‘This is getting out of hand’

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Ask Kyle: Our Founder Tells You How to Crush Black Friday (You’ll Love Tip #2!)

When it comes to Black Friday, there’s a LOT to know. What to buy, where to buy it, when to go…

Sifting through all the information can get overwhelming — especially when there’s some not-so-good advice out there.

To help set things straight, I chatted with The Penny Hoarder founder, Kyle Taylor. He’s the savviest Black Friday shopper I know, so I figured he’d have some excellent advice to share.

And I was right… Keep reading to learn all of Kyle’s Black Friday shopping tips!

Let’s get the biggie out of the way first. Some people are saying Black Friday is dead — do you agree?

No, definitely not. Black Friday isn’t dead — it’s just different.

You can still grab some great doorbusters by going in-person to the store, but honestly, many of the best deals are now available online. They’re also available before Black Friday itself, occasionally popping up in mid-November or earlier.

Some people are calling this the “death of Black Friday” — I’m calling it more time and more opportunities to score deals!

To me, the more options the better! Because it means you can participate in Black Friday in the way that works best for you — whether that’s going out bargain hunting with your family, or cozying up with your laptop at home.

Alright, let’s hear it: What are your tips for getting the best prices?

Well, I LOVE stacking deals. And by that, I mean using multiple discount strategies on a single product.

Say you want to shop at Walmart on Black Friday. Before going, you could use a cash-back rewards card (I love the Barclaycard CashForward World MasterCard) to purchase a discounted Walmart gift card at Raise, which you’d then use to do your shopping.

That means you’re earning cash back and saving money — before you even leave the house!

If you want more details, check out this comprehensive guide to stacking deals from our very own Dana Sitar.

I also recommend downloading Black Friday apps to help you keep track of the deals, and following your favorite stores on social media — as they often share deals on those channels first.

What do you want to warn people about? What’s NOT a good deal on Black Friday?

Simple: If you don’t need it, it’s not a good deal. Don’t be tempted to buy things just because they’re on sale.

More specifically, toys and jewelry are cheaper other times of the year, and you should also avoid off-brand laptops and tablets. For a full list, check out our post about what not to buy on Black Friday.

Out of all the deals you’ve spotted, can you share a few of your favorites?

Hmm, since I know a lot of our readers love to cook, I was excited to see small kitchen appliances like blenders and waffle makers on sale at Macy’s for just $7.99 after a mail-in rebate.

For sewers and crafters, Jo-Ann’s has seasonal fabrics (think: flannel and holiday patterns) at 70% off!

Oh, and for under $20, these Old Navy sherpa-lined baby moto jackets are just too cute.

What can people do if they don’t want to shop on Black Friday? Is there a way they can earn money instead of spending it?

If Black Friday shopping isn’t for you, there are lots of other ways to spend your day.

I always recommend spending time with family — but if you’re itching to make an extra buck, you could do anything from organizing coupons to starting your side-hustle.

Need more ideas? Here are 25 ways to make money on Black Friday.

I know you love free stuff. Have you seen any good Black Friday giveaways?

Ooh, yes! Old Navy’s hosting their Overnight Millionaire giveaway again this year. The first 50 people in line at each Old Navy store in North America will be able to enter the giveaway and have the chance to win one million dollars.

Even better, we’re hosting a Black Friday giveaway here on The Penny Hoarder!

Tell us whatever prize you want — up to $50,000 in value — and we’ll choose one winner every hour for 48 hours on our Black Friday live blog. The deadline to enter is Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

I can’t wait to read your stories!

Thanks so much for your tips, Kyle! In closing, can you share your number one Black Friday tip?  

It might not be what you’d expect me to say, but here it is: Make a budget and a list.

While I want everyone to get killer deals on Black Friday, I only want people to get deals they can afford.

To help you stay on track, our team’s created an awesome holiday shopping worksheet. Don’t start your Black Friday without it!

Your Turn: Do you have any questions for Kyle? Ask them in our Black Friday live-blog!

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.

This post originally appeared on our special Black Friday site.

The post Ask Kyle: Our Founder Tells You How to Crush Black Friday (You’ll Love Tip #2!) appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Eager to Start Black Shopping Early? Here’s What’s Open on Thanksgiving

Years ago, I remember waiting in line with my aunt, sister and cousins outside a New Jersey department store on Black Friday.

We huddled together in the pre-dawn cold with our hot chocolates, and excitedly waited for novelty snow globes and early bird coupons.

Black Friday traditionally ushers in the holiday shopping season. But some retailers have begun offering deals sooner.

What began as an early-morning activity the day after Thanksgiving has turned into an after-dinner — and sometimes earlier — family shopping activity on Turkey Day.

Have the itch to hit the mall before the clock strikes midnight, too?

Whether you want to get a jump on your gift list or just venture out to the stores in between football and turkey dinner, these 11 stores will be open on Thanksgiving.

Please note, some of these hours are based on previous years and not yet confirmed. We will update the list as information becomes available. Also, some hours vary by location; check with your local store.

Thanksgiving Day 2015 Store Hours

1. Best Buy Thanksgiving Store Hours

Stores open: 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Planning to shop at Best Buy? Here’s our guide to the best Best Buy deals.

2. Kmart Thanksgiving Store Hours

Stores open: 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; reopen from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Planning to shop at Kmart? Here’s our guide to the best Kmart deals.

