By Christy Schutz Maybe it was at the top of your goal list this year. Maybe you have been lurking on The Work at Home Woman for months. Maybe you have been talking about it to friends and family. But, the truth is, you still don’t have that remote job you have been dreaming about. […]
The post 5 Reasons Why You Haven’t Found a Work-at-Home Job Yet appeared first on The Work at Home Woman.
A quarter of mobile phone users have never switched networks and are missing out on big savings, according to new research.
Price comparison service uSwitch says that one-in-four mobile users have always been with their current network, rising to 33% among over-55s.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. By checking out this featured content, you help us bring you more ways to save!
Do you want the good news or bad news first?
Experian just released its 2016 “State of Credit” analysis, a statistical look at how Americans are handling their credit.
The report dives into consumer behavior by city, ranking those with the best credit scores and those with the worst. It also reveals some telling numbers about credit cards and debt.
Here’s what you need to know.
Interestingly enough, you Midwesterners have the highest credit scores.
Take a look at the cities and corresponding average credit score:
To put this into perspective, Experian found that the 2016 national average credit score is 673 — up four points from 2015. So y’all are doing great things up there.
The area where folks have the lowest credit scores is fairly concentrated in the South, plus California.
Here are the 10 cities with the lowest scores and their corresponding numbers:
Again, to give you context, the average credit score was 673. And according to Credit Sesame, a “good” credit score is generally above 700.
I had this same question. Wouldn’t it just be better if I had no credit and paid for everything with cash or my debit card?
Not really.
First off, I don’t have the money to pay for a car or house outright.
Second: “It’s a measure of how well you’ve managed money in the past, and often used as an indicator of how well you’ll manage money in the future,” writes Penny Hoarder contributor Sarah Kuta. “Banks and credit card companies use it to determine if they want to lend money to you — and at what rates.”
So say I’m going to buy a house and want to take out a loan. A good credit score will typically call for lower interest rates, whereas those with low credit scores might face higher ones.
There are a number of online tools for checking your credit score. One we recommend is Credit Sesame.
You can also check with one of the “big three” credit reporting services: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Legally, they’re required to provide you one free credit score a year. (But Equifax and TransUnion might owe you money.)
Reminder: Most credit scores range from 300 to 850.
And don’t panic if you don’t like what you see. The three-digit number isn’t set in stone. You can improve it.
Like I usually do, I took note from our senior writer, Dana Sitar, who had a 528 — and nearly $60,000 in debt (think: student loans, medical bills, life…).
To help her untangle the mess, she used the Credit Sesame app.
After snagging her free credit score from the online platform, she was able to see her total debt. But not only did she see that daunting number, she also looked at her “Debt Analysis,” which broke down what she owed and where she owed it.
“This service helps me see exactly what is hurting my credit score, so I can begin to take steps to fix it,” Sitar wrote.
She could also see her “Credit Score Analysis,” which included her credit usage and payment history. Both came with grades, so she was able to see that improving these could impact her overall score.
In addition, Credit Sesame outlined personalized, recommended steps Sitar could take to get back on track. “I’ve read plenty of tips to improve my credit before I found this site, but they’re mostly irrelevant to my situation,” she explains.
You can read about Sitar’s entire experience and the steps she took to improve her score here. Then, hop over to Credit Sesame to check out the free service.
Oh, and if you really want to reach for the stars, check out this guy who has a perfect credit score.
Your Turn: Did your city make either of these lists?
Disclosure: A toast to savings! Thanks for allowing us to place affiliate links in this post.
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
The post 10 Cities With the Best and Worst Credit Scores — and How to Improve Yours appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
New year, new you, right?
Cliche as it may sound, it’s never a bad time to start padding your bank account, regardless of what time of year it is.
Whether it’s for a rainy day, a major purchase or just to relieve some financial anxiety, there’s nothing wrong with looking for new income streams.
And you’re in the right place. This list of ways to make money this year will get you in better shape in more ways than one.
Some of these will literally help you get healthy, another can help inspire change. One can get your voice out in the world, while another can help you declutter your home.
Most importantly, all of these can help you make some extra money to put toward paying down debt.
We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite tips from the last few months. There are 12 of them, so you can either do all of them this month, or split them up throughout the year (one a month).
Hope they help!
Let’s face – every year we all make the same New Year’s resolution to get in better shape.
Well, this year you’ll have a little extra motivation if you’re getting paid for it.
We’re fans of both HealthyWage and DietBet, two sites that will allow you to place a wager and earn cash when you successfully lose weight.
Already in great shape? Try starting a boot camp at your local park a couple of nights week.
Start with just a few friends – these camps tend to grow pretty organically once people see a group of people working out. Most boot camps trainers can earn $100/hour or more.
A number of websites out there will pay you to read advertiser’s emails, take surveys, even just listen to the radio.
I’ve tried about a million of them, but there are only a few I’d really recommend. InboxDollars is one of those companies.
It’s free to join, and best of all, you get $5 just for signing up. It’ll even pay you up to $120/year just to listen to its radio station.
