IRS2Go 101
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الأربعاء، 1 فبراير 2017
Krispy Kreme Wants to Make Your February Even Sweeter With a Free Donut
I’m always looking for an excuse to buy some coffee. Although I could save big by ditching it, that’s just not going to happen. Ever.
So, considering I’m a slave to dark roast, I’m excited to share a new reason I’ve found to head to Krispy Kreme and buy a cup: I’ll get a free original glazed donut.
Oh yes. All of the noms.
How to Get a Free Donut at Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme introduced a new “donut-worthy” coffee blend on Feb. 1. To celebrate, starting Feb. 6, it’s going to give you a free original glazed donut just for buying a cup.
It doesn’t matter which size you purchase, either — all sizes, small to large, will make you eligible for a free donut.
If you’re a true Penny Hoarder, just go straight for the small coffee and save some money.
If you’re a true coffee lover, buying a small coffee is a laughable feat. You order that large. No one will judge you.
Picky about your brews? No problem — the donut shop offers both smooth and rich blends to satisfy both ends of the palate spectrum.
The deal runs through Feb. 28 — meaning February will be the month I go to Krispy Kreme every. Single. Day. And probably gain a few pounds. #NoShame.
Considering I just went through a tough Dry January, I deserve to treat myself a bit!
Head to Krispy Kreme’s website to find a location near you!
Your Turn: Will you try Krispy Kreme’s new coffee and snag a free donut? Let us know in the Facebook comments!
Kelly Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder and a senior at The University of Tampa. Coffee is life.
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Feeling Charitable? 3 Things You Should Know Before Donating Your Money
The American Civil Liberties Union has raised more than $24 million in online donations since Saturday, the day after President Donald Trump issued his executive order on immigration, according to the New York Times.
At least 356,306 individual donors contributed.
Other organizations have also received donations, including the National Immigration Law Center and International Rescue Committee.
If you’re donating to these organizations — or any other organizations for that matter (like ones that help puppies!) — take a minute to make sure you know what you’re doing.
3 Things to Consider Before Making a Donating Money
If you have the money to make donations — or even if you don’t, but feel strongly about a certain cause — be sure you understand where your money is going and what it means for your personal finances.
Here are a few tips to jumpstart your Inspector-Gadget skills.
1. Be sure you’re donating to a legitimate organization.
I constantly hear that such-and-such organization isn’t using money properly. Or that it’s funding multi-millionaires.
If you’re unsure — or even if you’re sure — it never hurts to check out the charity’s profile on a watchdog site such as Charity Watch.
You can search the organization and find its address, mission statement and total expenses vs. total contributions.
It also gives the organization a grade. For example, the American Civil Liberties Union received an A-.
2. Take note of the group’s nonprofit status for your taxes.
I know everyone’s excited about 2017’s fast-approaching tax season.
When you make a donation, check to see if it’s tax deductible. This is important to some donors because the money donated can be deducted from their taxable income, meaning it won’t be taxed. And that’s a good thing.
In order to determine the status of your monetary contribution, look for the charity’s tax status.
Once again, you can find the tax status on Charity Watch. (It’s right under the address.)
ACLU’s charity status is 501(c)(4). Take that information and head over Charity Navigator, which has a long list of types of nonprofits and tells you, very clearly, if your contribution is deductible.
It says a 501(c)(4) donation is generally not tax deductible.
If you’re in the business of getting a tax deduction, you’ll want to look for a 501(c)(3) organization before you make your donation.
The IRA has a great resource for those of you who are looking to deduct your charitable donations. Read up!
3. Know where your money is actually going.
You don’t want your hard-earned money to be going into someone else’s pockets — unless that’s who you donated it to.
Check the organization’s spending ratio.
Debra Snider, vice president of operations at Guide Star, shared her rule of thumb with Real Simple:
“The most efficient organizations spend at least 75 percent of their budgets on programs and services (this is referred to as the ‘spending ratio’), with the remainder going toward administration and fund-raising costs… Obviously, the higher the spending ratio, the better, since it illustrates the charity’s productivity.”
Finding the spending ratio super simple. Go to Charity Watch and, again, search for the organization. Scroll down to find, under “Joint Costs,” the program percentage.
At the ACLU, the program percentage is 83%. This “reflects the percent of total expenses a charity spent on its programs in the year analyzed,” Charity Watch writes.
