Quick Stop Sunoco in Middle Smithfield Twp. sold for $2.6M

The Quick Stop Sunoco at 4998 Milford Road in Middle Smithfield Township, across from Price Chopper, was sold Feb. 5 for about $2.6 million.The Sunoco is an eight-pump, 16-hose gas station with a convenience store of more than a 5,000 square feet.The sale was brokered by KW Commercial, The Daniel Perich Group.   

Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/1T9dc2J

Wyndham Vacation Resorts fined for misleading couple on timeshare buy

Wyndham Vacation Resorts, in Shawnee, and real estate broker Craig Roberts have been issued small civil penalties by the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission for misleading a couple on terms of their timeshare purchase.Edward and Kathleen Hume reported that when they bought a timeshare interest in an Orlando, Florida condominium in 2011 for $179,000, the couple was told by a salesperson that Wyndham would buy back the property after two years, if the Humes were dissatisfied. Wyndham [...]

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

Hate Your Ex? Get BOGO Hooters Wings for Shredding Their Photo This V-Day

Hate your ex? Want a cathartic way to get over them — while also getting free chicken wings?

I thought so.

Hooters is running a fun “Shred Your Ex” promotion, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

When you destroy a photo of your ex, Hooters will give you 10 FREE boneless wings with the purchase of 10 wings (approximate cost: $8.99). The offer is redeemable on Feb. 14 only.

Here’s how to get your revenge and your wings…

How to Get Free Wings for Shredding Your Ex

When it comes to destroying a photo of your ex, you’ve got two options: in-person or online.

If you go the in-person route, bring a photo of your ex into the nearest Hooters on V-Day, where the restaurant will shred it for you and give you free wings.

Don’t have any printed photos of your ex?

Because we’re true penny hoarders, we found a way you can get a free 8-by-10 print at Walgreens; just order online using coupon code FREE8X10FEB and select in-store pickup.

Though I have a feeling the in-person shred is the more gratifying choice, it also might be more work than your ex is worth. If that’s the case, you can virtually shred your ex’s photo.

Visit Hooters’ website, take a short quiz and upload your ex’s picture. Based on your responses to the quiz, Hooters will virtually shred, burn or bury your photo. (FWIW, I got “BURN” when it came to my most recent ex.)

After watching the photo get destroyed, enter your email address to receive a coupon for your 10 free wings.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but after seeing this promo, I think I’ve changed my mind… Revenge is a dish best served with free chicken wings!   

Your Turn: Do you have an ex you’d like to shred?

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 Hate Your Ex? Get BOGO Hooters Wings for Shredding Their Photo This V-Day appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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

Savings update: top fixed-rate bonds wiped out

Sylvia Morris

shakingpiggy.jpg

Banks and building societies continue to trim the rates they offer new savers on fixed rate bonds.

Banks and building societies continue to trim the rates they offer new savers on fixed rate bonds.

The top deal remains at 2.06% before tax (1.65% after) from French-owned RCI Bank. But Charter Savings Bank has trimmed its rate from 1.85% (1.48% after tax) to 1.81% (1.45%) for new savers.

Back to the register

read more

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

Cars We Remember: Who really won the first Daytona 500 in 1959?

Q: Hi, Greg. With the 2016 Daytona 500 coming up in a few weeks and celebrating 58 years, I still talk with friends about that very first race in 1959 and the photo finish between Johnny Beauchamp and Lee Petty. You’ve written about it before, but I’m still wondering about this race and why it took so long for Bill France to reverse his decision and give Petty the win over Beauchamp. Your further thoughts would be appreciated, and also what were your favorite Daytona [...]

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

5 Genius Ways to Save Money on Valentine’s Day Without Looking Cheap

Are you ready for Valentine’s Day?

If you’re planning on celebrating, you might also be frantically checking your budget — wondering how to afford it.

Though it’s just one day a year and flies by oh-so-quickly, Valentine’s Day can help you rack up a big bill if you’re not careful. There’s the dinner, a gift, a fancy outfit, maybe a cab ride, too much wine and all those roses.

And if there’s one thing you shouldn’t skimp on, it’s telling your significant other how much you love them.

So we’ve pulled together some ideas to help you woo that special someone and avoid being hit with a huge bill at the end of the night.

Follow these tips to bring the romance in under budget — without leaving the evening wanting for more.

1. Wear Cheap Clothes That Don’t Look Cheap

If you’ve got a good eye and smart strategy, you can have a hot wardrobe of hand-me-downs and thrift-store finds — and no one will ever know.

To find the perfect outfit for Valentine’s Day without spending a ton of money, start hitting thrift stores now.

Your best strategy is to simply look often — turnover is high and the best stuff goes fast. Stop in every few days to piece together a wardrobe, rather than planning one big shopping spree.

If you’re still not happy with the prices, sell those those clothes after your date! We found five hip websites for selling clothes on consignment.

2. Buy a Smart Gift That Doesn’t Look Cheap

Ignore the pressure. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to give a thoughtful gift.

You can find a craft bar of chocolate and really good cheeses for under $10.

Throw in an affordable bottle of good wine, and you’ve got a creative basket filled with aphrodisiacs for under $25!

Or give it a personal touch with a thoughtful homemade gift.

3. Go on a Cheap Date That Doesn’t Feel Cheap

“Date night” may send one person’s heart aflutter with excitement, but it can cue a cold sweat in the one footing the bill.

Being romantic can also be expensive. Even the frugal dater is often willing to overspend to avoid looking cheap on a date.

But you can be frugal without looking cheap — even on a date!

Local events like bar trivia, poetry readings, live comedy or bingo night usually only cost about $5-$10 per person. They’ll also keep you occupied, without any pressure to force conversation.

Looking for a place to chat more? Find a board game cafe.

It’s an affordable destination that suggests more effort than simply grabbing coffee together. The atmosphere is just as conducive to conversation as it is to quiet competition.

A special night with a long-time partner can be as simple as playing board games, putting together puzzles or creating art together — no kids, friends or phones to distract you.

Check out our 25 fun, budget-friendly date ideas for more inspiration.

4. Cook at Home Without Looking Cheap

Skip the crowds and save your money by cooking at home.

But don’t just make any meal — make a great meal, without spending a great amount of money.

Dress up favorites like macaroni and cheese, spaghetti or grilled chicken so they taste expensive without costing extra.

A tiny bit of flair in the plate’s presentation and table dress can make affordable meals feel fancier than they are. Serve with extra love to really woo your Valentine!

See all 10 recipes in our list of cheap meals that taste expensive.

5. Throw an Affordable Party Without Looking Cheap

Whether you’re planning a party for two or hosting a Pal-entine’s Day for your single friends, wow all the guests without overspending.