InboxDollars just requires you to accumulate $30 in earnings before you can “cash-out” and then pays you by sending a check.
Some sample offers include one asking you to sign up for a email newsletter from AMF Bowling. It pays 50 cents and takes about 15 seconds. Another offer asks you to sign up for a free TurboTax account to earn $3.50.
These are simple and there are nearly a hundred of them to choose from. If you’re interested in giving InboxDollars a try, visit the sign-up page here to get started (open to every country).
A number of companies, including Google, will pay you to install their app on your cell phone and for every month you keep them installed.
The apps collect data from your cell phone and help companies better understand web and mobile usage better — such as what times of day people browse, how long they stay on websites and use apps, and what types of sites and apps are popular (or not).
Here are my favorites (install all of them and earn $400/year or more):
– ShopTracker – If you’re a regular Amazon shopper, you can earn money each month contributing to research to help companies understand what people are buying online. Download and connect this app to your Amazon account. The company will instantly send you a free $3 Visa gift card, plus another $3 for every month you keep it installed.
– MobileExpressions for Android – This one can be downloaded on Androids and on iPhones. After you’ve installed it for one week, you get to play an instant rewards game for a prize (everyone wins something). I won a $25 Amazon gift card, but some of the other prizes include iPads & Samsung TVs.
– SavvyConnect – You can earn $5 per device (phone, tablet, computer) for each month SavvyConnect is installed. That’s a total of up to $180 per year to help rank the most popular sites and apps. Make sure you keep it installed at least a month to get your first $5 per device.
We’ve put together a huge list of banks that will pay you just to open a bank account!
Having multiple bank accounts isn’t a bad thing. In fact, I often find it’s helpful to have multiple places to save (I’m less likely to touch the money), so I have savings accounts for my Christmas and vacation fund.
The top bank bonus is $500 right now — head over to this list to see all of the banks in your area that are offering free cash.
You don’t have to walk into an actual bank, either. Aspiration’s Summit Checking Account is an online-only bank account with no fees, no minimums and an interest rate up to 1%.
You know how etiquette books say to never discuss politics at the dinner table?
Well, if you love a good political discussion and need an outlet — or if you just want a way to earn money working from home — consider working for one of two grassroots advocacy groups that offer work-from-home opportunities.
Next Wave Advocacy, LLC, and DDC Advocacy both have “@home” operations.
These advocacy groups run grassroots political campaigns on issues such as health care, energy, defense and taxes. Each hires people (which is where you would come in) to call constituents or advocates, folks who might be interested in the issue at hand.
Your job is to help those people communicate their opinions by writing letters on their behalf to members of Congress.
Both companies like you to work 20 to 25 hours a week during a project, but some people work full-time hours.
Campaigns usually last from a couple of weeks to a few months, depending on what the political issue is. Pay varies, but you should earn about $12 to $15 an hour or more.
If you spend a lot of time searching online, it might be time to leave Google.
Why? Swagbucks wants to pay you for your searches.
You can earn credits through Swagbucks every time you make a search. It’s powered by Yahoo, so it’s the same search results you’re used to seeing. If you’re consistent with it, you could earn up to $180/year!
This is my new secret weapon.
It’s called Paribus — a tool that gets you money back for your online purchases.
It’s free to sign up, and once you do, it scans your email archives for any receipts.
If it discovers you’ve purchased something from Amazon, Target, or one of the other 16 retailers listed on its website, Paribus will track the item’s price and issue you a refund if there’s a price drop.
You don’t have to do anything!
Specifically, dollar bills with strange serial numbers — ones that aren’t easy to come by.
The collectors at CoolSerialNumbers.com have created a list of their most-wanted serial numbers, and you might just have a bill with one of these sequences on it in your wallet.
Depending on the rarity of your bill’s serial number, it could be worth a ridiculous amount of money.
The site is currently selling one dollar bills for anywhere from $100 to over $2,500.
Check out the full list to see if you’ve got any of these rare bills, but here’s a rundown of the sort of serial numbers these collectors are looking for:
Are your closets and shelves packed to the brim with stuff you never use — or even look at?
You can sell virtually anything on letgo. This intuitive app lets you snap a photo and upload your item in less than 30 seconds. Not only does it remove a lot of the hassle of selling things online, it’s 100% free to use.
Have a bunch of movies or CDs collecting dust on a shelf? Decluttr will pay you for them!
Decluttr buys your old CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and video games, plus hardware like cell phones, tablets, game consoles and iPods. Plus, enter PENNY10 at checkout to get an extra 10% for your trade-ins!
For old books from college, you can use Bookscouter. Just type your book’s ISBN into the search bar and the site will connect you with more than 25 of the best-paying and most reputable buyback companies online.
If you have an iPhone and a photographic eye, making money may have just gotten a lot easier.
Oh yeah – you’ll also need access to marketable scenery.
There’s a new app called Foap that allows you to turn your iPhone photos into cash.
Here’s how it works: You download the free app and sign up for an account. You take a quality photo and upload it to Foap’s marketplace. Someone buys the license to your photo for $10. You make $5.
