‘Open heart surgery’ on our cities

MULTIPLE transport projects are kicking off across Australia. And if experience overseas is anything to go by, we’re headed for a world of pain.

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How to Master Your Finances Like a Jedi

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . . .

There was a mystical knightly order thoroughly trained to guard justice and peace in the universe. They called themselves Jedi.

Today, I’m going to teach you how to master your finances – like a Jedi.

Worry do not, smart you are.

Prevail you will.

So hop on your eopie – or tauntaun if you prefer – and prepare yourself for the long journey ahead. May the Force be with you.

1. Tap into the light side of the Force – and think honestly about your finances.

This side of the Force is aligned with many virtues worthy of pursuit. Honesty is one of those virtues.

In order for you to master your finances, you must be honest with yourself. What’s your current financial situation? Are you living paycheck to paycheck or are you hoarding wealth and living in luxury like Bohhuah Mutdah? Neither extreme is good for a Jedi – you must find balance.

But to find balance, you must think honestly about your finances. That’s not an easy thing to do when you’re having to think about your own financial situation. That’s why I recommend talking with a friend – like Child of Winds. Find someone who can assist you.

Financial advisors – like yours truly–  are a good choice, as they not only have unbiased opinions because they’re not a part of your family, but they have the experience to know what to do in battle.

Remember:

It is not simply enough to know the light . . . a Jedi must feel the tension between the two sides of the Force . . . in himself and in the universe. – Thon, Tchuukthai Jedi Master, Tales of the Jedi

Do you feel the tension between where you are and where you want to be? Are you passionate about tapping into the light side of the Force? Then you need to be realistic about where you are in your finances in order to get where you’re going.

2. Learn the Jedi mind trick – but trick yourself.

The Force is a powerful influencer that can be used by Jedi on the weak-minded. A thoroughly trained Jedi can use the Force to implant a suggestion or idea into others’ minds. This allows them to accomplish their missions.

In order to master your finances like a Jedi, you must learn the Jedi mind trick – but trick yourself instead.

For example, let’s say you have a spending problem. When you set out to save some money instead of spending it all, you’re not going to want to do it. Instead, you’re going to want to spend – just like you always have.

You’re going to have to trick yourself into spending less. And there are several ways to do this.

One way is to hitch a ride to an abandoned Sith world. There, there’s really nothing to do – nothing to spend your money on.

If you don’t have enough credits for such a journey, you’re going to have to avoid marketplaces that are full of droids and the like. Droids can be expensive – why not fix up one of your old ones instead of wasting your galactic credits on the latest model?

While you’re at it, have your old droid keep track of your credits for you. Have it keep you on a budget. Their artificial intelligence will help you make important decisions on what you should and should not purchase. Being mathematically precise is a necessity when it comes to finance – and droids have this mastered like none other.

But when it comes down to it, you’re going to have to be the one to trick yourself out of your emotional impulsiveness and into self control. Feel the Force and let it be your guide.

3. Don’t become another Darth Vader – give according to the light side.

We all know the tragic story of Anakin Skywalker. This Force-sensitive human was once a very heroic Jedi Knight who later in life became seduced by the dark side of the Force.

It pains me to even talk about this. Anakin slipped into the role imposed on him by Darth Sidious and enforced his master’s will as Darth Vader – a man aiming to destroy the Rebel Alliance.

Money and power can surely corrupt. Don’t let this happen to you.

A Jedi has self control beyond measure. When you start to accumulate wealth, don’t let it get the better of you. Help out your fellow man. Just because you have access to the Force doesn’t mean that you have to be influenced by the dark side. Instead, use your wealth for good. Help out the common folk and give to causes worthy of support.

In order to give, though, you should first take care of yourself and your family. Make sure you have an emergency fund, are saving for retirement, and are funding your children’s college education.

4. Don’t buy an Imperial Star Destroyer – it’s too expensive.

Listen, you don’t need all those bells and whistles. What do you need laser cannons and tractor beams for anyway?

Instead, buy a vehicle you can afford. Think podracer.

Sure, Anakin eventually went over to the dark side, but you have to hand it to his younger self – he built his vehicle from spare parts. Cheap, fast, and built for those who have the Force running through their being.

Who wants to be paying interest on a vehicle loan for the next 15 million years? Not a Jedi, that’s for sure. Jedi live within their means and seek to be as efficient as possible with their credits.

If you have a need for intergalactic travel, sure, buy something that will get you from planet A to planet B, but don’t become a slave to the New Order to do so.

Heck, I drove my grandmother’s 1998 Chevy Lumina for several years and survived! That saved me a bundle that I used  able to invest more money.

5. Train constantly and don’t give up.

A Jedi’s training in the Force never ends. – Vodo-Siosk Baas, Krevaaki Jedi Master, Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith

Change is bound to happen. That’s why a Jedi must constantly train to meet the demands of the changing times. And you know how Jedi trained? It was either in groups or in a Master-Apprentice format.

That’s right, you must train with those who are going to sharpen your skills. Here again, there’s value in training with a financial advisor. I did so in the early days, and so can you.

In fact, you can become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional too – if that’s what you’re seeking.

But perhaps you’d just like to learn some more about how to handle your own money and not necessary the money of others. That’s acceptable, but remember it still takes a great deal of effort to master virtues such as self control. Managing ones finances takes a tremendous amount of discipline and self control. That’s why you need to train constantly to ensure you aligning yourself with the light side of the Force. One small deviation from your plan may cause you to question the goodness of the light side, something no Jedi should ever do.

Training to become a Jedi is not an easy challenge, and even if you succeed, it’s a hard life. – Qui-Gon Jinn, Human Jedi Master, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace

Sticking to your financial plan over the long-term is perhaps one of the most difficult things you’ll ever have to do. Think about it. When you see your investments fall by 10 or 20% – are you going to freak out and sell them or are you going to stay the course until retirement?

What about when financial hardship comes your way? If you were to lose your job repairing tutor droids, would you have what it takes to recover and find a new job – perhaps working on exploration droids? Would you have enough galactic credits saved up to ensure you could survive using food synthesizers to create edible organic matter from the raw materials in your backyard?

A true Jedi trains for just about every conceivable hardship yet does not become burdened by the process. Training is intense, but the Jedi calmly works through their training to prepare for inevitable circumstances.

Grab Your Lightsaber – It’s Time for Battle

This was the formal weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. More skill than simple sight was required for its use. An elegant weapon. It was a symbol as well. Anyone can use a blaster or a fusioncutter–but to use a lightsaber well was a mark of someone a cut above the ordinary. – Obi-Wan Kenobi, Human Jedi Master, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Novel)

Like handling a lightsaber, handling your finances requires a great deal of care and skill. You can be a cut above the ordinary. Start here. It’s time for battle. Are you ready?

May the Force be with you, Jedi.

##photo courtesy: coba

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Can this man save ailing Woolworths?

AS WOOLIES braces for a big hit to its profits while battling Coles and Aldi, the struggling retail giant has brought in the big guns.

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15 words you should stop using

WANT to sound smarter? All you have to do is drop these 15 words from your conversations. Yep, it’s really that simple.

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‘I just want to bring her home’

HAVE you called your mum lately? This woman went missing nearly five years ago. She was found sleeping in a McDonald’s.

