The company that owns Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and 10 other amusement parks across North America has been riding high over the last several years, tallying record revenues and watching its stock price climb as it capitalizes on what it calls a change in consumer behavior.So, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Cedar Fair plans to keep its top executive around indefinitely.Cedar Fair, a publicly traded partnership headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio, on Wednesday [...]
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الاثنين، 13 يونيو 2016
Have Strong Feelings About Trump or Clinton? This Company Will Pay You
What do you really think of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders?
If you’ve showed enough restraint thus far to avoid spilling your guts about to friends on social media, colleagues in the break room or family over an otherwise-silent dinner table… now’s your chance to let it all out.
Ipsos Panel, the company that does a lot of the polling you hear about during an election season, is looking for new people to participate in polls.
The opinion- and market-research firm offers rewards for surveys on a variety of topics. You can earn gift cards to Amazon, iTunes and more, or cash via PayPal.
Some surveys pay as much as $95, if you’ve got the time and effort to put into them. But most pay about $1-$2 in points and only take 10-15 minutes to complete. There are even some surveys you can complete in as few as two minutes.
How to Sign Up
Getting started is easy. Follow these steps, and you’ll see survey offers immediately:
1. Go to the Ipsos I-say website and enter your contact information.
2. Enter your demographic information.
3. Check your email to confirm your registration.
4. You’re all set! Click to start the Getting to Know You survey.
This will help the company tailor survey invites to your lifestyle, so you won’t be spammed with irrelevant surveys.
5. Start your first survey!
Select and complete a survey — or a few — and start earning rewards.
That’s all it takes!
Download the Ipsos Mobile app to keep up with surveys and earn money on your commute or while you watch TV. You’ll earn about $1 for every 100 points, and you can redeem your rewards once you reach at least 500 points.
Your Turn: Do you want to get paid for your opinions this election season?
Disclosure: A toast to savings! Thanks for allowing us to place affiliate links in this post.
Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more, attempting humor wherever it’s allowed (and sometimes where it’s not).
The post Have Strong Feelings About Trump or Clinton? This Company Will Pay You appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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Get a Free $5 by Taking a Photo of Your Grocery Receipt Before June 17
Couponing to save money on groceries often comes under fire for two major obstacles: You have to spend a ton of time searching and clipping, and many coupons are for specific brands you’d never normally buy.
Checkout 51, a rebate app for your phone, solves both of these problems and still helps you save money.
Using Checkout 51, you’ll find non-brand-specific deals for staples like milk, bread, eggs and even fresh fruits and vegetables.
And instead of clipping coupons and holding up the checkout line, all you have to do is take a picture of your receipt when you get home. You’ll earn cash back for the groceries you were going to buy anyway.
Plus, this week Checkout 51 will give you an extra $5 just for signing up.
Get a Free $5 When You Sign Up Before June 15
This deal is only good until Wednesday, so you’ll want to jump on it now!
I’m using the bonus to cut $5.75 from my grocery budget this week. Here’s how you can do the same:
- Download Checkout 51 on your smartphone and sign up with your email address before June 15. You must be a new member to receive the bonus.
- Set your location to find offers in your area.
- Pick a bonus sign-up offer: $0.50 cash back when you buy a gallon of any brand of milk, a loaf of bread or bananas. I’ll choose bananas, because I love them in my smoothies!
- Shop at your favorite grocery store and upload your receipt before June 20 to earn your bonus $5 cash back, plus rebates for the products you buy.
So I’ll sign up today and do my shopping as usual, including bananas ($0.50 cash back) and yogurt ($0.25 cash back) for those daily smoothies — any kind I want.
Then I’ll upload my receipt for my $5 bonus.
That’s a total of $5.75 off my cost of groceries this week, with no changes to my shopping list and almost no extra work.
How Does Checkout 51 Work?
After you redeem your bonus, keep using Checkout 51 every time you shop! The app is a really simple way to save money on groceries.
Here’s are the details:
- Shop at any store. If you want to optimize your trip, browse your offers before you head out, so you know which rebates you can receive this week.
- When you get home, take a picture of your receipt with the app.
- The app will confirm your purchase and credit your Checkout 51 account with any applicable rebates.
- When your account balance reaches $20, you can cash out and receive a check in the mail.
Don’t forget — download the app and sign up before June 15 to get your $5 bonus.
Your Turn: What are your favorite tricks for saving money on groceries?
Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more, attempting humor wherever it’s allowed (and sometimes where it’s not).
The post Get a Free $5 by Taking a Photo of Your Grocery Receipt Before June 17 appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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Thanks to Steph Curry, We All Get Free Taco Bell Next Week
Playoffs are usually the only NBA games I watch.
And this series has been particularly nutty… Which is a good thing, because it means we all get a FREE TACO from Taco Bell on June 21.
Here’s how to get yours.
How to Steal a Taco From Taco Bell
The Bell’s “Steal a Taco” promotion promised to give a free Doritos Locos taco to “everyone in America” if one of the NBA playoff finalists beat the other on the road — thereby “stealing” a home game.
And thanks to man-god Steph Curry and his Golden State Warriors, who beat the Cleveland Cavaliers at home on June 10, your crunchy-cheesy taco dreams have come true.
To claim your free Doritos Locos taco, just head to your neighborhood Taco Bell on June 21 between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time.
This offer is limited to one taco per person, while supplies last.
As if we needed another reason to love Steph Curry, right?
Your Turn: Will you grab your free taco from Taco Bell?
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 Thanks to Steph Curry, We All Get Free Taco Bell Next Week appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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Savings update: Charter Savings Bank tops fixed-rate bond table
Charter Savings Bank has launched a one-year fixed rate bond paying a top 1.66% before tax (1.33% after tax), available online. The next best deals come from French-owned RCI Bank at 1.65% (1.32%).
The top rate on the high street is 1.25% (1%) from Leeds Building Society while Tesco pays 1.4% (1.12%) and United Trust 1.5% (1.2%) on telephone or postal accounts.
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This Startup is Hiring a Remote Event Planner (With Unlimited Vacation Time)
Want a job where you can work from home, but also attend interesting events and meet tons of new people?
Automattic, the company behind WordPress — the platform this blog runs on! — is looking for an Events Wrangler to join its 100% remote team.
And the benefits? You have to see ‘em to believe ‘em.
Here’s the scoop.
How to Work as an Events Wrangler for Automattic
Automattic’s team is dispersed across 45 countries, so you’ll be able to work from wherever you like.
