Cold Stone Wants to Give You Free Ice Cream Just for Being Kind

Imagine a world where people do nice things for one another just because they can.

OK, now imagine that same world, but with free ice cream.

That sounds like a world I want to live in. And this month, Cold Stone Creamery is making that world a reality.

In the spirit of Random Acts of Kindness Day, which took place Feb. 17, Cold Stone Creamery is bringing back Random Acts of Cold Stone, a national campaign the chain started to show appreciation and promote goodwill in communities.

Over the next few weeks, the Random Acts of Cold Stone team will be traveling to not-yet-disclosed locations across the country to hand out free ice cream to its fans.

While the company has celebrated Random Acts of Cold Stone since 2015, new to the campaign this year is a cardboard cutout ice cream truck that is “powered by kindness.”

Cold Stone will post pictures of the truck to its social media pages to help fans identify where the team will be next.

Cold Stone will offer fans who find the team their choice of the chain’s Like It or Love It size of their favorite flavor while supplies last.

Fans will be able to pose with the truck and post photos to social media for a chance to win Cold Stone eGift Cards.

The Random Acts of Cold Stone team will also hand out gift cards for free ice cream to anyone they witness performing a random act of kindness — one to keep and one to pass along in a second random act of kindness. Spreadin’ the love!

Cold Stone Creamery tastemaster Maya Warren, who has a Ph.D. in food sciences and specializes in frozen aerated desserts, will make special appearances at several stops along the Random Acts of Cold Stone team tour. She works with the research and development team at Cold Stone’s HQ to create all the yummy flavors, which doesn’t sound like a bad gig.

All things considered (and by all things, I mean free ice cream and kindness), I think I’ll be tracking down the team and getting my free scoop.

Now go out and do something nice for someone!

Your Turn: What did you do to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day?

Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She loves any excuse to celebrate!

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9 Expert Tips for Raising Money-Smart Kids Who Aren’t Spoiled

When you ask parents to name the worst word that anyone could use to describe their child, a lot of them give the same answer, according to personal finance columnist Ron Lieber.

“A surprising number of them answer right away with the word spoiled,” Lieber writes.

I’m not surprised. No one wants a toddler who throws tantrums whenever they don’t get their way, or a teenager who doesn’t appreciate what they’ve been given.

And, as Lieber points out in his book, “The Opposite of Spoiled,” there’s a culpability at the root of this fear.

“Unlike mean or stupid… spoiled reflects parental actions,” he writes. “Spoiled by whom? Spoiled by you.”

Are you a parent who wants your kids to be money-smart — but not spoiled?

Then keep reading…

I sat down with Lieber and got his best tips for raising kids who are “the opposite of spoiled” — in other words, “grounded, generous and smart about money.”

Why Teaching Kids About Money is Important

Not only is Lieber an author, speaker and the New York Times “Your Money” columnist, he’s the father to two daughters — a 10-year-old and a 10-month-old.

When his older daughter started asking tough questions about money seven years ago, he realized how “crucial” it is to discuss finances with your kids — and that no one really knows how to approach teaching kids about money.

So he talked to families and scientists across the country, and wrote a book called “The Opposite of Spoiled.” Though it’s targeted at families with household incomes of $50,000 or more, the advice rings true for any parent.

After all, being spoiled doesn’t necessarily correlate with how much money you have.

Spoiled kids, Lieber explains, have the following in common: few chores and rules, parents who “lavish them with time and assistance” and “a lot of material possessions.”

Note only the last one is associated with money.

No matter how much money their parents earn, understanding personal finance is essential for all kids — both now and in the future.

Because, as Lieber writes, this knowledge “will quite literally count as they struggle to compare the right numbers and set themselves up for adulthood.”

9 Expert Tips for Teaching Kids About Money

So you want your kids to be generous and financially savvy — and hopefully avoid the same mistakes you made?

Here’s a sampling of Lieber’s excellent advice on how to teach kids about money:

1. Answer Questions With a Question

Kids are going to ask tough questions.

The best response, Lieber writes, is another question: “Why do you ask?”

Not only does this open up “at least 10 seconds of stalling time,” it also “gives you a shot at finding the source of the anxiety.”

And once you find it, he writes, the question becomes much easier to address.

If it’s the result of idle lunch table talk, you can simply redirect the conversation. If it stems from anxiety, often some reassurance — rather than hard-hitting truths and numbers — is all they need.

For example, if your child asks if you’ll become poor because you lost your job, Lieber explains they likely just want to know things will be OK — “that they won’t have to move or leave their school or give up a pet.”

2. Just Say “No”

I’m not gonna lie: This is one of the things that scares me most about having kids.

Since it’s hard to say “no” to your children, Lieber suggests explaining your decision in terms of wants and needs.

When he says “no” to his older daughter, he tells her it’s a “want” and “more than we’re willing to spend.” Then he lets her know she can save up for it if she decides it’s a “need” for her.

As for common parental worries like, “What if my child thinks I’m mean?” or “I don’t want them to hate me,” Lieber’s response is simple:

“Who cares?” he writes. “It’s not our job to make them like us; it’s our job to turn them into adults who can make better financial decisions than we were able to… That’s the goal. We’re in the grown-up making business here.”

Down the road, I think I’ll print that out and stick it in my wallet.

3. Distribute Allowances Between Three Jars

How can a 10-year-old save for a purchase? With her allowance.

Lieber suggests creating three jars and labeling them “spend,” “save” and “give.”

The “save” jar helps kids learn about delayed gratification and avoiding impulse purchases. It also helps them develop “gratitude for the fact they’re lucky enough to have a little bit left over.”

As for how much you should pay out, he says, “For the younger ones, 50 cents or $1 a week for every year they’ve been alive is good.”

For example, you could start your 6-year-old on $3 a week, and ask her to distribute her “paycheck” evenly between her jars.

