الاثنين، 5 ديسمبر 2016
JetBlue is Offering 12 Days of Crazy Deals… Starting With $20 Flights
Total disclosure: I’m a little upset about writing this post.
That’s because my self-control goes out the window when it comes to fare sales. Seriously; it’s part of why I participated in No Spend November!
And unfortunately for my bank account (but fortunately for my unslakable wanderlust), JetBlue’s running an incredible set of deals this December.
Starting today, Dec. 5, JetBlue will unveil a new fare sale everyday at 1 p.m. EST for its 12 Days of Deals promotion.
And considering the first deal is $20 one-way tickets, I can’t wait to see what’s next.
How to Score Cheap Airfare with JetBlue’s 12 Days of Deals
A $20 plane ticket is nothing to sneeze at in any capacity, but it’s worth noting that restrictions definitely apply. The one-way fare is only for valid for certain origin and destination airports, and only on specific flights.
For instance, I got excited when I noticed one of the eligible flight paths was from Orlando to Newark — a 20-buck trip to Manhattan? Count me in!
But in order to get my seat for that insane rate, I’d have to be ready to pack up and fly tomorrow.
And unless I committed to the $20 flight from JFK to Orlando on Dec. 12, I’d be paying the regular fare for my return trip… which could be as much as $199, depending on when I come home.
I’m pretty spontaneous, but that’s a lot of logistics to conquer, even for me. And that kind of red tape is likely to be the case with forthcoming deals, too.
But if you’ve got the travel bug, it’s certainly worth at least checking JetBlue’s deals as they’re unveiled. Think of it as a jetsetter’s Advent calendar.
And if one of the deals does work for you, man — that’s a way better prize than a piece of candy.
Your Turn: Are you excited to see what else JetBlue has in store for its 12 days of deals?
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 JetBlue is Offering 12 Days of Crazy Deals… Starting With $20 Flights appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2gvxL9o
Here’s a Quick and Easy Way to Score a Free Krispy Kreme Donut
I may be on a health kick these days, but nothing can get in the way of my love affair with donuts (especially the ones with rainbow sprinkles).
Every time I drive by a Krispy Kreme and see a “HOT NOW” sign lit up, all of my self-control goes out the window. That the store is within walking distance of my apartment doesn’t help.
If you’re like me and have a soft spot for warm, glazed donuts, you’re in luck: I found a way to get a coupon for one free Krispy Kreme donut.
How to Get a Free Krispy Kreme Donut
Getting the free donut is easy — all you have to do is visit Great Eats, which aggregates restaurant email clubs and offers.
Just enter your ZIP code on the Great Eats homepage and select the “Free Doughnut of Your Choice” offer — if the offer doesn’t show up, then stores in your area are not participating. After that, enter your name, email, birthday and preferred Krispy Kreme store, then click “Join Now.”
A few minutes later, you’ll receive an email from Krispy Kreme with a coupon for one free donut of your choice. The coupon is good for 14 days, giving you plenty of time to redeem it!
And, if you don’t want to be a part of Krispy Kreme’s email club, just unsubscribe right after you receive the email — it’s as easy as that.
I don’t know about you, but I’ll be heading out later today to grab mine — just don’t tell my friends at the gym!
Your turn: Will you get a free Krispy Kreme donut today? Let us know in the comments below!
Kelly Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder and a senior at The University of Tampa. She will never say no to free food.
The post Here’s a Quick and Easy Way to Score a Free Krispy Kreme Donut appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2g1szOv
This Work-From-Home Side Gig Doesn’t Need You to Have a Quiet House
Calling all parents, college students and ne’er-do-wells with noisy roommates…
Want a work-from-home job that doesn’t require you to have professional-level equipment and an airtight home office free of any traces that you do, in fact, work from home?
How about work that doesn’t involve fielding calls from angry or confused customers?
Yardi Matrix is hiring temporary, part-time employees to complete its Winter 2017 Rent Survey.
Yardi Matrix provides market and property information for potential property owners or management.
The rent survey helps the company keep its information up-to-date for things that change frequently. You’d call apartment communities and ask questions to get details on things like rental rates and specials.
This job welcomes the noise of your kids, pets or air conditioner in the background, because you’d be playing the role of a renter. No need to find a quiet, call center-quality space — that wouldn’t be very convincing!
You don’t need previous call center experience, just a pleasant phone demeanor. You’ll need to have high speed internet access and long distance phone service (looks like cell phones are OK).
This is a temporary position — lasting about six weeks — so it’s a good way to recoup some of your holiday expenses without making a long-term commitment.
Pay and Benefits
Hours are flexible, but you’d be required to complete a minimum of 60 surveys in your first week, and 80 per week after that (16 per day). You’d work a minimum 10 hours a week between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. of the surveyed time zones.
Base pay is $6 an hour, plus $0.60 per completed survey, $0.40 for wrong numbers, and $0.20 for an answering machine or no answer. You’re guaranteed minimum wage in your jurisdiction.
You’d be employed through a temporary staffing agency. This position comes with benefits, including health, dental and life insurance, according to Real Ways to Earn Money Online.
The survey begins Jan. 3, 2017.
To apply: Email the address on this page to get a password to unlock the application.
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 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 This Work-From-Home Side Gig Doesn’t Need You to Have a Quiet House appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2gJ62Fo
Looking to Work From Home? This Company is Hiring Reps in 35 States
We shared this opportunity with Convergys in the past, and readers seemed to enjoy it — so, when we saw they’re recruiting again, we wanted to let you know!
The company regularly hires all over the country for three work-from-home customer support positions: sales and service (sales focus), customer service (customer focus) and technical support (technical focus).
