a sharp sell-off on Friday when a mixed jobs report left investors uncertain about the outlook for interest rates. There was also some deal news for investors to focus on. Trading was closed in the U.S. on Monday in observance of the Labor Day holiday.KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 30 points, or [...]

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A New Definition For Marketing: Lessons From MyFitnessPal

Columnist Sanjay Dholakia says marketers should take a page from MyFitnessPal, which has crafted its marketing strategy to think about users throughout the customer journey and across all channels.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Want to Save $1,000s on your Groceries? Let The Penny Hoarder Make Over Your Budget!

I know firsthand how challenging it can be to fill your shopping cart with healthy, yummy groceries without going over your budget.

How? Well, I took on the responsibility of food shopping for my family when I was just 13.

I felt some pressure over bringing home tasty food without spending more than my family had budgeted — who wouldn’t? But I also managed to make grocery shopping into a sort of game, trying out lots of tactics for saving money on food. I experimented with everything from shopping in bulk to meal planning to freezer cooking to coupons.

And guess what? It worked!

In fact, it worked so well that Oprah and ABC News and other news outlets ended up featuring my strategies for saving on groceries. That’s a big reason why The Penny Hoarder was born.

Since saving on groceries is how I got into serious penny-hoarding, it feels fitting that our first online course is on this very topic. It’s called Grocery Budget Makeover, and you can sign up starting TODAY!

Click Here to Join Us for Grocery Budget Makeover

What Will You Learn in Grocery Budget Makeover?

As much as I love couponing, this isn’t your typical couponing course.

In fact, while we’ll touch on a few smart strategies for using coupons to save, most of this course focuses on other methods, like meal planning, stockpiling your pantry and avoiding common traps used by all the grocery stores to get you to spend more money.

Over the 10 weeks we work together, you’ll learn how to slash your grocery bill by 20%, 25%, even 50%. Over time, this can add up to thousands of dollars in savings!

When you’re shopping for a family, you know how important that cash is. It can go toward rent or college or a vacation instead.

Let Me Teach You My Favorite Tricks for Saving on Food

The best part?

You’ll learn directly from me — I’m Kyle Taylor, founder of The Penny Hoarder — along with one of my favorite meal-planning moms, Erin Chase, queen of the popular website $5 Dinners. Erin is known for managing to feed her family of four boys a delicious and healthy meal for just $5 a night.

As you can probably tell, the two of us don’t just talk about how to save on groceries, we live our own advice. These are tactics we’ve used personally to purchase food for ourselves and our families, strategies that have helped us put more money in the bank.

We’re looking forward to sharing lots of ideas with you! Sound intriguing? Join us for the course!

Click Here to Join Us for Grocery Budget Makeover

The course begins Wednesday, Sept. 16, and runs for 10 weeks. It’s online, which means you can benefit no matter where you are. All you need is an Internet connection and the willingness to try a few new strategies!

We have a limited number of spots available, so grab yours soon if you’re interested. Sign-ups close on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at midnight!

Oh, and while many of the opportunities we offer on this site are free, this one does come at a small cost: $49. But that’s a one-time payment, and folks who have worked through the material tell us it helped them save far more than that, which always makes us feel good.

What are you waiting for? We can’t wait to share our favorite money-saving tactics with you.

See you in Grocery Budget Makeover!

The post Want to Save $1,000s on your Groceries? Let The Penny Hoarder Make Over Your Budget! appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Caesars to pay $8M in fines to settle money laundering violations

Caesars Entertainment Corp. will pay fines totaling $8 million for violating federal money laundering rules at Caesars Palace, a government agency announced Tuesday.

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Silvio Calabi: Buick Regal AWD GS is a driver’s delight

When I was a kid, Buick was still “the doctor’s car.” Then, after doctors switched to Mercedes-Benzes, for an entire generation Buick became the official car of the elderly. Today it’s a premium status symbol in Capitalist China. Have you ever heard of another car whose persona has shifted so radically? There’s more: By 2013, New Buick had seen the average age of its buyers — the ones in the U.S., anyway — drop from 64 years to 57, a [...]

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Success

What is success?
To laugh
often and much,
to win respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch, or a
redeemed social condition;
to know even one life
has breathed easier
because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

A study was recently conducted by Strayer University on the subject of success in America. Among the findings:

– 90% of Americans believe that success is defined by happiness more so than money, power, or fame
– Only 1 in 5 Americans surveyed feel that monetary wealth is what defines success
– 67% define success as attaining personal goals
– 60% define success as loving what you do for a living
– 66% define success as having good relationships
– Of those who consider themselves to be successful, 54% say they have a strong and supportive family network
– Of those who consider themselves to be successful, 31% desribe themselves as being ambitious
– 62% of those who consider themselves successful report accomplishing most of their life’s goals

What do all of those ideas on success have in common? They don’t involve spending money.