Decorate with some handmade crafty hearts, serve drinks in a punch bowl instead of a la carte and plan fun party games to keep everyone occupied without costing you a cent.

If you’re the guest for a special evening, don’t show up empty-handed just to save money. Pick up one of these bottles of wine under $15 to keep it classy — without breaking the bank.

Your Turn: Do you have a date planned for Valentine’s Day? What are your tricks for saving money?

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more

The post 5 Genius Ways to Save Money on Valentine’s Day Without Looking Cheap appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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

Questions About 529s, Long Term Care, Surge Protectors, Passion and More!

Rocket Mortgage: Smart Idea, Terrible Super Bowl Ad

Millennials, many of whom are burdened with huge student debt loads, have been slow to buy their first homes — holding up the housing economy to some degree. And so Quicken Loans is making an overture to them with its new Rocket Mortgage app, promising the ability to apply for a mortgage in just a few minutes from your smartphone.

Quicken even coughed up millions of dollars to promote its new product with a minute-long ad during Super Bowl 50:

The commercial patriotically suggests that making it easier to get a mortgage will jump-start the entire American economy — by getting more people to buy houses, who will buy more stuff for their homes. (Mmmmm…. stuff.)

Beyond the blatant overture to consumerism, it comes across as an ignorant insult to anyone who paid the least bit of attention to the housing bubble and mortgage meltdown of the mid-2000s. The takeaway slogan, “Push button. Get mortgage,” evokes the irresponsible, no-doc lending and over-extension of credit that embodied the era of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and eventually sparked the financial crisis.

The blowback was swift and stinging on Twitter last night:

If you asked bankers who worked in fixed income at the time to explain 2008-era logic re: MBS, they could have just shown Rocket Mortgage ad

— Elizabeth Spiers (@espiers) February 8, 2016

why did that Rocket Mortgage ad feel like a trailer for “The Big Short 2″ — Walter Hickey (@WaltHickey) February 8, 2016

Rocket Mortgage: Let’s do the financial crisis again, but with apps!

— daveweigel (@daveweigel) February 8, 2016

However, Quicken executives defended the spot, insisting that they haven’t loosened lending standards. In fact, The Wall Street Journal notes, “Quicken steered clear of most of the subprime products that brought the economy to its knees in 2007, making it one of the only large nonbank lenders to survive the crisis.”

What they’ve done with Rocket Mortgage isn’t to make it easier to qualify for a mortgage, which was a key problem during the housing crisis. Instead, they’re simply trying to make an onerous process easier for people who do qualify, allowing the iPhone generation to it digitally if they want that convenience.

“Borrowers can authorize Quicken to access their bank and other financial information directly, eliminating the need for sending pay stubs, bank statements, and tax returns back and forth,” the Journal reports. 

Many younger consumers are more than willing to trade privacy for convenience. And in a world where you can outsource your banking and budgeting to sites like Mint.com, file your taxes online, and entrust all your money to an online bank you’ll never visit, it makes perfect sense to app-ify the mortgage process for people who want that convenience. 

So, it’s a smart-enough idea, and perhaps not as likely to crash the U.S. economy as many people initially thought.  

But it’s still a terrible ad.

Forget the glorification and over-simplification of debt-driven capitalism. Forget, even, the straight-up 21st-century rudeness of people applying for mortgages on their phones while in the audience during a live theater performance. Quicken boasts that it’s doing for mortgages what the Internet did for buying music and shoes, “turning an intimidating process into an easy one.”

“Please refrain from flash photography and applying for mortgages during tonight’s performance.”

I’m sorry, was buying a CD intimidating? I seem to remember walking into a music store, picking out a couple of albums, and paying $10-$15 each at the register. It was the best part of my week in high school. Am I forgetting the part where I had to give them my Social Security number and itemize my debt obligations? Applying for our mortgage — asking to borrow hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of 30 years — was a bit more complex. 

Finally, while I appreciate the convenience of buying music online and streaming pretty much any song you want any time, as a musician, Quicken’s promise sounds more like a threat than a happy solution.  

Rocket Mortgage commercial: “What if we did for mortgages what the Internet did for buying music?” You mean destroy it? #SuperBowl — Ben Greenman (@bengreenman) February 8, 2016

What did you think of the Rocket Mortgage ad? Would you apply for a mortgage using a smartphone app?

The post Rocket Mortgage: Smart Idea, Terrible Super Bowl Ad appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Source The Simple Dollar The Simple Dollar http://ift.tt/20Ri7GK

5 “Scary” Marketing Techniques That Are Worth the Risk

It’s the biggest productivity killer for any marketer…

And no, it’s not a specific activity—it’s fear.

Too many marketers know what produces results but are afraid to implement them.

Instead, they’d rather spend their time doing something “safe,” like making their spreadsheets look pretty.

These distractions don’t help you get anything done.

Alternatively, some marketers, especially the ones who learned most of their knowledge online, will go to great lengths to avoid the difficult work that comes with marketing techniques that work.

And then, they complain that no matter how many tactics they try, nothing works!

Listen, I know that some things are scary, difficult, or even just a bit off-putting. But if you want to really make a difference in the success of your business, you need to get over those fears, one at a time, and do the work. 

Now, if it’s not clear what I meant by “scary marketing techniques,” it’ll become clear in just a second.

In this post, I’m going to show you 5 marketing tactics that are effective for most businesses.

The only catch is they can be difficult or scary to do.

I’m going to break them down as much as possible so that you can determine why they might scare you and what you could do to overcome that fear.

This is going to take a lot of honesty on your part, but if you’re willing to give me that, it could have a huge impact on the success of your marketing.

1. If you want to know your customers, you need to talk to them

Do you like talking on the phone to people you don’t know?

If you do, you’re a unicorn. The vast majority of people either don’t particularly care for it or straight up hate it.

When it comes to the latest generation of Internet marketers, this is actually a huge problem.

A lot of people are drawn to online marketing because they think they don’t need to have any human interaction. No offices, no meetings, no phone calls, etc.

There are many different forms of marketing jobs, and many of them indeed don’t require any interaction.

However, if you ever want to reach that next level of success, you have to push yourself past your comfort zone.

The tactic in question here is talking with your target audience.

This is usually done through a phone or Skype call.

Why is this important? Because there is absolutely no better way to understand your target audience than to speak with them.

It’s the fastest way to learn how they talk, what they like, and what they are and aren’t interested in.

This is not only important for your content marketing but also for any product development.

I understand that it might not be the most comfortable thing for you to do, but you don’t have to do it too much to get a ton of value from it.

In addition, try to think of it this way:

For whatever reason(s), your goal is to create great things for this target audience, which means that you care about them. If you care about them, why wouldn’t you want to get to know at least some of them on a more personal level?