The other benefits are also pretty insane; they include unlimited vacation, unlimited parental leave and paid team retreats.
As an “events wrangler,” you’ll help “execute sponsorships and engagement activities at conferences, WordCamps, workshops, hackathons, and other special events.”
Translation?
You’ll plan and attend a diverse array of events — helping with logistics and marketing, and acting as a community ambassador for Automattic and WordPress.com.
To be eligible, you must be a curious self-starter with great communications and marketing skills, experience with WordPress and a “basic understanding of computer development, design, and programming languages.”
As with most event-planning positions, you must also be able to work a flexible schedule, including “frequent travel” and “occasional weekend work.”
Want to apply? Follow the directions on the job posting… and be sure to proofread so you spell “WordPress” and “Automattic” correctly!
Your Turn: Will you apply for this job?
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 This Startup is Hiring a Remote Event Planner (With Unlimited Vacation Time) appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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Questions About Budgeting Apps, Umbrella Insurance, Hamilton, and More!
What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question.
1. Budgeting app for cash economy
2. Salary and union difficulties
3. Renting or selling old house
4. Skilled nursing care
5. Handling huge increase in income
6. Investment companies besides Vanguard
7. Umbrella insurance question
8. Am I saving enough?
9. Starting medical claims billing business
10. Offering financial advice
11. Foreign savings accounts
12. Cheap Hamilton tickets
Over the weekend, I attended a wonderful wedding that, again, reinforced to me what exactly makes weddings work and what doesn’t.
The thing that makes weddings work is the people. It’s the collection of people together for a common positive reason to enjoy the mutual company and share in a particular moment in time.
Everything else is really secondary to that. The “perfect” dress and the “perfect” moment don’t really matter in comparison. It’s about the people. It’s not about the flowers or the photographers or the music or anything else.
It’s about the bride and the groom and the love they have for each other and the people they love and the people who love them.
Everything else is secondary.
So, if you’re going to get married, don’t break your financial future with expense because, in the end, the thing that’s memorable about the wedding are the people, not the stuff. It’s the person you’re getting married to and the people who want to share that moment with you. Nothing more, nothing less.
Q1: Budgeting app for cash economy
What budget app would work for people like me, living in country with mostly cash economy. We get our income via banking, but less than 20% of the population has bank access.
Not specially for low income but with different spending, like a live-in maid, a norm in most of Latin America, cost of security, the cheap labour, but very expensive home goods. I hope you can think of something and go world wide. I think you also have reader from india and just like latin america ,it face the same type of financial challenges.
– Fred
I’d immediately point you toward You Need a Budget 4, which is still the budget software that I use for myself. It keeps your data offline and doesn’t rely on bank access like other tools like Mint.
Of course, as with any tool like this, you’re going to be relying on putting the data in yourself. The advantage of other tools is that they can pull your data in automatically (I don’t particularly like that myself because of security concerns, but for some people it’s a major feature). I personally prefer to enter transactions myself and have much more control over privacy, which YNAB offers.
The newest version of You Need a Budget isn’t recommended by me as it’s a subscription-based package. Stick with the older version linked above, which I adore.
Q2: Salary and union difficulties
I have worked at the same school district for 15 years. I have held three different positions, the last two have been positions that I am the only one who holds them so there is no one to compare my job to. My current job (for the last 5 years) is a first time position, necessary because of state and federal data collection requirements.
The problem I am having is that my Union is currently negotiating a new contract. The Union has decided that I make too much money (I make more than the Teaching Assistants, the Custodians, and the Aides). The negotiating committee came back with a proposed contract that would, due to an increase in work days, gives me a 12% pay cut, then the smallest pay raise of all for the next five years. Instead of getting the 5 weeks vacation everyone else working the number of days they are proposing I work I will only be getting 2 weeks vacation. The Union negotiators said that they fought to get me that and that I really should’t get any this coming year (our year starts in July) because it would be considered a new position. They feel I should be happy with the 2 weeks and the small, in comparison to all other employees, pay raise. If this contract passes I will be making less per hour every year for the next 6 years. Can they do this? They won’t admit to not representing me, but also made no attempt to stop a couple very angry coworkers from berating me and telling me I make too much and I am not worth it.
I emailed them what I thought would be fair and when not one of them responded or even checked the read receipt box I made copies of the emails along with a note asking that they please respond and put them in sealed envelopes in their school mail boxes. One person responded for the group that they had each received them. One negotiating member came to me to let me know they would be meeting on Monday. I foolishly thought they would be meeting with the board negotiating committee and the superintendent. Instead it is another union meeting. I hate to assume, but do, that the meeting will to bring up my proposal and see what the full Union thinks. This will lead to the unhappy members getting another chance to rip me apart. Can they do this? What is being negotiated must be confidential until an agreement is made, is it the same case when someone wants to make a change – or at this point is it an open negotiation process. How do I go about getting an arbitrator and do you feel I should get one or is everything they are doing legal. I do not feel I am being fairly represented.
– Dana
Your employer certainly can offer you any contract that they choose. That’s their decision, just as it is your decision whether or not to sign it. They’re giving an indication, though, that they don’t really wish to retain you, for whatever reason.
From the perspective you share here, it looks like the union isn’t supportive of you or of the professional position that you hold. Likely, your job became a bargaining chip in a broader negotiation.
Can they do this? Sure. Is this a workplace I would want to continue working in? Not at all. I’d start job hunting immediately, because even if there were something here that you could take legal action on (which it doesn’t look like there is), this is not an environment where you’re going to be valued and I’d suspect that you’re going to be a target for future cuts if there’s any way to do it.
Q3: Renting or selling old house
We live in Denver and are buying a new house (642K). We currently own a home in a very desirable neighborhood, valued at 525K (We bought it 3.5 years ago for 395K). In order to get the new house, we’ll have to raid our savings, mostly emptying it out. Because the housing market is so difficult here, we’ve had to borrow money from my in-laws in order to make a non-contingent offer on a home and to also avoid a second lien on our house that would come with hazard insurance and higher interest rates. We now have two options: rent out our first house or sell it. If we choose to rent, we will obviously be very leveraged. The house was flipped three years ago so it is in very nice/almost pristine condition. Houses went up 12% in my neighborhood last year. So, should we take the risks and try to rent in order to make a great investment? Or should we sell as soon as we can, pay back my savings account and my in-laws, and just be glad we made such a profit when we did? My Vanguard account only went up 3ish% last year, which makes the housing investment sound so much better. We have 1 child and hope to have a second.
