RushCard Settles for $10M With Prepaid Card Users. Here’s How to Cash In

UniRush, co-founded by music producer Russell Simmons, launched RushCard in 2003 to provide a fresh take on prepaid debit cards.

It also made a big promise: Direct deposit customers could access those deposits two days before the funds would typically be available.

But a series of technical snafus put the company in hot water in the fall of 2015. Now, RushCard customers will see their share of $10 million in restitution as a result of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) investigation of more than 800 complaints against UniRush.

On top of what it owes customers, MasterCard and UniRush will pay a $3 million fine to the CFPB.

What RushCard Customers Can Expect

UniRush will provide funds directly to customers who were affected in October 2015; amounts will vary.

The minimum redress plan requires UniRush to pay customers the following amounts for inconveniences the botched system conversion created in October 2015:

• $25 to customers whose transactions were denied during the extended blackout period Oct. 12, 2015.

• $150 to customers whose cards were flagged for fraud because the payment processing platform wasn’t configured correctly.

• $100 to customers whose accounts incorrectly said they had a $0 balance in October 2015.

• $100 to customers whose automatic clearing house service deposits didn’t go through during the conversion period and its aftermath.

• $250 to customers whose ACH deposits bounced or couldn’t be processed by UniRush in October 2015.

• $150 to customers who couldn’t access the funds in their accounts.

• $150 to customers who lost their cards or had them stolen, but did not receive a functioning replacement.

• $150 to customers who loaded cash onto their cards but experienced a delay in posting.

• $50 to customers whose card-to-card transfers did not process immediately.

Customers who experienced more than one of these inconveniences may see a considerable payout from UniRush.

If you no longer have an active RushCard account, you’ll receive your payments by mail instead of via direct deposit.

So, What Happened to Everyone’s Money?

UniRush chose MasterCard as its new payment processor in 2014, and a lengthy process followed to prepare the financial management company to switch to the MasterCard system.

When the switch came in mid-October 2015, a host of technological glitches left customers without access to their direct deposits and paychecks. They also couldn’t withdraw cash from their accounts, pay bills with their RushCards or even summon their account information, according to the CFPB. What’s worse, customer service was reportedly scant during this confusing period.

Customers were told there would be a blackout period of five hours in the early morning of Oct. 12, 2015, but the blackout lasted three-and-a-half hours longer than expected, the CFPB found. Approximately 20,824 customers continued to have difficulty accessing and using their accounts over the next several days, with effects rippling into the next few weeks.

Although UniRush designed RushCard to provide customers with easier, faster access to direct deposits, the CFPB’s description of how UniRush “denied consumers access to their own money” during the technical difficulty period is alarming for anyone who’s ever anxiously waited for the next payday to roll around:

UniRush did not accurately transfer all accounts to Mastercard. As a result, thousands of consumers could not access funds stored on their cards for days, or in some circumstances, weeks. Because of Mastercard’s actions, accounts of about 1,110 consumers were incorrectly suspended. UniRush also delayed crediting cash deposits to consumers’ accounts and shut off access to certain funds that consumers put aside for savings. UniRush did not issue a working replacement card to consumers whose cards were lost or stolen during this period.

Many reading about RushCard’s issue may assume it’s something out of either the future or an episode of “Mr. Robot.” But a quickly changing financial landscape and our continuing lean on convenient, connected banking services leave more room for error than any of us might have expected.

Your Turn: Are you a RushCard customer? Will you be waiting for your check?

Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder.

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Buy or Sell on Etsy? Here’s Why Its New Studio is a Game-Changer

My friends often joke that I have grandma-like hobbies.

I love scrapbooking and recently took up cross-stitching. I’m also prone to tackling random Pinterest projects.

Or maybe I see something overpriced in a boutique and say, “I can totally do that.” And I do — kind of.

So places like Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store and Hobby Lobby are my havens. However, sometimes I don’t want to drive 30 minutes to an hour when my creative mood strikes.

Instead, I hit up Etsy — and binge-shop. Even Amazon has supplied me with some solid art supplies.

But now a whole new world is about to open to up me — and all you DIY-ers out there.

Etsy just announced its new market is slated to launch in April. It’s called Etsy Studio, and it will house original do-it-yourself projects, tutorials and supplies.

Not only does this change the whole crafting game for folks like me, it also changes the game for those looking to make an extra buck or two — even if you don’t have the gift of craft.

What’s Up With the New Etsy Studio?

Apparently I’m not the only one who loves craft stores. The craft supply market is a $43 billion industry, according to The Association of Creative Industries.

Etsy — with its current 1.7 million sellers who appeal to 27 million buyers — aims to tap into this industry by creating “a global market dedicated to craft supplies that seamlessly combines inspiration and shopping in one place,” according to the press release.

Etsy Studio plans to offer 8 million products to crafty consumers when it launches, according to TechCrunch. Compare that to the 33,000 products that big-name, brick-and-mortar stores offer.

What Etsy Studio Will Bring to Your Crafting Corner

The folks over at Etsy discussed ways the platform could improve with buyers and sellers. With this feedback, organizers created the new platform.

Etsy outlined the changes it plans to make in its press release.

And don’t worry, existing sellers. You don’t have to do anything when the new Studio is released. Etsy’s got the transition handled for you.

Basically, your shop will now be featured on two platforms — double the exposure.

Here are a few exciting ones that’ll help sellers and buyers alike:

1. Etsy is adding a new shop manager and dashboard.

This will act as a business hub for you creative entrepreneurs.

There will also be a new dashboard, which will let sellers see everything from conversations with customers to pending orders and shopping statistics. The new shop adviser tool pulls out the most important and urgent tasks that need attention — so buyers aren’t left hanging.

2. Etsy Studio will help organize inventory.

Through conversations with sellers, the folks at Etsy have gathered that managing inventory is pretty darn time-consuming.

New tools will help sellers keep track of quantities, prices and stock-keeping units (SKUs) for each listing. This will also help buyers, letting them know if they really need to buy that photo album right now.

3. There’s a new handmade policy.

This simply adds another level of transparency for sellers and buyers. Sellers will be able to describe how a handmade product was, well, made, and who they worked with.

4. Etsy Studio is also launching categories!

I’m most excited about the new categories you can use to filter your search. For example, buyers will be able to search for items by size, material and color.

Whether you’re a buyer like me, or you’re looking to make some extra money, check out the entire press release.

And check out the website, too. There, you can sign up for email updates.

Stay tuned for April. Lord knows I’ll be sitting on pins and needles until then (maybe literally if my cross-stitch hobby goes bad)!