You can assume the remaining 17% was then spent on overhead (fundraising, management, etc.).
It also never hurts to simply call the organization and ask.
Your Turn: Which charity is worth your hoarded pennies?
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. Those animal cruelty commercials — the ones featuring Sarah McLachlan’s angelic voice — make her tear up.
The post Feeling Charitable? 3 Things You Should Know Before Donating Your Money appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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7 Tips to Take Your Content From “Meh” to Amazing
One of the greatest struggles content marketers face right now is creating engaging content. More than 70% of marketers have made it a top priority this year to address that and make stronger connections with their audiences.
I think a primary cause for that struggle is that we’re only just a few years past search engine updates that changed, rather quickly, the way content is produced. The days of short, shallow content for the sake of building links are gone.
But change sometimes comes slowly. If you want to stand out, you have to produce better content. That’s all there is to it.
Your customers won’t settle for something boring, shallow, and uninteresting. They have problems, and they want answers to help them address those problems.
Here’s how you can transform your “meh” content into something amazing that your audience has been longing for.
1. Hook them in the opening
The introduction to your content should be the most impactful, hooking your audience when they first read it. You need a compelling intro that isn’t very long but provides an effective tease about what’s to come.
A smart move is to make an emotional impact on the audience within the first few sentences. If you’ve done your audience research, you can use your intro to create a sense of empathy around the main point of the article.
The next segment of the intro can set up the need or desire for a solution, followed by a promise of information to come. Other strong introductions could include:
- Engaging use of storytelling
- Facts and statistics, especially those that might be surprising
- A position or belief contrary to the norm
2. Add visual engagement
Even the driest textbooks I had in school had pictures and visual aids to help break up the blocks of text in each section. Few things will make someone bounce from your content faster than being greeted by a wall of text.
Images and other visual elements don’t just break up the content to make skimming easier; they create a more immersive experience that helps the reader remember your content. It also makes them more likely to read it.
Adding relevant images increases people’s willingness to read by as much as 80%.
Visuals are so effective at promoting engagement that 55% of marketers say creating visual content is among their top priorities for 2016.
Just don’t rely on stock photos.
Find or create images that are highly relevant and fit the context of the cotent. Use Pixabay, Flickr, and Google’s Advanced Image search to find creative commons images, or try using Canva to create your own.
3. The right headline matters
Whenever you’re creating an article or post, create headlines that match these criteria:
- Short – keep it under 20 words
- Impactful – capture their attention and generate interest
- Relevant – no clickbait; match audience intent to the content.
Even the most value-packed content will be ignored if you don’t have a great title that connects with your readers.
Keep in mind that only about 80% of people will read your headline, and of those 80% only about 20% will actually read your content.
When I’m producing content, I can sometimes get lucky and come up with a great headline quickly. More often than not, I spend as much time coming up with a headline as I do writing content.
4. Find the angle
If you come up with a topic for your audience, there’s a good chance that someone has already covered it. That doesn’t mean you can’t write about it or shouldn’t. You just need to have a unique approach and make sure you’re providing original value.
Every piece of content you write has 3 aspects:
- Topic – the overarching subject for your article
- Point – The key idea you’re trying to get across
- Angle – Your specific position on the topic and point
Go after common topics or even trending, heavily-covered topics. Just make sure you have a good angle. When readers are digging into a topic, it will be refreshing for them to find content with a different perspective.
5. Give your content a voice
One of the purposes of producing content is to build trust with your audience to establish authority. You’ll never achieve that if your content reads like a textbook or technical piece. That content has no voice or personality to it.
If you’re promoting your own brand, write in your own voice. Think about your statements using your voice before you write them. Does it sound like you?
For your brand, develop a voice that matches the personality you’ve already created. Content created by a brand with a lighthearted style, like Taco Bell, has a very different voice from the voice of a more serious, driven brand, like Nike, for example.
When you write with a consistent voice, you make a stronger connection with your audience. Content feels more like a dialogue and less like a learning experience.
6. Chase the one thing
As mentioned, your content has a point or key idea you’re trying to get across.
That’s singular: one point.
Every word and sentence in your content should lead toward that point and support it.
Anything that doesn’t engage the reader and help them reach an understanding of that point is only taking up space. Cut it.
7. Match depth and length
I still stumble across the occasional article that dates back to pre-Google updates.