If your photo sells 20 times, you make $5 each time and end up with $100 in your pocket, all for about 5 minutes of work.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not, but there are some limitations.
For one, your photo must be accepted by the Foap developers. If it’s too small, grainy or boring (think: not marketable), it won’t make it to the marketplace. And those cute Instagram shots? They don’t accept those either.
Here’s the full run-down.
Anytime I shop online, I use a cash-back rewards site like MyPoints.
It’s a smart way to earn cash for the shopping you’re doing anyway!
And it works at most of my favorite retailers. Once you sign up for a free account, you can get 1.4% cash back on purchases at Target and a whopping 5.4% at Walmart.
There are more than 1,000 stores on the list, so you can purchase nearly everything you need through the cash-back site.
Plus, when you spend your first $20 through the portal, MyPoints will give you a free $10 Amazon gift card.
You’ve head of Nielsen, right? Yep, the same company that tracks TV ratings.
Well, it has a new app that will pay you to scan the groceries in your fridge.
Once you sign your family up for the Nielsen Consumer Panel, the company will send you a free scanner or you can use your smartphone.
Every time you go shopping, you simply scan the barcodes on the back of each product and send your data off to NCP.
If you want to give it a try, you can fill out an application here.
As an active participant, you earn gift points which you can redeem for different types of merchandise. You can choose electronics, jewelry, household items and even toys for the kids.
The longer you stay on the panel, the more opportunity you have to earn points toward prizes. You also receive entries for the panel’s many sweepstakes. Prizes include money, vacations and brand new vehicles.
Nothing on this page is going to get you rich, but sometimes it’s just about making a few extra hundred dollars each month, right?
So get to work and have an awesome 2017!
Good luck Penny Hoarders!
Your Turn: Have you tried any of these ways to make money?
The post The 12 Best Ways to Make Extra Money in 2017 appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
Whether you’re opening up shop as a freelancer or telecommuting as an employee, when you start working from home, you often think of all the money you’ll save.
No more commutes! No more business casual! No more $12 sandwiches!
Well, I’ve worked from home for four years now, and I’ll tell you it’s delightful to not have to commute and wear special clothes.
However, I also know working from home comes with a lot of hidden costs.
You’re not just saving $12 on a fast-casual sandwich; you’re also buying extra groceries so you can eat lunch at home.
You’re saving on the daily commute, but you’re also paying to travel downtown and meet with clients.
Here are nine of the biggest hidden work-from-home costs, as well as tips on how to avoid them.
Nearly all of us use our personal computers, laptops and smartphones for occasional business, like checking email in the evenings.
Once you start working from home, those devices become essential tools for communicating with bosses, coworkers and clients — and those tools need to work just as hard as you do.
If your laptop or smartphone is old and slow, you’re probably going to want to replace it.
You don’t want to be the team member who can’t join the Google Hangout because your laptop keeps crashing. (True story!)
Keeping up with the latest technology can be a huge hidden work-from-home cost, but those purchases can also be significant tax deductions for freelancers and independent contractors. Talk to your tax adviser to learn more.
You can actually avoid some upgrade costs by taking excellent care of the tech you already have.
Practice good computer hygiene, and keep your tools free of both crumbs and viruses. Lifehack has eight tips to help you keep your tech going for as long as possible.
Sometimes you can’t join the Google Hangout because your laptop is too old — and sometimes you can’t join because your internet’s too slow.
A lot of us already have high-speed internet at home, but if you don’t, you’ll quickly learn it’s practically a necessity for today’s fast-paced work-at-home environment.
Upgrading your internet speed comes at a cost, but you might be able to deduct a percentage of it on your taxes.
Keep records of how often you use your internet connection for business and personal use, and share those records with your tax adviser.
Even though we live in an online world, you’re going to need some basic office supplies.
I go through notebooks and sticky notes very quickly, and I also use office supplies many people probably don’t already have in the house, like bankers boxes.
You may need to buy software, a new lamp or a chair you can handle sitting in all day long. Office supplies can be so expensive, we’ve got an entire post with tips for saving money on home office gear.
Here’s one more tip: If you live near a FedEx Office or print shop, do your printing and faxing there instead of buying your own printer and fax machine — but first, make sure the per-page costs are worth it for the amount of printing you need.
If you already have a printer, you can earn back some of the costs by selling your used ink cartridges.
You might assume working from home will save you money on food costs because you won’t be tempted to go out to eat every day.
Instead of saving money by packing a lunch, you can save money by opening your refrigerator.
The problem? There has to be something in your refrigerator.
Unless you stay on top of your grocery shopping and meal planning, you’re going to end up ordering takeout or heading to the nearest coffee shop for another $12 sandwich and $5 cappuccino.
When you work from home, plan your lunches and leftovers just like you were planning to take them to work.
After all, the same basic conditions apply: When lunchtime rolls around, you’re going to want something you can quickly put together that tastes great. If that’s not what’s in your fridge, you’re going to end up paying extra for prepared food — just like you would at the office.
