الخميس، 2 فبراير 2017
The magic of ice
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‘Feel the Love’ in Effort with MudWorks Pottery class
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Monroe and Pike unemployment rates higher in 2016
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Feeling Stressed at Work? This Study Confirms You’re Not Alone
Is your job stressing you out? If so, you’re not alone.
Over half of people in the workforce today suffer from work stress — and the majority of bosses know it, according to a new Accountemps survey.
You don’t have to have one of the 10 most stressful jobs in the nation to experience on-the-job pressure. A full 52% of workers in a variety of professions across the country say they’re stressed at work on a daily basis.
Workers cite heavy workloads and deadlines most, followed by trouble achieving work-life balance and managers with unrealistic expectations. Co-worker conflicts are a factor, as well.
New workplace trends like disappearing benefits and the pressure to always stay connected undoubtedly also have a lot to do with it.
More men than women report being stressed at work, but the age group most affected by stress? That’d be 18-34 year olds.
Of all workers surveyed, 60% say their work-related stress has increased in the last five years. Only a paltry 4% say they’re less stressed now than they were five years ago.
Yikes. These numbers are stressing me out.
Cities With the Most Work-Related Stress
How much you identify with these numbers may have something to do with where you live.
Accountemps reports the states with the most stressed workers are:
1. Salt Lake City
2. Des Moines and Boston (tied)
3. Cleveland
4. New York
No matter where you live, approaches to relieving stress are pretty universal. Workers say they turn to hobbies, exercise, music and socializing with friends to deal with work pressure and tension
Don’t Suffer From Work Stress in Silence
The survey revealed 42% of managers know they have a stressed-out staff. If you’re feeling the pressure at work, talk to your boss.
“Workers shouldn’t suffer in silence,” says Accountemps district president Bill Driscoll. “They can tap internal resources for help or seek advice from their managers to ensure they meet work expectations, while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.”
Driscoll’s advice is sound and worth taking. Like any other source of stress in your life, workplace pressure can take a toll on you — mentally and physically.
Bosses aren’t psychics, so they can’t help you if they don’t know there’s a problem. So, let them know.
Your turn: How do you deal with workplace stress?
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She once had a job that made her cry every single day so if you’re stressed out at work, she feels your pain.
The post Feeling Stressed at Work? This Study Confirms You’re Not Alone appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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Your Commute Sucks: Apply for These 5 Work-From-Home Jobs Now
It’s been a hot minute, folks…
…since we’ve done a work-from-home job round-up. We didn’t meant to leave you hanging, and we swear we’re still on the lookout for cool work-from-home jobs.
So here’s the latest.
5 Work-From-Home Jobs in Customer Service Open Right Now
This list is full of a variety of positions with a bunch of companies — from startups to corporations, even dating sites.
1. Vroom needs about 150 customer care agents.
I mentioned Vroom in an article about buying used cars. It’s an online platform for car buying. (Yeah, you can do anything online these days.)
But customer care agents don’t need to be car experts.
Vroom simply needs folks — about 150 of you, actually — who can reassure customers by answering their questions and offering warranty and delivery details. The agent will primarily make outbound calls to interested buyers.
To snag this Vroom job, you should be customer-oriented and be able to navigate websites.
Shifts will be part time — at least 25 hours a week — and range between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., seven days a week.
Pay starts at $10 an hour. For more details and to apply, visit NexRep.
2. Get the Guy is hiring a rock star detective.
This London-based online dating and relationship advice company helps women “get the guy.”
But it’s not just words on a screen. The site also offers customer service — you know, for the dating disasters.
That’s why it needs a customer service rock star detective who’ll answer emails, issue refunds and pass technical issues along to developers.
The perfect detective will be a problem-solver (duh) and independent. The candidate should have basic technological knowledge and freelance experience.
Get the Guy’s team is totally remote. The position starts part time — 10-20 hours per week — sometime between noon and 9 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday.
I reached out to the team about pay and will update you when I hear back. In the meantime, here’s the complete job listing.
3. Acuity Scheduling is hiring customer happiness specialists.
We’ve mentioned Acuity before, but this is one of my favorite job listings. Ever.
And the job is open again.
Acuity Scheduling is a 10-year-old online scheduling company based in New York City with a BIG personality.
The job listing is written as a dating ad: “While I don’t usually do this sort of thing, I figured it was time to ‘put myself out there’ and see if, just maybe, the right person might be reading on the other side of the screen.”
The right person will be a human who loves to talk, email and live chat with other humans. Said human will help solve customer problems — even if it’s just a “forgot my password” issue. The human gets bonus points if they can handle some basic coding and create videos.
And Acuity promises to treat its new human with care: Pay ranges from $45,000-$65,000, depending on experience and skills.
The company also says it covers 100% of employees’ medical, dental and vision premiums. Employees should also expect a 401(k) — plus an annual $5,000 credit for continuing education.
Interested in a first date — err, interview? Apply online.
4. HomeAdvisor needs brand ambassadors.
VIPDesk Connect, a hiring company, is looking for brand ambassadors for HomeAdvisor, an online home improvement marketplace that hosts more than 30 million homeowners.
It needs brand ambassadors from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Virginia. (See why it might have these state restrictions here.)
