These Philadelphians Found a Brilliant Way to Stop Wasting Food

The amount of food we waste is depressing.

From giving ugly vegetables the cold shoulder to thinking we’re too busy to properly dispose of it, we waste a whopping $160 billion in food each year.

*heavy sigh*

But, we have some good news: Philadelphians have created an app that helps curb food waste and feed those in need.

After observing food waste and food insecurity — often side-by-side — Villanova alum Megha Kulshreshta and her brother developed Food Connect. While the app was only intended to be used during the Democratic National Convention in late July, it helped collect and redistribute 11,239 pounds of food in eight days.

Because of that success, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced Food Connect will now operate year-round, reports Philly Mag.

That’s awesome!

How Food Connect Prevents Food Waste

The free app “bridges the gap” between companies with extra food — restaurants, caterers and event venues — and organizations such as food pantries, food banks and community shelters, by providing easy, volunteer-driven pickup and delivery services.

The idea is to get people to think twice before picking up a trash bag when they’re faced with excess food — and encourage them to pick up their phones instead.

To use the app, which is available for both iPhone and Android, all you have to do is enter your location and the kinds of food you want to donate or receive, and the volunteers take care of the rest.

While some restaurants may be reluctant to donate food waste due to liability, Food Connect enforces strict safety guidelines to make sure the donated food is safe for consumption. In addition, recipients are required to sign a waiver that releases donors from liability, providing an extra safety net on top of the 1996 Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act.

And for donors, it gets even better…

The food donations are tax-deductible, meaning companies that donate their extra food will get a little bit of a break from the IRS next tax season.

Could Food Connect expand its network and help cut down those depressing food waste statistics in other cities? We’re crossing our fingers.

Your Turn: What do you think about the Food Connect app? Would you like to see it in your city?

Kelly Smith is an editorial intern at The Penny Hoarder and a senior at The University of Tampa. She hated seeing all of the food that went to waste when she worked in a restaurant.

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Want to Work From Home? Xerox is Hiring Full-Time Workers Right Now

Despite the endurance of the proprietary eponym, Xerox is much more than copy machines these days.

The company offers customers help with data processing, HR benefits management, finance support, transportation solutions and customer relationship management.

And it’s looking for help!

Xerox is hiring several work-from-home or in-house customer care assistants across the U.S.

As a customer care assistant, you’d support customers via phone or email, troubleshooting problems with existing services and recommending products to better serve their needs.

Requirements for Xerox’s Work-From-Home Jobs

You don’t need a degree to apply for this job — just a high school diploma or GED, plus stellar customer service skills and about six months’ in-person or over-the-phone customer service experience.

You’ll also need basic typing skills, and be able to crank out 30 words per minute — which is doable as long as you’re not hunting and pecking.

Depending on your credentials, Xerox has openings for a range of other virtual jobs, too, including management, information security and recruiting.

Xerox Employee Benefits

You’ll have the opportunity to work from home or from one of several Xerox call centers around the U.S. This is a full-time position and comes with these great benefits:

• Medical, dental and vision coverage

• 401(k) plans

• Educational assistance

• Paid time off

• Company discounts at local restaurants and gyms, plus discounts on cell phone service, auto and travel, international theme parks and more

To apply: Fill out the online application here. Job listings mention specific states, but we checked with a Xerox representative, who clarified anyone within the U.S. can apply to any work-from-home position.

Your Turn: Have you seen any exciting work-from-home job openings lately?

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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American Express is Hiring People to Work From Home for $15+ per Hour

Looking for part-time work?

That you can do remotely?

With a well-known company?

Check, check and check: American Express is hiring part-time virtual customer care professionals.

Pay starts at $15.73 per hour — and the job doesn’t require a college degree!

Here’s how to apply.

Get a Remote Customer Service Job With American Express

In this position, you’ll work from home for 20-29 hours per week, responding to “incoming calls in a fast-paced environment.”

Your duties will include answering questions, solving problems creatively and providing “extraordinary” customer service.

To be eligible, you must live in any state but Alaska, California or Hawaii, and have a distraction-free home office and experience “successfully interacting with customers.”

You’ll start out earning $15.73 per hour, with the opportunity to earn “monthly performance-based incentives.”

Not only is training paid, the company will also cover the connection cost and monthly fees for “dedicated telephone and Internet service from an American Express approved provider in your area.”

Woohoo!

The listing says “flexible, non-traditional schedules are available” — which means it could be a great fit for those of you with other work or familial obligations.

Plus, after 90 days of employment, you’ll be eligible for benefits like health insurance, retirement plans and tuition assistance!

Sounds like a pretty good gig, right? Click here to learn more and apply.

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.

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How to Write Marketing Emails That Get Results

To some, email marketing can seem antiquated and even prehistoric when compared to more cutting-edge tactics such as SEO, social media, and mobile optimization.

Although it may not be the sexiest of strategies, there’s no denying that it still gets results.

In fact, “email is 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter.” Just take a look at how it compares with other methods:

Also, you are six times more likely to get a click-through from an email campaign than you are from a tweet.

What about ROI?

For each dollar spent, email has an average ROI of $38. Impressive. Here’s how Adobe paints the picture:

And it gets better.

Email marketing is easy.

Check out this data from MarketingCharts.com:

Email tops the list of “most effective” digital marketing tactics. But look! It’s also easy!

