Are You an Aquarius? 7 Ways to Use Your Astrological Traits to Make Money

Growing up, I grabbed issues of Cosmo Girl and Seventeen off grocery store shelves and immediately flipped to the back.

The horoscope section.

Sure, I didn’t think my soulmate would enter my life halfway through the month when Saturn was on the rise. Or that I’d have a major career page — at least not in middle school.

Still, even now, I read my horoscope.

Why? Well, it can spark some good ideas that I’d otherwise not consider.

6 Ways for Aquarius Babies to Make Extra Money This Year

January is your month — “the age of Aquarius.”

If you don’t know, this means you were born between Jan. 20 and Feb. 18.

And good news for you: Your finances, work and career will be in the spotlight in 2017, according to Horoscope.com.

Check out this list of ways you could make extra money this year, based on your Aquarius traits.

1. Humanitarian — Participate in Medical Studies

Astro Style describes Aquarians as “the mad scientist and humanitarian of the horoscope wheel.”

Really, there’s no better way to help others than by participating in a medical studies and helping doctors find a cure.

Plus, you’re helping yourself by banking some extra money. Jillian Shea, for example, made $12,000 by participating in sleep studies.

There are also studies for psoriasis, cluster headaches and rheumatoid arthritis.

Not interested in medical studies but still want to give back, regardless of whether it boosts your bank account? Here are six simple ways to support charities — without donating your own money:

• Volunteer at a job search center to help people find jobs.

• Teach computer/tech skills at a local library or senior center.

• Donate your unused clothing, toys and other things you want to get rid of.

• Donate old electronics that are collecting dust.

• Organize a garage sale in your community, and donate the proceeds to charity.

• Host a bake sale for charity.

2. Intellectual Conversationalist/Good Listener — Drive with Uber

“People truly do make your world go round, and you can become insta-BFFs with the most random strangers,” according to Astro Style.

So why not capitalize on this trait and drive with Uber, the popular ride-sharing app.

Take notes from Naif Bartlett who has a big personality and earns an extra $300 per week driving with Uber in his college town. He’s even made fast friends with his passengers.

Since Aquarians are also inventive and original, take a look at Mary England’s unique strategy to earning more money while driving people around.

Satisfy your individualistic manner, and make money on your own schedule.

3. Helping Others — Test Websites

Aquarians love computer programming and cutting-edge technology, according to Astro Style.

You might be able to find a work-from-home job in this field, but you can also pick up a side gig by testing websites.

We like UserTesting, where you can make about $10 for 20 minutes of your time. Basically, you visit a website or app and answer a series of questions vocally — airing your thoughts and concerns.

You’re paid via PayPal within seven days.

Richard Littauer actually started his own business testing websites for people. But here’s the catch: He does it while he’s drunk.

He made $1,000 his first day. He usually charges anywhere from $50-$500 per review and for a few extra bucks, he even lets clients choose his beer.

Put your traits to use. You never know how you can make extra money.

4. Original — Sell Your Smartphone Photos

Astrology.com considers Aquarians artistic and inventive, but they’re also original.

If you think you fall into this category, you can make money by selling something you already probably have tons of: smartphone photos.

Using an app called Foap, you can turn your data-clogging photos into cold, hard cash.

After you make an account, upload your original photos to Foap’s marketplace. If someone buys the license to your photo, you make $5. If your photo sells 20 times, you’ll make $5 each time — an extra $100.

5. Fighting for Causes — Write Letters to Your Legislators

Aquarians love to fight for causes and usually embody the “let’s make the world a better place” mentality.

There’s no better way to incite political change than to write to members of Congress.

And you can actually make money doing this — up to $10-$15 an hour. Before committing to an issue, you’ll be able to brush up on it to see if it aligns with your own views.

Before you start, just make sure you have the appropriate computer gear.

6. Independent — Sell Your Extra Stuff

Yes, as an Aquarius, you have humanitarian tendencies, so it makes sense to want to donate clothes and other stuff you have laying around to charity.

However, you’re also naturally independent — so why not sell it yourself?

You can sell virtually anything on letgo. This intuitive app lets you snap a photo and upload your item in less than 30 seconds. Not only does it remove a lot of the hassle of selling things online, it’s 100% free to use.

But there are also apps for selling more specific stuff to people who might actually be looking for it.

Have a bunch of movies or CDs collecting dust on a shelf? Decluttr will pay you for them!

Decluttr buys your old CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and video games, plus hardware like cell phones, tablets, game consoles and iPods.

For old books from college, you can use Bookscouter. Just type your book’s ISBN into the search bar and the site will connect you with more than 25 of the best-paying and most reputable buyback companies online.

There’s even a site for old purses and designer accessories! Sell them on CashInMyBag.

7. Progressive — Get Fit

Aquarians are considered stabilizers and like to start a task by setting goals. They’re also progressive and need stimulation to achieve goals.

“You can be quite hardworking when you devote yourself to a goal,” Astro Style reports.

The best way for Penny Hoarders to get motivated? Money.

If you’re hoping to get fit this new year, try an app like Achievemint, which gives you points for being active. Once you hit 10,000 points, it’ll pay you $10.

For each healthy activity you log, including your daily step count, you’ll earn points towards your goal. The app syncs up with other popular fitness apps, like Apple’s Healthkit, Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, Rundouble C25K, even Twitter.

If you really want to progress your body (and bank account), bet on yourself with HealthyWage. Set a goal weight, a time frame to hit it and put your money where your mouth is. If you achieve your goal, you get paid. That should spark your competitive side!

Your Turn: Are you an Aquarius? Do these traits match your personality?

Disclosure: We don’t hesitate to pick pennies off the sidewalk when we spot them. But the affiliate links in this post help our earnings grow even quicker. Plus, it’s a lot cleaner than sidewalk money.

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Possible sources for that elusive aluminum siding

Thanks to some reliable readers, I believe I have a possible solution for a North Carolina man who has been looking for aluminum siding to match what’s already on a house he is renovating. Several windows were removed, and the reader, who is from Greensboro, North Carolina, thought it would be easy to find replacements close to him. He has one uncut sheet to use as a reference for measurements and style/type. One possible source, says my college buddy Richard S. [...]

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Get BOGO Pies at Blaze Pizza Using This Simple Trick

When you can’t wait for delivery, there’s Blaze — a counter-service restaurant where you can order up endlessly customizable pizza.

But why go there for one pizza when you could get two? That’s why you should add “get the Blaze Pizza app” to your to-do list.

A buy-one, get-one-free pizza deal is waiting for you.

How to Get a Free Blaze Pizza

Enter KEEPINITREAL in the rewards tab of the Blaze Pizza app.

Use your BOGO to order whatever pizzas you want (!!). Tell the cashier you have a reward before you pay, and they’ll scan the code on your app to apply the BOGO deal to your order.

Your BOGO reward expires on Feb. 13, 2017.

If you don’t already have the Blaze app, what are you waiting for? You get a free fountain drink for signing up. (It expires one month after you download the app.) You earn rewards JUST FOR EATING PIZZA.