It’s worth mentioning that this tactic works regardless of whether you are selling to consumers or businesses (although you might find it easier to do with businesses). 

Step #1 – Find customers you could talk with: Your first step is to find people with whom you can connect and whom you can convince to take a call from you.

There are 3 communal circles where you find these people:

1. friends
2. groups
3. forums

If any of your friends fall into your target audience, that’s always the place to start. It’s pretty easy to convince a friend to hop on a quick call or let you buy them lunch.

In the event that none of your friends are in your target audience, you’ll need to find people elsewhere.

I recommend heading to groups next.

Both LinkedIn and Facebook have groups focused on just about every topic imaginable. It’s simple to find a group that contains many (up to thousands) of people in your target audience.

Start by searching for your niche on either of those sites and filter down the results by “groups”:

I’ll show you what to do from here in a second.

On top of these two sources of groups, you could also find groups in real life. Meetup.com is a fantastic place to find these groups. It’s free, and you can narrow down the groups by a category that contains your target audience.

In-person events are usually more effective than quick Skype calls for a number of reasons.

The main one is that you’ll get to see your target audience engaging about your subject in a natural environment. You can also form relationships easier in person, so the people whom you meet may help you both in the short- and long-term.

Obviously, this might make you more uncomfortable than you would be if you were just making a phone call, and it is optional. But it’s a great option if you’re one of those marketers who love interacting with people.

Finally, if all of those options fail (which they rarely will), you can also find a forum about your niche by Googling “(niche) + forum.”

For example, if I were selling a weight-loss product, I would search for “weight loss forums”:

Step #2 – Make them an offer they can’t refuse: Why on Earth would anyone want to have a 10-20 minute talk with you?

That’s the question we have to answer.

And the best answer is that they’ll do it because they get something out of it.

If you simply want to contact people in your target market individually and ask them to talk to you as a favor, that’s an option.

I don’t recommend it though.

You’ll end up wasting a whole lot of time.

Instead, offer them something valuable.

If they’re local, it could be a free lunch.

If it’s over the phone or on Skype, it could be $10-20 to their PayPal account or a free sample of a popular product.

Once you know what you can afford to offer, it’s simply a matter of getting people to agree to talk to you.

In a group or forum, you’ll want to post a new topic with a message like this:

Hi all,

I’m new to the group, but I’m already loving all the discussion about (topic) that I’ve seen here.

I’m currently doing some research about (topic) and am looking for a few people who’ve been interested in it for a while who would be willing to talk to me about it.

I’m just looking for a quick 10-20 minute chat so I can understand (topic) better.

I’m happy to offer $20 in exchange for your opinion if you are interested.

I recommend finding at least a few groups to post in because some will flag this as spam.

As long as you’re offering something valuable, you shouldn’t have a tough time getting takers.

Step #3 – Come prepared, but leave room for flexibility: Okay, you’ve finally gotten a few people who are willing to talk to you.

Ideally, talk to as many as you can afford to, but get at least three to get a decent picture of how they view your niche.

Here are some questions you might want to start with:

• What are the main reasons you’re interested in (niche)?
• What are the websites related to (niche) that you use most often? What do you like about them?
• What are your favorite products for (niche)? Why do you choose them instead of other similar products?
• What’s the biggest problem in (niche) you see right now?

Don’t limit yourself to just these questions, but as long as you get answers to at least these, you’ll get a lot of valuable information from the talk.

It’s a great idea to record the call so that you don’t miss anything.

2. Want to be a thought leader? Get used to being vulnerable

There are thousands of bloggers in just about every industry.

However, there are always 10-20 of those bloggers who are considered as leaders by most.

When they share their thoughts, everyone else listens and often relays those thoughts to their audiences.

It’s a very good position to be in.

Being a thought leader isn’t about how old your website is or how many blog posts you’ve written.

It’s about whether or not your peers (industry bloggers) respect you and consider you an expert (even among other bloggers).

Obviously, this has many benefits beyond a sense of accomplishment you might feel.

A great example of this is Brian Dean, who founded Backlinko just a few years ago.

Even though he had focused on SEO only for a short time, he quickly became a thought leader in the community.

He was able to drive tens of thousands of visitors to his new blog within a few months.

The main reason for his success was because other bloggers (like me) saw his work and were happy to showcase it in front of their audiences.

As a thought leader, you get as many links and as much traffic as you need to grow a healthy business, which Brian has done admirably.

On top of that, it also makes it easier to connect with those other bloggers because they already know you. Many of them will reach out to you before you ever get a chance to reach out to them.

Becoming a thought leader: I wish I could give you a simple formula for becoming a thought leader, but unfortunately I can’t.

There are many paths to becoming one.

They all require one thing: expertise. You need to have ideas and thoughts about your industry that are not only intelligent but also new.

You need to be one of the voices in your community that is making your community better.

If you have that, you have to get your messages out in front of your peers.

You can do this all online, but it’s a slow process.

A faster way is to start speaking at conferences.

I have a lot of experience with this, having spoken at more than 230 conferences so far.

Something interesting happens when you start speaking in front of audiences. All of a sudden, you are presented as an expert to the audience.

Since the audience is full of your peers, they’ll typically give you the attention and respect you’re after. If you deliver quality ideas to them, you will have become a thought leader in their eyes.

The benefits and drawbacks of conferences: Sounds amazing, right? And it can be, but only in an ideal situation.

When you first start out, you won’t get to speak at big conferences. You’ll be lucky to get to present in front of more than 50 people.

However, if public speaking is something that you excel at or want to develop and you’re willing to commit to doing at least 20-50 smaller events, you can have some success.

As you get better at speaking and your name slowly gets out there, you’ll get chances to speak at bigger and bigger conferences (that are invite only).

Using this one tactic alone, you could become a thought leader in a year or two if you work hard at it.

Oh, and did I mention the money? Conferences can benefit you financially in a few ways:

• payment for speaking – while you won’t get paid at first, once you start getting invited to speak at conferences, you will. Even though I’m not the highest paid speaker, I can still typically charge $20,000 per hour plus travel expenses.
• extra business opportunities - your audience will typically be a mix of peers and potential clients (mostly peers). Speaking has led to many 6-figure opportunities for me. People want to work with thought leaders.

How do you start speaking at conferences? Starting at the bottom means that you can’t be picky. Be prepared to accept whatever opportunities to speak you can get even if they aren’t great.

Your main goal is to get some experience to improve your speaking skills and learn how events are run.

Forget about making money right now because the ROI will suck until later on.

First, you’ll need to track down conferences, and then apply to be a speaker. They’re really easy to find; just search for “(industry) conferences speaker proposal”:

Just because an event isn’t huge doesn’t mean there aren’t a decent number of people who want to speak at it. Not all proposals are accepted, so you need to put in some effort here.