– Kelly
Selling the house is obviously the safer choice here; renting comes with a lot more risk, but more potential upside, too (if you have good renters who stay for a long time and keep the property nice and the housing market stays strong). Unfortunately, no one can predict the future.
For me, the decision would come down to the rest of my financial state. What would happen to you guys if the house didn’t rent for a while or if the renter just didn’t pay you or did a lot of damage to the house while there? What would happen if the housing market bubble popped like it did in 2007-2008 and the values dropped by 15% or 20% or 30% over the coming year? Would you be able to survive?
If the worst case scenario results in complete disaster for your life, it’s not worth it. Renting properties in a situation where a bad renter can really negatively impact your financial world is not a secure situation. If you could survive that scenario and are willing to take on the effort of being a landlord (or are willing to take smaller returns and pay a management company), then it’s well worth considering.
Q4: Skilled nursing care
I saw your mailbag answer to Angela re the cost of skilled nursing in old age, and felt compelled to respond. We planned as carefully as we knew how for my in-laws’ eventual elder care, but it never occurred to any of us that my mother-in-law might suffer severe dementia and thus require intensive (and expensive) ongoing nursing-home care. If I had it to do over, we would most certainly have opted for the insurance. We thought we were being so careful – but we did not anticipate this. You just never know what may happen.
– Mary
That’s the challenge with deciding about long term care insurance. In most situations, it’s not necessary and it’s just a big expense with no benefit. In the situations where it is necessary, it’s very useful and perhaps even invaluable. It’s a situation where hindsight is 20/20, but no one can predict the future.
My feeling is that if you’re in a financial situation where buying good long term care insurance has a significant negative impact on the rest of your life, then it’s something you should forego. If you can afford the insurance without significant problems, then a policy is worth it to cover situations like those described by Mary.
It’s never, ever an easy decision, and it’s one where your choice can look very wrong in hindsight.
Q5: Handling huge increase in income
8 years ago I began a PhD in Art History at a top university, and just graduated. I live with my husband, and we have made between 40 and 70k each year, living in a major city. Over those 8 years, we moved across country, got married, and had a few unexpected expenses like a slew of weddings to attend and some prolonged periods of unemployment, but I will admit I wasn’t as frugal as I could have been, and slowly, credit card debt crept up. We have a car payment of $380 a month and a joint credit card with $10k and then I have another $15k in credit cards in my own name. My husband has about $15k in federal student loans. I always pay everything on time, but due to the poor credit utilization ratio and my lack of non-revolving credit, my credit score is 640, and my husband’s is 700.
Unexpectedly, I was recruited by a top company that normally hires MBAs, and next month my income will go from 20-30k a year to 200k a year, and if I do well, I could be making $500k in 5 years. So, our joint income is going from 70k last year to 250k once I start work. I never expected to make much money, so the shift has been kind of crazy.
Basically, I just don’t know where to start. I know I haven’t been as responsible with my money as I could have been, but based on my calculations, we should have at least $5000 to either save or pay down the credit cards each month (assuming 1/3 tax, 1/3 expenses, 1/3 fun money). By the end of the year, I expect to be credit card free, but I don’t know if there’s a best way to do it, or just throw money at the cards each month, since it will be paid off quite quickly. So, my question in twofold: 1) does the general advice on paying down credit card debt change when under a short time frame and 2) What should be my priority from there? I know building up a 401k (I have no retirement at 28), saving to buy a house, paying off the low interest student loans and car, and investing are all important, but is there a clear cut priority or rule to get my started or should I hire a financial advisor? Thank you!
– Mara
First of all, I would adopt a very, very strict “pay yourself first” routine. I’d put a large portion of each and every paycheck directly in the bank – in fact, if I were doing this, what I would do is have all of my pay directly deposited into a bank that I didn’t use regularly, then have enough of that to continue my current lifestyle (with maybe just a little more) transferred automatically to my current checking account. If your new job offers a 401(k), especially one with any matching, get all of the matching money you can.
Then, I’d use that “extra money” for things for the long term future. First, I’d use it to pay off all of my debts, starting with the credit card debt – get all of the high interest stuff out of the way. It is almost always the highest priority. I define “high interest” as anything over about 8%.
After that, the goals become more about what’s important to you. Is having your own house sooner rather than later more important to you? If so, then start saving for a house down payment. Is financial independence (meaning the ability to walk away from work and live off of your investment income) something that’s more exciting to you? If so, then eliminate all of your debts and start investing for that goal.
Q6: Investment companies besides Vanguard
I have been a long time reader of the simple dollar and have noticed that you tend to recommend Vanguard for Roth IRA investments. I am 26 and have restructured my finances to be able to invest the $5,500 maximum for myself and my wife into an IRA each year. My question is would you ever use anyone else besides Vanguard? I was thinking of investing $5,500 in several different companies over a few years and then eventually choosing 1 to continue investing with until retirement. What are your thoughts?
– Eric
I recommend Vanguard because it’s what I use. I looked at a lot of investment houses along the way and I felt that what Vanguard focuses on – low cost index funds that simply match the market automatically instead of high cost funds that try to beat the market but fall short most of the time – was a better match for me.
Many investment houses offer a lot of different options. They offer index funds, too, just like Vanguard does, along with lots of managed funds and different things.
Vanguard just focuses on one thing above all else and they have it down to a fine art, which results in pretty low management fees, which means a little more money in my pocket. However, if you’re not on board with the whole index fund idea, there are other firms that are likely better. I usually point people toward Fidelity as a second choice.
Q7: Umbrella insurance question
I bought umbrella insurance from Geico last year at $300 (annually). I’m 56 and single, my children are 29 and 31, and I live in an apartment. Do I need umbrella insurance?
– Kevin
I don’t know the full state of your finances. However, I will say that it’s almost never a bad idea for anyone to have a $1 million umbrella insurance policy. It’s relatively inexpensive (I’m guessing that at $300 a month you’re actually getting more than $1 million in coverage) and it covers you in the rare situation that you’re sued for liability beyond what your renters insurance or car insurance covers.
I can’t imagine in your situation that you would need a larger policy than that, as situations where you would be able to be sued for more than that are extremely rare.
If you’re actually sitting on a high net worth (say, more than $1 million), then you should have a policy that covers your full net worth. Similarly, if you expect to earn an income that adds up to more than $1 million before you retire, then you should consider a bigger policy. Aside from that, you’re probably fine with what you have.
Q8: Am I saving enough?