Each time you spend $5 at a Blaze location and scan your app at the register, you earn a “flame.” Ten flames = one free pizza!

You don’t need to add a payment method to use and scan the app, but you might want to add one: The app also lets you place orders online so you can skip the line and feel like a VIP when you pick up your ’za.

Blaze’s signature 11-inch pizzas cost between $6.75 and $10, so this reward offers significant savings.

Take a friend and split the cost of your first pizza, or purchase two pizzas and put one in the fridge for later!

Your Turn: Is there a Blaze Pizza near you? Will you use this BOGO reward?

Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder, covering mostly pizza-related topics.

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Got (Too Much) Milk? Here’s How to Sell Your Extra Breast Milk Online

Leave Your Wallet at Home: How to Shop at Kohl’s With Only a $10 Coupon

A couple of times a year, I open my mailbox to find a postcard-sized coupon from Kohl’s.

“$10 on us!” it announces. Challenge accepted, I say. My goal with these coupons, which are also known as Kohl’s Cash, is to get in and get out without spending a dime of my own money.

Since there’s no minimum purchase when you use the coupon, as long as your total is less than 10 bucks, you don’t need to take out your wallet to (legally) leave the store with merchandise.

Like all coupon distributors, Kohl’s sends these deals your way to get you into the store, where you’ll inevitably spend more than the Kohl’s $10 coupon on items you wouldn’t normally buy. And I’m not mad about it. It’s a legitimate marketing strategy that’s worked on me plenty of times.

However, these days when I get snail mail from Kohl’s, I know exactly which sections of the store to hit for items that’ll keep me under the $10 limit. Here’s my game plan for snagging a little something I actually want, using nothing but a coupon.

Skip the Clearance Rack

I know, it sounds crazy. But the clearance racks at Kohl’s tend to be pretty picked over.

And I’m not convinced there was much there to begin with. The items that find their way to clearance tend to be the more out-there fashion choices and the poorest quality options. I’m not willing to invest the time it would take to weed through all of the misses for a single bargain.

Get Ready to Go Back to School

At back-to-school time, the little humans need gear to help them learn, and you can find much of that at Kohl’s.

For the under-$10 game, my money is on smaller supplies, like pencil boxes, lunchboxes and tablet cases. If your kids wear uniforms to school, you can get a handful of suitable polo shirts for under $10.

But in all honesty, if you take your kid to the store with you, you’re coming out with something related to a favorite animated character. For better or worse, Kohl’s carries merchandise depicting everything from the Minions to Minecraft — and much of it comes in under the $10 mark.

Check Out the Fitness Section

Kohl’s has a pretty decent selection of activewear from some recognizable brands — who knew they carried Nike?

When all else fails, you probably need a pair of track shorts or a workout tank top. I’m pretty sure my last two Kohl’s coupons resulted in new sports bra purchases (TMI?).

Stop by the Jewelry Case

You’ll find lots of under-$10 choices in the jewelry section, either for yourself or to give as a gift. The majority of Lauren Conrad’s trendy line is coupon-friendly, and you’ll find tons of dainty earrings and statement necklaces.

Meanwhile, Vera Wang keeps it classy with more grown-up options. If all else fails, basic silver posts will never go out of style.

Stock Up on Gifts

Sometimes it pays to have a few all-purpose items on hand for last-minute gifts. Kohl’s has a respectable selection of scented candles, bath stuff and pretty scarves. You’ll find coupon-able options in all of these areas.

Or consider getting a gender-neutral baby gift to keep at the ready. A good portion of the baby section is under $10, including baby-related trinkets to stick on top of a wrapped gift as you head out for the next baby shower.

Scan the Beauty Products

A $10 coupon might be just the nudge you need to try something new. I’m only half kidding when I suggest testing out faux eyelashes.

On a recent trip to Kohl’s, I spotted smallish, under-$10 Bliss brand products (which are also carried by Nordstrom). They have Essie nail polish, too. For 10 bucks, you could also pick up a couple of those cute EOS chapstick balls.  

Swing by the Housewares

Last year, I got a pretty sweet rag rug with my coupon. Those things are ridiculously cheap, washable and having a trendy moment.

Other options include bathroom accessories (soap dispensers, toothbrush holders, etc.), picture frames and smaller décor items for around the house.

One of these coupons will also cover all manner of small kitchen gadgets. Before you head to the store, scan your kitchen drawers for anything you might need to replace — whisks, spatulas, wooden spoons.

Or maybe you’ve been pining for something super specialized and hard to justify, like a cherry pitter or an avocado slicer. Now’s your chance to live your dreams!

Your Turn: Will you take the Kohl’s Coupon Challenge next time you find that little postcard in your mailbox? What are your top department store picks for under $10?

Note: This post was not sponsored by Kohl’s, which is probably be obvious since we’re discussing how to maximize free stuff and avoid spending money in the store.

Lyndsee Simpson is an editor and writer living Washington, D.C. She’s wearing a pair of (free) Kohl’s earrings right now.

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Uncle Sam Wants You — to Fight Hackers (You Could Win $25K)

Remember when the internet temporarily died back in October?

Twitter feeds. Spotify playlists. Netflix favorites. Reddit threads. Amazon shopping carts. The Wall Street Journal’s breaking news.

All blocked — inaccessible for several hours in some cases.

The hack affected tens of millions of IP addresses, according to WIRED, which explains the incident in more detail.

This hack — among others — is why the U.S. government is asking you for help and offering a $25,000 prize.

This FTC Contest Will Award Developers Up to $25K

What happened in October was considered an attack on the “Internet of Things.” I’m not making that term up. Basically, those three simple words define the billions of everyday devices that send and receive data via the internet.

Think: Smart TVs, health and fitness monitors, home security devices, baby monitors, household appliances, connected cars…

These are all dandy, useful devices. But they’re also not exactly secure. Not yet, at least.

Enter: The Federal Trade Commission’s IoT Home Inspector Challenge.

The FTC needs help finding a solution to address these major security vulnerabilities in our everyday devices.

“Consumers want these devices to be secure, so we’re asking for creativity from the public — the tinkerers, thinkers and entrepreneurs — to help them keep device software up-to-date,” said Jessica Rich, the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

It’s asking contestants for a tool — like a physical device to connect to devices or perhaps an app or cloud-based service. Maybe even some type of dashboard. The agency is open to anything.

What You Need to Know About The IoT Home Inspector Challenge

The submission window is from March 1 to May 22, 2017.

There will be two rounds. In the first one, up to 20 contestants will be selected. Judges will assess those based on videos and abstracts — no detailed explanations.

Those who qualify will move to the next and final round where they’ll be given a chance to snag the top price of $25,000. Or $3,000 for honorable mention.

Find all the rules on the FTC’s website.

Your Turn: Got any solutions to the Internet of Things hacks?

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

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These 4 Weird College Majors Lead to Surprisingly Good Salaries

As a college student, you probably thought about majoring in business or communications or engineering, or something else broad. You might even have really shocked your parents by majoring in art or philosophy.

But Mom and Dad might have been really surprised to find out you were majoring in puppetry or bowling industry management.