Here’s what you need to do to get accepted as a speaker:

1. Read the requirements - Different conferences ask for different things in their proposals. Read what they want, and give them everything they ask for.
2. Niche down – Don’t just pitch yourself as a “marketing speaker.” Pick a specific area that you are an expert in (i.e., email outreach or link building).
3. Nail the bio – Most proposals require that you submit a bio. Make yourself sound as impressive as possible (exaggeration isn’t always a bad thing).
4. Pitch a specific idea – You need to include a short description of what you want to talk about and why it’s interesting to the audience at the event. Pick a topic you know that no one else will be trying to present on.

At first, this is somewhat of a numbers game. Don’t apply to just one conference because it could be weeks until you hear back from the organizers (and if you’re not selected, sometimes you’ll never hear back).

It’s a lot of work up front, but it gets easier.

Once you talk at about 50 events (give or take), you’ll typically start getting invited to speak at events (and offered some payment).

3. It’s a lot easier to build relationships in person

Maybe public speaking in front of large audiences is a little overwhelming for you—fair enough.

But that doesn’t mean that you still couldn’t benefit from going to conferences and other similar events.

Conferences are attended by a lot of your peers, which gives you the opportunity to build relationships with them—much better ones than you can build through email.

While you won’t be a thought leader all of a sudden, having a handful of influencers on whom you can call for advice and get help with traffic goes a long way.

But conferences can be a huge waste of time if you don’t approach them strategically. Most people go to conferences, hand out business cards, and wonder why it doesn’t lead to anything.

You’re not going to do that…

Step #1 – Find a list of conferences in your industry: First, you’ll need to identify conferences you want to attend.

Obviously, local conferences are easiest to get to, but pick the ones that interest you the most.

It’s not hard to find lists of conferences anymore; just Google “(industry) conferences (year).”

For marketing, as an example, there are hundreds of conferences listed in the top few results alone:

Step #2 – Make a list of potential customers who are attending: Here’s where the real work begins.

The next thing you want to do is find out which of your peers are going to the conferences you’ve chosen.

As an example, I’ve chosen the International CES conference in early 2016.

Find the conference (or company putting it on) on social media, mainly Facebook and Twitter.

People advertising the conference on social media will almost always include a hashtag for it. In this case, it’s “#CES2016”.

Next, click the hashtag to see all the results of this mention on the network.

Look for those people who are saying that they’re excited to attend. For example:

You’ll need to monitor these results in the month or two leading up to the event. You should be able to make a list of at least 100 people going (for bigger conferences).

Step #3 – Open lines of communication before the event: Out of your attendee list, pick the people you want to meet the most.

Don’t target 100—that’s way too many. Instead, pick about 10 that you’d be interested in meeting and getting to know. You won’t meet them all at the event anyway.

The big mistake that most people who attend conferences make is that they wait until the conference to introduce themselves. That’s what the other 100 people are doing, and it’s a mess.

But what if you introduced yourself beforehand?

Sign up for the email list (if they have one) of each of your targets. If that’s not possible, you’ll have to make first contact on the social network you found them on.

Send them a short email like this:

Subject: (Conference name) 2016!

Hey (name),

Couldn’t help but notice that you’re planning to attend (conference name)—as am I.

I’ve seen your name come up a lot recently online, and you seem like an interesting guy.

I’m also in the (industry). I’m probably best known for (description).

I’d love to buy you a beer sometime at the conference if you have time.

Cheers,

(Your name)

It’s casual and explains your mutual connection as well as why you want to meet.

If you get a positive response, thank them and send them your personal cell number.

Step #4 – Meet, then follow up: If you’ve sent an introduction like that to 10-15 people, half will say they’re open to meeting up with you.

You probably won’t meet them all at the actual conference unless it’s a small one.

The hard thing at this point is to be natural. Don’t be creepy, and don’t hunt down people at a conference.

Instead, if you happen to see them, re-introduce yourself, and schedule a drink or lunch.

Alternatively, if you don’t come across someone you really wanted to meet, send them a quick text (if you have their number) after the first or second day along the lines of:

Hey (name), it’s (your name). I’m sorry we didn’t run into each other today. Still up for a drink? How about (time and location)?

Meet with whomever you can, and then just be natural. Don’t try to get anything out of them; simply enjoy getting to meet someone interesting in your industry.

What will usually happen is that they will either give you an idea on how to improve your business in some way or they will make you think of an idea by accident.

It’s crucial that you implement that idea as soon as you can when you return from the conference.

Then, in a few weeks, send them a follow-up email, letting them know it was nice meeting them and telling them the results of the action you took. When you actually apply someone’s advice, they are much more likely to help you in the future.

4. Transparency—the only way to get modern consumers to care about your business

Most people are guarded.

You want others to like you, respect you, and think you’re great in general, so you try to show them your best qualities.

But there’s only so much someone can like about you unless they get to know you.

If you really want someone to care about you, you need to be vulnerable and let them past that initial guard.

Surprisingly, a very similar thing happens in business.

The companies who have those super fans who can’t stop raving about them are more vulnerable than others.

Those companies use transparency very similarly to the ways people use it in their personal lives.

They don’t just have a great product. They go to great lengths to let their customers know what goes on behind the scenes.

This includes good things as well as bad things.

Whenever I mention transparency, I think of Moz.

Every single year, they publicly release their revenue numbers. Sometimes they have great years, and it’s probably really fun to share those results:

 

But what really separates them from everyone else is that they share the bad news as well. For example, they actually lost money in 2013:

On top of just results, Moz always talks about what actions they are taking based on the results. They describe the lessons they learned, ways they will implement them, and so on.

I strongly believe that transparency is a good thing for businesses to practice. That’s why I’m sharing so much of my results on the NeilPatel.com blog with readers.

In niches like SEO and marketing, there isn’t a lot of trust.

Many businesses will say anything to get you to buy their products, and they disappoint you every time.

But I don’t want to run a business like that, and I know companies like Moz don’t either.

So, how do you prove that you aren’t out just to make a quick buck?

You become vulnerable=You become transparent.

Applying transparency to your business: Not every audience cares about revenue or monthly visitors. That’s no different from how much you want to get to know most people: you don’t care about every single aspect of their characters, just the important ones.

Your first step is to determine what your audience cares about the most. It could be any of the following:

• your revenue (if they are interested in business)
• your processes
• how you make your product
• how you respond to customer complaints and suggestions
• how you handled a recent business crisis (e.g., after an employee made a mistake)
• how you decide on what products you’ll focus on in the future

Notice that some of those things are “bad,” like exposing mistakes you made.

