EXETER TWP. — Township supervisors voted unanimously Thursday night to offer their support for a medical marijuana growing operation in Wyoming County.Supervisor Rick Wilbur said the official application period for a cannabis grower/processor permit with the state Department of Health was not open yet, but Bill and Amanda Banta had approached him about getting a letter of support from the community for their proposed venture, Pennsylvania Harvest Co. LLC.Both Bantas [...]
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الجمعة، 30 ديسمبر 2016
Family time counts more than wealth
Spending time with family is more important than having a bigger salary, a larger home or nicer cars and holidays, new research has revealed.
How much you value spending time with your family or how important your financial goals are will vary depending on whether your are comfortably off or struggling, according to the Lloyds Private Banking study.
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Here are 3 Schools Where New Grads Average Less Than $10K in Debt
When best college lists roll around each year, we expect to see the usual suspects: all the Ivy League schools, plus Duke, which always seems to sneak in there.
So when Kiplinger released its Best College Values list, we took a look on the far right side of the rubric: average debt at graduation. Because you can go to your Swarthmores or your Vanderbilts, sure. But according to Kiplinger’s latest tally, the average debt for students graduating from those top-tier schools easily reaches the $20,000-or-more mark.
Which Schools’ Graduates Have the Lowest Student Debt?
Wondering where you can get a solid education and perhaps graduate without mountains of debt? Only three schools on Kiplinger’s Best College Values list reported that students averaged less than $10,000 at graduation.
118. Baruch College of the City University of New York, New York
- Cost per year: $35,790
- Average debt at graduation: $7,915
- Admissions rate: 32%
3. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
- Cost per year: $61,140
- Average debt at graduation: $8,577
- Does not give merit-based aid
- Admissions rate: 7%
73. Berea College, Berea, Kentucky
- Cost per year: $7,742
- Average debt at graduation: $7,928
- Does not give merit-based aid
- Admissions rate: 36%
The catch: Berea is a liberal arts work college, meaning all students work at least 10 hours per week on campus in exchange for four years of tuition. Students only pay room and board costs.
That’s it, kids. Those are your options if you’re searching for schools schools on Kiplinger’s Best College Values list where students average less than $10,000 in student loan debt at graduation. Better start applying for scholarships.
Your Turn: How would you decide which college to attend?
Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder. She has a B.A. from the University of Maryland.
The post Here are 3 Schools Where New Grads Average Less Than $10K in Debt appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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This Could Be the Most Honest Job Listing We’ve Ever Seen
Want a work-from-home customer service job that doesn’t involve finding a quiet space, talking on the phone or up-selling anything?
If you like a company that tells it like it is, we think you’ll love this opportunity.
Sugar dating site Secret Benefits is hiring someone for customer support and profile moderation. Refreshingly, the company doesn’t sugarcoat the job description.
“If customer service is your passion, perfect! More likely it’s not, but this job will free you to follow (your actual passion).”
… nor the pay: “The pay won’t go far in New York or San Fran.”
And the listing opens with a blunt, “There are no benefits.”
It also admits, “The work may be tedious … often answering similar support questions. At times you will lose faith in humanity and wonder how the asker gets by each day.”
If you’ve ever worked in customer service, you know this speaks #truth.
“If you’re still reading,” the upfront listing continues, “this might be your dream job.”
Become a Customer Support Rep with Secret Benefits
Secret Benefits is a dating site whose mission is to “help men and women find their dream arrangement so they can get what they really want out of their relationships.”
If you’ve heard of sugar dating, you can probably understand the no-BS nature of this job listing.
It is, in fact, just about the most no-BS way to approach dating you can find. Arrangements vary, but it generally involves one wealthy partner providing some amount of financial support in exchange for companionship.
This position would be responsible for answering customer queries via email. You’d also moderate dating profiles to “ensure they don’t have a Kardashian as their profile pic,” for example.
Your schedule would be flexible, but the company is hoping for this position to be full time with hours between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. EST. You’d work independently, no one checking in or looking over your shoulder.
The job comes with few requirements for experience or equipment. Apply “If you were mildly entertained” by the listing, or simply, “want a job.” Previous experience working remotely in customer service is a plus.
Secret Benefits is not a startup, but a profitable company with a small team distributed around the world. It celebrates escaping “the confines of the 9-5 tedium and commute.”
If that’s what you’re looking for, this work-from-home job could be just the right arrangement for you!