Your hours would vary, and pay is dependent in part on your location. We recommend you ask about these details in your interview.
Convergys is Hiring Work-from-Home Customer Service Reps
Convergys provides customer service agents for a variety of client companies.
“When you call the customer service department for your cell phone or cable provider, you just might be talking to a Convergys home-based customer service and sales agent,” the company points out.
As a work-from-home sales and service rep, you’d provide customer service and sales over the phone or online for client companies.
Convergys is hiring in 35 states, according to the listing, but note we only see 22 listed on its careers page.
Requirements
For all positions, applicants must have:
- a high school diploma or GED
- at least one year of customer service experience (plus one year of sales experience if you’re applying for a sales-focused position)
- your own PC and high-speed internet service
- a 17-inch monitor
- quiet, distraction-free environment to work
- an approved headset (upon hire)
Your schedule would vary, but make sure you’re available to work evenings and weekends.
Benefits
You’ll receive company benefits, including:
- Medical, dental and vision insurance
- 401(k)
- Tuition reimbursement
- Attendance-based wage increases
- Performance bonuses
- Sales incentives (depending on position)
To apply: You can see all available positions and apply for your state here.
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: Are you looking for a work-from-home customer service job?
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 Looking to Work From Home? This Company is Hiring Reps in 35 States appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2gIMGjr
The Little-Known Way Stores are Tricking You With Their Credit Card Offers
You’ve made your selections and are ready to ring out.
You’re about to pay cash when the cashier asks: “Would you like to sign up for our store’s credit card? There’s 0% interest for the first six months.”
And you think: “0% interest? Why not? I’ll pay it off slowly, and use the money to purchase other things now.”
Although it’s tempting — especially around the holidays — it’s a bad idea. A very bad idea.
Here’s the little-known reason why…
The Danger of Deferred Interest
Certain credit card agreements include a clause about “deferred interest,” which can be applied to your balance after the promotional period (those interest-free six months, for example) is over.
“Paying your bill a day late or having even a $1 unpaid balance when the promotional period ends,” explains WalletHub, could “enable the issuer to retroactively apply finance charges to your entire original purchase amount — as if the intro rate never existed.”
To illustrate the point, let’s turn to an example from CNNMoney.
“Say you bought that $1,000 appliance and paid off all but $50 of it by the time your deferred interest period ran out,” it explains. “You won’t just owe interest on the remaining $50; you’ll be liable for interest on the entire $1,000 and from the original purchase date.”
Um, what? Thanks but no thanks.
And if you think that won’t apply to you because you’ll pay off the balance before the promotional period ends, remember: Life often gets in the way.
For example, 16% of parents take longer than six months to pay off credit card bills from holiday gifts, according to a recent survey from T. Rowe Price.
If they purchased those toys on one of the dozens of store credit cards with deferred interest, that delay could be very bad news.
So before putting anything on credit, check the fine print — or better yet, wait until you have the money to pay for it in full.
Your Turn: Did you know about this trick?
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 The Little-Known Way Stores are Tricking You With Their Credit Card Offers appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2h7wpSc
REI Garage Items are Already on Sale… But Today You Can Save an Extra 25%
If you love REI’s outdoor gear but could live without the prices, I have good news for you.
It’s a little easier to get that clothing and equipment — for yourself, or for the outdoor lover in your life — when it’s on sale. And it’s even better when you can get extra savings on already-marked-down products.
But act fast — this sale ends tonight!
How to Save an Extra 25% at REI Garage
Shop from REI Garage today, and you can get an extra 25% off one item. Use coupon code 25GARAGE.
Garage items are already marked down 30% — or more! — from regular price.
Today’s the last day for the extra sale in the Garage, and you can shop online until midnight Pacific Time. When you enter the promo code at checkout, the discount will automatically apply to the highest-priced item in your cart.
REI Garage includes sections for gifts under $20 and another just for stocking stuffer ideas, so there are a bunch of options in the $10 to $50 range. Whether you give those items to others or stash them for yourself is up to you.
Do You Know REI’s Sale Pricing System?
Trying to make sure the items in your cart are eligible? Make sure the price ends in $.73, which is the pricing system for all Garage items. Regular REI sale items have prices ending in $._9, while clearance prices end in $.83 or $.93.
If you’re grabbing Garage gear today, you should also know that you can return it for an entire year after purchase.
Your Turn: Who’s the outdoor lover in your life? What are you getting them for the holidays?
Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s the indoorsy type.
The post REI Garage Items are Already on Sale… But Today You Can Save an Extra 25% appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2gIsyhx
Questions About Buying Local, Market Timing, Philosophy, Beards, and More!
What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question.
1. Next steps in life turnaround
2. Overseas concerns
3. Buying local for the holidays
4. Making basic investment choices
5. Market timing or not?
6. Thinking about 2017 goals
7. Philosophy, psychology, and financial progress
8. Converting photos to digital
9. Roommate without lease?
10. Beard maintenance
11. “Holidays” versus “Christmas”
12. Board games for the holidays
Lots of long questions this week, so let’s dive right in!
Q1: Next steps in life turnaround
I have written to you with two questions in the past. The first I had an opportunity to take a graduate assistantship that would provide free tuition and a stipend but I needed to quit my stable part time job to do so. That proved to be a pretty good deal in the end. Second I purchased a home through the USDA rural assistance program even though you didn’t quite like the idea because I didn’t have enough cash saved. Buying this house has actually turned out to be a GREAT decision financially and personally. The new school district is much, much better than the old one, the medical facilities are far better, I have made more friends, and having this little house has reduced our other expenses greatly because my kids and I are just so very happy to be here and there is room for all of our frugal at home hobbies. In addition, I got a very good job with great benefits that was closer to the new house so work related expenses went down, salary and benefits went way, way up.