The perfect ambassador will be able to sit for a long time, work on weekends and holidays, pass a criminal and employment security check, have a home office and at least a year of customer service or sales experience. A high school diploma is required, though some college is preferred.
Shifts run Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (EST) on Saturday and Sunday. Or, you can take second shift: 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (EST).
Pay ranges $10 to $12 an hour.
If you’re interested, we found this listing on Work at Home Mom Revolution, so check it out.
5. InVision needs a customer success manager.
We wrote about InVision way back when. But it’s hiring again.
InVision describes itself as a design collaboration platform — but you don’t need to know code to use it.
It needs someone who can help out with customer support — working with customers to answer any questions. As a customer support agent, you’ll possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
It’ll help if you have knowledge in design practices and tools (preferred, not required). You also must be located in U.S. eastern or central time zones.
There are great perks, too.
“Each InVision team member is given the freedom and tools to do their best work from wherever they choose,” the listing states.
You’ll also have a flexible vacation policy, unlimited Starbucks cards and unlimited access to books related to your job.
So grab your last paid cup of Starbucks and apply online today.
Don’t see anything in this list that interests you? Follow the TPH Jobs Facebook page and get the latest openings as we post them.
Your Turn: Have you ever taken any work-from-home jobs?
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
The post Your Commute Sucks: Apply for These 5 Work-From-Home Jobs Now appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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Sell your home in 12 days to gain maximum returns
Selling your home in 12 days rather than weeks later could net you thousands of pounds more, according to new research.
Analysis of data from more than 5,000 estate agent branches across Britain show that properties sold in exactly 12 days typically achieve more than their asking price, according to analysis from consumer group HomeOwners Alliance’s EstateAgent4Me tool.
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Hooters Will Help You Get Over Your Ex by Giving You Free Wings This V-Day
Hate your ex? Want a cathartic way to get over them — while also getting free chicken wings?
I thought so.
Hooters is running a fun “Shred Your Ex” promotion, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
When you destroy a photo of your ex, Hooters will give you 10 FREE boneless wings with the purchase of 10 wings (approximate cost: $8.99). The offer is redeemable on Feb. 14 only.
Here’s how to get your revenge and your wings…
How to Get Free Wings for Shredding Your Ex
When it comes to destroying a photo of your ex, you’ve got two options: in-person or online.
If you go the in-person route, bring a photo of your ex into the nearest Hooters on V-Day, and the restaurant will shred it for you and give you free wings.
Don’t have any printed photos of your ex?
Because we’re true Penny Hoarders, we looked into getting cheap prints at Walgreens. Through Saturday, Feb. 4, the coupon code GETITALL will get you 40 percent off prints. Just order online and select in-store pickup. Between Feb. 4 and Valentine’s Day, Walgreens will offer new deals for prints here.
Though I have a feeling the in-person shred is the more gratifying choice, it also might be more work than your ex is worth. If that’s the case, you can virtually shred your ex’s photo.
Visit Hooters’ website, take a short quiz and upload your ex’s picture. Based on your responses to the quiz, Hooters will virtually shred, burn, bury or throw darts at your ex’s photo. (FWIW, I got “BURN” when it came to my most recent ex.)
After watching the photo get destroyed, enter your email address to receive a coupon for your 10 free wings.
This is the second year Hooters is offering this deal. Last year, it says, more than 25,000 customers disposed of their ex online. The restaurant chain added, “With options to either burn, bury or shred a digital image of their ex, a resounding majority chose to heat things up over a burning fire.”
They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but after seeing this promo, I think I’ve changed my mind… Revenge is a dish best served with free chicken wings!
Your Turn: Do you have an ex you’d like to shred?
Susan Shain is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.
Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer for The Penny Hoarder and contributed to this post. He’s awfully fond of chicken wings.
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Do These 6 Companies Owe You Money? Here’s How to Find Out
Do you sign up for text ads from your favorite companies? Me too!
I actually love the convenience of getting coupon codes delivered right to my cell phone for deals like these:
- $10 gift card with $50 grocery purchase at Target
- Free small popcorn at AMC Theatres
- 10% off my next order at Boto Sushi
But getting a text alert from a company I have no connection to is flat-out annoying!
Recently, I’ve received texts advertising random things, like cheap meds from Canada and Rack Room Shoes. I even got one from a real estate company that saw I was browsing its site.
Talk about invasive and unwanted!
The good news is there’s a federal law that protects consumers from robocalls and text spam — which brings us to the first class-action settlement in this month’s roundup.
1. GUESS Unwanted Texts
This month, as I searched for settlements to share with my fellow Penny Hoarders, I found a recent class-action lawsuit claiming clothing retailer GUESS sent texts without permission from the recipient.
If you received an unsolicited text message from GUESS between Oct. 16, 2013 and Nov. 8, 2016, you could get $15 cash or a $30 store voucher from this proposed class-action settlement!
The deadline to file a claim for the GUESS unwanted text settlement is March 10, 2017, so act fast!
2. Trump University Live Events
If you attended a Trump University Live Event between Jan. 1, 2007 and May 23, 2010, you could get a refund of approximately 50% of the seminar price.
