A Gerrity's supermarket on the West End is a step closer to reality.Chestnuthill Township supervisors approved a conditional use application for the supermarket in a planned large-scale shopping center in Mount Effort.The Mount Effort Development Company plans to build a Gerrity's first and then proceed with rest of the shopping center project on the mostly vacant lot.“We are getting calls all the time from residents about the distances they have to [...]
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2cVKVvJ
الخميس، 22 سبتمبر 2016
PUC urges safety when working near power lines
As part of electrical safety efforts, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission asks contractors and homeowners across the state to use extra caution while working around power lines in order to avoid possible accidents, injuries and deaths.Fall started Thursday, which means the arrival of colder weather, shorter days and an added desire by contractors and homeowners to finish projects. "These factors can compound the risk of accidentally contacting a power line, [...]
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2ddLKQ3
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2ddLKQ3
How the iPhone 7 explains fiduciary and suitability advisers
The term “fiduciary” made the mainstream news this year when the U.S. Labor Department announced a new rule that aims to raise the investment advice standards on retirement accounts by changing the way advisers can counsel on retirement assets.The ruling does not, however, affect taxable investment accounts.In covering the DOL ruling, the media often described the financial services overhaul as, “requiring all retirement advisers, including brokers and [...]
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2cKleiF
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2cKleiF
Want a Free Short Stack of Pancakes Today? Here’s Where to Go
Pancakes: They’re good for breakfast. Or lunch. Or even dinner.
And today, you can get them for free at your local Perkins.
To celebrate Give Kids the World Pancake Day on Sept. 22, participating restaurants will give you a free short stack of pancakes.
Why the Free Pancakes? (Why Not?!)
What’s the catch? It’s for a good cause.
Perkins asks that today’s guests consider making a donation to Give Kids the World, a nonprofit that invites kids with serious illnesses and their families to enjoy cost-free, weeklong vacations at its resort in central Florida.
Funds raised during today’s event will go toward operations of the resort’s Gingerbread House, a restaurant and bakery serving Give Kids the World guests.
A short stack will typically cost you $3.79 — something to consider if you take advantage of the freebie.
Do You Go to Perkins Often?
While you’re there, you might want to sign up for My Perkins, the restaurant’s rewards program, which offers a 20% off coupon for joining.
Free pancakes now, discounted pancakes later? Sounds good to me.
Your Turn: Will you head to Perkins today for free pancakes?
Lisa Rowan is a writer and editor for The Penny Hoarder. She loves pancakes, but they make her sleepy.
The post Want a Free Short Stack of Pancakes Today? Here’s Where to Go appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2dkrnB8
Vimeo is Adding to Its Work-From-Home Tech Support Team — Apply Today!
Online videos come in all sorts of flavors.
And in a world of sneezing pandas and beauty tutorials, Vimeo is where the artsy kids go to hang out.
I mean, this video alone takes my breath away. Every single time. (RIP JP.)
Agree with me? Got some tech skills, and want to rep Vimeo — from a couch, a beach or a coffee shop?
Then I’ve got the work-from-home job for you…
How to Land a Work-From-Home Job with Vimeo
So, you won’t be working for Vimeo exactly; instead you’ll be contracted by a company called The Yeomen.
The what?
The Yeomen: “a community of support experts” who staff help desks “that don’t just resolve problems, but also foster brand loyalty and growth.”
The Yeomen partners with companies to staff their support desks — and right now it has openings on its Vimeo team.
In this role, you’ll assist Vimeo customers by providing tech support, troubleshooting playback issues and answering questions.
You must have previous experience with technical support, as well as “amazing written English communication skills,” “excellent attention to detail” and “great people skills.”
Bonus points if you’re really into gifs, memes and emoticons
You can work from anywhere with WiFi, and will be eligible for health, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan and a new MacBook. No word on the pay other than it’s “competitive” for the industry.
Want to join The Yeomen? Click here to apply.
If you get the job — and find out the story behind the company’s name — be sure to let me know.
And if you’d like to see more opportunities like this, check out our shiny new Penny Hoarder Jobs Facebook page!
Your Turn: Are you addicted to videos? Will you apply to this job?
Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.
The post Vimeo is Adding to Its Work-From-Home Tech Support Team — Apply Today! appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2d77C3z
Work-From-Home Job Alert! Enterprise is Hiring Reps in These 12 States
Chances are, you’ve written a big fat check to Enterprise for a rental car, but now it’s time to turn the tables.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car, a go-to rental car company, is hiring for a wealth of work-from-home customer service and reservation sales representative positions.
But first, I have to note that these positions are only currently available in a handful of states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
If you don’t live here, you might want to rent a car and start driving. (Just kidding.)
What Does a Representative for Enterprise Do?
Customer service representatives and reservation sales representatives have similar responsibilities.