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Salim’s wife becomes property mogul overnight

AYSHA Mehajer — wife of Auburn Council’s embattled deputy mayor — has gone from former beautician to director of 12 companies in record time.

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Silvio Calabi: Supercharged Sport is the driver’s Range Rover

Along with the satnav directions, the display glowing in the windshield of the Range Rover informed me that the speed limit was 60 MPH. This seemed odd, as we were on a narrow, winding, tree-lined country lane that anywhere in the US, rather than in Gloucestershire, UK, would have been posted at 35MPH—and studded with warning signs, to boot. (Curve Ahead! Slow Down Now! Farm Equipment!) Never one to be a poor guest, however, I dutifully throttled up to 60 and held it there [...]

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Cars We Remember: Chrysler Imperial and Chrysler Cordoba

Q: Greg, I always liked the Chrysler Imperials and Chrysler Cordobas. What is your opinion of the older and last generation Imperials and those neat Chrysler Cordobas? I think they were both fine looking cars in the decade of the 1980s. Bill C., Worchester, Mass. A: Bill, although the Imperial brand goes all the way back to 1926 when Chrysler built the car to compete with other luxury brands, the Imperial dates all the way up to 1990-1993 when Chrysler re-introduced [...]

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Sephora Addicts: Here’s How to Get Free 2-Day Shipping All Year for Just $10

If you swoon every time you see one of those black-and-white-striped Sephora bags, listen up…

We recently discovered a way you can get free shipping on any Sephora order for an entire year — for only $10.

The program is called Sephora FLASH, and it works just like Amazon Prime: Membership costs $10 and gets you free two-day shipping on every order for an entire year.

Normally, shipping for orders under $50 costs $5.95 and takes four business days. So, a Sephora FLASH membership pays for itself after just two orders.

And for all you last-minute shoppers who need a gift quickly, overnight shipping only costs $5.95 for FLASH members. For everyone else, it’s a whopping $16.95.

Unfortunately, you’re not eligible for the offer if you live outside the contiguous United States or use a P.O. Box.

If you plan to buy beauty products for yourself or loved ones during Sephora’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales (they’re offering a bunch of $10 beauty deals!), a FLASH membership could be a smart way to save money on shipping costs.

Your Turn: Are you interested in getting a Sephora FLASH membership?

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!

Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

The post Sephora Addicts: Here’s How to Get Free 2-Day Shipping All Year for Just $10 appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Will Santa Claus Deliver a Year-End Rally for Investors?

Wall Street typically delivers sweet treats to shareholders near the end of the year.

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Why Buy New Ones? Here’s How to Make Your Own Holiday Gift Bags

I’m sure gift-giving is on the minds of lots of people about now, and I’ve got an easy and fun tutorial on how to make your own gift bags.

Have you noticed that the days of December seem to move a little quicker than those of any other month? They certainly do to me. With two of our children celebrating birthdays the week of Christmas, they move really fast around here.

Getting as much done ahead of time – and striving to keep things simple – helps me to keep the noise down!

Save Money on Holiday Supplies

To Work With My Hands

I like to shop for decorations and supplies after a holiday passes to save for the following year. If you choose to use wrapping and/or tissue paper at Christmas, you can save a significant amount of money doing this each year!

I’ve done this for so many years now that I don’t think I could bring myself to pay full price for wrapping paper that is going to just get ripped up and tossed into the garbage.

Save Small Empty Boxes

To Work With My Hands

As hard as I try to remove processed foods from our home, we do still have boxes of this or that around.

And when we recently had two weeks of travel back to back, we resorted to Pop Tarts and cereal to get us out of the house quickly on the days we needed to leave town early. Those empty boxes come in handy, though.

Save Ribbon from Craft Projects or Gifts

To Work With My Hands

Who doesn’t have a stash of ribbon or decorative string around?

In addition to leftover spools of ribbon for hair bows and other projects, I like to collect strings and ribbons from things that are — you guessed it — otherwise going to be tossed into the garbage!

Ready to get started? Grab a roll of tape, some scissors and a hole puncher, and we’re ready to go!

Step 1: Cover the Box with Wrapping Paper

To Work With My Hands

Start by cutting the top flaps off of the box, then wrapping it, leaving extra paper extending over the top.

Step 2: Fold the Edges of the Paper

To Work With My Hands

Fold the excess paper down into the box and tape into place.

You may need to cut the paper along the corners in order to make it lie down neatly.

Step 3: Attach Ribbon Handles

To Work With My Hands

Finally, using your hole punch, put two holes on each side of the box at the top, then run a length of ribbon through and tie inside the box in a knot.

Now you’re ready to add some coordinating tissue paper and any embellishments you like, and you have a very simple, fun and totally unique gift bag.

Plus, these bags are sturdier than standard gift bags. They can be customized exactly how you like with papers, ribbons and embellishments. And you can make them any size, depending on the box you choose.

Your Turn: Will you forgo store-bought gift bags and try these handmade alternatives this holiday season?

This post was originally published at To Work With My Hands. Creating fun and frugal projects for the home and garden, To Work With My Hands is your source to be encouraged, be inspired and be creative.

The post Why Buy New Ones? Here’s How to Make Your Own Holiday Gift Bags appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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The $100,000 Challenge: October Update

The seventh month of the $100,000 challenge has wrapped up. In October, overall traffic on Nutrition Secrets was 42,822 visitors, down from 66,743 in the previous month.

The traffic drop was mainly due to social media. The blog posts didn’t do very well on Facebook in October compared to September. But the overall search traffic is continually rising. For example, October’s search traffic of 25,086 surpassed September’s number of 19,595.

The interesting aspect of October’s activities is that we finally started to monetize our product in hopes to bring in revenue.

Here’s how things are looking…

Traffic

As you already know, social media traffic is a bit unpredictable compared to search traffic. Although traffic from Facebook is down overall, the number of search engine visitors keeps increasing month over month.

Why?

Because Mike adds content each day. As long as he blogs once a day, there is more content, which increases our likelihood of being found in the search results.

The issue with the content he is writing is that a lot of it is basic. For example, he is writing posts such as “The health benefits of bananas.” Well, everyone already knows bananas are good for you, so posts like that (which are the majority) aren’t generating much traffic.

On the flip side, posts like “What happens to your body when you quit eating sugar” are unique, and those are the ones that are generating the majority of the search and social traffic.

I’ve been trying to teach Mike to blog only on unique topics instead of those that are beaten to death, but he is still struggling with it. Over time, he should get better at it, and I am sure our results a year from now will be great.

Monetization

We finally started to make money with Nutrition Secrets. We are now selling fish oil on Amazon (I’m not linking to the product as I am trying to avoiding cheating: I don’t want Quick Sprout readers to buy the product to help reach the revenue goal).

The key to generating sales on Amazon is reviews. The more you get, the better off you are. We are only at three reviews, and we need over 1,000 to see a real impact.

The tricky part is you can’t pay for reviews as that breaks Amazon’s terms of service. Nor do we have the financial ability to pay for reviews as we are trying to do this whole project on a budget.

So, what we are doing is giving away the bottles at cost. Mike is handing out coupons to anyone who is interested in fish oil supplements. They get a good price, and we potentially get a review (you can’t force people to write a review).