Results? ROI? Easy? Effective?

Email marketing is killer. It works. It’s awesome. You need to do it.

But in order to truly harness the power of email marketing, it’s important to understand the psychology behind it and to know how to write emails that get results.

The statistics say that email marketing is effective. But statistics tell only part of the story. Statistics can’t predict whether your email marketing efforts will be effective.

In order to create a successful email marketing campaign, it’s crucial to know the tricks of the trade. Getting people to notice your emails, open your emails, click on the stuff in your emails, and respond to your emails is tricky.

Here are the fundamentals of what I’ve learned over the years.

1. Getting emails opened

Half the battle is getting prospects to open your emails.

Research from HubSpot found that companies with 1-10 employees typically receive a median open rate of 35.3% and companies with 26-200 employees receive a median open rate of 32.3%.

Here’s another look at the stats from SmartInsights. Find your industry in the list, and see how your open rates compare:

These numbers aren’t exactly staggering.

I’ve found that the key to maximizing my open rate is making my emails as personal and interesting as possible.

For instance, I suggest using your first name as your from address.

Why do I suggest this?

The data says so. In one survey, researchers asked “What most compels you to open a permission based email?”

I know what would get me to open an email: the from line!

Do I trust the sender? Do I want to hear from them? Do I like what they write? Is it going to help me in some way?

The best way for me to find that out is by looking at who sent the information.

Just take a look at these numbers. The from line is leading the subject line by double!

Most people are already drowning in emails and don’t want to open something from some questionable corporate entity. But many are willing to open something from a real person, who is reaching out to them one-on-one.

If you are signed up to receive emails from me, you expect to see “Neil Patel” in the subject line.

I wrote the email, so I might as well be the one sending it.

Besides, it gives you, the reader, the authentic sense that you’re hearing from me as a person, not some disembodied email marketing software.

2. Writing a captivating subject line

If your subject line is uninteresting, uninspiring, or mediocre, your email is likely to get passed over. Also, if it gives off a spammy—used car salesman—kind of vibe, it’s probably going in the trash.

How do you grab attention with the subject line?

I’ve found that addressing a common issue or concern works well.

For example, you might promise that the contents of your email can help solve a problem, provide readers with valuable information to improve their lives, or make them happier.

Buffer knows that their audience wants to hear about social media tips. That’s why they use subject lines like this one:

Throwing in some power words that stimulate readers and appeal to their emotions can have a tremendous impact as well.

Here are just some of the power words you can use:

• amazing
• mind-blowing
• jaw-dropping
• blissful

You get the idea. I recommend that you check out this list of 317 power words from Smart Blogger for more ideas.

Here’s something I do to save time and effort and increase effectiveness of my email campaigns: I use or repurpose my blog article titles as my email subject lines.

This doesn’t work for every industry or email marketing campaign, I know. But it works for me. The goal of my email marketing efforts is to help people with great content. That content, of course, lives on my blog. So, I might as well use the title of my article as my subject line.

3. Pique their curiosity

Finally, you’ll want to make it so that readers are so intrigued by the subject line that they can’t resist opening your email.

You’ll want to pique their curiosity and leave an information gap that can be filled only by clicking.

For instance, a B2B company might use a subject line such as “How to Double Your Sales in Just 30 Minutes.”

One of my highest open rates came from an email I sent asking for people’s help. I genuinely needed and wanted the response of my readers.

When I asked for readers’ help, it created an information gap between my request and the point of my request. Why did I need help? The result was an insane level of open rates.

I’ve seen other great marketers do the same thing. Jayson DeMers, for example, created this email subject line that caught my attention:

He even used a smiley face.

4. Writing a killer opening line

Now that you’ve gotten readers to open your email, you need to draw them in deeper with an awesome opening line.

This is probably more important than you might think.

Why do I say this?

Because the subject line isn’t always the first thing that people see!

GASP!

Yeah, I know you’ve been told that the subject line is the most important element of an email. As I explained above, however, the from line seems to have a higher level of impact on whether or not the email gets opened in the first place.

But is that all? The from line and the subject?

No. The first line of the email is important too.

Most email browsers today display a portion of the message directly in the email browser. You don’t have to open the email to read a small section of it.

Depending on the length of the subject line (and the viewport of the browser), the body of the email has two or three times as much visibility!

It’s not just desktop email programs that do this, though. Don’t forget about mobile devices!

Most mobile email apps show the opening line.

So, what do you write in your opening line?

I like addressing each reader by their first name. This comes across as being personal and authentic, which is key for getting them to read on.

I also like to avoid the classic “Hi, my name is…” routine.

Instead, I prefer to opt for something like “I noticed that you…” or “I saw that we both…”

This approach helps the reader relate to me better and faster. I gain their attention by drawing upon a shared experience.

Make sure you get to the point of your email from the get go. Preliminary chatting might turn off people who simply want to find out what the email is about.

Just get right to the point so that you can make an instant connection.

Notice how Jacob McMillen did this in his email:

Writing like this will earn the respect of your readers. You value their time. You give them what they need. They get on with their lives.

5. The body

This is where it’s time to really connect with your reader. It’s your opportunity to show how your product/service can provide them with real value and improve their life.

I suggest keeping it short and simple and not overloading your reader with extraneous information.