This preliminary Trump University settlement resolves two class-action lawsuits and a civil suit filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman accusing President Donald J. Trump and his now-defunct Trump University of misleading customers with false statements about Trump University’s Live Events.
According to the lawsuits, Trump University promoted seminars to prospective students by telling them they would learn how to invest in real estate and obtain financial independence using Trump’s techniques. The suits claim students were told they would learn from instructors “hand-picked” by Trump himself.
Instead, plaintiffs say they were tricked into buying access to Trump University Live Events that ran “more like an infomercial, selling non-accredited products, such as sales workshops.” The suits allege “the representations were false because Trump had no substantive involvement in the selection of the Live Events instructors or the content of the Live Events.”
You must file a claim form by March 6, 2017. Find out if you qualify here.
3. Conair Infiniti Pro Hair Dryer
Conair has agreed to pay $5.4 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that claims Infiniti Pro hair dryers spontaneously catch fire due to several design defects.
If you bought a Conair 259 or 279 Infiniti Pro 1875-watt hair dryer in California between Aug. 15, 2009 and Aug. 31, 2016, or in New York between Aug. 15, 2010 and Aug. 31, 2016, you could get either $5 in cash or a replacement hair dryer, depending on the manufacturer of your device.
This settlement does not cover personal injury or property damages. That means if you file a claim, you won’t give up your right to pursue further litigation if you were hurt or your property was damaged as a result of the alleged defects.
If you’re seeking a refund or replacement from Conair, you must file a claim form no later than March 9, 2017.
Additional details are available here.
4. Toyota Rust-Prone Truck Frame
Some Toyota Tacoma, Tundra and Sequoia owners can get a frame inspection, and possibly, a replacement worth up to $2,500 as the result of a recently settled class-action lawsuit.
According to the complaint, certain models have a defect that causes premature corrosion, leaving their frames unstable and unsafe.
If you own or lease a 2005-10 Toyota Tacoma, 2007-08 Toyota Tundra or 2005-08 Toyota Sequoia, you could receive a free replacement if your vehicle’s frame is inspected and found to be rusty once the settlement becomes final.
If you paid to replace the frame on one of these vehicles due to early signs of rust prior to Jan. 3, 2017, Toyota will reimburse you.
You must file a claim and provide supporting documents by June 26, 2017, to be part of the settlement.
More information is available here.
5. Chewable Fluoride Tablets
Did you buy chewable vitamins containing fluoride between Oct. 31, 2007 and Dec. 31, 2015? If so, you could get a share of a tentative $15.5 million class-action settlement.
Chewable vitamin brands Qualitest Pharmaceuticals, Vintage Pharmaceuticals and Physicians Total Care were allegedly mislabeled as containing more fluoride than they actually had.
The class-action lawsuit alleges the tablets were labeled as containing 1 mg, 0.5 mg or 0.25 mg doses of fluoride. However, they consistently contained less than 50% of the amount listed on the label, according to the suit.
If you purchased these chewable fluoride tablets between 2007 and 2015, you could receive a to-be-determined portion of settlement funds if you file a claim by April 17, 2017.
Proof of purchase will be required only if you’re submitting a claim for more than $250.
Learn more about the settlement here.
6. JPMorgan Chase Robocalls
If you got a robocall from JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the past few years, you could get a share of this $3.75 million settlement.
A lawsuit accuses the banking giant of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by placing automated calls to cell phones without consent from recipients.
You could be eligible for a payout of $45 to $75 if you received an unwanted call from Chase between Jan. 1, 2014 and March 22, 2016.
You must submit a claim form by March 21, 2017. More information is available here.
Your Turn: Do any of these companies owe you money?
Melissa LaFreniere is the news editor of TopClassActions.com. She LOVES getting text advertisements for sushi, AMC popcorn and Target!
The post Do These 6 Companies Owe You Money? Here’s How to Find Out appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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31 Days to Financial Independence (Day 25): Investing and Saving for Other Goals
“31 Days to Financial Independence” is an ongoing series that appears every Thursday on The Simple Dollar. You might want to start this series from the beginning!
Last time, we took a look at saving and investing for educational needs, which pairs up nicely with our earlier look at saving for retirement. Retirement and college savings are two of the biggest goals that people have in terms of saving and investing for the future.
But they’re far from the only goals.
People save money for lots of reasons. They save for a down payment for a house. They save for a down payment for a car – or to buy a car entirely in cash – because those moves will save a ton on interest for a car loan. They save to go on a really nice vacation. They save up to launch a side project or a small business.
Typically, savings goals outside of retirement and education tend to be smaller goals – $100,000 or less, though still pretty large for most Americans. They tend to have a shorter term focus, meaning that the intent is to use the savings in the next few years. Also, there is rarely any sort of tax-advantaged opportunities for saving or investing for those goals.
Because of those differences, you need to use some different approaches for saving for smaller goals than you need to use for the big retirement and education goals. Let’s take a look at those approaches.
First and foremost, you need to establish an approximate timeframe for your goal. When exactly do you intend to buy a new car? When do you intend to move forward with that house purchase? When do you plan on going on that vacation to Norway?