You’ll work with Enterprise customers to answer questions about reservations, products, services and solutions. For the angry customers, you’ll need to be able to work through issues in a “tactful manner.”
You’ll be in your home, which is awesome, but you should settle in and get comfy because Enterprise says you’ll be given repetitive work tasks. You also can’t simply decide to sleep in one day — attendance and punctuality is key.
In order to succeed, you need to familiarize yourself with all things Enterprise. However, you can do this during the five weeks of paid training (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST).
Speaking of pay, it starts at $12.50/hour — plus the opportunity to earn commission based on performance. Enterprise also has some awesome benefits, so make sure to ask about them.
Your 40-hour schedule depends on need and could require you to work morning, afternoon and even evening start times. You’ll also will give up some weekends (unless there’s a religious holiday).
Are You Qualified to Work for Enterprise?
You must be authorized to work in the U.S. and be at least 18 years old.
You also need some experience: at least a year spent with a previous employer — no job-hoppers!
To become a customer service rep, you one year in customer service experience. For the reservation sales rep, you need only six months of experience in customer service OR sales.
For both jobs no crazy technical skills are necessary. You should just be able to “toggle between computers screens and programs,” the listing states.
However, there are computer requirements, like no Macs, headset with microphone necessary and internet access provided by cable or DSL. For more numbers and acronyms — like kbps — about the requirements, read the job listing closely.
Speaking of job listing, you can find the list of states and jobs on Enterprise’s career page. Get in gear, and apply today! (Get it?)
Find more work-from-home job opportunities on The Penny Hoarder’s Facebook Job page!
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. After recently completing graduate school, she focuses on saving money — and surviving the move back in with her parents.
The post Work-From-Home Job Alert! Enterprise is Hiring Reps in These 12 States appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2d427zT
Get Ready to Binge-Watch: Here’s How to Get Hulu for Free
If you were crushed last month when Hulu discontinued its free streaming service, I’ve got good news for you.
For a limited time only, Groupon is offering a free 45-day subscription to Hulu. You read that right — you’ll pay zero dollars.
How to Get Hulu for Free
This Groupon exclusive lets you “buy” a 45-day trial subscription to Hulu’s limited commercials plan (which normally costs $7.99 a month) for the low, low cost of nothing. You’ll get unlimited access to Hulu’s streaming service, which includes a full catalog of top shows both new and old, popular movies and original series.
This deal is only good for new customers, and you must provide a valid credit card number to claim it. Once the 45-day trial period expires, your plan will automatically renew and your card will be charged $7.99 a month going forward, but you always have the option to cancel before then and incur no charge.
I don’t know about you, but I could watch a ridiculous amount of New Girl, Parks and Rec and Scream Queens in 45 days. (Here’s what else is coming to Hulu in October.)
The clock strikes zero on this deal in a little less than two and a half days, and it’s also quantity-limited, so if you want it, head over here before it’s too late.
And if you love it enough to keep on watching even after your free trial ends, use this trick to keep streaming Hulu for free.
Your Turn: Are you ready to start binge-watching?
Kelly Gurnett is a freelance blogger, writer and editor who runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.
The post Get Ready to Binge-Watch: Here’s How to Get Hulu for Free appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2cr46jQ
31 Days to Financial Independence (Day 6): The Big Boost
“31 Days to Financial Independence” is an ongoing series that appears every Thursday on The Simple Dollar. You might want to start this series from the beginning!
Last time, we put together a lot of pieces and created a picture of our lives, one that shows how many hours a week we spend just to keep running in place and how few hours per week go toward building any sort of future.
This shouldn’t be an altogether surprising picture. After all, more than three in four Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and 76 million Americans struggle to keep food on the table. This isn’t just low-income folks, either; according to Bloomberg, “[c]lose to half of those who earn from $100,000 to $149,999 a year have less than $1,000 in their savings accounts. Some 18 percent of them have socked away absolutely nothing.”
The truth is that it’s the American norm right now to be running in place financially. The median American is making no progress whatsoever toward their goals in life.
You want to be different. You want to achieve some big life goals. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.
The answer starts with debt. Believe it or not, 80% of American adults are in some form of debt. Notice how that number lines up almost perfectly with the number of Americans living paycheck to paycheck? That’s not a coincidence.
The truth is that debt is a weight around your neck, dragging you down and making it very difficult to make any real forward progress. Debt payments not only add yet another bill to your monthly bill-paying routine, they also accumulate interest, which means you’re going to be paying back far more than you were given to begin with. Nothing better than swapping $2,000 of your hard-earned money for $1,000, right?
Unsurprisingly, debt is where we’re going to start when it comes to cleaning up your financial situation. It’s a bill that you can make go away quite easily. If you remember the exercise from last time, debt bills gobble up some of those hours that you work every week. If you eliminate debt, you free up those hours – and the proceeds from those hours – to devote to your long term life plans. The route to financial independence is all about devoting as much of your work week as possible to future financial success and as little as possible to merely keeping the wheels of everyday life turning. There’s no better way to make that happen than to eliminate debt.