Remember, the point here is to gain their attention and build some initial rapport. You’re just looking to warm them up to advance them through the sales funnel.

You’re not necessarily going for the jugular right away.

Be sure to break up text into short, digestible paragraphs.

I also suggest speaking in second person and using you when speaking to readers.

Ask personal questions to give your email an intimate feel as if you’re talking face-to-face.

I think HubSpot gives some good examples of this:

• Do you have unanswered questions about [topic]?
• How, if at all, would you like to improve your strategy?
• Is [benefit to them] a priority for you right now?

If you’ve ever read Ramit’s emails, you know he does a great job with this. The paragraphs are short. The tone is personal. And the whole point of the email is spot on: it’s filled with helpful, actionable information.

6. Nailing the closing

Besides the subject line, the closing is arguably the most important part of an email.

It’s the point where a reader will decide whether or not they want to act on your offer and proceed any further.

The goal here is to wind down and transition into a well-crafted call to action (CTA).

What do you want them to do next?

Maybe it’s to check out a landing page, sign up for a course, download an e-book, or straight up buy a product/service.

Whatever it may be, your CTA needs to be crystal clear.

Tell them exactly what you want them to do next, and make sure there’s no guessing what that action is.

Some of us have the mistaken idea that we need to sneak in the CTA or somehow hide it in the email so it’s not so obvious. Please don’t make this mistake.

Your CTA is the money of your email—the reason why you’re sending it in the first place. Make it strong, unmistakable, and absolutely clear.

This email from StackSocial, while not exactly personal, does have a great CTA. You can see it directly in the body of the email—the place where my eyes are first going to look.

7. Creating urgency

Here’s another thing I’ve learned.

Many people have a tendency to procrastinate. Maybe they’re wrapped up in something at the moment or just aren’t in the mood to complete your desired action right now.

This is no good because once they close an email, the odds they’ll come back to it are slim to none.

That’s why it’s vital to create urgency so that they feel compelled to take action right away.

Most marketers complain that the “most challenging obstacle” to their email marketing is getting people to take action by clicking on the call to action (or whatever the click goal of the email is).

I’ve found that setting a tight deadline tends to work well for this.

For example, you might say that an “offer expires tomorrow,” or “get it before it’s gone,” or “only 10 spots left.”

This is essential for getting a prompt reply.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that email still matters and can be just as effective as many of the newer marketing tactics.

It’s easy to get distracted by creating a sizzling-hot Twitter strategy, building a Facebook group, or starting your live video channel.

Those are all great things, and I don’t discourage you from implementing them.

But email still works—although not on its own.

To truly get results, it’s necessary to follow the right formula and understand the mindset of your readers.

By following these techniques, you should be able to increase both your open rate and response rate.

How does email marketing stack up against your other primary marketing channels in 2016?

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Depriving Yourself Doesn’t Work

Connie writes in:

I am sick and tired of having to live a miserable life in order to save for retirement and to pay down debts. Every single day I am just saying NO NO NO to the life I want to be living. So sick of it.

This was actually just one paragraph in the middle of a long email, where Connie was mostly venting her frustrations about the financial challenges in her life, but this paragraph really stuck out at me and stuck with me.

It’s pretty obvious that Connie is feeling massively frustrated here, and for most of us, it’s a feeling that we can sympathize with. When you’re working hard toward your financial goals, it really can feel like an endless road of personal deprivation. You’re going without stuff that you really really want and it feels miserable.

Guess what? If you feel that way, you’re doing it wrong, and you’re probably headed toward failure.

It can be a painful pill to swallow, but it’s true. If you spend a lot of your time feeling miserable and deprived of things you really really want, it’s a matter of time before you simply abandon the goal. If you feel that way, in fact, your goal has already failed. Humans are short-term people, and if all of your short-term feelings and desires are pointed in a particular direction so strongly that it actually feels miserable to walk against the grain, you’re going to start walking toward the grain pretty quickly.

Why is this happening, though? Connie, like a lot of people, is feeling the pain of a direct conflict between their short-term desires and their long-term plans. As much as it hurts, over the long term, those short-term desires are going to win out.

The only way to beat this situation is to find ways to redirect or eliminate those short-term desires. As long as you’re focused on stuff that you really, really want that are in opposition to your bigger goal, you’re going to feel miserable and eventually you’re going to crack, so the solution is to directly take on those desires.

Saying “I won’t let myself have this thing that I really, really want” will eventually lead straight to failure. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

What’s the solution? The solution is to alter those desires. You are not defined by the things that you want. You are not defined by your desire for things. You do not have to have those things, either.

When you feel miserable because your big goal is keeping you away from the things that you want, try these steps. The whole purpose of these strategies is to simply alter the desire itself by making you look at it from different angles. A desire is often like a flawed diamond; it looks amazing from one angle, but if you look at it from lots of angles, it doesn’t look nearly as good any more.

First of all, ask yourself why you want it — five times. Why do you want this thing? Whatever your answer to that is, ask yourself why you feel that way. Then, why do you feel that way? Do this twice more and what you’ll usually find is that you’ve cut down to something deep in your life that’s driving that external desire.

That deep internal thing is the thing you need to address. For me, it often comes down to a sense that I don’t have time for whatever passion is driving me to want to spend money. The best solution for me there is to simply box off some time for that hobby. Rather than buying something, I spend a Saturday afternoon actually doing something.