Same goes for dinner, by the way. Doing those evening grocery runs is a little harder if you work from home.
You’re not stopping at the grocery store on the way home from work. Instead, you’re finishing your workday, going to the grocery store and coming back home.
Some nights, it’ll seem like too much trouble — or you’ll be too hungry — and you’ll just order takeout. (Trust me, I’ve been there.)
So keep your kitchen stocked and learn how to plan and prep meals in bulk. You want to always have food when you need it, without spending work hours on cooking and cleanup.
I started my freelance career in a tiny apartment, where my “home office” was a desk 3 feet from my bed.
Guess how many steps I took in a typical day?
Once I got my Fitbit and committed to a regular exercise routine, more than 10,000. If I weren’t tracking my steps, it might have been a lot closer to 2,000.
Fitbits aren’t free, and neither are gym memberships, yoga classes, running shoes or any of the other accessories and tools we use to stay fit.
If you’re an employee working from home, you may still have access to company benefits like reduced gym memberships. If you’re a freelancer or independent contractor, those costs are all on you.
If you’re looking to save money on workouts, we have some low-budget, high-impact ideas.
Travel is the biggest line item in my freelance budget.
Even if you’re not the kind of person who regularly flies across the country to speak at conventions and conferences, you’re still going to find yourself on the road more than you realize.
Those little trips to visit the office or meet a client add up, even if you’re only traveling a few miles.
Here’s a quick example of the costs involved in a standard hourlong “meet a client” trip.
First, you need to pay to get there (car, bus, Uber). If you have a car, you probably need to pay for parking. If you’re meeting the client at a coffee shop, you’re paying for your coffee and maybe even the client’s, depending on the relationship.
Yes, you can deduct many of your travel expenses if you’re a freelancer or independent contractor (as always, talk to your tax adviser to learn what you can and can’t deduct).
However, travel is also costly because it prevents you from getting your other work done.
If you live in an urban area, an hourlong client meeting can easily stretch to three hours when you count transportation both ways. That’s a big chunk of the workday — gone.
If you’re a salaried employee working from home, you got paid for those hours. If you’re a freelancer, you probably didn’t — and you’ll have to figure out how to make up the cost of your time.
When you work at an office, going home feels like a relaxing end to the day.
When you work from a home office, sometimes you feel like you’ll only relax if you go somewhere else!
Some people who work from home find they spend more money going out with friends, taking evening classes or just getting out of the house.
Other people are happy to be homebodies and don’t mind seeing the same four walls day in and day out.
Know which person you are more likely to be, and adjust your budget accordingly.
Think of professional development as “social activities that help your career.”
If you do professional development right, you meet new people and build your skills at the same time — and both of those benefits will help you land your next job or new client.
But — you guessed it — professional development costs money.
Employees may get a little help from their employers, but you still may end up paying for the cost of the course, the transportation to get there, the drink or coffee with your new friends after the course is over, and so on.
You also may want to buy a new outfit, print new business cards and make yourself as professional as possible before your activity begins.
You don’t want to avoid professional development costs completely, but you can make sure you’re spending in the right way.
Before you sign up for an event, thoroughly research it.
Is the event going to add to your skill set? Who else attends these events, and are they at the same career level as you? Are there YouTube videos of previous events? Reviews?
Even something as simple as checking on how many Twitter followers an event has can help you determine whether this professional development opportunity will be worth your time.
I’ve mentioned tax deductions a few times already, but I want to give them an entire section.
If you don’t take advantage of all your available tax deductions, you’re leaving money on the table — money you earned, by the way.
Your laptop, smartphone, internet package, office supplies, travel expenses, professional development costs, home office’s square footage, even the electricity your home office uses — all of these items have the potential to be tax deductions.
They also have the potential to not be tax deductions, depending on your situation, so talk to a tax professional to find out what you can deduct.
If you’re a freelancer or independent contractor, your deductions are likely to be more significant, but even employees who work from home can often deduct some home office expenses.
Your Turn: What are your biggest work-from-home expenses? What advice do you have for other telecommuters and freelancers who want to keep their costs down?
Nicole Dieker is a freelance writer focusing on personal finance and personal stories. Her work has appeared in The Billfold, The Toast, Yearbook Office, The Write Life and Boing Boing.
The post Want to Work from Home? Better Think About These Hidden Costs First appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
If you regularly send money to family or friends in other countries, you’re probably no stranger to international wire transfers.
But a new Facebook Messenger bot wants to make your life easier if you’re constantly checking exchange rates or sending money abroad.
Here’s how.
On Feb. 20, online money transfer provider TransferWise Ltd. announced a new bot that’s integrated with Facebook Messenger. The bot allows customers to send money and set up rate alerts without leaving the Facebook Messenger app.
The bot could save you time; thanks to the wonderful world of economics, market rates continuously fluctuate. The new bot aims to take away the pain and wasted time associated with stalking the market yourself by alerting you when an agreeable exchange rate is available and allowing you to send the funds immediately.