Your Turn: What part of the Etsy Studio are you most excited about?!

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

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Drybar is Hiring 30 Virtual Receptionists (You’ll Only Work Weekends!)

Bad hair day?

Bad week at work?

We found a solution. Drybar, a blowout and blow-dry salon chain, needs an estimated 30 part-time, work-from-home virtual receptionists in 44 states, and NexRep (a home agent contact center) is helping fill them.

Side note: I can’t find a true definition of a blowout — nor have I ever had one — but it’s just a blow-drying technique to smooth out your unruly hair. Think of any celebrity with amazing hair; they’ve probably had one.

What Does a Virtual Receptionist for Drybar Do?

Your job is to answer incoming calls from customers who need to set up appointments — or soothe those with complaints.

You’ll need to be energetic, articulate and comfortable operating a computer. You should know a little something about Drybar’s services and products — and be able to define a blowout better than I can.

What Does It Take to Become a Virtual Receptionist for Drybar?

If you live in Arkansas, California, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island or Washington, sorry: Drybar isn’t hiring in those states, but here’s where you can find other work-from-home jobs.

The next most important requirement is your availability: This job requires you to operate on Friday to Sunday. You set your hours. As long as you work 15 hours between Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday, you’re good as gold.

The call center is open Fridays and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to midnight, and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., so the hours are really flexible. You could easily knock your 15 hours out on Friday and Saturday and relax on Sunday.

Training is required — and unpaid. It lasts five hours per day for five days, and it’s all online.

The Perks of Working For Drybar — From Home

Well, the biggest perk has to be that you get to work from home. No blowout needed to go into work.

As noted above, you set your own weekend hours, so if you have a full-time gig, that’s fine. Or maybe you’re juggling the kids during the week. This is a great way to squeak out some extra income on the weekend.

Pay isn’t bad either. Agents earn 25 cents per minute of talk time, which equates to $15/hour if you talk for a full hour. Chances are, this won’t always be the case.

However, NexRep president John Stewart estimates that, on average, agents bank about $12.75/hour once they get into the swing of things.

Interested? Apply to work for Drybar through NexRep. The application asks you to fill out a short questionnaire. Once you submit it, you should receive an email response within 10 days.

Not into talking about hair on the weekends? We have more work-from-home job opportunities on our Facebook jobs page.

Your Turn: Are you looking for a weekend work-from-home job?

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.

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Get Into Any National Park for Free on These 10 Days in 2017

Mountains and forests. Rivers, lakes and waterfalls. The Grand Canyon. All for free.

This year, the National Park Service is offering 10 “free days.” Those are the dates when all national parks, monuments and historical sites offer free admission.

The first free day of 2017 was in January, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The next one is on Monday. A couple of weekends in April will follow that.

Conveniently, all of these free-admission days fall on or around a weekend, which is super-handy for planning a three-day trip. Here’s this year’s list:

• Monday, Feb. 20: Presidents Day

• Saturday and Sunday, April 15-16 and April 22-23: Weekends of National Park Week

• Friday, Aug. 25: National Park Service Birthday

• Saturday, Sept. 30: National Public Lands Day

• Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 11-12: Veterans Day Weekend

Of the National Park Service’s 400 sites, more than 120 typically charge anywhere from $3 to $30 a day for admission.The big, legendary parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite cost the most money. Here’s an official list of these parks, sorted by state.

Again, all entrance fees are waived on these free days. During your visit, you’ll still have to pay for things like concessions, tours and campsite reservations.

Your Other Options for Exploring National Parks

This is one of those cases where you’ll have to make a time-versus-money decision. It’s possible that some of these national parks may be a bit more crowded on free-admission days, and you’d have the park more to yourself on a different day.

Then again, the biggest driver of national park attendance is the time of year, with summer being by far the busiest time for many of the major parks.

Here are some options to consider:

• If you’re planning on hitting lots of national parks this year, you should go ahead and spring for an $80 annual pass.

• Annual passes are free for active-duty U.S. military and their families, and permanently disabled U.S. citizens.

• Seniors ages 62 and older pay only $10 for a lifetime pass.

• If there’s a fourth-grader in your family, you should take advantage of the Every Kid in a Park initiative. Fourth-graders and their immediate families are eligible for a free annual pass good for every national park.

• For more information, Travel and Leisure has a good primer on how to use a national park pass.

Your Turn: What’s your favorite national park?

Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. He has yet to get to Yosemite National Park, but it’s a goal.

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Craving Commitment and a Crunchwrap? Taco Bell Has You Covered for $600

As if Taco Bell wasn’t already the ultimate in romance, the fast-food chain recently announced that couples will have the opportunity to get married at its flagship Las Vegas Cantina location.

Yes, folks, the same minds that brought you the beefy five-layer burrito will now have all creative control over your wedding day. What could go wrong?

Yo Queiro My Dream Wedding

Believe it or not, there is a wedding chapel at the flagship restaurant where Taco Bell will give couples the supreme (see what I did there?) treatment.

The wedding package includes an officiant, a sauce packet bouquet, a Taco Bell garter and bow tie, “just married” T-shirts, a Cinnabon Delights wedding cake and Taco Bell Champagne flutes for the bubbly. (Bubbly, here, obviously refers to Baja Blast — the sweet, sweet nectar of the gods.)

And, as if that spread isn’t romantic enough on its own, the happy couple will also receive a Taco 12 Pack for their reception dinner — so no need to check the “chicken” or “fish” box on the RSVP.

Value Menu Vows

The entire wedding package comes at a grand(e) total of $600.

But don’t send out those save-the-dates just yet: The Cantina Chapel doesn’t open for business until summer 2017.

However, if you’re desperate to launch a bouquet of fire sauce at all your single friends, you can enter the aptly named Love and Tacos Sweepstakes for a chance to be the first couple to experience the nacho-filled nuptials — with some extra perks thrown in.

Yeah, like you needed any more convincing.

Cheers to the happy couple! I wish you nothing but happiness and a home full of chalupas.

Your Turn: Would you get married at Taco Bell?

Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. TBH, she’d marry a beefy five-layer burrito if it asked her.

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Bank of England stands firm on 'animal fat' fivers

Adam Williams

new-note.jpg

The Bank of England has confirmed it will continue to supply £5 notes containing animal products, despite criticism from vegetarians and vegans.

The Bank of England has confirmed it will continue to supply £5 notes containing animal products, despite criticism from vegetarians and vegans.