The vast majority of the time, my desire to buy a particular item flips quickly into excitement and anticipation for that upcoming session doing something that I love, which I was able to uncover using the “five whys.”

Another way to tackle a strong desire is to list several bad things about the thing that’s desired. What’s wrong with that thing that I desire? What are the flaws? What’s just as good – or better – among the things that I already have?

Critique that thing that you desire. Intentionally look for the flaws in it. Recognize that it’s not this amazing thing that you’re envisioning in your head when the desire is strong – because it really isn’t.

I find that simply delaying the thing I desire – saying that I can have it in five days or 10 days or 30 days – is often a good strategy. It causes the desire to just fall away, at least in the short term. In my mind, I know that it’s fine for me to have it if I just wait for a little while.

The interesting phenomenon here is that when the big day arrives, I often find that I don’t even want the thing in question any more. The big wave of desire has passed and my rational mind is now running the show again. Usually, what’s happened is that in the interim I’ve run through most of the other strategies in this article, whether consciously or unconsciously, and I’ve actually killed off the desire (or significantly reduced it).

Another great desire-killing strategy is to ask myself what else I could be doing with the money or the time invested in the desire. For example, if I want to spend $500 on some device for the kitchen, what else could I do with that $500? I could feed my family for two weeks. I could buy about 15 new board games (at least). I could retire a week or two earlier than I otherwise planned.

This is a trick related to the idea of opportunity cost, which simply means that whenever you invest your resources in one thing, you have the theoretical cost of not being able to invest your resources into anything else. When you start realizing the opportunity cost of each purchase, it can sometimes begin to feel like a shame to lock your money down into your particular desire where there are so many useful and wonderful additional options.

A final desire killer that I like to use is to simply spend a lot of my free time engaging in something I’m passionate about that’s radically different than the source of my desire. If I want a particular hobby item, I engage in other hobbies. If I want food, I just keep myself as busy as possible and away from the kitchen. If I want a new car, I enjoy myself at home doing things that don’t require travel and keep me out of the car.

What this does is that it makes me realize how wonderful and multi-layered and multi-dimensional my life is and that my happiness and sadness isn’t just dependent on one particular factor. I have lots of interests and hobbies and areas in my life and when I look into those other areas and away from the things that I desire, the desire often fades away.

What happens when you implement these strategies? Almost without fail, the desires start to slip away. At first, they’re still present – they just don’t seem quite as urgent as they once did. As time goes on, though, they seem less and less and less important and worthwhile. Often, you’ll begin to see other things as being more important than that desire.

Before long, you will scarcely even remember that desire most of the time. It will completely drift away, leaving behind at most a gentle hint of desiring something.

I should know – I do these things almost every time I really want something. The vast majority of the time, that desire just fades away over a handful of days. I find that, before long, I don’t even want it any more.

What’s interesting is that learning this about myself – that my desires melt away like that – makes my desires seem a lot less intense. I recognize them for what they are. They’re largely just fleeting things, things that seem so important and so real and so vital while I’m focusing on them, but things that just drift away like smoke when I look at them from a different angle or turn my attention elsewhere.

For me, the best tool for success with overcoming desires isn’t to find ways to resist those desires, but to find ways to make that desire melt away in the first place. That way, there’s no desire to overcome. There’s no need to walk against the grain. There’s no desire holding you back from the success you dream of and deserve.

Related Articles:

• Five Reasons People Fear Frugality – and Why Those Reasons Are Wrong
• The Frugal Magic of Substitution – and 25 Ways to Make the Magic Happen
• Seven Hidden Benefits of Frugal Living
• Five Strategies for Handling Slow Progress Toward Your Goals

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The Free Root Beer Float Isn’t Even the Best Part of This Weekend Deal at A&W

What says “summer” better than a delicious scoop of vanilla ice cream?

Dropping that scoop into an ice-cold mug of root beer, that’s what.

And what better time to grab the classic, fizzy treat — apparently also known as a “black cow” — than this Saturday, Aug. 6?

It’s National Root Beer Float Day!

And if you know where to look, you can celebrate for free.

Happy National Root Beer Float Day! Here’s Where to Find a Freebie

Many have tried, but few brew root beer better than A&W.

To celebrate this special day, it’s serving up tall mugs of its legendary draft, complete with generous helpings of luscious vanilla soft serve — completely on the house.

As if that wasn’t awesome enough, you can also enter for a chance to win more free floats for yourself and a friend — a whole year’s worth, in fact!

All you have to do is pick a friend (without losing all your others), and then tell A&W why she deserves a year of free floats using the hashtag #RootBeerFloatDay on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter.

Not on social media? No worries — root beer is old-fashioned, too

You can still enter by email (floatafriend@awrestaurants.com) or using A&W’s online form. You’ll also find pre-addressed postcards available at your local restaurant.

So head to your nearest A&W anytime from 2 p.m. until closing time on Aug. 6 to get your own free root beer float.

Summer’s slipping away faster than that ice cream will melt into your drink, so take advantage of its sweet treats while you can!

Your Turn: Will you go to A&W for a free float this Saturday?

Jamie Cattanach is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her writing has also been featured at The Write Life, Word Riot, Nashville Review and elsewhere. Find @JamieCattanach on Twitter to wave hello.