We were also given 28 bottles free when we did the white-labeling deal—selling someone else’s product under our label. So, Mike is also giving away 28 coupons for a free bottle…but that won’t last long.

We don’t know what percentage of the people who purchase a bottle at cost will leave a review, but we will know more in the next 30 days or so.

Once we get to 500-1,000 reviews, Mike and I will sit down and focus on adjusting the pitch (copy) on the fish oil supplement page to make it more attractive. If you look at most Amazon product pages, they aren’t written to be persuasive. We think that is a good competitive edge for us, and it should help drive sales in the long run.

Here is our game plan for the Amazon fish oil product:

1. Analyze the competition to figure out what the ideal price point for this product should be. It’s currently too high.
2. Focus on acquiring more positive reviews while following Amazon’s terms of service.
3. Adjust the copy on the product page in order to maximize sales.
4. Once the product generates more sales, focus on creating a more attractive label design.

Conclusion

Over the next 30 days, you’ll see us maintaining the current content levels and handing out more coupons to generate more Amazon sales.

Now, every time we hand out a coupon, we don’t make any money as we are just breaking even…so, of course, we still have a long way to go to hit the $100,000 a month income goal.

After a few months of doing this and fine-tuning the Amazon product listing page, we should start seeing natural sales, which will help with the $100,000 monthly goal.

The goal by the end of November is to generate 30 reviews. By the end of December, we want to have 300 reviews. And by the end of January, we want to have 600 reviews for our product on our Amazon page. If we can hit those numbers, there should be enough traction for the product to generate close to $100,000 in monthly sales.

So, what do you think of the progress so far?

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How to Maximize Your Retirement Accounts in 2016

Don’t miss out on these tax breaks for retirement savers.

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5 Mistakes IRA and 401(k) Investors Make

Here’s why you’re not earning the returns you should be.

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When Should Investors Switch from Robo-Advisors to Humans?

As your financial situation becomes more complex, a robot won't be able to answer your questions.

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Pfizer, Allergan Create Largest Pharmaceutical Merger

Pfizer and Allergan are set to reach a $150 billion deal that would create the world's largest drug maker in terms of sales, according to the Wall Street Journal.


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3 Revealing Interview Questions to Ask a Job Candidate

Skilled interviewers have a few go-to questions to help dig deeper into applicants' skills and goals.


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How to Keep Your Data Safe From Cybercrime

As more data and financial information goes online, the threat of cybercrime also increases.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1QDRX7V

8 Things to Never Tell an Interviewer – Even If They’re True

Avoid badmouthing a previous job or manager since recruiters may see that as a red flag. 


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An Epic List of 37 Money-Saving Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes

Worried about affording a massive Thanksgiving feast this year? Maybe it’s time to think a little bit outside of the box — or perhaps, outside of the bird.

The biggest expense of any Thanksgiving dinner is usually the turkey — so by going vegetarian this Thanksgiving, you could save a bundle.

You’re probably saying: “I can think of vegetarian sides and desserts, but what about entrees?” We’ve rounded up 10 vegetarian entrees for Thanksgiving, as well as several appetizers and sides you might not have considered, including plenty of vegan and gluten-free (GF) options to please everyone in your family. Most of the recipes use seasonal ingredients, which are usually cheaper, and you can save even more cash with these strategies for slashing your grocery bill.

Whether you decide to skip the turkey altogether — or just add a few more veggie dishes to your spread — you’re bound to enjoy these vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Appetizers

Roasted delicata squash, pomegranate and arugula salad: This seasonal salad from Cookie and Kate bursts with healthy color and would make a great start to your meal. (GF)

Creamy roasted rutabaga and parsnip soup with kale and coconut “bacon”: You can’t go wrong with roasted veggies, and the unique ingredients of this soup from Choosing Raw are sure to wow even the most particular foodies at your table. (GF; vegan)

Swiss chard and chanterelle mushroom cups: Though listed as a breakfast item by Dishing Up the Dirt, these cute little cups would work well as a pre-dinner finger food. (GF)

Acorn squash and apple soup: The Happy Herbivore says this soup is “like apple pie in a bowl.” Need we say more? (GF; vegan)

Quinoa + sweet potato patty cakes: From The Pink Peppercorn, these crisp cakes are “loaded with quinoa, sweet potato, brown rice, spinach and dried cranberries.” Perfect for snacking! (GF; vegan)

Quick black bean and sweet potato chili: If you want something to simmer while you’re working on other dishes, this filling stew from VegKitchen might be just the ticket. (GF; vegan)

Stuffed portobello mushrooms with roasted red pepper coulis: You really can’t go wrong with stuffed mushrooms. Add a fancy coulis like this recipe from Vegangela suggests, and you’re all set! (GF option; vegan)

Caramelized onion and carrot soup: This simple soup from The Tomato Tart would be easy to make ahead of time — and the color just oozes autumn cheer. (GF; vegan)

Roasted carrot salad with arugula, goat cheese and crispy garlic chips: Crispy garlic chips? Say no more: we want Patty’s Food’s salad on our table. (GF)

Vegan spinach artichoke dip: No holiday is complete without dip. Try One Green Planet’s healthier take on a classic. (GF option; vegan)

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Entrees

Butternut squash and leek risotto: This “Thanksgiving risotto” from Love & Lemons would make a perfect entree or side dish. (GF; vegan)

Festive chickpea tart: A Dreena Burton tart made of chickpeas, spinach and yummy seasonings? Talk about a beautiful centerpiece for your table! (GF option; vegan)

Glazed lentil walnut loaf: When renowned food blogger Oh She Glows says a recipe ranks in her top 10 of all time, you’d better pay attention; this loaf might just become your new go-to dish. (GF option; vegan)

Pumpkin ravioli with brown butter sauce and pecans: If the title of this recipe from Julia’s Album doesn’t make your mouth water, we think you better check your pulse. (And if you make it with your leftover pumpkin from Halloween, it’s cheap, too!)

Baked butternut squash and cheese polenta: Creamy and cheesy innards, finished off with a crispy crust? Sign us up for this dish from Food & Wine. (GF)

Gluten-free veggie pot pie: Pot pie is a total comfort food — and this vegan and gluten-free version from She Let Them Eat Cake will make those with dietary restrictions feel right at home. (GF; vegan)

Spinach and ricotta strudel with chickpeas: Spinach + ricotta + filo dough = a guaranteed crowd pleaser from Amuse Your Bouche.

Summer squash and portobello mushroom lasagna: Everyone loves lasagna. And this one from Herbivoracious looks simply scrumptious.

Unconventional vegan cassoulet: Though Ricki Heller warns that this hearty dish can take a while, she promises the final product will be worth the effort. (GF; vegan)

Pumpkins stuffed with quinoa, butternut squash and cranberries: If you’re into presentation, then look no further than these stuffed pumpkins from The Denver Post. When you put them on the table, your guests will promptly forget why they ever wanted turkey in the first place! (GF; vegan)

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Sides

French bread stuffing with swiss chard & caramelized red onions: Leave the Stove Top in the box; this stuffing from Oh My Veggies is where it’s at!

Fingerling potatoes with garlic lemon aioli: Picky Cook says these potatoes “are addictive beyond your wildest imagination” — and somehow, we don’t have a hard time believing her.