While researching topics and ideas, I see that one 300- or 400-word post that pops up. No images or subheadings, just a little garden wall of text.
They were short, punchy, and often without much value to them. That’s expected, given the length.
What really surprises me is the posts in excess of 1,500 words that have virtually no substance and could be reduced to 400 words without losing anything. They are as vast as an ocean, but as deep as a puddle.
The length of the content isn’t really important; it’s the depth that you have to be mindful of.
Seth Godin is well known for his short, pithy blog posts. They work for him.
Buffer, on the other hand, is known for long-form posts packed with insight and takeaways.
No matter how long of a post you write, make sure the depth matches the length.
Conclusion
A lot of content marketers I talk to say the same thing: “I’m having a hard time making our content really amazing.”
I get that. It’s not easy.
To make the struggle even tougher, more companies than ever are doing content marketing!
Today, to do better, you have to outdo hundreds of other competitors.
Easy? No. But doable? Yes.
What I’ve found to be effective is sticking with it and going back to the basics like the depth of content and the engagement of the headline.
You don’t necessarily need more skill or talent. By taking the right steps in the right area, you’ll be able to level up and improve your content game.
Do you struggle with creating better content? What do you do to step up the quality and value of your content?
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Here’s How to Get 4 Free Months of Google Play Unlimited and YouTube Red
If you missed the chance to try Google Play for free over the holidays, this new promo period will get you through the rest of the winter.
Get four months of Google Play Unlimited for free as long as you’re a new user. Plus, you’ll get four months of YouTube Red.
While the free version of Google Play is nothing to scoff at — you can launch radio stations based on your mood or favorite artists, upload your own music and listen to podcasts — Google Play Unlimited kicks out the ads. You can also access songs on demand and download music to play offline.
Sign Up for Google Play Now and Get This Cool Bonus
To get your four free months of Google Play Unlimited, sign up using your credit card; you’ll be billed $9.99 per month when your fifth month starts. (If you’re only in this game for the freebies, set a calendar reminder to cancel your plan four month later.)
But here’s the best part of this deal: When you sign up for Google Play Unlimited, you get access to YouTube Red, too.
YouTube Red features ad-free videos, original shows, access to full movies and an audio-only mode that allows you to turn off the screen on your phone or tablet without turning off the audio. The service usually costs $9.99 per month after a one-month trial.
If you already pay for YouTube Red, check out Google Play – you already have access to Unlimited. The Google empire really is everywhere.
Your Turn: What artists will you play on demand after you sign up for Google Play?
Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder. She is not-so-secretly a huge Drake fan.
The post Here’s How to Get 4 Free Months of Google Play Unlimited and YouTube Red appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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This Dad Started a Business on the Side… and It Made $5.5 Million Last Year
I’ve had a ton of “million-dollar ideas” while sitting at the bar with friends.
Only thing is, I’ve never acted on any of them. Most of them probably would’ve been flops — but then again, you never know.
That’s why I love the story of Kevin Mahoney, who was having drinks with a middle-school friend when he decided to launch an ecommerce website.
Last year, it raked in $5.5 million.
And what does he sell? Tape.
Even better, Mahoney’s work-from-home business has allowed him to support his wife’s career and spend more time with his kids.
Here’s his inspiring story.
An Idea That Stuck
In the early 2000s, Mahoney was living in New Jersey and commuting into New York City for his full-time job at a digital advertising agency.
Thanks to his commute, which was 2.5 hours each way, he left the house at 7 a.m. and didn’t get back until 8:30 p.m. His wife, who was the principal at a local middle school, was pregnant with their first child.
Mahoney was sick of wasting hours on the train. “You really lose out on all that time,” he said.
Then, while having drinks with Robert Valley, a friend he’d met in seventh grade, an idea struck.
Valley’s family owned a tape converting business. According to Mahoney, this basically means “they’ll get a 60-inch wide roll of tape and cut it into two-inch rolls.”
He asked Valley, “Why don’t I create a website for you and electronically send you the [tape] orders, and you’ll drop ship for me?”
A few months, about $1,000 and a “lot of work” later, Mahoney launched FindTape.com.
Because he drop shipped everything, he explains, “I didn’t have a huge investment — I was able to slowly ramp it up.”
“There weren’t a lot of upfront development costs because I was a developer,” he says.
