An online auction is underway to help rid the financially troubled Alpine Ski Resort of several major items.The auction, which is scheduled to wrap up at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, consists of all the snow making equipment located at the ski resort, which sits along Timber Hill Road in Henryville.While the auction does not include the property itself, the auctioneer believes the equipment up for grabs is vital for ski mountains to have.“It is definitely stuff that [...]
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://www.poconorecord.com/news/20161110/equipment-auction-at-alpine-ski-resort?rssfeed=true
الخميس، 10 نوفمبر 2016
Brodheadsville man is Veteran of the Year 2016
Harry R. Brodhead, of Brodheadsville was honored recently at the Brown & Lynch American Legion Post 9, as the Joint Veterans Council Forks of the Delaware Veteran of the Year.Brodhead served honorably in the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1968, and currently is a self-employed independent truck driver.He is past Commander of Brown & Lynch Post 9 American Legion, a member of the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 9, and Voiture Locale 697, 40 and 8. He regularly attends Joint [...]
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://www.poconorecord.com/news/20161110/brodheadsville-man-is-veteran-of-year-2016?rssfeed=true
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://www.poconorecord.com/news/20161110/brodheadsville-man-is-veteran-of-year-2016?rssfeed=true
Already Have a Zappos Account? Do This to Earn a Free $15 Reward
Have you ever shopped on Zappos.com? You could get a $15 credit toward your next purchase.
Everyone at The Penny Hoarder HQ knows I love Zappos, even though the site doesn’t throw around free money all the time. While other online shopping sites have a new coupon code for 40% off every day (no names to protect the guilty), Zappos keeps a tight lid on its discounts.
But all you have to do to get this awesome discount on your next order is join the new Zappos Rewards program. It’s free, and gives you complimentary expedited shipping on every order, plus a bunch of other perks.
Existing Customers Can Get a Free $15 From Zappos
Zappos defines an existing customer as one who has registered on the site before Sept. 23, 2016, and placed at least one order.
So dig up that username and log in! After accepting your invitation to join Zappos Rewards, you’ll receive a $15 Zappos Rewards code to use on any order. Your code expires after 30 days, and this sign-up promotion ends on Nov. 30.
The reward probably won’t cover a pair of shoes, but it could come in handy for the holiday season. If you know someone who’s asking Santa for a new pair of winter boots, a jacket or a backpack, your rewards code can help you make it happen for less.
While you’re browsing shoes, bags and apparel, you can also start earning points toward future rewards.
How to Earn Zappos Rewards Points
Simply logging into the Zappos website or mobile apps comes with a 50-point reward (maximum 50 points per day, so don’t go nuts).
You’ll also earn 10 points for every $1 you spend on the site, and 100 points each time you leave a review on a purchased item. You can redeem every 1,000 points for a $1 rewards code.
Not a big shopper? Joining is still worth it for the free two-business-day shipping and, as always, free returns.
Your Turn: What do you think of the Zappos Rewards program? Will you sign up?
Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder.
The post Already Have a Zappos Account? Do This to Earn a Free $15 Reward appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/zappos-coupon-code/
This Side Gig Could Help Teachers Make More Than $1,250 in 3 Months
Are you a teacher looking to make a little extra cash?
Familiar with any of the following tests: Common Admission Test (CAT), AP Calculus or GED?
Then you’ll be happy to learn that test prep company Magoosh is hiring remote, part-time bloggers.
Here are the details…
How to Work as a Blogger for Magoosh
Magoosh’s mission is simple (and awesome): “create products that give students everywhere access to enjoyable, affordable, and quality test prep.”
The company helps “millions study at their own pace, on their own time, regardless of location, social status, or background,” and wants to “change the test prep experience for all.”
Want to contribute to the worthy cause? It’s hiring content writers for three of its programs: CAT, AP Calculus and GED.
In this role, you’ll have the next three months to write 50-100 informative articles about your chosen topic. These will become the core content of Magoosh’s new blogs, and once each launches, you’ll have the potential to write more.
You’ll work from home and earn $25-$75 per article, “depending on the complexity of the topic.”
The job listing encourages you to apply even if you don’t meet all the requirements — which include previous experience as a tutor or teacher in your topic and a deep understanding of the exam, as well as a bachelor’s degree, attention to detail and strong writing skills.
“Extra credit” if you have a blog, WordPress skills, published writing or experience with other standardized tests.
Interested in applying? Read about the company’s hiring process, and then click here to apply for the GED, AP Calculus or CAT jobs.
Your Turn: Do you have experience with any of these exams? Will you apply?
Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.
The post This Side Gig Could Help Teachers Make More Than $1,250 in 3 Months appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/magoosh-now-hiring-study-guide-writers/
This Saturday, Kids Can Try Playing Ice Hockey for Free
Is there an aspiring hockey player in your family?
Are you nervous about whether or not your pint-sized player will stick with the sport after you buy all the necessary gear? (Where do I even start with all the gear?)
USA Hockey’s Try Hockey for Free Day lets kids test out the sport for free.
Participating locations around the country welcome kids ages 4 through 9 this Saturday, Nov. 12, as part of Come Play Hockey Month.
How to Try Hockey for Free This Weekend
Enter your ZIP code on the Try Hockey for Free website to find participating rinks in your area. Each rink lists event details along with contact information for any questions. You may need to register, so check for a location near you now! Limited equipment will be available.