The new polymer £5 banknotes were introduced in September 2016, replacing the previous paper notes.

read more

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6 Brilliant Online Resources to Help You Find a Job or Start a Business

This time last year, I was interning at a magazine, churning out a 200-page graduate school project and looking for a job.

That last task was the most daunting one them all. And, between hours of scrolling through job sites and crafting cover letters, it unwittingly became a part-time job itself.

I even lost money in the process — signing up for those promising premium job board accounts.

So, now that my full-time job is to write about jobs… I want to help you, job seekers.

I’ve compiled a list of online resources to help you find the perfect job — whether you want to work in an office, start your own business or work from home.

Online Resources to Help You Find the Perfect Full-Time Office Job

This is what I was looking for — a plain ole, full-time office job.

But there were so many factors working against me.

First of all, when I searched “writing” or “writer” on a generic job site, I got all kinds of crazy jobs popping up requiring “efficient written communication skills” — or something of the sort.

Also, I had no geographic dreams in mind. I was happy to relocate.

If you’re running into just as many problems as I was, here are some resources that might help you along the way.

1. Find a job search site that caters to your needs.

Sometimes tapping into those big, all-consuming sites seems like the best route, but it might just trigger exhaustion and make you feel hopeless.

Rather than digging through 100 pages of generic listings, find a job site that caters specifically to your needs.

Take Après, for example: It’s a site that caters to women returning to the workforce and helps them secure full-time jobs.

Not only does Après curate a list of jobs from companies that pledge to hire women returning to the workforce, it also offers career coaches and a network.

“We are working tirelessly to help create professional opportunities for women who chose to temporarily focus on personal responsibilities and/or other priorities but are now ready to return to the workforce,” says co-founder Niccole Kroll.

If this sounds like your niche, you can join for free.

Other sites cater to specific demographics, too, including Military.com, Out and Equal and Black Career Network.

2. Create — and rely on — a network.

I secured my job with The Penny Hoarder through my network.

LinkedIn was my best friend for a while. I pride myself on my 400+ professional connections. And the platform really is a great asset — but sometimes you need more personalized connections.

That’s why I signed up for my soon-to-be alma mater’s emailing list. We call it the “Mizzou Mafia” at Missouri’s School of Journalism, and folks send job listings right to you inbox — plus the connection. I got one from a guy who works at Buzzfeed, and he knew The Penny Hoarder’s executive editor.

I timidly reached out with a short introduction, my resume and some writing samples.

It worked. He passed my information along, and I was able to bypass the flooded inbox of others who’d applied for the job.

So find your own way to network and make personal connections. Sign up for email lists, visit your college’s career center (if you’re still there) and attend local recruiting events.

Online Resources to Help You Start the Perfect Freelance Business

Starting a business might sound daunting — yeah, no, it definitely sounds daunting. But one of the best approaches is to start a work-from-home freelance business.

And no, this doesn’t have to be writing. There’s a real demand for other tasks such as transcribing, proofreading and bookkeeping.

I found some resources to get your creative, freelance juices flowing.

3. Read all the online advice you can.

When it comes to starting your own freelance business, it’s important to consider all the pros and cons and soak up the advice that’s out there. (Hint: There’s a lot of it!)

One such site is called I Will Teach You To Be Rich. Ramit Sethi started this site while he was a Stanford student. He kept seeing tons of expert financial advice (think: make a budget). But were people actually doing that?

So Sethi took a new approach. By twisting some psychology into his programs, he teaches people stuff they’ll actually do to make money — including starting a freelance business. Plus, he he’s a New York Times best-selling author.

He has a program titled “Make $1,000 in the time you’d spend watching Netflix this weekend.”

And one of my favorite pieces of advice — which I’m going to take to heart — is this:

“Most people try to reinvent the wheel when they’re starting a business. That’s a huge mistake. The world is a big place, trying to think of something that nobody else has thought of is almost impossible.”

Yes. Yes. Yes.

If you want more golden nuggets of advice, you can check out his free program.

There are so many other resources out there — including our site. First-person stories are great inspiring motivators — such as this one about a mom who makes $6,000 a month through her blog.

4. Consider taking a free class.

Not all of us majored in business or entrepreneurship.

But there are plenty of specialized classes out there to teach you a work-from-home trade and how to set up virtual shop.

I recently wrote about these three services: Transcribe Anywhere, Learn to be a Bookkeeper and Proofread Anywhere. Each of these online courses teaches you how to become a professional transcriber, bookkeeper and proofreader.

I spoke to three professionals who used the courses to jump-start their careers. Each former student mentioned the wealth of information each course offered about starting and maintaining an online business — from creating a website to marketing your services.

Even if you have zero experience.

Online Resources to Help You Find the Perfect Work-From-Home Job

You could say this is The Penny Hoarder’s niche… *brushes invisible dirt off shoulder*

We love work-from-home jobs.

However, there’s a lot you need to know before wetting your toes — which might remain tucked under your sheets all day if you actually end up working from home…

Here are some resources to get you started.

5. Use specialized job boards.

To be honest, I didn’t know work-from-home jobs were so prevalent when I was job-searching. But that’s probably because I wasn’t looking in the right places.

Job boards featuring work-from-home jobs are going to be your sanity-savers. Last year, I compiled a list of 12 sites that’ll help you land a work-from-home job.

In fact, we follow these sites closely to bring promising, legitimate jobs straight to you.

So go ahead and bookmark one or two or all of these sites because I really think you might be able to find the perfect job.

You can also follow companies that are known for hiring work-from-home employees. This list will be useful for that.

We also feature tons of work-from-home jobs each week on The Penny Hoarder Jobs Facebook page.

6. Start creating the perfect home office space.

I can already tell you, many of these work-from-home job listings are going to have a list of home office requirements.

No, you don’t need to stock up on every single piece of technological equipment right now, but you can go ahead and ready your space.

Plus, it’ll probably become your job-searching sanctuary.

If you’re like me and love drooling over photos of other people’s spaces, drown in the beauty that is Pinterest.

You can simply search “home office” for some eye-googling photos, but there are also niche boards out there, including Architectural Digest’s “Home Offices” board and Thrifty Home Decor’s “Home Offices” board.

And if you just don’t have the space — or environment — for a home office, you can look into co-working spaces. Here’s a guide about how to pick the perfect one.

Other important things…

Be sure to have your resume polished up — and avoid any awkward mistakes.

Prep for your interviews. Here are 20 common questions and how to best answer them. Some people say, if you have the time, accept any interview — that way you can practice.

In the end, I wish you the best of luck!