3. Kohl’s Thanksgiving Store Hours

Stores open: 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Planning to shop at Kohl’s? Here’s our guide to the best Kohl’s deals.

4. Macy’s Thanksgiving Store Hours

Stores open: 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Planning to shop at Macy’s? Here’s our guide to the best Macy’s deals.

5. Office Depot Thanksgiving Store Hours

Stores open: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Planning to shop at Office Depot? Here’s our guide to the best Office Depot deals.

6. Old Navy Thanksgiving Store Hours

Stores open: 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Planning to shop at Old Navy? Here’s our guide to the best Old Navy deals.

7. Sears Thanksgiving Store Hours

Stores open: 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Planning to shop at Sears? Here’s our guide to the best Sears deals.

8. Target Thanksgiving Store Hours

Stores open: 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Planning to shop at Target? Here’s our guide to the best Target deals.

9. Toys R Us Thanksgiving Store Hours

Stores open: 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Planning to shop at Toys”R”Us? Here’s our guide to the best Toys R Us deals.

10. Walgreens Thanksgiving Store Hours

Stores open: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Planning to shop at Walgreens? Here’s our guide to the best Walgreens deals.

11. Walmart Thanksgiving Store Hours

Stores open: 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Planning to shop at Walmart? Here’s our guide to the best Walmart deals.

To see more Thursday and Black Friday store hours, click here.

Your Turn: Are you going shopping before Black Friday this year?

Kathleen Garvin is an editor at The Penny Hoarder.

This post originally appeared on our special Black Friday site. 

The post Eager to Start Black Shopping Early? Here’s What’s Open on Thanksgiving appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Unthankful: The Grievance Generation

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Video: Our Staff Shares Favorite Black Friday Shopping Tips

How do you get the best deals on Black Friday?

We know from experience: From stacking coupons to knowing not to shop hungry (seriously, don’t try it!), we’re experts at surviving retail battle at all the biggest stores. This year, we’re sharing our wisdom with you.

Watch our latest video to find out how we rock Black Friday.

Your Turn: What’s your best Black Friday shopping tip?

The post Video: Our Staff Shares Favorite Black Friday Shopping Tips appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Black Friday: the best deals

Tom Wilson

BlackFridaySale.jpg

As the latest consumer shopping-fest fast approaches, here’s a roundup of some of the retailers that will be participating in this year’s Black Friday event on 27 November, and our pick of the best deals already announced.

As the latest consumer shopping-fest fast approaches, here’s a roundup of some of the retailers that will be participating in this year’s Black Friday event on 27 November, and our pick of the best deals already announced.

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Keep Calm and Shop On: Expert Tips for Keeping Your Sanity on Black Friday

Every year, we hear about people going nuts on Black Friday: fighting over toys, shoving each other in line and just being plain rude. We’d like to think most people don’t intend to lose control — the excitement, speed and stress of the holiday gets the best of them.

To help you stay calm this Black Friday (even if others can’t), we got some expert advice. We asked physicians, therapists, social workers and more for their best stress-relief tips.

Here are nine ways to not go crazy during the Black Friday shopping madness:

Practice Letting Go (Literally)

Much of Black Friday stress stems from getting (or not getting) the best deals. To help cope, stress therapist Cheri Augustine Flake suggests you physically practice letting go before you hit the stores. 

“A week or so before Black Friday, go shopping,” she says. “Grab a cart and begin filling it up. Get what you really, really want. Not what you need for your household or life to function well, but what you really, really want.”

Completed your tour of the store? Put it all back.

“Walk away and feel what it’s like to not have it all,” she explains. “Feel the attachment (or lack thereof) and allow this discomfort to teach you that you are just fine without every single thing. That no matter what you get or don’t get, you are still you.”

Make a List — And Stick to It

One of your first priorities is to create a Black Friday budget and shopping list. Not only will it help with your finances and gifting, it will also limit stress.

“Keep clear priorities,” advises John Vespasian, a writer who specializes in rational living. “Do not waste time with offers for products you don’t need, or that you did not plan to buy. Make an electronic shopping list, and your stress will be (cut) in half. ”

Be Intentional With Your Schedule

Finished your budget and list? You’re not done yet.

It’s time to look through the Black Friday ads and form a plan of attack. Which stores have the best deals on the items you want and when?

Making a schedule means not running around like a turkey with your head cut off.

“Taking these steps will help you be intentional about which store(s) to visit on Black Friday,” explains licensed clinical psychologist Erika Martinez.

She also suggests “assigning different stores to family members, reducing the sense of urgency to go to all of them.”

Shift Your Mindset

The key to a stress-free Black Friday? Remembering what it really is: a shopping day with better prices.

If you miss a deal, it’s not the end of the world.

“Make it a game — become a hunter/gatherer,” says Dr. John Mayer, an author and clinical psychologist. “If you adopt this mindset, then losing an item or bargain is just part of the hunt. Similarly, dealing with all the shoppers and their anti-social behavior becomes ‘being in the jungle’ — fun times!”

“Maintain the mindset this is a fun activity, not life or death,” adds Donna Corbett, a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker.

“Any bargains you get are extra, as most people will shop for the holidays whether or not they get a good deal. Maintaining this point of view will help you take a step back and observe the fray, rather that getting involved in it.”

Stay Hydrated With Magnesium Water

When you prepare for Black Friday, pack a water bottle.

Even better, stir in a tablespoon (or two) of magnesium citrate powder.

