Going on Vacation This Summer? Don’t Forget to Tip These 5 People

For a lot of people in the U.S., tipping is a serious source of anxiety

The rules always seem to be changing: Are we up to 20% for restaurant servers? What are you supposed to put in the tip jar at Starbucks?

And tips are inconsistent around the country: My parents leave $2-$3 for the night in a Wisconsin tavern, yet I’d get serious stink-eye for not leaving at least $1 per drink in a coastal bar.

And then, there are times you might not think about tipping — when you apparently should.

As you make your way through summer camps, parties, vacations and other activities, keep an eye out for a number of tipping opportunities you might not expect.

“We tip during the holidays to thank people for making our lives easier and more pleasant throughout the year. In the summer, it’s a similar idea,” The Etiquette School of New York’s Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick told Business Insider.

They teamed up to create an infographic to tell us exactly who and how much to tip for the people who make summer vacation our favorite time of year.

Some of these conventions might surprise you.

1. Hotel Housekeeper

It welcomes some debate, but tipping a hotel housekeeper isn’t a novel idea. Surprisingly, though, Napier-Fitzpatrick recommends tipping them each day of your stay.

That’s because different people may tend to your room each day. If you tip on the last day, only that person will get the tip.

To ensure everyone gets their share, leave $2-$5 each day you ask for service. Include a note, so your housekeeper knows to take it!

And for other hotel staff, Napier-Fitzpatrick recommends:

• Tip a bellhop $2 for the first bag plus $1 for each additional bag.

• If you make a special request of the front desk, tip the person $2-$3.

• Tip room service $2-$3 cash on top of the gratuity automatically included in the bill.

• Tip a valet $2-$5 at a hotel or elsewhere in town.

2. Camp Counselors

Have you considered tipping your kids’ camp counselors?

Some camps don’t allow counselors to accept tips, so check first. If they do, apparently you’ll want to tip at the end of the season. If they don’t accept tips, Napier-Fitzpatrick says a small gift works, as well.

Tip amounts vary by position:

• Head counselor: $50-$100

• Assistant counselors: $20-$25

• Instructors (e.g. horseback riding instructor): cost of one lesson

3. Summer Nanny and Dog Walker/Sitter

For someone you employ for the season, tip at the end of the summer, similar to a holiday bonus.

Napier-Fitzpatrick recommends a tip of one week’s pay for a summer nanny and the cost of one walk for a dog walker.

For a one-off sitter or dog walker, use your discretion and add a tip if they dealt with anything unusual or went above and beyond your expectations.

4. Movers

I’ve had some friends who worked as movers who’d definitely like you to know: You’re supposed to tip them!

Summers are hot, your couch is unwieldy and the job doesn’t pay well.

For movers and other group services like caterers, it’s customary to tip 10-15% of your total bill. Give it to whoever’s in charge to split amongst the crew.

5. Swimming Instructors

Is your kid in swimming lessons this summer? Many are, and it might be news that you’re supposed to tip their instructors.

This may not hold true for smaller towns with public swimming classes. For example, my hometown offers free lessons for kids within the district and charges just $20 for non-residents for the season. I don’t think those instructors expect a tip.

This is more relevant, though, for instructors you employ on vacation for specialty classes in swimming, snorkeling, surfing or scuba diving. Tip $20-$25 on top of the rate for one class, or 15-20% for the cost of a course.

Photo Source: Business Insider

From personal experience, I’ll add one more general note: Come prepared to tip in cash.

Your credit card tips will be appreciated when they show up on a paycheck in two weeks, but service workers are much happier to leave at the end of a long day with cash in hand.

And, of course, thank you for your business!

Your Turn: Which tipping customs surprise you? Are there any we missed?

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).

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Your Dream Job is Real: Here’s How to Get Paid to Eat Ice Cream

It is July.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been spending a lot of time sticking sweatily to leather seats and wishing I could take a shower every 10 minutes.

I can think of few things better than ice cream. Well, except one — getting paid to eat ice cream.

As it turns out, that’s a thing! Ben and Jerry’s secret shops are available in select U.S. cities on the East Coast right now.

But if you want to get paid to eat a sweet treat, you’d better act super fast.

Ben and Jerry’s Mystery Shopping Jobs are Available Now

If you’ve never heard of mystery shopping before, I’ll quickly give you the scoop (see what I did there?):

You get paid to go to a business and provide some feedback about the quality of the service or product.

In this case, you’d be required to go to a Ben and Jerry’s, order an ice cream and photograph both the dessert and the receipt.

Then, you’d get $10.

Sounds pretty freaking sweet, right?

Shops are available in the following cities:

Connecticut
Uncasville

Florida
Miramar Beach
Naples

Georgia
Athens

Massachusetts
Hyannis
North Eastham  
Provincetown
South Deerfield

North Carolina

Emerald Isle
Jacksonville

New Hampshire
North Conway

New Jersey
Atlantic City
Cape May
Newark Airport

New York
Bolton Landing
Huntington Village
JFK Airport Jamaica
Lake George
Montauk
Watkins Glen
Westhampton Beach

Pennsylvania
Scranton

Puerto Rico
San Juan

Rhode Island
Block Island
Newport

South Carolina
Myrtle Beach

Vermont (bonus points for Ben and Jerry’s native land!)
Burlington
Manchester
Smuggler’s Notch
Waterbury

Get Paid to Eat Ben and Jerry’s — For Real

If you’re screaming for profitable ice cream (and who wouldn’t be?), hurry up — secret shopping missions fill up fast all the time, and these are particularly sweet.

Apply at iSecretShop’s Shopper Portal, and find your location to see if the listing’s still active.

If you miss it, never fear: You can sign up to be notified of future mystery shopper opportunities, ice cream-related and otherwise.

You could also contact the company directly and ask to be considered as a backup candidate.

The Penny Hoarder’s founder, Kyle Taylor, did a lot of secret shopping in his day, notes that “It’s extremely common for shoppers to flake out.”

After you’ve officially applied, submit a direct request to let the scheduler know you mean business.

“Once you’ve proven to be reliable, they’ll often call you before sending out an email blast to see if you want the job,” Kyle says.

So get to it, ice cream lovers — and good luck!

Your Turn: Want to get paid to eat ice cream? Never mind, you don’t have to answer that. I mean, you’re a human being, right?