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How to Apply for a Credit Card (and Actually Get Approved)

We all know that credit cards offer one of the easiest ways to build a solid credit history that will last a lifetime. Still, getting approved for a credit card isn’t always as easy as it sounds.

If you’ve never had a credit card before or have a severely limited credit history, it can be difficult to find a bank that will give you a shot. And if you have bad credit or a poor credit history, your chances of being approved for the credit card you want may be even worse.

Seven Steps to Getting Approved for a Credit Card

But with some planning and a little forethought, you can drastically improve your chances of getting approved. Before you apply, read these tips and consider a few of these moves:

1. Know your credit score.

Before you apply for a new credit card, it helps tremendously to know your actual FICO score – or at least get an estimate of it. If you don’t have a credit card at all, websites like CreditKarma and CreditSesame will let you view an estimate of your credit score for free. While the “free scores” you get through these sites are only estimates, they can give you a good idea of where you stand.

Some credit cards also offer their cardholders a free look at their FICO score on their monthly statements. If you have a credit card already, you can check to see if your card offers this benefit.

Knowing your credit score or an estimate of it is one thing — but you also need to know what your score means and whether it’s high enough to qualify you for a credit card. We recently looked at what constitutes a good credit score, and, according to credit expert John Ulzheimer, here’s how credit score ranges tend to stack up from top to bottom:

• A credit score of 760 or higher is considered excellent credit.
• A score between 701 and 759 is considered good credit.
• A score of 651 to 700 is considered fair credit (695 is the national average).
• Under 650 is considered poor credit.

The higher your credit score, the more likely you are to get approved for a credit card. So is your score high enough? In 2013, only 39.1% of all applicants were approved for general purpose credit cards, according to a study by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. However, 58.7% of Americans with “prime” credit scores — those in the 660 to 720 range — were approved, and 85.5% of applicants with “superprime” credit scores (720 or above) were approved.

There are other variables that may determine whether you’re ultimately approved for a credit card or denied, but once you know your credit score you’ll have a better sense of your chances. And if your score is on the lower end of that spectrum, you’ll know it’s time to make some changes — paying down balances and paying bills on time — to get that number moving in the right direction before applying for a credit card.

2. Check your actual credit report for free.

In addition to your credit score, it can be helpful to get a copy of your actual credit report. Fortunately, you can get a free copy of your credit report from all three major credit reporting agencies – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion – for free, once per year.

All it takes is a visit to AnnualCreditReport.com to get a copy of your credit report for free. Simply visit the website and enter all of your information, and you’ll soon see all of the information shared on your report.

If everything reported there is accurate, you have nothing to worry about. If you find a mistake, however, you should do what you can to have it fixed right away. If you spot a mistake, here’s a post on how to dispute credit report errors.

3. Make all of your monthly payments on time.

If you take a close look at how your FICO score is determined, you’ll notice that the biggest factor playing into your credit score is your payment history. In fact, your payment history makes up a whopping 35% of your credit score.

If you need to improve your credit before applying for a rewards credit card — or simply want to keep it in perfect shape for the long haul — paying all of your bills on time is the best and easiest way to do it. Conversely, missing a payment or paying your bills late can wreak havoc on your credit score in a hurry. You should avoid making late payments on any of your bills if you can.

4. Pay down your debts.

Another big factor in your credit score is your credit utilization. This term, utilization, is used to describe how much money you owe in relation to your credit limits. While utilizing some of your available credit is generally a good thing, running up too many large balances is frowned upon and reflects negatively on your credit score.

Most experts suggest keeping your credit utilization below 30% — meaning, if your credit limit is $1,000, you shouldn’t carry a balance larger than $300. When you’ve used up more than 30% of your overall credit limit, it makes you appear riskier to lenders and can cause your credit score to drop.

When you pay off debt and get your utilization below 30%, on the other hand, your credit score will have the best chance to surge — and it does so right away. So if your credit score is borderline, pay down any outstanding balances before applying for a credit card to give yourself the best chance of getting approved.

• Related: You Can Improve This Part of Your Credit Score Almost Immediately

5. Search for the right credit card offer.

While you might be anxious to get any type of credit card, it’s important to take some time to search for the best offer and find one that suits your needs.

If you want a credit card to consolidate your debt, for example, you can start by looking at balance transfer credit cards that will let you pay zero interest for a limited time. If you’d rather earn rewards, there are dozens of great rewards credit cards to consider that offer everything from cash back to airline miles. What’s more, some cards offer lucrative signup bonuses if you spend a certain amount on your card in the first three or four months.

Once you find a card that seems like a good match for your spending habits, applying is as simple as filling out an application online, including your personal information and details about your income. Most credit card issuers will give you a response in minutes.

Just remember that the best credit cards and offers generally go to those with good or excellent credit. If your credit needs some work, you might need to consider a different type of credit card to get started.

• Related: The Best Credit Card for Each Type of Spender

6. Consider a secured credit card as your last resort.

If your credit score isn’t high enough to qualify you for a traditional credit card, you should consider a secured credit card to get the ball rolling. Unlike unsecured credit cards that actually extend you a line of credit, secured cards offer credit that is tied to a cash deposit you put down.

For example, many secured credit cards offer a $500 credit limit but require a $500 deposit to get started. While this may not seem beneficial at first, secured credit cards are often the only way for people with bad credit or no credit to raise their credit score.