4. Don’t Tie Allowances to Chores

Lieber believes in allowances — so kids can get practice “thinking and counting” and determining which goals are “extravagant” versus “worthwhile” — but he says you shouldn’t tie them to chores.

Why? Because “it puts you in a bad negotiating position,” he explains.

What if your kid saves up enough money and decides they’re not doing chores anymore?

You can’t just claim, “No, that’s not how it works,” he says. “If you change the rules a year or two into it, then they’re not sure they should trust you anymore.”

Lieber adds: “There’s also a good case to be made that kids shouldn’t be compensated for doing the basic work of maintaining the household. The grown-ups certainly aren’t paid for that.”

5. Let Them Make Mistakes

I still remember one really dumb financial choice I made as a child. Although I was filled with remorse at the time, I’m glad it happened; $7 was a small price to pay for a lifetime of frugality.

Lieber agrees that regret — even if it’s “searing” at the time — is one of the best ways to learn about money.

So, he suggests teaching kids about money by giving them “as much leeway as you can stomach.” Those memories last a long time (yes, yes, they do) and Lieber says “that’s a good thing.”

“We want them to make their big mistakes when they’re still under our roof.”

6. Introduce the Idea of “Hours of Fun per Dollar”

How on earth can you teach your kids about the value of certain items when they don’t yet understand money and prices?

Try using the concept of “hours of fun per dollar,” a strategy Lieber learned from some of his readers.

When you’re at the toy store, ask your kids how many hours of fun they’ll have with a certain toy before they’ll tire of it — and then use that to determine if it’s worth the price.

Take Legos, for example. They’re expensive, but as Lieber says, “[f]or kids who love them, they offer a pretty good amount of fun per dollar, because you can build almost anything.”

7. Encourage Teens to Work

Moving on from toys and toddlers to the joyous teenage years…

Make your kid get a job.

Of course, Lieber acknowledges, helping support the family isn’t a choice for some — but if it is for your teen, you should still encourage them to work outside the house.

“There’s all sorts of research out there that shows that as long as you’re not doing more than about 15 hours of paid work during the week, it shouldn’t affect your grades,” he says.

“It’s a powerful thing to get a paycheck and manage it yourself, and feel like you’re being rewarded for the hard work you put in — in a way that’s fundamentally different than the way

you might get rewarded… in school.”

8. Make Smart Choices About College

What’s the biggest financial mistake parents make?

“Signing up for a bigger tuition bill and more debt than we can afford,” says Lieber.

When your kids are staring at you with their “watery, googly eyes,” he acknowledges it’s extremely difficult to say no.

“But if you don’t put your foot down, you’re signing up for a fair amount of financial pain, potentially, that will last a very long time.”

Don’t co-sign for any loans either.

Since that usually means your child has maxed out their federal loans, Lieber says, being in “co-signing territory is already a strong signal that this [decision] is not affordable.”

9. Emphasize the Importance of Trade-Offs

I asked Lieber what one thing he hopes his daughter knows when she leaves home — and I absolutely loved his response.

“That there are so many ways to be happy in the world, and that having more money than average isn’t necessarily going to help you get there.”

YES.  

“The best thing you can do is to know yourself and understand which ways of spending money will make you happiest,” he says.

“It’s about learning to make trade-offs — which everybody has to do, no matter how much money they have. If you learn to make those trade-offs well, money ceases to be a source of stress and can potentially be a source of joy, even if you don’t have [a lot of it].”

Now that is a lesson we could all learn.

Your Turn: Many thanks to Ron Lieber for sharing his advice with us! What’s your favorite tip from this interview?

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. We’re letting you know because it’s what Honest Abe would do. After all, he is on our favorite coin.

Susan Shain is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

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Where zombies feel real

Kalahari Resort debuts breathtaking virtual reality warehouse-scale, multi-player, gaming experience

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Fake Wishbones and Neuticles: 8 Weird Items People Have Actually Sold

People are buying and selling the craziest, most unusual items.

In a previous post on some of the weirdest things ever sold, I learned about sales of road kill, excrement art, human kidneys and plots of land on the moon. Readers added to the list, suggesting used panties and breast milk. What could be left?

Well, it seems I missed a few more weird items people have actually sold, like tumbleweeds, paper rocks, flavored bullets and more. Here are eight more weird things for sale.

1. Neuticles

What can you do for a pet who is suffering low self-esteem after being neutered? Buy him a set of Neuticles, of course. Their creator describes Neuticles as “the revolutionary testicular implant procedure for pets.” The company claims the fake testicles reduce trauma suffered by pets and their owners from regular neutering procedures.

They’re sold primarily through veterinarians (no do-it-yourself kits yet), although pet owners can also buy them directly and then find a vet who will do the implantation. Customers can choose from four models depending on how firm they want their pet’s testicles to be (I’m not kidding — I couldn’t make this stuff up!). Pet owners can also purchase a bumper sticker that says, “My Dog Loves Neuticles.”

Is this just a crazy idea? Maybe not — the company says it’s sold more than 500,000 pairs.

2. Happy Balls

No relation to the previous item on the list. Happy Balls are small smiley-face foam balls meant to go on your car antenna. HappyBalls.com calls itself “The Antenna Ball Superstore,” and INC Magazine says their foam balls are a million-dollar business. The company claims, “We’ve made over 40 million antenna balls in less than 10 years.”

3. Bacon Candles

The Penny Hoarder has written before about Man Cans, candles with “manly” scents, but it looks like the niche is expanding.

Hotwicks Candles has all of the alternative scents you didn’t know you wanted in a candle. Yes, bacon is one of them. Here are three more scents to choose from:

• Beer
• Sawdust
• Urinal cake (seriously)

4. Fake Wishbones

The technical name for a bird’s wishbone is the furcula, according to MentalFloss.com. The tradition of two people breaking it to see who gets the bigger half — and their wish — goes way back to the ancient Etruscans in Italy. But what if you want to make a wish but you don’t have a full chicken or turkey? Get a fake wishbone!