Jamie Cattanach is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder, but only because her original career plan of eating ice cream for profit somehow didn’t work out.

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TD Ameritrade Review – Top IRA Provider

TD Ameritrade offers one of the most comprehensive trading platforms available anywhere. They offer the full range of investment choices, on a state-of-the-art trading platform, that includes virtually every tool, calculator, or information source that you will need to be a successful trader.

TD Ameritrade is not the lowest cost online brokerage platform, which likely makes it better suited to to long-term investors than to active traders.

About TD Ameritrade

TD Ameritrade got its start in 1975, back when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) eliminated the practice of fixed brokerage commissions. That was the start of the discount brokerage wave. One of those companies was First Omaha Securities, which would eventually become TD Ameritrade. Since then, TD Ameritrade has been one of the most innovative brokerage firms on Wall Street.

The company has maintained an orientation toward self-directed investors since the late 1990s. Since that time, they have worked to improve online trading, and were one of the first companies to offer online options order entry and electronic trade confirmations by email. They were also in the forefront of rolling out extended hours trading.

The TD Ameritrade name actually came about in 2006, when Ameritrade purchased TD Waterhouse USA, forming one of the largest discount brokerage firms in the country, and the largest in terms of average client trades placed per day.

The company has since improved its trading platform, expanding its offerings for active traders by adding complex options, futures, and foreign exchange trading. They also began offering applications for mobile devices back in 2010.

Today TD Ameritrade provides investment and trading services for almost 6 million clients, who have a total of more than $600 billion in assets, as well as custodial services through more than 4,000 independent registered investment advisors. The company now places about 400,000 trades each day.

TD Ameritrade Features and Benefits

Available accounts. TD Ameritrade offers standard taxable investment accounts, that can be held either individually or as joint accounts. Retirement accounts include traditional and Roth IRAs, as well as rollover IRAs. They offer education accounts including various state qualified 529 plans, tax-free Coverdell plans, or UGMA and UTMA accounts. They also offer specialty accounts, including individual trusts and pension plans (Solo 401(k), SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, and Profit-Sharing) for business partnerships and sole proprietorships.

Minimum initial account balance requirement. TD Ameritrade does not have a minimum requirement, so you are free to open up an account with as little funding as you choose. There is however a minimum initial deposit of $2,000 required for either margin or options privileges.

Opening an account. This is accomplished by completing a single page application on the TD Ameritrade website. Basic information will be required, including your Social Security number, your employer name and address, as well as your contact information. You will then choose the type of account you want to open, and then give an assessment of how active you intend to be as a trader. Certain additional information may be required in order to comply with government regulations. This may include a copy of your driver’s license or other identifying documentation.

Investments available. You can trade stocks, options, mutual funds, ETFs, futures, Forex, and bonds and certificates of deposit.

Mobile App. TD Ameritrade’s mobile app enables you to monitor the market, research investment ideas and trade virtually any security or investment wherever you are located. This includes real-time streaming quotes, access to charts to conduct technical analysis, and the ability to transfer funds to and from other accounts. The app works for iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, Android, and Windows smartphones and tablets.

Account funding. Your account can be funded through electronic funding. Transfers must be between a minimum of $50, and a maximum of $250,000. You can also fund your account using a wire transfer from either a US or foreign based financial institution. Check deposits are permitted, but they must be payable in US dollars and made through a US bank. ACATS (transfers from other brokerage accounts) take approximately 3 to 4 weeks to complete. You can transfer stock certificates into your account, but there is a fee of $500 for doing so.

Forex Trading. TD Ameritrade offers Forex trading in pairs of the following currencies: Australian dollar (AUD), British pound sterling (GBP), Canadian dollar (CAD), Danish krone (DKK), Euro (EUR), Japanese yen (JPY), New Zealand dollar (NZD), Norwegian krone (NOK), Swedish krona (SEK), Swiss franc (CHF), and the US dollar (USD).

Customer Service. You can contact TD Ameritrade by either toll-free phone or email 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Of course you can also contact them by mail, but they also have more than 100 branches located nationwide that you can visit for a face to face meeting about your account.

Investment Research. TD Ameritrade provides third-party research to help you plan and evaluate your investment strategy. You can analyze both investment performance and market conditions to test out your investment ideas. One of the research tool is Market Edge, which offers timely information and technical analysis of the markets, including in-depth technical market commentary.

Account/asset protection. Your account is protected by SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation) for up to $500,000 in cash and securities, including $250,000 in cash. Each client also has protection of up to $149.5 million for securities and up to $2 million for cash through supplemental coverage provided by London Insurers. This coverage is for broker failure, and not for declines in investment values owing to market changes.

Account Security. TD Ameritrade uses advanced firewalls to protect personal information, as well as anomaly detection intrusion detection technology to search for unusual behavior in your account. The secure website uses 128 bit encryption on the transmission of all data transmitted between the website and your computer.

TD Ameritrade Tools and Calculators

TD Ameritrade offers too many tools and calculators to fully list here. But below is a list of some that we consider to be more interesting:

Trade Architect. This is a streamlined platform that enables you to stay connected to the market and where you can monitor and analyze potential investment opportunities using various tools, customized charting, live streaming video and integrated research.

thinkorswim. This feature provides elite level tools, including full charting, market monitoring, beta weighing, pairs trading, paper trading and another feature called Strategy Roller. That feature enables you to simplify your options strategy, by creating a covered call strategy upfront using predefined criteria. The thinkorswim platform will automatically roll it forward each month.

Morningstar Instant X-Ray. This tool enables you to analyze your stocks and mutual funds using in-depth data provided by Morningstar.

IRA Tool Selection Tool. If you’ve read enough blog posts about the traditional-vs-Roth IRA decision, this tool could go a long way toward uncomplicating the decision. It offers you the ability to determine whether a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA will work best for you. It does this by analyzing your age, tax filing status, income, and employer-provided retirement plans. With this information, the tool can help you decide which IRA type is best for you.

Retirement Calculator. This tool analyzes your personal information, goals, income, assets, and risk tolerance, and it then shows you your progress toward your retirement goals. This is an excellent tool to use throughout your retirement planning years.

College Planner. This tool enables you to estimate how much you’ll need to save for your children’s college education. It can also potentially save you money on taxes. There is a related tool referred to as the 529 Savings Plan that will help you to estimate how much money you will need to save toward that goal, and how a 529 plan can save you on taxes.