Once you begin using your secured card responsibly, paying it off each month, your credit score will improve, and you’ll typically be able to upgrade your card to an unsecured credit card and get your deposit back. If your credit score improves dramatically, you may even be able to qualify for a top rewards credit card after a stretch using a secured card. It really depends on your situation, your goals, and how much your score improves.

• Related: Best Secured Credit Cards

7. Use credit wisely and never give up.

If you aren’t able to qualify for a credit card right now, the best thing you can do is give yourself some time. By using the credit you do have responsibly — paying utilities, car payments, and student loan bills on time, every time — you’ll put yourself in the best position to boost your score over time. And if you have bills in default, a lot of debt, or other negative marks on your credit report, you should focus on repairing that damage before you take on more credit anyway.

Pay all of your bills on time, refuse new debts and pay down old ones, and monitor small changes in your credit report for signs of progress. Over time, your score will inevitably rise as long as you treat it with the respect it deserves.

The Bottom Line

Having a credit card is hardly a luxury these days. If you want to rent a car or a hotel room, for example, you’ll usually need one in your wallet. And if you ever want to buy a home or finance a car, you’ll need a good credit history and a solid credit score standing in your corner.

Still, it’s not always easy to get approved when you have poor credit or a limited credit history. The best thing you can do now is to take a step back and look at your credit for what it really is. And with the steps listed here, you can be on your way to a better credit score in less time than you think.

Related Articles:

• Debunking Four Common Credit Myths
• Best Cash Back Credit Cards for 2016
• Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards for 2016

The post How to Apply for a Credit Card (and Actually Get Approved) appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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5 Ways I Use My Chronic Illness to Pay My High Insurance Deductible

I live with Type 1 diabetes.

Unfortunately, despite the promise of a cure being “five years away” every time I turn around, my chronic medical condition isn’t curable yet. And it’s very expensive to treat, much less live a healthy life.

But over the past few years, I’ve found a number of ways to make my disease help pay for its treatment.

When I turned my side income focus to diabetes, my goal was to cover the individual deductible for my health insurance, which costs $3,000 a year. Last year, I was able to exceed my goal.

Here are five things I’ve done to actually earn “diabetes money”…

1. Freelance for a Disease-Related Group or Organization

anandaBGD / Getty Images

I turned my social media skills and relationship with diabetes into a part-time, work-from-home job. I average $400 a month doing freelance social media management and blogging — my biggest earner.

I’ve been following several of the top diabetes blogs for a long time and responded to a tweet from my favorite one when it was seeking social media assistance. Now I spend a few hours a week managing its social media accounts. Occasionally, I also write posts and get paid for those, as well.

Freelancing is one of the most popular part-time businesses. It’s said to play to your strengths, and for once I can actually consider living with Type 1 diabetes one of those!

2. Take Medical and Health-Related Surveys

People Images / Getty Images

I’m a member of My Glu and Your Care Moments, which connect patients like me with research.

My Glu is specifically for people with Type 1 diabetes, but Your Care Moments covers many health conditions. Both sites are free to join.

Usually, the compensation is small — around $25 per online survey, typically offered in Amazon gift cards — but it’s easy money. I’ve also found other online paid health survey research through social media.

I don’t have as much time to seek out surveys as I’d like, so I usually only take ones that come to me. I’ve only taken two this year, but I took eight in 2015.

Sites like MyGlu and Your Care Moments may also connect you to research beyond online surveys, but it’s less common.

3. Be Interviewed for Product/Service Development

Sam Edwards / Getty Images

I’ve also responded to product research inquiries on social media or through My Glu. They usually involve 15 minutes on the phone or viewing a video, followed by taking a survey. Compensation is often Amazon gift cards or a PayPal deposit.

I’ve done two interviews in the past year and qualified for four paid surveys; my Type 1 diagnosis is atypical, so I don’t qualify for as many others might. I earn anywhere from $20-$30 per interview.

4. Participate in Clinical Studies

Eva Katalin Kondoros / Getty Images

I’m involved in a multi-clinic study on diabetes. I simply allow the study to receive my test results from regular doctor visits and take an annual survey they email to me.

I got involved in this study through my clinic. A research coordinator told me about it following an appointment with my endocrinologist.

Usually, I can select either a $20 Amazon gift card or a donation to a diabetes charity. The day I signed up for the study at my doctor’s office, they also paid for my parking — an added perk. Ask your doctor if there are any studies you can participate in.

Clinical studies are different from clinical trials in that they’re observatory and track trends, rather than testing a treatment. The one I’m a part of doesn’t require much time or effort on my part.

5. Give Blood, Urine or Other Things for Research

Choja / Getty Images

I signed up for a Type 1 diabetes Living BioBank that matches patients with researchers. When a scientist is studying something and goes to the Biobank to request samples and the criteria matches me, the bank calls me to arrange an appointment at a local laboratory.

The last time I was matched, I went to a convenient location, had a pain-free blood draw and provided a urine sample. The lab sent my samples off to the BioBank and a week later, I received a check in the mail.

These blood draws pay anywhere from $50-$100, depending on the study.

These five strategies continue to help me earn enough each year to cover my maximum out-of-pocket deductible with some left over.