Yet those majors do exist, along with other “weird” and specialized courses of study. These weird college majors, which are only offered at a few schools, can lead to weird jobs that are highly specialized — and pay decent salaries, according to CheatSheet.

Would you pick any of these weird majors?

Puppetry

Offered at only a couple schools, this major (and master’s-level program) is extremely competitive, requiring not just an application but a portfolio and an audition.

Once you graduate, you can expect to earn around $40,000 a year. If you’re great, you could earn significantly more; Caroll Spinney, the man who has played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on “Sesame Street” since 1969, earns more than $300,000 a year.

Bowling Industry Management

Apparently, running a bowling alley is more complicated than other forms of entertainment — you don’t see many universities offering movie theater management.

Bowling alley managers earn between $39,000 and $56,000, according to CheatSheet. Bonus: You can finish this degree in two years.

Racetrack Management

The University of Arizona is home to the country’s only degree-offering program for racetrack management, and in fact, the program has two tracks: one for the business side of racetracks and the other that focuses on caring for horses.

Should you choose the latter, you’ll take classes like Equine Nutrition and Management and Introduction to Horsemanship Programs. This degree qualifies you to work at the more than 100 racetracks in the U.S., as well as at related businesses like state racing boards. Graduates earn an average of $41,000 yearly for entry-level jobs, and that number increases to $70,000 or more for those with at least 20 years’ experience.

Bonus: Mortuary Science

This major didn’t make the list and might not qualify as “weird” since many schools offer it, but people in the programs do say that others often regard them as weird.

Funeral directors often work long hours and have to deal with things that many find depressing or even repulsive, but job security is about as good as you can get. The median earning for funeral service workers was more than $53,000 per year in 2015.

Want to see more weird college majors? Check out the full list on CheatSheet.

Your Turn: Did you have a weird college major? Let us know in the comments below!

Rachel Kaufman may or may not be two-dozen hamsters masquerading as one human in a trenchcoat.

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Lawsuit: If You’ve Bought This Movie Theater Candy, You’ve Been Scammed

Chocolate-covered deception. Chocolate-covered scandal. Chocolate-covered lies!

Say it ain’t so, Raisinets. Say it ain’t so.

The ultimate movie theater candy, Raisinets, is the subject of a lawsuit that claims we’re all being cheated because Raisinet boxes are only about half full.

(Yes, we said “ultimate movie theater candy.” Sure, you may prefer your Junior Mints or your Twizzlers or your Sno-Caps. That’s fine. Some of us will stick with our Raisinets, thank you very much.)

A California woman, clearly on the leading edge of American confectionary justice, has filed a lawsuit claiming that she and other consumers have been tricked into buying Raisinets by candy-maker Nestle’s “deceptive packaging.”

Sandy Hafer, a Los Angeles moviegoer, claims Raisinets boxes are only 60% full and that Nestle is misleading movie theater customers into thinking they’re getting a full box of chewy, chocolatey goodness.

“At all relevant times,” her lawsuit says, “Defendant has packaged and sold the Products in opaque box packaging that conceals from consumers the amount of Raisinets candies inside the box packaging.”

Phooey, says Nestle. The candy-making giant tells The Wall Street Journal that these claims are baseless.

“All Nestle products and labels comply with FDA regulations and provide customers the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions,” a company spokeswoman said.

Hafer’s lawsuit, which aims to be a class-action lawsuit, seeks at least $5 million in damages, including refunds for moviegoers who were denied an appropriate portion of delicious chocolate-covered raisins. (But in all seriousness, don’t expect to get a fat check from Nestle in your mailbox. That’s generally not how these things work.)

The Journal notes that this is part of a growing trend of class-action lawsuits over portion sizes. Litigious consumers have sued over the empty space in Sour Patch Watermelon candy boxes, the true size of Subway’s “Footlong” sandwiches, and the crucial question of whether KFC is underfilling its eight-piece buckets of chicken.

What’s next? Is the FDA going to crack down on Milk Duds?

Your Turn: What food items do you suspect are deceptively undersized?

Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. Personally, he’s more of a chocolate-covered peanuts guy. Goobers — so good. Oh, so good.

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8 Techniques That Helped Me Improve My Writing During Ten Years of Blogging

Epic copywriting is an integral part of driving traffic and making conversions.

Smashing Magazine even states that “it’s not uncommon for proper copywriting to increase search traffic by 50 percent and conversion rates by 30 percent.”

But being a great copywriter requires more than simply being great at writing.

You need to have a fundamental understanding of human psychology to be able to persuade readers to buy your product/service—you need to know what motivates people to purchase.

Plus, there are several other variables that will impact your approach, including your audience, overall aim, and desired customer reaction.

This graphic from ABC Copywriting offers a nice visual breakdown of the specific elements of great copy:

But how can you become a world-class copywriter in a short period of time if you have only minimal experience?

It took me 10 years to improve, figuring out these techniques. By practicing them, you’ll be able to improve a lot faster.

1. Learn from the best

If you’re just starting out, I suggest diving in head first and absorbing as much information as you can about the process.

Unlike other forms of content writing, copywriting is a highly specialized field and requires a unique approach of its own.

I’m a proponent of reading books from some of the brightest minds to get their take on things.

They’ve been there, done that, and can get you to where you need to be.

Some specific authors to check out include David Ogilvy, known as The Father of Advertising, and Bob Bly.

This list of 50 attributes of a great copywriter from Jeff Bullas can be helpful too.

I also recommend checking out this list of 75 resources from Kissmetrics specifically designed for those who want to become great copywriters.

This covers the entire spectrum and is ideal if you’re just getting your feet wet.

2. Get in the habit of practicing your craft

There’s a definite possibility that you’ll suck at your first attempt at copywriting. Don’t take it personally.

But you would be amazed at what can happen with enough continual practice.

Even in as little as a week, you can make tremendous strides.

You’ll learn to be more efficient and will develop hacks for streamlining the process. You’ll also discover what works for YOU.

That’s why I recommend practicing on a daily basis if possible.

3. Study the psychology behind purchasing decisions

As I mentioned earlier, psychology is a key element in copywriting.

In order to persuade someone to buy something, you need to understand their thought process and behavioral patterns.

Copyblogger has an interesting article that highlights seven psychologically-backed copywriting tips.

In it, you’ll read about the concept of mirror neurons—neurons in the brain that “activate when you ‘observe’ something happening, and then transfer some of the feeling on you.”

I think a good example of it is the Allstate’s “Mayhem” ad campaign.

You know, where they say “mayhem is everywhere” and show disastrous scenarios like a tree branch falling on your car?

These commercials are good at making you envision and feel what it would be like if it happened to you. In turn, you’re more inclined to buy their insurance.

The point I’m trying to make is that your copywriting should resonate with readers and make them feel something.

You need to get in their heads and truly understand what makes them tick.

In turn, this should guide your copywriting and help you create more potent copy.

4. Do your research

Effective copywriting isn’t just clever wordplay. A big part of it is great research.

Why is research so important?