They don’t involve having a nice car. They don’t involve having fancy clothes. They don’t involve having a big house. They don’t involve having lots of electronic gadgets and toys.

Instead, they involve things like having and attaining personal goals, having a strong and supportive personal network, having good relationships with people, and spending your time doing things that you love.

This survey brought a lot of questions to the forefront of my mind, so let’s walk through them together.

The Conundrum of Impressing Others

If people honestly view success as being things like achieving personal goals, having a strong personal network, having lots of good relationships, and doing work that they love, why do people persist in the desire to spend money on things to impress others?

One big reason is a pretty straightforward one: it’s really hard to show off the other kinds of success, while it’s very easy to show off material trappings of success.

You’re not going to give people a dazzling first impression with your great relationships and personal achievements. They’re not going to be awed initially by your dazzling personal network or your stunning work that you love.

People often use those things as a crutch to build an internal sense of self-confidence, to give them a foot in the door socially that they might not otherwise have.

Over the long run, it’s not those material things that build a strong and lasting relationship, but they often make people feel more prepared to start that process.

Another challenge is the “long run” factor. It is much quicker to buy some new clothes or a new car to impress others than it is to build a great relationship or a great personal network or to achieve goals in your personal life. It’s not nearly as effective, but it feels like a “quick fix.”

Good First Impressions without Money

So, how do you make a good first impression without the material trappings of “success”? How can you have that sense of confidence without the shiny car or the nice clothes? Here are some strategies I’ve learned over the years.

First, build and maintain a real positive reputation. Treat people well. Don’t talk negatively about others. Help out when you can. Greet people in public. When you give your word to someone in regards to doing something, follow through.

Second, keep yourself clean and well-groomed. This seems obvious, but it’s surprisingly something that many people fail at. Even if you don’t notice it in others, people sometimes notice it regarding themselves, whether consciously or not, and it can both directly and indirectly affect your self-confidence in public.

Third, assume (and rightly so) that the other person is more interested in themselves than in you. Often, other people scarcely think about you at all. They’re caught up in the thoughts going on in their head, most of which are focused on themselves. Think about your own thoughts and how the vast majority of them are about you and not about others. Look around the room the next time you’re in a crowded place and reflect on how little you even consider each of those people. Knowing this simultaneously takes a burden from your shoulders – they’re not really thinking about you too much – and gives you an immediate and convenient way to start a conversation with someone, by asking them about themselves. People love to talk about themselves.

These tactics form the backbone of how I feel confident in public without spending money to create the illusion of success. Most of the time, I’m wearing clothes that I’ve had for many years. I’m usually driving a thirteen year old vehicle that I bought off of Craigslist. Instead, I’m confident because I’m clean, I’ve worked to build a positive reputation, and I don’t worry about whether others are thinking about me and instead encourage people to talk about themselves. It doesn’t take money to do those things.

Material Trappings

Another association that many people make is that success is often represented by simply possessing a lot of stuff – a large home, nice things, and so on. The purpose of having these things isn’t to impress others, but to somehow “enjoy your own life.” The idea is that your own life is somehow made more enjoyable if you have the nice house and nice things.

If anything, I’ve found that the opposite is true. Here are several reasons why.

The upkeep on expensive things is expensive. There are many more things that can go wrong with a $500,000 house compared to a $200,000 house. You’re going to need to do more maintenance to keep it up, which means more hours of your life spent on home maintenance (that might be fine if you enjoy it, but it’s misery if you don’t). You’re also going to be paying more insurance and higher property taxes on those items, which means a higher continuous expense. You’re also more likely to be in a homeowners association with association fees.

Those ongoing expenses mean that you have to have a higher ongoing income just to match them, which means you’ll likely have a higher stress job due to the higher income requirement you have in your life.

Higher-end things often just duplicate functions that less expensive items have. For example, what exactly can you do with an iPhone 6 that you can’t do with an older Android phone? You can make calls on both. You can send texts on both. You can play Candy Crush on both. The differences in function are minor, but the difference in cost is immense.