“Magnesium is known as the anti-stress, anti-anxiety mineral,” explains Dr. Carolyn Dean, a physician and stress management expert.

“Serotonin, the feel good brain chemical that is boosted artificially by some medications, depends on magnesium for its production and function. … Over 75% of Americans do not get their recommended daily allowance of it.”

Avoid Mob Mentality

Acknowledge the reality of mob mentality and make a conscious decision to avoid it.

“Studies show that people make different choices in large groups than they would make in other situations,” explains social worker and family therapist Carl Grody.

“They become more aggressive and less empathetic, and when someone needs help, people are less likely to offer assistance,” he says.

“If you feel yourself being swept up in the group mentality, stop and ground yourself so you can make choices you’re happy with later.”

Try a Breathing Exercise

Turns out mom was onto something when she insisted you count to three before getting mad at your sibling for stealing your toy.

If you find yourself getting overwhelmed on Black Friday, follow that same rule.

“When tension mounts, rather than putting your focus and attention on the event, take three long deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth,” says health coach Tammi Hoerner. “This tells your brain this is not a life-threatening emergency and allows you to physically stay calm.”

Use a Stress-Relieving App

Want to stay low-stress — but high-tech?

Download Serenita app, a brand-new app which promises to reduce stress levels in just five minutes.

It uses your phone’s camera to extract specific biomedical markers, then guides you through a personalized breathing exercise to help calm you down.

“You can use Serenita anytime, anywhere,” explains founder and stress expert Dr. Oren Fuerst.

“For example, while waiting in a long line with other Black Friday shoppers, you can simply place your finger on the phone’s camera lens,” he says.

“The app will assess your stress level and give you a breathing exercise designed to reduce stress within a few minutes — before you even get into the store or to the cashier.”

Practice Gratitude

If all else fails, remember what you already have: literacy to read this post, loved ones to buy presents for — and money to go Black Friday shopping.

“Gratitude helps us to take stock of what we have — often, we are so caught up with what we don’t have,” explains Dr. Perpetua Neo, a psychotherapist and coach.

“We trick ourselves into inventing reasons for things we don’t need based on an imagined lack. Practicing gratitude is a way of being kind to ourselves. When we do that, we slow down our stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol), and instead learn to soothe ourselves.”

Listen to the experts to keep your cool on Black Friday — while scoring all of the hottest deals.

Your Turn: How will you stay calm and collected on Black Friday?

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.

This post originally appeared on our special Black Friday site.

The post Keep Calm and Shop On: Expert Tips for Keeping Your Sanity on Black Friday appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Spending Your Life

Recently, I had the great pleasure of reading an excellent article from Wait But Why entitled Your Life in Weeks. The premise of the article was that if you break down a person’s life into a series of weeks, you can create an interesting view of their life, what they achieved throughout it, and so on.

Although most of the article was about applying this perspective to the lives of famous people and to the life of the “average American,” the last bit of the article encouraged people to turn that perspective on their own life. At the very end of that section was a few brief thoughts on how we use our lives that left me thinking.

Basically, the article broke down a person’s use of their time and energy and money into three groups – enjoying life, building for the future, and a nebulous “neither.” Whenever we spend our time, energy, or money, we’re doing one of those three things.

An ideal state is one where we manage to simultaneously enjoy life and build for the future. The longer we can spend there, the better. Simply enjoying life or simply building for the future is good, too.

But it gets tricky from there, and there’s where my own thinking picked up. Let’s walk through each of the three areas of life a little bit to look a little deeper.

Enjoyment

All of us spend some of our time and energy doing things that we enjoy and other things we don’t enjoy. Almost all of us dream of a life where we spend more time and energy doing things we enjoy and less time and energy on the things that we don’t enjoy.

Take me, for instance. I enjoy reading books. I enjoy writing (most of the time, when I’m not suffering from writer’s block). I enjoy hiking around, especially in interesting landscapes and not on insanely difficult trails. I enjoy playing board games and card games. I enjoy spending unstressed time with my children, my wife, my extended family, and my friends. I’m sure you could make your own list that might overlap in some areas with my own and be different than my list in other ways.

The time I spend doing those things is really the best part of my life, and I think that’s true for most people, even if their list of things that they specifically enjoy are different than my own.

Enjoyment That Sacrifices Future Enjoyment

However, there’s a catch. Almost everything that you do in some way sacrifices future enjoyment, some in more ways than others.

For instance, all of the time you spend on enjoyable things that doesn’t also build for the future – even if there is no other real cost involved – means that you’re less prepared for the future than you might otherwise be. That’s an acceptable cost, at least some of the time.

It gets worse, though. Many enjoyable activities come with a steep financial cost as well, and that financial cost restricts future enjoyment. It means that you’re going to have to devote more time building for the future down the road and less time enjoying things.

I see this with some of the expensive hobbies I’ve had in the past and even, to an extent, in the present. A round of golf isn’t cheap. Neither is a brand new board game, or new hiking boots, or anything like that. A big, fattening meal has the same qualities – enjoyable but expensive – except that it adds in a health factor as well.

More and more, I tend to find that enjoyment where there’s a significant sacrifice of future enjoyment – like doing something expensive – ends up kind of detracting from my own enjoyment of the experience. I know that, because I enjoyed this thing now, I’m giving up on enjoyment down the road.