For one thing, it makes your content more authoritative.

By including relevant statistics, case studies, and quotes from experts, you back up your argument.

It shows that your copywriting is based on objective facts and not merely an opinion.

Anyone can make a claim, but when that claim is backed up by data, it becomes credible.

It also adds a layer of depth to your content.

When you take the time to research, you’ll inevitably gain a deeper understanding of a topic.

You’re more likely to see the big picture rather than just bits and pieces, and this should be reflected in your writing.

When you put all this together, it’s going to be helpful in building trust with readers.

Trust is obviously important because it’s going to make it easier to persuade your prospects to buy.

Even if you really know your stuff, I still suggest you get in the habit of performing some preliminary research because it’s going to add a new dimension to your copy.

5. Work on your headlines

Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter how great your overall content is if the headline sucks.

In fact, “on the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy.”

If your headline isn’t captivating, very few readers will make it to your call to action (CTA).

While it may seem easy enough on paper, creating a great headline can be pretty tricky.

But I’ve come up with a formula for streamlining the process to ensure you create attention-grabbing headlines.

In one of my previous articles, I talk about “the four u’s of headline writing:”

1. Your headline should be unique.
2. Your headline should be ultra-specific.
3. Your headline should convey a sense of urgency.
4. Your headline should be useful.

Here’s an example of a great headline. It’s quick and to the point:

6. Master the art of the opening sentence

Just one rung below headlines on the importance scale is your opening sentence.

Once you’ve caught the reader’s attention with an awesome headline, you want to motivate them to read through the rest of your content until they ultimately reach the CTA.

And this always begins with a well-written opening sentence.

What do I mean by well-written?

It needs to be short, engaging, and able to reel in the reader immediately.

Here’s a perfect example from Chartbeat:

If you look at the opening sentence, it meets all three of the criteria mentioned above.

It simply says, “It’s not enough to just count clicks and page views anymore.”

This is obviously short and to the point. It’s engaging because it gets readers wondering what they should be assessing if clicks and page views aren’t enough. And it also makes them want to read on to find out what solutions Chartbeat offers.

What’s the takeaway?

Work diligently at perfecting your headline and opener.

If you’re able to do this, you’ve already won half the battle, and you’re in a position to capitalize on the maximum percentage of leads.

7. Use the AIDA formula

AIDA is an acronym created by copywriter Gary Halbert.

It stands for:

Here’s a breakdown of how it works…

You start by grabbing the reader’s attention with an awesome headline and opener like we just discussed.

You build interest by touching on their needs, wants, and pain points as well as ways your product/service can solve their problems, improve their lives, etc.

You create a desire to buy your product/service by clearly explaining its benefits.

Finally, you insert your CTA to encourage your readers to take action right away.

I’ve found this simple formula to be incredibly helpful for guiding my copywriting.

While the specific details will vary depending on your audience, industry, and product/service, the AIDA formula always works and will keep you on track.

8. Be meticulous about spelling and grammar

Did you know that “poor grammar on websites scares 59 percent of people away?”

Spelling and grammar mistakes can be the kiss of death for your business because it makes you look unprofessional and diminishes your credibility.

After all, would someone trust and want to buy from a company that doesn’t know the difference between your and you’re?

A study was even done to determine the biggest mistakes a company can make.

According to the findings, the overwhelming number of respondents (42.5 percent) said they were most influenced by spelling and grammatical errors.

As you can clearly see, poor spelling and grammar can be a real deal breaker, and your conversion rate is going to take a big blow.

This is why it’s so important to be incredibly thorough and even borderline obsessive about proofreading your copy before it’s published.

I also recommend using a tool such as Grammarly to help you catch grammar errors.

It’s a free Chrome plugin, and it will greatly reduce your mistakes.

Conclusion

There are countless people who are great writers but lousy copywriters.

Mastering this craft demands a unique approach and a specific skillset.

Fortunately, it’s possible to learn how to become a world-class copywriter in a fairly short period of time if you’re willing to put in the effort.

Even if you’re just starting out, following these tips and techniques should put you on the fast track to quality copywriting, which means two important things.

You can convert more of your leads AND increase your profitability.

What do you think the most important aspect of copywriting is?

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'Cause for concern' as Royal Mail plans to ditch final salary pensions

Adam Williams

royal-mail.jpg

The Royal Mail has unveiled plans to ditch its final salary - defined benefit (DB) - pension plan from 2018, a move that has been met with criticism from unions.

The Royal Mail has unveiled plans to ditch its final salary - defined benefit (DB) - pension plan from 2018, a move that has been met with criticism from unions.

read more

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10 Progressive Workplace Trends We Hope Continue to Grow This Year

As millennials grow up and become a force to be reckoned with in the workplace, companies are rolling out policies to meet our unique sensibilities.

More attuned to our options than our parents, we want flexibility and autonomy in our work. We want some freedom to be creative and to know our ideas are heard. Most of all, we want to enjoy work and care about what we do.

At The Penny Hoarder, we’ve covered some exciting changes in company benefits and culture that aim to attract and retain the changing workforce.

Here are 10 workplace trends we hope we continue to see grow in 2017.

1. Paid Parental Leave

Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen some major companies announce expansions to their parental leave policies.

Federal law only requires companies to offer 12 weeks’ unpaid leave, but four states and Washington, D.C. mandate paid parental leave for private sector workers, and many companies have their own expanded policies.

Microsoft offers 12 weeks paid, Adobe offers 26 weeks to new moms and 16 weeks to primary caregivers and other parents, and Netflix offers one full year of as much paid time off as new parents need.

In 2016, Etsy announced new moms and dads get 26 weeks’ (six months) fully-paid leave for birth or adoption.

But tech startups always seem to be workplace trendsetters. The tipping point comes when major traditional companies start to adopt similar policies.

We saw that this year when both Amex and IKEA announced new paid parental leave policies.

IKEA offers up to four months’ paid leave for both salaried and hourly workers. American Express offers 20 paid weeks to both full- and part-time employees, plus reimbursement for adoption and fertility treatments.

Companies including IBM and Johnson & Johnson also offer competitive parental leave policies.

With these giant companies offering the benefit to thousands of employees around the world, we expect to see many others following suit.

(By the way, The Penny Hoarder offers eight weeks’ paid maternity leave, four weeks’ paid paternity leave, unlimited sick days, work-from-home days and flex time, so our employees can find the right work-life balance!)

2. Child Care Assistance

We saw a lot of talk in 2016 about the rising cost of child care. Millennials in the workforce are paying way more than our parents did.

Some parents simply choose to have one parent stay home, because the cost of going to work isn’t worth the pay!

Savvy companies are starting to understand this burden and offer on-site child care or child care subsidies to employees with children. This is becoming an important tool for recruiting top talent and supporting working parents.

3. Unlimited Paid Time Off — in Some Cases

A flexible schedule and working from home are great, but what about taking vacation whenever you want?

With more than half of Americans not using all of our available paid vacation days, you might be surprised to see a growing number of companies offering unlimited vacation time.