“Just my time. I would definitely spend a couple hours a night, and then on weekends, I spent a lot of hours. A lot of it was done on the train on my laptop.”
Mahoney was also lucky to have creative friends who helped with the site’s logo and design. So his only real cost was about $100 per month on “pay-per-click advertising to get people to come to the site.”
He also had no employees, which eliminated much of the stress faced by small-business owners. “I never had issues with ‘Oh my God, am I going to make payroll this month?’” he says.
As FindTape.com grew, Mahoney realized it had the potential to turn into a full-time gig.
“I wrote down a number,” he says. “I was like, ‘OK if I hit this [revenue] number, I can quit the full-time job, and I’ll work from home and won’t have to commute in anymore.’”
That number was $1 million. Three years later, he hit it.
The Multi-Million Dollar Success of FindTape
It’s been 10 years since Mahoney left his full-time job to work for himself.
He now works from home four days a week, and visits his call center — which is located inside the tape-converting factory in PA — one day a week. He employs two people full time to answer the phones there.
Since he doesn’t have a warehouse or office, Mahoney’s costs remain fairly low. In addition to his employees’ salaries, most of his expenses come from web hosting and advertising.
If you’re surprised Mahoney found such success with tape, join the club.
“I think everybody’s a little surprised,” he says. “I’ll get that question, ‘What do you sell?’ ‘Tape.’ ‘Really? Just tape?’ I’m like, ‘That’s it.’”
But the fact his business is sometimes difficult to explain means little to Mahoney. What does matter? The difference it’s made to his family.
For one, it’s allowed him to support his wife’s career as a principal.
“Two, or sometimes three, nights a week, she’s at something: a PTA meeting, a board meeting, a concert,” he says. “It would have been very hard for her if I were still commuting to New York.”
That’s because he’s the main caregiver for their two children, ages 9 and 11.
“I put them on the bus and take them to concert rehearsals,” he says. “I get to see my kids as soon as they get home.”
He’s quick to note he still works “crazy hours;” the difference is it’s on his own time, and in his own home.
“Most weekends I’m working a little bit,” he says, “and most nights after they go to bed.”
But it’s still worlds better than commuting into the city every day.
“Just being there when they come home, and being able to see them when they’re not sleeping,” he says, “It’s awesome.”
Your Turn: Are you inspired by Mahoney’s story?
Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.
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Don’t Worry about the Destination. Focus on the Journey.
In 2017, I’ve chosen to take on a number of personal challenges. I’m trying to lose weight, with a goal of achieving the same weight I had the day I graduated from high school. I’m trying to slowly read and study a set of very challenging books. I’m taking a series of online classes, too. I’m also working on a Youtube channel and a book manuscript. Whew!
In the past, I’ve addressed a lot of personal challenges, some with success and some without. This site is the result of my own successes at achieving personal finance objectives, but I’ve not always had success at other things. I’ve succeeded and I’ve failed in my life many, many times.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about success in the various areas of my life, it’s this: your success isn’t determined by the big audacious goals, but by how hard you hammer away at that goal today. Nothing else really matters besides today.
If you have big financial dreams, but today you’re choosing to spend money needlessly and without a plan, you’re very likely not going to achieve those big dreams.
If you have big career goals, but today you’re goofing off at work and not doing anything to further your ambitions, you’re very likely not going to achieve those big career goals.
If you have visions of losing a lot of weight, but today you’re eating two giant meals and not planning at all for it, you’re almost assuredly not going to achieve those weight loss visions.
It’s the journey that really matters, not the destination. Yes, it’s fun to visualize that destination and think about what your life will be like when you achieve something big like that, but it’s nothing more than a little motivation. Your actual success and failure is determined by your actions today – whether or not you are actively, day in and day out, like clockwork, putting in personal effort to achieve that goal.
The catch? That repetitive daily challenge is hard.
When I first started turning my financial life around, making more frugal decisions each day was hard.
When I started building The Simple Dollar as a business, it was hard to make myself sit down each and every day and put my nose to the grindstone and get it done.
In other areas, I simply didn’t – or couldn’t – make myself do it every day. I tried many times to lose weight – it always failed. I tried launching many businesses – they almost universally failed. I’ve tried with countless failed projects over the years.
So, is the secret just focusing day in and day out on what needs to be done today to advance the project? That’s the core of it, yes, but it’s not the real secret.
The real secret is figuring out how to find the joy in the journey.