I have question regarding rule number 3 from the “Can a Single Index Card Sum Up Your Personal Finances” posting (http://ift.tt/1O1KnEP). I am 24 years old and didn’t start making any form of retirement savings until right before I turned 23 (May 2015), since that time I have been contributing 15% of my pre-tax income to my 401k. Am I saving enough or should I re-balance the budget to increase overall percentage of savings for retirement? What other options should I consider or start directing money into?
– Donald
Given your age, I think you’re absolutely fine saving 15% into your 401(k). In fact, if you keep that up, you should be prepared to retire somewhere around age 60 or so.
The advantage of saving more than that is that it moves your retirement age earlier and earlier and earlier. You’ll also eventually bump up against annual contribution caps, but you don’t really need to worry about that.
I don’t know what your annual income is, but if it’s low enough and you want to save more, I’d consider opening a Roth IRA in addition to your 401(k) savings. This allows you to save some after-tax money for the future as well, which will help with your taxes down the road when you’re ready to retire.
Q9: Starting medical claims billing business
I am wanting to start a part time medical claims billing service. How do I go about doing so?
– Nina
Here is a great introductory article on how to start a medical claims billing service from home.
The catch is that it does have some real startup costs – you need a decent computer, a good printer, some fairly expensive software, some reference books, and membership in a clearinghouse. That can add up, and if you don’t have the money to easily jump into this, you probably should be very careful about doing it because it’s not a guaranteed money stream.
I am usually very wary of at-home businesses with a lot of startup costs, and while there are ones that are more expensive than this, the costs here can add up to a lot especially before you have customers. Make absolutely sure you can afford to get started.
Q10: Offering financial advice
I’m a frequent consumer of personal finance blogs, podcasts, and books, and I have a finance degree. I’ve been pondering helping individuals one-on-one with their finances as a side hustle, but I’m concerned about two things.
First, I know the finance field is highly regulated. I’m not intending to sell securities or repackage debt – I’m more interested in being a tutor of sorts such as helping make decisions and apply budgets, but I don’t know what I’d call it that wouldn’t trigger a regulatory requirement or allude to a very specific trade. Is this a feasible service to offer? Any idea what title would be appropriate?
Second, (if it’s feasible at all) how much should I charge for this service? I tend to undercut and second-guess my value. Off the top of my head I’d do this for $20 an hour. I enjoy the field and like to help people so I’m not looking to make bank on this work, but is $20 just flat-out too high or too low?
– Craig
It sounds to me like you’re interested in financial coaching. It’s different than financial planning in that you’re not directly advising people on how to invest their money, but helping them to make better money decisions and the like. It’s a world I dipped my toes into and decided wasn’t for me.
I think your rate is reasonable, but I would suggest including that dollar amount as part of a package of hours – for instance, you may offer a package that includes a bunch of materials (that you prepped in advance) along with five hours of one-on-one coaching for $100. You may end up altering that rate in the future, but it’s a reasonable starting point.
Just be very, very clear on what you’re offering and make it clear that you’re not trying to sell investments or securities, which puts you in a completely different field that’s very regulated. Stick to “coaching” people on their overall life and financial state.
Q11: Foreign savings accounts
I am a pretty cautious person when it comes to my savings. I have what I thought were some pretty high APYs on my savings accounts (.75% and 1%) but then I found this… http://ift.tt/1XiMBkv …and 18% is WAY better. Should I be getting a Ukrainian savings account??? It looks like inflation is one thing to consider, but what are your thoughts? What would this look like at tax time? One thing I love about my current savings accounts are that they are so easy to track, see, and when I need to, move money around. With a foreign account, I’d be concerned I wouldn’t have so much control. I currently have a personal savings account with Ally Bank (1%), one with Capital One 360 (.75%) and two other Capital One 360 at .7%. If I found something better I’d be excited to make more in interest.
– Nola
While your money will earn more while it’s sitting in an account at a stable bank, there are a lot of risks and problems here.
First of all, when you put money in and take it out, you’ll be paying for currency exchange. Not only will you have to pay to change dollars into hryvnia and back, you’ll also have to deal with changes in the exchange rate between dollars and hryvnia. Since 2012, the value of the hryvnia has dropped from $0.12 to $0.04, which means that even if you’re earning 18% a year, you’ve still lost a lot of money.
Another factor is that banks in other countries often aren’t as insured as they are in the United States. In the US, savings accounts have FDIC insurance, which means that even if the bank goes out of business, the first $250,000 of your deposits are protected. In the Ukraine, some banks are in a program that offers insurance up to 200,000 UAH (hryvnia), which adds up to about $8,000 US. Anything above that would vanish should a Ukranian bank go out of business.
I wouldn’t do this. The risks are far too great.
Q12: Cheap Hamilton tickets
Any thoughts on how to get inexpensive tickets to Hamilton? You have to pay hundreds/thousands just to watch a show!
– Timothy
The cheapest way to get tickets for Hamilton is to get in the $10 daily ticket lottery, which enables “winners” to buy tickets. You can check on the lottery for specific nights here.
Of course, if you need reserved seats for a specific night, you’ll need to beat the rush to Ticketmaster and buy tickets far, far in advance. They’re going to be more expensive and tend to sell out really fast.
Other than that… well, the secondary market on tickets for the show is pretty high.
Personally, if I were to see it, I’d wait until the hype dies down a little bit and you don’t have to pay exorbitant amounts for a ticket. If I lived nearby, I’d get into the $10 ticket lottery, though.
Got any questions? The best way to ask is to follow me on Facebook and ask questions directly there. I’ll attempt to answer them in a future mailbag (which, by way of full disclosure, may also get re-posted on other websites that pick up my blog). However, I do receive many, many questions per week, so I may not necessarily be able to answer yours.
The post Questions About Budgeting Apps, Umbrella Insurance, Hamilton, and More! appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
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Argos puts aside £30 million to refund late payments fees
Argos has put aside an extra £30 million to refund customers who were unfairly charged late fees on its store cards, the company announced in a trading update today.
The staggering figure is on top of provisions announced in its 2015/16 financial statement to cover excessive late payment fees that were “erroneously collected” from store card customers.
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How to Write 5 or More Articles a Week and Not Burn Out
If you’ve tried (and failed) at blogging, don’t feel bad.
You’re not alone. Creating content, especially good content, is hard work. It takes a long time. Most of the time, you don’t see instant rewards.
So, how do some people write three, five, or even ten articles every week?
You might think that they work 80-hour weeks, are blessed with some genius gene, or have an army of assistants at their beck and call.