Transparency is about showing your business as it truly is. And if you’re trying to run a good business, it will hopefully show.

You might lose a few fair-weather customers, but you can also gain super fans who love seeing the real people behind the company.

Those customers will make your growth substantially easier.

Overall, transparency is a commitment.

You have to show both the good and the bad because your customers can tell.

If someone in your company makes a big mistake, your customers will find out about it on social media these days.

Instead, take the opportunity to get ahead of the issue, make your company better in the long run, and do something that many customers will appreciate.

5. If you began in content marketing, you might want to venture out

The final “scary” thing that I want to talk about involves different marketing channels.

Comfort is a good thing in many ways, but it can stop us from progressing, both as individuals and as businesses.

At some point in your business (maybe you’re already there), you’ll be getting results that you’re “happy” with.

That’s actually a very dangerous thing.

It’s tempting to keep everything exactly the same in order to sustain the results. But in life and business, most things either grow or shrink. Very few things stay the same.

For example, maybe you’re having a lot of success with blogging.

Would you try to create videos or a podcast or try a different marketing channel altogether like paid advertising?

Those alternatives are “scary” because you don’t know them well.

You could end up losing hundreds or thousands of dollars if they don’t go well.

So forget them, right?

I hope you don’t. Instead, continuously give new, “scary” channels a try because you never know if your current channel will become less effective. Or you might discover a channel that’s even more effective.

Keeping an open mind and trying new scary channels leads to diversification and maximum growth for a business.

Those are two very good results. All you need to do is overcome any fear holding you back from experimenting. It’s okay if you fail on a few channels because when you succeed, it will far outweigh those losses.

Conclusion

No one said it would be easy to become a top marketer.

You have to constantly operate outside of your comfort zone if you want to grow as a professional marketer or business owner.

I’ve shown you 5 techniques that are “scary” to most marketers, and I bet at least one could benefit your work.

You don’t need to overcome all your fear in one day, but take small steps and push your limits. Over time, you might learn to enjoy the process.

There’s one final thing that I’d like to ask you…

Have you ever done a marketing tactic or technique that others might consider scary? I’d love to hear how it went and what you learned in the process. Please leave your thoughts in a comment below.

Source Quick Sprout http://ift.tt/1ol5O7G

Finances Have You “Holding Your Breath?” This Tool Can Help You Exhale

Our nerdy hearts are all aflutter this morning in the personal finance sphere.

Why?

We heard someone talking about finance in a Super Bowl ad!

(Told you it was nerdy.)

The “Hold Your Breath” commerical invited viewers to, yes, hold their breath.

It compared the panic you feel after a few seconds without air to the out-of-control feeling of financial stress.

And it’s not very far off.

Why Are We Talking About Financial Stress During the Super Bowl?

But why, in the midst of football, beer, Skittles, cologne and cars, are we talking about financial stress?

Because we’re all feeling it.

And a lot of us don’t understand why, what to do about it — or how to talk about it.

Even when you’re doing smart things like budgeting, saving and investing, it’s easy to have the lingering feeling that you have no idea what’s happening with your money.

You know it’s important to save for major purchases, have a retirement and emergency fund, — but how much do you think about any of this each day?

You probably don’t (I know I don’t.)

You probably don’t think a lot about the big picture of your finances — because it’s complicated.

Compound interest, mutual funds, investment portfolio… am I losing you? Most of the systems created to manage and grow our money are too complicated for us to understand — by design.

So you open a 401(k) at your HR rep’s direction, then forget about it. Or you give a broker $500 to invest and just wait for whatever happens.

Then you read headlines about plunging stocks. Market volatility. Financial turmoil.

It’s scary.

That’s why we’re talking about financial stress during the Super Bowl.

How to Relieve Your Financial Stress

Understanding your finances is the first step to gaining control of them.

When you see headlines suggesting your money or our entire economy are at risk, the question you have to ask is, “What does that mean for me?”

The stock market’s effect on your money — and, more accurately, your plans for your money — is determined by how risky your investments are. To determine how risky these should be, you need to know your “risk tolerance.”

We’ve got a whole post about what risk tolerance is and how to find yours here — but here’s the gist:

Your risk tolerance is how much you’re willing to let the value of your invested money vary.

Knowing your risk tolerance is the starting point to smartly investing your money — whether you’re trading stocks hands-on or just want to make sure your 401(k) is going to have you covered for retirement.

How to Determine Your Risk Tolerance

Our fellow personal finance nerds at FinMason have developed a tool that helps you determine your risk tolerance, or your “FinScore.”

Once you know your FinScore, FinMason offers additional tools and information to help you see how your investments stack up and compares them to where your FinScore says they should be.

 

Is your money invested in stocks that fluctuate too much to  ensure you’ll have the money you’ll need when you need it?

Or, is it invested in a portfolio that doesn’t grow fast enough to give you the amount you need to retire?

To learn the answers, use this handy tool to find your FinScore.

(Got questions? We’ve got a full walkthrough of the tool here.)

Your Turn: Have you been feeling the financial stress in our country lately? Does learning your risk tolerance help you feel relieved?

Sponsorship Disclosure: A huge thanks to FinMason for working with us to bring you this content. It’s rare that we have the opportunity to share something so awesome and get paid for it!

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more.

The post Finances Have You “Holding Your Breath?” This Tool Can Help You Exhale appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/23SQxeI

Silvio Calabi: Are diesel cars still in our future?

Is the world clamoring for a resolution to Dieselgate, the VW emissions cheating scandal that broke in September? Who knew what when, who’s going to hang and how much will VW have to pay? Six hundred thousand US owners of VW, Audi and Porsche diesels haven’t forgotten. Many of them are outraged and screaming, You bastards lied to me and I want my money back! And the rest are just as ticked off but yelling, Dude, I’m getting awesome mileage and performance and you [...]

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

How a Family With 3 Kids Pays $16 a Month for All Their Calls, Texts and Data

Eighteen years ago, Joe Fulwider met his wife while on vacation in Seattle, Washington — and never looked back.

They went on to have three kids together, and he worked hard as a carpenter to provide for them.

Five years ago, disaster struck: He fell ill and can no longer work.

“After the treatment and surgery,” he says, “my body was just not what it used to be. I spend a good 80% of my time lying down.”

Since his wife stays home to care for him, their budget quickly went from comfortable to tight — now all five family members depend on his monthly disability and retirement checks.

One expense they needed to cut? Their $125 cell phone bill. But they had three kids who loved to talk on the phone.

Fulwider was in a bind, until he read about a company offering free cell phone service.

He thought it was too good to be true at first, but he’s now saved his family over $2,600 — without sacrificing smartphones.

Here’s how he did it…

How He Got Free Cell Phone Service and Saved $2,600

The service Fulwider decided to try was called FreedomPop.