When I was struggling on my personal finance journey, I found a lot of joy in watching my net worth rise. I calculated it constantly. I also found joy in finding new ways to cut down on spending, so I was constantly trying new low-cost and free strategies. I still do this, in fact, many years after my initial turnaround. It became something of a game for me, and it’s still a game. I discovered that I really enjoyed meal planning and strategizing my grocery shopping, too.
I found something in the experience of financial recovery that I enjoyed, and I maximized that joy.
When I was struggling to build the readership for The Simple Dollar, I found a lot of joy in trying to find new ways to build up links to the site. Each day, I made it a challenge to find new ways to get people to link to the site and to get as many links to it as possible. I would actually count links and I made it into a daily goal, a game of sorts, to get the most links I possibly could. It was fun to discover new places online to share content, write articles that directly answered questions for people, and then share that article on there with them. It was fun to find other like-minded bloggers with similar or smaller audiences and then swap links with them.
I found something in the experience of building an online business that I enjoyed, and I maximized that joy.
Right now, I’m finding a lot of joy in figuring out what the calorie counts are in various foods and figuring out how meals and snacks fit together. I’m figuring out what low calorie foods I actually enjoy. I’m trying new foods all the time, too. My goal is to find sustainable dietary practices at a lower calorie count.
Thus far, I’m enjoying this journey. I enjoy trying new foods. I enjoy figuring out which foods are a good “nutritional bargain.” This is the part that’s fun for me, so I’m maximizing it.
In each one of those cases, the goal isn’t to just break things down into what I can focus on today, but to find specific elements of the journey that I really enjoy and maximize them in my life.
So let’s turn the tables on you. If you’re reading this article, it’s very likely that you’re on some kind of financial journey.
The first question is what are you doing today to bring you closer to success on that journey? Focus on things you can be doing today to help you spend less or to improve your career options or to pay down debt. What are those consistent things that you need to be doing?
Many of them are likely to be frugally minded, like finding ways to spend less. Others might be oriented toward improving your career options, perhaps through taking a class or learning about a topic or working on an independent project of some kind. You might get really into calculations and spreadsheets, like calculating your net worth regularly.
Whatever it is, find that element that really clicks with you (or at least the one that seems the most tolerable) and maximize the value you get from that.
I can’t say what it is that might really click with you, but as I mentioned above, I really enjoy finding ways to squeeze a few more dollars out of an ordinary routine without making that routine unpleasant. For me personally, that’s something I enjoy, so I actually spend more time on frugality than I probably need to. It’s a fun personal challenge to find a novel way to spend a little less on household supplies, for example.
At the same time, minimize the elements that you don’t enjoy about the routine. If there are elements that are difficult or less enjoyable for you, find ways to devote minimal time and effort and direct that time and effort to other tasks.
For example, what I find rather dull is investments. I don’t really like investment research much at all. I can do it, but if I did that every day, I’d quickly begin to loathe it. Even though I could probably earn a little more money by being very attentive about investing, I’ve instead chosen a very passive “set it and forget it” approach to investing. I set up automatic investment contributions and just let them go and do their own thing. I rarely look at them or even think about them, honestly, other than being aware that they’re present and they’re growing.
So, what was my blueprint for financial success?
I focused on frugality at first. I really enjoyed discovering new strategies for cutting a little more from my normal everyday spending, and I still do. This became – and still is – a daily focus for me.
I discovered that I enjoyed building side gigs more than I enjoyed trying to bolster my main career. One of those side gigs grew into The Simple Dollar.
I found that I really enjoyed calculating my net worth regularly and watching my upward progress over time. Not only did I find it enlightening, I found it incredibly motivating, too.
I didn’t enjoy thinking about investment strategy, so I studied investments enough to discover passive strategies that offered solid results and went with that. I buy broad-based index funds automatically in my retirement account and elsewhere and rarely even look at them. It’s enough to know that they’re there. I’d rather find a little more money to invest in other avenues of my life than spend time and effort “perfecting” my investment strategy.
I did these things every single day, and I focused on the parts that really clicked for me: discovering new frugal strategies, focusing on the positive progress of my net worth, and building a side gig to earn more money. I backed off of elements I didn’t enjoy as much, such as studying investments and building my main career at the time.
The end result was incredible financial success. I found a day-to-day pattern of positive activities that I was excited about or could at least tolerate. It did not feel like misery to me at all, and because of that, I was able to find success.