That’s right. LuckyBreakWishbone.com has announced a “Revolutionary Advance in Plastic Wishbone Technology.” A pack of four wishbones made of plastic will set you back just about $4, which is only $1 per wish if you get all the lucky breaks.

5. Animal Mannequins

This product isn’t as strange as it seems. Dog mannequins aren’t meant for displaying the latest canine fashions in the doggie department of some clothing store (although that’s not a bad idea). The realistic animal mannequins made by Rescue Critters of Van Nuys, California, are meant for veterinary training.

It makes great sense: We’d all prefer that veterinarians develop and test their skills on fake cats and dogs before going to work on our beloved pets! Kudos to Rescue Critters, which has been building these valuable training tools for 16 years.

6. Pet Rocks

It’s back! When the Pet Rock was introduced in the 1970s, the company sold millions. Of course fads come and go, but now, after decades, the original Pet Rock is back.

In 1975 it cost just $3.95. Now you’ll have to pay $19.95, but the “travel crate” has been upgraded, and you get a “numbered certificate of authenticity.” In any case, the ongoing costs of caring for a rock makes it cheap compared to any other pet, right? And this time, a couple dollars from each sale goes to help dogs and cats in animal shelters.

7. Flavored Bullets

If you’re going to hunt for your meat, why not flavor it at the same time? That’s the basic idea behind Season Shot. The idea is to have flavored shots in place of steel pellets in shotgun shells.

The website promises it has five flavors “coming soon,” but the copyright date at the bottom of the page is 2006. Perhaps potential investors shot down the idea.

8. Paper Rocks

For $10 (plus $2 shipping) the Origami Boulder Company of Dallas will send you a wadded-up piece of paper. The “Wadded Paper Origami Boulder with Haiku,” with its addition of poetry, costs $15 plus shipping. Is this is a joke? The website’s FAQ section offers this answer:

You want joke? Look in mirror, you ugly person! This site real. You order wadded paper origami boulder and see for yourself.

And as for how to read the haiku on the wadded-paper boulder, the site says;

You can’t, but it there… You unfold wadded paper, you ruin artwork! Don’t be stupid. Haiku is there. I even write it in English. You not read it though.

Yes, in case you’re wondering; the order form actually works, so you can apparently get your very own origami boulder if you wish.

Your Turn: What is the strangest thing you have seen for sale?

Steve Gillman is the author of “101 Weird Ways to Make Money” and creator of EveryWayToMakeMoney.com. He’s been a repo-man, walking stick carver, search engine evaluator, house flipper, tram driver, process server, mock juror and roulette croupier, but of more than 100 ways he has made money, writing is his favorite (so far).

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Most College Students Would Flunk This Test About Financial Aid

No matter how hard the government, colleges or we here at The Penny Hoarder HQ work, we understand that getting financial aid for college can be confusing.

So the results of LendEDU’s recent Financial Aid Awareness Survey are slightly terrifying, but not surprising.

In honor of Financial Aid Awareness Month, the student loan refinancing company polled 500 college students about the financial aid process.

Here’s a peek at what LendEDU’s survey revealed.

No One Knows Anything About Student Loans (OK, It’s Not THAT Serious)

Of those LendEDU surveyed, 95% of the respondents had heard of FAFSA, but 84% didn’t know the filing deadline for the upcoming academic year.

(Have no idea when your FAFSA is due? Check this FAFSA how-to.)

Of the students surveyed, 78% had no idea what FAFSA stands for, 75% weren’t sure of the repayment term for federal student loans, and 74% didn’t know the current federal student loan borrowing limits.

(Free Application for Federal Student Aid; typically 10 years; no more than $23,000 in subsidized loans.)

And the response that just gave me three new gray hairs reading it: 49.8% thought they would be eligible for loan forgiveness programs after graduation.

(Nope. Loan forgiveness programs are reserved for people who go into certain nonprofit or public service careers — see #11 in our beginner’s guide to student loan debt. If you participate in an income-based repayment plan, the government will typically forgive your balance when the repayment period ends, but you’ll have to wait about 20 years.)

Lost and Confused? Don’t Feel Bad

No matter how many scholarships you’re eligible for or how many side hustles you manage while studying, paying for college is complicated.

But even if you started thinking about how to pay for college late in the game, you can still make progress toward your educational goals while avoiding the mountains of debt we usually talk about as if we’re telling scary stories around a campfire.

And remember, once you do your financial aid homework — and then your actual homework — your degree will start to pay off. Promise.

Your Turn: Could you answer LendEDU’s questions about financial aid?
Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder.

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This Stay-at-Home Mom Turned a Simple Idea into a $4 Million Business

Debra Cohen had a killer job.

She was vice president of a Spanish-language aviation magazine in Manhattan, which sent her all over the world — an “amazing adventure.”

She was on a business trip to Paris when she found out she was pregnant with her first daughter.

Cohen was faced with the working mother’s dilemma: Could she keep her corporate career and have the kind of family life she valued?

That was 20 years ago.

Cohen’s response to this common dilemma ultimately led to her version of “having it all” — the chance to raise her (now, two) daughters and grow a home-based business that’s grossed almost $4 million.

Leaving a Successful Career

“My husband and I had a heartfelt conversation one night about how I was missing out,” Cohen explains.

“He said, ‘quit your job.’ [It was about] quality of life over quantity of money.”

Cohen’s company accommodated motherhood as best it could. After maternity leave, she was even able to work at home some days.

But when she did go to the office, the commute meant she was away from home for 12 hours. And the position still required travel, which Cohen says was the hardest part.

“I didn’t know what she was eating, what she was doing [throughout the day],” she says of her newborn.

Cohen and her husband ultimately decided the best move for their family would be for her to stay at home full time.