Most of the events are just an hour, but remember, it’s for beginners. Coaches will assist young players with the basics of hockey, and kids don’t need to have previous skating or hockey experience.
Your child won’t leave the rink as the next Wayne Gretzky, but this is a free chance to try out a new sport!
Your Turn: Does your child love hockey? Will you attend Try Hockey for Free Day?
Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder. She can’t skate backwards.
The post This Saturday, Kids Can Try Playing Ice Hockey for Free appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/try-kids-hockey-for-free/
Feeling Jolly? This Company Will Pay You $250/Day to Be a Mall Santa or Elf
Want to be the head elf this holiday season?
I mean, literally: You can get paid to be Santa.
Kris Kringle. Saint Nick. Father Christmas. Pelznickel… Whatever you call it, this can be you.
Iconic Group, a worldwide event photography company, is hiring people to play Santa at store locations around the U.S. You’d be the jolly old man himself, surrounded by elves and taking on the awesome responsibility of granting children’s Christmas wishes.
How to Be Santa This Holiday Season
This seasonal job will be rewarding and fun, to be sure, but it’s going to be hard work, too. An Iconic Group representative gave us the lowdown.
Starting as early as Nov. 12, you’ll play Santa each weekend until early December. From Dec. 10 through Christmas Eve, you’ll work every day, from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. with breaks, though the schedule varies by location.
If that’s too much of a commitment, the application offers the option for partial hours or an emergency backup position, too.
The company aims to pay at least $250 a day ($23 per hour), and may pay more in some locations.
What does it take to be Santa?
Iconic Group prefers a Santa with a natural beard — the application even asks for a description of your facial hair. But it will provide a synthetic one for beardless Santas for its sets in Toys R Us locations.
Just like the mythical man himself, you should also have a “jolly spirit,” the rep said. Santa is there to make the holidays special for children, after all, so only apply if you share that mission!
This is a temporary contract position. You’ll need to pass a criminal background check, National Sex Offender (NSO) check and a drug screening.
To apply: Fill out the Santa information form online. You’ll include a physical description of yourself (and beard!) and a recent photo. You’ll also indicate which location you’re interested in working and whether or not a “Mrs. Claus” would be joining you in the role.
Other Jobs on the Santa Set
It takes more than the lead character to pull off these magical events each year. If you’re not interested in playing the central figure, you could consider these other positions with Iconic Group:
- Cast member (a.k.a. Santa team specialist): Decked out for the toy shoppe at the North Pole, you’d help customers with everything from line management to printing photos.
- Location manager (a.k.a. Santa set manager): Santa may be the center of attention, but this is the real head elf. You’d hire and train other team members, and ensure the set runs smoothly every day.
Find available positions in your area here.
For more tips, read our full guide to working as Santa Claus.
Happy Holidays, Penny Hoarders!
Want to be the first to know about other fun and interesting jobs like this? Like The Penny Hoarder Jobs on Facebook to stay in the loop!
Your Turn: Have you ever worked a seasonal job as a mall Santa for the holidays?
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 Feeling Jolly? This Company Will Pay You $250/Day to Be a Mall Santa or Elf appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/santa-claus-seasonal-jobs/
You Could Win a Year’s Worth of Wendy’s… If You’re Willing to Do This
Even though I categorically avoid fast food, I have to admit I’m a sucker for Wendy’s.
The crispy, allegedly hand-cut, sea-salted fries. The somehow inimitable flavor of a chocolate Frosty. The awesome and hilarious staff training videos.
And, of course, the burgers. Though they may be square, they’re always hot, fresh and juicy — perhaps owing to the company’s famous promise that its meat is never frozen.
But if your own icebox is chock-full of less-than-fresh stuff you swear you’ll get to someday, you might have the chance to win a whole lot of free Wendy’s goodness.
Wendy’s is giving out $520 gift cards as part of its “Great Freezer Dig” sweepstakes.
All you have to do is expose the skeletons in your closet… er, freezer.
How to Win a Year’s Worth of Free Wendy’s Burgers
To enter Wendy’s “Freezer Expedition,” you just have to find the oldest thing in your freezer and snap a quick picture or video of it — freezer burn, ice crystals and all.
Then you have to share it on social media and expose your embarrassing, frozen secrets to all your friends.
Post your photo or video to Twitter or Instagram and include the hashtags #FreezerDig and #Sweepstakes.
Wendy’s will choose one winner per day to receive a $520 Wendy’s gift card, which the company is billing as a year’s worth of free fresh burgers — although I’d probably spend it all on fries.
The contest began on Halloween and ends on Nov. 20. There will be a total of 21 winners.
While you may shudder to imagine sharing your 2-year-old bag of frozen chili or the stack of ready-made vegetable dishes you bought from Trader Joe’s six months ago, it could serve as a good reminder to actually eat what you buy — which is a great way to save money on groceries.
So grab your cell phone and head to your freezer. Hopefully, it won’t be too much of a walk of shame.
Your Turn: What’s the oldest thing in your freezer?
Jamie Cattanach is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder who is not going to tell you what the oldest thing in her freezer is. Her writing has also been featured at The Write Life, Word Riot, Nashville Review and elsewhere. Find @JamieCattanach on Twitter to wave hello.
The post You Could Win a Year’s Worth of Wendy’s… If You’re Willing to Do This appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/win-wendys-gift-card/
Non-Spouse IRA Beneficiary Rules – Avoid These Costly Mistakes
My old college roommate lost his younger brother to cancer and left my roommate as the beneficiary on his retirement account.