That’s my advice to you. If you want a big change in your life, you’ve got to focus on it every day, but if every day your efforts are miserable, you’re going to eventually quit. Instead, look at your daily actions and try to find ways that make it as enjoyable as possible for you while still producing positive results. Doing so will make it much easier to stick with the change over the long haul and eventually give you the results you want, even if it’s not the “perfect” path for getting there.
Remember, perfect is the enemy of the good, so don’t be afraid to skip the “perfect” path and choose the “good” path if it makes sticking with your changes much easier and even enjoyable.
Good luck!
The post Don’t Worry about the Destination. Focus on the Journey. appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
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Neil Woodford to launch new higher-yielding income fund
Woodford Investment Management is launching a second income fund next month for star fund manager Neil Woodford.
The new fund, which will be available from March, will aim to deliver an income of 5p per share for every £1 invested in its first full calendar year in 2018. From then onwards Woodford will aim to deliver modest sustainable growth in per share income.
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Forget Flowers: 9 DIY Gifts Under $10 Sure to Melt Your Valentine’s Heart
Valentine’s Day is all right.
In the past, I celebrated Galentine’s Day. But this year, I’m kind of excited to celebrate the sappy day with my boyfriend.
However, the holiday looms in the shadow of my Christmas hangover. It falls at a time when I’m still nervous to look at my bank account after spending way too much during the holidays.
So instead, my boyfriend and I resolved to save money on gifts this year by making them. You know… from the heart.
9 DIY Valentine’s Day Pinterest-Inspired Gifts for Less Than $10
When in doubt, Pinterest it out.
I always turn to Pinterest for crafty inspiration; it never fails. But instead of sticking with the more typical 52 reasons I love you gift or the love coupons, I decided to think outside the box. (Although one of the ideas is actually a box.)
And because crafts can sometimes become too expensive, I gave myself a price cap of $10.
Ready for the Pinspired presents?
1. Cheers with a beer candle.
I always say candles are my go-to presents when I’m totally stumped. But I love the idea of hand-making one — especially one this inventive.
And let’s not make candle-making any harder than it has to be. Simply buy some sticks from your local craft or decorating store — even Target. Pick your favorite color and scent — and don’t spend more than $5.
Next, pick your loved one’s favorite beer. I also won’t judge if you choose it based on looks.
I might choose Coors Light for my boyfriend or a Denver Broncos can of Bud Light (his favorite team). Or, if I want to mix it up a little, I’d go for a craft beer can of Fireside Chat — a hipster, historical feel.
Then, simply follow these directions, prepping the wick and pouring the wax. (The piece of fern is not required.)
Now you can light that romantic candle and pair it with your favorite brew.
2. Customize a coffee mug.
I love my collection of coffee mugs, and anyone who feels the same would love a personalized one from that special someone. It can also act as great pen holder or succulent planter.
All you need for this are some oil-based Sharpies and a Dollar Tree plain white mug, per the Destination Decoration blog. In fact, the Dollar Tree mugs are said to be best because of their lack of glaze.
Find your favorite design. I went on Pinterest for inspiration.
Feel inspired? Once you craft your cup, follow these baking instructions to make your creation permanent — just like your love (hopefully).
3. Frame your first conversation.
I’m not going to share with you the first thing my boyfriend said to me because it’s very awkward, and he’d feel very embarrassed. It was also via a dating app.
Anyway… depending on the conversation and its medium, quoting your first interactions can make for a sweet, meaningful present. Plus, it’s super easy.
You can print or handwrite it on a piece of paper and frame it, or opt for a canvas (a pack of 12 is less than $10). You could also make it more rustic and paint it on a piece of wood like this.
4. Cross-stitch something clever.
My entire Southern family used to love these things — hence the framed gems placed randomly throughout my house, my aunt’s house and my Mimi’s house.
It might seem old-school, but I swear these things are coming back (probably courtesy of hipsters…). Regardless, cross-stitching is easy once you get the hang of it.
I recommend starting with a counted cross-stitch kit, like this one for a little over $10. If you already have the hang of it, go ahead and get the hoops, thread and cloth in bulk — and a lot cheaper.
You can also customize your patterns, and there are tons of printable, already made ones on Etsy for less than $5 (like this Stormtrooper one).
Either way, this classic craft is easy, fun and personal.