The reality is prolific writers are normal people. The difference lies in their habits—habits that have allowed them to repeat a pattern of success every day.
Do you want to write five or more articles a week? Studies show that there are massive marketing benefits to doing so.
Take a look at this data from Hubspot. Their research revealed that businesses who blogged 11 or more times per month had the largest amount of inbound traffic.
But it’s not just traffic they gained. Traffic can be a vanity metric. These companies got more leads too!
Content is like the gift that keeps on giving.
If you push yourself to produce content now, you’ll be reaping the rewards for months and years to come.
Take a look at another piece of Hubspot research. They discovered that they were generating more contacts from old posts than they were from new ones.
The path to content marketing success is persistent, repeated content generation.
And in order to achieve persistent, repeated content generation, you’ve got to learn to write more.
That brings me to the point of this article. I want to show you some of the methods I’ve used to produce thousands of blog articles over the years.
Consider this your personal cheat sheet. By using one, two, or all these tips, you’ll be able to produce vastly more content than you are right now.
And here’s the best part: you won’t burn out.
Burnout is a huge cause of failure. Remember, content marketing is a long term commitment. Fizzling out after a few weeks of red-hot intensity isn’t going to give you the results you need.
So, let’s dive into the tactics. Here is how you can write five or more insanely good articles every week and keep at it for the long term.
Create a goal, and make time for it
Let’s start with the obvious. You’ve got to set a goal for yourself.
Maybe you won’t aim for five posts a week. Maybe you’ll shoot for three at first. That’s fine.
The important thing is to set a goal.
- According to goal experts, we should first establish a vision of what we want to achieve. In this case, the vision is five articles a week.
- Second, we clarify that goal in our minds.
- Third, we determine what we need to do in order to accomplish that goal.
- Finally, we need to spend time on that goal.
Notice that critical point in the circle of goal success is “spend time on the important tasks.”
For you, the important task is writing. In order to achieve your goal, you must take time.
The same is true for any goal. You must “get to work” and “stick to it,” which takes time.
Set aside time to write every day
It might not sound all that exciting, but it works. Persistence. The more often you do something, the better you’ll become at it.
According to Angela Duckworth, a psychologist who specializes in the subject of personal grit and self control,
“You don’t need to have talent to succeed. You need to have persistence.“
By persisting every day in your commitment to write, you’ll eventually reach the point where you are easily whipping out five articles a week or more.
I want to challenge you to write every day. Writing every day is mental training. The more you do it, the stronger and more powerful you will become.
Brian Clark of Copyblogger has a simple and memorable “10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer.” Here’s his advice:
Pretty simple, right?
That’s all there is to it.
Write every day, and you’ll soon be achieving your goal of five articles a week.
Create a deadline for yourself
Many of us work better if we have a date and time by which we have to finish.
Let’s say your boss came to you and said, “Can you create the report, please?”
You say, “Sure, when do you need it by?”
Your boss replies, “Oh, whenever.”
When will you get the report done?
Maybe tomorrow. Maybe in a week. Maybe in a month.
You don’t have a deadline, so your boss’s request might get shoved aside in favor of more urgent tasks.
But what if your boss said, “I need the report by Tuesday at 3 p.m.”? Then what happens?
Hopefully, you’ll get it to your boss by Tuesday at 3 p.m.
The same deadline-setting power applies to writing articles.
Break your five-article goal into manageable chunks—perhaps 1 hour of writing every day. Put that writing hour into your schedule. By 3 p.m. every day, you should have written, say, 500 words.
Easy enough, right?
Deadlines aren’t tyrannical methods of cruel and unusual punishment. They are a tool to help us achieve our goals.
Shut down all distractions while you write
Distraction-free writing is the way to produce content quickly.
A single distraction can cost you anywhere from 27 seconds to 25 minutes!
If you’re fielding distractions while you write, you’ll never be able to produce content that is coherent and effective.
What kinds of things might be distracting you? Here’s a survey of what often distracts employees at work.
Some distractions are necessary and useful. But all distractions will impair your ability to write content.
Instead of working, many employees are avoiding work by involving themselves in harmless but time-sucking activities.
Distractions can jeopardize our lives (in the case of driving.)
But distractions also jeopardize our productivity.
An Atlassian study claims that 80% of workplace interruptions are trivial, and only 60% of our time is spent in a productive way.
What’s the solution?
- Shut the door.
- Turn off your phone.
- Close down your email.
- Block out your schedule.
- Tell people not to interrupt you.
Avoiding distractions will enhance your writing and allow you to achieve your goal.
Write at the same time every day
Your brain gets used to doing the same thing at the same time every day.
If you train your brain to prepare for writing action and engagement at the same time daily, you’ll start writing better and faster.
This principle is known as muscle memory. You can use this mental trick to get better at a task—even writing.
The key to it is to repeat the same activity at the same time on a daily basis.
William Faulkner, a noted American author, is reported to have said,
“I only write when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes at nine every morning.”
What worked for Faulkner may work for you too.
Write down thoughts and inspirations as soon as you get them
A lot of writing time is wasted trying to come up with ideas.
Instead of burning precious writing time thinking of ideas, create a list of ideas beforehand. Then, when it’s time to write, you’ll know exactly what you’re supposed to do.
Many writers get into the habit of carrying around a notebook to write down ideas as they come to them. Try to do the same. You may be surprised at all the good ideas you come up with when you’re not even trying.
Write only about topics that interest you
If you’re trying to write about boring topics, you’ll have trouble getting very far.
You’ll be banging your head against a wall if you try to produce content you’re not passionate about.
It might be time to change your focus or to select topics that do interest you.
When you’re truly interested in the subject matter, you’ll be able to produce content quickly and easily.
Write in the morning (or whenever your mind is the most energetic)
Productivity researchers explain that we should channel our energy to get more accomplished in less time.
Take some time to find out when you’re at your sharpest mentally. Use that time for writing. You will be able to write better content, and you’ll do so with energy to spare.
You’ll hit your goals, and you won’t burn out doing it.
Write on an empty stomach
Neuroscientists from Yale claim that the brain works better when you feel empty rather than full.
The hunger hormone, known as ghrelin, can activate the brain’s hypothalamus and hippocampus, allowing you to research better, faster, and more effectively.
While you should certainly eat enough to maintain your energy, you may want to delay that big meal until after you’ve had your writing session.
Make up a writing ritual
Writing greats from history have used writing rituals or routines to prime their brains for writing success.