But adjusting to life on one income wasn’t easy. They cut down to one car, eliminated eating out and didn’t need daycare, but bills were piling up. Her husband took a second job, but money was still tight.

What’s worse, she says, “I was getting more bored by the minute.”

About three months into full-time motherhood, she was ready for a new solution.

She looked for part-time jobs, but they’d all require childcare, pretty much canceling out any earnings. Full-time work wouldn’t allow the flexibility she needed to be the mother she wanted to be.

“I had worked my entire life,” Cohen says, “and I have a good head on my shoulders.”

She knew she could put that to use and design the work and lifestyle her family needed.

The Aha! Moment

In addition to starting their new family, Cohen and her husband had just purchased their first home.

“As new homeowners,” she says, “we quickly realized how difficult it was to find reliable home improvement professionals.

The final straw was a pregnant squirrel in the attic.

The family lived in a 75-year-old house the critter easily crawled into. The couple went through several contractors to remove the squirrel, but she kept coming back.

Cohen finally asked for a referral at the local hardware store and connected with someone new.

He educated the couple: Once a squirrel has a litter somewhere, she’ll return to it forever. To get rid of her, you can’t just shoo her out of the space. You have to displace her across a body of water.

He did just that — and 20 years later, he’s still their go-to contractor.

Cohen was so impressed with the man’s work, she wanted to spread the word. She asked him whether he’d pay a commission if she could land him jobs, and he said he would.

“The network grew from there,” Cohen says, and Home Remedies was born.

Home Remedies is a Homeowner Referral Network (HRN) that pre-screens and refers a network of more than 50 home improvement contractors (i.e. painters, plumbers, carpenters, general contractors, architects, etc.) to local homeowners.

Contractors in the network pay a pre-negotiated commission for work secured — and the service is free to homeowners.

How to Start a Business as a Stay-at-Home Mom

“I’m a networker by nature with a passion for decorating and home improvements,” Cohen says. “I decided to put all of my talents to work and create a business that would fill this need in our community and allow me to work around my daughter’s schedule.”

I launched Home Remedies on an old farm table in my basement with a $5,000 loan from my husband’s retirement savings plan, a refurbished fax machine, computer and a phone.

When she says she’s a Penny Hoarder, she’s not kidding.

To launch the business, the couple took a $5,000 loan from her husband’s 403(b) teacher retirement account. The loan came with 1% interest and had to be repaid within five years, she recalls.

They paid it back in six months.

Cohen remembers being so afraid to fail, she wouldn’t even pay for a second phone line. Home Remedies operated under the family’s home phone number until it simply became too busy.

For extra money, she worked part time the first summer in a friend’s decorating store. The job not only helped ease the family’s financial woes, but also let Cohen network with local contractors, movers, painters and others involved in home renovation.

During the first year, expenses were minimal. Most of the business was built with Cohen’s own sweat — networking in person and making phone calls to let the community know she was there.

Did I mention this was 1997? She launched the business completely offline.

Home Remedies launched long before Craigslist or Angie’s List became household names. People thought Cohen was crazy, wondering, “Who would use a service like that?”

But she saw the need and powered forward. With its founder raising an infant and squeezing in work during early morning hours and naptime, Home Remedies made $28,000 its first year (equal to about $41,000 today, with inflation).

Home Remedies Today

From an individual referral network in her own community, Cohen has grown Home Remedies to the nationwide Homeowner Referral Network, a cottage industry of more than 300 independent business owners who follow her original model.

While she shares her knowledge with newer entrepreneurs, Cohen says she also benefits from this growing network.

“Working from home can be isolating,” she admits. Consulting with new business owners helps her connect with people who share her situation, and their innovation helps her learn better ways to do business.

Despite its growth, Home Remedies remains the grassroots, community-focused business Cohen started 20 years ago.

Even though the network has moved online, Cohen says, the success of a business is still dependent on word-of-mouth referrals.

Networks are based on quality and trust, so each contractor is personally screened before she’ll make a referral. No one can pay an advertising fee for a preferred listing — they simply have to do impressive work.

Being a Work-at-Home Mom

Cohen’s oldest daughter is now 20, and her second is just about to leave the house for college.

“I’m glad I’ve been working this whole time instead of being out of the workforce,” she says. “This way I have something to do now that the kids are grown.”

She wouldn’t prescribe any one lifestyle to other mothers, though.

“I see women who are so happy not working and being home, and I see women who crave work and are better mothers for [doing] it,” she explains.

For Cohen, starting a business helped her find her balance. Her family needed more money than they had on a single income, and she thrived in work too much to be satisfied without it.

Will her daughters follow in her footsteps?

When I asked Cohen if she thinks her entrepreneurship would rub off on her daughters, she replied, “I don’t even think my daughters realized I was working. It was such a part of our routine.”

To them, Cohen says, she was just… Mom.

She was able to do what she set out to do: be a mom to her kids. She got creative and figured out how to put her family first — without ignoring her own talents.

“[My daughters] will have to reinvent that [balance] depending on their own careers,” she says. “But they’ll have a better sense of what’s right for them.”

Because of the environment they were raised in, Cohen believes, her daughters will understand their options. They won’t be forced to choose along strict lines between work or family.

Their mother had it all — why can’t they?

Your Turn: Are you a parent with a home-based business? How do you balance your priorities?

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She also writes about writing, life, comedy and love and attempts humor wherever it’s allowed (and sometimes where it’s not).

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How to Improve Your Alexa Ranking in 30 Days or Less

Numbers don’t lie.

When it comes to the popularity and overall value of your business, it’s important to have a solid Alexa Ranking.

Why? It’s a common metric that potential business partners, investors, etc. will use to determine the state of your business.

They’ll use it to gauge your business’s health and whether it’s trending up or down.

The lower your Alexa Rank, the better, and vice versa.