5. Get romantic with… Jenga?
Childhood game and romance? It’s possible, folks.
If you don’t have an old Jenga game sitting around, invest in one. I found one on Amazon for $5.99.
Next, break out a Sharpie, and write sweet nothings on the wood pieces. You can write your favorite things about your loved one or fill-in-the-blank phrases such as “I love your…”
Or, if you want to spice it up, write something naughty — but we’ll leave those ideas up to you.
6. Map out your relationship.
When in doubt, map it out.
I’ve contemplated tackling this gift for my boyfriend. It’s perfect for travel-lovers (Get it? Lovers? Valentine’s Day?) or long-distancers.
Simply find maps online and print ’em out — it’s free. If you want it to look a little more legit, try printing them on matte photo paper.
Use a printout heart stencil if you aren’t so steady with the scissors or go ahead and crop the map prior to printing it. (I just use Microsoft Word!)
You can display your favorite places in a picture frame or on a canvas. Find a pretty font, use letter stamps or hand-write captions displaying the city name or places of significance.
7. Put it in a photo box.
Scrapbooks can get real pricy. You’ve got the book, the stickers, the paper… I could easily dip $100 into one.
Rather than getting too carried away, keep it simple. Find an unfinished wood box. I like this one on Etsy for less than $10, but this one from Jo-Ann Fabrics is only $2.99.
After sanding the wood and adding a quick coat of primer, you can use acrylic paints to create your own design. Or grab a bottle of Mod Podge, and create a collage.
Another option? Invest in a wood engraver. It’s not as scary or complicated as it sounds, and I guarantee you’ll use that sucker more than once. You can find ’em for under $20.
Fill the box with printed photos (we don’t have enough of those nowadays in my opinion), or let your significant other keep meaningful trinkets in it.
8. Puzzle ’em with a puzzle.
Because she has a “piece” of your heart. Or maybe he loves you “to pieces.” Perhaps she’s your missing “piece.” He probably just “completes” you.
Anyways, this is a nifty, sweet gift for your s/o. Make a puzzle of your favorite photographed memory.
There are plenty of sites that’ll do this for you, but I loved how inventive this Pinterest user was. Find an old puzzle around the house or at a thrift store. Print a photo to fit it. You can do this on your home printer or stop by an office supply store to get a big one.
Mod Podge the photo to the puzzle. After drying, use an X-Acto knife to trace out the pieces.
Next, plan a date night. Turn on Netflix, and spread the puzzle pieces out on the floor. Once you’re done, get it framed for the living room!
9. Transfer your love to a forever canvas.
This is a fan-favorite. Transfer your favorite photo to a canvas to hang onto it forever.
Our bookkeeper, Natalie Williams, has done this for her boyfriend. In fact, she made a whole table featuring their travels and adventures utilizing this method.
But I’d recommend starting small first. Also, YouTube video tutorials make everything in life easier. We found this one — and followed it step by step.
Start with a canvas — or a piece of wood if you’re willing to splurge a little. Print your photo in reverse on a laser printer (key). Slather your canvas with photo transfer medium gel (about $6). Smooth and press your photo face down on the canvas.
Let it dry (preferably overnight), then saturate the canvas with a sponge and water. With gentle effort, the paper will peel off.
Your Turn: Will you make any of these DIY Valentine’s gifts?
Disclosure: Our friends stopped inviting us over because we were always digging for loose change between their couch cushions. We use affiliate links instead so we still get invited to a few parties.
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 Forget Flowers: 9 DIY Gifts Under $10 Sure to Melt Your Valentine’s Heart appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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Rail companies to simplify fares to help travellers get the best deal
Rail users on certain routes can expect to see simplified fares and the best deal every time they travel as part of new trials due to start this May.
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Snowball or Avalanche: Which Debt-Payment Method Will Work Best for You?
I recently read that paying off debt is like eating an elephant. You do it one bite at a time.
Gross.
But I understand the concept, and it’s one I can get behind. The only way to tackle a mountain (or even a molehill) of debt is by chipping away at it a little at a time.
There are lots of ways to tackle debt repayment, but the two methods that seem to come up most often are avalanche and snowball.
What do they mean?
I’m glad you asked.
What’s the Debt Avalanche Method?
This debt reduction method involves paying off credit cards with the highest interest rates first. It may take a little longer than other methods but check this out.