TD Ameritrade Fees

Like other brokerage firms, TD Ameritrade has a wide range of fees due to the large amount of services that it provides. There are no fees for platform, inactivity or market data. But the fees most relevant to the greatest number of investors includes:

Stocks and ETFs. TD Ameritrade’s commission on stock and ETF trades is $9.99 for trades executed online. Broker assisted trades have a fee of $44.99, while trades made via the interactive voice response phone system is $34.99 per trade. TD Ameritrade also offers about 100 commission-free ETFs, but you must be enrolled in the commission-free ETF program in order to take advantage of that offer.  The stock trading is about twice as high as Trade King and why we suggest using them for long term investing.

Mutual funds. TD Ameritrade offers hundreds of no transaction fee mutual funds from various leading fund families. Referred to as NTFs, there is no commission charged for trading these funds, as long as they are held for a minimum of 180 days. Other no-load mutual funds carry a transaction fee of $49.99. And on mutual funds that have loads, there is no commission fee charged.

Options. TD Ameritrade charges a commission of $9.99 per trade, plus a $0.75 fee per contract. If you trade using the interactive voice response phone system, the commission is $34.99 per trade, plus $0.75 per contract. Options exercises and assignments have a fee of $19.99. Broker assisted transactions are charged a fee of $44.99 per trade, plus $0.75 cents per contract.

Futures and options on futures. TD Ameritrade has a flat fee of $2.25 per contract, plus exchange and regulatory fees.

Forex. There is no charge on non-commission currency pairs trades in increments of 10,000 units. However commission currency pairs trades in increments of 1,000 units are subject to a fixed commission structure based in counter-currency units. As an example, the commission on a 1,000 lot EUR/USD trade would be $1, or $0.10 per 1,000 units.

Checking account fees. Checkbook reorders are free on up to 100 checks on any checking account. Fees do apply to reorders in larger quantities. There is also a $15 fee in the event that you need a copy of a check.

Debit Card fees. Unlike many other brokerage firms, TD Ameritrade does not charge an annual fee for its debit cards. In addition, they offer unlimited rebates of ATM fees from other financial institutions nationwide. Also, there is no required minimum balance in order to have a debit card.

Statement and confirmation fees. You can order either free of charge if your account has a minimum net value of $10,000. If your account balance is lower, then a fee of $2 per document applies.

Outbound transfers. Partial transfers are free, but an outbound transfer of your full account is $75. There is also a $25 fee for outgoing domestic or international wire transfers.

Bond orders. The fee for bond trades is $25, and TD Ameritrade has a minimum buy order requirement of five bonds, at $5,000 par value. CDs are priced on a net yield basis, and have a minimum order requirement of two certificates with a minimum par value of $2,000.

Margin interest rates. Interest rates on margin accounts range from 9.25% for accounts with balances under $10,000, to a low of 6.50% for an account balance of $1 million or more.

TD Ameritrade Investment Management

If you are not into do-it-yourself investing, TD Ameritrade has a couple of options for you. One will handle the entire investment process for you, while the other will provide you with direct assistance as you primarily manage your own investments.

AdvisorDirect is for investors who want comprehensive financial or wealth management. The program provides access to independent registered investment advisors. Those advisers will invest your money based on your big picture financial situation, including investing and tax strategies, retirement planning, estate planning, and wealth transfer. The advisers are experienced and offer transparent fee-based services.

Amerivest Portfolios from Morningstar Associates LLC provides a professionally managed portfolio. That includes ongoing portfolio management and rebalancing, as well as diversified portfolios comprised of both ETFs and mutual funds. That management is based on two portfolio types, one of which is the Core portfolio, which is designed to represent the foundation of your investments, and to build wealth slowly over time. The second is the Opportunistic portfolio, which is designed to take advantage of emerging market opportunities. You can put some of your investment capital into the portfolios, while still maintaining independent positions through your TD Ameritrade account.

TD Ameritrade Caveats

TD Ameritrade is easily one of the most comprehensive trading platforms available. As a result, we were able to come up with only a single negative, and that may not be that important if you are mostly a passive investor.

TD Ameritrade’s trading fees aren’t the lowest. While the transaction fees are reasonable, they are not the lowest in the industry. If you are an active trader, you may want to investigate lower-cost options.

Will TD Ameritrade Work for You?

TD Ameritrade is the perfect trading platform for long-term investors, like those who favor buy-and-hold investing. Their fees are higher than some other very low cost brokers, and probably not well suited for active traders. But they provide a wealth of tools and information, and as much or as little investment assistance as you may need. This can be especially important since your investment goals and interests will change over the years. TD Ameritrade has all of the services that you will need to guide you through all of those changes.

Save

Save

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These 3 Companies Will Give You Frequent Flyer Miles When You Buy a House

If you’re a dedicated points and miles junkie like me, you want to earn miles on everything you buy.

So I was excited to discover you can even earn frequent flyer miles on one of the biggest purchases you’ll ever make: a house.

How to Earn Frequent Flyer Miles for Buying a House

First, a warning: Buying a house is a big deal. Literally. So it’s vital to work with a skilled and honest realtor.

To earn miles with the programs below, you must work with one of their affiliated agents. If you find one you like, go for it!

But if you already have a realtor you trust, it’s probably wise to stick with them.

The savings they could get you with their negotiating skills or industry knowledge could end up being far more valuable than the miles you could earn.

With that out of the way, let’s look at some of the companies that help you earn frequent flyer points for buying a house.

FlyHomes

The newest and flashiest player on the scene, FlyHomes is a one-stop shop for real estate. You can search for homes, schedule showings and complete the entire buying process — all on its site.

After a successful sale, the company uses a portion of its commission to buy you frequent flyer miles. It gives you one mile per dollar spent, so if you buy a home worth $250,000, you’ll earn 250,000 Alaska Airlines miles.

Right now it’s only available in Boston and the Washington cities of Bellevue and Seattle, but it plans to expand to San Francisco and Chicago soon.

Miles From Home

If you ask Miles From Home to refer you to a local realtor, you could earn 2,000 American Airlines (AAdvantage) miles for every $10,000 of your new home’s purchase price.