I am at the point now where I am on track to save/invest 27% of my salary (with a generous 401K match). By the end of the next year it will be even more as some of my expenses go down (I am carrying a bit of 0 percent debt). My current question is where to put some of the money. I use the 401K to get the match (the match starts in January after I am with the company for a year but I already am putting in the 5%). There isn’t quite enough extra to both increase my emergency savings and max out my Roth IRA. I have only until April to max out the 2016 so I feel as if that should be priority as I have good investments there at a reasonable cost. I can move some funds in a decent bond fund that I already have open – averaging between 2 and 3 percent growth; I can leave funds and add to the index funds at increased risk; or I could put the money in on-line savings but of course right off the bat there is a loss of $ due to inflation. I am on track to pay down the 0 percent loan will occur before the deal expires regardless. I tend to be a fairly bold investor – the kind that likes to increase my investments when the markets go down. My job is quite stable for at least the next 4 years and probably at least 5 after that as it is a renewable state government contract. I have a good amount of both short and long term disability and life insurance.
You are more conservative then I am but I am curious what would be your decision with “extra” funds? My current plan is to:
max out 2016 IRA
increase emergency fund
increase 401K contribution
max out 2017 IRA
increase car replacement account funds
continue to increase 401k contribution to at least 15% while continuing the IRA max ( I believe that this will take approximately 3 years to achieve)
As I said the credit card debt (and there is no other debt except the mortgage) is on track to be paid outside of these funds and is accruing no interest. Additional funds past this list would I suppose go towards paying off the house but my interest rate is quite low so this is a low priority. My options with the 401K are not as good as the Roth so I will always prioritize the Roth before increasing the 401K.
Five years ago I was living in a “shack” and I used to walk to the library to study so as to save the electricity use of using a light to study my graduate school work at home because I was raising my kids on an income low enough to get the earned income tax credit. I still live in a very modest home furnished with yard sale furnishings and we still live quite simply in every other way. My priorities over securing my retirement are to help my kids get through college and maybe at some point to travel a bit; other than those things I am very content with my life and my new job. I also continue to invest in things that save me money or increase my self-sufficency or earning power – new skills, household tweaks that save money such as programmable thermostats, hot water heater timer, etc.
It just doesn’t make sense to prioritize putting money in a bank account where it earns nothing over maxing out the Roth and of course the option of putting money in the 2016 Roth disappears in April; there is also an option in the Roth for cash reserves. What would you do?
– Alex
It’s hard for me to make an exact recommendation without knowing all elements of your current financial state, but your current plan makes sense based on what you’ve written here.
For most people, the only purpose of using a savings account at current interest rates is to hold a cash emergency fund (car repairs would be included in that, so you’d probably want to bolster it if you were sure car repairs were coming in the near future) or to hold cash for a purchase that’s going to be made in the relative short term (less than a year at the most). For all other purposes, your money should be invested elsewhere, and that seems to be what you’re doing.
The way you have that list prioritized – again, assuming you already have a small cash emergency fund – is completely sensible. Good work, and congratulations on the positive progress in your life!
Q2: Overseas concerns
I’m starting a multi year overseas assignment with my employer. A few questions I’m soliciting advice on, if you’d be so kind:
Should I freeze my credit against new inquiries?
I have an emergency fund in the US. How much should I worry about tapping it during my assignment?
Any good expatriate resources you recommend?
– Philip
If I were you, I would keep my finances as simple as possible while overseas. Financial regulations for Americans working abroad are messy and difficult and are likely prone to change under the incoming administration.
I think freezing your credit is a good step, especially if you have no plans to use it while abroad. If your account is in a large US bank, you should be able to access it overseas, but you may want to check if it’s in a smaller regional or local bank. This is probably the best collection of expat financial resources that I’ve found.
One final bit of advice: fill out your US tax forms early each year, even while abroad. Just because you’re in another country doesn’t mean that the IRS doesn’t want your tax forms.
Q3: Buying local for the holidays
Husband and I have to shop for his family members for the holidays. (my own side of the family doesn’t do xmas presents for adults because we think it’s silly)
I would like to only shop small and local to support the local economy. Financially this will be more expensive but it’s something I believe strongly in.
His family always gets me a bunch of stuff that I won’t wear/use and it’s usually from Walmart which I don’t support. I have asked that they don’t buy me things but they insist. They spend anywhere from $100-300 per person- for ADULTS. They’re very generous but I don’t want to spend that kind of money so it feels uneven. I try to keep it under $40/person and often get locally produced food items in baskets instead of individual gifts.
Question 1: How do I get them to stop buying me stuff I don’t need or want?
Question 2: Why don’t you promote shopping local instead of just shopping inexpensively?
– Maxine
First of all, don’t worry about what others buy you. People choose to give gifts to others, and it’s the least you can do to accept those gifts graciously. If you find that they’re not for you, exchange them or sell them quietly and use the money for something you would want, but try to find value in what they give you if you can.
You also shouldn’t worry about matching them. Don’t even try. Instead, follow your own heart and give gifts that are meaningful both to you and to them.
The biggest reason I don’t talk about “shopping local” is because that’s an individual value that people choose to add to their shopping that comes with a premium. That’s true for any such rule that people add, such as “buying organic” or “buying gluten free foods.” If you add a rule that says, “I’ll only buy stuff that is made in my state,” or something like that, you can still follow all of the principles of frugal shopping. You can still shop around, seek the best value for your dollar, haggle a little, and so on. It’s a value that you choose to add to your purchasing decisions and not a value that people universally agree on. The only value in terms of shopping that I actively promote is seeking the best “bang for the buck” when shopping; if people wish to add their own additional criteria on top, that’s great!