When I heard the news, I was in disbelief. There’s no way that someone so young could pass away, could they?
I had heard that my former college roommate’s younger brother was sick, but just assumed that he would get better.
When I heard that he had passed away at the age of 34, I was in complete shock. Even to this day, I can hardly believe that he’s gone. He was young, athletic, and his heart was bigger than his smile. It just didn’t seem right.
A few months had passed, and my buddy reached out to me to inform me that his brother had named him the beneficiary of his retirement account, his 401(k). He wasn’t sure what to do, so was seeking my advice.
It’s common that we help people take care of the passing of IRAs and other investment accounts to the rightful beneficiary. It was different in this sense since the beneficiary was his younger brother. It’s one of those articles that pains me to write it, but I know others will be going through this experience.
Here’s what you need to know if this happens to you.
Non-Spouse IRA Beneficiary Rules
The situation that my friend has experienced with inheriting his brother’s 401(k) plan is referred as a “non-spouse beneficiary”. This is a term that the IRS uses to describe a retirement plan, such as an IRA or a 401(k) that is ultimately inherited by someone other than the decedent’s spouse. It’s a special classification because a non-spouse does not have all of the inheritance options that a spouse does. For this reason, there are special rules that apply to non-spouse beneficiaries.
First, there are no rules that require that a retirement plan must pass to a spouse upon the death of the owner. And certainly in cases where the decedent is not married, a retirement plan will necessarily pass to a non-spouse. In fact, it’s probably a more common outcome than is generally assumed.
When retirement money is inherited by a spouse, he or she can generally roll the account over into their own retirement plan, and there are no immediate tax consequences.
But a non-spouse is basically limited to three options:
- Take an immediate distribution – You will have to pay ordinary income tax on such a distribution, but there will be no 10% penalty for early withdrawal if you are under 59 1/2.
- Retain the decedent’s retirement account – You do have this option, but it will require that you make required minimum withdrawals over your life expectancy. We’ll get into this topic in the next section.
- Create an inherited IRA – This type of account will remain in the name of the decedent, and the funds can continue to grow on a tax-deferred basis. You can use this account for either an IRA or 401(k) plan. Though you will be creating a brand-new retirement account, you will not be able to make contributions into that plan.
If you set up an inherited IRA, the money must move directly and immediately from the existing account, into what is known as a trustee- to-trustee transfer. That means that you won’t be able to take receipt personally of distributions or rollover balances from the decedent’s retirement plans, and then roll them into another IRA as you can with your own retirement accounts. The money must always move directly from the decedent’s account into the new account.
Each Option Must Include Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)
Whatever option you choose as a non-spouse beneficiary, you will be have to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from the plan. Exactly how this will be set up, and how much you must withdraw, will depend upon whether or not the decedent had already begun taking RMDs when he or she was alive.
At a minimum, you will have to begin taking distributions that are based on your life expectancy. The IRS actually provides life expectancy tables but it’s a fairly complex process, and it will almost certainly require professional help in order to establish one.
If the decedent had already begun taking RMDs, which everyone is required to begin taking at age 70 1/2 with all retirement plans except Roth IRAs***, then the amount of your RMD will be the amount of the decedent’s RMD in the year of his or her death.
***(Please note: This discussion of non-spouse beneficiary rules applies to inheriting traditional IRAs and employer sponsored plans, like 401(k)’s only. Roth IRAs have different rules, and much different tax consequences. As such, I may cover non-spouse beneficiary rules in regard to Roth IRAs in a separate article.)
After the year of the decedent’s death, or if the decedent had never begun taking RMDs, the RMDs will be based on your own life expectancy.
The RMD rule applies to both inherited 401(k) plans or a traditional IRAs.
You will have to pay ordinary income tax on the RMDs, but there will be no 10% early withdrawal penalty, even if you are not 59 1/2 or older.
The Beneficiary is a Minor – Are the Rules the Same?
This is another common outcome of inherited retirement plans, since children – including minor children – are frequently named beneficiaries on all types of retirement plans. This can sometimes happen even when the decedent is married, but is extremely common in divorce situations.
It is perfectly legal to name a minor as a beneficiary on a retirement plan. But since the minor is a child, he or she will lack the legal capacity to manage the account. For this reason, if you choose to name a minor child as a beneficiary to your plan, you should also create a custodial arrangement.
This is an arrangement in which you select a custodian for the account under the Uniform Gift to Minors Act (UGMA). That law enables a named custodian to have the authority to manage the money in the retirement plan and to do so without court supervision.
What if a child inherits a retirement plan that does not name a custodian? This is certainly a complication. In such a situation, the parents of the child will have to petition the court to themselves be named custodians of the retirement plan. But if the child has no parents – which could certainly be the case if you’re leaving the plan to one or more of your own children – the account will have to be managed by a court appointed guardian, who will also be supervised by the court.
Potential Non-Spouse Beneficiary Complications
Non-spouse beneficiary arrangements come with their own set of issues. But there are circumstances that can cause additional complications. Perhaps the most significant situation is where there are multiple beneficiaries on the same retirement plan.
It’s not uncommon for people to name both their spouse and their children as beneficiaries to the same retirement plan. But even more likely is when multiple children each inherit a share of the same plan.