He’s now been a customer for over two years.

Despite his initial skepticism, it’s worked well for his family.

“Oh, man — it’s been wonderful,” he says. “I don’t know how to explain it. Just finding them was great.”

And the money he’s saved has meant a lot.

“I’m disabled; it comes in handy,” he says. “I mean, you’re on a limited income, so every penny counts. If you could save $100 in a month on phone bills, that’s another week of groceries. We spend it on bills, and to just help us get a leg up a little bit.”

Could FreedomPop Work for You?

If you’re considering a new cell phone provider, FreedomPop is offering a special deal just for Penny Hoarder readers: 84% off a Samsung Galaxy Prevail.

Along with a free service plan.

The phone is pre-owned, but has gone through rigorous testing to make sure it’s up to par.

It costs $39.99 plus taxes, which vary by state. If you want insurance on the phone, it costs $4.99 per month — but isn’t required.

With your phone purchase, you’ll receive one free month of FreedomPop’s unlimited talk, text and 1GB data plan, which normally costs $19.99 per month.

Once your first month is over, you can stick with the $19.99 plan — or switch to FreedomPop’s totally free plan, which features a monthly 500 texts, 200 voice minutes and 500MB of data. (Calls and texts between FreedomPop phones are unlimited.)

The Fulwilders use the free plan, though he pays $2.99 per month per phone for “premium voice,” to boost the signal in low-service areas.

In total, his bill amounts to around $16 for five phones — $109 per month in savings over his previous carrier.

The one downside?

FreedomPop runs on the Sprint network, which means reception is spotty in certain parts of the country.

You’ll still be able to make calls and texts as long as you’re connected to WiFi, but we recommend checking the coverage map to make sure your area has service. If you travel frequently, or live outside a major service area, this might not be the best deal for you.

For Fulwider, who lives in Seattle, this hasn’t been a problem.

“The location I live in has excellent coverage,” he says. “I’ve never had an issue.”

So if your area is serviced by Sprint, and you want a way to save thousands of dollars on smartphones over the next few years, this offer might be worth checking out.

Interested? Click here to learn more.

Your Turn: Do your teenagers love to talk on the phone? Would you give FreedomPop a shot?

Sponsorship Disclosure: A huge thanks to FreedomPop for working with us to bring you this content. It’s rare that we have the opportunity to share something so awesome and get paid for it!

The post How a Family With 3 Kids Pays $16 a Month for All Their Calls, Texts and Data appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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

The Best Free Cloud Storage Providers

The best free cloud storage providers give you a place to park your data without opening your wallet. Instead of eating up precious disk space by storing files on your computer or mobile device, you upload those files to an online storage service such as Dropbox or SpiderOak, which are among our top picks. You’ll be able to access your data anywhere there’s an Internet connection, and sharing even large files is often as easy as sending someone a link.

Overhead is cheap for cloud storage companies. Major providers, including Amazon, Google Drive and Dropbox (all cloud storage providers with whom I’ve stored my own data), have been locked in a price war. Lesser-known companies also have to keep things cheap to survive. That means it won’t cost you a lot to move your files online — and in some cases, it won’t cost you anything at all.

In a previous article, my colleague Heather tackled the Best Cloud Storage Providers for small businesses. Free cloud storage accounts are more suited to personal use, although some very small businesses may be able to use a free option in limited cases. In this article, I take a more in-depth look at the best free providers. Here’s a quick look at my picks:

The Simple Dollar’s Top Picks for Free Cloud Storage

• Best Free Cloud Storage for Ease of Use: Dropbox and Sync
• Best Free Cloud Storage for Productivity: Google Drive and Box
• Best Free Cloud Storage for Security: SpiderOak and MEGA

Below, you’ll find what sets these companies apart from dozens of other free cloud storage options. I’ll also discuss the tradeoffs associated with free cloud storage, as well as some of the questions you’ll want to keep in mind as you compare providers.

Six Best Free Cloud Storage Providers

Best Free Cloud Storage for Ease of Use: Dropbox and Sync

Dropbox

First things first: Dropbox doesn’t offer a ton of free storage — only 2 GB. But if that’s enough for you — or if you’re open to shelling out $10 a month for a huge 1 terabyte of space — few providers compare in terms of ease of use and features. (Dropbox also offers you the chance to earn more free space by completing tasks like referring friends or linking your social media accounts.)

Experts have long hailed Dropbox for its intuitive interface, which lets users drag and drop their files to store them and share them between computers and mobile devices. I’ve been using a free Dropbox account to store personal files for a few years now, and can personally attest to this simplicity.

Mobile apps, available for iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Kindle Fire, also stand out for ease of use. A file versioning feature retains changes to your files for a month, allowing you to restore older versions within that time frame. Dropbox doesn’t impose a file-size limit. It also offers SSL encryption on all plans.

Sync

Relative newcomer Sync is a bit more generous than Dropbox with free space, giving users 5 GB. You can also upgrade to two more feature-rich business accounts: 500 GB for $49 per year, or a whopping 2 terabytes for $98 a year. Like Dropbox, you’ll also have the opportunity to earn more free space by referring friends.

Sync also boasts a clean, streamlined, easy-to-use interface. You can easily send files to recipients that don’t have Sync accounts — they can access your data via a link as long as they have Internet access. File size and bandwidth aren’t capped, and Sync doesn’t care how many computers or devices you use to access your account. You also get full file version history, preview and restore functions.

Best Free Cloud Storage for Productivity: Google Drive and Box

Google Drive

You’ll get a healthy 15 GB of storage for free on Google Drive, which puts it in the top tier of providers judged solely by free space. You can also step up to 100 GB for only $1.99 per month, or one terabyte for $9.99.

There’s much more to like about Google Drive than free space, however. It boasts integrated apps that let you create, save, and sync documents, spreadsheets, presentations, surveys, and drawings. Like Dropbox, a file versioning feature lets you recover older versions of files and see revision history. I write my articles for The Simple Dollar in Google Docs, and find this feature particularly helpful to see how each assignment has evolved.

The kicker is that files created using Google Drive apps such as Google Docs don’t use your free storage space. However, if you’re a digital hoarder and happen to use Gmail or Google+ photos, beware that files stored in those two applications will count against your storage. Experts also say security could be beefier: Your files are transferred encrypted, but not stored that way.

Box

Box offers its users 10 GB of free storage, and you can upgrade to 100 GB for $5 per month. It really shines by offering users more than two dozen of its own apps and compatibility with 1,000 more — many of which are free. These include Box for Office as well as a Google Docs app. Mobile support is also impressive — iOS, Android, Windows, and Blackberry are all covered.