So, for purchasing a $250,000 home, you’ll earn 50,000 miles. The same deal applies if you’d like to sell your home.

Although that’s not nearly as good of a deal as FlyHomes, this program is available nationwide and in Canada (with the exceptions of Alaska, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Oregon).

American Home Miles

With American Home Miles, you can earn AAdvantage miles in a variety of ways.

When buying or selling, it’s the same as the previous example: 2,000 miles for every $10,000 of the home’s price.

You can also earn miles for financing your mortgage through the service (1,250 AAdvantage miles for every $10,000 financed), or for using one of its partner moving companies.

Why You Should Collect Frequent Flyer Miles

Earning frequent flyer miles can be your key to almost-free travel.

Though I wouldn’t recommend choosing a realtor or program simply for the miles, it’s always good to know what options are out there.

If you’re not buying a house anytime soon, these posts have some other ideas for you:

• Want to Earn 4 Free Flights Every Year? Learn From These Expert Travel Hackers

• 6 Ways to Earn Frequent Flyer Miles Without Signing Up for Credit Cards

• Free Flights 101: How to Get Started With Frequent Flyer Miles

• 19 Frequent Flyer Resources Every Traveler Needs to Bookmark

Your Turn: Would you ever try to earn miles on a home purchase?

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 These 3 Companies Will Give You Frequent Flyer Miles When You Buy a House appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Ray Price building mega-dealership in Hamilton Township

Auto dealership owner Ray Price has begun construction on a cutting-edge mega-dealership in Hamilton Township, scheduled to open next summer.Price will move all his Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg dealerships to a 32-acre, 92,000-square-foot site on the west side of the intersection of routes 33 and 209 in Snydersville.Stroud Ford Lincoln in Stroud Township and Honda, Mazda and Volvo in East Stroudsburg will all be moving to the new, three-building site that includes showrooms [...]

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I Need Your Help…

Do you know what my greatest accomplishment to date is?

I’ve been blogging for almost 10 years and spoke at hundreds of conferences. I’ve built a nice size following on social media, and I’ve even made a healthy income doing all of this. But that isn’t what I am most proud of.

What I am most proud of is helping other people. From helping people generate more traffic to their sites to helping people accomplish their dreams and even showing a mom how she can make money from her bed-and-breakfast so she could support her family—helping others is my greatest accomplishment.

In the last couple of years, I decided I wanted to do even more to help others. So I partnered with two good friends of mine who share a similar vision: Jonas Koffler and Patrick Vlaskovits. To accomplish our vision of helping as many of you as possible, we decided to write a book.

Many of you have been bugging me to write one for years, but the timing wasn’t right. I didn’t want to write a book for the sake it. I wanted to create something that would empower others and help them accomplish their goals in life.

If you are wondering what the book is called…well, we decided to call it Hustle.

Here’s what Hustle will teach you

Have you been feeling that life is tough, that it’s hard to succeed when others have more money, a better degree, or more valuable connections?

Even if you don’t like the cards you’ve been dealt, it doesn’t mean you can’t do better than someone who is privileged.

That’s where the book comes into play. Packed with the knowledge we accumulated and tested throughout our business lives, Hustle will teach you:

• How to find your talents and make money doing what you love.
• How to succeed even if you don’t have much money or education. This is especially useful if you are feeling stuck or trapped in a job you hate.
• How to increase your focus and productivity. Learn how to master and use the 10-minute rule so you can get more done in less time.
• How to be an entrepreneur. Hustle will teach you the three main skills you’ll need.
• How to get more freedom in life. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or work in a 9-5 job, learn easy ways to make more money.
• How to improve your luck. Do you think you’re unlucky? Hustle will show you how to make more of your own luck every day!

Pre-order Hustle today

The good news is, you can now pre-order Hustle today. And if you decide to, I am going to offer you something you can’t refuse.

If you pre-order 1 copy of my book, you’ll receive:

an exclusive training video created by me that will teach you how to create a blog that generates a million visitors a month without spending a dollar on advertising. This training video, called “A Million Visitors a Month and Counting: How to Create a Blog That Doesn’t Suck!”, contains:

• Data on what has worked for me as well as what has worked for all the top blogs I’ve consulted (Mashable, Gawker Media, TechCrunch, HuffingtonPost, etc.).
• Step-by-step instructions on how to start a blog, create content, and promote it.
• How to create and generate headlines people want to click on.
• How to consistently come up with blog topics to write about even if you are in a boring industry.
• How to promote your content even if you don’t have a following online.
• The secret strategy I use to get mentioned on sites such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Inc. Magazine, FastCompany, etc.
• How to rank your blog posts in Google without spending money on links or using any blackhat techniques.

Click here to pre-order 1 copy, then email your receipt to hustle@neilpatel.com with “Preorder #1” in the subject.

If you pre-order 5 copies of my book, you’ll receive: 

the training video described above as well as a training video called “7 Advanced SEO Hacks That’ll Double Your Traffic.” In this training video, you’ll learn how to:

1. Hijack traffic from the number 1 spot – even if you don’t rank at number 1, it doesn’t mean you can’t take some of the top-ranked sites’ search traffic.
2. Dominate competitive terms – I will teach you how I rank for terms such as “online marketing” and how you can too. Just don’t use this technique to compete with me.
3. Get links from high domain authority sites – I’ll show you how to build links the ethical way.
4. Achieve the perfect site architecture – your on-page SEO has a huge impact on rankings. Most people get it wrong, but with this training video, you won’t.
5. Expand internationally – people take this for granted, but it’s so effective that I’ve already expanded to Germany, Brazil, and Italy.
6. Grow your social media influence – a key part to succeeding in SEO is having a big social following. I will teach you how to build one without spending money. This strategy helps me get upwards of 80,000 visitors a month just from Facebook.
7. Hack number 7?… – this is my favorite hack, and you’ll have to wait to see what it is.

Click here to pre-order 5 copies, then email your receipt to hustle@neilpatel.com with “Preorder #2” in the subject.

If you pre-order 20 copies of my book, you’ll receive:

both the blogging and SEO training video courses I described above, plus a 30-minute call with me.

I usually don’t offer phone consulting, but when I do, I typically charge $5,000 an hour.

Considering you can get a 30-minute phone call with me by buying 20 books, that’s a really good deal. We can discuss anything you want on the call. From entrepreneurship to marketing and helping you with your business, I can discuss whatever you want.