Your Turn: What’s your strategy for finding the perfect job?

Disclosure: You wouldn’t believe how much coffee The Penny Hoarder team goes through. This post contains affiliate links so we can keep the grinds stocked!

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

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7 Tools for Generating Infinite Content Ideas for Your Blog

Blogging sucks.

Okay that’s a bit extreme. In fact, there’s a lot that I enjoy about blogging—mainly connecting with you guys.

But what does suck is having to constantly come up with new ideas for blog posts.

It’s a grind that can be quite exhausting, especially if you’re simply coming up with ideas off the top of your head.

Research from The Content Marketing Institute found that “57% of B2B marketers say that producing content consistently is their biggest struggle.”

And the struggle is real.

If you’re like me and writing up to eight posts per week while juggling multiple businesses, it can be seriously draining.

So out of pure necessity, I’ve experimented with a plethora of different tools to aid me in the process of generating new content ideas.

Some have been home runs and some have been strikeouts.

But there are seven in particular I really like and want to share with you.

Using one or more of these tools will allow you to generate an infinite number of content ideas for your blog—without having to do any heavy lifting.

1. HubSpot’s Blog Topic Generator

This is one of my favorites for generating a handful of ideas quickly. Five to be exact.

I love it because it’s incredibly easy to use.

Literally within seconds, you’ll have five legitimate blog post titles at your fingertips.

All you have to do is enter up to three nouns in the search boxes:

In this case, let’s try “content marketing.” Here’s what happens:

Voila! I instantly get five viable blog topics.

If you want more, click “Try Again,” and it will take you back to the home screen.

From there, you can perform another search using the same keywords, or you can experiment with different keyword options.

I will say that HubSpot’s Blog Topic Generator isn’t ideal if you need to come up with dozens of ideas right out of the gate.

But it’s a great starting point.

2. BuzzSumo

You may have heard me mention BuzzSumo before.

I love this tool and have been using it to guide my content marketing efforts for a few years now.

It’s awesome because it does more than just provide you with content ideas. Much more!

It also does the following:

• tells you the number of shares and social engagements content receives
• identifies key sharers
• displays backlinks
• shows you top trending content

In other words, you can quickly tell how well content is performing and what’s resonating the most with readers.

This information is helpful because it lets you know which angles to take with your blog and makes it easier to strike while the iron is hot when topics are peaking.

Here’s what happens when I search for “content marketing” on BuzzSumo:

Notice that it provides me with an in-depth glimpse of the content that’s crushing it at the moment.

More specifically, I can see the number of:

• Facebook engagements
• LinkedIn shares
• Twitter shares
• Pinterest shares
• Google+ shares
• Links
• Total shares

If you look to the right of this info, you’ll notice two more features: “View backlinks” and “View sharers.”

Both add a whole new dimension to the content prospecting process.

But let me give you a heads up.

The free version is fairly limited and won’t necessarily show you the big picture. You also can’t take advantage of all the features.

That’s why I recommend using the Pro version if you’ve got the budget.

As of early 2017, it costs $79 per month.

I know this may seem steep to some marketers, but it’s a worthwhile investment in my opinion.

3. Alltop

This is basically a news aggregator that lets you know what’s happening online.

Alltop runs the gamut in terms of topics and covers everything from science and religion to photography and fashion. It’s all there.

Here’s what you see when you first land on the Alltop homepage:

It’s basically a hodgepodge of different content.

Skimming through the homepage may help you generate some ideas, depending on your niche.

But what I recommend is searching for a specific topic in the search box.

Here’s just a fraction of what I get when I search for “content marketing:”

Alltop displays five posts from relevant blogs, and you can simply browse through the list for ideas.

Or you can take it one step further and click on a specific blog and scan it individually.

I’ve found this to be helpful, and you can potentially find some epic new resources you haven’t been aware of before.

The bottom line is that you can usually come up with a ton of ideas in a short period of time.

You can also get a feel for overarching trends to gauge what’s popular at the moment.

4. UberSuggest

Using this tool is simple.

Enter a keyword, and UberSuggest will supply you with dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of phrases that include your keyword.

Here’s a screenshot of what popped up when I used “content marketing” as a keyword:

It’s kind of like the Google Keyword Planner but more streamlined.

UberSuggest won’t provide you with info such as search volume, competition, etc., but it’s perfect for coming up with content ideas for your blog quickly.

Another cool feature is “Expand this keyword,” which you’ll see after clicking on a particular keyword.

Here’s what happens when I expand “content marketing strategy.”

Notice that it’s a more comprehensive list of keyword phrases based on “content marketing strategy.”

Pretty cool.

In theory, you can use one simple keyword to generate thousands of content ideas with UberSuggest.

5. Google Trends

I’m sure you’re at least somewhat familiar with Google Trends.

I use it for several marketing purposes, mainly to perform market research and determine interest in a particular topic.

But did you know that Google Trends can be used for generating content ideas as well?

It’s true.

Now let me say that this isn’t nearly as comprehensive as the previous tools I listed, but it definitely serves a purpose. Three to be exact.

Again, let’s use “content marketing” as an example.

First, you can browse through “Related topics” to see what’s popular.

This can help you identify other influential resources you may want to check out, which can potentially give you additional ideas.

Second, you can scan through “Related queries” to see which search queries are most popular on Google at the moment:

Third, you can use Google Trends to determine whether a topic is trending up or down.

Here’s what the interest in content marketing looks like at the moment:

When you put it all together, Google Trends can be quite handy for generating ideas.

6. Portent’s Content Idea Generator

If you’re looking for a super quick way to come up with a click-worthy blog title, look no further than this tool.

While it’s by no means as robust as, say, BuzzSumo, it works great for generating a title that your audience will eat up.

Here’s an example:

For more ideas, click the refresh button.

I like Portent’s Content Idea Generator because it’s an easy way to come up with cool and catchy titles.

It’s particularly good if you’re looking for a dash of humor.

7. Content Row’s Link Bait Title Generator

So here’s the deal with link bait.

It can potentially be detrimental to your marketing campaign.

I mean it may drive some initial traffic to your blog, but you’re likely to have a high bounce rate and a minimal number of return visitors if your content doesn’t actually measure up.

For that reason, I don’t recommend using titles purely intended for link bait without actually having high quality content.

That being said, Content Row’s Link Bait Title Generator is still a pretty awesome little tool to have.

The concept is simple. You enter a subject, and a handful of relevant link bait title ideas will appear.

Here’s what pops up when I enter “content marketing.”

Not too shabby.