Experts say Box makes collaboration between users seamless, including task management and discussions within Box. Security is also a strong point, with encryption for both transfers and stored files. The biggest downfalls of the Box free plan are a low 250 MB limit on individual files and the lack of file version history, both limitations that Google Drive doesn’t have.

Best Free Cloud Storage for Privacy: SpiderOak and MEGA

SpiderOak

First, the numbers: SpiderOak offers only 2 GB of free storage, and it costs a pricey $7 a month to upgrade for just 30 GB. But if you’re paranoid about security, you might be willing to overlook those limitations.

Data is encrypted for both transfer and storage. Beyond this, SpiderOak has what it calls “zero-knowledge privacy” — this is a fancy way of saying you are the only person on the planet who can access your data; not even SpiderOak itself can do this. In fact, if you forget your password, you can no longer access your files, because SpiderOak will not store that information on its servers.

If you do want to share files, you can create a secure “share room” that others can access only with a unique URL or password. Experts also say SpiderOak syncs data seamlessly between multiple computers and mobile devices.

MEGA

If you want a lot more space with above-average security, MEGA offers an impressive 50 GB for free; for a little more than $10 a month, you can step up to 500 GB. Like SpiderOak, MEGA can’t access your data. That’s because it’s encrypted on your computer, stored that way on MEGA, and sent back to you before being decrypted. Unlike SpiderOak, however, users can reset their passwords.

You can share files with a public link, but can’t password-protect shared files or folders like on SpiderOak. Experts say uploads and downloads are fast, and the interface is intuitive. There is a 10 GB bandwidth limit, but that’s unlikely to be an issue for the vast majority of users. Mobile apps are available for iOS, Android, and Blackberry.

Free Cloud Storage 101

Why do some companies offer free cloud storage?

It seems crazy for companies to let you park your data on their servers without paying a dime. Why do they do it? Overhead is relatively cheap in the cloud storage industry, but more than that, most providers are hoping you’ll like their service, run out of space, and convert to a paid plan. After all, finding another free provider and transferring your data is a hassle — that’s what they’re betting on, anyway.

What kind of trade-offs will I need to accept with free cloud storage?

Yes, you can store your files for free with many cloud storage providers, but you won’t get all the fun stuff that paid users receive. Here are some common limitations of free cloud storage accounts:

• Space: This is the biggest, most obvious tradeoff. Some providers may only give you a couple of gigabytes to work with. (See the next section on shopping tips for a discussion on how much storage is enough.)
• File size: Some providers will impose a size limit on individual files, making it impossible for you to upload your favorite videos, for example.
• Fewer security options: You may not have the option to password-protect shared files, or you might not get more advanced file encryption.
• Customer service: Your access may be limited with free plans, whereas paid users may get priority 24/7 support.
• Fewer features: Some providers may limit your access to other perks such as file recovery, easier-to-use desktop clients, or ad-free storage.
• Multiple users: You’ll often need to buy a business plan if you want a multi-user account that allows more than one person to access the same file at the same time.
• No guarantees: Finally, you’ll need to accept a major limitation that applies to all cloud storage, whether you have a paid or free account: There are often no guarantees to protect your data from loss. While any cloud storage company lives and dies by its reliability and security, it’s still ultimately up to you to keep another copy of any file you upload to the cloud in at least one other spot. This common-sense strategy will also protect you in case of temporary outages, which have hit major providers including Dropbox and Google Drive.

How to Shop for the Best Free Cloud Storage

Keeping the above limitations in mind, I’ve put together a list of questions to keep in mind as you try to find the best free cloud storage provider for your needs.

• How much storage do you need? Depending on your provider, you may be limited to just a couple of gigabytes of free storage. Others are more generous, providing up to 50 GB. Take a realistic look at your files. If you’re storing mostly text documents, you may not need as much as you think you do — 2 GB of space could store more than 37,000 average-sized Word documents, for example. But the same amount of storage could only handle 460 songs or just one feature-length movie. Also consider how much it will cost you if you want to upgrade to a paid plan.
• Do you have a business? Unfortunately, most free cloud storage plans are targeted to individual users because of storage limits and user restrictions. If you need a plan that lets you allocate storage and file permissions among multiple users, you will likely need to step up to a paid business plan.
• How do you want to access your data? At a minimum, you’ll be able to access your cloud files using your web browser. However, some providers offer computer-based apps that simplify the process. Most are made for Windows and Mac systems; fewer support Linux. Many also have mobile apps so you can manage files on the go. Android and iOS apps are common, but some providers support Blackberry and Windows phone users, too.
• What kind of restrictions can you live with? If you anticipate storing very large files in the cloud, check to see whether your provider has a file size limit. For instance, Box won’t let its free users store individual files bigger than 250 MB. You’ll also want to make sure you can use your account with multiple computers and devices, and check for any bandwidth limits that will restrict the speed of uploads and downloads.
• Do you want productivity apps? Most people will be fine chugging along creating documents in Microsoft Office or other preferred software, but a handful of cloud storage providers have integrated productivity apps that make creating, syncing, sharing, and storing content seamless. In fact, I’m typing this article using the Google Docs app included with Google Drive. My changes are saved automatically every few seconds, I can get to my documents anywhere I have Internet access, and it’s easy to share my work with others without sending emails and attachments for them to download. Also consider whether your cloud storage provider will integrate with any other apps you use regularly.
• What kind of sharing capabilities do you need? Most cloud storage providers let you share a file by generating a public link to it. Once you send that link to the recipient, he or she can access your file. If you need more control over what the recipient can do with your file, look for a provider that lets you set certain permissions. For instance, when I share a document through Google Drive, I can designate whether the recipient can view it, comment on it, or actually edit it.
• Are you nervous about security? SSL encryption is standard for most cloud storage providers, but sometimes not on free accounts. If the provider does encrypt your data, see whether it’s stored encrypted, or simply uploaded and downloaded that way. Additional features include two-step verification (where you must take an additional step, such as entering a code, after entering your password) as well as the ability to password-protect certain files or folders.

How I Picked the Best Free Cloud Storage

First, a word about the term “free”: Many cloud storage providers have a free trial, during which you can try out the provider’s service for a limited period of time. However, only some providers give you free space and access to at least some of their services indefinitely. I only considered cloud storage providers who offer the latter — free trials didn’t cut it since they’re only good for a month or so.

For the best free cloud storage providers for ease of use, I primarily weighed the simplicity of the interface, the amount of free storage space provided, and the cost of upgrading to more space.

For the best free cloud storage for productivity, I examined how seamlessly users can complete common tasks such as creating and editing documents, sharing files, and linking their accounts to popular third-party apps and programs. I also considered storage space and whether the provider integrated any of its own productivity apps with its storage services.