You might think, “Great! Let’s sit down and figure out how we’re going to pay all of this off!” Not quite so fast, my friend.
The first step in this process is to have a little bit of cash to work with. There are three big reasons for this.
First of all, you’re going to want to have a cash emergency fund. Cash is king. Cash can’t be declined like your credit card can. Cash can’t have its credit limit reduced like your credit card can. Cash can’t hit a credit limit, either. Cash solves problems, and you’re going to want to put a little aside to solve problems. Like it or not, the road to the future is bumpy. It’s going to involve vehicles breaking down. It’s going to involve having to pay a bill you forgot about. It’s going to involve losing a job. Having some cash on hand will help you out.
Second, you’re going to want to make sure all of your bills are at least up to date. If you’re not paying your bills on time, you’re facing late fees, which makes the challenge of paying things off even harder. It is absolutely vital that you get up to date on all of your bills before you start worrying about debt repayment or any sort of larger future of financial independence.
Third, even if you have an emergency fund and are up to date on your bills, a burst of cash can help you wipe out a bill immediately, eliminating that bill and giving you a great head start on this entire plan. If you can follow the plan presented here and use the proceeds to wipe out a bill or two, then you’re suddenly responsible for fewer bills each month. You have more resources to work with in terms of achieving your dreams even if you change absolutely nothing else in your life.
Thus, rather than building a debt repayment plan first (don’t worry, we will get there), your best first move is to jump start your finances with a burst of cash.
But… how on earth are you going to get a burst of cash? Most of us don’t simply have a big bundle of cash sitting around. If we did, then getting ourselves into better financial shape would be a lot easier.
The tool we’re going to use to get that initial burst of cash is a surprisingly simple one: decluttering.
The vast, vast majority of Americans have items in their home that they don’t regularly use. Their closets are full of all kinds of items that have been pressed into tubs and boxes and into storage. Their shelves are full of media items that are rarely examined in any way. Their garages and their rafters have tons of forgotten and nearly-forgotten items that haven’t been touched in eons.
Why is that stuff still there? It’s because we like to buy into the “someday” argument. Someday, I’ll need this. Someday, I’ll have enough time to use this. Someday, I’ll pick up this hobby. The truth is that someday almost never comes – and even if it does, you’re probably better off acquiring replacement items anyway.
Here’s a simple little rule to follow: if something has sat in your home unused for more than a year, you’re probably better off without it. It’s very likely that if you ever do decide you need that item, you can borrow it from somewhere (like the library or a neighbor) or, in the very narrow likelihood that you do actually need it again, you could re-buy it. Otherwise, it’s just taking up space and it could be converted into cash in your pocket.
The game plan is simple, so let’s get started.
Exercise #6 – Decluttering your home for a big financial boost
This is a process that won’t be done overnight. It’ll take several sessions, at least. You might be able to do it over the course of a weekend if you have a smaller home or apartment. Set aside some time for this – it’s important.
First of all, go through your home and make a giant list of all of your storage spaces. By storage spaces, I don’t just mean closets and rafters and crawlspaces; I also mean places where you collect things together, where there’s a large quantity of stuff. Things like bookshelves or cupboards or pantries or media centers absolutely qualify.
You’re going to find as you go through your home that you have a lot more of these storage spaces than you think. I might just be able to count a handful of closets and crawlspaces in our home, but once we start including things like our pantry and various cabinets and various shelving units, the list adds up. Way up.
After that, one at a time, start going through these different storage spaces. Go through every single item in that space. Your goal should be to remove every single item from that storage space at some point during the process – empty it out completely. You can either do that at the start and make judgments as you consider putting things back, or you can do that at the end and make judgments as you remove things.
What kind of judgment are you making? For each item that you pull out, use a simple litmus test to figure out whether or not to keep the item or to sell it.
The simple test? Have you used this item in the last year? If not, are you realistically going to use this item in the next year? If the answer is not a strong affirmative yes, get rid of it.
During this process, you’re often going to have emotional responses to particular items. You’re going to try to convince yourself that you would, in fact, use this item because you’re attached to it somehow.
But would you really use it?
If you have a DVD of a movie that you really love that also happens to be on Netflix, are you going to really watch that DVD any time soon?
If you have a book that you love that’s easily available at your library or is already on your Kindle, are you going to really read that book again any time soon?
If you have supplies from a hobby you used to love, are you really going to pick up that hobby again and devote time to it, even if it’s something you remember fondly?
If you have a tool that you haven’t touched in years and you’re sure your neighbor across the street also has it, are you really going to use that tool again any time soon?
The answer to all of these is “no,” of course. Yet, so often, people convince themselves for emotional reasons that the answer is “yes,” and that’s how junk gets built up over time.