Click here to pre-order 20 copies, then email your receipt to hustle@neilpatel.com with “Preorder #3” in the subject.

If you pre-order 50 copies of my book, you’ll receive:

the blogging and SEO training video courses I described above, plus an analysis of your business and what you need to do in order to grow it faster.

Here’s how it works:

You send me any information about your business you are comfortable sharing; I’ll personally analyze your site; we will hop on an hour-long phone call; and I will share every single change I would make if I were running your business to grow it faster.

This, of course, is the most expensive option, but it’s also the best value as I don’t really offer this unless you are a Fortune 500 company. My consulting rates start in the 6 figures per month. But you can get my personal help now by just pre-ordering 50 books.

Click here to pre-order 50 copies, then email your receipt to hustle@neilpatel.com with “Preorder #4” in the subject.

How to redeem your offer?

You can pre-order your books on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Whether you buy the digital version or the physical book, you can redeem the offers above. In certain countries, the digital version won’t be available. In that case, some of you will have only the physical book option.

Once you make your purchase, email me a copy of your receipt at hustle@neilpatel.com, and I will give you your bonuses.

Conclusion

I hope you pre-order your copy of Hustle. I’ve been working on it for over a year, and a lot of the lessons I’ve learned in life and in business are in the book. Even if the book isn’t a good fit for you, it would help me a lot if you shared it on the social web.

I’ve never released a book before, and I want to ensure this one is a success. Anything you can do to help would really mean a lot to me.

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The Downside to ‘New’ and ‘Improved’ and ‘Better’

Not too long ago, I made the decision to upgrade my cell phone. It was several years old and there were a few hardware problems with it: The screen was cracked, it was very difficult to charge it, and it was old enough that it could no longer receive operating system updates.

I spent some time shopping for a new cell phone and, as I usually do with purchases like this, I had a small list of requirements for this new phone. I had to be able to check my email on it and update Evernote on it, which were two features that I had become completely accustomed to over the years.

The thing is, once I started researching phones, it became clear that most smartphones could take care of exactly what I wanted. After that point, it became all about extra features – the “new” and the “better.”

Unsurprisingly, at least for anyone who has shopped for a cell phone recently, it’s not too hard to be wowed by the new features and to see how they might be useful in your life. A bigger screen? A great camera? Those are things that could actually be useful to me, and it’s tempting to spring for them.

I eventually managed to talk myself into a pretty reasonable mid-grade phone, one that had a good camera on it but didn’t have the biggest screen ever (and it also happened to be on deep discount). It suits my needs really well.

So, how did I keep myself from jumping in and buying the “new” and “improved” phone, the one with all of the best features?

Well, as I noted above, I created a list of the features I really needed before I went shopping. I needed a camera of some kind, but it didn’t have to be a mindblowing one. I needed the ability to check my email and my calendar and update Evernote. I needed to make calls and send and receive texts (obviously). I needed a phone that came in a reliable and sturdy frame that had a low chance of scratching or breaking.

Then, as I shopped, I came across a lot of interesting features. When I saw something that struck me as compelling, I asked myself a few honest questions about those features.

Does the “new thing” actually meet an unmet need? Is there something I truly need to do on a regular basis that this phone meets that other phones do not?

Is this feature or item that I’m eyeing just merely a strong “want”? When I’m honest with myself, that’s the truth of the vast majority of new features and items that I see.

But here’s the real kicker: does this item or feature make something that’s perfectly good seem less good than before?

Let’s say I’m looking at the absolute best phone on the market. After looking at the beautiful screen and seeing the great pictures it can take, does it make the otherwise great phone I was considering earlier seem less good?

This is where perception battles reality. In truth, the presence of a feature-laden phone does not make another less-expensive and less-feature-laden phone any worse – they really have nothing to do with each other. That less expensive phone is just as good as it was when I first looked at it.

The problem is that I’m comparing it on equal footing with the much more expensive and much more feature-laden phone. When I sit them side by side without considering the price, the less feature-laden phone seems bad by comparison, when it’s not actually a bad phone at all.

That’s why, when I’m shopping around, I’ve learned to look at the lower-end models that actually meet my needs rather than expensive models that just shove a bunch of gee-whiz features at me that look nice but that I don’t really have a use for. I don’t need a huge screen – it doesn’t serve any real purpose for me. I don’t need a 12 megapixel camera to take decent shots of my kid playing soccer. I don’t need some weird feature where I can tap my phone with someone else and exchange audio files.

This isn’t just a phenomenon that happens with cell phones, either.

When we upgraded our old CRT television because the picture tube was dying, it was at a point where HDTVs were rolling out and some cable services supported it and Blurays were just coming on the scene. The HD picture looked gorgeous next to the ordinary picture of other televisions, but without that side-by-side, the standard picture looked quite good on most of the televisions we shopped for. We ended up hedging our bets for a year as our CRT TV died a slow death, at which point HDTVs had become standard so the choice was easier.

Sarah and I had a tent from when we were first married that we used for the first several years of our marriage on countless camping trips. Eventually, we needed a bigger one, as stuffing a family of five into a four person tent is not the best idea. When we shopped around, we were amazed at the features of all of the different tent options, but we ended up going with an extremely basic tent that met our one true need – keeping us dry on a rainy night when camping.

This type of “look at these amazing new features” shopping experience pops up in almost everything you shop for, from home furnishings to DVD players, from kitchen faucets to washing machines, from automobiles to laundry soap.

It all follows more or less the same pattern. New stuff often offers an “illusion of benefit,” not offering substantial improvement but creating the appearance of substantial improvement. It offers a feature that looks like it really matters, but it’s often very minor and sometimes isn’t actually useful at all.

Besides using a list of necessary features, here are some of the techniques I use to give a critical eye to “new and better” things and figure out whether they’re really worth that extra money.

First of all, I try to avoid devoting time to window shopping. I don’t go shopping at all unless I intend to buy something, and when I’m doing that, it’s either because I’m addressing a genuine need or because I’m addressing a want that I’ve already considered. Wandering into a store without really wanting anything is something I avoid, as is shopping without any real concept of what features I actually need in a product. Both of those situations make me ripe for falling into throwing money at unnecessary items and unnecessary features.