Maple, balsamic and lemon brussel sprouts: If you’ve never drooled over photos of brussel sprouts, then you probably haven’t seen this recipe from This American Bite. (GF; vegan)

Clean green bean casserole: You’ve gotta have the green bean casserole — but you don’t have to have all the less-than-healthy grease, cream and flour that go with it. Try this cleaner version from Detoxinista. (GF; vegan)

Homemade cranberry sauce with white wine: You’ll never again consider cranberry sauce from a can after you make your own. We thought Eat the Love’s version with white wine sounded intriguing! (GF; vegan)

Caramelized onion, mushroom and gruyere tartlets: We didn’t know what a tartlet was before seeing this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker — but after seeing the photos, we have a feeling we’re going to be trying them very soon.

Pull-apart gluten-free dinner rolls: Your guests are going to expect dinner rolls — so why not make these ones from My Gluten-Free Kitchen? She promises they taste just like the real thing! (GF; vegan option)

Creamed kale gratin: Kale is still in, and rightly so: it’s nutritious and delicious. We wouldn’t call this creamed kale from Oui, Chef healthy — but it sure looks yummy. (GF)

Roasted cauliflower salad with spicy dressing: Kick it up a notch with this spicy (and hearty) side salad from Healthful Pursuit. (GF; vegan)

Pumpkin and sage risotto: We couldn’t resist adding another risotto to the list, because… PUMPKINS. And sage. From One Ingredient Chef. (GF; vegan)

Stuffed zucchini with cheesy breadcrumbs: “Overflowing with artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts.” Translation? We’re on board with this dish from My Recipes.

Mashed potatoes, accompanied by the best vegetarian gravy: You didn’t think we forgot about the mashed potatoes, did you? Well here are some classic ones from the Food Network, along with some good-looking gravy from Umami Girl.

Vegan Thanksgiving Desserts

Most classic desserts are vegetarian, so we’re sticking to GF and vegan desserts for this post.

Four-ingredient vegan pumpkin pie with coconut whip: We like things with four ingredients, and we’re betting you do, too. Healthy Happy Life’s take on this classic looks downright delish. (Vegan)

Maple pecan pie: Post Punk Kitchen promises her gluten-free and vegan pie is “A perfect pecan pie. A custardy pecan pie. A pecan pie that demands respect, that garners praise. With buttery hints of maple, a glossy top and caramelly insides.” Sold. (GF; vegan)

Vegan gluten-free apple crisp: Warm apples, spices and crispy oat topping means this apple crisp from Minimalist Baker is a must-have. (GF; vegan)

Pumpkin spice rice pudding: Allyson Kramer’s recipe is a yummy alternative to pumpkin pie — and it looks so darn cute in those wine glasses! (GF; vegan)

Modern vegan apple pie: We love this modern twist on apple pie from Carrie On Living, and the fact it’s bakeless — and won’t take up any precious oven space — earns it even more bonus points. (GF; vegan)

Happy eating!

Your Turn: Would you replace your Thanksgiving turkey with a vegetarian alternative? Or will you be adding any of these dishes as sides?

Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

The post An Epic List of 37 Money-Saving Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Why Amazon Isn't Always the Cheapest Option

Sometimes you have to work harder to compare prices to get the most for your money. 

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The 7 Best Online Deals of Black Friday 2015

You can't beat these sales from Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and more. 

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Questions About Netflix, Amazon Prime, Job Offers, Gym Memberships and More!

What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to five-word summaries. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question.
1. Saving on gym membership
2. Worst case scenario?
3. Job offer too good?
4. Ordering debts
5. Thanking “past self”
6. Market timing or house payoff?
7. Bored at work
8. Used or new lawnmowers
9. Netflix or Amazon Prime
10. Frugal holiday gift ideas
11. 4% withdrawal rate explained
12. Tax exposure

For readers in the United States, this week is Thanksgiving week, which means that many people have days off of work (especially in the latter half of the week), children don’t go to school (again, especially in the latter half of the week), and many families spend time together and usually have an extra special meal of some kind, often centered around a traditional turkey (but not always).

This week also often kicks off the holiday shopping season for many folks, with many people buying gifts on Black Friday and many others staying at home and preparing for the holidays in other ways.

No matter how you choose to spend this week, make sure that you spend a little of it giving your full and undivided attention to some of the people that you love. Turn off your cell phone. Listen to what those people are saying instead of simply pausing to think up what you’re going to say next.

You’ll find that over the long run, those are the moments you wind up being the most thankful for.

Q1: Saving on gym membership

Do you have a gym membership? If not what do you do to stay in shape besides just running?
– Timothy

I do not currently have a gym membership. I have tried them in the past but they honestly don’t fit into my daily routine very well since I work from home. I have to leave home with the intent of going to the gym rather than stopping off on my way to work or my way home.

At home, I mostly use my own homemade variation of the “lifetime fitness ladder” that I track myself. The “lifetime fitness ladder,” at least the way I do it, prescribes a number of exercises that a person can do at home – pushups, squats, sit-ups, jumping jacks, burpees, and so on. What you do is start by figuring out how many of each of those you can do in a session with reasonable ease – not killing yourself, but getting sweaty and a bit out of breath. Write those numbers down and make that your first day’s routine. Then, for the next day, raise two numbers by 1. Then, raise two more numbers by 1. The only restriction I use is that I need to raise each number by at least 1 each week.

That routine works really well for my needs. While I’m not hitting strength training goals, most of those exercises are using my body weight to engage various muscles in my body and you can definitely feel a big difference over time.

Q2: Worst case scenario?

Read this article recently about worst-case scenarios for people trying to be financially independent. What would you do if you were financially independent and disaster struck?
– Roger

Honestly, I’d work at whatever job I could get. If I ever found myself in a situation where it didn’t look like I was going to be able to live for the rest of my life on my current standard of living, the first thing I’d do is try to find my way back into the workplace at some level, even if it meant an entry-level job.

Sometimes things just aren’t going to go like you expect them to go in your life. All of the planning in the world won’t protect you from every single possible contingency out there.

For me, at least, I’m not going to stop working on the first day I think that we’re ready for financial independence. I want to have some buffer room for financial independence for my own peace of mind.

Q3: Job offer too good?

Recently I was asked by a friend to apply for a job in his company that was really short on IT staff. I currently work in IT for a company about 40 minutes from my home and make a median salary for workers of my experience in my area. This other company is about 10 minutes away from my home and is offering a 20% pay increase and very similar benefits. My friend seems to like working there. I am hesitant to switch because I like my current job in every aspect except for the 40 minute drive, but the job offer seems like my current job but better and almost too good to be true honestly, which makes me feel like there are surely some negatives that I’m not seeing. Suggestions?
– Elliott

The first thing I’d do is discuss the company in detail with your friend. What are the bad things about the company? Why exactly is there a shortage of IT staff right now? Don’t just focus on the positives and how great the company is.

If you have anyone else in your extended social network that works there or worked there in the past, talk to them, too. Ask about working conditions, manangement, benefits, and so on.

The next thing I would do is research that company thoroughly online. Look for any and all discussions about the company publicly, as well as any places where employees may have criticized the company on sites like Glassdoor. Do people like working there? Do they hate it? Remember that sometimes sites like Glassdoor become a place for angry people to just rant for no good reason, but there are also some good pieces of information there, too.