You don’t need to be perfect here. You merely need to figure out a good rough ballpark estimate so that you have some basis upon which to make decisions about how to best save for and achieve that goal.
Setting a target date for your goal helps you to articulate not only how you will invest for that goal, but also the rate at which you need to save for that goal.
There’s another piece of the equation you’ll need, too.
You also need to establish an approximate dollar target for your goal. How much of a down payment will you need for that house? How much will that trip to Norway actually cost you? How much will that van purchase you’re considering actually set you back?
This will take a bit of research, of course, but without it, it’s basically impossible to put a real savings plan in place. You need to know how much you’re saving. The reason? Along with the timeline, you can use those numbers to figure out exactly how much you need to save each month.
Let’s say, for example, that you’re planning on traveling with your spouse and three children to London during the summer of 2019 for a week, which will include a day trip to Paris. (I’m just using this as *ahem* an example.) Your budget for that trip is $12,000. Between now and then, you have 30 months to save. Because you have both a budget and a timeline, you can quickly divide the two numbers and discover that you need to save $400 a month to be able to pay for the trip in cash.
Or, let’s say you’ve decided to buy a home in three years and you need a $50,000 down payment. You have 36 months to save for it, so you need to put away about $1,400 a month to get there.
There’s another reason why having a timeframe and a dollar amount is useful, too.
Your timeframe dictates where you should put your money while saving up. Let’s talk a little about Investing 101 here. When you choose to put your money somewhere for the future, the method you use to store that money needs to be in alignment with your goals.
To keep things as simple as possible, let’s talk about investments in terms of risk and reward. Most people recognize that the higher the risk of an investment, the higher the potential reward. One very common way this plays out with investments is in the form of volatility. A volatile investment is one that varies widely from year to year in terms of the returns you earn from it.
Typically, with most mainstream investments, what you really get is a higher average annual return in exchange for higher volatility. It’s a particular flavor of that risk-reward balance.
Let’s look at a regular bank account first. A bank account has extremely low volatility. It’s virtually certain to hold its value and slowly earn interest at whatever rate the bank offers, right? The catch is that the rate of return is really low, too. You only earn 1%, but you’re earning that 1% consistently and you have essentially no risk of losing your balance.
On the other side of that coin, let’s look at a stock market investment. One typical way that people invest in the stock market is via an index fund like the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index. They open an account with Vanguard, buy shares of that fund, and just sit on it. The Vanguard Total Stock Market Index basically owns shares in everything in the stock market, and thus when you buy a share in that index, you’re effectively buying a tiny, tiny fraction of a share in every single publicly traded company in the United States. What that means is that when you hear about the “stock market” going up or down on the news, that’s almost exactly what the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index is doing. You’re basically investing in the “stock market” as a whole.
An investment like that is way more volatile. Over the course of a lot of years, the return settles down to an average of somewhere around 7% to 10% depending on how you calculate it, but that average comes with a ton of volatility. That 7% average over a decade might include years with a 16% return and a 21% return and another year with a 41% loss.
The problem with that is that in order to get that 7% average, you have to be invested for a while. It’s usually suggested that you be invested for a decade or more at least. If you invest for fewer years than that, things can go bad. Very bad.
Let’s say, for example, that the stock market had a ten year run that looked like this: 11.74%, 1.38%, 13.52%, 32.15%, 15.89%, 2.10%, 14.82%, 25.94%, -36.55%, and 5.48%. In seven out of those ten years, you’re going to be doing better in the stock market than in a savings account; in two more of those years, you’re roughly matching a savings account. The tenth year is a complete disaster.
What if you’re invested for three years? Given that stretch of numbers above – which, incidentally, is the annual return of the S&P 500 index for the last decade – most of the three year averages are pretty good… except for the three that include that disastrous -36.55% year, in which you’re still likely losing money.
It’s only when you include most of or all of those years that you have a consistent average that’s higher than what you’d get from a savings account. If you invest only for a small number of years, you might have a really good return… or you might lose a significant portion of your investment, and with fewer years, it gets more and more risky.
Thus, the best strategy for a short term investment, particularly with a timeline under ten years, is to put it somewhere safe and secure. This becomes more and more true the shorter your timeline is.
So, what do you do?
Exercise #25 – Building a Plan for Saving for Other Goals and Executing It
The first step is to figure out exactly what you’re saving for. You probably have a goal in mind, but if you’re going to achieve that goal, you need to pin it down a little more firmly, and that means making some plans.
First of all, what exactly is your goal? You need to make it as specific as you can so that you can come up with some realistic numbers upon which to base your plans. Do some homework on whatever your goal is and get a grasp on how much you’re going to need to have to make it a reality. This may involve making a preliminary budget. At the same time, settle on a timeline for your goal. Know when you’re going to do it.
The purpose here is to make your goal as clear as possible so that you can turn it into a statement of “I need to have X dollars in Y months.” You need to do the thinking and planning in your own life for your own situation to figure out what X and Y are for your own particular goal.
Once you’ve figured out the amount and the timeline, make an investment decision based upon the time until you need the money.
If it’s less than five years, I wouldn’t consider anything other than a very low-risk low-reward investment, like a combination of a savings account or money market account and certificates of deposit. You can shop around various banks for the best rate, but you want that in a steady and secure FDIC insured bank account.