To set up alerts, just tell the bot what currency you want to track and what currency you’re exchanging. From there, the bot will notify you of current rates at the same time each weekday.
After you receive notification of an exchange rate you’re satisfied with, you can send funds directly from the app. However, that’s only if you already have recipients set up in your account — if you don’t, you have to visit TransferWise’s website to provide the recipient’s details.
The bot is currently able to set up transfers from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and Europe.
According to NerdWallet, outgoing international wire transfer fees through major banks can cost anywhere from $20 to $65. And that’s just to send money — banks charge fees to receive money, as well. TransferWise’s fees vary, but minimums are as low as $3.
Sending funds through an app you might already use regularly and saving cash sounds alluring — but there are also potential risks.
Critics have concerns about privacy and data protection when it comes to financial exchanges through bots in third-party apps. And, if the bot somehow fails to “understand” your request, there’s a potential risk of loss.
Before you exchange money through a third-party service, experts recommend you choose a legitimate, regulated service that uses industry-standard HTTPS encryption, which TransferWise does. Without it, you may be vulnerable to having your information stolen.
To sum it up: Use it at your own risk!
Your Turn: What do you think about this new international wire service through the Facebook Messenger app?
Kelly Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder and a senior at The University of Tampa. Catch her on Twitter at @keywordkelly.
The post This Messenger Bot Wants to Save You Big Money on International Transfers appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
Are you itching to travel this summer?
Me too. But sometimes life — and money — gets in the way.
But I found this awesome opportunity that’ll pay for 5 months of European travel. Busabout, a European and Asian travel network, is looking for two travel addicts to travel throughout Europe — all expenses paid.
The catch? Honestly, I can’t find one.
This travel network is for free-spirited travelers who want to create their own trip on their own schedule.
That’s where the open brand ambassador and video producer positions come into play. It’ll be your job to “produce regular travel-themed vlogs, as well as documenting your trip on our social networks and blog.”
These are two separate positions, but you and your bestie or beau are welcome to apply as a team.
And so your adventure begins.
Busabout is calling this opportunity the trip of a lifetime:
“From idyllic strolls along the Seine, visiting ancient castles in the Czech Republic and claiming the top of Europe in the Swiss Alps to sailing the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic coast, island-hopping your way to the most stunning Greek sunset, partying it up in Ibiza & having a stein (or three) at Oktoberfest!”
All of this will happen between late April and late September 2017.
And to address the whole money thing: Busabout says all of your travel expenses will be covered. This includes the all-too-expensive flights to Europe, as well as accommodations and excursions. Plus, you’ll get a daily allowance for food.
And in the end, if your project proves to be a success, you’ll get paid “a fee.”
As previously noted, the trip will take place between late April and late September, so make sure you’re available then. (Cue me scrapping all other plans.)
You must be over 18 to apply.
Other logistical notes: You need a valid passport (or visa) for at least 180 days. Busabout also strongly encourages you get travel insurance, but the company says it can help with that.
The company describes its perfect brand ambassador as a lover of many things: storytelling, writing, history, fun facts, adventure, socializing, social media and travel.
You should also feel like a natural in front of a camera — so don’t ask what you should do with your hands.
To apply, do these three things:
The video producer works alongside the brand ambassador.
In order to snag this gig, you’ll need to: be attentive to detail, have strong video-editing skills, be creative with an “out-of-box” mentality, possess strong project management skills, meet tight deadlines and love travel.
To apply, do these three things:
Think you have what it takes? You can find more details — and the application — on Busabout.
Be sure to apply by March 5 (at 11:59 p.m. GMT).
Your Turn: Are you applying for this opportunity?
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. If it weren’t completely irresponsible to ditch her full-time job here, she’d apply for this summer gig ASAP.
The post This Travel Company Wants to Pay You to Tour Europe for 5 Months appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
Women live longer than men, but when it comes to employer pension contributions they are losing out due to the gender pay gap.
This is a universal narrative, in my opinion.
You’re headed out to a concert, sporting event or festival. You’re scrambling to get ready and are about to run out the door. Wait, the tickets!
You open your laptop. Dead. Once it charges up, click “print.” Printer out of ink. Paper jams.
OK, maybe this is worst case scenario, but I swear it always happens to me.
That’s why Brad Griffith created Gametime, a nifty mobile tool that keeps all of that buying, selling and printing mess behind a screen. The tool has launched in 35 cities — in fact, I used it to scope out tickets for the College Football National Championship — and it continues to grow.
Which means the company’s hiring! Gametime needs full-time, work-from-home fan happiness associates.
The company needs associates in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. (If you hate the state restrictions, understand them better by reading this.)
“Deliver WOW Through Service,” the job listing states.
But what’s that mean?
Well, you’ll help Gametime customers by answering any phone calls, emails or texts with questions relating to the app. You might discuss new orders, returns or the event’s logistics.
You also might need to make a call or two — but only to follow up on customer questions.
The Gametime team needs someone who loves sports and music events.
“It’s ok if you aren’t a big sports buff but you gotta know how the experience works,” the listing states.