Q4: Making basic investment choices
I am a youngling just about to turn 25. My company provides a 3% match in a Vanguard SIMLE IRA which I have taken for 2 years thus far. I am planning on paying off my debt next year and would like to begin building up retirement savings. I also have some funds with Betterment in regular investing. I have been told that while I am in a lower bracket, it is best to invest in Roth IRA’s which is what I plan to do.
Do you suggest I go with Vanguard, Betterment, or other?
And if I do Vanguard, how do you suggest I invest my funds in both the SIMPLE and Roth? (Roth allows ETFs?)
My current Vanguard setup is with 3 funds, but $25/fund are eaten up by fees. I only have about $4,500 so far, but will have closer to $7,500 next summer after I receive my employer match (sadly on an annual basis rather than monthly).
Would you suggest a better setup, i.e. fewer funds?
I’m currently mixed up with a 2055 retirement fund, Total Stock Market Fund, and International Stock Market Fund. Roughly a 40/50/10 % allocation, respectively. 95% stock 5% Bond.
Any guidance would be appreciated and considered. I am an accountant, but I don’t know much about retirement planning aside from the general advice that we hear all the time – fewer eggs in one basket, lower fees, etc. And it would seem that advice with Funds would be slightly different than advice with individual stocks.
– Max
With Vanguard, your goal should be to get your account up to Voyager level, which means that you have $50,000 in assets there and no longer have to worry about those fees. Until then, I would keep all of my money in one very broad-based fund, such as the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index or a Target Retirement Fund.
The $25/fund/year fee can devour a lot of gains at smaller balances. Given what you seem to want, I’d strongly consider putting it all in a Target Retirement 2060 fund, which is a bit more aggressive for your age than 2055.
I generally think Vanguard can’t be beaten once you get up to a high balance, but there are good arguments for other services at lower balances. I think you’re fine, but once you get up to the Voyager level at Vanguard, I’d probably put everything there.
Q5: Market timing or not?
I’ve wanted to take a year off to walk the Appalachian Trail and do a few additional personal projects for a very long time. My employer has an “unpaid sabbatical” program where you can take up to a year off unpaid and guarantee your job back when you return if you meet certain criteria (and I do) so that’s well in hand. I decided that I needed to meet a certain threshold of money invested ($50,000) before I took this leap. With recent gains in the stock market, I reached that level.
Now my employer requires eight weeks of notice before an unpaid sabbatical and I will be submitting that paperwork soon. My question is this: should I take money out of the stock market now and put it in savings? Or should I leave it in there to continue to earn gains and dividends?
– Larry
Honestly, I’d take it out. You have enough value to guarantee the success of the sabbatical right now and leaving the money in there introduces a risk of falling short near the end of the sabbatical if 2017 is a weak year in the stock market.
To me, this isn’t really a market timing issue. This is a “goal timing” issue. You’ve reached your goal, you have no need for possible future gains, you can be disadvantaged by possible future losses, so take the money out and put it somewhere safe.
If I were making the choices here, I’d put it in a savings account at your local bank and set up an automatic transfer to move $4,000 a month into your checking account starting after you’ll receive your last pre-sabbatical paycheck from work.
Good luck! Walking the Appalachian Trail sounds incredible.
Q6: Thinking about 2017 goals
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I want to achieve in 2017. Not so much “New Years Resolutions,” but things I want to make happen in the coming year. What are your plans for 2017? Any advice on making them work?
– Stephen
I usually write a post or two close to the end of the year about such goals (and this year will be no different), but I think that many people see the turning of a calendar year as a great opportunity for a fresh start. I tend to think of a “New Year’s resolution” as just being a poorly-planned goal, an off-the-cuff idea of something someone wants to change but rarely sticks with it because they didn’t think about it or plan ahead with it.
My best advice for you for goals for the coming year is to just choose one or two of them, then break them down to specific things you can do every day to make progress on that goal. Also, don’t choose a goal based on the destination, but instead choose one based on the journey.
For example, you might be thinking “I want to lose 100 pounds in 2017.” Great, but not great. Instead, try this: “In 2017, I’m eliminating soda and added sugars from my diet and I will visit a gym three times a week.” Those things directly point at specific daily life changes you can make and the weight loss will be an inevitable conclusion.
I’ll expand on this a lot near the end of the year.
Q7: Philosophy, psychology, and financial progress
I have been following your blog since 2008. For me reading your articles were not for getting out of debt, but to stay frugal. Even at that time we did not have any debt.
As you said in your article Finding Something New on the Long Financial Journey, we also learned a lot about ourselves and life on the course of this journey. And when I read the below sentence, I could not resist myself from sending you an email.
“Very quickly, you start running into some very challenging questions, ones that aren’t easy for anyone to answer. They lead directly into reading about philosophy and psychology and spirituality.”
We are also in the same stage. Now-a-days we also discuss a lot about philosophy and psychology at home. During the last 1-2 years, I have been reading about great leaders of the past. If you look very carefully, you see that they also read lots of books in these areas. In short, what we (my husband and I ) concluded is that to have a meaningful life you need to understand philosophy and psychology.
And some random thoughts we discussed were:
1. Modern slavery – I feel like consumerism is the modern way of ‘slavery,. becuase you work the whole day (sometimes not even having time to spend with your family and children) and then send that money in buying unwanted things. Who is benefiting from this? Not you. You work, get salary and give it to these business owners. They show you more shiny things and make you work again to own that. And the cycle goes on. At the end you are not working for you, instead for others.
2. Three concepts originating from the same root. 1) Minimalism – own things that you really really need. 2) Frugality – spend only for the things you need 3) Essentialism – do only the things that help you to lead a meaningful life.