If the timeline is substantially more than ten years, such that you’ll have a healthy portion of your savings already in place when you still have ten years left to go, I’d consider the stock market in the form of an index fund, as described above.
If your timeline is somewhere in between, you can consider a mix of options, but I’d still lean toward something very secure, like a savings account and certificates of deposit at the bank.
What about other investment options, like real estate? In general, such other options offer the same risks and rewards as stock investments and they really only pay off over a longer period of time. If you’re looking at a longer-term investment and want to diversify as much as possible, things like real estate and bonds can be good choices, but, again, they’re not necessarily great options if you’re looking at the short term.
Once you’ve figured out the type of investment you want, figure out a sensible place to actually put your money. Shop around for a reputable bank that offers good interest rates on their savings accounts, good certificate of deposit rates, and online banking that allows you to set up automatic transfers. Ally Bank is a good option here. If you’re looking at stocks or other investments, shop around for a broker or investment house that can handle exactly what you need with minimal fuss. I use Vanguard directly for these things.
Once you’ve done that, set up a repeating automatic transfer that will move enough money into that new account each month so that you’ll achieve your goal. You can set it up however you’d like, but make sure that you’re putting in enough so that you’ll achieve your goal. For example, if you need to save $10,000 in two years, you should be putting in about $400 a month.
You can schedule the transfer weekly if that’s more convenient for you. In the above example, $100 a week would definitely get you to your goal.
What’s the benefit of doing this automatically? If you do it automatically like this, savings becomes a priority for you. You’re committing to paying yourself first; you have to account for the money going into savings because it’s going to happen, no matter what. Without an automated savings plan, you’re relying on your own decision-making process to put that money away month after month, and while you might be really committed to it now, almost all goals eventually hit an “enthusiasm valley” where short-term matters begin to feel more important than that big goal.
At this point, you have a goal, a timeline, a plan for saving that money, an account, and an automatic system in place for saving that money. What else do you need? You need to make sure that the money’s actually there each month.
Once a month (or once a week), the amount of money you’re saving is going to automatically move out of your checking account and move into your separate savings account for your goal. You have to be prepared for that in terms of your day to day spending. If you’re automatically saving $200 a month, that means your normal household budget has to be able to survive and thrive on $200 a month less than before.
Likely, that means turning back to the core of all personal finance principles, spending less than you earn. A large portion of this series, starting on the seventh entry and continuing until the sixteenth entry, focus on tactics for cutting back on your spending, while the eighteenth through the twenty-first entries focus on improving your income. Those two factors together are how you spend less and earn more.
To make that savings goal work, you need to be consistently spending that much less, earning that much more, or some combination of the two in a given month. Without that change in your personal finance habits, you’re going to run into some real difficulty making savings goals work.
So, your final step in this process goes right back to the beginning. You need to make sure that there’s enough of a “gap” between your spending and your earning that this savings goal isn’t creating a problem for you.
Personal finance is like a never ending wheel. You adopt goals and need to make financial changes to your life to achieve those goals, and then as you achieve goals and experience lifestyle changes, your goals change again, as does your methods for getting there. You keep moving back and forth between goals and methods, but as time goes on, the goals and the methods change and change again.
It’s up to you to stay on top of it.
The remainder of this series will focus on a number of standalone topics. Next time, we’ll take a look at insurance options.
The post 31 Days to Financial Independence (Day 25): Investing and Saving for Other Goals appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
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The AA launches new savings accounts, but are they any good?
The AA has unveiled a pair of new savings accounts, including an exclusive product for its breakdown members.
The Member Saver offers a variable 0.86% rate for those who already get breakdown cover from the AA. The second product is the Easy Saver, which is open to everyone. This has a headline rate of 0.75% variable, but includes a 12-month 0.55% bonus.
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Small Cars Are Kind of a Big Deal in 2017. Here’s Why
Think small.
Think used.
Those are good rules of thumb to remember if you’re buying a car this year.
Automotive experts agree that in 2017, the best used cars for your wallet will be small.
Why is that, exactly? It’s because market forces are working together to make it so. Supply, meet Demand.
Here’s Where the Deals Are
Why a used car? Because the second you drive a new car off the lot, it starts losing value quickly. In contrast, you’ll be able to resell a used car for a price that’s closer to what you paid for it.
Also, used cars are more reliable than ever.
Leasing spiked in popularity earlier in the decade, reaching an all-time peak in 2014. Millions of cars that were leased for two or three years at that time are now hitting the used-car market. You should look for a used car in good condition with relatively low mileage at a reasonable price. Consumer Reports recommends buying a car that’s 2 or 3 years old.
Why a small car? Because that’s where the best deals are.
In general, the prices of used cars have been rising noticeably in recent years because so many buyers have access to easy credit. However, low gas prices are leading more of those buyers to purchase used SUVs, trucks or large cars — not smaller cars.
For that reason, prices for used compact and subcompact cars have been steadily falling, according to the car shopping site Edmunds.
Large used vehicles are getting more expensive. Prices for used luxury SUVs went up 12.5% in one year, according to Edmunds’ most recent Used Vehicle Market Report. Prices for large traditional SUVs are up 12.3%; compact trucks are up 10.2%; and large cars are up 8.5%.