Don’t let your emotional response guide you. Trust that question. Have you used this lately? Are you really going to use it again any time soon? You might have an emotional response here, but are you really going to use that item? If you’re not, it probably makes sense to put it aside.
As you go through this process, you’re going to accumulate a big pile of things that you’re intending to get rid of, and that brings us to the second half of the process: selling.
How on earth are you going to sell off all of this stuff?
First of all, recognize that the more time you put into it, the more money you will make from sales. It’s also worth noting that as you invest more and more time, the return on any additional time is going to go down – as you get closer and closer to the best price for that item, you’re not going to continue to see big jumps in the sale price. Having said that, for many items, the money you make for your extra time quickly goes below minimum wage, so for most items of relatively low value, it’s worthwhile to accept the first reasonable price you’re going to get.
I use a simple four step process when selling things.
First, I use sites like Amazon and eBay to get a sense as to what my used items are selling for. It’s worth remembering that unless they’re in shrinkwrap, they’re not going to be considered new. They’re used, even if they’re in great shape. So, what are they selling for used? I’ll usually make a list of actual selling prices, not the crazy prices that sellers sometimes ask for their stuff. What did this sell for recently? Ebay is usually a good source for this.
Next, I put aside the 10% most valuable individual items for later, then sell the remaining 90% on Craigslist in big bundles. I’ll list all of the items for sale on there and give them prices that are around 50% of what they’re selling for online. I also usually include a “bundle deal” of some kind, where they get a bit of a discount if they buy lots of items at once.
Why so much lower? For starters, you’re not necessarily going to have someone who wants that particular item in your local area. For another, if you do try to seek out full price on an online site, you’re going to have to devote quite a bit of additional time to it (which is why we set aside the most valuable items).
In addition to Craigslist, I also use local community sales pages on Facebook. Our town has one, as do many nearby towns, and I’ll post in all of those places looking for buyers. I usually offer to meet the buyers in neutral places for the sale if the items are small (like books or DVDs or video games).
Any items that don’t sell on Craigslist or a local sales site gets put away for a yard sale. We occasionally have a yard sale, during which we drop our prices very low. I’ll usually start selling items at half of what I listed them on Craigslist for, then keep lowering the prices throughout the weekend to get rid of all of the stuff. To me, a successful yard sale is one in which I have nothing left at the end of the sale, even if it means I just earned pennies on some of the items.
For the individually valuable items, I turn to eBay and Amazon Marketplace. Since those items are of significant value, I’ll take the extra effort with them to sell them individually online. It takes time to do this – you have to deal with the listing, collect payment, figure out how to ship the item, ship it, and watch the feedback, and you have to do all of it efficiently.
Once all of the items are gone from that one storage area, move on to the next one. Keep going down that list of storage areas until every single one of them is cleaned out.
The goal of all of this is to turn a lot of your unused items into extra cash that you can smartly use to get the ball rolling toward a better financial future. So, how do you do that? What exactly do you do with this wad of money that you’ve made from the sale?
The absolute first thing you should do with that cash is make sure that all of your bills are up to date. An endless cycle of late fees can really hamper your finances. If you’re notching late fees on some of your bills each month – let’s say even three of them – and those late fees are $35 a pop, then that’s $105 that just vanishes into the ether. It’s gone. Getting yourself up to date on your bills and in a position where you’re not going to be late any more can make a giant difference in terms of making ends meet and having at least a little bit of breathing room in your financial state.
What do you do if your bills are up to date? The next step to take is to build an emergency fund, which is simply a bundle of cash that you keep in your savings account for personal emergencies.
Many people rely on their credit card for an “emergency fund” of sorts, but the truth is that a credit card isn’t actually all that good of an emergency fund. It fails you completely during a lot of emergencies. It doesn’t help if your identity is stolen. It doesn’t help if you reach your credit limit, or if the bank reduces your credit limit, or if your card is cancelled. It doesn’t help if your card is lost or stolen. In all of those cases, you can just go to your local bank and still make a withdrawal from your cash emergency fund to fix your problems.
Why not put that emergency fund in the stock market and earn a better return on it, then? Money in stocks isn’t nearly as liquid as cash in a savings account, for starters; you’ll have to wait for a while to get that cash out. For another, you run the risk of losing money due to the volatility of the stock market right at the very moment you need it. You buy stocks, they dip 20%, then you have an emergency – that’s not a recipe for success.
Cash is king, and that’s why cash makes the most sense when it comes to an emergency fund. Keep it in a local bank that you can personally visit if necessary in order to make a withdrawal.
The thing is, if you go through all of your extra stuff and make a sincere effort to sell the extra stuff off, you’ll likely still have a fair amount of money left over even after taking care of the basic financial steps above. What do you do then?