3. To understand all these intertwined forces/beliefs playing on you, you need to have a certain level of knowledge. And knowledge can be divided into 2 types – one which is known to all and the second type which can only be acquired by doing (self-) analyis. The second type is very difficult to understand. and here comes the philosophy and psychology. Example for the first category : smoking is not good for your health. Even a smoker knows that it is not good for your health. Example for the second category: Recently you wrote an article saying that it is notthe things that you buy make you happy. Instead you need more time – personal time, family time and time with your loved ones. (This is the article which I have in mind: Filling the Empty Spaces). If you say to a person (a true ‘consumer’), that he doesnt need that new gadget/app/dress/etc and instead what he needs is time, he may look at you like you are crazy. This is because he doesnt have that minimum knowledge level. Okay, now what action can be taken for these? For the first category, (exercise) just do it / (smoking) just dont do it. Here self-discipline plays the role. For the second category – what can we do -read, read, read… (That is the only way to get this type of knowledge). Reading leads to do (self-)analysis, which leads to understanding life better. This helps to take actions to change ourselves.
– Maggie
I completely agree with you that the most valuable tools that people have in terms of making better choices for their life is a healthy diet of reading and thinking about what you’ve read along with a healthy dose of self-control. If you can’t – or won’t – do those two things, it becomes progressively harder throughout life to make long-term decisions, and I think that’s the biggest value of reading and reflecting – it really forces you to expand your horizons and think more about the long-term consequences of your choices.
I think that’s why I find that philosophy and psychology and theology tend to draw me in as subjects: more than most other subjects, they have a very long time horizon. They’re not about quick fixes. They’re not about solving one’s problems by Saturday. They’re about building a strong foundation for a great life, but that foundation takes a lot of time to build.
Almost everything you write above dances around that key idea. I think that, as a person reads more and more in those subject areas, they begin to think in more of a long-term sense but they also begin to develop their own particular distinct worldview that overlaps with many others, but is their own, drawn from a mix of what they’ve read and learned and their own experiences. But it is only through reading thoughtful and valuable material, trying to match it and apply to life, thinking about it in the long term, and practicing a lot of self-control that you can build that kind of personal worldview.
Good thoughts, in other words.
Q8: Converting photos to digital
My mom has a shoebox full of old pictures and about ten photo albums that I would like to digitize for her and put on a picture frame. It seems like a ton of work though. I looked into having someone do it for me and it was just really expensive that way. Are there any cheap ways for converting photos?
– Tara
The truth is that there is no truly “cheap” way of digitizing a huge number of old photos and prints. It’s simply an expensive process, even if you forego pretty important elements like color correction and basic editing. It’s going to add up.
The cheapest per-print rates you’ll find will get down in the range of about $0.25 per print if you buy scans in large bulk. So, if you’re scanning 1,000 photos, that’s about $250. I’ve had good success with ScanCafe in the past and that’s their rate.
There’s almost no way an ordinary person at home could scan things at a fast enough rate and correct them at all to match up with that cost. Even if you’re managing to scan, color-correct, and save each print in five minutes, that’s still effectively $3 an hour you’re saving, and it’s probably taking most of your focus to do it that fast.
These companies manage to do it by having machines that just scan batches of photos automatically, with a person nearby to fix any issues, and then another person to color correct and touch up images as they come through. That’s really the only way that the cost can get that low.
Q9: Roommate without lease?
How long can I let someone stay on my couch without adding them to the apartment lease?
– Thomas
Such things are rarely written into the specifics of a lease. It usually just specifies who is “living” in the apartment. What you’re actually asking is how many nights does it take for an overnight guest to be considered a tenant.
The truth? It depends on the landlord. Most of the time, the landlord isn’t going to care, but it’s at the landlord’s discretion entirely. The landlord is generally only going to care if the extra roommate is causing problems or else the presence of said roommate on an actual lease would mean more income for the landlord.
There’s usually a general clause in a lease about things not directly covered and how they’re at the landlord’s discretion. This would fall under that.
My advice? If the person isn’t being a nuisance to anyone or the property, I’d just let them stay as you wish under a personal arrangement with that person.
Q10: Beard maintenance
So I’m considering growing a beard and I’ve read a lot of articles about how to maintain one. They talk about things like beard oil and brushes and stuff. How much of all of that is necessary?
– Mark
It depends on what you mean by “necessary.”
Beard oil simply serves to help moisturize the skin under the beard and make the beard hair look more shiny instead of scruffy and dry. It looks better, in other words. A brush means that you’re just detangling the beard and straightening it, much as you would do with the hair on your head.
I think a brush is pretty necessary, but I’m not convinced you need a special brush for it. As for beard oil, I think it entirely depends on how “dry” and “scratchy” and “frizzy” your beard is, and that has a lot to do with your natural beard and how oily it naturally is as well as how you want it to look.
My feeling is that a good looking beard varies widely in terms of the amount of effort it takes from guy to guy. Some guys have perfect, fluffy beard hair that looks good naturally. Others have dry crackly scraggly beard hair that takes a lot of effort to not make them look like a crazed hermit. The first guy probably doesn’t need beard oil. The second one probably does – or should just go beardless.
Myself? My beard goes right to “scraggly,” and it doesn’t have to be very long either. I stopped with my beard close to my graduation and haven’t grown one since, other than a three week experiment because my kids wanted to see it.
Q11: “Holidays” versus “Christmas”
Why are you so afraid to use the word “Christmas” in your articles? Do you just go through and replace it with the word “holidays”? Bet you won’t even address this.
– Kevin
My family celebrates Christmas each December, just as my family did when I was young and my wife’s family did when she was young. It’s a tradition for our family.