There’s nothing wrong with paying more for a better item provided it genuinely provides additional things that add up to a meaningful difference. For almost everything, though, the best option is the top “bang for the buck” purchase which you can find by looking at publications like Consumer Reports. When the difference between a 88/100 item and a 91/100 item shouldn’t be a price doubling – if it is, you’re overpaying for very little.

There are only so many hours in a day. Like many people, I have a lot of different interests. I enjoy reading. I enjoy working with electronics projects, building things out of pieces. I enjoy playing tabletop games (and designing them, too). I enjoy studying and learning about new things. I enjoy exploring trails and woods and parklands.

The thing is, it’s really tempting in terms of money to try to “keep up with” all of those hobbies. It’s tempting to always have the latest book everyone’s talking about on my bedside table. It’s tempting to have tons of little electronic components in my toolkit. It’s tempting to always own the latest board game or gaming book. It’s tempting to always own the best camping or hiking supplies.

When I step back, though, I realize that those purchases don’t add up to any kind of “success.” The real “success” of a hobby comes from doing it, not from having a lot of hobby-related stuff.

In the end, I’ve found one truth stands out above all others.

Success Comes from Investing Time, Not Money

That’s true for almost every measure of success, from personal fitness to relationships, from self-improvement projects to hobbies, from skills to a strong social network and standing.

I’ve been successful in the areas of my life where I’ve devoted a great deal of focused time. I have a handful of very strong relationships that I value. I have a few hobbies that I’m passionate about and have a good network of people who share those interests. I built The Simple Dollar and have many interesting professional opportunities.

Obviously, those successes don’t cover every area of life. There are other areas I wish I had success in, and it’s those areas where the temptation is greatest to try to buy success.

The thing is, “buying” success almost always ends in failure. You either end up losing the desire to be successful in that area or the “false” nature of your purchased success becomes apparent.

Success only really lasts when you put in the time and the energy. Money is truly secondary to all of that.

The Constant Choice

The constant choice we’re all faced with when it comes to success is how to use our time. We have so many options when it comes to every minute of the day. The question is how we choose to use those minutes and that relatively limited amount of personal energy that we have.

I’ve found that a simple flowchart helps me to decide how to fill my time.

First, I ask myself if I’m tired. Are my energy levels low? If so, then I rest, and by resting I don’t mean sitting in front of a television or surfing the web. I mean genuine rest. I lay down and take a nap if at all possible. If that isn’t possible, I choose the most mindless thing on my to-do list and do that.

I find that a lot of people choose to do heavily relaxing things when they’re tired instead of choosing to sleep. They’ll binge-watch a series on Netflix until late in the evening even though they’ve been tired for three hours, then they wake up in the morning and feel dead tired and can’t really achieve as much during the day.

If I’m not tired, I sit down and look at the important things I have to do. “Important” has little to do with “urgent.” For example, for me, an important thing to do is to make a snack for my children after school while talking to them about their day. That’s not an urgent thing at all, but it is important.

Yes, sometimes things have due dates associated with them, but that often has little to do with whether they’re important or not. I view most email as being very urgent, but it’s almost always very low on the importance scale, so I often go for long spells without reading my email at all (sometimes to the chagrin of some of my professional contacts).

To me, it’s the “important” things that make me successful, not the “urgent” ones. The important things revolve around the key relationships in my life. They revolve around living up to my commitments to others. They involve finding and cultivating opportunities to do things professionally that I truly love to do (like writing). They are centered around my handful of personal passions, like lifetime learning.

The Role of Money in Success

So now we come to the $64,000 question: if success and money are actually independent, what role does money actually play when it comes to success?

The role of money in finding personal success comes in several different flavors.

First, money does enable you to take care of the basics of life. It keeps a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food in your belly. Without those things, there are many types of success that are hard to find.

The challenge is that we are often tempted to slowly increase the quality of those things as we earn more money. We crave better homes, better clothes, better (and more) food, and so on. The challenge is that those higher quality things cost more money, which means that we have to devote more time and energy to earning money.

Thus, being content and satisfied with lower-end things in many areas of life is often a key to success. A person who achieves great things in one area of life often doesn’t have great things in other areas of life – or doesn’t have the time or energy to enjoy those things.

That’s okay. Center your life around the things that really, truly matter to you and spend less time and money and energy on the other things.

Second, money buys time, but not in the way you think. People often think of money as being a tool to buy a few minutes of time here or a few minutes of time there when they buy convenience items, but those spare minutes don’t build success. Instead, money enables you to make broader life changes that enable success, however you define it, by reducing the personal and time demands of work.