You should have some experience in customer support, with solid communication skills and “ninja-like” internet abilities.
You also should be self-motivated and flexible — “the flexibility of a professional athlete… well when it comes to your availability to work that is…”
A college degree is also required, as is a familiarity with Windows and Zendesk (or other ticketing systems).
You’ll work from home. However, Gametime won’t leave you all alone. You’ll have weekly meetings with your manager to ask any questions and go over your performance.
You’ll work eight-hour shifts — plus a lunch break — so about 40 hours a week. You’ll work weekends and holidays.
You’ll also have two weeks of paid training from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (PST) Monday through Friday.
Oh, yeah — and the pay. It’s $15 an hour, or $18 an hour if you can speak English and Spanish.
You’ll also be eligible for benefits, which include…
Interested in joining the team and reaping some sweet benefits? Apply online.
If you want to find more work-from-home jobs, visit our Facebook jobs page.
Your Turn: Are you applying to this 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.
The post This Work-From-Home Customer Service Job Pays Up to $18/Hour appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
I had a great conversation recently with a gentleman in his early fifties who, upon being introduced to me and learning that I had been a full-time personal finance writer for several years, had been looking for a chance to have a conversation with me privately. Let’s call him Gene.
It turns out that Gene had never put a single dime into retirement savings during his entire professional life. He had assumed all the way along that he would save for retirement “someday” when he had the resources to do so, and now he found himself around 15 years from when he hoped to retire and with what seemed to be an impossible task before him.
Yet, he still persisted on the “someday” train. As soon as I asked why he didn’t simply go into work the next day and set up his 401(k) plan, he began to talk about other things he’d rather be doing. He and his wife had a kitchen remodel planned, for starters, and they were also “helping” both his son and daughter “get started” with what seemed to be a lot of regular cash gifts.
His belief was that those things would “someday” not be expenses for him and then he could save for retirement, but that he simply didn’t have the resources now.
Here’s the honest truth: If you’re waiting for “someday” to come to make a change to your life, “someday” is almost assuredly never coming. Gene had been thinking about “someday” for more than 20 years. I thought about “someday” for several years before my own financial turnaround. I’ve bought into the “someday” mindset with many things in my life since then.
“Someday” needs to become today. That is the single most important step when it comes to having the things you want in life.
Do you want to retire with anything more in hand than Social Security? You can’t start saving “someday” or else you’re going to find yourself in your late sixties facing down what life is like making ends meet on a small fraction of your salary. It needs to become today.
Do you want to save for your child’s college education? If you wait until “someday,” they’re going to graduate high school and you still won’t have a dime in that 529 plan. It needs to become today.
Do you want to start a different career? If you wait until “someday,” you’re going to find yourself in a pit of misery and regret a decade from now, still working in the same career path you’re unhappy with right now. It needs to become today.
Do you want to launch that side business you’ve been thinking about? If you wait until “someday,” it will still just be an idle daydream in your head. It needs to become today.
In all of those situations and countless others, people will always respond in the same way: “I’M NOT READY!” There are lots of reasons why people believe that they can’t do it today. Usually, it comes down to having commitments with their money and time already in place.
There are two possible things that are true in that situation.
One possibility is that you truly cannot spare a dime or a moment of time. You truly are that overbooked, or you truly do have your budget stretched that thin. In that case, your main priority should be to address those specific problems. If your time or your money is stretched that thin, you’re walking along a tightrope that’s destined to utterly collapse. That requires a completely different set of solutions.
The other possibility – the far more likely one – is that you’re wasting a lot of time and money without really noticing it. You spend an hour doing a task that would take twenty minutes except you keep getting distracted by social media or texts on your phone or the weather outside. You spend lots of money in drips and drops on forgettable things, like a cup of coffee at Starbucks or a quick lunch somewhere or a hobby item that you add to a collection or an automatically paid bill for a gym membership you’re not using.
That second possibility – the one that most of us fall into – is the real dangerous one. It’s the one that convinces us that we don’t have the time or the money to change anything about our lives, even though we have plenty of time and plenty of money. It allows us to look over the surface of our life and see no room for more expenses or more time commitments, but the truth is that under the surface, things are actually quite hollow.
The most valuable thing anyone can do in their personal finance journey – or any other life journey – is to start keeping track of how you’re actually using those resources in your life. Keep track as tightly and carefully as you can.
Not sure how you’re burning so much time? Try installing time-tracking software on your computer, like RescueTime. Look through the reports that it generates.
Another great strategy: Try turning off your cell phone for a few hours at a time, just to make yourself get by without that constant source of distraction at your side.
Yet another great strategy: Take a television break for a week or a computer break for a week or a tablet break for a week. Turn off whatever your primary device is that you use when you “veg out” in the evenings and don’t turn it back on for seven days.
Take the results of those practices and see how much time you really have and how much time you’re wasting on truly unimportant things.
Not sure how you’re burning so much money? Go through your credit card statements and bank statements item by item and look at where the money is going. Go through each item, entry by entry, and ask yourself whether that item really made sense. Some larger entries might be made up of a mix of useful purchases and wasted purchases – like a grocery bill, for example – so keep that in mind, too.