This isn’t to say you’ll want to use every single idea this tool suggests, but you can definitely use it to streamline your brainstorming.

Most of the time, you can come up with some pretty catchy titles that will bring in considerable traffic.

Just make sure your content hits its mark.

Conclusion

I think we can all agree that coming up with fresh content ideas is a pain at times.

If you’ve been blogging for over a year, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

But fortunately, you don’t have to sit around brainstorming on your own, trying to come up with new ideas from scratch.

There are numerous tools available (many of which are free) that will assist you with this process and enable you to come up with pretty darn good ideas.

In fact, it’s tools like these that have enabled me to make continual progress and establish the audience that I have.

If you’re a serious blogger, I suggest at least checking out each of these seven tools and doing a little experimenting.

This should make it much easier to populate your blog with killer content without driving yourself crazy in the process.

Can you suggest any other tools for generating content ideas?

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We Throw Away $160 Billion in Food Each Year — and It’s Totally Avoidable

Filed under depressing statistics: Americans wasted more than $160 billion worth of food — or 133 billion pounds of it — in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Yes, both of those figures are billion, with a “b.”

What’s worse? The results of a new survey-based study released in scientific journal PLOS ONE reveal most of us know it’s a problem… but feel powerless to do anything to stop it.

Is Food Waste in America Inevitable?

The survey, conducted by market research firm SSRS, questioned 500 people selected to be representative of national demographics.

The findings were somewhat disappointing — and baffling.

Although almost 77.2% of respondents reported feeling guilty for throwing away food, more than half (51.2%) agreed that “it would be difficult to reduce household waste further.”

Why? Well, we just have so many other things to do: Almost a full quarter of participants said they “don’t have enough time to worry about the amount of food wasted.”

That’s surprising. You’d think, given the astronomical total mentioned above, that money might motivate us to make time to correct food wastage…

… but less than half of respondents thought that “throwing away food is a major source of wasted money.”

Hmm.

How to Reduce Food Waste in Your Own Home

If this survey does present an accurate representation, many Americans are clearly more than a little disconnected from reality.

Food waste in America is a huge problem, and not just because of personal financial drain.

It also has steep environmental consequences, since food production is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions — to say nothing of the fact that millions of people don’t have access to the food we’re simply throwing away.

Luckily, there are lots of ways around this problem — and they don’t take up much of your time.

A big one? Don’t be a slave to sales.

Although buying in bulk can save you a ton of money, it’s still a waste if you end up throwing it away. According to the survey, 52.9% of us waste more food when we buy it in large packages or at sales.

Another thing: Stop religiously following expiration dates.

Almost 70% of survey respondents agreed that throwing away food that’s past its expiration date reduces the chances of someone becoming ill after eating it.

But here’s the big secret: In lots of cases, that’s simply not true. Here’s our full guide to what sell-by dates mean for food safety — and when you should, and shouldn’t, ignore them.

Finally, choose and store your food appropriately to ensure the longest possible shelf life for fresh items.

According to the USDA, the top three food groups contributing to waste totals were meat, poultry, and fish (30%, $48 billion); vegetables (19%, $30 billion); and dairy products (17%, $27 billion).

Obviously, sell-by dates and freshness matter very much for fresh items like these. That’s why we have posts on how to store your groceries to keep them good long enough to eat them — and how to choose the best possible produce in the first place.

There, that didn’t take very long at all, did it?

Your Turn: How will you help stop food waste in America?

Jamie Cattanach is a writer whose work has also been featured at The Write Life, Word Riot and elsewhere. Find @JamieCattanach on Twitter to wave hello.

The post We Throw Away $160 Billion in Food Each Year — and It’s Totally Avoidable appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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These 8 Websites Helped Us Save $21,781 on Our Wedding

When I got married in October 2014, I hadn’t been dreaming about my perfect dress and the perfect venue and the perfect flowers since I was old enough to read a women’s magazine, but it was still the perfect day.

My now-husband and I paid for the wedding ourselves; we opted to splurge on a honeymoon in Vietnam and save our pennies on the actual wedding day. We used tech tools to help keep our costs down and spent a grand total of $7,000.

Compared to the average U.S. wedding cost of $31,213, according to The Knot, we saved a ton of money. Here’s how we planned our wedding on a budget.

The Venue: Airbnb

My husband and I wanted a backyard wedding, but our San Francisco yard was too small. We could have rented a park, but city regulations meant we couldn’t play amplified music and would have to leave by 4 p.m.

As longtime Airbnb users, we figured we might be able to rent a house with a yard. A quick search showed us there were not only plenty of options, but many were within a short walk of our house.

To find available properties, we used the keyword “backyard” and clicked the option “suitable for events” under the “more filters” option. You can also input the maximum number of guests (16+), which will show you a ton of results that advertise as event space, for as low as $500 per weekend.

We connected with a lovely property manager whose house was only two blocks from our apartment. He was more than happy to let us get married there and even let us set up a few days early (though we threw him an extra $400 as a thank-you).

For $1,000 total, we got a two-bedroom apartment with a giant backyard. As an added bonus, we earned some of that money back by housing a few guests there!

We spent an extra $250 on a gardener to clear leaves and plant fresh flowers beforehand. Our host was more than happy to let us beautify his yard.

National average for a reception site: $14,006

Our wedding: $1,250

Money saved: $12,756 (plus another $1,901, since we hosted our ceremony there, too)

The Music: Spotify

Our afternoon barbecue wasn’t a dance party, so we decided not to drop the money on a professional DJ with expensive equipment.

We already owned two great-quality bluetooth speakers, so we just used our monthly Spotify subscription for our background music. We let our friends play DJ and ended up listening to everything from Taylor Swift to Nat King Cole.

National average for a DJ: $1,124

Our wedding: $10

Money saved: $1,024

The Invitations: Glö

Since our wedding was so small, it didn’t make sense to spring for fancy invitations.

Instead, we hunted around for a service that would send the invites, power our wedding website and manage the RSVPs. There are tons of platforms that do each of these things individually, but Glö was the only one to do all of the above.

National average for invitations: $439

Our wedding: $100

Money saved: $339

The Dress: OnceWed

I found The Perfect Dress a few months into our engagement at a fancy boutique, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend $1,300 (plus extensive alterations) for a dress I would wear only once. So I set up a Google Alert for the name and brand of dress.

A few months later I got a result from OnceWed — part wedding blog, part used-dress classifieds — where I found my exact dress, worn once, never altered and in my size for only $500.