This is why so many business owners agonize over their Alexa Rank and work tirelessly to improve it.

In this post, I’d like to discuss two key things.

First, I’d like to talk about the factors that Alexa assesses when determining rankings.

Second, I’d like to offer a tangible strategy you can use to improve your Alexa Ranking in 30 days or less.

Let’s hit it.

What’s an Alexa Rank?

Just to be sure we’re on the same page, allow me to formally define an Alexa Rank.

According to Avangate,

“It’s a ranking system set by alexa.com (a subsidiary of amazon.com) that audits and makes public the frequency of visits on various web sites.

Alexa’s support section clarifies matters even more by explaining how its traffic rankings are determined:

“Alexa’s traffic estimates and ranks are based on the browsing behavior of people in our global data panel which is a sample of all Internet users. Alexa’s Traffic Ranks are based on the traffic data provided by users in Alexa’s global data panel over a rolling 3 month period.”

Here’s what Google’s Alexa Rank looks like at number one:

And here’s what Quick Sprout looks like at the moment:

Not nearly as good as Google but solid nonetheless, considering the fact that the lowest ranked website is somewhere around 30 million.

Which factors does Alexa analyze?

Before we can formulate a game plan, it’s important to understand what Alexa is looking at when assigning a ranking to websites.

Fortunately, Alexa is very upfront about how its data is calculated.

According to the Alexa Blog, “Every day, Alexa estimates the average daily visitors and pageviews to every site over the past 3 months. The site with the highest combination of visitors and pageviews over the past 3 months is ranked #1.”

“The site with the least is ranked somewhere around 30 million. If no one in our measurement panel visited a site over the past 3 months there is no rank at all for that site.”

They also provide a couple of graphs to illustrate this:

Of course, Google receives more traffic than any other site on the Internet.

It gets more daily visitors and pageviews, so it sits at the top of the mountain.

Alexa also points out the fact that the closer you get to the top of the plot, the harder it gets to move up a rank.

While it may be fairly easy for a site ranking 24,500,132 to move up to, say, 20 million, it’s significantly more difficult to climb from 50 to 40.

The main takeaway is that it’s all about two key factors: (1) average daily visitors and (2) pageviews over the last three months.

That being said, here’s what you need to do in order to improve your Alexa Ranking quickly.

Certify your site metrics

If you don’t mind making a small investment, it’s a good idea to use Alexa’s Certified Site Metrics.

This will give you an Alexa Certified Code, which will directly measure your site’s traffic.

It offers several advantages:

• You get a more accurate Alexa Rank
• You have access to more in-depth analytics reports (there’s a private dashboard)
• You can closely monitor your site’s performance
• You also have the option of displaying unique visitors, pageviews, and ranks publicly

Here are the different pricing options:

It’s also important to note that you get a free monthly SEO audit with the “Insight” plan and a full site audit with the “Advanced” plan every two weeks.

This is just something to keep in mind when choosing a plan.

Here’s a screenshot from Alexa support, explaining how to get your site certified:

The bottom line is that certifying your site metrics gives you an advantage over other websites.

You can gain a clearer perspective on the health of your site and are equipped with tools to improve your ranking.

Produce epic content

Sorry if I sound like a broken record with the whole “epic content” thing.

But when you break it all down, it’s an essential component of online marketing on many levels.

I’m not going to bore you with all the gory details, but it’s extremely important to create A+ content that genuinely satisfies your audience.

Check out this guide I wrote on Neil Patel for pretty much everything you need to know on the subject.

This will be a necessity for boosting your Alexa Ranking.

Get quality backlinks

What are two critical factors that Google takes into account when assigning a ranking to your website?

Trust and authority. In fact, “Domain trust/authority represents 23.87% of Google’s ranking algorithm.”

One of the most straightforward ways to increase your site’s trust/authority is to obtain quality inbound links.

You know the drill. They need to be from reputable, relevant websites.

I realize this is obviously easier said than done.

I wish it was as easy as putting out a few decent blog posts and having multiple big name publications chomping at the bit to link to you.

Of course, it’s a fairly arduous process.

But at the end of the day, it all goes back to creating great content.

In fact, I like to adhere to the 90/10 rule of link building, where “90% of your effort should go into creating great content, and 10% into link building.”

And when it comes to the process of link building, there’s one technique that outshines all the rest: guest-posting.

Now, I’m not going to rehash what I’ve already written about this topic here. But you can learn the essentials from this guide on Quick Sprout.

If you can get even a few guest posts published on reputable websites, this should result in an improved Alexa Ranking within a month.

Analyze your competitors’ keywords

Here’s a question for you.

What’s your motivation behind wanting to improve your Alexa Ranking?

I bet it’s to have a better ranking than your primary competitors. Right?

Of course, you’ll want to outperform the competition. But how do you go about it?

One of the best ways to gain an edge with your Alexa Rank, and with SEO in general, is to analyze your competitors’ keywords.

You’ll want to know which keywords are bringing them the most traffic, generating backlinks, and so on.

Once you know which keywords are driving the bulk of traffic to their websites, you can optimize your site for those keywords and build momentum.

It’s like killing two birds with one stone. Not only will your Alexa Rank improve, your overall SEO rankings should improve as well.

But how can you analyze their keywords?

I recommend using Google’s Keyword Planner.

There are a lot of tools out there, but this is perhaps the most universal. Besides, Google is usually the go-to source for Internet data.

Here’s what you do.

Go to your Keyword Planner dashboard.

Click on “Search for new keywords using a phrase, website or category.”

Under “Your landing page,” type in the URL of a competitor.

I’ll just use quicksprout.com as an example:

Click on “Get Ideas” at the bottom, and your screen will be populated with a list of competitor keywords.

Here are just a handful that popped up from my search:

The great thing about using the Keyword Planner is that you can instantly determine the volume of monthly searches and the level of competition for each keyword.