Another great strategy is to use a pocket notebook and write down each and every expense in it for a month or two. What I’ve found is that the pocket notebook is really, really effective at showing you how often you spend money frivolously, but it’s also really, really effective at convincing you not to spend so you don’t have to write down that frivolous expense in the book.
Again, take the results of those practices and see how much money you really have and how much money you’re wasting on truly unimportant things.
It’s only with this kind of information that you can take on the idea of “someday.” The truth is that almost all of us have the resources to tackle that “someday” challenge right now.
If you go through those time exercises and realize that you’re just burning four or five hours a day on complete nothingness – which is a pretty typical result – just replace some of that time with something truly useful, like an evening class, and replace another portion of it with meaningful leisure, meaning time spent in a genuinely relaxing way. (I find that I like to “save up” my free time and spend it in long days of meaningful leisure, so most days I don’t even watch television, for example, but I find time for long days with my friends.)
If you go through those money exercises and find that you’re spending a shocking portion of your money on stuff you just completely forget about – which, again, is a pretty typical result – just actively choose to cut some of those little wasteful expenses. Stop going to the bookstore and hit the library instead. Stop going to online shops and actually use some of the stuff you have. Start paying at the pump at the gas station instead of going inside for a “snack.” You’ll find, pretty quickly, that you have some money left over at the end of the month.
“Someday” is just an excuse to not have to take a hard look at your life right now. It doesn’t mean that the big item you have in mind – retirement savings, a career change, debt repayment, whatever it is – isn’t important to you. It just means that the idea of evaluating your life and making a few changes to make this “someday” thing work is scarier than the prospect of just putting off that “someday” thing.
Stop putting it off. Take a hard look at what you’re doing with your time, your money, your food intake, whatever it might be. Make some choices – ones that are, surprisingly, not very painful, especially in the light of what accomplishments you know that it’s leading to.
It’s time for “someday” to become today.
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The post Use the Tools You Have Now Instead of Dreaming of the Tools You’ll Have Later appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Lloyds Bank increased profits by 158% during 2016, thanks to a smaller number of payment protection insurance (PPI) claims.
The bank’s annual results for 2016 announced today show pre-tax profit increased to £4.2 billion, more than double the £1.6 billion profit recorded in 2015.
It can be tempting to spare no expense when it comes to your child’s birthday party.
Some parents go all out for their child’s special day, even going so far as to hire gourmet caterers and professional entertainers. Depending on the traditions of family and friends, there can also be immense pressure to spend a lot of money come birthday time.
While those yearly celebrations for your little ones can get expensive quickly, rest assured: You don’t need to keep up with the Joneses to have a fun, special celebration for your child’s birthday! Below are some useful tips on how to save money on a kids birthday party.
According to The College Board, the average tuition for an in-state public university for the 2016-17 school year is $9,650. Over four years, that adds up to $38,600! Take advantage of special events, like birthday parties, to get a head start on saving — it’s a great way to prevent college finance woes down the road.
Crowdfund your child’s college using convenient online sites like Future College Fund or You Caring. Tell party guests about the fund, and kindly ask them to consider making donations rather than buying a gift.
You may feel uncomfortable asking for money in lieu of a gift, but also consider that a donation is more convenient for the gift giver, too. Guests will save time on shopping and wrapping materials.
Plus, what better way to celebrate your child than ensuring they’ll be able to afford a top-notch education in the future? A college fund will be far more beneficial to your child than toys, many of which they’ll outgrow or forget within a year.
This is a great tradition to start early so your child doesn’t get used to receiving lots of birthday gifts. But if your child is already accustomed to gifts, consider buying a gift or two for your child and asking guests to contribute to the fund.
Many chains offer birthday party packages for children, but the prices tend to be steep. A birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese’s starts at $15.99 per child and the lowest-priced party package at Dave & Buster’s is $19.99 per child. Instead of hiring an entertainer who charges by the hour or purchasing a party package at a venue, sit with your child and select a do-it-yourself craft from a site like PBS or Kidspot.
Many of the crafts only require a few inexpensive supplies, some of which you can find around the house, like egg cartons or paper plates. These mini art books from PBS only require a paper grocery bag, coloring supplies of your choice and scissors.
The next time you go grocery shopping, ask for paper bags over plastic. If you have scissors and coloring supplies at home, voila! You now have all the materials you need for a fun craft at no extra cost to you.
To save on supplies, ask invitees to bring the needed supplies for a special activity, and just in case a child forgets, have a few spares on hand.
Craft making is a great way to engage children’s creativity, and it provides guests with a nice keepsake that can take the place of typical birthday party goody bags, saving you even more money.
Premade sheet cakes at grocery stores can cost $20 to $50. Customized cakes from bakeries can run even more, depending on flavor and design. Choose instead to bake your child’s cake from scratch or use a time-saving box mix, which only costs a few dollars — or less if you use store deals and coupons.