I ended up talking to the seller on the phone, and we became fast Facebook friends. I love that I got to hear her wedding story, then make her dress my own. I hired a tailor on Thumbtack to add sleeves and shorten the train for an extra $300.

National average for a wedding dress: $1,357

Our wedding: $800

Money saved: $557

The Food: TaskRabbit

Feeding 40 people was surprisingly easy: We just ordered takeout!

We called our favorite San Francisco restaurant a few days before the wedding to give the staff a heads-up, and the total cost was just under $500.

The restaurant doesn’t deliver, so we hired a TaskRabbit to pick up and deliver the food to our Airbnb for an extra $30. He showed up right on time (with his mom to help!), and they walked in smiling, showering us with congratulations. Also, the food was phenomenal.

National average for food: $2,720 (based on average of $68 per person for 40 people)

Our wedding: $530

Money saved: $2,190

The Decor: Amazon

I’m blessed with a plethora of crafty friends, an addiction to Pinterest and an appreciation for outdoor beauty.

We didn’t do a ton decor-wise since the flowers and trees were plenty, but we did order a bunch of Mason jars, tissue pompoms, ribbon and chalkboards on Amazon for just under $70. One epic craft night later, we had all our decorations ready.

The day before the wedding, I stopped by our local flower stand and bought a bunch of flowers in matching hues. It cost another $70 (this included my bouquet!), and we did some quick arranging in the previously mentioned Mason jars. An artist friend led the charge the morning of the wedding to make sure everything was set up and gorgeous.

National average for flowers and decorations: $2,141

Our wedding: $140

Money saved: $2,001

The Car: Sidecar

After the official ceremony and reception, we hosted a karaoke after-party where we sang our faces off. It’s San Francisco, though and parking wasn’t an option.

Instead of taking the bus, we used Sidecar, a ride-sharing app. Sure, we could have rented something fancier, but it was only a 10-minute drive.

We even went super stingy and used the “shared rides” option, which could potentially have put us in the car with strangers. We were the only passengers both ways, but our driver was pretty excited to see us in our wedding attire.

National average for transportation: $767  

Our wedding: $10

Money saved: $757

The Officiant: Universal Life Church

We ordained my husband’s best friend on the internet through the Universal Life Church. I’d always heard this was a thing, but I had no idea how easy it was. He didn’t even need to be present; we just filled out the form online and entered his address. A few days later, he got a letter saying he was an official minister.

If you want a friend to officiate, definitely go this route — but check the rules in your state first. The state of California allows people to get “deputized for a day,” but charges $120. Getting ordained online costs less than $20 and they can perform more ceremonies down the line should they choose.

National average for an officiant: $266

Our wedding: $18

Money saved: $248

What to Expect From a Tech-Powered Wedding on a Budget

If you go this route, you need to give up a certain idea of how your day will go. We played host instead of being fully pampered, but that type of wedding never appealed to either of us anyway.

If you’re planning a wedding on a budget, but you’re in the mood for something more traditional, choose some of these areas to save money, then spend your savings on others.

The one place we didn’t skimp was on our photographer. I figured I wouldn’t remember our centerpieces or paper plates, but I knew we’d look back on our photographs until we’re old and gray.

So we spent $4,400 on the best photographer we could find (that was his cheapest package, and we booked him a year in advance), and I’m so glad we did. The photos are gorgeous.

My wedding was the best day of my life. Sure, our decorations were a little wilty, and sometimes there was a lull in the music, but all I remember was joy: The song my best friend wrote for us. My husband’s face as he said his vows. Our friends whistling and cheering as we were pronounced husband and wife. The sinking sun in the garden as Elliot and I held hands and watched the party shimmer around us.

Your Turn: What smart strategies did you use to save money on your wedding?

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Marian Schembari is a writer and blogger based in Düsseldorf, Germany, by way of San Francisco. She writes about travel and creativity and spends way too much time on the internet.

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Five Strategies for Avoiding (or Talking Yourself Out of) Hasty Purchases

The biggest personal finance mistake I make on any sort of a regular basis is to visit a store of any kind where I know I’m going to be personally tempted, and to do so with money in my pocket. A board game store, a bookstore, a stationery/pen/ink store, a brewing supply store – I should never, ever, ever walk into places like that with money in my pocket that I know I’ve budgeted for free spending. It’s a huge mistake.

Why is it a huge mistake? I know that in such places, I am extremely susceptible to hasty purchases. I’ll see a board game or a bottle of ink or a notebook or something else that really scratches my fancy. Even worse, I’ll see one that’s on sale, or I’ll see something rare that’s hard to find but isn’t selling at a premium price.

In those situations, I usually feel like I have to make my decision in a hurry. I’m usually not in such stores for a long period of time and I rarely have opportunity to return in a reasonable timeframe, so I have to make the decision quickly: Buy it now or walk away?

It’s in that position that I often make my worst financial mistakes. I give into that temptation and buy something that I really don’t need and honestly don’t even want that much; it just happens to be sitting right in front of me.

That’s not to say I don’t believe in being spontaneous. I absolutely do think that spontaneity is a wonderful thing. However, buying an ill-considered book in a bookstore isn’t spontaneous; it’s a waste of money. Buying yet another bottle of ink or yet another boardgame I won’t play as often as I need to in order to merit the cost? Sure, it might be a bit of fun, but it’s not worth the price of entry.

I recognize those facts later, but in the moment of temptation, sometimes those facts go out the door. Here’s what I do to cut the feet out from under hasty purchases.

I spend my free time and hobby time away from stores, online as well as brick and mortar. If I want to spend time on my hobby, I don’t go to a store. Instead, I go to the kitchen table or out to the garage. I grab a book off of my shelf and open the pages. I pull out gear I already have and do something with it.

When it comes right down to it, the joy in a hobby doesn’t come from throwing money after stuff (unless you’re an obsessive collector, which we’ll get to in a bit). It comes from doing things. It comes from making cool sketchnotes. It comes from reading a great book. It comes from hiking a new trail. It comes from making a killer homebrew. It comes from building something or making something or learning something.

It doesn’t come from acquiring something.

That’s because the magic in a hobby is in you, not in the stuff. It’s the use of your mind and body to do something interesting and engaging and, ideally, results in making something or achieving something.

The beauty of a passion for books isn’t in buying books by the armload, it’s in reading them. The beauty of a passion for board games isn’t buying more games, it’s playing them and mastering them. The beauty of a passion for ink and paper isn’t in accumulating more and more, it’s in doing something interesting with them.