You’ll notice most of these are research-related. I participate in a variety of paid and unpaid research initiatives for several reasons, primarily to help people much smarter than me work toward better treatment for diabetes — and hopefully someday a cure.

Other Ways to Earn Money from a Medical Condition

Three other ways people with chronic medical conditions can earn money include:

1. Participating in Clinical Trials for Treatments

I would participate in clinical trials, if I could. However, my Type 1 diabetes diagnosis doesn’t qualify.

Learn how participating in clinical trials can help you earn money. Here are some open clinical trials to consider.

2. Filming Product Reviews

Some sites — such as DiabetesMine — pay for video product reviews in their “Test Kitchen.” If your video is accepted, you could make $100. I haven’t tried this, but I know others who’ve had success filming reviews.

You can film product reviews for other sites as well. Check out how to earn money making product review videos.

3. Selling Extra Medical Supplies

Diabetes is a supply-heavy disease to treat, so there’s often a market for unused, unopened supplies (like test strips). This is a good option if you switch meters and find yourself with supplies you won’t use.

If you’re considering this option, research the companies first.

I haven’t looked into this yet, but if I ever end up with a supply surplus, I’ll consider it.

Some sites where you can sell extra supplies include Cash4DiabeticSupplies.com and DiabeticTestStrips.org. Apparently, prices vary by brand and the quantity of strips — I’ve seen prices ranging from $20-$60 per box, but they can’t be opened or expired.

Your Turn: Have you found a way to earn money specifically related to a medical condition?

Rachel Kerstetter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a broke newlywed and recent college grad. You can read about her life with diabetes, passion for refashion and adventures in homeownership at ProbablyRachel.com or follow her on Twitter @ProbablyRachel.

The post 5 Ways I Use My Chronic Illness to Pay My High Insurance Deductible appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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House price growth 'slowing'

Hannah Nemeth

snail-with-house.jpg

Property prices in the UK dropped by 1% in July, which has largely cancelled out the 1.2% rise in June, the latest Halifax data has revealed.

Property prices in the UK dropped by 1% in July, which has largely cancelled out the 1.2% rise in June, the latest Halifax data has revealed.

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21 Olympians Who Trained Hard for Rio — and How They Paid the Bills

While admiring the insane accomplishments of Olympic athletes, it’s easy to forget their crazy training regimes don’t pay like the full-time jobs they are.

Which means, yes, most Olympians have to spare some time and caloric output for a side hustle…  on top of making sure their game is on-point at a literally superhuman level.

And you thought you were busy and underpaid.

The Olympics are Amazing, But They Don’t Pay Well

If you’ve been paying attention, you know this isn’t a new problem.

Before she was America’s darling, for instance, Ronda Rousey served drinks (as well as punches) during her training, working “two-to-three bartending jobs” at a time.

Interestingly, she’s also worked as a canine physical therapy assistant, and the graveyard shift at a 24-Hour Fitness desk.

But as so many of us can attest, working multiple jobs is an exhausting struggle — even if you’re not spending the equivalent of yet another gig’s hours each day working your body as hard as physically possible.

The issue’s exacerbated by the fact that, even for winners, all their training doesn’t pay off — at least, not in actual cash money.

Unless you can leverage your newly-decorated status to nail an insane corporate sponsorship or commercial appearance — like Michael Phelps — you’re looking at a one-time medal bonus at most.

And although the fee for gold is $25,000, that doesn’t break down to a very good hourly rate if an Olympian has to train the fabled 10,000 hours to achieve it.

If you don’t place? More than likely, you’ll get nothing at all in return for your impressive investment of time and effort… except a giant hole in your resume as you walk back into the job market.

Luckily, this struggle hasn’t gone completely unnoticed, and some programs are in place to help Olympians land work flexible enough to accommodate their unique needs.

Until its Olympic Jobs Opportunities program shut down in 2009, Home Depot was a longtime supporter of Olympic athletes, providing them full-time wages for flexible, part-time hours.

Today, Olympians can look for and apply to jobs at partnering organizations through Team USA’s site.

But for most, it’s still a long, hard road. Athletes might also apply for grants or subsidies from the local businesses they patronize in their training; others crowdfund or otherwise rely on help from friends and family.

And many, of course, call down a portion of their enormous pool of strength and willpower — and turn to the side-hustle game.

The Surprising Day Jobs of 2016 Olympic Athletes

We raked through the roster of 2016 Rio participants to find out what bill-paying gigs athletes were up to in their “spare” time.

The findings were impressive — and some are downright surprising. Spoiler alert: Beyonce is involved.

So, ready to feel underwhelmed by your own accomplishments?

Here are the unexpected side jobs of 21 Olympians you’ll watch compete in the Rio games this year.

1. Equestrian Laura Graves was a hairstylist.

via United States Equestrian Federation / Facebook

This Orlando-born equestrian quit her career as a hairstylist to pursue her horsey dreams.

2. Basketball player Angel McCoughtry is a musician.

Woodlawn Post Sports / Facebook

This baller currently has a song available for purchase on iTunes called “Illusion.”

3. Boxer Nico Hernandez is a lube tech.

via Breaking Wichita News / Facebook

He works with his father at a Wichita-area trucking company.

4. Kayaker Ashley Nee was an EMT — and now is an adventure kayaking instructor.

via Innov-E Foundation Inc. / Facebook

Since the only thing more impressive than participating in the Olympics is literally saving lives.