Building for the Future

Another big piece of life is spent on things that are all about building for the future. Work obviously falls into this category as we’re working to get paychecks. Investing clearly falls into this category. Exercise falls into this group, as does education. I’d put a healthy (but not excessive) night of sleep into this category, too, as well as healthy eating. Parenting (if you’re in that situation) falls into this category, too, as you’re building functional adults for the future.

It’s worth noting that building for the future isn’t simply a selfish thing. It also includes activities done to build a better future for others through charitable work or political efforts.

I spend much more of my typical day in this category than I do in the “pleasure” category, for better or worse. As I suggested at the start of this article, I dream of a life where the balance shifts a little bit, but we’ll get to that more in a minute.

Obviously, the more enjoyment you get from “building for the future” activities, the better. But what if you’re not getting any enjoyment?

When Building for the Future Is Miserable

At my last job, I wrote software that geneticists used for their research. This required me to have a pretty good understanding of the types of problems that geneticists were trying to solve as well as a very strong understanding of software development.

When I was actually engaged in solving these kinds of problems, I deeply enjoyed my job. The problem was that, as time moved on, my job moved more and more into the realm of software maintenance, which I didn’t enjoy. Also, due to changes in the management structure of the projects that I worked on, more and more paperwork became a part of the equation, too.

Thus, for me, a big part of my own building for the future became more and more miserable over time. I didn’t enjoy big swaths of my job.

So, instead, I began to devote significant portions of my spare time to finding new avenues for building for the future. One of them, of course, was launching The Simple Dollar, and I was eventually able to switch to writing for The Simple Dollar (and other things) as my full-time gig.

If you’re miserable with how you’re building for the future, use some of your “pleasure time” to find new ways to build… but we’ll get back to that in a bit.

Enjoyment While Building for the Future

The ideal state is when you’re building for the future while also enjoying things. I get in that state of mind when I’m in a writing groove and love what I’m writing about, which happens quite often with writing for The Simple Dollar. I can get into that state of mind when I’m hiking in a park with my family or with close friends (exercise builds me for the future).

Ideally, I want to spend as much of my life in this state as I possibly can, at least for now (later on, it might be more important to simply be in the “enjoyment” state). Not only is it enjoyable in the moment, it also opens up the door for more enjoyable things in the future because I’ve built up more resources (my health, money, and so on).

Neither Enjoyment Nor Building for the Future: The ‘Nothing’ State

The problem comes when you spend any amount of time, energy, or money on the opposite of that state, when you’re neither enjoying yourself or building for the future.

Some examples:

You do this when you’re wasting time on something that isn’t particularly fun or enjoyable, but is just “there.”

You do this when you eat unhealthy food that doesn’t bring you any real pleasure – think of a mediocre fast food meal.

You do this whenever you’re “bored” and don’t do anything about it.

You do this whenever you maintain an addiction.

You do this when you sleep excessively.

In short, this is the state in life that you want to avoid. Whenever you spend your money or your time or your energy or your health on something that isn’t enjoyable and doesn’t make a better future for you… why are you doing it?

As much as possible, you should either be enjoying yourself or building for the future — or, ideally, both at the same time. Try to avoid the ‘nothing’ state, when you’re doing neither. Photo: Darwin Bell

Suggestions for a Better Path

This entire view of how we spend money, time, health, and energy comes with several areas where we can work to improve our life’s situation and move in a better direction. Here are four such moves that people can make and how to implement them.

Moving Away from the ‘Nothing’ State

You’re in that state where you’re spending significant amounts of time neither building a better future or doing anything particularly enjoyable in your life, either. How can you get rid of that time.

The first step is to distinguish between things you enjoy and things where you’re just going through the motions.

People often find themselves just going through the motions of things that they used to enjoy or think that they ought to enjoy but don’t actually enjoy. Similarly, people will sometimes go through the motions of building for the future without actually achieving anything (think of a dead-end paycheck-to-paycheck job where you don’t actually build toward a promotion or better work opportunities).

The simplest solution is to just go do something you genuinely enjoy. Whenever I find myself edging toward a “nothing” state, I’ll usually go try to do something that’s actually fun for me. I’ll pull out a board or a card game, for example, or I’ll spend an hour or two reading a book that I deeply enjoy.

Alternately, you can spend that time doing something to build for the future. Go get some exercise. Take an online class. Launch a side business. Just don’t sit there doing nothing.

If I’m feeling too tired to do either of these, I go take a nap or go to bed. That way, I’m building energy for the future by default. If you find that you can’t sleep while also lacking the energy to do something you genuinely enjoy or something that builds for the future, see a doctor. That’s also a powerful solution if you’re struggling with an addiction.

Moving Away from Enjoyment That Sacrifices Future Enjoyment

What do you do if you fill your spare time with expensive or unhealthy things? This was a life state I often found myself in during my early professional years, when I was primarily concerned with having fun and keeping up with people in my professional peer group.

First of all, consciously start devoting more time to things you enjoy that don’t cost as much. Assuming you have a variety of interests and things in your life that you enjoy doing and participating in, spend some time evaluating them in terms of their cost to continue to spend time on them. Is there an upkeep cost to keep participating? If there is, that doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying that thing, but simply that you might want to spend more of your time on other things you enjoy that don’t come with the same cost.

Another approach is to try lots of new things that aren’t expensive. Try new things, even if they put you on unfamiliar ground or don’t initially seem exciting to you. What I’ve found is that I often wind up appreciating unexpected things when I give them an honest try – not everything, of course, and not even most things, but more often than I might expect. Sure, I find many things personally uninteresting after I try them, but it doesn’t take much of a success rate for trying uninteresting things to make doing so worthwhile.