To apply: Email “your best proof of being able to do this work” to the address listed here.
Writer’s note: We contacted Secret Benefits for comment, but haven’t heard back yet. We’ll update the article with more information if we do!
Your Turn: Have you ever come across a job listing this honest?
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 Could Be the Most Honest Job Listing We’ve Ever Seen appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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26 Teenage Girls Can Get the Trip of a Lifetime — For Free
I’ll admit it: When I opened the door of my North Florida home this morning, the 54-degree air almost sent me scuttling right back to bed.
And yes, I’m well aware how balmy that temperature sounds to most of the rest of the country in December. In fact, I know a lot of people who relish the yearly arrival of crisp air and snowfall. (I just don’t claim to fully understand them.)
But if the cold’s never bothered you anyway — and you happen to be an adventurous 16- or 17-year-old girl — we found a pretty sweet way for you to keep on walkin’ in a winter wonderland, even at the height of summer.
And by “walkin’,” I mean hiking, climbing, kayaking and exploring in the majestic mountains and fjords of the Pacific Northwest.
Better yet? It’s totally free.
You just have to be lucky enough to get accepted.
Want a Free Trip? If You’re an Adventurous Teenage Girl, You Might Get One
Inspiring Girls Expeditions is the coolest organization I’d never heard of. It sends teenage girls on life-changing adventures to cultivate curiosity, leadership skills, confidence and success.
And even better? You don’t have to be a star athlete or in the top 2% of your class to be chosen.
“Expeditions are not rewards for past academic achievement,” the website states. “We are looking for girls who have a genuine interest in science, art, critical thinking and the outdoors, and who wouldn’t normally have opportunities to experience those things outside of school.”
And right now, Inspiring Girls is accepting applications for three incredible-sounding summer journeys.
First, there’s Girls on Ice – Alaska, which is open for applications to girls from Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, California, British Columbia or the Yukon. You’ll “sleep under the midnight sun and explore an Alaska glacier from June 16-27, 2017.”
Next up is Girls on Ice – Cascades. The lucky team will explore Mount Baker, an ice-covered volcano in Washington state, from July 16-27, 2017. Even better? Girls from anywhere in the U.S. and even other countries are eligible to apply.
Last but not least, there’s Girls in Icy Fjords. This group will “explore Bear Glacier and its marine environment” near Seward, Alaska, while also learning to kayak. It runs Aug. 11-22, 2017 and is also open to applicants from anywhere in the world.
All three expeditions will last 12 days and be made up of a team of eight or nine teenage girls and three instructors. Girls must be 16 or 17 years old on June 1, 2017 to apply.
Thanks to support from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Interior Alaska Climate Science Center and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks — and generous gifts and grants from other individuals and sponsors — these expeditions are 100% tuition free.
Food and gear are covered, too. All you need to pay for is getting yourself to the start location. (And if even that sounds like a stretch, no worries: Inspiring Girls is willing to work with you on raising money for a portion of the cost.)
While you’re exploring the gorgeous Pacific wilderness, you’ll conduct scientific field studies with glaciologists, oceanographers, artists and mountaineers. You’ll also learn more about glaciers, develop critical thinking skills, and explore the connection between science and art.
Pretty freaking sweet, right? Like, where was this program when I was 17? (Yes, even this thin-skinned Floridian would be willing to brave the cold for this opportunity!)
But before you start searching for your other snow glove and booking your summer flight, hold on. Here’s what you need to know about applying.
What is Inspiring Girls Looking for in an Applicant?
Although the opportunity would obviously be an incredible resume-builder, Inspiring Girls specifically mentions that it’s not looking for girls who are simply looking for a resume or college application boost.
Rather, the screeners look “for girls who will each contribute in a unique way to the team. Ideally, you will… teach each other. Therefore, we do not choose girls based solely on their individual applications — we choose the team as a whole.”
“We look for a cross-section of culture, ethnicity, religion, lifestyle, outdoor experience, and hometowns, with a strong emphasis on girls who might not otherwise have such an opportunity.”
That’s both good news and bad news for hopeful applicants.
On one hand, you have a real shot at getting in, even if you’re not already a badass wilderness science nerd.
Inspiring Girls is looking for a “balance of interests” which includes science, of course — but also art, politics and philosophy. As long as you’re willing and able to learn, explore and do some physical tasks, you’re totally eligible.