Unlimited paid vacation days mean employees can take time off when they need it without budgeting within a limit. That’s attractive for potential applicants.

It’s attractive for employers, too. Offering unlimited vacation days actually saves companies money, Time reports. Worried about not getting all their work done or looking lazy, employees actually tend to take fewer days off when there’s no limit.

When the onus is on us to determine a “proper” amount of time off, we get scared and fall back on the American standby of overworking.

Getting unlimited vacation days actually puts additional responsibility on the employee to decide how much is appropriate. Instead, companies can likely do better by employees by offering generous vacation policies — with limits.

What we do like to see unlimited are paid sick days.

Plenty of companies, as well as a few states and cities are making progress by starting to offer paid sick days, a workplace benefit many Americans don’t have.

But setting a limit is tough. It creates a target for generally-well employees to invent excuses to take off, and it creates stressful restriction for those who are hit with unexpected health issues or sick kids.

Unlimited sick days means employees can take care of themselves and keep their germs away from others. And employees who aren’t sick have little incentive to fake it.

4. Remote Work

Virtual companies are entirely online, backed by a team of employees that work remotely. Once a futuristic feature of tech startups, this trend is leaking across industries now.

You can do everything from customer service to engineering from the comfort of your home.

Companies like employing a virtual workforce because it saves money on office space, equipment and provisions. Employees like it, because they get to work from home, often on their own schedule.

While you lose those watercooler conversations and serendipitous brainstorming sessions with co-workers, apps like Slack, Google Drive and even email can help keep co-workers connected virtually.

Working remotely as an employee may limit you to companies in certain states. But working as a contractor or freelancer often gives you the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world.

5. Human Resources Transformation

This “is going to be the year human resources transforms itself into ‘people science,’” Glassdoor chief economist Andrew Chamberlain told Fast Company.

As other sectors are transformed by technology, HR has lagged behind. But “the rise of big data” could bring it into the present, Chamberlain says.

“Using data science in HR to make even small improvements in recruiting, hiring, and engagement has the potential for huge benefits to organizations.”

Instead of guessing at the best methods for training, assessing and recruiting employees, HR departments can turn to a lot of inexpensive tools that answer these big questions with data.

6. Increasing Human Creativity Through Automation

“Workers increasingly need to build skills that are complementary to technology — learning to run the machine, not doing the same work the machine automates,” Chamberlain explains.

As routine jobs are becoming automated, we’ll need to learn new skills and focus more on the creative aspects of work.

With current technology, robots don’t have your judgment or soft skills, so plenty of jobs still need a human touch.

7. Free, Healthy Food

The Penny Hoarder is among a growing number of companies who offer a benefit millennials can’t get enough of: free food.

But it’s more than just free — it’s healthy food. We employ an “office superhero” who prepares fresh mini meals and snacks, so we don’t have to buy lunch or munch on salty, sugary treats.

“We are serving fuel, instead of just food,” Erin O’Neill, our people and culture manager told Fast Company. “Almost everything gets eaten and there is very little waste.”

With a growing focus on healthy eating hitting everything from school lunches to fast food menus, employees are less satisfied with donuts and pizza in the break room. Providing fresh, wholesome foods helps us save money and work better (no sugar crashes!).

8. Rising Minimum Wages

On Jan. 1, 2017, the minimum wage went up in 19 states. Some, admittedly, will only see a cost-of-living raise of a few cents. But others, like New York and California, have plans in place to hit $15 over the coming years.

Here again, private companies are working faster than the law. In 2016, Target raised its company-wide minimum wage to $10, and Costco raised its entry-level wage to between $13 and $13.50.

Even Walmart employees have an average hourly full-time rate of $13.38 — well above the abysmal federal minimum wage set to $7.25 in 2009.

The minimum wage was a major talking point throughout the 2016 election, and workers aren’t forgetting about it. Even if legislators don’t keep up, we expect to see more companies jumping on this trend to recruit and retain employees.

9. Tuition Assistance

School is expensive for millennials, but luckily some companies are starting to take notice and take action. Several companies have added tuition reimbursement or assistance to their employee benefits rosters.

With many of us entering the workforce saddled with student loan debt, any help paying it back is attractive!

Huge companies like Fidelity Investments and PwC offer this benefit, according to the Chicago Tribune. Staples announced a tuition assistance program for sales associates in November, a tool to help it recruit up to 1,000 new employees ahead of the holiday season.

10. Ditching the Dress Code

I often forget how lucky I am to simply wear what I want to The Penny Hoarder office every day. It’s a privilege many employees have to reserve for a designated “casual Friday,” when they can wear — gasp! — jeans to the office.

You may sense from my millennial disdain (and my yoga pants) that I think traditional dress codes are bit… stringent.

Until recently, even Starbucks restricted its employees dress, hair and accessories. Baristas!

But that attitude is falling by the wayside. Starbucks welcomed personal expression with a new dress code in June 2016.

Startup employees famously eschew any indication of “formal,” “business” or “office” in their attire in favor of the fully “casual” style set by leaders like Jobs and Zuckerberg.

These fashion-poor trailblazers realize we all work fine in comfortable clothes. More importantly, they trust their employees to stick with inoffensive clothing and to dress to impress when a client meeting is on the schedule.

Your Turn: What workplace trends do you want to see continue in 2017? Which would you do away with?

With research from Jacquelyn Pica, an editorial intern at The Penny Hoarder.

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more, attempting humor wherever it’s allowed (and sometimes where it’s not).

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Macrobudgeting and Microbudgeting

Most people, when they think of a personal budget, think of what I would describe as a “microbudget.” It’s the traditional kind, where you divide your spending up into a whole bunch of different categories – $500 for food, $700 for rent, $125 for electricity, and so on. You then make it your goal to achieve that target in each category by being frugal. You make sure the lights are turned off and keep the heat running low in order to reach your monthly electricity spending target. You eat more meals at home in order to make sure you hit your monthly food spending target. And so on and so forth.

Another approach is what I call “macrobudgeting.” Macrobudgeting basically splits your spending into just a couple of groups – “needs” and “wants,” generally. Your energy bill, your grocery bill, your phone bill, your Roth IRA contributions all qualify as “needs.” The money left over can be spent on “wants” – things like hobbies, entertainment, eating out, and so on.

In general, people who struggle with their finances use a “macrobudgeting” model. They don’t have a strong sense of where their money goes and thus they’re left wondering why they have nothing left over at the end of the month. Often, they don’t include genuine long-term needs in their “needs” portion of their budgeting, meaning that they don’t contribute to things like retirement right off the bat and treat it as a need, and they intermingle their wants with their needs.

Almost always, the suggestion for people who start their financial turnaround is to jump to a “microbudgeting” model. That’s why you see it pop up again and again in personal finance books. People are encouraged to break down their spending into narrow categories, see where that money is going, set targets for each category, and work to achieve that number. Microbudgets tend to be what people think of when they think of budgets.

Microbudgets are a great tool, don’t get me wrong, but there are some flaws with them.