The thing is, once you have a larger pool of things you’re interested in, you have an easier time finding inexpensive things to do that are enjoyable for you. This naturally pulls you out of that pool of “enjoyment with a heavy cost” and into a much better state.

• Related: 102 Things to Do on a Money-Free Weekend

Moving Away from Building for the Future with Misery

Building for the future is something we all have to do at least some of the time. We all have to do something to earn an income, and we all have to do some things to maintain our own life.

Many of those tasks are neutral – they don’t bring joy but they aren’t miserable, either. Some of them are actually enjoyable.

However, for some of us, big swaths of building for the future add up to nothing but misery. Usually, that misery comes in the form of a miserable job.

So, how do you fix that situation?

One strategy is to apply for a different job. Part of the problem may simply be related to your current workplace where too much (or, sometimes, too little) is expected of your or the wages aren’t enough to make things work for you. A change of scenery can make things feel less miserable.

Another approach is to start preparing yourself for a new career path or an improvement in your current path. Spend your spare time taking classes to earn a certification or a degree in your current field or in something completely different. I’ve even considered doing this myself.

You may also want to consider launching a side gig. This was the most effective route for me personally. When I felt frustrated by my job, I spent a lot of my spare time launching different side gigs. Some of them utterly flopped. Others, like my tech support business, were middling successes. One, The Simple Dollar, did quite well. Don’t expect everything to be a success and learn from your failures.

Also, you should always be saving for the future so you’re not financially locked into your job. Never, ever, ever spend as much as you earn. Spend less than you earn and put some aside out of each paycheck for your future. That includes credit card debt – your credit card balances need to be going down over time, not up. When you keep digging yourself into a financial hole, you’re moving in the wrong direction in terms of being miserable with your curent employment situation.

I have personally found it very useful to become more organized with my time and my money. Doing so has decreased the amount of time that I spend on things that I don’t particularly enjoy that build toward the future because I have a strong sense of what needs to be done and how to bundle things together in a smarter way. I like to use a slightly modified version of the Getting Things Done system as it helps me to identify things that have a similar context (such as the place where I’m doing it) so I can do those things together.

Moving Toward Enjoyable Future Building

Naturally, the final step is to find ways to do things that are simultaneously enjoyable as well as things that build toward the future by improving your personal resources in some fashion.

There are a lot of approaches here, some of which match up well with strategies mentioned earlier.

First of all, dabble in things you enjoy that might earn money via side gigs. Spend a couple of hours each day trying to build a side gig that earns money based on something you enjoy doing. There are many, many, many ways to do this, from creating online content to building wood furniture in your garage. The key thing to do is to look for ways that translate things you naturally enjoy doing into some kind of resources for the future, whether it’s health or money or time or something else.

Second, evaluate the things you already do for enjoyment in terms of whether they build for the future. Do you have any hobbies already that happen to build for the future? For example, I enjoy going on moderately challenging hikes, which is a hobby that requires relatively little equipment and can have some very serious health benefits over the long haul. Going on these hikes adds to the time I’ll have on this earth as well as the healthy time I’ll have, and since I enjoy such hikes, it’s a good way to invest my time.

Reading is another good example of this. Depending on what I read, it can either be a thing for pure enjoyment or something that also builds for the future if I learn something genuinely useful from the book. Thus, I often select books that help to improve my life in some fashion rather than just pure page-turners.

Finally, surround yourself with positive social relationships. It is a lot easier to find yourself enjoying things that also build for the future if you have people in your life that are very positive about such activities. Don’t be afraid to evaluate your friendships in that way and ask yourself which friends are really on board with finding enjoyment in things that build toward the future and are open to sharing that joy with others. People like that are fun to be around, so look for them in your life.

Final Thoughts

Right now, you only have so many resources in your life. You have a certain amount of time, a certain amount of energy, a certain amount of money, and so on. In life, we all want to do enjoyable things, but doing so costs time at the very least and often costs money and energy, too. So, to replenish things, we need to spend some of our time replenishing our money and our energy.

The path to a better life is all about figuring out how to make all of those exchanges more efficient. How can we do enjoyable things without spending too many resources? How can we build our resources back up more efficiently? Best of all, how can we simultaneously do things that we enjoy that also build up those resources?

Personal finance clearly fits into this system and, in my view, is right near the core of it. It’s all about finding ways to seek enjoyment without draining our money and also finding ways to build our money reserves as efficiently as possible. It also touches on how we exchange money for those other resources – time, energy, and so on. Since money is so effective as a means of exchange, personal finance ends up being pretty central to all of this.

In the end, it’s all about making your life better. Stop spending time in the “do nothing” areas of life. Start filling your life with things that build for the future and also bring you genuine enjoyment – and ideally things that do both at the same time.

Good luck!

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Want Free Stuff on Black Friday? Here are 12 Stores to Visit…

Everyone loves a freebie. But sometimes, you have to work for it.

In the case of Black Friday, it means you’re going to have to get up early. You’re going to have to wait in line. And you might even need to buy something to get that “free” bonus product or gift card.

But if you’re already planning to visit these 12 retailers on Black Friday, pay attention to these opportunities to score some free bonuses.

1. JCPenney

JCPenney will give out free Disney snow globes starting at 3 p.m. on Black Friday.