Well, the next step is a debt repayment plan… but we’ll get to that next time.
The post 31 Days to Financial Independence (Day 6): The Big Boost appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar http://ift.tt/2cr0KgG
How good is Virgin Money’s new 2.25% regular savings account?
Virgin Money has launched a new regular savings account, offering flexible deposits and access with 2.25% interest and a Premium Bond-style bonus system offering the chance to win wine, holidays and more.
Unlike most regular savers it’s not a fixed-term account, but will instead mature on 20 October 2017, regardless of when the account is opened.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2cUne71
Forget Dogs. This Woman’s New Best Friends Earn Her $10,000/Year
When Pam Lunn lost her high-paying corporate job in the ‘90s, she bought a goat as a pet — long before it was cool.
Lunn calls her goat her “mid-life crisis.”
“Just like a dog they stick [their] nose underneath your hand,” she says. “They love cookies, Doritos, Tostitos.”
It’s not just Lunn’s goat that’s particularly friendly — new research from Queen Mary University of London suggests goats are just as clever and affectionate as dogs.
Goats: From a Pet to a Small Business
A volunteer milks a goat at The Dancing Goat in Tampa, Fla., on Friday, July 8, 2016. Heather Comparetto / The Penny Hoarder
With milk prices reaching nearly $4 a gallon in 2001, Lunn had a “Eureka!” moment: Why not drink the raw goat milk to save money?
Lunn’s young children begin to drink it and they liked it, too.
So she started The Dancing Goat in Tampa — on a budget of less than $100.
Her farm grew and so did the number of goats. Her latest count after starting the business 15 years ago? Eighty.
The goats are named after coffee, flowers, animals and even the people who helped birth them.
“This is Mochachino and her daughter Frappuccino,” Lunn says as she walks into her barn, where she’s greeted by two of her goats.
Lunn treats them like lap dogs. Kneeling down, they give her kisses one by one.
“All right girls, you happy?” she says. “I love you.”
Goats: Not Your Typical Pet
A goat plays in the playground at The Dancing Goat in Tampa, Fla., on Friday July 8, 2916. Heather Comparetto / The Penny Hoarder
This isn’t your typical pet. Dogs are expensive — raising a fur ball could cost you $3,000 in the first year, according to the American Kennel Club.
At least a goat can make you money — as Lunn has found out. She sells goat milk, soap, cheese and yogurt at farmer’s markets and local stores.
It’s not easy, though — it takes an army. Lunn’s farm has 35 team members, most of whom are volunteers and students from local chapters of the Future Farmers of America.
Her team helps tend to her goats. Each goat needs to be milked twice a day. Teamwork makes the dream work!
“We work on peanuts and praise,” she says, laughing.
I wouldn’t call the price of raw goat milk “peanuts,” though. Customers pay $12 per gallon. I know — sticker shock!
The farm has regulars, but you never know who will show up to buy some. While I was at the farm, Joshua Maria, a traditional Catholic missionary, rolled up on his scooter — long robe and all.
Maria found the farm on realmilk.com. He has strong feelings about store-bought milk: “You are better off drinking white paint.”
Lunn claims it takes $85,000 a year to run the farm, and she makes close to $10,000 in profit.
Even though her farm makes money, Lunn says, it’s a challenge to make ends meet. Her husband is on disability, which brings in some extra income.
Lunn says thankfully the family had paid off their home before she lost her job, which makes it possible for them to operate the farm.
She survives by following this motto: “Recycle, reuse and repurpose.” Once a week she goes to Goodwill to buy used restaurant and milking equipment. She also barters with her veterinarian, grocery stores and farmers for hay and other supplies.
Occasionally she’ll receive donations. The best one so far? A restaurant-grade cooler for the milk.
Got (Goat) Milk?
Baby goats say hello at The Dancing Goat in Tampa, Fla., on Friday July 8, 2016. Heather Comparetto / The Penny Hoarder
A dairy goat costs about $100, according to Mother Earth News. The goat’s raw milk can keep you healthy. In fact, it can be much more easily digested by some people than other forms of milk.
And you don’t have to have an entire goat farm to reap the benefits of this relationship. Just one goat can provide your family with raw milk for a couple of years.
It saves you money because you don’t have to buy the milk yourself. Plus you can sell the excess milk. Hello side gig!
If you have overgrown weeds, problem solved! Goats are living weed wackers. Their chompers can cut through grass like a lawnmower, improving the soil and decreasing the risk of fire.
Are you the outdoorsy type? Your new friend can carry your belongings.
And children can learn from raising the animal as a 4-H project.
It’s an investment that pays off and loves you back.
The Next Generation of Farmers
Pam Lunn holds chickens at The Dancing Goat in Tampa, Fla., on Friday July 8, 2916. Heather Comparetto / The Penny Hoarder
Lunn mentors the next generation of farmers, including the FFA students who volunteer on her farm. Someday she hopes her children, who are now adults, will take the reins.