For one, it takes time to do this. In order to build a decent microbudget, you have to spend some time looking carefully at your spending, dividing it into smart categories, and coming up with realistic targets. Then you have to do it again at the end of the month, and the next month, and the next month. That adds up to quite a lot of time invested.

For another, it can be pretty inflexible. An unexpected expense in a particular category can really wreck a microbudget and leave you feeling like a failure at the end of the month. There are life events you simply cannot control, and microbudgets rarely “flex” enough to handle those unexpected events.

Macrobudgeting is obviously easier and a lot more flexible. So why would anyone ever microbudget?

It’s simple. The purpose of microbudgeting is to teach practical frugality. The entire purpose of a microbudget is to force you to look deeply at how you’re spending money, identify ways in which you could spend less, and then actually put those methods into practice. You can then figure out which frugal tactics really work in your life and which ones do not.

When you budget, say, $500 for food for the month when you normally spend, say, $800, that means you’re going to have to make some smart choices about the food that you buy. You’ll have to prepare more meals at home from scratch. You’ll have to look more carefully at the items you put in your shopping cart. You might try using a grocery list in order to trim your grocery spending. Maybe you switch from using an expensive grocer, like Whole Foods, to a discount grocer like Fareway for many of your foods (I’m a Fareway fan – substitute your favorite discount grocer, like ALDI, into that sentence if you prefer).

You’ll find over a few months of microbudgeting that some of those tactics really work for you and some of them are a struggle. Maybe you find that shopping at Fareway instead of Target and Whole Foods is a great switch for you and a grocery list is great, but it’s hard to cook lots of meals at home so you still rely on prepackaged meals. Or maybe you find that using a grocery list and making slow cooker meals both click with you, but you’re very particular about your vegetables and want a huge selection of them, so you keep shopping at Whole Foods. Or maybe everything clicks. No matter which story is true for you, your food spending goes down and, ideally, comes in under budget.

During the times when you’re actively microbudgeting, you’re picking up many different frugal strategies and integrating them permanently into your life. For example, once you’ve switched to a routine of using a grocery list every week for grocery shopping and you do it over and over and over again, it starts to become the new normal. When you buy LED bulbs instead of incandescents, it becomes the new normal. When you make most of your meals at home, it becomes the new normal. When you shop around for cell phone deals between contracts, it becomes the new normal. When you automatically contribute to your Roth IRA through automated deductions, it becomes the new normal.

The point is that microbudgeting makes a lot of frugal strategies into the new “normal” for you. It forces you to keep trying a new thing until it either becomes frustrating enough that you reject it or it seamlessly integrates into your life.

That’s why, after several months of microbudgeting, many people can step back to macrobudgeting for a while. Since microbudgeting has taught you a lot of tactics that reduce your spending and repeated microbudgeting integrates those tactics so firmly into your life that they become the new normal, microbudgeting no longer remains as useful as it once was, so the drawbacks of it start to really push to the forefront. If you’re spending hours each month on a budget after doing it for several months and you’re finding that the benefits are getting smaller and smaller, it’s probably time to take a break from it.

At that point, you can just keep rolling forward with the frugal strategies you’ve learned while macrobudgeting instead. It’s a lower time investment and it keeps saving you money as long as you stick with the frugal strategies you’ve already integrated into your life.

Once you’ve reached that point, the only time when it makes sense to switch back to microbudgeting is during times of change when the routines of your life are shifting. For example, if you start noticing that you’re not having as much money left over at the end of the month as you once did, it’s time to consider a switch back to microbudgeting for a while. If you find yourself going through a significant change in life, such as a job loss, a switch to a new employer, a move to a new city, a separation, or something similar, it’s usually a good idea to jump back to microbudgeting for a few months.

The way I like to think of microbudgets is that they’re training wheels for financially responsible living. When you’re first learning how to ride a bicycle, training wheels are invaluable when it comes to teaching you how to balance yourself, but there comes a time when the training wheels aren’t needed any more. You remove them and you’re biking without those wheels holding you back at all.

However, let’s say that your bicycle broke and now you’re riding a pennyfarthing bicycle or a unicycle. Your ride has completely changed, though parts of it might seem familiar. Throwing the training wheels back on for at least a little while can be a good idea until you’re used to the differences.

The same thing is true with life changes. Your routines have changed, so it can be a good idea to switch back to microbudgeting for a while so that you can figure out the best frugal routines in your life after the changes. You can always take off the microbudgeting “training wheels” later on.

At the end of the day, the key thing to remember is that any budget is intended to help you make better decisions about where and how to spend your money. That’s the entire purpose of a budget: it allows you to see where your money is going and think about where you’d like it to go in the future. Microbudgeting just means that you’re putting a tighter grip on things for a while as you learn better frugal routines.

What do I do? I mostly macrobudget at this point, although I switch back to microbudgeting twice a year or so for a few months. I usually use You Need a Budget to figure out what’s going on with my finances, figure out which areas I’m struggling with (usually hobby spending, to be honest), and figure out ways to correct them.

My advice to you: If you’re struggling to figure out where your money is going, try microbudgeting for a few months and see what you discover. If you find that your normal routines are causing you to spend a lot less than you earn, switch to macrobudgeting and use the saved time wisely in your life. You can always switch between the two, as needed.

Good luck!

Related Articles:

• Does Budgeting Seem Too Complex for You? Five Simple Strategies to Try Instead
• The Secrets Behind Successful Budgeting
• Five Reasons Your Budget Isn’t Working

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Don’t Get Scammed on Craigslist. These 7 Steps Will Help You Stay Safe

It’s easy to feel anxious coming face-to-face with a stranger you met on the internet — especially when you’re expected to give them cash.

So how do you buy something on Craigslist without getting scammed, or worse, robbed?  

Craigslist states that by dealing locally and meeting in person, you’ll “avoid 99% of scam attempts” — but how do you stay safe when meeting a total stranger?

These seven tips will help you avoid sketchy Craigslist deals and stay safe.  

1. Always Meet in a Public Place   

This one might seem a bit obvious, but make sure to choose a public place with other people around.

Coffee shops or fast food joints work well, and you can find one on practically every corner.

Anywhere that’s busy and well-lit works; I once met up with a guy in a Winghouse parking lot to purchase a guitar.  

Because Craigslist deals are becoming so common, your local police station might even be able to help: SafeTrade lists police stations nationwide where you can safely meet up for your online deal.

Whatever you do, don’t give a stranger your address and invite them to your house — and don’t go to their home either.

2. Make Sure the Product Works

If you’re buying electronics or something that could be broken, don’t buy it without testing it.

By meeting up at a coffee shop, you can easily plug in the device to make sure everything works.

Because remember: Once you give the seller the cash and leave, there aren’t any refunds.  

3. Bring a Friend

Don’t meet this stranger alone; try to bring a friend or family member with you.

If no one’s available, make sure to let them know where — and who — you’re meeting.

Having another person with you reduces your chances of being robbed, and also provides a safety net.

4. Use Cash — But Not Too Much

If the seller insists on some type of money transfer or online payment, don’t do it.

Only purchase items from sellers who will meet in person and accept a cash payment. You won’t be protected if you send money for an item and never get anything in return.