If you add all of those things together, you can get a pretty good profile of what working at that company would be like.

Q4: Ordering debts

My wife and I (both late 30s) are finding ourselves in a bit of a quandary over which potential debt we should take on first. Our situation is a bit uncommon in that she is employed full time and I am currently “unemployed” but I act as caregiver to a family member. Our goal is to own a home sooner than later. We have a decent nest egg of $14,000 set aside thus far. We also plan to continue our educations and would need to take on student loan debt. What has us frozen at the moment from pulling the trigger on either is that we aren’t sure if taking on student debt would prevent us from getting a mortgage. We may have an upcoming opportunity to get in on a first-time, low-income home ownership program and are leaning heavily on home ownership first. Then again we aren’t getting younger and would like to make a play for better paying jobs. Is there any advice you could send our way for what would be the best plan of attack or even a way to maybe have our cake and eat it too?
– Alex

For me, it would depend on the type of degree that you’re trying to earn and how it would actually impact your job prospects. Some degrees really help, while some do not. Spend some time figuring out the actual return on investment for that higher degree over the rest of your working life and see if it will actually make a good return for you. Don’t just trust the idea that all college degrees will end up earning you money, especially given that you’re probably only going to be in the workplace for another 25 years or so.

If you’re only earning $10,000 more a year but it’s costing you $75,000 to get that degree, once you start eliminating things like taxes on your income and start factoring in interest on your student loans as well as any income lost during the years spent in college… it’s probably not worth it.

If you determine that the degree is worth it, I’d make that the higher priority than the house right now, as the value of the degree goes down every year you wait on it.

Q5: Thanking “past self”

You write a lot about “future self” so I wanted to give a shout out to “past self” here. About a year ago I started reading The Simple Dollar and making improvements to my finances. I built up a $2,000 emergency fund by saving $50 a week out of my check. Well, this week my car’s brakes started stuttering whenever I hit them and I took the car into the mechanic for some expensive repair work ($1,200). In the olden days this would have been devastating but because of my “past self” for the last year this was easy to handle. It honestly felt like my “past self” was stepping up to the plate to help out with a crisis and it felt really good. You should write about this!
– Amy

Thinking of your “past self” as being a tag team partner for today’s problems is a great way to look at saving for the future! I think we’ve all dreamed of having a “rich uncle” who could jump in and help us out with our current life problems. Saving for the future right now means that when that event happens down the road, your past self becomes that “rich uncle.”

It’s all about perspective and how you look at things. I constantly find new angles on the benefits of being smart about your personal finances – some personally inspiring and some that don’t click with me but could click with others.

The thing is, there are so many benefits that it’s easy to see how it would help, and it doesn’t really cost you that much to get on track.

Q6: Market timing or house payoff?

For the last five years, I have been putting $250 a week into an index fund to fund my dream of starting a small business. That has turned out well and I have a nice nest egg in there but the goal isn’t an immediate one. What I have been more concerned about lately is my mortgage, for two reasons. One, I just want to get it paid off so I have more cash flow each month. Two, I am worried about the stock market as it feels like it’s floundering around a peak. I don’t want to pull my money out of stocks but instead just move my “contributions” to an early mortgage payoff. Is that market timing? What do you think?
– Daniel

I wouldn’t consider the market correction aspect. It is really really hard to say what the stock market will be doing in the future. The truth is that we simply don’t know what the future holds for the stock market because past performance never indicates future returns. I generally believe it will go up over the long term because I believe in human ingenuity and that humans will invent more and more efficient ways to do work, but in the short term, I frankly have no idea (nor does anyone else other than possibly a few HUGE investors that can swing the market by themselves).

In my opinion, the best way to think about your mortgage is that, given it’s already in place, extra payments toward it are akin to saving money at an interest rate equal to your mortgage interest rate. If you make a $250 extra payment now, it’s going to add up to a significant drop – much more than $250 – on the final payment of your mortgage. So, if your mortgage is at 4%, for example, your extra payment is “earning” a steady 4% per year which will be returned to you in the form of less payments at the end of your mortgage.

That’s a perfectly reasonable way to use your money. The stock market might have better long term returns, but it certainly isn’t a guarantee of 4%, plus having your mortgage paid off puts a great ease on your mind and on your cash flow.

Q7: Bored at work

I currently work at a really well paying job with great benefits that’s just boring. I basically do the same four or five procedures over and over again every single day, with only rare exceptions to this. There are days when I absolutely dread going to work because of it. My performance reviews are always great. I have considered asking my boss for some new challenges but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have anything different for me to do. The problem is that if I quit I don’t have any other jobs lined up.
– Kevin

Here’s my honest suggestion for you. The first thing you should do is look at your job and your company and ask yourself what the biggest unsolved problems that you face or touch upon regularly at work. What kinds of inefficiencies are in place that cause you to do these same routines over and over? How could these routines be made more efficient?

Once you figure out some things that could be done, identify the most beneficial few in terms of how much of an impact they could have on things, then describe what would need to be done to make them happen. So, let’s say you know how you could cut ten minutes off of a normal routine with a particular piece of equipment or with some different software or with some different training.

Then, propose that kind of change to your boss. Offer to spend a portion of your week implementing that change, which might slow down your productivity some in the short term but will speed it up over the long term.

Those kinds of “special projects” often are what makes a job enjoyable because of the variety they provide. Employers are often open to the best of those ideas because they make things more efficient, plus they keep employees happy. I did it myself many, many times back in my office worker days.

Q8: Used or new lawnmowers

Is it better to buy cheap used garage sale pushmowers that only last for a year or two (usually after a few repairs) or to buy a decent one that will last a couple of decades? I usually just buy garage sale lawnmowers for $10-20 and fix them up but they’re usually in such bad shape after a few years that it’s cheaper to buy another used lawnmower than repair the one I have. The way I figure it I buy a mower for $10 and put $20 worth of parts and oil in it to get it running and it works well for 2-3 years, then I scrap it for parts (blades and so on) and throw it away and buy a new garage sale mower. On the other hand I could spend $300 on a new mower and keep it running for 15-20 years with good maintenance.
– Dan

Given the numbers you’re stating here, it’s pretty much a wash in terms of cost.

I think that if you have $300-400 to easily spare for a new mower, then buying one up front is probably somewhat better because you’ll not need to invest as much time in it for many years. Yes, there’s maintenance to be done, but you won’t have to do any major work on it for a while.

If you don’t have that cash up front, then buying used mowers will certainly work out well.

We actually started out on the used mower bandwagon when we first became homeowners. We bought a garage sale mower just before we moved into our current home in 2007, then replaced it with another garage sale mower in 2009. We then bought a new mower in 2011 which has served us very well ever since.

Q9: Netflix or Amazon Prime

My wife and I have decided to “cut the cable” and get rid of our satellite service at the end of our contract in February. We have been looking at both Netflix and Amazon Prime as streaming services to replace cable. You often recommend Netflix, but isn’t Amazon Prime better as it comes with the free Amazon shipping?
– Dave

Netflix is hands-down the better service for video streaming. They offer more programming and, in my opinion, a better selection of programming and their interface is better. At home, Netflix seems to have fewer buffering issues, too.