Right now, one of my biggest life goals is financial independence. It is an extremely lofty goal – essentially, it means “retiring” before I reach retirement age. For me, “retiring” merely means that I won’t need to work every day for money, but it doesn’t mean that I’ve achieved anything regarding my other areas of life.

Having that money in the bank won’t mean that I suddenly have more meaningful relationships or that I’ve built a greater understanding of complex ideas or that I’ve written a truly powerful book. All it means is that I now have more time to devote to those areas. I no longer have to consider whether at least some of the things I spend my time on are earning a financial return for that time invested. Instead, I can think solely about the other kinds of returns that my time and money can earn – strong relationships, personal growth, personal joy, a stronger community, and so on.

Even without pure financial independence, smart use of money can enable you to have a job with lower stress and more flexible hours in exchange for a lower wage. In essence, that was the choice I made when I chose to leave my research job and work on The Simple Dollar full time a few years ago.

When you combine these ideas together, you create a much different picture of the connection between money and success than is often delivered in the media today.

Success and Popular Culture

We live in a sound-bite culture where ideas are delivered to us in short little nuggets of information. Often, when success is discussed in any way, it’s described to us in that kind of shorthand. We’re given the briefest of definitions of success that’s explained in the easiest way possible, and that definition of success is usually wealth that’s displayed in an obvious fashion.

If someone spends millions on their own private jet, they must be successful! If you translate that into your own neighborhood, the person who spends tens of thousands of dollars on a shiny new car must be successful!

The thing is, when you accept that kind of ‘sound bite’ summary of success, you leave out the definition of what success actually is for you.

Does the person with the personal jet have a great relationship with his or her wife and children? Do they have close friends that they can always trust and rely on?

Does the person with the shiny new car have time to devote to hobbies and interests that bring them personal fulfillment?

Does the person who lives in the beautiful mega-house have a large social network of people who truly care about them?

Maybe. Maybe not. We don’t see those things that add up to true success because they can’t be compressed into that easy sound bite. We just see the easy part that’s presented to us – the private jet or the shiny car or the huge house. We don’t see what goes on when the doors close and the cameras roll away.

A Better Plan

If you want to be successful, here’s a much better plan.

First, figure out what you actually want out of your life – and keep that list small. Do you want strong relationships? Do you want a job that you truly enjoy? Do you want an expensive car? Do you want time to explore personal interests?

Those things all probably sound good to you, but the reality is that you can’t have success with all of those things. It just doesn’t work. Instead, choose one or maybe two of them and abandon the others. Let them become very minor parts in your life if they’re even present at all.

Second, look seriously at how you spend your time and money and ask yourself whether those things line up with the success that you want. Be honest with yourself about it, too. Does the success that you want involve watching television or surfing the web for three or four hours a day while spending $100 or more per month on an internet and/or cable bill? Does the success that you want involve missing your child’s recital because of a client that can’t wait? If the answer to those questions is “no,” then stop wasting your time, money, and energy on those other things. Downshift your career if you want a strong relationship with your child. Get rid of your cable connection and your television if you want more free time to do those things. Back away from obligations that you don’t truly value.

Finally, don’t be afraid to downgrade some things to upgrade other things. If you downshift your career so that you have more time and energy for other things, don’t be afraid to downgrade your home to one that allows you to focus on those other things.

In the end, choose to be successful in just an area or two that you really care about and don’t worry about the rest. Don’t even try to “pretend” to be successful in those areas. Focus on what matters to you, not what other people might care about or what “successful people” are supposed to “care” about.

Good luck in mapping your own route to success, particularly when you realize that it doesn’t have to involve a jet or a Rolls Royce or a gold-plated GPS navigation unit.

The post Success appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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4 Reasons Brands Should Sell Directly To Consumers Online

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Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Retire in One of Europe’s Best Bargain Cities: Valencia

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Cars We Remember: Let’s all meet ‘Mr. Rambler’ man

Q: Hi, Greg, I really enjoyed your article about the little 195.6-inch Rambler American six-cylinder flathead that I also have in my car, a 1959 Rambler American. It runs so quiet and smooth. You rightly explained that this Nash developed flathead engine had been around for decades, and it was also used in the Lafayette cars, which were knock-off Nash vehicles. This engine also powered the Nash 600 which got its name by being able to go 600 miles on a tank of gas in flathead- [...]

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Pope makes major changes in Catholic marriage annulments

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4 Characteristics Of A Contextually-Aware Email Marketing System

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Get Your PSL for Less: 7 Creative Ways to Save Money on Pumpkin Spice Lattes

If you love pumpkin spice lattes, this is probably your happiest day of the year. That’s right, Starbucks rolls out its signature fall drink today.