Free snow globes have been a tradition at the store since 2002, but 2015 will be the last year you can snag a Disney collectible snow globe from the retailer.

2. PetSmart

Head to PetSmart, where the first 100 customers on Black Friday will receive a free paw-print ornament.

You’ll also get a $3 movie rental credit via Visa Digital Rewards Card. Be sure to bring your PetPerks card to get these freebies. Stores open at 7 a.m.

3. Belk

Early-birds get a free gift card just for being one of the first 250 people to arrive at their local Belk store.

Gift card amounts range from $5 to $1,000, and there’s a guaranteed $1,000 winner at every store. Stores open at 6 a.m.

4. Cabela’s

The first 600 people to arrive at Cabela’s for its 5 a.m. Black Friday-opening might win one of several freebies.

If you want a pair of Zeiss Terra binoculars (valued at $399.00), a Masterbuilt Sportsman Smoker priced at $349.99 or a $100 Cabela’s gift card, you’ll have to set your alarm clock.

Since REI will be closed on Friday, Cabela’s might be your best spot for outdoor deals.

5. Target

If you’re planning to buy handheld devices on Black Friday, Target is the place to go to get rewards beyond sale prices.

Several products come with a free gift card, but the offer is only valid while supplies last — so you’ll have to shop quickly!

The best freebies include:

1. A free $20 Target gift card when you buy a Samsung 40-inch Smart LED TV, on sale for $317.99
2. A free $30 Target gift card when you buy a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7-inch 16GB tablet, on sale for $229.99
3. A free $150 Target gift card when you buy any iPad Air 2, starting at $399
4. A free $100 Target gift card when you buy any iPad Air 4, starting at $269
5. A free $80 Target gift card when you buy any iPad Mini 2, starting at $399
6. A free $100 Target gift card when you buy any iPad Air
7. A free $100 Target gift card when you buy any Apple Watch

6. Sports Authority

Get a $15 cash card at Sports Authority when you spend at least $50 on footwear.

The offer is good Nov. 26 through 28, but you’ll need to clip the coupon from your local Black Friday ad to get the bonus.

But if you can’t wait for Friday, line up on Thanksgiving night, when stores open at 6 p.m. — the first 80 customers in line at each store will get a $15 cash card.

7. HHGregg

If one new TV isn’t enough, head to HHGregg. Buy a Samsung Smart TV of at least 55” and go home with a free 32” Samsung TV.

Meanwhile, if you buy the Samsung 60” 4K Ultra HD Smart TV, you can take home a free Samsung Soundbar speaker system.

8. Best Buy

If you need a new phone, an installment billing plan or to lease a Samsung Galaxy S6 phone, you’ll earn a $250 Best Buy gift card.

Shutterbugs, buy a Canon Powershot SX710 camera and receive a free camera case and memory card.

Gamers, buy the Rise of the Tomb Raider bundle for XBOX One and receive a free XBOX One wireless controller (and then invite a friend over for leftovers and games!).

Visit Thanksgiving night starting at 5 p.m., or wait until Black Friday at 8 a.m. to shop.

9. GameStop

Buy an Activeon CX HD Action Camera at GameStop and get a free 16 GB MicroSD card to go with it.

Doors open at midnight on Black Friday.

10. Sears

You might need these if you’re planning a Black Friday shopping marathon: Sears is offering a buy one, get one free deal on athletic shoes for the whole family.

Stores open at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving night, but this is one deal you don’t have to rush to get. The sneaker deal is good through Saturday.

11. Bath & Body Works

OK, there’s nothing free about this deal — but it’s all about extra value when it comes to Bath & Body Works.

Each year, the smell-good emporium offers a VIP tote to Black Friday shoppers who spend a certain amount, typically $40.

The tote usually costs $20, but is packed with $100 worth of products — including a few best-sellers. The bag tends to be cute, too. Stay tuned for more details about this year’s tote!

12. Half Price Books

Get ready, bookworms. Head to Half Price Books on Black Friday, where the first 100 shoppers will receive a $5 gift card and a free tote bag to haul all your books home in.

But keep your eyes peeled — one lucky customer’s gift card at each location will really be worth $100. Stores don’t open until 9 a.m., so plan your morning accordingly.

And a Few Nontraditional Bonuses…

It’s not all about the shopping. OK, maybe it is — but you might find some nontraditional Black Friday freebies in your area. Here are a few examples:

Free State Park Admission

Entrance fees to all 76 state parks in Minnesota will be waived on Nov. 27 for what the state is calling Free Park Friday.

“We are very fortunate to have such outstanding state parks and trails in Minnesota,” Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr said in a statement. “So get out there, walk off your turkey dinner and have some fun on Friday!”

Free Bus Rides

Live in Spokane, Washington? Take the bus for free. The Spokane Transit Authority (STA) will offer free bus rides on all routes on Black Friday.

It’s a yearly tradition in the city, with the goal of easing the stress of navigating traffic and finding parking in major shopping areas.

Your Turn: Which Black Friday freebies are you most excited about?

Lisa Rowan is a writer, editor and podcaster living in Washington, D.C.

This post originally appeared on our special Black Friday site.

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Savings update: move quickly to catch Shawbrook Bank’s top-paying deal

Sylvia Morris

flying piggy banks.jpg

Shawbrook Bank is still paying a top 2.15 per cent before tax (1.72 per cent after tax) on its one-year fixed-rate bond, but it might not be around for very long.