Second, I largely avoid “consumer” media. I don’t read articles or websites or publications that exist to inform me of new products to buy. Knowing about the latest stuff serves no real purpose in my life. My way of discovering new stuff is to actively search for better ways to do things that I normally do every day. Is there a better way to manage my time? Is there a better way to jot down notes? Is there a better way to chop vegetables? Occasionally, those kinds of approaches do lead me to new items, but mostly they lead me to new techniques, which I find far more useful (and they’re far cheaper, too!).

Third, I try to differentiate between “flashy” and “meaningful” wants. When I look at a brand new phone, for example, there are unquestionably some features there that I want to have. It’d be nice to have a bigger screen, as I noted above.

However, I recognize that such a feature is a “flashy” want for me. It’s something that would be cool to have, but not having it does not detract from any real purpose I might have for the phone.

There are some “wants” that are more meaningful, though, and they’re trickier. For example, a great camera lets me take better pictures in a variety of conditions, as being able to easily take action shots of my kids at their soccer games and also taking indoor shots of various things are both important to me and I’d like both styles to be easy and legible.

The truth, however, is that there is no cell phone camera that is going to take amazing shots in every condition. If that is truly something I want in my life, then I should be looking at using a digital SLR camera… and when I start looking at the prices there, I realize that I don’t actually want this too bad. The truth is that there’s not a giant difference between cameras on most cell phones – sure, one might be a little better than the other, but they’re both substantially behind a truly good camera and far more similar to each other than any of them are to a good camera.

Thus, my “want” of being able to take decent shots of my children is honestly fulfilled in roughly equal fashion by all cell phones, and if I truly want great pictures of them, I’ll invest in a digital SLR camera (which I’m not going to).

This leads me to my final principle: trying to have everything will bankrupt you. Eventually, it comes down to a core decision as to whether or not you’re going to try to fulfill every desire you have, or even try to fulfill every desire that you convince yourself is “meaningful.”

The truth is that you can have a wonderful life without the vast, vast majority of those “meaningful” wants. Meaning isn’t created with “stuff.” It’s created by spending time with the people you live and the activities that bring you lasting joy. For me, it’s time spent rolling around in leaves with my kids or curled up in a chair with a book from the library.

There is no “new” or “improved” or “better” feature or product that will add meaning to your life. If you’re looking for meaning in a product, look instead at how you use your time and your attention.

Once you start evaluating things from that perspective, a lot of “new” and “improved” and “better” products don’t really seem like much of a big deal after all, and you’ll find yourself keeping your wallet in your pocket instead.

Good luck!

Related Articles

• How to Live a Rich Modern Life Without Debt
• How to Avoid Getting Cut by the Cutting Edge
• Fed Up With Verizon and AT&T? Try One of These Cheap Cell Phone Plans Instead

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Work From Home as an Online Stylist and Make $15/Hour

It’s fun to help people dress up.

But working in fashion retail can be a drag, mostly because of the wacky hours. Retail jobs mean getting up early on the weekends, staying until 9 or 10 at night during the week and sometimes even working overnight to rearrange inventory.

But what if you could work one on one with customers from the comfort of your home? You’d have no bad mall Muzak, no line at the register and no struggle to find a parking spot in the same ZIP code as the store right before your shift.

Working with apparel styling companies, which send curated subscriptions or styled boxes to customers, might give you the perfect blend of fashion and flexibility.

For the most part, you get to work from home and choose your own hours — all while helping customers look (and feel) their best.

But it’s not a perfect fit for everyone. Read on to see if remote styling is the side hustle for you.

Runway Styling Experience Not Required

“You don’t need professional styling experience,” Sean Lee, director of people and culture for Bombfell, assures potential applicants.

“We’re OK with different backgrounds as long as there is evidence they have a strong interest or some sort of experience in fashion.”

Bombfell specializes in men’s fashion, allowing customers to share their sizes and style preferences along with their shopping budgets.

The company conducts interviews for remote stylist positions at its New York headquarters. Since Bombfell requires a two-day, on-site initial training and regular visits for things like performance reviews, applicants must live in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut and be willing to commute into the city about once a month.

Remote stylists are guided by full-time stylists who work on site.

While the position offers a flexible schedule, Bombfell asks remote stylists to work 15-20 hours per week and to set a schedule for the week by Sunday evening. Stylists must commit to working at least one hour each business day, in order to respond to customer emails in a timely fashion.

Bombfell declined to share pay rates for stylists, but one Glassdoor user reported a range of $13-$15 per hour.

What It Takes to Make It in Remote Styling

An interest in fashion isn’t enough to get you a job in the remote styling world. You’ve got to have a certain level of tech savvy to navigate the sophisticated online systems each styling service uses to pair customers with pieces of clothing.

But the machines can only do so much — the rest is up to the human connection between stylist and clothes wearer.

“People forget that communication is extremely important,” Lee said, referring not only to Bombfell’s would-be stylists but all remote-job applicants. While Bombfell is a styling service, it recognizes its stylists’ primary task is communicating with customers. Bombfell requires a four-year degree from its applicants.

“It’s important to find the right combination of experience, interest and written communication skills,” Lee said.

Those communication skills aren’t just helpful for working with customers — they also help you stay in touch with the Bombfell team via email and Slack.

The Downsides of Remote Styling

Stitch Fix, which recently expanded to offer styling for men as well as women, hires remote stylists all over the country — but you need to be within driving distance of Austin, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis or San Diego.

That’s because the company hosts in-person training events for new stylists, along with periodical “roadshows” where stylists can get up close and personal with merchandise and mingle with team members.

Stitch Fix advertises its remote styling jobs require at least 15 — and a maximum of 30 — hours per week.

A former Stitch Fix stylist noted that new hires work about 10 hours per week until they get up to speed on the styling system and performance. Many of the stylists she worked with, she said, were students or stay-at-home moms.

“You’re asked to fill in your ‘schedule’ two weeks ahead,” she said, “The hours you plan on working each day.”

One unexpected perk: If you fell ill and couldn’t complete one of your shifts, you could still get paid for your time.

The former stylist reported earning $15 per hour over more than a year of styling, with no raises. Stitch Fix didn’t respond to our interview request, but numerous Glassdoor reviews report pay of about $15 per hour. Stitch Fix employees get a discount on clothing, but they must still pay shipping.