Finally, for the best free cloud storage for security, I looked at additional privacy features providers offered beyond standard data encryption, such as end-to-end encryption, additional password protections, and zero-knowledge privacy. Ease of use and storage space were also considerations.

Though I’ve had first-hand experience with a couple of the companies I recommend (Google Drive and Dropbox), I also relied on expert and user reviews to judge intangibles such as ease of use and customer service. I placed special emphasis on detailed, comparative reviews as I narrowed the field.

What’s Your Time Worth?

If you’re ready to reclaim hard-drive space and send your data into the cloud, you’ll have plenty of choices, even if you don’t want to spend a dime to get started. Any of the providers above, including Dropbox, Google Drive and SpiderOak, are good choices.

Remember to consider how much it will cost to upgrade to a paid plan if you hit your storage limit. Though it’s possible to hop from free provider to free provider, it’s probably worth the cost of a cup of coffee to avoid the hassle of transferring your files over and over again. After all, your time is valuable, too, and making data storage as easy and quick as possible is the main reason to consider cloud storage in the first place.

Looking for business-friendly options? Check out our post on the Best Cloud Storage Providers for small businesses.

The post The Best Free Cloud Storage Providers appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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

Getting Married? Say “I Don’t” to These 10 Common Wedding Scams

If you’ve recently said yes — or heard it uttered while sweating on one knee — congratulations!

But once you’re done basking in the glow of the 800 likes you got on your rock’s Instagram pic, it’s time to start getting serious.

You’ve got a big event to plan.

Where there are big events, people spend big money. And where people spend big money, scammers take advantage of opportunity.

Ah, the algebra of paranoia.

Watch Out for Wedding Scams

We’re not suggesting there’s a conspiracy theory around your upcoming wedding, but be vigilant.

Real couples have fallen victim to matrimonial manipulations before you. In fact, wedding scams were on SiteJabber’s list of the top consumer complaints in 2015.

But we’ve got your back.

Here are 10 of the most common wedding scams to watch out while planning your big day.

1. Dreadful Diamonds

If you’ve yet to pop the question, be especially careful when purchasing stones from afar.

It’s hard to judge the quality of a diamond — or the honesty and professionalism of its seller — when you only see it on a screen.

If you found a deal that’s too good to be true, it just might be. Check out consumer reviews to ensure the seller is the real deal.

And don’t spend a penny until you read our ultimate guide to how to buy an engagement ring!

2. Deficient Dresses

For lots of brides, the dress is a crystallization of the day itself. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime garment representing how beautiful she’ll feel, how happy she’ll be and how long she’ll remember her special day.

For these reasons, it would be an especially nasty thing to have ruined by a scammer.

If your dream dress is important to you, beware online knockoffs at deep discounts. They may show up at your door only to be a poor, shoddily made approximation of the picture.

Worse yet, you may never get your money back when you inevitably return it.

3. Poor Planners

If this whole wedding-planning thing has your head spinning, you’re not alone.

If you can afford it and want to avoid the headache entirely, hiring a wedding planner might be a good option. But like any other service professional, the market’s got its superstars — and those who aren’t so great.

In this couple’s experience, the planner simply never made a limo reservation. That’s just one of a plethora of big problems you don’t want to face at a very critical time.

Make sure the person making the phone calls for you… will make the phone calls.

Need some help? Check out sites like Bride and The Knot, where the topic is well-covered.

4. Phony Photographers

You probably hope you’ll remember every single instant of your wedding day for the rest of your life.

Unfortunately, though, our human memories are imperfect. Besides, you can’t be everywhere at once. There might be stuff going on across the room you won’t even know about unless someone takes a photo of it.

What if those photos are of poor quality? Worse yet: what if those photos never get into your hands?

That makes your wedding photographer a very important person.

One way to make sure you have a good one: ask to see three or four full wedding portfolios from potential photogs.

“Don’t be fooled by a photographer who only shows you a shot here or there from several different weddings,” says wedding planner Sarah Chancey.

“You want to know your photographer will do an incredible job from start to finish.”

5. Crappy Cakes

Wedding cakes are one of the reasons I’ll never actually get around to opening the bakery I pipe-dream about: Look how pretty they are!

I was one of those people who could barely color inside the lines, let alone craft flowers out of fondant.

But again, if you’re going to spend $1,000 on what amounts to flour and butter, make sure you do your research. Otherwise, the finished product might surprise you. In a bad way.

It’s funny online, but not on your wedding table.

6. Finicky Fine Print

You’re probably going to sign a bunch of contracts over the next few months.

We know it can be time-consuming and boring to read the fine print. But there are some pretty crazy terms out there — some it’s in your best interest not to accept.

For instance, this hotel charges couples a $500 fine if a party member leaves a negative review of their establishment online.

So, it bears repeating: Read the fine print.

7. Odious Officiants

Yep, this really happened.

Make sure your officiant’s the real deal, so your wedding is binding legally as well as emotionally.

8. Contemptible Crashers

You remember the movie.

Turns out, it’s real. The Knot even put together this guide on how to catch ‘em in the act.

Before you dismiss it as harmless fun — the more the merrier, everything’s already paid for, right? — keep in mind you don’t know anything about these people.

They might ruin the party, offend your guests, bomb your photos…

9. Rotten Robbery

… or even steal your wedding gifts while you’re not watching.

Unfortunately, this behavior isn’t limited to strangers who make their way into your reception. Even folks you know might be tempted by the glittering pile of booty your guests brought.

And don’t forget about the stuff you’ve already got.

Home burglars are often on the lookout for public wedding announcements — so they can target the house you’ll leave empty while you’re honeymooning, according to CNBC.

10. Petty Price-Gouging

What amounts to an industry-wide scam is actually considered totally acceptable.

Everything will be more expensive if you say you’re getting married. You might pay double for the exact same hairdo or bouquet if it’s officially wedding-related.

Depending on how you feel about it, consider “scamming” those vendors right back and keeping mum. It’s a rip-off to upcharge just for adding “wedding” to the product description, after all!

Don’t Overspend on Your Special Day

In our opinion, if you spend the American average of $26,000 — or even the more typical $10,000 — for a single day’s party, you’re scamming yourself.

Good thing we’ve got lots of ideas on how to put on a stellar ceremony without breaking the bank. This couple saved over $20K!

Bonus: A lot of these cost-savers avoid the above vendors entirely, bringing your chances of falling victim to a scam… to zero.

Your Turn: Have you ever been the victim of a wedding scam? Let us know in the comments.

Jamie Cattanach (@jamiecattanach) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She also writes other stuff, like wine reviews and poems.

The post Getting Married? Say “I Don’t” to These 10 Common Wedding Scams appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/1Sb1PXY