But the company’s openness to a variety backgrounds and skill sets also means you can’t bank on your stellar grades or past experience as a trail guide to guarantee you’ll get in.
But since the application itself is also free, you’ve got nothing to lose (except a few kilojoules of body heat) — and a whole lot of awesome to gain.
Head over to the Inspiring Girls Expedition website to get all the details about each expedition and start the application process. And if you have more questions, you can reach out directly to the team at apply@girlsonice.org.
Applications are due Jan. 31, 2017.
Good luck — and stay warm out there!
Your Turn: Will you or an adventurous girl you know apply for one of these incredible summer expeditions?
Jamie Cattanach is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her writing has also been featured in the Ms. Magazine blog, The Write Life, Word Riot, Nashville Review and elsewhere. Find @JamieCattanach on Twitter to wave hello.
The post 26 Teenage Girls Can Get the Trip of a Lifetime — For Free appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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These 20 States are Raising Minimum Wage in 2017. Is Yours on the List?
New year, new minimum wage.
At least for 20 states — including Washington D.C.
Some of these raises happened thanks to the November election. Some raises were previously scheduled. Other states’ laws require raises due to the increased cost of living.
In all, about 4.4 million low-wage workers will be affected, the Wall Street Journal reports.
20 States That’ll Raise Minimum Wage in 2017
Here are the states and numbers you need to know:
- D.C.: $12.50 (+$1)
- Massachusetts: $11 (+$1)
- Washington: $11 (+$1.53)
- California: $10.50 (+50 cents)
- Connecticut: $10.10 (+50 cents)
- Vermont: $10 (+40 cents)
- Arizona: $10 (+$1.95)
- Alaska: $9.80 (+5 cents)
- New York: $9.70 (+70 cents)
- Colorado: $9.30 (+99 cents)
- Maryland: $9.25 (+50 cents)
- Maine: $9 (+$1.50)
- Michigan: $8.90 (+40 cents)
- South Dakota: $8.65 (+10 cents)
- Arkansas: $8.50 (+50 cents)
- New Jersey: $8.44 (+6 cents)
- Ohio: $8.15 (+5 cents)
- Montana: $8.15 (+10 cents)
- Florida: $8.10 (+5 cents)
- Missouri: $7.70 (+5 cents)
Now, I’m not going to digress into a political debate. That’s not the point. The point is, more than 4.4 million Americans will be getting a pay raise.
As someone who worked for minimum wage earlier this year, I can appreciate that.
Your Turn: Does this mean you’ll be making more money in 2017?
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. After recently completing graduate school, she focuses on saving money — and surviving the move back in with her parents.
The post These 20 States are Raising Minimum Wage in 2017. Is Yours on the List? appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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How to Fact-Check Your Latest Blog Post in 20 Minutes or Less
Nobody’s correct all the time. Your blog posts, on the other hand, should be correct all the time.
Why? Because if your blog gets the facts wrong, your readers won’t take you seriously. Instead of being an authoritative resource, your blog will become a joke.
It’s harsh but true. Assuming you’re not a satire site like the Onion, you need to get your information right.
Truth be told, blogs should have similar standards for their posts as colleges have for students’ papers. Colleges require students to cite their sources in detail, and the sources have to be credible.
While I don’t think blogs should be required to quote only academic journals, I do think most blogs could benefit from higher standards of quality.
That means no poorly researched facts, no half-baked ideas, and no generalizations or assumptions.
It means thoroughly researched points, credible sources, and specific examples and anecdotes.
That’s the standard I keep for all my blogs, and I encourage my friends and colleagues to do the same.
Best of all, it doesn’t take hours to make your blog posts bulletproof.
Here’s how to fact-check your latest blog post in 20 minutes or less. Let’s get started.
Determine which facts to check
You don’t need to be super paranoid to have a perfectly correct blog post. Not every fact needs to be double-checked.
That’s why your first objective should be to comb through your post and determine which facts need checking.
An easy way of doing this is to consider whether or not the fact is common knowledge.
According to Harvard University, “Common knowledge is information generally known to an educated reader, such as widely known facts and dates, and, more rarely, ideas or language.”
For example, the fact that Barack Obama won the 2012 election is common knowledge. But the fact that Obama likes basketball is not common knowledge.
How can you tell whether a fact is common knowledge?
Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab says that, as a rule of thumb, if you can find the fact undocumented in at least five credible sources, chances are it’s common knowledge.
If your fact is common knowledge, you don’t need any source to back it up.
However, I recommend doing a quick yet thorough Google search to make sure your fact isn’t a common misconception. If all looks good, move on to the next step.
Consult credible sources
There’s a huge difference between an authoritative source and a credible source. Unfortunately, most people think they’re one and the same.
For example, most schools don’t allow students to cite Wikipedia because anyone can edit it. Even though Wikipedia is mostly well-maintained, it can’t be used academically.
Wikipedia is a perfect example of a site that is an authoritative—but not credible—source. It’s authoritative because it’s used by millions of people, but it’s not credible.
The Wall Street Journal is an example of an authoritative source that is also a credible source. Most major news publications (e.g., The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post) count as credible sources.
Besides national newspapers, some examples of sources that are credible include:
- Personal websites (e.g., NeilPatel.com)
- Studies in peer-reviewed journals with citations
- Academic sites (i.e., sites ending in .edu)
- Government sites (i.e., sites ending in .gov)
- Trustworthy institutions (e.g., Mayo Clinic, Department of Justice)
Keep in mind that while some of these sources would be considered off-limits in an academic setting, they’re perfectly fine in our case. For example, using a personal site for a grad paper might be frowned upon, but it works fine for blog posts.
Some examples of sources that aren’t credible include:
- Forums
- Social media posts/updates
- Studies without citations
Ultimately, you have to use your judgment here. If you’re using well-known, widely trusted sources, you’re good to go.
Get help from the watchdogs
There are also plenty of sites and resources dedicated to fact checking.
Usually, these types of watchdog sites cover either politics or urban myths. For example, FactCheck.org and Politifact.com are two sites that help you determine the validity of political statements.
One of the most popular checking sites is Snopes. It has entries on all kinds of urban legends and controversial facts.
The team of researchers at Snopes always show their research, making it easy to fact-check Snopes itself.
While Snopes has gotten some criticism for its seemingly biased political articles, it’s a good resource for many other topics.
Last but not least, Google recently announced its new Fact Check tag for Google News. In a nutshell, readers will be able to check the validity of an article by clicking on the Fact Check tag.
If you’re already using Google News, this will be super convenient for you. And if you’re not using Google news, it’s a great time to start.
Create a strategy
I’ve shared a lot of information so far, but don’t be intimidated. As I promised, you’ll be able to use this info to fact-check a blog post in 20 minutes or less.
Let me take you through the strategy, step by step.
Step 1: Create a fact checking spreadsheet (1 minute)
Open Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, and create a new spreadsheet.
Don’t worry, you’re not going to make anything complicated. You’ll need only three columns.
Name the first column “Fact,” and enter all the facts from your blog post that need checking. (Refer back to the “Determine which facts to check” section of this article for this step.)
Name the second column “Sources.” We’ll use this in the next step.
Name the third column “Use.” You’ll use this column to determine the validity of your facts.
Step 2: Head to Google (8 minutes)
If your facts don’t fall into any political, social, or mythological categories, Google will be your first step in the fact-checking process.
For example, if you wanted to write about the successful use of Facebook video ads, you’d want to find a reputable source with examples.
Head to Google, and search “Facebook video ads.” One of the top results is this blog post from Social Media Examiner:
The article has lots of outbound links to support its claims, which is a great sign. There’s also a lot of media to help the user follow the strategy.
This is an excellent example of a good resource. This article would definitely back up your claims about Facebook video ads being successful.
Try to find at least two quality articles, studies, or videos to back up each statement. This way, you can go through them at the end and decide which resources will be best for your article.
When you find your sources, paste the links in the “Sources” column of your spreadsheet.
Step 3: Consult other sites (optional, 5 minutes)
If you’re writing about anything political, you’ll most likely need to use FactCheck.org, Politifact, or Snopes. And if you need to check any facts related to society, Snopes is a good place to go.
You won’t need to use these sites for every article you write, so this is an optional step. If you do need to use these sites, just run your topic keywords through the search bars.
At this point, you might be thinking, “But what if there’s nothing out there to support my fact?”
A lack of support means one of two things: You either need to support the fact yourself or eliminate it from your article.
Since these are polar opposites, you’ll have to use your judgment here.