If it is a spouse plus one or more children, or even another party, the spouse will lose the simplicity that normally goes with inheriting the retirement plan of his or her spouse.
In addition, if you die before you turn 70 1/2, and therefore had not begun taking RMDs, each beneficiary can separately calculate RMDs, based on his or her own life expectancy.
But the situation can be more entangled if you die after you reach age 70 1/2 and have begun taking RMD’s. If you do, the RMD’s for each of your multiple beneficiaries will be based on the life expectancy of the oldest beneficiary. Naturally, if your spouse is one of the beneficiaries, the RMD’s to the spouse and your children will be based on the life expectancy of your spouse.
This could create a problem for the younger beneficiaries. It will mean that they will have to take withdrawals based on a shorter life expectancy. For example, a 10-year-old child will have to take RMD’s that are based on life expectancy of your 40 year old spouse.
This will not only create a potential tax liability for the younger beneficiaries, but it also holds the potential to deplete the account well before the younger beneficiaries reach retirement age. If your plan is to enable your own retirement account to help pay for your beneficiaries own retirements, it may not work out that way for the younger beneficiaries.
Retirement Plan Beneficiaries Don’t Have to be People
You don’t necessarily have to name specific individuals as beneficiaries of your retirement plans. You can also designate your estate as the beneficiary, or set up a trust for that purpose. However, neither is a perfect option.
If you name your estate as the beneficiary, you are setting up your estate for probate. That means that your estate will have to go through the courts before any money is distributed. And during probate, challenges can be entered against the estate that can change the ultimate distribution of the funds. If individuals are named as beneficiaries on your retirement plans, those accounts will not have to go through probate, and the money will be distributed directly to them according to the distribution plan that you elect.
In addition, if you die before you reach age 70 1/2, all the money will have to be withdrawn in no more than five years. And even if you die after reaching 70 1/2, ultimate beneficiaries of the account will have to take RMDs based on your own life expectancy. Either outcome will create a heavier tax burden than will be the case if you name individual beneficiaries.
The problem with naming a trust as the beneficiary of your retirement accounts is that the beneficiary of the trust won’t be able to move the funds into his or her own retirement account, or name beneficiaries to those accounts in the event of his or her death. In this way, if your spouse is the beneficiary of the trust, she won’t be able to pass the accounts directly onto your children upon her death – the accounts will be part of the trust. This will deny them the opportunity to take less frequent RMDs than would be the case if they were based on their own life expectancy. And that of course could result in higher tax liabilities.
There could be a workaround to this dilemma, but only if the beneficiary of the retirement plans is a revocable living trust. In that situation, the RMDs would be based on the life expectancy of the oldest beneficiary of the trust.
That’s certainly better than having RMDs that are based on a five year payout. But it’s not nearly as good as the direct individual beneficiary designations that would allow your beneficiaries to spread the RMDs over their own life expectancies.
When it comes to retirement plan beneficiaries, the individual route is almost always better.
Summing Up Non-Spouse Beneficiary Rules
Now that you’ve seen some of the complications that can arise in non-spouse beneficiary situations, you should review your own retirement plans to see how you have the beneficiary designations set up.
Obviously the simplest way to handle a retirement plan beneficiary designation is to simply name your spouse. But if you don’t have a spouse to name, and/or if you have multiple beneficiaries, your best bet is to set up the arrangement in such a way that will result in the fewest complications. If a person is important enough to name as a beneficiary on your retirement plan, then they are also important enough to have it set it up in the most beneficial way possible.
Unfortunately, if you are non-spouse beneficiary to a retirement plan owned by a person who is already dead, you will have no choice but to work with however the designation was established. It’s one of those situations where much can be done in advance, but little can be done after the fact.
Please pay careful attention to the beneficiary designations in your own retirement plans. Though it is certainly noble to make someone the beneficiary of your plan, you should want to do your best not saddle them with unnecessary complications and taxes.
Source Good Financial Cents http://www.goodfinancialcents.com/non-spouse-inherited-ira-rules
31 Days to Financial Independence (Day 13): Trimming Your Spending – Health Care
“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 continued looking at the average American family budget, going through each category and examining how one could trim the cost of typical expenses in that category. Here’s the “average American family budget” that we’re looking at, along with links back to the earlier entries on those specific areas:
Housing – $10,080
Transportation – $9,004
Taxes – $7,432
Utilities – $7,068
Food – $6,602
Insurance (including things like pensions) – $5,528
Debt Payments – $5,252
Healthcare – $3,631
Entertainment – $2,564
Cash Contributions – $1,834
Apparel and Services – $1,604
Education – $1,138
Vices – $775
Miscellaneous – $664
Personal Care – $608
TOTAL – $63,784
Today, we’re going to take a look at health care spending. As you can see from the budget above, the average American family spends $3,631 per year on health care. That averages out to about $300 per month. Remember, however, that this “average American family” includes single adults, married couples without children, and families with children, too. In other words, a single person is probably coming in below that, whereas a large family (like ours) is probably coming in above that.
Exercise #13 – Trim Your Health Care Spending
The rest of this article consists of a long list of specific tactics that you can use to trim your food costs. As with the other savings articles in this series, it’s important to remember that everyone lives a somewhat different life and thus some of these tactics are going to seem useful and sensible to you, while others will seem like a stretch to you, and still others won’t apply at all. That’s okay. Ignore the ones that don’t apply. Make an effort to adopt the most sensible ones. Then, give the others a trial run and see if it’s something that can work for you. Commit to some of the challenging ones for thirty days and see if they work, or apply them during the relatively rare situations when those costs come up.