Creating better content that outperforms your competitors is a great way to gradually boost your SEO and at the same time improve your Alexa Rank.

But in order to see a significant improvement within 30 days, I would suggest first going after the “low hanging fruit,” meaning keywords with minimal competition and a lot of searches.

Focus on those initially for a surge in your ranking.

Conclusion

In many ways, your Alexa Rank directly affects the health and progress of your business.

It’s something that key stakeholders will often look at when determining whether or not your company is worth doing business with.

Therefore, achieving a favorable ranking (at least in the top 100,000) should be a priority.

If you follow this formula, I can pretty much guarantee that you will see at least a reasonable improvement fairly quickly.

However, if your site ranks really poorly, it may take awhile to get to the point where your business is attractive to stakeholders.

And because your Alexa Rank is such an important metric, I recommend making your efforts at improving it ongoing.

How big of a factor has your Alexa Ranking been in terms of business partnerships and opportunities?

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23 Money-Saving Secrets Every Whole Foods Shopper Needs to Know

Whole Foods gives you the option to feed your family healthy food, produced in a way you can feel good about and sold by a company you trust.

The grocery chain offers local organic produce and way more gluten-free, dairy-free and other allergen-free options than many conventional stores.

But the prices for that kind of grocery shopping can make you want to walk down the street to the discount chain and forget all about the contents of your food.

Do you ever wonder how anyone can afford to buy groceries at Whole Foods without taking out a second mortgage?

It’s because they know the secrets.

How to Save Money at Whole Foods

There are tons of little ways to save money at Whole Foods. You just have to know where to find them — and how to take advantage of them.

We’ve pulled together the best tips from Whole Foods insiders and our personal experience to help you save money on the healthy food you really want.

1. Subscribe to the Newsletter

Tons of stores offer deals and freebies when you share your email address.

Enter your email and location to receive weekly Whole Foods coupons, recipes and tips in your inbox.

2. Find Whole Foods Coupons Online

Before you head to your local store, check the website for Whole Foods coupons. They’re easy to find!

Just go to http://ift.tt/1SbmmfI, and select your location to find current sales and printable coupons.

3. Grab the Store Flyer

On your way into the store, pick up a copy of The Whole Deal, the store’s weekly sales flyer. It’s full of advertised deals and coupons from manufacturers and Whole Foods’ own 365 brand.

You can also print the flyer yourself each week — download it here.

4. Find Manufacturer Coupons

In addition to the store coupons, look for manufacturer coupons for items on your list.

These are awesome — and you can usually stack them with in-store sales and Whole Foods coupons.

Here are 100 places to find free coupons for everything on your list. If you’re shopping online to pick up in-store (see #21), here’s where to find coupon codes online.

Looking for savings on healthier choices? Try these secret places to find coupons for fresh fruits and veggies.

5. Download the Whole Foods App

Download the Whole Foods app for iOS or Android to get free coupons and recipes.

You can also keep your shopping list in the app and even order groceries for delivery by Instacart.

Be sure to scan your app’s barcode at the register to automatically add any applicable coupons.

6. Follow Your Local Store on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Businesses share some of their best deals on social media before anyone else hears about them.

Stay up to date with Whole Foods deals by following your local store.

Choose your store here to find links to its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

7. Check out the Whole Foods Sales Days

Saving money at Whole Foods might simply be a matter of knowing when to shop.

New weekly sales start on Wednesdays, so you’re bound to find the most available deals then.

Whole Foods also runs weekly Friday One-Day Sales on select items. These are usually advertised a few weeks in advance, and you can call your local store to find out what’s coming up.

Keep an eye out for sales, and plan your shopping list accordingly!

8. Bring Your Own Bags

Like many grocery stores, Whole Foods offers a discount when you use your own bag and save the plastic or paper.

Bring lots of them! Depending on your store, you’ll receive a 5- to 10-cent discount per bag, so come prepared.

9. Bring Your Own Containers

When you buy in bulk, you’ll pay for the weight of the plastic container that holds your goods.

It’s intentionally pretty light, but you could always shave off just a little more.

Bring your own jar or plastic container, have it weighed before you fill it, and you’ll only pay for the weight of the contents.

10. Compare Prices

Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value brand is intended to be the chain’s affordable option.

Keep an eye out for it, but compare it with other brands to make sure you get the best deal.

11. Look for Unadvertised Sales

Not every sale item is mentioned in the flyer, so keep your eyes peeled!

Scan the shelves for yellow and red tags, which indicate a Whole Foods clearance item. You can save a lot on staples by stocking up when you find a good sale.

12. Try Before You Buy

The chain actually has a generous sample policy, a former Whole Foods employee says.

To cut down on waste, you can “try before you buy” to keep from buying something you won’t like.

Don’t be shy about asking to sample items like cheese, meat or chocolate. Employees can open the package for you and share the rest as samples with other customers.

13. Get a Whole Foods Punch Card

The Whole Foods punch card offers vary by store, so ask around at your location.

Some stores have punch cards for sandwiches, burritos, salads, sushi and coffee.

You may also find a punch card for $10 off after you spend $100 on 365 supplements.

Also keep an eye out for the Whole Foods Market Rewards program in your area. The pilot program is currently available only in some stores in the Philadelphia and Dallas/Fort Worth areas.

14. Use Rebate Apps

While coupons often help you save money on carbo-loaded brands and packaged foods, rebate apps can help you save on your staples.

Every time you shop, take a picture of your receipt with an app like Ibotta or Checkout 51 to find deals on non-name-brand items like bread, fruit or milk.

If you can, check the app before you shop, and plan your purchases around available rebates.

15. Buy in Bulk

Did you know you can buy most packaged items at Whole Foods by the case for 10% off?

The same goes for wine: Get a six-pack to save 10-20%.

Some locations also offer discounts on bulk meat purchases when you buy more than three pounds. Stock up, and freeze it!