For example, if you’re arguing that studying the Renaissance can improve your marketing, you probably won’t find much out there that connects the two. But you can probably make a strong case for why it’s true.
On the other hand, if you’re arguing that the Loch Ness monster’s favorite color is blue, you won’t find anything to support that. And you probably can’t create a convincing case that backs up your statement.
Overall, if you have a hard time backing up a fact, you should leave it out. You are better off being safe than sorry when it comes to fact checking.
Step 4: Weed out the bad facts (2 minutes)
Take a final look at your spreadsheet. If you found at least one credible source for a fact, you can use that fact. Enter “Yes” in the “Use” column.
If there are any facts without sources, you’re better off not including those facts in your article. As I mentioned above, if you can make a compelling case for a fact, go for it, but be careful.
You’ll come across a few duds every now and then, and that’s okay. When it comes to facts, always choose quality over quantity.
Conclusion
There you have it—a complete strategy for fact-checking your newest blog post that only takes about 17 minutes. (And in many cases, even less.)
While this is a quick-start guide, don’t be afraid to spend a little more time on this process. Getting your facts straight can mean the difference between a success and a flop.
And keep in mind that the longer the blog post, the more research you’ll have.
To give you an idea, my posts run anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000+ words, and I typically spend about an hour or so on research per post.
Of course, the most important part about writing a blog post is making sure the content is awesome. Write to solve your readers’ problems, and be passionate about it.
Thanks to the Internet, fact-checking has never been easier. Take a few minutes to double-check everything, and you’ll never have to worry about misleading your readers.
What’s your favorite fact-checking tip?
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Using Your Credit Card Bill as a Wake-Up Call
Here’s a little exercise for you to try out. Take out your latest credit card bill from your most frequently used credit card. Print it out if it’s an electronic bill; otherwise, just grab a pen and put the bill on the table in front of you.
Now, go through each item and ask yourself a couple of simple questions about each one.
“Was this thing a necessary purchase?” If it is, put a little + beside that item on your bill. Easy enough – these expenses should be obvious.
“Was this purchase not necessary, but actually really fulfilling when I look back on it?” Just leave it blank. Don’t mark anything beside it.
“Was this purchase not necessary, but not really all that great when I look back on it?” Put a – beside that item.
“I don’t remember what this item was at all, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t important.” Put a – beside that item.
Now, go through and total up all of the items with a – beside them and see how much those items add up to.
That’s the amount of money you spent on things that are truly forgettable, that weren’t necessary and didn’t have any sort of positive impact on your life.
That money could have been used to pay down debts. It could have been used to save up for a down payment on a home or on a car. It could have been used to save for retirement through a Roth IRA contribution. Those things quickly turn a – into a +.
Even if you didn’t want to necessarily spend that money on those things, it could have at least been used on things that were really fulfilling when you look back on them, like a meaningful day at the zoo with your family or gas for a day trip to see your grandmother. Those things move, at the very least, into the neutral column.
This exercise isn’t meant for you to beat up on yourself. The truth is that everyone makes spending mistakes. If I go through my own credit card statements, you better believe that I’m going to mark some things down with a -.
The real purpose of this exercise is twofold.
First, it helps you to recognize how much of your spending goes toward things that are completely forgettable and have minimal life impact. People often wonder at the end of the month where all of their money has gone, and the truth is that a lot of it goes toward completely forgettable things with little impact. While it’s easy to acknowledge that truth in a general sense, this exercise makes it very specific and personal. It shows you how much of your spending is forgettable and low-impact. It even shows you exactly what those expenses are.
Second, it gives you a great deal of insight when it comes to your future spending. To me, this is the real value of this type of exercise. It shows you, front and center, how much money you’re spending ineffectively, plus it tells you exactly where you’re spending it. You can take that information and use it to improve your spending habits going forward.
How? Here’s how you can use that information to really reshape your spending.
First, look for patterns in the data. Where do you often spend money in a forgettable fashion? Is it at a bar? A gas station? A particular store? A website? Are there particular kinds of products that you often buy that you just forget about? Soda? Alcohol? Coffee? Entertainment? Look for things that show up again and again in your spending and see if you can make a short list of a few of those patterns.