Until then she’ll keep milking. Her favorite part?
“Just walking out and being loved in the morning,” she says.
“Our milk is pretty good, too,” she adds.
Your Turn: Would you buy a goat to make extra money?
The post Forget Dogs. This Woman’s New Best Friends Earn Her $10,000/Year appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2cUjAdu
Want to Work From Home in the Auto Industry? This Startup is Hiring
Auto repair startup YourMechanic invites you to “imagine if you never had to deal with an auto shop again.”
Instead of running an auto-body shop, this “mobile mechanic company” sends a specialist to your home or office when your car needs service.
That means the company has unique job opportunities for anyone who wants to work in the automotive service industry!
Technicians in more than 700 cities nationwide work as contractors with YourMechanic and focus only on service.
The company handles all the marketing, appointment scheduling, parts ordering, invoicing and customer support that usually fall on mechanics at a traditional shop.
If you want something less hands-on than working as a mechanic, you can also work from home anywhere in the country as an auto parts specialist or customer service representative.
Auto Parts Specialist
Parlay your auto parts experience into a work-from-home position that capitalizes on your expertise as an auto parts specialist.
You’ll need stellar customer service skills and at least two years’ experience in a customer-facing role.
This job — which interacts with customers, operations and technicians — is the linchpin that keeps the business running smoothly. Your responsibilities will include:
- Sending car service estimates or quotes to customers
- Ordering parts from vendors
- Answering customer questions via phone or email
- Helping technicians with day-to-day service needs
- Calling potential customers to answer questions and book services
Customer Service Representative
If you love cars but a traditional mechanic role isn’t the right fit, you could work from home as a YourMechanic customer service representative.
In this role, you’ll answer customer and partner questions via phone, email, chat and text. You’ll also report issues and feedback to your team to help improve services for customers.
You don’t need experience with auto parts for this role, but it requires one to two years’ customer service experience and the ability to type 50+ words per minute. It also asks for a college degree or equivalent work experience.
Employee Benefits
Eliminating shop overhead leaves extra room for employee compensation. All of these positions come with competitive pay and benefits, including:
- Medical, dental and vision coverage
- Flexible paid time off
- Work-from-home options
To apply: Send your resume and a brief description of your relevant experience in the body of your email to talent@yourmechanic.com.
Your Turn: Have you found any interesting work-from-home jobs 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).
The post Want to Work From Home in the Auto Industry? This Startup is Hiring appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2bct8n0
Are You STILL Making These 6 Grocery Shopping Mistakes?
Have you ever left the grocery store balancing your bags in one hand while squinting at your receipt in the other?
“What did I even get for all this money I spent?” you ask as you scan for big-ticket items to blame.
Sometimes, food’s just expensive. Sometimes, you need to buy particular items that never go on sale.
And sometimes, it’s all your fault.
Don’t think you’re guilty of grocery-shopping self-sabotage? If you’re guilty of any of the six following mistakes, it’s time to make a few improvements to your shopping methods.
1. You Didn’t Make a List
This is grocery shopping 101, y’all. Did you seriously think you could walk into Piggly Wiggly unchecked and somehow waltz back to the car with only the necessities?
You know that fancy olive bar lures you in you every time. You know that Sunday dinner you’re planning requires an oddly measured ingredient whose name you’ll probably forget.
Stop trusting yourself to make good decisions on the fly!
Making a list cuts down on the time you’ll spend crisscrossing the store trying to remember everything you need. Making a list also helps you stick to a budget, especially when you think ahead to deal-stack coupons and rebates.
If you’re not making a grocery list — I don’t care if it’s on the fanciest notepad in the world or on the back of an old envelope — you’re not doing yourself any favors.
2. You Didn’t Check the Unit Price
Bigger is always better, right? Maybe, but it’s not always cheaper.
Don’t blindly choose the largest can of coffee or bottle of detergent just because someone taught you once that buying in bulk will help you save.
Do a unit-price comparison. The unit price is often located on the price tag affixed to the shelf below the product, with phrasing like “$0.59 per ounce.”
If the unit price isn’t listed, divide the price of the item by the number of ounces or other unit of measurement. You might find that the smaller item is a better buy, especially if the product is on sale.
3. You Didn’t Verify the Quantity You Needed to Buy to Get the Sale Price
I find myself rolling my eyes while waiting in the checkout line more than I’d like to admit. It always goes like this:
Customer, frantically looking at the checkout screen: “I thought those were on sale for $2.50?”
Cashier, unfazed: “No, you only get that price if you buy two. Two for $5.”
Customer: “So I don’t get the sale price if I only need one?”
Cashier: “Nope.”
The cashier shakes her head, the customer grumbles and I try to be supportive, but this is also grocery 101. If you see a big, flashy “two for whatever” sale tag, check for fine print.