If you’re looking for particular spices for a single recipe, buy what you need from the bulk section instead of buying a whole jar and storing it.

16. Buy Produce at the Salad Bar

If you’re buying small amounts of produce, check the salad bar before the produce section.

You might be able to find what you need cheaper there, and you won’t have to worry about buying more than you’ll use.

17. Choose Your Own Cheese

You don’t have to settle for the pre-weighed and wrapped cheeses in the case.

For cheeses wrapped and labeled by Whole Foods, ask an employee to split and rewrap the wedge — you’ll save money and only take home what you need.

18. Buy Frozen Meats and Fish

Unless you live near a body of water, the fish at any local grocery store has almost certainly been frozen in transit.

Even when it’s thawed and sold in-store as “fresh,” you’re still buying frozen fish — and paying more for it. Plan ahead, and buy your meat and fish frozen to save money.

19. Return Glass Milk Containers

Do you cringe when you see the price of organic, non-homogenized, grass-fed or whatever kinds of milk come in the glass jug?

You might be missing out on huge savings if you’re just recycling the jug. The price has a built-in deposit for the jug — as much as $3!

Keep your jugs, and return them on your next trip to the store for a deposit refund. Consider it $3 off your next jug of milk.

20. Take Advantage of Whole Foods Kids’ Club

It seems to be a well-kept secret that many grocery stores offer a free treat for kids.

When you shop with the kiddos at Whole Foods, stop by customer service for a Kids’ Club Coupon for a complimentary organic apple, fruit leather or package of natural animal crackers.

21. Shop Whole Foods Online

Even when you’re buying groceries, we recommend shopping online, because it allows you to use a cash-back site and earn rewards for your purchase.

Use Cashbackholic to determine which cash-back site’s offering the best deal. Then shop Whole Foods online through the portal, and pick up your order in the store for free shipping.

22. Buy Discounted Gift Cards

To cut your costs every time you shop, buy Whole Foods gift cards online.

You can get them for less than face value through gift card exchange sites like Raise.

Buy a gift card before your weekly shopping trip, and you could save around 2% on all your groceries!

Your Turn: How do you save money on groceries at Whole Foods?

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. We’re letting you know because it’s what Honest Abe would do. After all, he is on our favorite coin.

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

The post 23 Money-Saving Secrets Every Whole Foods Shopper Needs to Know appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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How to Avoid Beating Yourself Up Over Little Mistakes

I have this little voice in my head that likes to slam me for the missteps I make.

If I eat too much at supper, that voice will say, “Are you completely lacking in self control or what? You didn’t need to eat like that! How disgusting!”

If I spend money on something without thinking it through, that voice will say, “Are you even remotely thinking of your family’s future? Why did you throw your money away like that, you fool?!”

If I forget to pay a bill, that voice will shout out, “How can you be so disorganized and lazy? Can’t you see that paying attention for just a measly minute could have saved you and your family a bunch of money!?”

My voice might be a little bit on the cruel side, but I think that some version of that voice exists inside all of us. It chides us for our missteps.

In small doses, that little voice can be a powerful moral compass. It can be a very strong guide that tells us which decisions are right and which decisions are wrong.

But when you’re trying to improve yourself and adopt stronger standards for yourself, that voice can turn on you hard. It goes from being a great moral compass to being a giant guilt-tripping machine of pure negativity that makes you feel like a loser.

The problem, of course, is that when you begin to feel negative about yourself, it becomes really easy to retreat from your positive standards and initiatives. You fold in on yourself, returning to old habits and old practices that seem safe and reliable and your progress in improving yourself grinds to a halt and even regresses.

This type of cycle is a danger with any kind of self-improvement, whether it’s financial or health-related or mindset-related or exercise-related or anything else. You set strong standards for yourself, which is good, but then your negative internal voice is unleashed and it criticizes you hard for simple mis-steps, which eventually leads you to abandon your progress and retreat to safer rules and standards, which puts you right back where you started.

After all, no one wants to feel bad about themselves. No one wants an internal voice that’s a constant critic.

Further compounding the problem is that there are often contradictory internal rules that we have that guide us in different directions over the same decision.

Let’s say I’m standing in one of my favorite stores – if you want a specific visual, let’s say the Quill and Nib in Des Moines, Iowa. I’m holding some item that I want in my hand; let’s say a big fat Rhodia notebook. It’s something I know I will use in the near future, but not something I strictly need. I could buy a cheaper notebook, absolutely.

So, I have the voice inside of me telling me to buy it and listing the reasons why I should – the great paper, the long-term reliability of the notebook – and then that same voice is telling me reasons not to buy it – the cost, mostly. I have different internal “rules” pushing me in different directions, and I honestly can’t please them both at once.

Either way seems like a mis-step, and it can feel really frustrating and really disheartening. When you’re working hard to improve yourself and your situation, you often wind up in those no-win situations and if you have a strong internal voice that you use to guide yourself, that voice turns on you, no matter what.

That can be devastating to one’s self esteem. It can also cause you to walk away from self-improvement plans entirely.

Here’s the thing, though. You really, really want to be able to trust that inner voice. The benefits of a strong inner voice that guides you well through difficult choices is tremendous. The trick is figuring out how to make that voice quiet down sometimes and how to handle real dilemmas.

This is how I’ve come to handle it.

First of all, I try to be aware of situations that are going to put my own internal rules into conflict. This often happens for me when I’m considering buying a product that I don’t strictly need but that I know I’m going to use, or when I’m considering meal options that will please both me and my family, or when I’m choosing between multiple social options, among many others.

Those types of situations call my internal “rules” into conflict with each other, and when that happens, that voice pipes up. I’m glad I have that voice to tell me when I’m about to make a bad choice, but when I’m in a conflicted choice, that voice is going to pop up no matter what I choose.