The price of used midsize cars has remained steady.
But that’s not the case for smaller cars.
“The best values for used car shoppers can be found in the subcompact category, where prices are down an average of 6.3% year over year,” Edmunds reports. “Compact cars (down 2% year over year) also offer great value for used car shoppers.”
You can save money by not following the crowd.
“If you’re a used car shopper in the market for a small vehicle, this is a great time to buy,” said Ivan Drury, a senior analyst for Edmunds. “Prices are down for these vehicles because there is so much more demand for used trucks and SUVs.”
It’s less clear what all of this means if you’re trying to trade in your current car. But it’s an important point to consider, because a record number of car buyers these days are upside-down on their car loans, with 32% of people who offer their vehicles for trade-in owing more on them than they’re worth.
Ultimately, your current car’s mileage and condition will affect its trade-in value more than anything else. For an estimate of your car’s trade-in value, check here or here or here.
Compacts and Subcompacts: What’s the Difference?
That’s all well and good, we hear you saying. But what exactly is a compact car? What’s a subcompact?
Helpfully, there are strict, exact standards for these terms. It has to do with the amount of room each vehicle has in its passenger area and trunk.
A subcompact car has 85 to 99 cubic feet of passenger and cargo space. A compact car has 100 to 109 cubic feet. A midsize car has 110 to 119 cubic feet. A large car has 120 cubic feet or more.
Popular compact cars: Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cruze, Mazda3, Volkswagen Jetta, Toyota Prius c, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa and Volkswagen Golf.
Popular subcompact cars: Ford Fiesta, Mazda2, Chevy Spark.
Cars that are even smaller than subcompacts — for example, a Smart Fourtwo — are called “minicompacts” or “microcars.”
Knowledge is Power
There’s obviously way more to buying a used car than simply picking its size. Here at The Penny Hoarder, we’ve rounded up some helpful tips here, here and here.
The bottom line: Knowledge is power. Information is your friend.
Fortunately, millennials are all in on that concept. Another recent Edmunds study found that tech-savvy millennials are educated car buyers due to their heavy use of smartphones to do research while shopping.
Websites like Kelley Blue Book, J.D. Power and U.S. News & World Report can help you find the best used cars for you by helping you narrow down the vehicle makes and models you want to consider.
Or you could shell out $6.95 a month for a subscription to Consumer Reports so you can read its rigorous used-car ratings.
Once you’ve narrowed down your search to a particular car, you can get a free CARFAX report on that vehicle’s history.
Good luck with the car shopping. Remember: Think small.
Your Turn: What’s the best or worst used car you’ve ever had?
Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com), a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder, has bought five cars in his life. None of them were new.
The post Small Cars Are Kind of a Big Deal in 2017. Here’s Why appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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Not Watching the Big Game? Here’s How to Make Money During the Super Bowl
When I was a kid, I was a big reader. Sorry — I meant to say “nerd.”
I was a huge nerd, and didn’t care about sports.
Still, I watched the Green Bay Packers play every Sunday, because that’s what we did in my house. I just usually had a book open while I did it.
Because of that ritual, the sound of a football game on TV is cathartic for me. I’d rather turn on the NFL Network than listen to a white noise app when I want to get work done.
That’s why I still tune into the Super Bowl most years — even without cable. I enjoy the connection to the rest of the nation — while knocking out a blog post and making headway through a novel.
And eating nachos, of course.
If you’re in the same boat, use the day to make some extra money. Just make sure you take a break and tune in for the Halftime Show, so you know what everyone’s talking about on Facebook Monday.
While your family or roommates gather ‘round the TV this weekend, try some of these ways to make extra money.
1. Place a Bet
Sports betting is probably the first thing to come to mind if you’re thinking about making money off the Super Bowl. If you don’t want to make a trip to Vegas to place a legal bet, you can do it online.
I’m no sports betting expert (shocker), so I’ll share some of the basics from SportsBookReview.com.
You can bet on NFL games four ways:
- Moneyline betting — “The easiest way to get into the wagering world as you’re only betting on who will win the game.”
- Spread betting — “You are wagering on whether a team can beat another by a certain amount of points.”
- Totals or over/under — “This is when you bet on the total amount of points in a game, and where you think the actual total will fall, over or under.”
- Teasers — “A type of bet that allows you to shift a point spread in your favor.”
If you’re just checking in with what’s going on in the NFL, you probably don’t want to bet big! Maybe just dip your toe in this year, and see how you like it.
Of course, gambling isn’t a sound way to earn money. If you enjoy the thrill of winning and can afford to lose, spend your money as you wish.
But if you want to guarantee you come out ahead, use your spare cash and time to do something you know will earn money.
2. Drive With Lyft
If you haven’t already signed up as a driver with Lyft, now’s a good time to do it.
As a driver with Lyft, you can help Super Bowl partygoers in your city get where they’re going — and where they’re coming from — safely. No driving drunk or walking in the cold!
Plus, the higher demand before and after the game could mean a busy night and big bucks for you.
You keep a portion of everything you earn as a driver, plus 100% of your tips. High Lyft traffic means “peak hours,” which might mean more money for you.