Shawbrook Bank is still paying a top 2.15 per cent before tax (1.72 per cent after tax) on its one-year fixed-rate bond, but it might not be around for very long. The Metro Bank deal at 2.1 per cent (1.68 per cent) was only on offer for a few days before being withdrawn from sale.

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How to Escape a Job You Hate

Feeling disengaged and uninspired at work? If so, you’re not alone. A recent Gallup Poll revealed that only 31.5% of American employees felt engaged at work in 2014, while 51% reported feeling “not engaged” in their jobs or careers. Hilariously, another 17.5% of adults reported feeling “actively disengaged” — as in, they pretty much stopped caring a long time ago.

Sadly, far too many of us have been there. If you’ve had a job you truly hate, you have probably schlepped to work and wished the whole place would shut its doors or burn down – with you in it. And you’ve probably stared at the clock until 5:00 at least once, while trying to do something – anything – to look busy.

Yep, being stuck in a job you hate is the worst. It’s like obligatory servitude with paid vacation to take the sting out. It’s drowning in regret while watching the life you could have lived pass you by. It’s slow-motion sadness, and when you really hate your job, the days feel like years.

And the worst part is – if you don’t make a change, you might be stuck there forever.

Plotting Your Escape from a Job You Hate

Fortunately, now may be the perfect time to start looking for a way out. According to an October report from the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), the U.S. economy should add at least 210,000 jobs per month through the end of 2015 and into 2016. And the national unemployment rate may take a turn for the better, too, as it is projected to dip down to 4.8% by the fourth quarter of 2016.

Apparently though, many disgruntled workers have already gotten the memo. As a recent JOLTS report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows, the number of people quitting their jobs reached its highest point since 2008 earlier this year. According to U.S. News & World Report, “quits, which are generally considered to be voluntary and can reflect confidence in one’s ability to find another job” ticked up to nearly 2.8 million in early 2015.

In other words, people are walking out the door and moving on to greener pastures at the fastest pace in seven years – simply because they can. And can you blame them?

More than half of Americans surveyed don’t feel engaged at work; 17.5% even feel ‘actively disengaged’ — meaning they pretty much stopped caring a while ago. 

Seven Ways to Escape a Job You Hate

Of course not. But if you want to say “sayonara” to your employer, you need a plan. Yep, leaving your job involves a lot more than just saying “see -ya”  and walking out the door.

Most of us need some time, some sort of strategy, and most importantly, a stack of cash to ease the transition. Of course, it always helps to have another job or career waiting in the wings as well – even if you have to create it yourself.

Are you ready to escape a job you hate? If so, here are seven tips from popular bloggers and career experts that can help make the dream a reality:

Network, network, network.

If you like your field of expertise but not your employer, your best bet might be a lateral move to a competitor’s office. After all, employers within the same career field aren’t always created equal.

While some might offer perks to make employment more worthwhile, others have different management principles or superior cultures that increase employee happiness and make the work day infinitely more tolerable.

If you want to stay in your current field, experts say that networking may be the key to changing things up.

“The best way to get out of a job you hate is to network effectively in your field so you will find out about jobs you would like better,” says Teresa Mears of LivingOntheCheap.com. “If you’ve built a good reputation in your field, you’ll do even better.”

Especially if your field is small, says Mears, word can get around rather quickly.

Corporate attorney Valerie Rind agrees, adding that you may never hear about lateral opportunities if you seem disinterested.

“If you want to stay in the same industry, reach out to all your colleagues and contacts,” she says. “They might be unaware that you’re dying to pursue other opportunities in your field of expertise.”

Start a business on the side – or launch a side hustle.

If you hope to exit your job and head straight into business, it’s a smart idea to get your business off the ground before you quit.

“The best way to get out of a job you hate is by working on an alternative business idea to replace your income during all your breaks,” says Kayla Sloan, freelance writer and founder of Shoeaholicnomore.com.

Before Kayla walked away from her 9-5, she worked on her business before work, at lunch, after work, during breaks, and on the weekends. Eventually, she says, all the hard work paid off.

“When it gets hard, just remember that it’s a temporary sacrifice so you can quit your job,” she says. And no matter what you do, don’t quit the side hustle when the going gets tough. Remember, if it were easy, everyone would do it.

Grayson Bell of iMarkInteractive took a similar approach when creating an online business to replace his day job. After working in a related field for many years, Grayson became an expert in WordPress and website management and struck out on his own. “The best way to switch careers is to educate yourself on a skill you can sell to others,” he says.

“Perfect that skill over time and hustle your way to money at night. Over time, build upon that skill and sell more of your service. The entire time, save the money you make on the side. Stash enough cash for a year and then quit your job.”

• Related: 50 Small Businesses You Can Start on the Side

Learn new skills – or simply build on the skills you have.

If you’re stuck in a career with limited potential, improving or adding to your skill set could open the door to new opportunities.

“Take on new responsibilities at your current job, learn from online classes, and use side hustles to gain more experience,” says Kate Dore of Cashville Skyline. The more experience you have, and the more work environments and strategies you have been exposed to, the better off you’ll be.

If you’re in a field where specialties pay off, you could also consider that route. In fields like nursing, information technology, and computer science, advanced certifications in software programs or special skills can not only beef up a resume, but can lead to better, higher paying positions as well.