Spend your hobby time and your free time in the places where you do stuff, not where you buy stuff. Stores are places where you buy stuff. Go there when you need something new for your hobby and can walk in there with a very specific purpose in mind. Otherwise, stay out of the stores and stay in your actual active hobby places.

When I do go to hobby stores, I go in there with a specific purpose. The above strategy doesn’t mean that I never go to a hobby store. I often do go to hobby stores. I just try not to go through that front door unless I’ve already made up my mind what I’m going to buy. The same exact thing is true for online stores.

I don’t go to websites like Coolstuff or Pen Chalet without a specific item in mind that I want and I’m intending to actually purchase. The same exact thing is true with brick and mortar stores – I don’t go there unless I’m intending to make a purchase. I don’t click my way to online stores, nor do I walk into brick and mortar stores without a specific purchase in mind.

“But what about sales!?” What about them? Here’s the truth about a sale: if you didn’t want something before you went to that sale, then it’s not worth spending your hard-earned money on it, no matter how inexpensive that item is. An item that’s not on your radar is never worth seeking out solely to spend money on it.

I try to collect achievements and things I’ve made rather than things I’ve bought. I’ve learned that it’s a lot of fun to “collect” achievements and to make things than it is to accumulate things I’ve purchased. This moves me from a collecting mindset into one where I merely buy supplies for making new things.

For example, I love writing down notes on things I’m learning and thinking about. I’ve learned that I’m far more proud of a notebook filled with thoughts and ideas than I am of a pile of empty notebooks without anything in them, no matter how pretty they are. I like writing with fountain pens and I’m far more proud of an empty ink cartridge or ink bottle than of a full one.

I love reading books. I’m far more proud of the list of books I’ve read than I am of the pile of unread books on my shelves.

I love hiking. I’m far more proud of the list of trails I’ve walked along and the pictures I’ve taken than I am of the latest hiking gear I’ve acquired.

I love homebrewing. I’m far more proud of the list of beers I’ve made and shared with friends and family than I am of all of the equipment that I have.

I love playing board games. I’m far more proud of my list of plays than the collection of games that I have, and I’m particularly proud of the games I’ve played more than 100 times.

Center your pride and activity in your hobbies and interests around making and achieving and doing things. If you’re going to accumulate something, make it a list of things you’ve completed.

I channel my physical collecting into free or very low-cost avenues. Like most people, I have some desire to collect and acquire physical items. If I do my best to turn off that attribute with regards to buying things, that doesn’t mean I don’t have to turn it off in other regards. I look for other things to collect.

I collect pictures of myself at the far point of trails. I collect journals and notebooks full of my own writing. I collect single bottles of my homebrew, the last bottle of each batch. I collect rocks from my travels. I collect leaf rubbings from unusual trees. I collect labels of interesting beers (I actually keep a notebook of these with notes about how I liked the beer).

Those things tend to absorb a lot of the brunt of my “acquisition disorder.” Those things are either free or are extremely low cost ot acquire, so it’s not a bad thing if I acquire a lot of them.

I simply do not buy non-essential items without following the “10-second rule” and the “30-day rule.” If I’m considering buying an item that isn’t an absolute necessity or isn’t one that I’ve completely decided on in the past, I use two rules before I buy.

First, I apply the “10-second rule.” I spend 10 seconds with the item in my hand asking myself if I really need this or want this. Quite often, I find reasons to not buy the item and I put it back.

Second, I apply the “30-day rule.” If the item costs more than a few bucks, I agree to wait 30 days before buying it. I write down the item in my pocket notebook or take a picture of it and then I go on a 30-day break before buying the item. During those 30 days, the desire for almost anything I might want to buy fades away. If 30 days pass and I still really want the item, then I switch into a “buyer mode” and start looking for a good price on the item, which leads to situations where I walk into a hobby store with a specific purchase in mind.

Using these strategies together minimizes a lot of my hasty purchases. These strategies allow me to buy things that I actually want, but keeps me from making a lot of hasty choices that I’ll regret later.

Good luck!

Related Articles:

• 11 Ways to Stop a Splurge Purchase
• Eight Little Things to Remember When You’re Shopping
• 10 Purchases You’ll Probably Regret

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Energy, Mining Companies Celebrate Repeal of Dodd-Frank Rule

Energy, Mining Companies Celebrate Repeal of Dodd-Frank Rule

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This Pro Bargain Hunter Shares His Genius Tips for Clearance Shopping

Millions of EE and O2 mobile users face inflation-linked price hikes

Helen Knapman

miffed-woman.jpg

Millions of EE and O2 mobile customers will be hit with price hikes of 2.5% and 2.6%, respectively.

Millions of EE and O2 mobile customers will be hit with price hikes of 2.5% and 2.6%, respectively.

The moves come in from 30 March for EE customers, and on April bills for O2 customers.

read more

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The AA launches competitive member-only mortgages

Adam Williams

mortgage-application-form.jpg

The AA has this week launched a pair of competitive new mortgage deals, although they are only available to AA breakdown cover members.

The AA has this week launched a pair of competitive new mortgage deals, although they are only available to AA breakdown cover members.

The products are a five-year fixed rate mortgage at 2.23% and a three-year fixed deal at 1.84%. Both products are available for borrowers with at least a 15% deposit (85% loan-to-value) and come with a £1,295 product fee.

read more

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Four million Brits living on 'inadequate income'

Rachel Lacey

foodbank-sign.jpg

Four million people in Britain are living on an inadequate income and “just about managing” according to a new study from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).

Four million people in Britain are living on an inadequate income and “just about managing” according to a new study from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).

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5 Years Ago, I Owed $68K. Now, I’m Debt-Free. Here’s How I Did It

Five Ways to Give Yourself a Raise

If you got a huge raise at the end of the year, consider yourself lucky. A deluge of data both new and old show that annual raises have mostly fallen flat, barely keeping up with inflation in some cases.

The Society for Human Resources Management reports it plainly. Their stats show that, in 2016, most U.S. firms handed out raises equal to 3% of their employees’ salaries. For 2017, companies are planning to do much of the same. Considering the fact that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) (which serves as a measure of inflation) rose 2.1% in 2016, a 3% raise isn’t going to give a very big boost to your buying power.

So, what’s a girl or guy to do? Work hard and hope for a promotion? Yes, but in jobs with little upward mobility, moving up the ranks is a long shot at best. At worst, it’s hopeless.

Here’s what I think: Instead of waiting for your boss to give you a raise, you should take one for yourself.

No, I’m not talking about raiding the work cash register or altering your paycheck; I’m talking about figuring out a way to boost your bottom line by either a) spending less, b) earning more, or c) both.