Second, identify clear, specific life changes that will slash your spending in terms of the patterns you noticed. You have a few clear patterns that define your forgettable spending. What are you going to do about those things? For example, if you spend a lot of money on forgettable stuff online, consider deleting your credit card number from online stores that you frequently use, especially the ones where you buy forgettable things. If you often buy sodas or alcohol or other consumables that you simply forget about, make it your goal to cut those habits (it’s probably better for your health, too). If you find that there’s a ton of expense associated with a particular friend or social group, dial down your time with those folks and build up time with friends that don’t require spending.
Third, implement those changes. Ideally, you now have one or two real tangible changes that you can implement… so implement them. This can be a hard thing to do, so here are a few suggestions on making them click.
First, remind yourself of these initiatives every morning, early in the morning. Put aside a few minutes to specifically think about these goals. Put them on a big note on your bathroom mirror so you can think about them when you’re brushing your teeth, or put them as the lock screen on your smartphone by making an image with those ideas. I find that looking at these focus points right before or right after meditation or prayer (something I do every morning) is very helpful in terms of locking those ideas into my skull.
Second, focus just on today. Don’t worry about the failures of the past or the path ahead of you. Just worry about making sure you take care of those things today. If one of your initiatives is to cut online spending, just choose not to spend any money online today for anything. If one of your initiatives is to stop drinking alcohol, focus on not drinking today and use other outlets for your emotions. If you have an initiative that involves making social changes, make an active choice to spend some time cultivating a new friend or two today. Today is what matters.
Third, evaluate today before you go to bed. Much as you did in the morning, spend a moment or two reflecting on your initiative for the day at the end of the day. Did you manage to avoid drinking? Hooray! Success! If you didn’t, why did that happen? It’s not life-ending to have made a mistake, but it should be seen as an opportunity to figure out why you made a misstep and focus on making sure that you take care of the reason behind the curtain. I find that repetitive failures means that I need to be working on something else in my life as a daily goal because there’s some other challenge in some other part of my life that’s not working out right, so fixing that other challenge needs to come first.
Fourth, make (and continue) success chains. When I’m working on establishing a new “normal” in my life, it usually comes from consciously repeating a daily habit until it’s so normal that I don’t have to think about it any more. I find that it starts to happen around the 30 day mark but doesn’t really “lock in” permanently for at least 90 days of steady repetition. To keep myself motivated, I use the “success chain” system. I have a white board in my office where I have my top two or three daily goals listed. Next to each goal is a line of Xs. Each day, when I’ve successfully done that thing, I add an X to that line. If I haven’t successfully done that thing, I erase the whole line. I often look at this board during my morning evaluation of my daily goals, because maintaining that chain of Xs has a great deal of psychological power.
Use these strategies together to implement the changes you identified and actually cut that needless spending from your life.
Finally, see how those changes affect your spending in the next billing cycle. Skip a month, then take a close look at the first full billing cycle after you started implementing these changes. Go through it and do the same “+,” ” ,” and “-” exercise described above. Ideally, you’re going to notice a lot of positive change, probably enough that you immediately notice it in your lower-than-usual credit card balance or your higher-than-usual bank balance.
It feels good. Real good. The best part? Since it’s spending that really doesn’t matter to you, it’s easy to keep it going. You can do this.
It’s this type of cyclic pattern – looking for mistakes you’re making, looking for actionable steps to improve them, implementing those steps, and then checking the results – that is behind almost every kind of positive change people implement in their lives. Personal finance change is no different.
Weeding out forgettable spending is a particularly powerful type of change because you’re letting go of stuff that really isn’t very meaningful for you and replacing it with much more meaningful uses of your money, plus you can clearly see the impact month over month on your bank statements and credit card bills.
Give this little technique a shot. You’ll be pretty happy with the changes it brings.
The post Using Your Credit Card Bill as a Wake-Up Call appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
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These 16-Year-Olds Invented a Card Game for a School Project… and Made $20K
Confession time: I have never gone camping.
Not really, anyway. When I told my parents I wanted to as a kid, they said, “For sure!”
… and then rented an RV. That’s about as close to roughing it as they wanted to get.
I predictably grew into an adult too attached to air conditioning and Wi-Fi to get any closer to the real deal than renting a KOA cabin.
But this sweet camping game — and the inspiring story behind it — might just make me change my ways.
How a Class Project Sparked These Young Entrepreneurs’ Spirits
In the winter of 2015, 16-year-old Maya Gay was faced with a challenge.
She and her entrepreneurship classmates were asked to come up with business ideas, which would then compete in a Dragons’ Den-style competition. Incentives included considerable bragging rights… and cold, hard cash.