That being said, don’t carry large amounts of cash, as it makes you more susceptible to being robbed. If you’re purchasing a big-ticket item — like a car — tell the seller that if you like what you see, you’ll go withdraw cash from the ATM and bring it back.

Another idea is to meet at your bank.

This “takes care of the cash problem,” explains Gizmodo. “You don’t have to carry a huge wad of bills in or out of the branch. Neither does your counterpart.”

Not to mention, continues Gizmodo, “the bank setting also alleviates secondary concerns, like being intimidated into accepting worse-than-promised gear, or a lower-than-discussed price.”

5. Get a Detailed Receipt

Purchasing an expensive product? Ask the seller for a detailed receipt. If something goes wrong with the product, this will be your only proof of purchase.

If you’re purchasing a used car, have a mechanic inspect it before you buy it. Also make sure the seller provides paperwork that proves they’re the owner of the car — or you might have trouble registering it in your name.

6. Don’t Give Out Personal Info

Since you’ll be meeting the seller in person, there’s no reason to give out any of your personal information.

You don’t even have to use your real email address: You can communicate through the Craigslist proxy email, which forwards to your personal email.

You can agree on a time and place via email, or if you feel comfortable after asking questions and confirming everything seems to be legit, you can give the seller your phone number. It’s even recommended to use a phone number that isn’t linked to your home address just in case.

Cell phones are usually linked to your home address, but you can easily download an app that provides a temporary and untraceable phone number. Burner provides a free 7-day trial — this way, the app’s services won’t cost anything if you’re just making a quick Craigslist transaction.

7. Trust Your Instincts

Lastly, go with your gut. It’s a red flag if the seller doesn’t want to meet you in certain places or won’t give you further details on the product.

And if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Your Turn: What kind of awesome deals have you scored on Craigslist? Have you ever purchased an item that ended up not being what was advertised?

Jacquelyn Pica, an editorial intern at The Penny Hoarder, always brings her dad for protection when handling Craigslist deals.

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Deal of the week: Get 20% off 400,000 easyJet flghts

Adam Williams

easyJet.jpg

Holidaymakers looking to beat the winter blues by booking a trip abroad should consider checking out easyJet’s new flight sale.

Holidaymakers looking to beat the winter blues by booking a trip abroad should consider checking out easyJet’s new flight sale.

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Moneywise's First 50 Funds dominate December's 10 most-bought funds

Marina Gerner and Gary Adams

stock-graph.jpg

Fundsmith Equity, one of Moneywise's First 50 Funds, took the top position in the list of most-bought funds on Moneywise's sister website Interactive Investor for the ninth consecutive month.

Fundsmith Equity, one of Moneywise's First 50 Funds, took the top position in the list of most-bought funds on  Moneywise's sister website read more

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Check if you're due a Winter Fuel Payment

Adam Williams

radiator.jpg

With cold winter weather hitting much of the UK, a charity is urging people to check their eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment scheme now.

With cold winter weather hitting much of the UK, a charity is urging people to check their eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment scheme now.

Long periods of cold weather mean households often use more energy to heat their homes, which can cause heating bills to spike.

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Got a Knack for Writing Dating Profiles? Here’s How to Profit Off It

In 2005, marketing professional Jodi Manfredi was recently divorced and juggling her career and raising her son. She also wanted to jump back into the dating pool, so she joined the growing number of online daters by creating a profile.

While her profile was a success and attracted many men, she had no idea she’d eventually run a business dedicated to writing strangers’ dating site profiles.

So how exactly did Manfredi go from writing her own profile to becoming a dating profile writer? Read on to find out.

The First Spark

After Manfredi’s success with her own online dating profile, several of her friends requested she craft their profiles as well.

But it wasn’t until 2011, after Manfredi’s friend asked her to write a profile for her sister, that it first occurred to Manfredi that she could get paid to write online dating profiles.

Manfredi didn’t know her friend’s sister, so she got acquainted with her through a phone conversation.

“The next morning, I delivered a profile to her,” explained Manfredi. “She called me and said: ‘This is awesome — you nailed it. This is exactly what I’m looking for and exactly who I am. Why aren’t you doing this for a living?’”

Making Passion Pay: How This Dating Profile Writer Started a Business

Manfredi took the praise to heart. She began researching the ins and outs of the dating profile business and looking at startup costs. It was clear to her this was something worth trying, so in 2012, Manfredi founded Dynamic Dating Profiles.

Initial costs were minimal — Manfredi only outsourced the work involved in building her website and did the rest herself. She marketed her services through Facebook posts and blogging, and she worked on the business as much as time allowed.

But, while she was still in the midst of building Dynamic Dating Profiles, the unexpected happened: Manfredi received an offer for a full-time marketing position she couldn’t refuse.

So, Manfredi kept busy writing profiles and building her business during evenings and weekends. Six months after she started Dynamic Dating Profiles, the business took off.

Eventually, Manfredi decided she wanted a life and hired other profile writers to help her shoulder the workload. Now, she spends two to three hours per week on the business and occasionally writes profiles, while spending most of her time on her full-time job.

The business charges $119 for a full profile, which includes a profile of 300 words or more and a review of up to five photos. For $49, the company will review and give feedback on an existing profile.

Manfredi’s writers earn $35 to $52 per hour, depending on their skills and experience. Each full profile typically takes a writer two hours to complete. That includes the get-to-know-you phone call every client receives.

“I believe that you need to talk to someone — you need to hear their tone and make it conversational,” said Manfredi.

Then, the writer compiles the information they’ve gleaned from the phone call and writes an engaging, humorous profile — one that’s designed to catch the reader’s attention quickly.

Next, the writer edits or rewrites the profile once more, if necessary.

Could You Write Online Dating Profiles?

Manfredi says an online dating profile writer must have basic writing skills, including a grasp on grammar, spelling and syntax.

But being a good writer isn’t the only essential for a profile writer. Manfredi also considers a gregarious personality a must to get an open conversation rolling. A sense of humor is also paramount.

“In my mind, (dating profile writers) need to have razor-sharp wit. Because (making the reader laugh is the) most attractive thing about a profile,” said Manfredi.

While she’s currently backlogged with writers, Manfredi says you can get her attention by submitting a “very well-written profile that makes (her) laugh out loud.”

Most of her revenue goes to the writers she employs, but to Manfredi, the satisfaction of the work is worth more than the money she makes.

“It’s rewarding when (clients) get back to me, and they tell me that they met somebody or that they’re getting a lot more activity since they changed their profile,” said Manfredi.

If you think you’d love helping online daters create the perfect profile, here’s how you can get started:

• Hang out your freelance shingle like Manfredi did. Freelancers on the web list prices anywhere from $100 to $400 to review or rewrite profiles and/or critique their photos.

• Apply to become a profile writer at an established company. For example, at e-Cyrano, writers earn 60% of the profile fee (at the time of this writing). According to the site, profile fees range from $78 to $120, and most writers have one to two clients per week.

e-Cyrano’s application process for writers includes creating a 200-word dating profile for a friend accompanied by a 200-word essay on what your friend is seeking in a mate.