Remember, your overall goal is to cut back hard on the areas of life that are less important to you – the shallows – so that you can afford the “deep” areas of your life both today and tomorrow. Health care costs, on the whole, are very important, but that does not mean there aren’t wasteful elements of how many people spend their health care dollars. Keep that in mind as you read each tip. Is this tip cutting back on something that’s really important to me, that amounts to a core life value? If not, why not cut it so that I can afford those things that really matter?
Also, not that we’re not discussing insurance here. Insurance was discussed as an entirely separate topic already.
Let’s dig in.
Buy generic or store brand medications when possible, both over the counter and prescription. Generic and store brand medications are often identical or very similar to name brand versions of medications, which means that you can buy and use such medications as a direct replacement for medications you already use. The advantage? Generic and store brand medications are virtually always substantially cheaper than the name brand version.
Whenever you visit a pharmacy or the pharmacy section of a store to purchase a medication, talk to a pharmacist about store brand or generic versions of the item you’re about to buy, just to make sure there aren’t any hidden differences you should know about. You’ll often find that it’s the exact same thing except that the price tag is a lot lower.
Eat a better balanced diet consisting of fewer processed foods. This is more of an “indirect” savings than a “direct” savings, but it’s still noteworthy. Eating a balanced diet with more vegetables and fewer processed foods is one of the few things that doctors and nutritionists tend to agree on in terms of your long term health. Such a diet has a positive impact on the rates of many, many diseases and ailments. It also has a positive impact on your weight, and approaching a normal weight itself has positive impacts on many diseases.
It’s not hard to do this. You don’t have to become a raw vegan. Just put one more scoop of veggies on your plate and one less portion of meat when you’re eating. Eat an apple for a snack instead of a candy bar. Skip the fast food and eat something at home. Make those substitutions regular, normal things. They don’t have to be “every time” things, but when you make them into regular choices, they’re going to have a greater positive impact on your health and thus a greater positive impact on your health care costs, particularly over the long term.
Again, many people overblow this and think that they need to become fully vegetarian or vegan and then reject the whole idea. Having one scoop more of vegetables and one scoop less of meat on your plate is a great step and doesn’t require you to have a diet of kale and carrots. Just shift what you do right now in a direction that involves more vegetables and fruits and you’re probably in much better shape right there.
Get some real exercise every day. The other major step that almost every doctor in the world agrees on in terms of reducing your long term medical costs is to get some real exercise on a very regular basis. Do whatever it takes to get your heart pumping a little each day and move around each day. You should be walking at least a few thousand steps every day, so a daily walk is a good idea. A daily workout of some kind is a good idea, too.
I have two fitness goals every day. The first goal is 10,000 steps, which I usually achieve with a walk around my town. The second is to start a daily workout, and usually if I’ve started that workout, I’ll finish it. I usually just do the daily workout from Darebee as it’s free, doesn’t require any equipment, and achieves the goal of getting my heart rate up and elevating my breathing.
Remember, you don’t have to become a workout guru. You don’t have to go to the gym and “die” to get into better shape. You just need to elevate your heart rate and get a little out of breath for a while. In fact, if you feel like you’re “dying,” that’s a bad thing as you’re overexerting yourself and creating negative feedback against exercise in your mind. Don’t do it. Find things that feel good and elevate your heart rate and your breathing. I find that the Darebee workouts do that, as do weights.
Participate in workplace and insurance wellness programs. Many workplaces and insurance plans offer programs where benefits are offered if you commit to certain wellness initiatives. Some workplaces, for example, offer pedometers and give insurance discounts to people who meet a certain step count threshold. Others offer financial incentives for weight loss.
Ask around your workplace – particularly the human resources department – for such initiatives, especially if you work for a large organization. It’s also well worth contacting your insurance company directly to see if they offer such programs. If you can directly earn money or other benefits by losing weight or exercising, it becomes a double win.
Have regular wellness visits / healthy checkups with your doctor. Almost every insurance plan covers such visits in full, so they shouldn’t result in any out-of-pocket expenses for you. It is far cheaper for an insurance company to pay for wellness visits for a responsible person so that medical problems can be caught early and covered inexpensively than to pay for expensive medical care for someone who wasn’t taking care of themselves, so they make it as efficient as possible for people to take advantage of this.
So, take advantage of this. For you, those wellness visits are free (or very low cost – check with your provider). Go to them. If they do find a problem, it’s going to be cheaper and easier and less painful for you now than it will be later on when it becomes a true life challenge.
Take advantage of preventive care offered by the Affordable Care Act. Many elements of preventive care are offered special additional coverage due to the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Many elements of treatments for common ailments such as diabetes are made much less expensive for people because of the ACA. Regardless of your feelings on the law, it’s financially beneficial for you, if you’re suffering from a chronic condition, to take advantage of those provisions.
Again, talk to your doctor. They know the details on the ACA and how it applies to your situation. Ask them about inexpensive ongoing care and preventive care.
Check on your insurance coverage for every procedure and look for alternatives for uncovered procedures. Whenever your doctor suggests an additional procedure of any kind, don’t just nod your head “yes” in a daze. First, ask your doctor about potential insurance impact as well as alternatives that might be covered. Second, talk to your insurance company about the procedure and your options.