However, I have a very close and dear friend whose family celebrates Hanukkah each December. She personally does not find it “offensive” if I talk about Christmas around her, but I consider it basic respect for her and her practices and beliefs if I don’t forget about Hanukkah this time of the year and how her family chooses to celebrate it. The truth? While some practices are different, there are a lot of elements that are very similar in terms of how our families celebrate those two holidays.
There are actually a lot of holidays with both religious and cultural history this time of the year. Christmas and Hanukkah are big ones, but different groups celebrate Yule, Saturnalia, Omisoka, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, Saint Lucia Day, and the Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe, among others.
The Simple Dollar isn’t a religious blog, nor does it try to be a cultural blog. Sometimes those elements seep in a little; they just do, but that’s not the intent. I have readers that celebrate many of those events I just listed and don’t celebrate most of the others. There is no reason not to be welcoming of people of all religious and cultural traditions on a site that’s about the personal finance concerns that we all share. There’s no reason at all.
Q12: Board games for the holidays
I would like to get a board game or two to start an occasional family board game night. Family includes two adults, child age 12, child age 9. Want to spend $50 or less total. Suggestions?
– Nina
Ah, writing a question about board games is one of the surest ways to my heart, especially when you want to play them with family.
My honest suggestion for a “first” board game for a family is Settlers of Catan or Ticket to Ride or Pandemic. All three are widely available, are easy to learn, and work perfectly well for your family. Those three games are often on sale in various places, so I’d definitely shop around at big box retailers and on Amazon. Those three games would each eat up somewhere between $20 and $40 depending on how patient for a sale you are.
I’d accompany that with a single smaller game. I’d suggest any of the following that you can find in your price range: Codenames, King of Tokyo, Dixit, Splendor, Carcassonne, or Hanabi. You should be able to find these games in the $10 to $30 range, so you can mix and match those along with the other game.
For example, you can currently get a pairing of Hanabi and Ticket to Ride and Codenames for $53.47 on Amazon, which is probably what I’d recommend. Your family will have a ton of fun with those three. You can easily mix and match some of the other titles mentioned above in here if you’d like.
Got any questions? The best way to ask is to follow me on Facebook and ask questions directly there. I’ll attempt to answer them in a future mailbag (which, by way of full disclosure, may also get re-posted on other websites that pick up my blog). However, I do receive many, many questions per week, so I may not necessarily be able to answer yours.
The post Questions About Buying Local, Market Timing, Philosophy, Beards, and More! appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar http://ift.tt/2gHVNkK
What Effect Does Swearing Have on Your Brand?
Disclaimer: Please refrain from reading this post if you’re easily offended or have no sense of humor whatsoever.
It’s noisy and saturated these days in the marketing realm.
Brands are in a never-ending battle of one-upmanship.
With many industries being hyper-competitive and increasingly saturated, it’s never been more difficult to stand out from the pack.
But one technique that seems to work (at least for the brands that do it right) is swearing.
Some notable companies that have pulled this off flawlessly include Thug Kitchen, Vinomofo, and Dollar Shave Club.
It’s also something I have experimented with in the past.
In this post, I’d like to talk about the pros and cons of this brand strategy and whether or not you should try it.
I’ll draw from my own experience and use some actual examples to help you decide whether this is a viable technique for your brand.
Keep in mind that there will be some swearing, so only keep reading if you’re cool with that.
Why would you want to swear in your marketing?
It’s important to first say that swearing isn’t the right move for many brands.
For example, if you’re selling children’s toys, this approach obviously isn’t in the cards for you. If you use it, it’s just going to hurt your reputation.
But if you’re catering to a certain demographic (e.g., snarky twenty-somethings), this can most definitely work to your advantage.
Why would it make sense to drop a few f-bombs?
The way I look at it, there are four main reasons why you would want to swear.
1. It’s funny
If your audience is fairly lax—not too uptight or rigid—there’s a good chance a percentage of them will respond favorably to swearing. It’ll look humorous to them.
It’s kind of like conjuring your inner Beavis and Butthead who can’t help but find potty humor and cursing funny.
I think the funny factor is heightened even more when it catches you off guard and you hear someone like an old lady or a little girl swearing.
Take Potty-Mouthed Princesses, for example.
In a campaign from FCKH8.com, seemingly innocent little girls dressed as princesses drop f-bombs for feminism:
(Potty-Mouthed Princesses Drop F-Bombs for Feminism by FCKH8.com from FCKH8.com on Vimeo.)
It definitely takes you by surprise, and you can’t help but laugh when you hear little girls swearing like sailors.
2. It conveys authenticity
When you think about all the overly corporate, polished brands out there that are meticulous about keeping a spotless reputation, it’s refreshing to see a brand that lets loose a little.
When I see a brand swearing, I feel like they’re “keeping it real” and know how to have fun. It shows that a company knows what it’s all about and isn’t afraid to run with it.
3. It conveys confidence
Swearing is a ballsy marketing move. It’s not for the timid.
It shows you’re not afraid to be a little rebellious and break conventional marketing rules. Some notable personalities have built their entire identity on a salty word.
Is it offensive? Maybe. Depends on who you are.
Is it confident? Heck, yes.
I think a few well-placed curse words also show that a brand has the cojones to rock the ship, which is appealing to many customers.
4. It helps you connect on a deeper level with your audience
It’s fair to say that “rocking the ship” by swearing won’t allow you to appeal to as wide of a demographic as it would if you kept your marketing squeaky clean.
But who cares?
Using this approach shows you really know your audience and aren’t trying to be everything to everyone.
Or as Tyler Durden from Fight Club would say,
You gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelet.
What are the potential repercussions?