Some stores will specify the price of purchasing just one item; others will remind you to pick up two in order to get the deal.
4. You Got Sucked into Paying More Because You Had a Coupon
It’s so easy to be tempted by coupons, especially those that save you a dollar or more on items you’ve already got on your grocery list.
Clip those coupons, sure, but take a closer look when you get to the store. If the brand-name price is still higher than the generic version after the coupon is applied, reconsider: Do you really need that particular brand?
5. You Assumed Store Brand Was the Best Buy
On the flip side, you can’t always rely on the store brand to provide the best value. Between store circulars, members-only discounts, coupons and cash-back apps, it’s easy to lower the price of name-brand items.
Sometimes, you’ll need to stack your deals for the “fancy” item to be the best value. But sometimes, you’ll just get lucky.
6. You Forgot Your Grocery Bags
At least a third of the time, I get to the front door of the grocery store and realize (usually with entirely too much anguished song and dance) that I forgot my reusable bags.
In many places around the country, you’ll pay a fee for each disposable bag you take away from the grocery store.
If you’re just grabbing a few things, it’s no big deal — you’ll work on your milk-eggs-bread juggling act on your way home. But if this is your regular, full-list grocery run, that extra $0.05 or $0.10 per bag adds up quickly.
Plus, it’s good for the environment: Make taking your own bags a part of your grocery routine. Maybe store your list-in-progress inside one of your reusable bags.
And don’t even play me on having to pay for reusable bags. Have you never been to a community event with giveaways? I challenge you to see how many free reuseable tote bags you can find in your own neighborhood.
Have we all learned our lessons? OK. Let’s try this again.
Your Turn: What embarrassing grocery-shopping mistakes have you finally learned not to make?
Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer for the Penny Hoarder. She lives in Washington, D.C., where the grocery stores are always crowded. Always.
The post Are You STILL Making These 6 Grocery Shopping Mistakes? appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2djEC5a
First 50 Funds update: Henderson UK property opens doors to investors
Henderson UK Property fund, a member of Moneywise’s First 50 Funds, has announced that it will re-open to investment in October.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2cTck37
Five Ways to Get the Job When You’re Overqualified
There are plenty of reasons you might want a job for which you’re overqualified. Maybe you’re trying to break into a new industry, and you’re willing to take a step back. Or perhaps you tried being the boss, and decided that you have more to offer as an individual contributor.
You might need something a little more low-key while you develop a business idea or deal with some demanding aspects of your personal life. Or, maybe you just need to get out of your current position – your boss is a nightmare, or your company is having financial trouble, or you just can’t stand the thought of going into work on Monday morning. And sometimes, you just need a job – any job.
Regardless of why you’ve decided to throw your hat in the ring for the role, you should go into the job interview process prepared. When you’re overqualified, it’s not a matter of whether the hiring manager will bring it up, but when. Here’s how to manage it:
Trim your resume.
It can feel a little demoralizing to have to de-emphasize your work experience, but if you’re trying to get your foot in the door, and you suspect that you’ll be considered overqualified for the role, your first step will be to make sure your resume doesn’t make you look like you should be your prospective boss’s boss.
To do this, you’ll want to get rid of anything that signifies age, including graduation years, and cut back on any roles that aren’t directly related to the position for which you’re applying. Then consider paring back your experience even further, until it’s closer to the number of years specified. (In other words, if you have 10 years of experience, and they’re looking for someone with two to three, you might get rid of jobs farther back than five years ago, or any gigs that use outdated technology and/or have job titles that are aging like milk.)
Remember that your resume is a highlight reel of your experience, not your autobiography. It’s not dishonest to emphasize the jobs and skills that are most relevant to the position. You might also consider choosing a resume format that focuses on skills instead of previous job titles.
Applying online? Don’t forget resume keywords.
Most jobs these days come through networking, but it’s still worth it to apply online, if you find a role that really speaks to you. To make it through the Applicant Tracking System and get to a real, live person in Human Resources, you’ll have to know how to use resume keywords, however.
Start by looking at the job listing and isolating the words that the employer uses to describe the job; make sure your resume includes them. Then look for the words they’ve left out by comparing the listing against similar listings in your field, and incorporate those keywords as well.
Use your network.
Depending on whom you ask, 60% to 85% of jobs are filled through networking, which only makes sense: If you’re a hiring manager, which candidate would you prefer – the one who applied blind, or the one endorsed by a connection at the company?
Employers love to interview candidates who come through employee recommendations, because they know that employees risk their reputations every time they vouch for someone. If you can find someone at the organization to vouch for you, you’ll stand a better chance of overcoming any objections that might arise because of your experience, whether the issue is too much experience or too little.
Prepare your story.
Why do you want this job? If the answer is, “Because I need to pay the electric bill,” that’s perfectly valid – but not the one you want to trot out during the interview process.