Don’t Wait Around for a Raise

Sometimes you have to take what you want, and that’s true when it comes to securing the paycheck you deserve. If you’re tired of waiting around for more pay, it might be time to take the bull by the horns. Here are five ways to give yourself a raise without asking for permission or begging your boss.

#1: Hustle on the side.

While nobody loves the idea of doing more work on the side, finding a way to earn money in your spare time is probably the best way to give yourself a raise. If you have any type of skill or talent at all, it’s usually possible to find somebody who will pay you.

Don’t think you have any talents? Think again. If you can babysit, mow lawns, or pick up someone’s dry cleaning, it’s possible to earn extra money with a little effort and time. A few initial ideas:

• Set up a profile on Care.com: With Care.com, you can find babysitting and housesitting jobs.
• Walk or watch dogs with Rover.com: If you’re an animal lover with a safe place for pets to stay, it’s easy to make money watching and walking other people’s dogs while they go on vacation or travel for work.
• Sign up for TaskRabbit: On TaskRabbit, you can connect with people willing to pay you to run errands or perform basic household tasks.
• Drive for Uber. If you have a smartphone, a reliable vehicle, and a clean driving record, you can earn extra cash driving people around.

Obviously, there are plenty of other ways to make money during your hours away from work. The best “side hustle” for you really depends on your level of skill, how much time you can commit, and what you hope to gain.

If you’re smart in a specific academic subject, you can start tutoring kids on nights and weekends. If you have a green thumb and a knack for lawn care, pass out and hang up flyers and post free ads online until you find someone willing to pay you to lay mulch, mow their lawn, or pull weeds. The sky is the limit on how much you can earn if you’re willing to hustle on the side.

• Related: 50 Side Businesses You Could Start On Your Own

#2: Get a part-time job.

Not everyone wants the hassle or stress that comes with hustling on the side. Instead, they’re better off pursuing traditional part-time employment – the kind with stable wages and predictable hours.

A part-time job may not be your idea of fun, but it can help you earn extra cash that could change your life. Whether you’re simply tired of subsisting on your 9-5 income or you want extra money to pay down debt or save for a specific goal, a part-time job might be the temporary solution you’ve been looking for.

Part-time jobs come in all forms, but some of the easiest to get are in retail and service industries. If you want to benefit even more from your extra work, you could look for a part-time gig in a store where you spend a lot. By working at a grocery store, for example, you could earn extra money and get a 10% discount on your food bill.

• Related: Think You Don’t Have Time to Focus on Your Money? Think Again

#3: Spend less.

You don’t need to earn more money to give yourself a de facto raise. By spending less, you can keep more of your hard-earned dollars in your pocket. That may not sound as sexy as scoring an extra paycheck, but the impact on your wallet works the same.

There are a ton of ways to spend less and keep more of your money. The best one for you depends on what you’re willing to give up. Since food and entertainment spending are some of the biggest discretionary components of anyone’s budget, those two categories are a good place to start. By not dining out as often and choosing to have fun on the cheap, you may be able to cut your spending substantially. But you won’t know unless you try.

The best way to spend less is, unfortunately, the most painful way. To figure out a way to cut your spending, you must know where you’re at. This usually involves tracking your spending for a while, and could require using a budget – especially at first.

Once you find your biggest spending weaknesses and money leaks, you can decide what and how much to give up. Then keep those savings for yourself.

• Related: Cut These Bills to Save $500 Next Month

#4: Pay off debt (and quit paying interest!)

Debt is by far the biggest enemy of our paychecks. When you owe money to someone else, you must fork over a monthly payment plus interest every month. Those payments eat away at our incomes and demolish our buying power, not to mention the fact they make it harder to save.

Can you give yourself a raise by paying off debt? Absolutely. Will it happen overnight? Unfortunately, no, unless you’ve got a chunk of savings you’re willing to throw toward a particular debt. This wealth-building strategy does take time, but the payoff will be worth it.

Let’s say you’ve been carrying a credit card balance of about $5,000 at a 20% APR, paying off only about as much as you charge each month. You may not be getting any deeper in debt, but that balance is costing you $83 each month, every month, in interest.

Depending on how aggressively you pay it down, it might take a few months or a few years; but as soon as you pay it off, you’ll have $83 more to spend each month – equivalent to a $1,000 raise in take-home pay. The same idea applies to personal loans, student loans, and your car payments, too.

• Related: In What Order Should I Pay Off My Debts?

#5: Save money on your regular bills.

Another way to give yourself a raise is to cut down waste on your regular, essential monthly bills. This can include anything from your house payment to your utility bills, cable bill, or the bill for your phone.

We’ve written about the art of negotiating your bills before. Basically, you should take every monthly bill you have and see if there’s a way you could pay less. Call your cable television provider, for example, and ask them if there’s any way to reduce your bill. You can even threaten to cancel or leave if you want. That may or may not sway them to offer a better rate, but it’s worth a try!

Call your homeowners and car insurance provider to see if they have any discounts you can apply for. Sometimes, they’ll cut your rates if you’re willing to pay your annual bill at once instead of monthly, or if you’re willing to raise your deductible.

Some of your bigger bills can be negotiated down if you’re willing to do some work. If you’re paying a high interest rate on your mortgage, you may be able to refinance to a lower rate and potentially lower both your monthly payment and total interest due. If you’re sick of paying high interest rates on credit card bills, you could transfer your balances to a 0% card, save money, and pay down debt faster.

When it comes to regular, ongoing expenses, any bit you can shave off becomes a permanent raise you can reap the rewards of month after month.

• Related: 40 Ways to Save Money on Monthly Expenses

The Bottom Line

Getting a 3% raise at work is great, but what if you want more? I say, figure out a way to cut your spending or increase your income. Heck, why not try both?

If you’re frustrated with your financial situation, something has to give. In lieu of a raise, spending less or earning more might be the solution you need. It may not be the easiest raise you’ll ever get, but it might be the most satisfying. Because, when you put in the effort to fix your finances, you get all the rewards.

Now, that’s something your employer can never take away from you.

Holly Johnson is an award-winning personal finance writer and the author of Zero Down Your Debt. Johnson shares her obsession with frugality, budgeting, and travel at ClubThrifty.com.

Related Articles:

• How to Make Extra Money
• Spend Less? Earn More? Which is the Best Path?
• Nine Strategies to Earn More Money in the Coming Year

Have you ever “given yourself a raise” before? Did you do it through earning more or spending less?

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