High-interest cards dig you deeper into your debt hole and make it more difficult to climb out. The sooner you get them paid off and put away, the better your financial health will be.
How It Works
Let’s say you have two credit cards, each with a $5,000 balance.
If you never charge anything else on either card, here’s how long it will take to pay off each one making a minimum monthly payment of $160. And check out how much you’ll pay in extra interest:
- $5,000 at 8%: 36 months, $625 total interest
- $5,000 at 22%: 47 months $2,493 total interest
That’s a difference of $1,868 and 11 months!
Though it may take longer to achieve, it’s clearly advantageous to get rid of your high-interest cards as quickly as possible.
Pros
- You save money — sometimes lots — in the long run.
- Making one or two large payments a month to large creditors takes a lot less time and energy than paying a smattering of smaller ones.
Cons
- It can be really difficult to stay committed to your goals when it seems like your debt needle isn’t moving into the green very quickly.
This method is perfect for: People with the patience, practicality and commitment to take a slow and steady approach to getting out of debt. (In other words, not me.)
What’s the Debt Snowball Method?
The snowball approach to getting rid of debt is paying off one credit card at a time, beginning with the smallest balance first.
Money management guru Dave Ramsey pioneered the idea that’s, well, snowballed into one of the most popular debt management plans in use today.
Even if you’re not carrying high balances on your cards, some lenders believe access to too many credit cards is just as unfavorable as having fewer cards with higher balances.
So the snowball method could even improve your credit opportunities.
How It Works
Remember the two imaginary scenarios I gave you in the above example?
Now let’s make it six cards, with balances ranging from $250 all the way up to $5,000. (Don’t panic, we’re just pretending.)
With the snowball approach, you’d make the minimum payment on all your cards except the one with the $250 balance. You’d pay as much above the minimum payment as you can afford each month to pay it off as quickly as possible.
After paying off that card, simply roll the payment into paying down the credit card with the next lowest balance. Once you get the (snow)ball rolling, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll erase all your outstanding card balances.
Pros
- Quickly knocking out debt on a string of credit cards is a definite confidence builder
- If you’re looking for an accountability buddy, it’s a pretty well-known method with a large community of fans
Cons
- It takes longer to crush your debt
- Since you’re only making minimum payments on most of your cards, you may spend more in interest over time
This method is perfect for: People who are motivated by immediate gratification (See also: people who eat dessert first).
How to Choose a Method
Proponents of each option will tell you theirs is the only one to use.
But the best method is the one that actually gets you out of debt.
Just pick one and run with it. You can always change things up if you find it’s not working for you.
Need some extra motivation to try one of these options? Here at The Penny Hoarder, we’ve seen both methods work well in a wide variety of situations.
Your turn: Have you tried either of these debt payment options?
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. The avalanche method worked well for her even though she usually eats dessert first.
The post Snowball or Avalanche: Which Debt-Payment Method Will Work Best for You? appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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'Wrong-footed' investors favouring safety in numbers as fund sales plummet
Fund sales slumped by 72% in 2016, with investors withdrawing a total of £8.2 billion from equity funds, according to statistics from the Investment Association (IA).
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Read our 10 most popular stories from January 2017
Make sure you're up to date with all the latest news, tips and guides by checking our 10 most popular stories on Moneywise.co.uk in January 2017.
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How to Evaluate and Improve Your Website
By Sarah Landrum Maybe you earn money from home by taking care of children in your community, writing articles for clients around the world, or shooting some of your state’s landmarks as a freelance photographer. Regardless of the role you fill, your website is often the first thing that puts potential clients in touch with you. […]
The post How to Evaluate and Improve Your Website appeared first on The Work at Home Woman.
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Sellers overvalue their properties by almost 7%
Homeowners in England and Wales believe that their properties are worth more than the market price, overestimating the asking price by 6.8%, on average, new research has revealed.
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Retailers lose fight against card charges
A group of retailers, including Argos, Asda and Next, have lost a major court case over the fees they were charged for processing card payments.
MasterCard charges businesses ‘interchange’ fees when consumers make purchases using their card in shops and online.
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Santander limits credit card cashback
Loyal Santander 123 Credit Card users will see the amount of cashback they earn capped from today (Wednesday 1 February).
Changes implemented last October meant customers who opened an account after September 2015 were restricted to earning £9 cashback each month.
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