If you can demonstrate that you understand the company and its mission, and connect that to your own career goals, you’ll be able to persuade the hiring manager that you’re passionate about joining the organization — that this isn’t just a fallback option or temporary whim for you.
Don’t hide your light.
There’s a difference between trimming your unrelated experience and trying to seem less savvy than you are. Don’t make the mistake of dumbing it down in the interview process.
Remember that employers want to hire workers who are dedicated, savvy, and excited about the work. Your goal is to show that you connect with the role and the company, not to pass yourself off as someone who has less to offer.
Related Articles:
- Why Taking a Pay Cut Was the Best Career Move I Ever Made
- Five Reasons You’re Not Getting Calls From Hiring Managers
- How to Bridge a Resume Gap
The post Five Ways to Get the Job When You’re Overqualified appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar http://ift.tt/2cF6Yps
Amazon/Mypoints This Site Will Give You a Free $10 Amazon Gift Card Just for Trying It
The tech world and diehard fans are abuzz with the latest updates to the iPhone and Apple computers.
Whether you plan to pick up an iPhone 7 — or get a good deal on someone’s discarded 6s — this is the perfect time for an upgrade.
Of course, you’re going to need some bling for that new phone!
Apple accessories are beautiful — but pricy. Luckily, we found a smart way to save money decking out your new iPhone.
How to Save Money on iPhone 7 Accessories
Sh4rp_i under Creative Commons
Have you heard of MyPoints? It’s a cash-back site that pays you to print coupons and shop online. We love it because it lets you earn cash for the shopping you would do anyway.
And right now, you can earn a $10 Amazon gift card when you spend $20 or more at any retailer through MyPoints!
Here’s how it works…
- Sign up for MyPoints here (you just need to give them a name and email address).
- MyPoints will instantly send you an email to confirm your email address. You’ll need to click that to get the free gift card.
- You’ll also need to purchase $20 worth of products at any of the more than 1,900 supported retailers. MyPoints will reward you with 1,750 bonus points you can redeem for a $10 Amazon gift card.
That’s all! It’s basically $10 off anything you buy.
Bonus Tip: Stack Deals to Save 52% on iPhone 7 Accessories
Here’s how you can use this deal to save even more on iPhone accessories.
Say you’re in line this weekend for a new iPhone 7 Plus.
Instead of buying a $39 case from Apple, save money and buy one from Amazon for $10.99. Add a three-pack of charging cables for $9.99, so you have a backup at work, home and in the car.
Shop Amazon through MyPoints, and you’ll earn 5 points per dollar, about 63 cents cash back on your purchase.
Plus, you’ll get a $10 Amazon gift card, so your total cash back is $10.63.
Pay with a rewards credit card like the Barclaycard CashForward World Mastercard, and earn an additional 1.5% cash back. That brings your cash-back total to $10.94.
If you’re keeping up with the math, that means your new iPhone case and chargers would cost you just $10.04 — 52% off!
The Fine Print
This offer is available to all new members.
You’ll need to join MyPoints now and spend $20 on any shopping or travel within 30 days. You’ll be awarded 1,750 points, redeemable for a $10 gift card of your choice.
After shopping, rewards points will appear in your account within 30 days, but it usually takes less than five business days.
If you request a physical gift card, it should arrive in the mail within two weeks — and e-gift cards show up in your inbox within 30 minutes.
Your Turn: How are you saving money on the new iPhone?
Disclosure: Our friends stopped inviting us over because we were always digging for loose change between their couch cushions. We use affiliate links instead so we still get invited to a few parties.
The post Amazon/Mypoints This Site Will Give You a Free $10 Amazon Gift Card Just for Trying It appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2cT1ZnN
E.on pays 1.2m to customers for missed appointments
About 24,000 E.on customers have been paid a collective £1.2 million after the Big Six energy provider failed to pay compensation for appointments it missed between 2011 and December 2015.
Under regulator Ofgem’s rules, suppliers have to pay compensation where an agent fails to turn up for an appointment.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2cqv37f
One in seven tenants bends the rules
One in seven renters has broken one or more rules of their tenancy agreement, new research has revealed.
While nearly two thirds (65%) of tenants have stuck to the rules, 15% admit to breaking the terms and conditions of their tenancy agreement, according to new research by Direct Line Landlord Insurance.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2cqvuON
Help! Five Ways to Get My Business Out of a Rut
By Dawn Berryman Work and business is a huge part of our lives; like it or not. Just like in our personal lives, we can sometimes feel like our business-self is in a rut. If you’ve ever felt like everything relating to your business has become mundane and routine, you don’t need to lose hope. […]
Source The Work at Home Woman http://ift.tt/2cqr9eH
Source The Work at Home Woman http://ift.tt/2cqr9eH
الاشتراك في:
الرسائل (Atom)