Gay partnered up with her friend Rachel Birrell and worked on a business idea that revolved around the pair’s passion: the outdoors.
“I’ve grown up skiing, hiking and backpacking,” Maya says. Her whole family loves to explore the great outdoors, and she plans to hike the Pacific Crest Trail soon.
But at 16, Gay and Birrell didn’t have the resources to create the material-intensive revised camp shoe they initially invented — at least not if they wanted to stand a chance against their competitors.
So they started thinking about people, rather than products, and reminiscing about some of their best outdoor experiences.
“I’d met some really interesting people on the trails before,” Gay explains. “Rachel and I realized the importance of human connections in this technology-focused society.”
And suddenly, Basecamp Cards was born.
How These 16-Year-Olds Started a Business
Basecamp Cards are regular playing cards that feature icebreaker questions to encourage the kind of lengthy conversations that unravel best around a campfire.
“We were brainstorming the process of camp life and realized that everyone brings a deck of cards with them!” Gay says.
Lightweight and versatile, playing cards hold an important place in most backpackers’ kits. But the pair took advantage of the perfect way to improve them: emblazoning them with great conversation prompts.
The cards are designed with beautiful watercolor backgrounds, painted by a friend of Gay’s family. Questions range “from thought-provoking to goofy.” Some samples include:
- Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck?
- Win the lottery or find your perfect job?
- What is a skill that you want to learn?
The pair focused on questions requiring a more-than-one-word answer — the kind that might move players to put down the cards and start chatting instead.
To make sure they had great conversation starters, the pair surveyed their fellow classmates during brainstorming sessions… which got a little tricky at times.
“Our classmates got really sick of us asking them whether they wanted to change gender every time they sneezed or not be able to tell the difference between a muffin and a baby,” Gay says.
It took the pair about a month to solidify the questions and design the cards on Adobe Photoshop. Neither of the girls had any prior experience.
By the time they received the initial run of 36 prototype decks to submit to the judges, they had already sold out.
They quickly submitted another order — this time for 500 decks.
Basecamp Cards didn’t just win the First Prize of $1,500 and Best Trade Show prize of $500.
It became a real business.
How This Camping Game Went from Project to Profit
As sales expanded, Gay tweaked the cards and the business, adding the colorful background and improving the quality of the materials.
And last summer, she bought out Birrell and partnered with her 19-year-old brother, Aidan, instead.
So far, she’s spent $11,000 creating and selling Basecamp Cards… and earned $20,000. She says the cards will only improve in quality… and go down in price.
We love Gay’s entrepreneurial spirit, which she says she owes in part to her parents. Both are entrepreneurs themselves and contributed funds for the first run of cards.
And what’s best, she’s used her prowess and creativity to make an affordable, fun product to bring people together in what has become the old-fashioned way: face to face, surrounded by nature, away from screens.
Your Turn: So, which is it — one horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?
Jamie Cattanach is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her writing has also been featured at The Write Life, Word Riot, Nashville Review and elsewhere. Find @JamieCattanach on Twitter to wave hello.
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Ring in 2017 Without Going Broke. Here’s How to Get a Safe Ride Home
After the ball drops and the bubbly pops to ring in the new year, the last thing you want to think about is how you’re getting home.
But New Year’s is notorious for auto accidents, and about 41% of fatalities on the holiday involve drunken drivers.
I’m not going to tell you not to go out and have a great time with your friends. But New Year’s Eve is one of those events I call an “amateur night”: There’s a lot of alcohol and not a lot of thinking about your own tolerance levels. Everyone’s just focused on celebrating. And that’s cool.
But since we know many people are going to get pretty sloppy, it’s important to plan your New Year’s travel before the big night.
You probably know that if you take Uber after the clock strikes midnight, you’ll likely face surge pricing, the increase in standard rider fees that occurs during high-demand periods (like New Year’s).
But is paying surge pricing the only way to get a safe ride home?
Use these tips to plan what might be the most frugal part of your night out – because let’s be real, you paid way too much to go to that fancy party.
1. Play the System
Everyone has a friend who installs every rideshare app imaginable on their phone and flips through them until they find a price they like.
Be that friend on New Year’s Eve.
Download Uber, Lyft, Via, Gett or whichever app floats your boat. Fill ’em up with your billing info so you’re ready to go on the big night, then start scanning the competition. By having multiple options, you increase your chances of avoiding surge pricing.