Here’s a link to apply to drive with Lyft.
3. Get Paid for Your Alcohol Purchases
You read that right: We found an app that will actually pay you money for your alcohol purchases.
BevRAGE is a fun rebate app that lets you get cash back on drink deals — whether you’re headed to a sports bar or hosting in your home. And it’s available all over the country.
Here’s how it works:
- Download the app and start a free account to browse drink deals in your area.
- Choose the deals you want, and buy the items.
- Click “Redeem” on the offer in the app, and take a picture of your receipt.
- Cash will be deposited into your PayPal account within 48 hours.
BevRAGE is always updating with new deals, so check back before you go out.
For example when I checked, some of the latest deals included:
- Kraken rum: $3 off restaurant purchase, $3 off store purchase
- Rebel IPA by Sam Adams: $3 off 12-packs, $2 off 6-packs, $2 off drafts
- Bushmills whiskey: $2 off restaurant purchase, $3 off store purchase
You’ll also find deals for different days of the week for cash back on your favorite cocktails at restaurants and bars.
Redeem these anywhere — you’re not restricted to specific businesses. You do have to be 21 or older to take advantage of these deals!
Note: These deals aren’t yet available in Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.
4. Take Stock Photos
People dressed in their favorite team’s jersey and faces painted in celebration make for great photographs.
Take advantage of the crowds of fans in your town to get some candid shots you can sell to stock photo sites.
You don’t even have to give up your own fun to fill your stock photo arsenal. You can sell your smartphone photos via Foap, so don’t worry about keeping track of expensive equipment all afternoon. (Just keep your phone out of the toilet.)
If you do want to go for higher quality, here are five sites that pay $100 or more for photos.
Note: Building owners or managers reserve the right to ask you not to take photos on their property. Otherwise, snap away, and make sure you understand whether your intended use of the photograph will require a model or property release.
5. Babysit
Want to hang out with the nerdy kids like me, who don’t want to pay attention to the game?
Offer to take them off their parents’ hands for the day.
Make game day easier for family and friends by offering to watch the little ones while they go out. You’ll get to make $20 to $40 and skip the loud parties.
6. Take Care of Pets
Pick up pet-sitting or dog-walking work to relieve football fans from the need to look after pets during time-outs.
Just stopping by to feed or walk a dog could earn you $40 an hour.
If you can’t find pet-sitting gigs in your network, hop on DogVacay to connect with pet owners in your area.
7. Get Ahead on Freelance Work
Holidays — even faux holidays — are great for side hustlers. Unless you want to chat with your clients about football, your inbox and social media will probably be quiet on Super Bowl Sunday.
Take advantage of the radio silence to get some work done.
This free guide can help you learn to launch your freelance business.
If you’re a freelance writer, pitch to these seven sites that pay $100 or more per post. And sign up for this free seven-day mini-course from ProofreadAnywhere.com to learn how to become a professional proofreader.
Or, pick a passion project off the back burner. Work on a novel. Put the finishing touches on a painting. Format an ebook.
If you’re just kicking off your side hustle in 2017, read our guide to getting started as a freelancer.
8. Get the Best Gigs
If you haven’t, sign up for Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and create an account with TaskRabbit.
The work differs quite a bit between these sites, but the strategy for earning money is similar:
Find gigs you can complete quickly that pay well for the amount of time you put in.
With a lot of Taskers and Turkers likely taking the day off, Super Bowl Sunday could be a great opportunity to get some of the best gigs. You’ll earn at least $14 per task on TaskRabbit and no less than minimum wage per hour.
9. Make Money While You Watch TV
Most of you know surveys aren’t our favorite way to make extra money, but if you’re enjoying the soothing NFL commentary in the background, why not click a few buttons and make money while you do it?
Inbox Dollars and MyPoints are two of our favorite paid survey sites.
Each pays in points you can cash in for gift cards. Should you prefer cold, hard cash over the cards, you can turn around and sell any gift cards you earn!
Your Turn: Will you watch this game this Sunday — or earn money while everyone else does?
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.
Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more, attempting humor wherever it’s allowed (and sometimes where it’s not).
The post Not Watching the Big Game? Here’s How to Make Money During the Super Bowl appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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How to Find the Perfect (Frugal) Valentine’s Gift
When it comes to holidays that place unreasonable expectations on our wallets, Valentine’s Day has got to be the worst. Every time early February rolls around, we’re expected to throw our budgets out the window to show our love.
If you really adore your husband, you’ll buy him a $5,000 watch or a new car with a bow on it, right? Love your wife? Upgrade her engagement ring to include the diamonds she deserves. At least, that’s the story all the television commercials and magazine ads are selling.
Obviously, most of us don’t fall for all the hype. Instead of buying four-figure gifts, we opt for presents that make sense with our budgets and financial goals. But, even then, our options aren’t always that great. Flowers, candy, and cheesy Valentine’s teddy bears may be budget-friendly, but they’re overplayed, folks.
So, when it comes to Valentine’s Day, what’s a guy or girl in love to do?