Amazon Prime offers a streaming service, but with less selection. I’d describe Prime as having about 70%-75% of the quality and selection of Netflix. However, Prime does add in other benefits as you mention, such as the free two day shipping. For me, that has turned Amazon into a full price comparison tool on pretty much all nonperishable items.

The real question is whether you value the streaming a lot more than the other services or not. If you’re okay with a lower quality (but still pretty good) streaming service and get the shipping benefit too, then Prime is better. If you just want the best streaming service, then Netflix is better.

Amazon Prime’s streaming video options aren’t quite as good as Netflix’s. Then again, Netflix doesn’t give you free two-day shipping on just about anything. Photo: Mike Seyfang

Q10: Frugal holiday gift ideas

What are some really good inexpensive gift ideas? I’m not interested in homemade gifts as I don’t have much spare time these days.
– Kelly

I usually recommend giving people consumable gifts by default, things that they can eat and drink and not have to store. Giving people items that are permanent usually means that the items wind up in a closet somewhere.

So find out more about that person. What do they like? Take a bit of time to read through their Facebook page, for example, or see if they post on Twitter and find out what they enjoy. A variety pack of craft beer can be a great gift, as can a few bars of really good chocolate.

If you’re going to give someone a more permanent gift, I’d suggest something small and something that’s clearly tied into one of their interests. A good example of this is an external smart phone battery for someone who uses their smart phone a lot.

This needs to become a post all on its own…

Q11: 4% withdrawal rate explained

I’m trying to understand what you mean when you talk about a 4% withdrawal rate. Do you mean that you can take out 4% of the balance of an investment in a stock market every year and it will last forever?
– Shawn

Given the way that you describe it, you’re completely correct that it would last forever. If you went to your investment balance each year on January 1 and withdrew 4% of that balance and then never touched it for the rest of the year, that account would last forever.

The problem is that as the market went up and down, the amount you could withdraw on January 1 would go up and down quite a bit. Let’s say you have $1,000,000 in the account on January 1. You withdraw 4% – $40,000 – leaving you with $960,000 in the account. Then, during that year, the market goes down 30%. That would leave $672,000 in the account on the following January 1. You would only be able to withdraw $28,800 if you followed the 4% rule, which might be mighty difficult for your lifestyle.

Usually, when people talk about a 4% rate, they’re saying that you write down the total on the day you start withdrawing at that rate – $1,000,000 in the example above – and then withdraw 4% of that amount – $40,000 – each year. So in the example above, you’d have $672,000 in your account at the start of the second year, but you’d still withdraw $40,000, leaving you $632,000.

The problem with a 4% withdrawal rate is that unless the market is going up very steadily over a very long period, you’re going to go broke. The Trinity study says that there is a very, very high likelihood that the stock market will keep going up enough over the long haul for your investment to be almost certain to have a balance above $0 after 30 years at a 4% withdrawal rate. That’s good enough for most people in retirement.

The problem is that it’s not good enough for people shooting for early retirement. If you need to withdraw steadily for more than 30 years, if you withdraw at 4% there’s a steadily climbing chance that your account will be empty at some point. Most studies seem to indicate that a 3% withdrawal rate is pretty safe for a human lifetime.

So, a 4% withdrawal rate is good for people at a traditional retirement age, while a 3% rate is better for people who want to retire early.

Q12: Tax exposure

I sometimes read websites about investing and saving for the future and they seem to all be obsessed over tax exposure. What’s the big deal?
– Daniel

In simplest terms, tax exposure refers to the amount of your income that you’ll have to pay income taxes on. You can make a lot of choices, such as putting money into a 401(k), that reduces your tax exposure in a given year, but many strategies often delay that exposure to future years.

So why is this important? Let’s say, right now, you’re making $100,000 a year as a single person. That means all of your income between $37,451 and $90,750 is being taxed at a 25% federal income tax rate and everything from $90,751 on up is being taxed at a 28% rate.

Now let’s say you’re going to retire next year and you hope to withdraw $50,000 from your 401(k) each year.

Right now, if you put $9,250 into your 401(k), what would happen is that your taxable income would go down to $90,750, which means that none of your income would be taxed at that 28% rate. Instead, you’d have more money in your retirement savings.

When you’re in retirement and withdrawing $50,000 per year, let’s say you then decide to withdraw that extra $9,250 you socked away the previous year. That means your total taxable income is now $59,250 for that year, which is still in the 25% tax bracket. In other words, you reduced the taxes you pay on that $9,250 from 28% to 25% just by that simple move.

That’s a very simple example, but it gives you the idea of what can happen. The savings can sometimes be quite dramatic.

Got any questions? The best way to ask is to follow me on Facebook and ask questions directly there. I’ll attempt to answer them in a future mailbag (which, by way of full disclosure, may also get re-posted on other websites that pick up my blog). However, I do receive many, many questions per week, so I may not necessarily be able to answer yours.

The post Questions About Netflix, Amazon Prime, Job Offers, Gym Memberships and More! appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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If You Shop at Old Navy This Black Friday, You Might Win a Million Dollars — And You’ll Definitely Save 50%

Old Navy’s made a name for itself as a one-stop clothing shop for the whole family. Add in cute, comfortable and affordable designs, and you’ve got what I call a “win.”

At Old Navy Black Friday, the store’s dishing up even better deals than normal.

Ready?

Take 50% off the entire store — except clearance items, consumables and gift cards.

There’s only one catch: These deals are in-store only.

So get to Old Navy in person on Thursday or Friday to take full advantage of their Black Friday blowout.

You’ll want to get there early anyway. Old Navy’s running a sweet “Overnight Millionaire” campaign. The first 50 shoppers at each participating store will be entered into the sweepstakes to win a grand prize with a retail value of a million dollars.

You don’t even have to make a purchase — just be first in line!

Deal-Stacking Secrets at Old Navy

Want to save even more this Black Friday? Make sure to use a cashback credit card, like the Barclay card, to earn back a dollar for every hundred you spend.

Plus, check Raise for discounted gift cards to cut your bottom line even more! Now that’s penny hoarding.

Although the 50% off deals are only available in store, if you’re an online shopper, you’re still in luck: Old Navy’s doing a 40% off sitewide sale Sunday and Monday, and Discover cardholders will earn 10% cash back on top through the Discover Deals shopping portal.

No Discover card? Try shopping through Swagbucks to earn 8% cash back — check Cashbackholic for more up-to-the-minute cash back info.

Alright! You’re ready to save on sweaters, sleep pants and scarves galore. For a full list of Old Navy deals, visit our special Black Friday site.

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

Jamie Cattanach is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder and a native Floridian. She’s passionate about learning, literature, chocolate and finding ways to live the good life as cost-effectively as possible. You can wave hi to @jamiecattanach on Twitter.

The post If You Shop at Old Navy This Black Friday, You Might Win a Million Dollars — And You’ll Definitely Save 50% appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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A-la-Carte Cable TV Is Basically Here (It’s Just Not on Cable)

When you dive into a frugal lifestyle, you can feel like a pariah for even owning a TV. “I don’t own a television” is the new “I recycle.” The phrases don’t explicitly imply that you’re a bad person if you watch TV or don’t recycle, but you definitely get the feeling you’re being judged.