Of course, it might not be all puppy dogs and rainbows if you incorporate swearing into your marketing. There can be some drawbacks.
After all, being controversial isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
I actually wrote a blog post about a small experiment I conducted to see how my email subscribers would respond to me sending them an email with a controversial title.
Here’s what I found:
- I was hoping that the open rate would increase, but it stayed the same (roughly 26%).
- It received more traffic than most other posts. It even got an extra 4,061 visitors compared to a normal Monday blog post, and my social media traffic was 134% more than normal.
- It hurt my revenue. Compared to a normal Monday, the income dropped by 26%. The income for that day was even lower than for the days when I don’t published a blog post by roughly 4%.
This means that swearing isn’t necessarily a smart move for your brand.
You may come across as crass, unsophisticated, and even uneducated.
In fact, it can potentially sour your existing relationships, make you lose customers, and hurt your overall profitability.
This is why I don’t recommend jumping in head first with swearing. You’ll want to know the full scope of this marketing move and the potential implications before you start swearing like a sailor.
What I’m trying to say is that like with most things, there are inherent pros and cons to swearing.
It’s definitely not for every brand, but it works well for some.
Examples of brands that use swearing
I’d like to point out three specific brands that I feel have used swearing to their advantage.
They’re all a little edgy and known for being cynical and snarky. They’re also quite witty.
Example 1 – Thug Kitchen
In my opinion, this brand really pushes the envelope. Just look at what visitors see after landing on its homepage:
Keep in mind that this is above the fold for the whole world to see. It’s not hidden on some obscure page of the site. It’s in your face and right to the point.
Not many brands would have the courage to take this approach.
Call them obscene. Call them dangerous. Call them crass, but I feel that Thug Kitchen pulls it off eloquently.
Just take a look at one of its blog posts:
Or check out the Thug Kitchen Cookbook trailer:
For a second, you think this is just another commercial like the thousands of other super-PC, mind-numbing commercials out there.
But it quickly becomes evident that this is very, very different. Thug Kitchen uses its wit and smartassery to make an incredibly (in my opinion) funny spoof commercial.
The team does it seamlessly and with a great entertainment factor.
Example 2 – Vinomofo
This company specializes in selling “epic wines” to wine enthusiasts around the world.
Their brand identity puts an emphasis on being authentic and unpretentious.
And while they’re nowhere near as hardcore as Thug Kitchen is with their swearing, Vinomofo is definitely edgy.
Here’s a short snippet from the “About” section of their site that describes the “Mofo Tribe”:
It’s pretty clear they’ve got a firm grasp of their demographic.
It’s also clear they’re not worried about catering to everyone. They “get it” and are just looking to connect with their tight little audience.
Example 3 – Dollar Shave Club
Pretty much everyone has heard of Dollar Shave Club by now.
That’s founder Michael Dubin being saucy and sarcastic about how awesome his company’s razor blades are.
There’s no beating around the bush, and Dollar Shave Club’s distinct brand of humor has been the primary reason for their success and net worth of $615 million.
In my opinion, they’re marketing geniuses who have found a way to pepper in a little swearing to enhance their brand identity.
Conclusion
Here’s the deal: Under the right circumstances, swearing and even flat-out obscenity can work wonders.
Aaaand, here’s my disclaimer: Under the wrong circumstances, it can offend consumers, diminish your brand equity, and make you look like an insensitive bigot.
It’s really amazing how far-ranging the results can be.
Although I’ve found swearing to have more of a negative than positive impact on my brand, this doesn’t mean it can’t work for you.
Just look at the success that companies like Thug Kitchen, Vinomofo, and especially Dollar Shave Club have had.
Or think about famous people such as comedian George Carlin and author Chuck Palahniuk, whose names have become synonymous with being edgy and non-PC.
My advice is this: consider your audience, and ask these questions:
- Does your target audience primarily consist of people who would be okay with swearing?
- Or would it turn them off and detract from their experience?
- Also, does swearing align with the overall brand identity you’re trying to establish?
If you feel like swearing could be used to your advantage, you might want to experiment with it.
I wouldn’t go to the extremes of Thug Kitchen and start dropping f-bombs left and right. But you could throw in a curse word or two to see how your audience reacts.
I also recommend that you avoid being blatantly offensive. Be mature. Keep it classy, and try not to alienate your audience in the process.
What’s your opinion of brands that use swearing?
Source Quick Sprout http://ift.tt/2g0E9t1
Care homes to be investigated
Care homes for the elderly are to be investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to find out whether residents are being treated fairly.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2gXXSqv
Home phone price review launched
A review of home phone prices has been launched to ensure users are getting value for money.
Regulator Ofcom says that while competition in the telecoms sector “remains strong”, it has concerns that people who only buy landline services are “not being served well”.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2gY1j0C
Make Money From Home Proofreading Legal Transcripts
I’ve been receiving a lot of questions about proofreading legal transcripts. So, this week I sat down with Caitlin Pyle, who is a professional legal transcript proofreader. Caitlin has not only excelled in the field, she also teaches others how to break in and succeed in this career. Read on to find out if proofreading legal […]
The post Make Money From Home Proofreading Legal Transcripts appeared first on The Work at Home Woman.
Source The Work at Home Woman http://ift.tt/2gt0rQu
Money worries put dampener on Christmas: how to manage festive spending
A third of Brits are buying Christmas presents on credit this year, and five million are stressed out with money worries in the run-up to the festive season, new research has revealed.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2h5DgeN
Train fares to rise by 2.3% in 2017
Rail fares will rise by 2.3% on average across Great Britain next year, the rail industry has confirmed.