Habit researcher Charles Duhigg has determined that positive routines can help us develop constructive habits—even the habit of writing.
Why not invent your own writing ritual? It doesn’t need to be anything complicated or serious. Maybe it involves coffee, a shower, a playlist, or something else.
Doing the same thing in the same way at the same time, as you’ll remember from above, can prime the brain for repeated success.
Set a timer
Set a timer for 45 minutes to an hour. Use that time to do nothing but write.
When the timer goes off, you may be surprised to see how much you’ve accomplished.
Get help with the tasks you don’t like doing
Let’s face it. Not every writing task is enjoyable and fulfilling.
If you’re forcing yourself to do unpleasant writing tasks, burnout will be much more likely.
Instead, outsource these tasks to someone else. You can hire someone on Fiverr or assign tasks to your assistant.
Here are some aspects of writing that you may want to outsource:
- Copyediting/Proofreading
- Formatting
- Finding images
- Adding images
- Designing images
- Fact checking
- Researching
- Outlining
- Creating titles
- Uploading articles to your blog
Get inspired by a guest-posting opportunity
Getting a guest-posting gig will provide a surge of inspiration and will add to your writing passion.
Suddenly, you have a deadline, someone who’s counting on you, and a new audience with whom you get to share your story.
Instead of simply waiting for this inspiration to come your way, actively seek it out.
Find a music playlist that gets you going
Music can improve your productivity like few other things can.
When it’s writing time, grab your headphones, cue your writing playlist, and get going. Some educators have discovered that the right kind of music can “trigger creativity, awareness, motivation, and poetry.”
Check out these Spotify playlists that could improve your writing.
Write your outline in advance
One time-draining hurdle for writing is creating an outline.
As time-intensive as it is, an outline helps to structure your writing and improve the flow of your content.
Try creating your outline ahead of time, and see if it helps you write faster. When you have an outline in place, your brain is already familiar with the way you should structure ideas.
When it comes time to write the content, all you have to do is add verbal substance to the outline.
It’s simple and fast, and it keeps you from burning out.
Check your typing speed, and set a goal to improve it by 5 wpm each week
If you’re not the world’s greatest typist, there’s no need to despair.
Follow this simple path to improvement.
First, take a typing speed test. This simple test from Key Hero should do the job.
- Write down your score—you don’t want to forget it.
- Set a new goal. Aim for five words per minute faster than your original speed.
- As you type throughout the week, keep your goal in mind. Try to type just a little bit faster than you’re used to typing.
- One week from the time you took your first test, take the test again.
- How did you do? Chances are you saw some improvement in your typing.
- Keep setting your goal higher every week until you’re able to achieve speeds of 60-80 words per minute.
Watch cat videos
Can cat videos help you write better?
Apparently so, according to one study from the University of Indiana. Researchers found that after watching videos of cute cats, workers experienced improved moods, better energy, and more positive emotions.
The net effect? Greater productivity and a higher quality of work.
If you’re into cat videos, don’t feel bad about it. Instead, watch these cuddly critters, and then write some great content.
Here’s a cute cat playlist to get you started.
Conclusion
You can write better. You can write faster. You can write five articles a day.
And when you get there, you might not be able to stop!
When I first started blogging, I was really slow. Writing was painful.
Today, writing is like second nature. I’ve done it so much that I can’t help but do it every day. This article, which is more than 2,300 words, took me a little over an hour to write.
There is something energizing and fulfilling in producing content that helps people to improve. Plus, the benefits to your business will convince you that daily writing is the way to go.
What’s your experience? Do you aim to write a certain number of articles every week? Do you think that five a week is too high or too low?
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This Unusual Instrument Helps One Woman Make as Much as $300/Hour
Have you ever seen a harpist on TV? She’s usually dressed in mystical regalia and angel wings, playing in an idyllic setting where all is peaceful and good.
It seems so far from reality, it’s hard to believe actual people play the harp.
But I’ve been performing and freelancing as a real, live harpist for 10 years. I can make $100 an hour doing something I love and making other people happy at the same time.
I have a pedal harp (the big one used in orchestras) from Lyon & Healy Harps in Chicago. It has a beautiful gold floral filigree over the soundboard and an amazing resonance that captivates and intrigues onlookers.
The harp’s uniqueness makes it an attractive accent at all sorts of events, such as weddings, luncheons, dinner parties, gallery openings, farmers markets, church services, memorial services and more. I even got to perform at a luncheon for the Japanese ambassador and Shuzaburo Takeda when they visited the University of Delaware this past May!
That’s the additional benefit of this type of work: I get to be exposed to interesting people and events. It feels like important work to do.
How I Started Playing — and Making Money With — the Harp
I started playing when I was 12 years old. As a huge “Lord of the Rings” geek, I was originally drawn to the harp’s magical quality. I spent days listening to recordings of harps with my eyes closed, wishing for my own harp; I wanted to make my own life magical.
My parents invested in a pedal harp for me after I spent about a year practicing on a smaller lever harp.
My Lyon & Healy 85E pedal harp cost about $18,000 — a huge financial commitment that put more pressure on me to stick with it. I believe this pressure is what gave me the motivation to become the harpist I am today.
Whenever people learned about the interesting skill I was developing, they wanted to hear me play and support me. I was offered paid performance opportunities through my church and the community music school where I studied.
These first gigs paid between $50 and $100. I felt pretty well-paid from the start.
People would see me perform in church services and concerts and recommend me to friends who were getting married or having parties. I started accepting these opportunities and, gradually, I became a freelance harpist as a teenager.
I used most of the money I made to pay back my parents for buying the harp. I managed to pay them a couple thousand dollars during high school, but they never expected me to pay back the full amount.
Now, I use the money I earn to support my adult life, and I’m able to get by with a little over $1,000 per month to pay for rent and groceries.
As a recent graduate, I should have much more time to play gigs and make more money. I hope to make at least $2,000 per month playing harp by the end of this year.
How a Freelance Harpist Makes Money
Pay for harp-playing work can range from $100 to $300 per hour. Background music gigs — like a garden party or dinner — are on the lower end, since I’m not the focal point.
The fee also depends on the location, since I take travel time into account. For traveling up to 50 miles I charge $50, which is included in the fee. I rarely travel further than that, but if I do, I base an additional fee on the average cost of gas per mile.
I charge the most for weddings and holiday services, around $300 for the first two hours. Sometimes the couple gives me a little extra, but it has only happened twice. I also factor in travel time, and I never put out a tip jar at this kind of event, like I would at something like a farmers market.