2. Stock Up on Promo Codes
Have a promo code for a discounted or free ride? Make sure it’s applied to your account before you start cracking bottles of Champagne.
Ridesharing companies may black out some referral codes or promo offers on what is likely their busiest night of the year, but it’s always good to be prepared.
3. Plan Your Trips to Anticipate Costs
Historically, the cheapest times to take Uber on early New Year’s Day are right after the ball drops around midnight and again after 3 a.m.
Want to stay out late, but not that late? Wind down the night at a friend’s place so you don’t spend money at the bar until closing time.
4. Walk a Few Blocks
If you’re with group or in a busy, well-lit area, it may be worth walking a few extra blocks to get a ride in a surge-free zone. Use an app like SurgeProtector to see the surge territory in your area and whether it’s worth hoofing it a bit.
Be prepared for every zone to be a surge zone at some point on New Year’s, though.
5. Take a Cab
Standing on the curb trying to flag a cab after midnight Jan. 1 will be frustrating at best.
Before the festivities begin, find out if your local taxicab commission has an app of its own. You may not save money by hailing a regular ’ol cab from your phone, but you’ll stay warm while you’re waiting — and you won’t have to try to shout over the crowd to call dispatch for one.
Your Turn: How do you get a safe ride home without spending all your money?
Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder.
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Deduct Your Mortgage Interest To Save On Taxes
Deduct Your Mortgage Interest To Save On Taxes
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Help to Buy mortgage guarantee ends
The Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee scheme ends on 31 December 2016. Although it received a mixed reception overall, it’s estimated to have helped around 100,000 people since its inception.
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I’m Giving Up Alcohol for Dry January. Here’s How It’ll Save Me Money
Look, I may still be in college, but I don’t go out and dance on top of bars or shotgun beers — at least, not anymore.
Instead, I’ve traded Bud Light for Framboise and boxed wine for bubbly.
I’m not sure when I got so snobby about my alcohol preferences (maybe the day I got drunk in front of the Eiffel Tower?), but hey, it happened — and it’s starting to catch up to my wallet.
So, while I’m sure I’ll be ringing in 2017 with plenty of champagne, it will all come to a screeching halt come the morning of Jan. 1.
That’s right — I’m participating in Dry January.
What is Dry January?
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, Dry January is the practice of giving up alcohol for the entire month of January.
It can do more than just help out your wallet; in fact, the American Psychological Association found that those who successfully finished the challenge showed healthier drinking habits afterwards.
And cutting alcohol out of your diet can also lead to better sleep, a lower risk of developing cancer and clearer skin (yes, please!), according to Prevention.com
Aside from the obvious health benefits, I also know that I’m going to save a good chunk of change as a result of it — something that will give me an extra incentive to finish strong come the end of the month.
Why I’m Joining In on Dry January
Have you ever stepped back and looked at how much you spend on booze per month?
Well, I did.
I immediately regretted it, but I did.
In November, I spent $167.78 on alcohol alone. That included two trips to ABC Liquors, two nights out bar-hopping with my friends and happy hour drinks with my boyfriend — and doesn’t account for Uber rides (safety first!), which totaled about $27.
That’s a big chunk of change. To put it in perspective, that’s more than my car insurance payment.
Taking that into consideration, I think it’s time to step back and reevaluate my relationship with alcohol. I certainly don’t abuse it, but it has become quite an expensive indulgence.
I’m setting up strict rules: no buying booze, no accepting free booze, no IOUs on booze, etc.
And, instead of turning into a hermit for the entire month, I’m still going to go out with my friends; I’m just going to stay sober during it. I guess you could say I’m always up for a challenge (or that I’m a lunatic).
If you want to join in on the fun (LOL) and spend the first month of 2017 sober with me, post your experience in our community Facebook group and let me know how you’re doing. I want to hear it all — the good, the bad and the thirsty.
Not only am I going to be detoxing my liver and mind, I’m also going to be detoxing my wallet.
Think I can handle it? We’ll see. I’ll write a post in early February about my trials and triumphs throughout the process — and how much money I was able to save all together.
Until then, cheers!
Your turn: Will you take part in Dry January? If so, let us know in our Facebook community group!
Kelly Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist and a senior at The University of Tampa. Dry January can’t be that hard — can it?
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