For the first time in its 12-year history, this year’s PSL will feature actual pumpkin. It will also skip the traditional caramel coloring as a nod to health-conscious consumers.

While “skipping the Starbucks” is often touted as a way to save money, you can enjoy this fall flavor without blowing your budget. Here’s how to save money on pumpkin spice lattes all autumn long.

1. Join My Starbucks Rewards

Download the Starbucks app to start getting free drinks — including PSLs.

You’ll earn one “star” for every purchase, and after five “stars” in 12 months, you’ll earn free in-store refills on brewed coffee and tea. But if you earn 30 stars in 12 months, you’ll also earn additional benefits, including a free drink or food item every 12th purchase.

If you just can’t quit Starbucks, this is a good way to at least earn a few rewards (like free drinks) on your purchases.

2. Buy Discounted Starbucks Gift Cards

Use Raise, Gift Card Granny and other discounted gift card sites to stretch your coffee dollars further. Just buy a gift card for less than its face value, and you’ll get more for your money at Starbucks.

As of this writing, you’ll save around 6% by buying a gift card on one of these sites, but keep an eye out for bigger discounts.

3. Join My Panera

Starbucks isn’t the only chain offering up a pumpkin spice latte. Panera Bread stores will be offering a similar concoction from Sept. 9 until the end of the year.

To save on their version of the PSL, join the My Panera program for discounts and freebies. Their website says, “Once we get an idea of what bakery-cafe items you prefer, we’ll do our best to reward you with more surprises based on what you love.”

So, presumably, the more pumpkin spice lattes you purchase at Panera, the more likely you are to get one as a freebie.

4. Celebrate Your Fall Birthday

If you’re lucky enough to be born in the fall, celebrate your birthday by indulging in a free pumpkin spice latte.

If you’re a member of My Starbucks Rewards, you’ll enjoy a free drink on your birthday. Why not make it a pumpkin spice latte?

Dunkin Donuts also offers free birthday drinks through their DD Perks Rewards program, and they have an extensive pumpkin spice menu.

Many other cafes also offer free birthday drinks, so if you find yourself at a coffee shop with pumpkiny concoctions on your birthday, be sure to ask!

5. Make a DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte

Indulge in a pumpkin spice latte any time you like with this great do-it-yourself recipe from Farm Girl Gourmet. This recipe makes two 10-ounce lattes, so you can even share one with a friend.

You’ll need:

• 2 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons canned (or homemade) pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ cup strong coffee or espresso
• whipped cream

Directions:

Stir the milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together in a pan over medium-high heat. Bring it almost to a boil, but avoid boiling because that will make it too thick. Stir constantly and it should start to froth in about a minute.

Pour the concoction into two mugs, then slowly add the strong coffee or espresso, pouring it in by the edge of the cup so the milk stays frothy. Add whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin pie spice on top and indulge in your homemade creation.

6. Make DIY Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

This simple recipe from Delish requires just five ingredients and produces 1 ¾ cups of pumpkin spice creamer to add to your coffee.

You’ll Need:

• 1 ½ cups heavy cream or half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks

Directions:

Whisk together the heavy cream or half-and-half, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice in a small pan over medium heat. Add a cinnamon stick or two and turn up the heat a bit until it boils, whisking occasionally.

After a minute, take it off the heat and let it cool for about five minutes before you add it to your coffee.

According to Delish, the leftover creamer will keep in your refrigerator for a week, but be sure to give it a good shake before using.

7. Enjoy Pumpkin Spice Latte M&Ms

While this tasty treat won’t give you the warm coffee fix you’re craving, who wouldn’t want to snack on a handful of pumpkin spice latte flavored M&Ms?

Order two 9.9-ounce bags of these pumpkin-chocolate marvels on Amazon for $8.97. For some reason, two bags are cheaper than a single one, so you’ll have over a pound of delicious treats to enjoy.

And if you’re standing in line for your first PSL right now, take a few minutes to check out the drink’s fun Twitter account.

Your Turn: Are you a PSL fan? What’s your favorite savings strategy?

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!

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

The post Get Your PSL for Less: 7 Creative Ways to Save Money on Pumpkin Spice Lattes appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Can we actually beat Islamic State?

ON ONE hand Australia will consider sending RAAF bombers into Syria. On the other it sends humanitarian aid. But what is the end game?

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