The move applies to all national fares in England, Scotland, and Wales. This covers both regulated tickets – such as season tickets and off-peak rail fares - and unregulated tickets – such as peak travel fares and advance tickets.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2fZCSCH
The Food Freeze: How We Avoided the Grocery Store for More Than Two Weeks
A few months ago, I peeked in our pantry and freezer to take stock of what we had before hitting the store. What I found shocked me.
I don’t know when or why it happened, but both spots were bulging at the seams.
In the freezer, I had accumulated frozen vegetables galore, frozen blueberries leftover from summer, and some random prepared foods (mostly breakfast stuff and veggie burgers). In my wall pantry, I had all kinds of random ingredients – things like bread crumbs, pickles, crackers, dip mixes, and potato chips. In my Lazy Susan, I had even more stuff: cans of vegetables and beans, boxes of mac-n-cheese, and like eight boxes of pasta and six jars of spaghetti sauce!
I had to ask myself why I was going to the store when I obviously had so much food already. I mean, I easily had enough food for two weeks or longer.
So, instead of heading to the store, I did something else – I sat down and made a list of everything we had, down to jars of jelly and condiments. Once I created a master food list, I decided that, after one last trip for last-minute stuff, I would figure out a way to use up the bulk of our existing groceries and avoid the store for a few weeks.
The Food Freeze
Not shopping for a few weeks was going to have financial and practical benefits, I thought. First, not shopping for food would obviously save us money. Since I generally spend $125 to $150 per week on groceries for our family of four, not visiting the store for two weeks would theoretically save $250 at the very least.
Another reason to eat up our food surplus? Avoiding waste. I hate throwing away food, so it was about time I took inventory of what we had and put it to good use. To me, throwing away food is like throwing away money! It rarely happens in our house, but I feel physical pain when a sack of salad hits the trash.
The only problem with avoiding the store was getting bread and milk. I solved that problem by vowing to visit the store just once over a two-week period to buy those important staples. My kids drink regular milk with dinner and use it on their cereal every morning, and they need bread for school lunches. No matter what, there wasn’t much I could do to avoid the inevitability of visiting the store for these perishable items.
Once we worked out those initial details, we set out to avoid the store completely for what ended up being longer than two weeks. Here’s how we did it:
We made soups!
By and large, one of the easiest ways to use up ingredients is to make soup. Trent has written about his love of frugal soups and stews on The Simple Dollar numerous times, and I’ve found making soup really is one of the best ways to create a meal with almost anything.
Using ingredients in our pantry and freezer, we made vegetable soup one week and vegetarian chili the next week. With a surplus of frozen vegetables in stock, this part was easy. We had these soups for dinner several times, then ate the leftovers at lunch. I even froze some extra chili we had because I made too much.
We got creative with ingredients.
Because some of the new recipes I found online required ingredients I didn’t want to go out and buy, we had to get creative using the “stuff” we had on hand. I made spicy bean tacos with refried beans instead of black beans, for example. I also used sliced American cheese (kinda gross, but it was fine) for any recipe that called for cheese, because that’s all we had.
The kids and husband didn’t seem to notice or care, and it was fine with me. Best of all, it forced me to use some ingredients that had been lingering in my pantry (that old can of refried beans only had a few more months of shelf life, for example).
We were intentional when it comes to menu planning.
The key to making it work was less about “making do” and more about being intentional. With a list of ingredients on hand, it was a lot easier to decide what to eat using the food we already had.
I like to play around on several websites that give you recipe ideas based on the random ingredients you enter. Whether you’re enduring a food freeze or not, these websites can be a lot of fun. MyFridgeFood.com is probably my favorite. After you log in, you just have to input the ingredients you have to get access to a ton of recipes that would actually work for that combination. MyFridgeFood doesn’t always offer the best recipes, but it is easy to use. Even better, it’s free!
We all ate stuff we didn’t want to eat.
You know how to get rid of eight boxes of spaghetti and seven jars of spaghetti sauce? You eat spaghetti – and lots of it. This part wasn’t fun, but it needed to be done.
I started with the jars of sauce that were the oldest, then made spaghetti on three different nights. Each night, I added a different frozen vegetable to switch things up.
While I like to make my own spaghetti sauce when I have time, our pasta surplus exists because I use spaghetti as part of my emergency food fund. The good news is, I saved the last few jars and boxes of pasta for the busy nights where I don’t have time to make anything fancy.
Two Weeks Without Groceries: The Results
Over the course of two-and-a-half weeks, I only visited the grocery store once. During that visit, I picked up two loaves of bread, a gallon of milk, and nothing else.
Better yet, we made a huge dent in our existing food surplus. We didn’t eat everything we had by a long shot, but we made considerable headway. As icing on the cake, we only spent $250 on food during the entire month.
While the experience wasn’t exactly fun, I would do it again. And honestly, the entire hassle reminded me to be more intentional and mindful of how we spend our money at the grocery store. Even though our grocery store bill is small (around $600 per month) most of the time, we have the potential to spend even less if we make mindful decisions about what’s for dinner every night.
Food is a big component of anyone’s budget, but it becomes a lot more expensive when we’re wasteful. The best way to avoid waste is to pay attention to what you have already – and use it.
Holly Johnson is an award-winning personal finance writer who is obsessed with frugality, budgeting, and travel. She blogs at ClubThrifty.com and teaches others how to write online at EarnMoreWriting.com.
Related Articles:
- 20 Strategies for Radically Cutting Your Food Expenses
- Double-Header Dinner Ideas: Three Easy Recipes for Back-to-Back Nights
- Our Family’s Eight Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes
Do you ever avoid the store and eat what you already have instead? How does your family survive a food freeze?
The post The Food Freeze: How We Avoided the Grocery Store for More Than Two Weeks appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar http://ift.tt/2h5ezPD