These fees are in accordance with my recent status as a college student and my location in the Philadelphia area. A professional harpist would make more than that, based on their demand and reputation.
I plan on adding at least $100 onto my fees as a harpist with a B.A. in harp performance. While you don’t need a degree to demand a higher fee, because I have one, I can’t rationalize making less.
Why People Hire Harpists
The fact that the harp is an unusual instrument makes me stand out when event organizers are looking for music. Interesting instruments have more appeal as a conversation piece.
Sometimes people hire me for their events before they’ve even heard me play. They want to show off the image of the instrument. Other unique instruments could work for this too, like accordions, banjos and theremins.
If you can play some recognizable pieces of music decently on a unique instrument, you can open many doors. I know Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” like the back of my hand.
How I Find Harpist Jobs and Advertise My Services
Once you play a few successful gigs, your name spreads by word-of-mouth.
Most gigs I get now, after almost 10 years of freelancing, are referrals from previous clients. I always leave them with a few extra business cards to give their friends.
Since image is a huge part of how I get these opportunities, my personal presentation is important. As entertainment for an event, I want to look nice but unobtrusive — a lime green dress would be a very bad idea.
I have a simple long black gown that I wear for most formal gigs, like church services and dinners. If I’m playing at a more casual event, I will either wear a neutral knee-length summer dress with a cardigan, or dress pants with a nice shirt.
Another way that I advertise my services is through busking. This can be a great networking activity for a struggling musician.
One summer during college, I spent 10 hours a week busking and made an average of $100, or $400 a month.
Business owners would have me play at their shops or cafes as a sort of promotional opportunity for them. They were also supportive of the fact I was a college student working to make a career for myself — and sometimes the cafes fed me for free after I played.
The time commitment to do something like this isn’t much, considering the fact that I would be playing music whether or not there was an audience. When it’s something you are passionate about, it doesn’t feel like work. Even advertising doesn’t feel like work since I love talking to people about music!
My advice to other musicians? Put yourself out there and do it confidently. People saw me playing harp as a teenager and called me a musician before I ever considered myself to be one.
Your Turn: Have you ever turned an unusual musical skill into a money-making opportunity?
Harmony Mooney is a freelance harpist and music student at the University of Delaware. She has experience playing music in many settings and venues, such as weddings, parties, live bands, orchestras, concert halls, farmers markets, train stations and her living room. She is currently accruing a list of music and writing freelance gigs to sustain her after graduation.
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Karlie Kloss is Helping Women Go to Coding School… for Free
When you think of coding, you probably don’t think of supermodels.
In fact, you probably don’t think of women at all.
But as more and more pieces of our lives are digitally connected and mediated, programming is becoming a key part of almost every industry. It’s one of the most lucrative career skills you can possess, and coders are constantly in demand.
That’s why supermodel Karlie Kloss wants to change our go-to mental image of coders as a bunch of men hunched over their keyboards.
“I realized that code is about creativity — just like art and fashion — and that women who have these skills have the power to shape our future,” says Kloss.
So she launched Kode With Klossy, a program bringing the power and earning potential of coding to girls and women all over the country… completely free of charge.
Kode With Klossy: Free Coding School for Women
In partnership with Flatiron School, Kloss is offering an amazing opportunity: the Career Scholarship.
Every month, one lucky woman receives a free, full-stack programming course. Could it be you?
You’ll do all the coursework online through Flatiron’s Learn.co platform, so it doesn’t matter where you live — and you can complete the 600- to 800-hour course at your own pace.
Uon successful completion of the course, you’ll get the opportunity to apply for an apprenticeship with one of the program’s partners, which include brands like WeWork, CondéNast, Vice and New York Magazine.
Best of all? You don’t need any coding experience to apply. Just demonstrate your genuine passion for coding.
“Whether your goal is to switch careers or be an entrepreneur; whether you’ve been excited about programming for years or are just starting out, we’re looking for people who are excited to combine technical training with creativity to make the world a better place with code,” says the scholarship landing page.
So if you’ve been looking for a way to break into programming, this might be your perfect opportunity.
Ready to Apply?
If this opportunity sounds awesome to you (and it should), check out the full details here — and then click here to apply.
It’s super easy and quick. You’ll provide your contact information and social media handles, and you’ll have the chance to talk about why you’re interested in coding and how you got where you are today.
One lucky winner will be announced around the beginning of each month… but if you don’t make it, don’t worry! You can reapply as many times as you like.
If you do win, you’ll learn languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Ruby.
To keep your scholarship, make sure you start the program within 90 days and complete the entire course within one year. That comes out to about 15 hours per week — totally doable.
Then, celebrate the fact that you’ve gained the ability to build internet magic with your bare hands… and a powerful resume booster, too.
Pssst — although applications for this summer are closed, Kode with Klossy also offers a free two-week Summer Camp program for girls aged 13-18. So if you’re in New York, LA or St. Louis, mark your calendar and help your daughter apply next year!
Your Turn: Will you apply for the Kode with Klossy Career Scholarship?
Jamie Cattanach (@jamiecattanach) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her creative writing has been featured in DMQ Review, Sweet: A Literary Confection and elsewhere.
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Six Steps to Brew Great-Tasting Coffee on the Cheap
We Americans love our coffee. About two-thirds of adults in the U.S. drink coffee every day, according to a recent Gallup poll, with the average coffee drinker consuming about three cups per day.
But here at The Simple Dollar, we also love to find ways to save money. Cutting back on coffee is an oft-discussed tactic that can put a lot of money back in your pocket — especially if you regularly buy it at a coffee shop or convenience store. And while you can also save money by not drinking coffee at all, isn’t that borderline heresy to the two thirds of us who’d be profoundly sad without our favorite beverage? Who would be insanely cranky without it? Who have thought about naming their firstborn child Joe, in honor of coffee? (Maybe that last one’s just me.)
Anyway, for many Americans, cutting out out coffee is not an option. But your morning ritual (or all-day habit) doesn’t have to be expensive, and it doesn’t have to mean sacrificing quality, either.
In this post I’ll explore how to save money while brewing coffee that is indistinguishable from what you’ll find at the fanciest cafes and coffee shops. I’ll do it with the help Brett Whitman, head of training and education at Four Barrel Coffee, one of the Bay Area’s most iconic and beloved coffee shop chains.