That’s too bad, because TV in and of itself is not evil. It can be uplifting, informative, and stimulating. I’m not too proud to say that I teared up during the finale of Fox’s science show, Cosmos. I was confronted with the fact that the immense nature of our universe should serve to unite us as a species, not drive us apart. It was powerful. I wouldn’t wish to deprive anyone of that experience, and I wouldn’t have had it without TV.

But that doesn’t mean I advocate ponying up for cable TV and paying up to $100 a month for it. Due to arcane bundling practices, that’ll give you some stuff you like — and 7 million channels you don’t care about.

An FCC filing from the American Cable Association showed that if you want a package that includes USA, a respectable (if somewhat unoriginal) channel, then you have to get the channels Chiller and Sleuth as well. I’ve never even heard of those channels, and I worked in the television industry for three years. The names sound like an executive let his 4-year-old pick them because he felt bad about missing his kid’s birthday party.

Thankfully, cable streaming options are popping up everywhere. Many networks are doing their best to break from the bundling debacle that has dominated the TV landscape for so long. We’re still in the infancy of this movement, but it’s getting easier to pay for only the channels you want.

While firmly established streaming services like Hulu and Netflix have helped many people cut the cable cord over the past few years, they have limitations: Only certain shows are available on each, and usually not for hours after the broadcast debut. And they’re no help when it comes to live events such as NFL games or breaking news.

But now? We’re closer than ever to “a la carte” cable, where you can subscribe to (and pay for) only the channels you really want, and watch just about everything they broadcast in real time.

Ironically, cable TV itself has little to do with this revolution — it’s all about streaming individual networks or smaller bundles of them over the Internet. (Of course, the other great irony is that cable TV companies deliver much of the broadband Internet service that so many people will use to cancel their cable. They get you either way.)

19 Major TV Channels You Can Watch Live Without Cable

Here are some of the many networks available right now for your streaming pleasure — in most cases, no cable package required:

HBO

Ballers aside, HBO is still the godfather of premium cable channels. High-quality shows like Game of Thrones and Silicon Valley are almost worth the price on their own. At the very least, they’re worth using a friend of a friend of a cousin of a friend’s HBO Go login so you can watch for free on your Apple TV or Roku.

But for the morally incorruptible among us, there’s a better option: HBO Now. For $15, you can watch these (mostly) great shows on any device. I know people who pay for cable packages almost exclusively for HBO, so if you can’t live without it, $15 is a bargain.

Showtime

CBS’s premium cable wing has stepped up their game over the past few years, offering highly touted shows like Homeland and The Affair. The Showtime app costs 15 bucks a month, works across pretty much all devices, and will give you access to all the conflicted serial killers, suburban moms growing marijuana, and Hollywood hitmen you want to watch.

ESPN

Ah, live sports. The last bastion of hope for the bundlers, who once upon a time thought there would never be a way to watch ESPN without cable. Thankfully, you no longer need cable to watch Sunday Night Baseball, Monday Night Football, or any number of bloviating talking heads.

While the long-rumored, highly anticipated, stand-alone ESPN streaming service remains a pipe dream, you can still access the network’s live broadcast coverage without cable through a service called Sling TV.

This is a surprisingly innovative move from Dish Network that allows access to ESPN (and a few other big channels, which we’ll get to below) for a mere $20 a month. That’s somewhat pricey, but still half the price of most basic cable subscriptions. If you’re primarily a sports fanatic, it’s definitely cheaper than buying an entire cable or satellite TV package just to watch NFL games and NCAA basketball.

You no longer need a cable subscription to watch Monday Night Football on ESPN. Photo: H. Michael Miley

AMC

Were you obsessed with Breaking Bad and Mad Men? Those were two groundbreaking shows aired on AMC. If you’re now a fan of the channel but unwilling to pay for cable, it’s another option found in Sling TV’s $20-per-month service.

The History Channel

Growing up, my dad was fond of falling asleep in his favorite chair watching a History Channel program. It’s one of the reasons I would have had to pry his cable subscription from his cold, dead hands. He craved their long-form programming about wars, technology, and famous figures. If you’re a fan yourself, all you need is Sling TV, which also provides The History Channel.

Sensing a theme here?

A Sling TV subscription also gets you live streaming of A&E, CNN, The Disney Channel, The Food Network, HGTV, IFC, TNT, TBS, and more. It’s looking like if you want the big cable standbys without the big cable price, what you really want is a Sling TV box. You can also add on extra bundles, such the Sports Extra pack (with ESPN News and others) or Kids Extra (Disney Junior and more) for $5 a piece per month.

To be clear, I am by no means some Sling TV cheerleader trying to shill their product. I’m not even a customer. They’re just the current industry leader when it comes to providing a few of the most popular cable networks without having to buy a full cable package. It remains to be seen whether or when their rivals step up to the plate and offer something similar.

CBS

While you might think it’s crazy for basic over-the-air networks to have stand-alone streaming apps, CBS is diving into the game anyway. CBS All Access allows you watch to all their hit shows on a streaming service for $6 per month. You also get the exclusive right to watch their new Star Trek reboot, which will not be shown on the main CBS channel after the first episode.

That said, if you live near enough to a major city, you can usually pick up traditional networks such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, and PBS for free with a simple over-the-air digital HDTV antenna.

NBC

NBC is another traditional broadcast network entering the fray, though in a much different fashion than CBS. They are unveiling the unfortunately named Seeso in December. It will have an exclusive focus on comedy. NBC brass is hoping there are enough hardcore NBC comedy fans out there willing to make this $4-per-month subscription a hit.

Nickelodeon

Providers of kids entertainment are getting into the mix as well, as Nickelodeon announced they are going to have a streaming service called Noggin. It’s only available on Apple products, but if your kid is a Dora or SpongeBob addict and you’ve got $6 a month to spare, it might not be a bad option.

Three Intriguing Players: Sony, Comcast, and Time Warner

It’s not just the networks themselves breaking ground in this area. Sony unveiled Playstation Vue this year, their Sling TV competitor. Like Sling TV, it offers many cable channels, including ESPN and other Disney programming. Unfortunately, in its current incarnation, it seems too much like a regular cable package for anyone to take it seriously.

Vue has such a high price ($50 per month for a base package) that most frugal viewers glossed over it as “cable lite.” That said, it’s still a good option for those who simply can’t bear the idea of purchasing an even costlier package and supporting cable companies. There are a lot of us.

Plus, if you dig deep into Vue’s offerings, you see the potential for something interesting. They offer one of the only real, small-scale cable channel packages outside of Sling’s add-on packs and the networks’ stand-alone apps. This comes in the form of a three-channel package that contains only Showtime, Fox Soccer, and Machinima.

That package still costs $30 per month, and is bizarrely targeted at European technophiles who perhaps took a trip to the States once and fell in love with Nurse Jackie — but it’s a good start. If they ever offer truly a-la-carte packaging at an affordable price, they will become a real player.

That would appear to be Sony’s only hope, as two veteran TV giants are also entering the streaming mix: Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Each is testing trial runs of offering channels beamed exclusively online.

Comcast’s Stream TV is only available in Boston, costs $15 a month and allows you to watch TV from a dozen networks, plus all the local broadcast channels and — a big kicker — HBO.