“Expand on your existing skills by taking a course and become a specialist in a particular field,” says Tai Stewart of bookkeeping and accounting firm, Saidia Financial Solutions. In the end, the more credentials you have, the better. And what’s more, your current job may even offer education reimbursement for programs related to your field.

Find your ideal job – and go after it.

Know what you really want to do? If it’s working in a specific field or with a specific employer, you need to craft a plan to get your foot in the door.

“Find your ideal job, find your ideal boss for that job, and find creative ways to get their attention as an ideal candidate,” says Kirk Chisholm, financial planner from InnovativeWealth.com.

Some things to try, says Chisholm, include working part-time work for free until you prove your worth, or finding out what they need and doing it for them without being asked.

“You need to solve one of their problems, then you will have a good chance to get noticed for the position,” says Chisholm. Further, internships – both paid and unpaid – can be the first step toward full-time employment with a specific employer. If they’re not advertising for an intern, you can always ask. The worst thing they can say is “no.”

Cut your spending and create a ‘bare bones budget.’

A lot of times, dependence on a job you hate is a financial issue more than an emotional one. Even if you hate your job more than the devil itself, mounting bills and financial pressure can keep you there for way longer than you planned.

If you don’t have a specific career plan in mind, the best thing you can do is cut your spending to the bare bones. That way, you can figure out how much money you really need to live on – and make job and career decisions based on that figure.

“The best way to get out of a job you hate is to start saving up,” says Martin Dasko of Studenomics. “If you don’t have any money saved, you’ll never be able to leave. You’ll be stuck forever.”

Financial coach and author Amanda Abella tells her clients the same. “Save money so you can quit sooner, slash expenses so you can leave sooner, and then figure out how much you need to make each month to quit,” she says. “I’ve had people come to me thinking they need to make $100k in a year in order to quit when they really don’t need anywhere near that.”

If you’re unsure of how to find your bottom-dollar spending goal, read our post on how to create a “bare bones budget” and get ready to live on less. It may hurt for a while, but trust us, it will be worth it.

Pay off debt and buy your freedom.

According to financial coach Melissa Comstock Thomas, debt is one of the biggest deterrents when it comes to striking out on our own.

“Debt deters dreams,” she says, adding that the best way to get out of a job you hate is to use your current job and income as a tool to dump debt and save money. “That way,” she says, “when an opportunity to do a job you love comes around, neither debt nor lack of savings stands in your way.”

Kraig Mathias from Create My Independence takes that advice a step further, adding that it’s time to stop buying into the lie that says “stuff and debt will make you happy.”

• Related: When Enough is Enough: How Much Debt is Too Much?

“Look, if you’re broke and in debt and happen to hate your job, tough,” he says. “You don’t have a choice.” To leave a job you hate, he says, you need to “get out of debt and save a pile of cash.” It’s as simple as that.

Of course, getting out of debt isn’t always easy. If you want to explore strategies that can help, check out these posts:

• 11 Ways to Get Out of Debt Faster
• Back in Debt? A Strategy to Pay It Off for Good
• 10 Steps to Rid Yourself of Credit Card Debt Forever

Stop making excuses and get to work.

Ryan Guina from CashMoneyLife.com created a lucrative online side business in his spare time. But his success can’t be attributed only to good luck, connections, or anything else. If you want to truly get ahead, he says, put yourself and your goals first.

“Turn off the TV, log out of Facebook, turn your ringer off, and start hustling,” says Guina. “That could be taking classes, writing the next Great American Novel, building a website, recording your music, or starting a business.”

At the end of the day, no one is going to knock on your door and offer you your dream job, just like no one is going to start a business or side hustle for you. If you want something, you have to stop making excuses and go after it with fervor. You have to put all distractions aside and go for it – or as Guina says, “chase your dreams!”

Financial coach and author Todd Tresidder or Financial Mentor echoes that sentiment, adding that a crappy job should add fuel to your fire – not take away from it.

“Use the daily pain of your job as motivation to build that side hustle income into your exit strategy,” he says. “Track your side hustle income against your expenses every month and when the two lines intersect you’re free to get on with your life and go full-time to accelerate the business growth.”

Creating Your Own Escape – One Step at a Time

Like it or not, your finances, your career aspirations, and your current reality are all intertwined and dependent on one another.

Without ample savings, you may be stuck working in a dead-end job forever. Likewise, if you have the motivation to learn new skills, build on the skills you already have, or start a side hustle, your chance of breaking away is a whole lot better.

You have to be willing to put yourself out there – to try something – if you want to change your life in a positive and meaningful way.

Life’s too short to spend it in a job you hate. But if you want a way out, you have to find one or create one yourself. At the end of the day, you have to grab life by the horns and go for what you want – whether that’s just a different and better job, a dream career, or a business you own and run yourself. Because, no matter what, no one can do it for you. 

What is the worst job you’ve ever had? Are you plotting to escape a job you hate? Please share your experiences in the comments below.

Related Articles:

• The Graceful Way to Quit a Job You Hate
• How to Negotiate Salary and Juggle Job Offers
• Could You Quit Your Job on Monday Morning?
• Why Freelancing Can Be Safer Than a 9-to-5 Job

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How Businesses Should Approach the End of The Year

By Deborah Sweeney According to the Kauffman Foundation, after falling for five years, the amount of new entrepreneurs as a percentage of the population finally picked back up. That means, for many, we aren’t just approaching the end of the year – we’re also approaching the end of their first year of business. And as […]

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