Now, it goes without saying that the number one way to spend less money on great-tasting coffee is to brew it yourself whenever possible, whether it’s at home, your dorm room, or office, instead of paying upwards of $2 a cup at the corner coffee shop. Buying the occasional cup won’t hurt you too much, but if you’re hitting the coffee shop three times a day, you’d save thousands of dollars a year brewing at home.
And while you’re not going to get that perfect, robust flavor from a bulk bag of pre-ground Folgers, you don’t need to splurge on super-fancy beans that cost $20 a pound, either. I’ve used the following methods to get the average whole-bean coffee you can buy at Costco to taste pretty darned delicious.
Here are seven steps to making heavenly home-brewed coffee without spending a lot of money:
Buy Whole Beans and Grind Them Properly
This one is a given for coffee aficionados, but it bears repeating. Buying whole beans and grinding them on your own will result in better coffee, period.
But, the type of grinder you use matters. You’re going to want to invest (as little as $18) in a burr grinder. This ensures that the beans are ground in a uniform manner — minimizing the amount of coffee that turns to dust during the grinding process, and allowing all the grinds to be extracted evenly.
If you want a more detailed explanation of all this, Handground.com offers one: “Think about what would happen if you were baking cookies, and instead of spooning out the cookie dough in uniform piles, you made them different sizes. You had very small piles, normal-sized piles, and very large piles all baking on the cookie sheet together. While the normal-sized piles would cook perfectly, the small piles would burn while the large piles would be undercooked.”
That’s the equivalent of what’s happening in your coffee with a bad, inconsistent grind. Since we’re all about maximizing flavor, a good grind is a must.
If you’re completely averse to grinding your own coffee, another option is buying whole beans and grinding them at the store or the coffeeshop where you bought them. Whitman notes that some coffee-snob baristas will “give you the stink eye” if you ask them to grind your whole bag upfront, but he says it’s worth it if you don’t have a burr grinder and you’ll be using the coffee within a week or so.
Keep in mind that whole beans stay fresh about three times as long as ground coffee — so if you’re buying in bulk, you’re going to want your own grinder at home.
Measure, measure, measure.
You might cringe at investing in another device, but a gram scale is also flat-out worth it. A small, digital scale can come as cheap as $10, and Whitman is adamant about their importance when it comes to maximizing flavor and saving money.
“People tend to use too many coffee beans for each brew. A scale can eliminate this impulse,” Whitman says. “The water can only extract a certain amount of flavor and caffeine from the beans, so trying to stuff your brewing device with beans is just going to waste money. Using too many beans will also make your coffee acidic and dry.”
Using care to measure out your water goes hand in hand with weighing your beans. You can’t have one without the other. In order to be efficient and get good flavor, you need to use the correct ratio of coffee to water. Whitman says that a good rule of thumb is 16 parts water to one part coffee.
Sixteen what-now, you say? This handy chart can help you figure out how much water and coffee to use. For example, if you and your spouse fit the mold of the average American coffee drinker, you’ll want to make about six cups in the morning. To do so, you’d want to use about 36 ounces of water and 64 grams (about 12 tablespoons) of coffee.
Use Good-Quality Water
If you’re brewing your coffee with water straight from the tap, you’re selling yourself short. Whitman recommends using a simple, cheap Brita-type filtering device to get rid of the chlorine commonly found in tap water. “[Chlorine] makes the coffee taste weird, and affects how the water extracts,” Whitman says.
This is another product with a low upfront cost that will provide long-term benefits, and it’s definitely worth it for those drinking coffee on a daily basis.
Heat Your Water to the Correct Temperature
If you let your water come to a rollicking boil and then dump it onto your beans (I maybe have been guilty of this in the past), then you’re doing yourself a disservice.
For anyone using a pour-over method (for example, a French press, Hario V60, or Chemex), Whitman recommends a temperature of around 200 degrees Fahrenheit — so pause for a moment after your water boils at 212 degrees. Too cool, and it comes out flat; too hot, and the extraction messes with the flavor.
Those using a good-quality coffeemaker have less to worry about, as the machine should consistently get your water to the correct temperature automatically.
Store Your Coffee Properly
“If you can, buy coffee that comes in bags with a two-way seal,” says Whitman. This ensures maximum freshness by letting air escape without a ton of air rushing in and causing oxidation. If you buy coffee in bulk, he says, “Store it in a cool, dark place, and place the coffee into a sealed container after about 15 days.”
If you really like to buy in bulk, you might end up with so much coffee that you want to store it in the freezer. Whitman strongly recommended against this from a flavor standpoint. But if you are going to do it, he advised, “Portion out beans into single serving sizes, and then use a vacuum seal on the bags. If there’s any air in the bags, it will pull the water out of the bean, and that water will then freeze on the outside of the bean, resulting in a very poor tasting cup of coffee.”
Use Whatever Brewing Method You Want
I was surprised when Whitman told me that you can get great tasting coffee using just about any preparation method. As long as you control your variables and prepare the beans properly, you’ll be good to go. Everyone’s taste buds are unique, so find the method you like the best and stick with it.
Despite his obvious passion for brewing great coffee, Whitman specifically cautions against beginners spending a ton of money on a more complicated brewing method in which they have to be vigilant about watching the brew. Basically, as with investing, perfect is the enemy of the good.
“Pick something that works for you and don’t sweat it too much,” is how Whitman puts it. “You’ll waste time and money if you let your beans go bad because you’re daunted by the preparation method you chose.”
Whitman also clued me in to something I never knew: Almost all of the caffeine is extracted from the beans in the first minute of the brewing process. I always thought that the longer I let my coffee steep, the stronger a caffeine kick I would get. Turns out all I was doing was creating a drink that was more bitter than necessary.
If all this coffee talk is making you want to learn even more, pay a visit to Four Barrel Coffee should you find yourself in San Francisco. They have a great coffee-making class that can give every beginner the tools they need to make amazing coffee.
Summing Up: Experiment, Iterate and Have Fun
Throughout our conversation, which delved deep into the granular details of making coffee, Whitman kept coming back to his core point: Experiment.
There’s no point in beating yourself up if you can’t make amazing-tasting coffee at first. It’s just a drink. But eventually, if you track your variables, you’ll hit on a process that works for your taste buds, and you can stick with it forever.
Do you have a favorite brewing method other money-saving techniques when it comes to your coffee? Let us know in the comments.
Related Articles:
- How a Commitment to Drinking Just Water Saves More Money Than You Think
- Indie Coffee Shop Thrives in the Shadow of the Dunkin’ Empire
- New to Cooking at Home? Start with a Few Basic Steps
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