It’s better for everyone involved – you, the doctor, and the insurance company – if you can find a treatment plan that takes care of your condition at minimal cost. However, everyone’s medical conditions are a little different, so it can take some time and effort to find that most effective treatment plan. Be an advocate for yourself and talk to all sides to find a solution.
Know your local emergency care providers. This takes a little bit of homework, but it can save you a ton of money in a pinch. Know what emergency care options are available in your community and how each of them work with your insurance. Make sure your insurance is accepted at a particular hospital and then know the relative quality of care at the hospitals where your insurance is accepted.
With just a little research, you can figure out pretty quickly where the best place for you to go for a medical emergency is in terms of balancing your out of pocket costs and the quality of care received there. Then, in an emergency, you’ll already know where you should go to get the best bang for the buck medical care.
Talk to your doctor about cutting prescriptions. Many people find themselves prescribed to medications to take care of ailments of various kinds. Sometimes, those ailments improve over time and don’t require as much medication or the same type of medication. Sometimes, those conditions are being overtreated by medication, or a short-term medication is used for longer than is intended.
In those cases, it makes sense to cut back on the medications that you take. Doing so can actually improve your medical outcomes while also saving you a lot of money (and probably improve life quality by reducing side effects). Again, this is a perfect opportunity to talk to your doctor about whether or not you can trim your medication intake and still experience positive health outcomes.
Talk to your doctor about actions – not medicine – you can take to help improve your condition. Many medications are given to people to help deal with problems that they can improve through personal action. Pain medication might be given to cover up an ailment that can be fixed with regular exercise, for example, or a diabetes medication might be given to cover up for an ailment triggered by obesity.
Rather than merely relying on medication, look for actions you can take to fix the underlying problem so that there’s no problem for the medication to treat. Ask your doctor what kind of personal actions you can take to resolve the underlying medical problem, either by reducing the severity, by eliminating it completely, or by minimizing the symptoms of the illness. If your other life choices can enable you to eliminate a medication from your life, that’s going to save you a lot of money.
Buy generic drugs without insurance by asking whether the cost is lower if you don’t use your insurance plan. Believe it or not, many pharmacies can sell generic prescription medications over the counter for much less than the cost to people who have prescription insurance. It seems crazy, I know, but that’s simply the medical insurance situation in America.
Talk to your pharmacist about any and all medications you’re prescribed and see whether or not a generic alternative paid for without insurance is less expensive out of pocket for you. You very well might find yourself paying a lot less out of pocket for the medicine you need.
Order maintenance medicines in bulk by mail. There are many mail-order prescription insurance programs that will send you all of the medications you need for an extended period (say, three months) all at once. These types of programs are typically significant money savers.
If you take a long term maintenance prescription or two, take a look at ordering those prescriptions through the mail in bulk and see whether or not such a plan can save you money compared to using your local pharmacy.
Next time, we’ll look at some strategies for reducing entertainment costs.
The post 31 Days to Financial Independence (Day 13): Trimming Your Spending – Health Care appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar http://www.thesimpledollar.com/31-days-to-financial-independence-day-13-trimming-your-spending-health-care/
Will Aid: How writing a will could give charity a boost
Will Aid 2016 is now open for business. The scheme, which runs every November, sees solicitors across the country waive their fee for writing a will and instead ask their clients to make a donation to Will Aid.
Source Moneywise http://www.moneywise.co.uk/news/2016-11-10/will-aid-how-writing-will-could-give-charity-boost
Thank You, Veterans: 29 Places to Get Free Food and More This Veterans Day
No one can say it often enough: Thank you for your service, veterans and active military members.
But as nice as it is to hear those words, free goodies are also a nice token of appreciation.
And since this Friday is Veterans Day, there’s plenty of tangible gratitude coming your way.
Free Food for Vets and Military Members This Veterans Day
Looking for some free eats? The following restaurants have confirmed that they’ll be giving away meals, coffee and more this Friday.
1. Applebee’s
Veterans and active-duty military members can score more than just a free meal from Applebee’s this Friday: You’ll also get a $5 coupon redeemable between Nov. 12 and Nov. 27, 2016.
You can choose from seven of Applebee’s signature dishes, including it’s “Butcher’s” meat and potatoes, three-cheese chicken penne and the oriental chicken salad — and, of course, a good ol’ American burger.
2. Bob Evan’s
Bob Evans is offering military members and vets a free meal off a sumptuous-looking six-item menu that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner options. You can redeem this freebie any time on Nov. 11.
3. Buffalo Wild Wings
Craving hot, delicious wings? Who isn’t?
Head to your local B-Dubs for a complimentary small order of wings any time this Friday, Nov. 11. The offer doesn’t include your drink, and you do have to dine in.
4. California Pizza Kitchen
Whether it’s pasta, salad or pizza you’re after, you’ll eat it for free at California Pizza Kitchen this Friday.
Veterans and active service members get a free entree when they arrive in uniform or show their military ID this Friday. Choose from a special menu including some of CPK’s favorites, like BBQ chicken pizza, Thai crunch salad and spaghetti bolognese.
5. Carrabba’s
This Italian chain will offer a free appetizer to vets and active-duty military any day between Nov. 7 and Nov. 13. Just mention the offer to your server to redeem it.