The distinct advantage this has over Sling TV is the ability to watch local channels live and, thus, many local sports games or live breaking news. The distinct (and totally Comcast-ian) disadvantage is that you have to pay for Comcast Internet to get this service.

Time Warner Cable’s streaming service is pretty much exactly like Comcast’s, except they don’t offer HBO. They do provide you with a Roku for signing up, and they are cheaper at only $10 per month. But they don’t have HBO and you have to be a TWC subscriber to even have the option of trying out this streaming service.

Summing Up

The average American cable bill was a whopping $99 a month in 2015. That includes not just basic and premium channels but rental fees for an HD receiver, DVR features, taxes, and other miseries. With the advent of live streaming TV, the average TV viewer with an Internet connection can cut that cost dramatically.

With a $20-a-month Sling TV subscription, $15 for HBO, and an HDTV antenna for local channels, you could watch live broadcasts from just about every major cable network — including live sports on ESPN and the premium shows and movies available on HBO right as they air — for $35 a month.

If you’re a family of TV junkies, add Nickelodeon ($6) and a couple of extra mini-bundles on Sling, such as the Lifestyle Extra and Kids Extra ($5 each), and you’re still barely topping $50 a month. Meanwhile, if you cut out HBO in favor of a Netflix subscription and ditch the add-on packages, you’d pay just $30 a month.

The streaming TV landscape is growing crowded, and all the different options are enticing in their own way. With so many options available at lower prices, it’s crucial that you don’t end up subscribing to three or four different plans and end up with a bill roughly the size of your cable bill. Carefully analyze the offerings and the caveats before diving into this.

That said, if you enjoy certain programs and are looking to cut out all the riffraff, these are exciting times! I look forward to a time when we all start looking at the consumption of TV much like the consumption of food. Let’s try to buy only what we need, savor it, and not let anything go to waste. It’s better for your wallet and your health in the long run.

Related:

• The Ultimate Guide to Cutting the Cable Cord
• Replacing Three Common Service Plans to Save Hundreds a Month
• Using a Cheap Streaming Video Box to Replace Cable TV

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7 Holiday Traditions That Save Our Family Nearly $600 Each Year

December is my favorite month: the time of year when my family draws close and participates in fun holiday traditions.

We celebrate Christmas, and my husband, Daniel, and our two children (Penelope, 3, and 18-month-old Georgia) enjoy the holiday as much as I do.

It’s exciting to introduce young children to the holiday season. Each year feels fresh and new for them, and you can see it on their faces! As parents, we document and remember the traditions we create in our home.

It’s easy to get stressed as the holidays approach, with high expectations and heavily advertised sales at every store. Our family has chosen not to allow our holiday spirits to be dictated by the number of presents under the tree, or the amount of money in our bank account.

Instead, we take part in frugal traditions during December to create happy, life-long memories.

Here are some of our favorite money-saving traditions.

1. Baking Our Favorite Cookies

Buying baked goods is expensive, while baking your own is pretty cheap. During December, flour and sugar are on sale at our local Walmart, so we also stock up for the rest of the year.

We usually spend one weekend of the month baking and decorating our favorite cookies together.

Shortbread cookies are easy to make, and our kids love helping mix the dough, cutting out fun shapes and sprinkling on decorations.

We buy pretty containers at the dollar store and give batches of cookies to family, friends and neighbors as homemade gifts.

Money Spent: Less than $25

Money Saved: About 15 gifts at $10 each gift, for a total of $150

2. Making Handmade Ornaments

One of my favorite holiday traditions is making salt dough ornaments. We love this simple and easy recipe that uses common kitchen ingredients, like flour and salt.

We always make a few ornaments to hang on our tree, but we save most of them for the special people in our lives, and use them as gifts for grandparents, aunts and uncles, and child care providers.

Money Spent: $0-$10

Money Saved: About 10 gifts at $25 each gift, for a total of $250

3. Hosting a Holiday Open House

The holidays always offer many events and parties to attend.

So many, in fact, that it’s often still hard to connect with friends and family when everyone has so much going on.

So, we’re planning to host an early December “Holiday Open House” to connect with everyone before the busy season begins. And, this gathering can work no matter what holiday your family celebrates!

All friends and family are invited to drop by at their convenience. People often offer to bring an appetizer or drink, and I usually feel guilty saying yes.

However, this time I’ll accept any offer to minimize the cost of hosting the party.

Money Spent: $50 or less

Money Saved: The cost of gas to visit individual friends and family, and a gift for another party

4. Saying “Yes” to Thrifted Gifts

Our family has no problem saying yes to thrift gifts. Instead of buying expensive new toys, clothes and books, we shop thrift stores to find the best deals.

We wrap thrifted gifts for our young children, and are happy to give inexpensive gifts to one another.

We’ve also found some great ideas for other recycled and homemade gifts here.

Money Spent: $50 or less for a family of four

Money Saved: More than $150

5. Watching Our Favorite Holiday Movies

As snow starts to fall and we turn on our cozy fireplace, it only feels natural to put on our favorite holiday movies.

We have Netflix, which offers many movies to enjoy throughout December.

Our favorite family film is Elf, and we turn watching it into a big event each year. We grab our warmest blankets, build a pillow fort and snuggle together with popcorn and our favorite holiday drinks.

Money Spent: $5 for popcorn and hot chocolate, and Netflix offers a free, one-month trial — or here’s a way to get Netflix for free

Money Saved: More than $30 to see the latest movie in theaters

6. Volunteering for a Meaningful Cause

One of the most important parts of the holiday season for us is giving back. It feels good to show love and kindness, and we share the lesson with our children by caring for others in need.

We volunteer whenever we can, and get involved in local events with our kids. It might mean delivering boxes of food to families in need, or helping at a local food drive.

Whatever we do, we show our children generosity is the greatest gift.

Money Spent: $0

7. Decorating Our Christmas Tree

My favorite childhood holiday memory is decorating our Christmas tree each year. I loved the smell of fresh pine needles, and digging out all our Christmas ornaments from years past.

Unpacking each tissue-wrapped ornament was like unwrapping a special, familiar gift. These memories can last a lifetime, which is why decorating our tree is a special occasion.

We don’t worry about having a perfect tree — our children usually end up hanging all the ornaments in one cluster, and it’s beautiful all the same.

We just enjoy our time together, with Christmas music in the background and warm hot chocolate in our mugs.

Money Spent: $0

Your Turn: What are your favorite frugal Christmas traditions? Let us know in the comments!

Brianna Bell is a wife, mother and freelance writer specializing in articles on personal finance and family. She has been featured in the Globe & Mail, and has been referred to as a “tiger mom of personal finance.” You can find her blog at mrsbriannarose.blogspot.com and on Twitter @briannarbell.

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Make Money From Home with VarageSale

By Holly Reisem Hanna I’ve been a reseller for a LONG time. Even when I was little, I would clean out my toy box to see what toys I could sell at our neighborhood garage sale. This tradition stayed with me throughout my college years and well into my adult life. I’ve sold used clothes, […]

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Man sacked for ‘stealing’ rubbish

A TROLLEY collector who was sacked for redeeming $2.80 worth of empty cans discarded by customers has had the last laugh.

Source NEWS.com.au | Business http://ift.tt/1PUWiC1