But working in a vacuum might get stale after a while, even for the most dedicated of fashionistas.

“After you’ve worked a few months, the majority of your communication is via phone, email and Skype,” the former stylist said.

“It’s lonely, boring and only slightly fulfilling,” she added. “The clients were the only reason I stayed for so long.”

The former stylist also noted she always had another job while she moonlighted as a stylist. She wouldn’t go back, but admits, “This job is a great solution for people with no other job or those who really need extra cash.”

Where to Look for Remote Styling Jobs

As subscription services touting personally styled clothing and accessories grow, so do your options for snagging a remote styling job.

JustFab is advertising for initial independent stylists for PS by JustFab, its soon-to-launch personal styling box subscription. The position requires a minimum of one year of experience in retail or styling.  

Rocksbox, a jewelry rental subscription, seeks part-time stylists to work 10-40 hours during each workweek. Instead of patching together entire looks for each customer, the stylists determine jewelry matches for each client.

Dia&Co, a styling service for plus-size women, pays a starting rate of $12 per hour. Stylists must initially be available to work between 20 and 40 hours a week from Dia&Co.’s headquarters, but the role notes, “Start in our headquarters in New York, NY growing into a remote visual styling opportunity.”

The role may also have “potential for full-time employment after the first 60 days.” You should have two or more years of experience in retail or customer service and own a computer.

Working in the office might not be so bad though, at least for your first few months: The team seems pretty proud of its motion-activated M&M dispenser.

Your Turn: Have you worked as a remote stylist? Did you enjoy the work?

Lisa Rowan is a writer, editor and podcaster living in Washington, D.C. She admires fashion stylists but owns 12 black T-shirts.

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Enrich Your Life With These Four Financial Podcasts

I am a podcast fanatic. Once I realized I could listen to entertaining, thought-provoking, and informative audio shows whenever I wanted, and that they were accessible on my phone at all times, I was hooked. How else could you tap the wisdom of all the top experts in the world while cleaning your house or taking a morning walk?

There are thousands of podcasts out there, and you may already be familiar with some of the medium’s great storytelling shows (This American Life), true crime sagas (Serial), and psychology shows (Hidden Brain). But I thought I would discuss some of my favorite podcast episodes that are focused on building wealth.

If you want tips on leading a richer life, stretching your dollar further, and investing wisely, these are four good episodes to start with — my recommended money podcast playlist.

Planet Money: Brilliant vs. Boring

Planet Money is an NPR podcast known for its high production value and ability to take mundane topics and make them interesting. This episode, about a bet between billionaire investor Warren Buffett and a hedge fund manager, is no exception. It offers a primer on the dangers of trying to beat the market — even when you have the smartest minds in the world investing your money.

The show details how, in 2008, Buffett made a $1 million bet that he could pick an index fund that would beat the returns of a group of prominent, high-priced hedge funds. Even though Warren Buffett betting a million dollars is like me betting a nickel, it’s still cool to hear about one of the richest people in the world putting his full faith in a slow and steady investment strategy.

The Planet Money team spends the first half of the episode interviewing Vanguard founder John Bogle, inventor of the index fund. He comes across as a thoughtful, witty, smart guy with a borderline obsession with boats. I’d always wondered where Vanguard’s trademark logo comes from, and now I know it’s Mr. Bogle’s old naval ship.

As a Simple Dollar reader, you’re probably familiar with the advantages of owning the entire market in one fund — but it’s still great to hear about its benefits straight from the horse’s mouth.

Later, the reporters hear the hedge fund’s side of the story. Kudos to the Planet Money guys for pressing Ted Seides, who took the other side of Buffett’s bet and currently runs his own investment firm. They ask him some tough questions. In my opinion, Mr. Seides comes off as considerably less convincing than Mr. Bogle, but, being an avid Boglehead myself, I must admit I am biased.

I won’t spoil everything, but let’s just say if you are making side bets on their million dollar bet, you’re probably going to want to back Warren Buffett. He’s not called the Oracle of Omaha for nothing.

• Related: Warren Buffett’s Two Lists and Your Money

The Mad Fientist’s Interview with Mr. Money Mustache

The Mad Fientist is a financial independence blogger who does a great job of laying out detailed strategies to get the most out of your money. His podcast does the same, and I think his interview with Mr. Money Mustache is an episode particularly worth checking out.

Mr. Money Mustache is the pen name of Peter Adeney, a former tech worker based in Colorado. His blog has inspired millions to not just pursue financial independence, but to pursue it with the same intensity as if you were trying to save your child from drowning.

This podcast gives a good, concise rundown of Adeney’s career, and how he came to popularize the extreme approach to financial independence — which, in his world, involves bare-bones spending, bikes over cars, and a robust DIY attitude. Most of all, he’s a funny, engaging personality. It’s refreshing to hear someone who tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear, over and over again.

He also puts his money where his mouth is, in that he now makes a ton of money but still barely spends any of it. If you’ve ever experienced the spending creep of lifestyle inflation, this is a must-listen for inspiration on how to combat it.

So Money: Farnoosh Torabi’s Interview with Maya Penn

Farnoosh Torabi is the author of several popular books on money, which Trent has favorably reviewed in the past. I haven’t checked out her books yet, but I’m a big fan of her podcast. For one thing, it’s really well-produced. Some podcasts need an editor more than Hemingway after his 9th mojito. So Money does not have that problem. Torabi clearly has a professional set-up, along with perfect mixing and editing. That stuff makes a big difference, and Torabi’s professionalism sets her apart.

I singled out her interview with Maya Penn because it profiles a teenager with a unique and inspiring story. Penn is a 16-year-old entrepreneur who has already started several businesses and given a very popular TED Talk.

I could never have fathomed doing all that she has done at such a young age, partly because I would have thought it was impossible. Maybe if I had been exposed to a podcast like this, I’d have realized that anyone can be an entrepreneur, at any age. I’m not saying that would have made my business ideas a reality (if you call thinking, “It would be cool if someone paid me to play video games all day!” a business idea). But it might have motivated me to get off my butt and try something.

I think this would be a great podcast for parents to listen to with their kids on a long drive.