Giving Gifts According to Love Language
Part of the problem with Valentine’s gifts in particular is that popular gifts tend to be overly generic, lacking in meaning, or “one-size-fits-all,” according to Dr. Farrah Hauke, a psychologist in Scottsdale, Ariz. If you pick up a box of chocolates or a teddy bear without checking to see if your partner even enjoys such gifts, you’re not setting yourself up for success, she says.
That’s not to say that “generic” Valentine’s gifts are wrong. Hauke notes that which type of gifts are meaningful will really depend on the couple. A bouquet of roses might seem too cliche for one couple, but could be extremely romantic to another couple based on their shared memories or experiences.
This is why communication is key, Hauke says. “Don’t expect your loved one to read your mind about any aspect of your relationship,” she says.
To find the gift that’s most meaningful to your spouse or partner, Hauke suggests figuring out their “love language.” This is a term used to describe the way your spouse or partner shows or receives affection. For some people, it may be through words of affirmation or physical touch; others express love through acts of service and devotion or quality time.
“Based on which love language your loved one speaks, try to give a gift that comes from the heart and is special to them,” Hauke says. For some people, that might be a relaxing night at home with some stimulating conversation. For others, it might be a romantic dinner at a restaurant.
“Turn the focus on your loved one and tune out the millions of distractions,” says Hauke. “Try focusing on the meaning of Valentine’s Day and what makes your relationship special.”
Five Tips to Finding the Perfect Frugal Gift
If you’re like me, you probably hate the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a Hallmark holiday. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to show your loved one you care without breaking the bank. Here are some tips that can help:
#1: Consider gifts that money can’t buy.
While you can “buy” your partner a gift if you want, there are plenty of ways to show you care that don’t cost a dime. As Hauke says, try to focus on your partner’s “love language” — not yours, but theirs — to find the perfect gift.
“For some, the best gift that can be given is quality time. For others, it’s loving touch or an act of service as simple as unloading the dishwasher,” she says.
If you want to make your spouse or partner happy this year, try thinking of what would make them feel special or appreciated. How does your partner like to express affection? Gifts that fall into this category, and especially acts of service or words of affirmation, are often free.
#2: Brainstorm gift ideas that relate to your shared memories as a couple.
As Hauke mentioned, it’s perfectly okay to give cheesy or popular Valentine’s gifts if they’re also meaningful. If your spouse or partner loves flowers, for example, or if you brought her flowers on your very first date a million years ago, buying a bouquet makes romantic sense.
Either way, try to come up with a gift that brings your partner into a romantic frame of mind and celebrates your relationship. Consider framing your favorite vacation photo, or giving a gift that relates to your spouse’s favorite movie, clothing brand, or store.
#3: Make something.
You don’t have to spend money to give your spouse or partner a Valentine’s gift if you can come up with something to make yourself. If your partner usually does all the cooking, for example, you could prepare a special, romantic dinner at home. Just make sure it’s something he or she likes. (And if you don’t know, ask!)
Even if you’re not crafty, you can still order an inexpensive “homemade” gift. Put your wedding photo on a pillow or set of coasters on a website like Shutterfly.com or Collage.com, or order a photo book with your favorite pictures and memories.
#4: Choose experiences.
If your spouse or partner is someone who hates clutter, consider giving an experience gift instead of another trinket. Study after study has shown that experiences bring more lasting happiness than things.
It doesn’t have to be anything pricey like skydiving — something as simple as a trip to their favorite park could work, although you could go for concert tickets or a visit to his or her favorite museum instead. Make sure you go with them on the experiences so you can both enjoy it — and remember it — together.
#5: Give them time away.
If it’s hard for your spouse or partner to get away for “adult time,” giving them a few days – or even a few hours – off might be the best gift ever. Even a full day of shopping or the chance to sleep in late and watch movies alone can be therapeutic when you’re overworked or watching kids all day long.
Or, if your partner’s the type who works too hard and feels guilty about taking a vacation day, contact his or her boss and see if you can arrange a surprise day or even a half-day off of work in advance. You could surprise them at the office and spend the rest of the afternoon strolling through the city.
If your spouse’s “love language” is relaxation, giving them some free time is the best way to win their hearts this Valentine’s Day.
Final Thoughts
If you’re frugal or just tired of shopping for the perfect gift, Valentine’s Day poses a specific set of challenges. You may not want to fall for all the Valentine’s hype, but you shouldn’t ignore the holiday either if you expect to keep the romance alive.
To find the perfect frugal gift, the best thing you can do is figure out what your spouse or partner really wants. Unfortunately, this isn’t as simple as popping into a drug store on your way home to pick up a teddy bear or box of generic chocolates. To find a gift that will leave your spouse swooning, it needs to be special and unique.
According to Hauke, the best way to find the perfect Valentine’s gift is simple. “Ask them what makes them feel loved,” she says.
What’s your favorite frugal Valentine’s Day gift of all time? What do you plan to get your spouse or partner this year?
Related:
- 10 Frugal Ways to Say ‘I Love You’
- How to Plan a Great, Low-Cost Valentine’s Surprise
- Nine Tactics for a Frugal Valentine’s Day
- 10 Heartfelt Gift Ideas for People Who Have Everything
The post How to Find the Perfect (Frugal) Valentine’s Gift appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
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