5. Cyclist Mara Abbott teaches yoga.

via USA Cycling / Facebook

You can catch one of her classes in Boulder, Colorado — where she also writes for the city’s Daily Camera and sits on the environmental board. Overachiever!

6. Diver Amy Cozad was a math tutor.

via Drew Johansen / Facebook

Cozard worked as a math tutor at Indiana University — “although she took time off from that job in 2016 to focus more on diving,” according to her profile at Team USA.

7. Tennis players Bob and Mike Bryan have a band.

via Bryan Brothers / Facebook

On top of claiming the title of “all-time winningest double team in the Open Era,” this set of twin brothers also has a band.

The Bryan Bros Band features Bob on keyboards and Mike on drums and guitar. And be nice — they’re expending enough effort elsewhere to get some slack on their band name’s creativity.

Their music was featured in an ATP Doubles Revolution TV commercial, and they’ve done “all the original music for the Tennis Channel program ‘No Strings.’”

8. Rower Meghan O’Leary was in TV production.

via Meghan O’Leary / Facebook

“Before rowing took over my life, I was full-time with ESPN,” writes O’Leary.

But don’t think just because she took off time to train she’s ditched the rest of her career. She still works part-time “in freelance writing and some media/content consulting,” and also serves as InstaViser’s director of content.

9. Hurdler Kerron Clement is a model and actor.

via Kerron Clement / Facebook

This track and field star is no stranger to the camera. He’s also “a model and actor, and once appeared in a music video for Beyonce.”

 

10. Shot-putter Michelle Carter is a makeup artist.

via Michelle Carter / Facebook

Michelle Carter calls herself the Shot Diva, and for good reason: Girl looks fierce, if I do say so myself.

On top of her world-class athletic records, Carter is a certified professional makeup artist, and also founded a girls’ sports confidence camp called You Throw Girl.

I know her sport is track and field, but that name deserves a golf clap.

11. Gymnast Alex Naddour is a realtor.

via Alex Naddour / Facebook

He’s licensed in Arizona.

12. Rower Steve Kasprzyk is a chemical engineer.

via USRowing / Facebook

Because if you’re gonna go for Olympic gold, why make anything else easy?

13. Cyclist Megan Guarnier works part time at an engineering firm.

via Wheel Sport Ladies / Facebook

She’s also an aspiring neuroscientist who “received the Rosalin Lieberman Riess Memorial Award upon graduation, which is presented to the senior who shows the greatest promise to contribute to the treatment or cure of severe mental illness.”

So… yeah, I’ve done nothing with my life.

14. Sailor Briana Provancha was a sales associate at Cole Haan.

via Around the Rings / Facebook

And she got the job through the Team USA Career Program. Awesome!

15. Rower Seth Weil works part time at a juice bar.

via USRowing / Facebook

You can catch him at his host family’s juice bar in Princeton, New Jersey — but not for long.

He plans to pursue a career in aviation once he’s done with his rowing career.

16. Shooter Enkelejda Shehaj owns and operates a restaurant.

via USA Shooting – National Governing Body for Olympic Shooting Sports / Facebook

If you’re ever in the area, check out the Greek cuisine at Olympia Dining in Naples, Florida — it’s got great reviews.

17. Javelin thrower Cyrus Hostetler was a web and graphic designer.

via Andy White / Facebook

Hostetler “worked for the project management team for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track and Field, where he did front-end web design and graphic design.”

18. Race walker John Nunn owns a gourmet cookie business.

via Josh Nunn / Facebook

When he’s not race walking, Nunn helps his daughter Ella operate Ella’s Cookies, a gourmet provider that ships white chocolate chip red velvet cookies anywhere in the U.S.

Brb…

19. Marathon runner Jared Ward teaches statistics at the college level.

via BYUradio / Facebook

Ward teaches statistics at BYU and runs marathons — so basically he’s good at everything I’m terrible at.

20. Rower Andrew Campbell, Jr. works at a fintech startup company.

via World Rowing Under 23 / Facebook

This rower works at Quantopian, a Boston-based financial technology startup attempting to “level Wall Street’s playing field.”

21. Volleyball player Christa Dietzen was an elementary school teacher.

via Badger Region Volleyball / Facebook

Before graduating from Penn State with her degree in elementary education, Dietzen taught abroad at Yapton Elementary School in southern England.

Feeling Inspired?

Now that you know how thoroughly you lack an excuse, maybe you’re ready to get started on a side gig of your own.

We’ve got some posts that will help! Check out our ultimate guide to (finally) starting the freelance business you’ve always dreamed of, or these 21 side jobs that pay more than $20 per hour.

With a little luck and determination, you might do pretty well — this woman made $40K from her side hustle alone… while still working full time.

And if you’re already in a fairly comfortable place financially? Maybe you should consider taking up a sport. Unless you’re talking gymnastics or figure skating, lots of Olympians start late in life — and you never know where you might end up!

Your Turn: Which Olympic event are you most looking forward to watching this summer?

Jamie Cattanach is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her writing has also been featured at The Write Life, Word Riot and elsewhere. Find @JamieCattanach on Twitter to wave hello.

Kelly Smith, an editorial intern at The Penny Hoarder, contributed research to this post.

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