Simply by recognizing that I’m going to have to softly violate one of my internal rules because there’s no other real option, I can cause that voice to quiet down. If I know I’m going to a store to buy a specific item and I know the choice might be tough, I think about that a little bit first so that I’m not going to beat myself up over that choice.

Second, I mentally walk through such scenarios, both before and after. This is a constant trick that I use for making better choices in life: I visualize them in advance. This is one of the most common things I do when I’m driving somewhere or waiting at a doctor’s office or waiting for my kids to finish soccer practice.

It’s simple. I just think about situations that I’ve been in recently or situations that I know are coming up where the choice is going to be tough and there’s going to be a conflict in terms of those rules I use to operate my day to day life. I try to figure out the “best” thing to do and why exactly I’m making that choice.

I find that thinking through such scenarios usually sets this kind of “mental precedent” where, if I follow through with that, my internal criticism stays nice and quiet because I’ve clearly already figured out the best choice, even if it goes against one of my internal rules.

Third, I try to prioritize which rules are more important and which rules are less important. For example, if I have money left in my “free spending” budget, then I’m going to prioritize buying the best “bang for the buck” hobby item rather than the cheapest one, but if I’ve spent most or all of my hobby money, then my “be frugal and don’t spend” rule will kick in. Or if I’m eating by myself or just with my family at a normal meal, healthy eating rules are dominant, but I put them aside for the occasional “special occasion” meal with others.

These “rules exceptions” are things I consciously think about when I have the chance. I find that consciously thinking about such things “trains” that voice to abide by more sensible rules and exceptions that handle the realities of my life better so that it’s not shouting at me for “breaking” rules all the time. In other words, it begins to learn that there are sometimes clear exceptions to the rules and that’s okay. Thus, the number of situations where I’m in a genuine conflict gets smaller and smaller over time, and thus my internal voice is less and less aggressive.

I find that this is the best of the strategies for handling unexpected situations where conflicts arise, because having good sound internal rules for handling almost everything on instinct makes decisions easy and keeps that internal critic at bay.

But what do I do if I’m still besieged by that internal critic? I keep a gratitude journal and a “good moves” journal. Each day, I spend a little bit of time reflecting on what I’m grateful for in my life and the best moves I made that day. I think about the multitude of good choices I’ve made and then, on top of that, the gratitude I have for all of the good things that my consistent good choices have built for me.

I have a great relationship with my wife and a great relationship with my kids. I have a job that I love. I have a lot of friends whose companionship I value. I have a steadily rising profile in my community, which means that there are more and more people I know when I walk around my town and can greet and talk to. I have an unquenchable curiosity about the world and I know how to constantly feed it and grow as a person.

All of those things are things I’m very grateful for, but I also recognize that they’re built on the back of a lot of good choices over the years. Yes, I mess up some choices, but I make a lot of great choices, too. Reflecting on the things I’ve done right today shows me some of those immediate good choices, and reflecting on the things I’m grateful for shows me some of the long-term benefits of a long history of good choices.

That process usually quiets that voice of internal criticism pretty directly. Yes, I’ve made missteps, but I’ve made a lot of good steps, too, and those reflections are the evidence of those good choices.

Together, these tools keep me from beating myself up excessively over missteps and little mistakes. Yes, I make mistakes, and yes, I criticize myself over them, but these strategies keep that criticism from boiling over into self-loathing and regression into bad habits.

Instead, these tools keep that internal voice where it should be: as a great guide to good behaviors that reflect my values and lead to the long term goals I have in life. It’s a voice that preaches frugality and lifelong learning and personal growth and good personal choices without beating me up when I’m not perfect. Instead, it guides me to where I should be on that journey.

Work with your internal critic. Don’t let it be cruel to you. Instead, train it to be a useful guide. It will help you make great spending decisions, great personal decisions, great time use decisions, and so much more.

Good luck!

Related Articles:

• 15 Financial Mistakes I’ve Made and the Better Solutions I’ve Figured Out Since
• Breaking the Cycle of Repeated Money Mistakes
• Five Strategies for Handling Slow Progress Toward Your Goals

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Argos staff on National Living Wage to receive £64 in underpayments

Helen Knapman

argos-logo.jpg

About 37,000 current and former staff of retailer Argos will receive an average £64 back payment for money owed to them after they were underpaid.

About 37,000 current and former staff of retailer Argos will receive an average £64 back payment for money owed to them after they were underpaid.

This payment will be made via BACS and paid directly into affected staff members’ bank accounts on 28 February.

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I Tried Mystery Shopping and Failed Miserably: 4 Things I Did Wrong

Deal of the week: 20% off Family and Friends Railcard

Adam Williams

Get discounted rail travel across Great Britain with a Family and Friends Railcard, with 20% off the cost of the card until Monday 20 February.

Get discounted rail travel across Great Britain with a Family and Friends Railcard, with 20% off the cost of the card until Monday 20 February.

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Express Gifts to pay £12.5m in redress for mis-selling insurance

Helen Knapman

online-shopping.jpg

Approximately 300,000 customers of Express Gifts are to receive a share of £12.5 million in redress after being sold insurance that offered little or no value.

Approximately 300,000 customers of Express Gifts are to receive a share of £12.5 million in redress after being sold insurance that offered little or no value.

Express Gifts is a direct mail order business and an online retailer trading under the names studio.co.uk and ace.co.uk, which also has permission to sell general insurance.

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7 Pet Rewards Programs That Will Fetch You Big Savings

London house prices steam ahead to reach £580k

Adam Williams

london-houses.jpg

House prices in London have dramatically pulled away from the rest of England and Wales in the last two decades.

House prices in London have dramatically pulled away from the rest of England and Wales in the last two decades.

Research by Lloyds Bank shows the average house price in London reached £578,381 by the end of 2016. This means the average price of a property in the capital was more than double the England and Wales figure of £278,750.

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