6. Chicken Salad Chick
Veterans will get a free “Original Chick” — a meal including a chicken salad scoop or sandwich, side, pickle and a cookie — as well as a regular drink when they pop into Chicken Salad Chick this Friday.
No purchase is necessary, but the Foy location on Auburn’s campus is exempt from the deal.
7. Chili’s
Head to Chili’s with your military ID to get a free entree any time on Nov. 11.
8. Chipotle
Grab a friend and head once more into the fray: Chipotle’s offering vets and active-duty service members a BOGO deal this Veterans Day.
Head into the store with your closest buddy (or a really, really big appetite) between 3 p.m. and closing time to take advantage of the offer, which is good on salads, bowls and tacos, too.
9. Denny’s
Start your day off right: Denny’s is offering active, inactive and retired military personnel a free build-your-own Grand Slam this Friday between 5 a.m. and noon.
The dish includes your choice of four breakfast items, from pancakes to eggs to hash browns to bacon (of course).
10. Fazoli’s
Ready for some carb-loading? Fazoli’s will offer active-duty and retired military members a free serving of build-your-own pasta when you flash your military ID or show up in uniform, no purchase necessary.
11. Friendly’s
This joint might be best known for its ice cream, but it also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner — and you’ll get one of those meals for free if you show up at Friendly’s with your military ID this Friday.
You can choose from two menu options: The “Big-Two-Do” including a customizable array of breakfast goodies, or if lunch or dinner’s more your style, a burger with fries and a drink.
12. Hooter’s
Stop by Hooter’s this Friday, Nov. 11, for a free entree off its special Veterans Day menu, which includes the following options: 10-piece traditional or boneless wings, a burger, a buffalo chicken salad or buffalo chicken sandwich.
The offer does stipulate that you’ll need to purchase a beverage — but at least you can have whatever sauce you want!
13. IHOP
Grab your military ID and head to your local IHOP to get a free short stack of red, white and blue pancakes this Veterans Day — that is, three fluffy, buttermilk pancakes smothered with blueberry topping, scattered with glazed strawberries and finished with whipped cream. Yum.
14. Krispy Kreme
Anyone who identifies themselves as military personnel can get a free donut and small coffee at Krispy Kreme this Friday, no ID required.
The offer’s good all day long, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., so you might as well wait until that famous “hot” light kicks on. The deal doesn’t work in the drive-thru, however.
15. Longhorn Steakhouse
Veterans and active-duty military personnel will get a free appetizer or dessert at Longhorn this Friday — plus 10% off the check for the whole table.
16. Mission BBQ
This southern and midwestern joint’s tagline is “The American Way,” so we weren’t surprised to find out it’s supporting vets this Friday.
Drop by your favorite Mission BBQ location on Nov. 11 to get a free sandwich and slice of cake (while it lasts).
17. Olive Garden
Vets and active duty military will score a free entree from Olive Garden this Friday.
Its special Veterans Day menu includes six delicious options with breadsticks and your choice of soup or salad.
18. On the Border
Ready to spice it up? Get a free lunch combo plate when you dine in at On the Border this Friday.
19. Red Lobster
Red Lobster will serve up a free appetizer or dessert to vets and active service members who flash their ID or proof of service on Thursday, Nov. 10, or Friday, Nov. 11.
You’ll choose from its special menus including six different dishes for either option — see the full deets here, or wait ‘til you get to the restaurant and surprise yourself.
20. Red Robin
You’ll get a free “Red’s Tavern Double” burger and a bottomless order of steak fries when you show your proof of service at Red Robin this Friday.
No purchase is necessary, but it won’t count toward your Red Robin Royalty rewards accrual.
21. Ruby Tuesday
Vets can get any appetizer up to a $10 value free on Friday, Nov. 11, at this casual chain.
22. Texas Roadhouse Grill
Swing by Texas Roadhouse between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. this Friday to get a free lunch entree with proof of service.
Even if your favorite location usually doesn’t open until dinner time, never fear: “Every single Texas Roadhouse location will be opening early in honor of Veterans Day,” per a company representative’s Facebook comment.
23. TGI Friday’s
Veterans Day falls on a Friday this year, so why not head to this aptly named chain this year?
Show your military ID to get a free lunch entree up to a $12 value between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Veterans Day.
Other Veterans Day Freebies and Deals
Now that your belly’s full, check out these other freebies and deals that support veterans and military members this month. Some of these are open to civilians, so you can help celebrate our military members’ sacrifices even if you’ve never served!
24. Abuelo’s
Although it’s not offering any freebies, Abuelo’s will donate $1 from the sale of every order of chili con queso to Homes for Our Troops.
It’ll also offer vets and active duty military a 20% discount on their entire checks all day from Nov. 9 to Nov. 11.
25. Baskin Robbins
Do you scream for ice cream? Baskin Robbins will donate 11 cents from every scoop of ice cream sold on Nov. 11 to the United Service Organizations.
It’s also bringing back “First Class Camouflage” as its November flavor of the month. The tri-flavor scoop features chocolate, salty caramel and cake-flavored ice creams, and, of course, is green, brown and tan.
26. Great Clips
Know a vet whose coif looking a little less than ship-shape? Need a quick snip yourself?
Head to Great Clips for a haircut this Friday, and you’ll get a free haircut card to give to your favorite veteran. They’ll be able to redeem it from Nov. 12 to Dec. 31, 2016, with proof of military service.
If you’re a vet yourself, head in on the 11th for a free haircut then and there, or a card if you want to come back later.