• Related: Four Businesses Kids Can Start Themselves

The M.O.N.E.Y. Show’s Interview with J.D. Roth

The M.O.N.E.Y. Podcast features hosts J. Money (Budgets Are Sexy) and Paula Pant (Afford Anything). They differ from most podcast hosts in that they’re quick to joke and don’t take themselves too seriously. It’s a nice change of pace. I particularly enjoyed an interview they did with J.D. Roth, who created the popular finance blog Get Rich Slowly.

I liked Roth’s brutal honesty. Not many people would be willing to admit in public that they got into $35,000 of consumer debt because they bought too many computers and comic books. I mean, I couldn’t believe that. Usually, people get blindsided by an expense, they lose their job, or they buy more house than they can afford. But comic books? I mean, I love basketball, but you’re not going to see me buying a $35,000 court-side ticket to a championship game when I have a zero net worth. Roth must love Spider-Man more than I love breathing. But, he was open about his mistakes, and he found a big audience when he told his story.

Another fascinating part of the interview is when he discusses the sale of his blog. He gained financial freedom, but lost a lot along the way. It was heart-wrenching hearing how his workaholic lifestyle cost him his marriage and his health. Again, this is not the rainbows and unicorns story to wealth creation you hear all over the internet. Roth now focuses as much on increasing happiness as he does on making money, and I really enjoyed his perspective.

Related Articles:

• Everything You Need to Know About Listening to Podcasts, My Favorite Free Form of Entertainment
• 15 Free Kindle Books to Inspire You to Great Things
• Summer Reading List: 23 Books to Read About Money

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10 Companies That Offer Awesome Benefits for Part-Time Employees

Jealous of your friends who have company-backed retirement plans, paid gym memberships and cheap health care?

You don’t have to have a full-time job to get those perks.

In fact, many companies offer generous benefit programs for their hourly part-time employees.

These 10 companies lead the way with awesome benefits for flexible roles that also allow you to attend school, take care of family or do whatever you please.

1. Avis Budget Group

Part-time sales associates, vehicle technicians and more are eligible for 401(k)s after 1,000 hours of service. After 90 days of service, they have access to an employee stock purchase plan.

There’s also an employee assistance program available to help with confidential matters, and a discount on the purchase of former rental vehicles.

Avis Budget Group includes Payless, Apex and Zipcar rental options along with Avis and Budget. More companies mean more job opportunities!  

2. Barnes & Noble

Part-time booksellers at Barnes & Noble receive one week of paid vacation per year after six months working with the company. After working at B&N for one year, you can earn at least two weeks of paid vacation per year.

The bookstore also offers basic life insurance to all its employees, with options for coverage of one, two or three times your annual earnings. Coverage for partners and children is available, too.

3. The Container Store

Part-time employees at The Container Store have access to paid time off, a 401(k) plan with an employer match, and medical, dental and vision plans.

There’s an employee assistance program to provide confidential counseling and an online corporate wellness program.

Discounts on gym memberships and even pet insurance are available, too.

Common-law spouses are included in some coverage categories.

4. Costco

Hourly part-time employees can receive benefits from Costco once they’ve accumulated 600 hours or worked 180 days. Healthcare coverage includes medical, vision, prescription drugs and core dental plans.

All hourly employees working at least 10 hours per week are enrolled in short-term disability insurance, which provides tax-free income replacement in the event of a non-work related accident or illness that prevents work.

5. Lowe’s

Enroll in a preventative health care plan as soon as you start working part time at Lowe’s. The available plans do not cover hospitalization or illness, but take care of routine visits and testing to keep you in tip-top shape.  

Dental, vision, disability and life insurance policies are also available. Lowe’s offers 401(k) matching and an employee stock-purchase plan to part-timers.

Lowe’s also shares a group-based auto and home insurance discount program through MetLife.

6. REI

This outdoorsy co-op offers health care, along with life and disability insurance, to any employee who works for REI least 20 hours per week. A sliding-scale premium schedule based on annual base pay determines the employee’s cost.

All health care plans cover preventive care, maintenance of chronic conditions and tobacco cessation. REI offers assistance to employees who work fewer than 20 hours per week who seek help navigating the insurance marketplace.

There’s an employee assistance program available to all employees. All health care-eligible employees can earn $300 toward their health benefits by taking an online well-being assessment.

REI provides a 50% pre-tax transportation subsidy and incentives for how well stores or divisions perform. The company contributes 5% of eligible employees’ base pay to a retirement plan, along with up to an additional 10% through a profit-sharing retirement plan contribution.

7. Staples

Once you’ve worked part time at Staples for 90 days, you can sign up for dental, vision and life insurance coverage for yourself, along with your spouse and/or children. Short-term disability coverage is also available.

Stick with the company for a year and average 30 hours per week, and you’ll be eligible to enroll in a full-time medical plan.

Complete one year and 1,000 hours of service and you can contribute to a 401(k) savings plan. If you want to purchase Staples stock at a 15% discount, you only have to wait 90 days to be eligible.

Staples has its own confidential employee counseling program, which you can access through phone consultations or face-to-face meetings.

8. Starbucks

Starbucks is well known for its benefits program for part-timers. All you have to do to be eligible for a host of benefits is work at least 240 hours over three consecutive months, then continue to average 20 hours per week.

Health care coverage offered by Starbucks includes routine visits, hospitalization and everything in between, along with vision and dental care. Alternative care options, like acupuncture or chiropractic treatment, are covered too.

The company also offers basic life insurance and 401(k) programs. A reimbursement benefit of up to $10,000 is available for adoption expenses.

You’ll start to accrue paid vacation hours after 12 months of service.

All employees have access to an employee assistance program for confidential counseling, and can apply to the Caring Unites Partners (CUP) program for emergency financial assistance.

Part-time employees can get full tuition reimbursement for attending Arizona State University’s online undergraduate programs. Majors do not have to be relevant to a Starbucks career.

Last but not least: Take home one pound of Starbucks coffee or a tin of Teavana loose tea each week.

9. U-Haul

Part-time employees at U-Haul locations have access to limited-care medical plans, plus dental plans.

They can also take advantage of 401(k) savings plans and stock ownership plans, travel insurance and banking through a credit union.

10. UPS

Part-time UPS employees can take advantage of an education-assistance program that provides up to $5,250 in assistance per calendar year (with a lifetime maximum of $25,000).

Your Turn: Do you have a part-time job that offers awesome benefits? We’d love to hear about it!

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

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