Your Turn: Do you think you could write an awesome online dating profile?

Carimé Lane is a Vancouver-based freelance writer who writes about health, fitness and the restaurant business and loves discovering new ways to make a living through the written word. She attributes her ability to stretch a penny to her Dutch heritage.

The post Got a Knack for Writing Dating Profiles? Here’s How to Profit Off It appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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How to Save Money on Your Next Laptop

Even though I’m happy with my six-year-old computer, I can’t help but take interest when new laptops come onto the market. It’s like how you don’t stop noticing other people you’re attracted to just because you’re in a relationship. (Note to my fiancee: I only have eyes for you!)

Because the variety of laptops is staggering, it can be hard to figure out what computer you actually need, the best place to buy a laptop, and how to get the best deal.

Whether you simply need a slim, cheap laptop to work online, or a powerful machine that can handle your company’s finicky security requirements, here’s how you can get the performance you need from a laptop without breaking the bank.

Bare Bones Models Offer More Than You Might Expect

Even for those looking to spend the bare minimum on a laptop, there are a number of good options. For instance, Google’s sleek, light, Chromebook line comes highly regarded.

The cheapest Chromebook starts at $179, and still comes packed with 2 GB of RAM, an Intel Dual Core processor, and a solid state hard drive. Various models are produced by Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, Acer, ASUS, and other manufacturers, but no Chromebook gets less than a four-star rating on Amazon.com, which is impressive for such an affordable machine.

Chromebook hard drives are quite small, however — about what you’d find on a basic smartphone — so these computers are better suited for people who don’t mind storing most of their data in the cloud, or as a backup computer that won’t be tasked with storing an entire video catalog or iTunes library.

That said, they’re pretty useful for people who do most of their work online – especially for the price. “I’ve used a Chromebook for 99% of my work the past two years,” says The Simple Dollar editor Jon Gorey. “It’s lightweight, it’s fast — it starts up in literally five seconds — and the Chrome OS gets updated automatically so I’ve never had any virus issues or anything… knock on wood. If you’re comfortable with Google Docs and work mostly online, it’s a bargain; I think mine was like $229, I’ve long since got my money’s worth. But we do have a desktop Mac as kind of an anchor computer for the house when we need it.”

Other computers in this price range to keep an eye on, according to PCMag.com, are the Lenovo Ideapad, the ASUS Vivobook, and the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 series.

The Oft-Forgotten Mid-Range Options

When I start searching for computers, I tend to focus on the extremes. I get excited thinking about owning something spartan and cheap, because I wouldn’t be very upset if it got damaged. Alternatively, I like to fawn over the best of the best, thinking that if I spend a bundle it’ll last me forever.

But there are plenty of great computers that won’t deplete your bank account and also offer more raw power, storage, and memory than the budget lines.

For our purposes, we’ll consider mid-range to be anything from $600 to $800. Sean Hollister, senior editor at CNET, recommends looking long and hard at the Dell Inspiron 7000, the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S, and the Lenovo ThinkPad 13.

Another way to snag something in this range is to be savvy about looking for computers that are normally very expensive but have come down in price. For instance, Hollister notes you can get a ThinkPad with even better specs in this price range if you find it on sale or refurbished. “You can find them in this price range when you look at the right time,” he says.

Buy Refurbished to Save Big

As Hollister notes, buying refurbished is one of the best ways to get a high-end laptop at a mid-range price point.

This is different than simply hopping on Craigslist or eBay and buying used. In those situations, you have no guarantee that the seller is being honest with their listing. While there are deals to be had on these sites, make sure you do your due diligence.

When you buy a refurbished computer straight from the manufacturer, however, you’re getting a pre-owned machine that has been repaired and restored to almost-new condition by the company’s own technicians. They typically come with warranties, so you’re protected against buying a faulty product.

So not only are refurbished machines guaranteed to work, they’re also much more affordable than a brand-new version.

For example, if you’re an Apple fanatic, but you’re also trying to be frugal, Apple’s refurbished outlet is going to be your best place to buy a laptop. Every computer on Apple’s refurbished site is at least 15% off — and any fanboy knows Apple rarely, if ever, discounts its products.

Dell and Lenovo also have well-regarded sites where you can find great deals on refurbished machines.

How (and When) to Find Cheap Laptops for Sale

There are certain times of year that are always going to be good for saving money on tech purchases, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the back-to-school months (July to September.) If you have patience, you can find heavy discounts on most laptop models around these times. The best places to search are reputable sellers who are inclined to have sales, such as Best Buy, NewEgg, and Tiger Direct.

Also, you might benefit from setting up price alerts. This means that you install a web application on your browser that lets you know when a computer you have your eye on drops below a certain price. Some popular ones include Amazon Price Watch and CamelCamelCamel.

• Related: The Best Price Trackers to Beat Black Friday

Another thing to keep in mind is that after a new model of computer is released, the previous year’s model will inevitably drop in price. This is especially useful if you’re looking at higher end laptops, where the new releases sometimes only improve on specs you don’t care that much about, such as weight or screen resolution. (Now that we have retina displays, how much better can screens really get? Do I need to get Lasik eye surgery to fully enjoy the newest crop of laptops?)

A Final Tip: Don’t Be Seduced by Processor Speeds

You might want the latest and greatest laptop because it promises to turbocharge your computing experience via a state-of-the-art processor. For instance, everyone wants their machines to have an i7 Intel chip these days. Of course, ever-improving processing speeds are also part of the reason new computers can be so expensive.

But, it turns out that processing speed might not be that important after all. Notable online tech experts, such as the writer who simply goes by “Daley” at Techmeshugana.com, are shedding light on this fact. “Most 10-year-old processors are still more than capable of performing the same tasks as today’s top processors for the average user,” Daley says.

It turns out that the improved processing speeds have helped things like battery life and power consumption, but for the average user, top of the line speeds won’t make that much of a difference in performance. According to Daley, “Unless you’re editing large media files, insist on watching 1080p or higher resolution videos, or game heavily… pretty much any dual core (or greater) processor running at 1.8GHz (or faster) should be plenty for most people’s needs.”

Keep those specs in mind as you hunt for deals, because you don’t want to overpay for something that won’t end up mattering to your overall computing experience.

Summing Up

Sometimes after I watch a particularly compelling truck commercial, I’ll be convinced that I’ve been depriving myself because my car doesn’t have enough torque. Then I remember I don’t really know what torque is, and I’m pretty sure I won’t be hauling three tons of construction material up a rocky cliff anytime soon.

The same thinking should apply when you’re looking for laptops. Keep in mind that even the cheapest options are very powerful these days, and should be more than enough for the average consumer.

Finally, if you make sure that you always investigate refurbished options and keep an eye on seasonal price fluctuations, you’ll set yourself up to find the perfect laptop for your budget.

Related Articles:

• Why You Should Worship Your Old Computer
• How I Use Evernote, My Most Essential Free Online Tool
• Price-Drop Protection: This App Shakes Down Retailers to Refund You When Prices Drop

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