27. The National Park Service
Need to get some fresh air after all that free food, vets?
Head to your favorite National Park this Friday, and you’ll get in for free. In fact, so will all your friends and family, even if they’ve never served.
What better way to honor your sacrifice than to go out and actually be on the land you fought for?
28. Publix
Psst, southern vets: Maybe save your grocery shopping for Friday.
Publix will offer active military members and vets 10% off their purchases when they show their ID, so this might be a good time to stock up!
29. Red Roof Inn
Maybe you want to celebrate Veterans Day with a getaway.
If so, consider staying at a Red Roof Inn: It’s offering veterans 15% off hotel stays for the whole month of November.
The chain is also hosting a social media contest that might win you a free weekend getaway!
All you have to do is share a photo of, and story about, your favorite veteran on Twitter, and tag @redroofinn in the post. (Make sure you’re following the company, too!)
Enter by Nov. 29. Four winners will be chosen “at random” on Nov. 30, and will win two VIP passes for free nights at any Red Roof Inn nationwide and a $250 travel gift card.
Your Turn: How will you honor Veterans Day?
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.
The post Thank You, Veterans: 29 Places to Get Free Food and More This Veterans Day appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/veterans-day-deals/
Equal pay day means "women effectively stop earning today"
Today is Equal Pay Day, meaning for the rest of 2016, women are effectively no longer earning, says the Fawcett Society.
The charity that campaigns for gender equality and women’s rights says that despite the Equal Pay Act coming into force four years ago, women still earn less than men in Britain today.
Source Moneywise http://www.moneywise.co.uk/news/2016-11-10/equal-pay-day-means-women-effectively-stop-earning-today
Five Jobs Where You Can Work Part-Time and Still Have a Career
There are lots of reasons to want to work part-time, from launching your own side business to spending more time working on your hobbies. However, let’s be real: For most American parents, the search for lucrative, fulfilling part-time work is about the necessities of balancing work and life in the 21st century. Unless you have a trust fund or a partner who makes a mint, you need to work; unless you live with an accommodating retired relative, you probably need to minimize childcare costs.
The problem is that in most industries, going part-time means that you stop having a career and start having a job. Working mothers have struggled with this problem for decades: Opt to work part-time, and you might find yourself mommy-tracked right off the promotion path, even if you’re a daddy. (And dads are stepping up: A 2015 EY survey found that dads were even more willing than moms to report themselves willing to change careers to get better work-life balance. They were also more willing to pass up a promotion.)
However, not every career is so unforgiving. If you’re thinking about retraining for a job that will give you the flexibility to spend more time with your family and still earn a living, one of these might suit:
1. Registered Nurse
Registered nurses can work a full workweek in three, 12-hour shifts or pick up per-diem jobs and drop down to 24 hours a week… or less. Because they’re licensed healthcare professionals, nurses don’t have to worry about demonstrating their worth to future employers. Their degree, licensure, and continuing education requirements (depending on the state) make the case for them.
Just be aware that new nurses are probably better off investing in a bachelor’s degree, instead of doing the shorter associate’s degree track, especially if they want to work in a hospital in a major metropolitan area. Registered nurses earn a median wage of $28 per hour.
2. Consultant
If you’re a market analyst, management consultant, or other business guru, you don’t have to commit to working an 80-hour week in order to keep your resume fresh. CNBC reports that management analysts/consultants earn median wages of around $30 to $40 per hour, and are in demand.
3. Freelance Writer or Designer
Media folks who want to leave the rat race can often use their existing connections to work as much or as little as they want (and the market demands). This gig has the advantage of being super flexible. Play your cards right and keep your skills up-to-date, and you could reduce your hours pretty significantly and still stay in the game. This is especially true if you update your resume to a skills-based format that shows off the projects you’ve worked on, instead of focusing on your linear career path.
- Related: Ultimate Freelancer’s Guide
4. Master Plumber
Master plumbers typically have associate’s degrees and complete an apprenticeship, according to Monster.com, but they also set their own hours — and can rake in the bucks, earning $25 per hour, median. If you’ve ever had your pipes back up and needed a plumber fast, you know why they can command good money and call the shots.
5. Tax Preparer
Many tax preparers work more during the tax season, which runs from January through mid-April (or thereabouts, depending on the year). But the money they make during the busy season could be enough to keep them afloat for the rest of the year. (Median annual salaries hover around $40,000.)
Although some tax preparers diversify in order to work year-round, branching out into bookkeeping or payroll services, others might prefer to burn the midnight oil for a few months and take it a bit easier the rest of the year. Depending on where they work, tax preparers might need to become Certified Public Accountants or Enrolled Agents.
Related Articles:
- The Myths and Realities of ‘Doing What You Love’
- Five Ways Stay-at-Home Parents Can Get Back Into the Workforce
- Five Signs You Need a Career Change
The post Five Jobs Where You Can Work Part-Time and Still Have a Career appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar http://www.thesimpledollar.com/five-jobs-where-you-can-work-part-time-and-still-have-a-career/
Neil Woodford: Trump win could end emerging market rally
Neil Woodford, the high-profile fund manager, has predicted the emerging market regions could end up being among the biggest equity market losers, following Donald Trump’s US presidential election.
Source Moneywise http://www.moneywise.co.uk/news/2016-11-10/neil-woodford-trump-win-could-end-emerging-market-rally
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