The best part is that your child will know you spent time baking a cake for them, which will surely make them feel special.
To save on serving costs, use real plates if you’re having a small party, or buy paper plates and utensils at your local dollar store.
Packages of generic party invitations typically run from $5 to $10, but custom invitations from sites like Shutterfly can cost as much as $2.78 per invite!
Use a site like Evite, where you can create and send electronic party invitations to save money and time. You’ll also save on the cost of postage, which recently increased from 47 cents to 49 cents per first-class stamp. Also, your hands will thank you for not writing out all those addresses!
When it comes time to send thank-you cards to your child’s guests, save the $5 to $10 you would spend on a package of cards and pick a fun, free e-card from Punchbowl instead. The site has many creative designs, and you’ll again save on postage and time.
Don’t just run out to Party City and fill your basket with decorations. Instead, think of creative, inexpensive ways to decorate for your kid’s party.
One way to decorate and make your child feel loved is to print photos of them from throughout the year, and put them on display throughout the house. They don’t have to be in frames — you can just tape them in fun patterns on the walls. Your guests will be happy to see the fun memories!
Another idea is to take some of the paper plates you’re going to use for serving cake and write one letter of “Happy Birthday” on each one. Color the plates with your child, and make fun designs. Then, hang the plates up to make a homemade party decoration. Custom-printed birthday party banners at Party City like this one typically cost $19.99, so you’ve just saved yourself about $20! Plus, your child will have fun helping make the house party ready.
Don’t limit yourself to just the ideas above. Your friends and family are a wealth of savings. Here are a few ideas for how you can depend on your network for even more savings:
The key to maximizing the savings is to start planning as soon as possible. Early planning will ensure that you do not exceed your budget for the party. If you use all the tips in this article, you may come out of the party in the black, with a college nest egg for your child and with some delicious leftovers.
Samantha Kolesnik is a freelance writer and independent film producer. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family.
The post 7 Ways to Throw Your Child a Birthday Party That’s Frugal — but Fun appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
American Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airlines, have been warned to stop refusing to pay flight delay compensation claims – or face court action.
A 2016 study from the U.S. Travel Association showed that more than half (55%) of Americans didn’t take all their paid vacation days in 2016. While Americans took an average of 16.2 days of vacation last year, they left a cumulative 658 million unused vacation days on the table in the process.
According to the study, which polled 5,641 Americans who work at least 35 hours per week, plenty of workplace barriers have made taking vacation harder. For example, 37% of workers feared returning to a mountain of work, while 30% of respondents said no one else could do their job in their absence.
Worse, 30% of respondents said they don’t all of their take paid vacation days because they can’t afford to go anywhere.
While we can’t solve workplace problems that keep people from using their earned benefits, maybe we can help with the last one. Studies have shown that vacations are particularly good for the mind, and may help you relax and even become more creative. Psychology Today even states that “vacations have the potential to break into the stress cycle” caused by work – and that “we emerge from a successful vacation feeling ready to take on the world again” and with a new perspective on our problems.
It would be a shame to miss out on those benefits based solely on lack of finances – let alone the fact you’re leaving earned benefits completely untouched. If you’re working full-time, you truly deserve a vacation – even if you need to game your finances a bit to afford it.
If you’re ready to get away this summer but don’t quite have the funds, it’s smart to start coming up with a realistic savings strategy now. And remember, your vacation doesn’t have to be anything fancy – even a relaxing camping trip or a trip to visit friends could provide the type of break you need to feel your best.
Regardless of the type of trip you hope to afford, the best thing you can do for a potential summer trip is start figuring out the financial side of the equation today. Here are some steps that can help you start saving right away:
With only a few months until summer break, monthly deposits into a savings account may not cut it. If you want to afford the summer trip of your dreams, it might help to figure out how much you can save each week and make weekly deposits instead.
If you hope to have $1,000 set aside for a trip in July, for example, you’ll need to save around $56 every week from the beginning of March through the end of June.
One of the best – and easiest – ways to make this strategy work is to open a targeted savings account and set up a direct deposit or automatic transfer. With a separate savings account, you may not be as tempted to spend your vacation fund on regular bills. Meanwhile, setting up direct deposit or automatic transfer will make sure your savings account is funded whether you remember or not. The main thing you’ll need to remember is to deduct the amount from your checking account each month so you don’t overspend.
If you use cash at all, starting a change jar might be more profitable than you think. By adding your spare change – and extra bills – to a change jar each time you enter the house, you could pad your vacation fund with an extra $5, $10, $20 or more each week.
Trent wrote about his experience using a change jar several years ago. Based on his spending habits, he said he saved around $0.75 in change on an average day. During a regular month, that adds up to $22.50. While that’s not a lot of cash on its own, a change jar could be a great boost to your other savings efforts.
If you want to afford a summer trip this year, cutting back on splurges for a few months can help. This could mean cutting out your daily stops at a local coffee shop, cooking at home an extra few times a month, or not drinking alcohol quite as much. It’s up to you to decide what splurges are worth cutting back on in exchange for a vacation.
Since dining out and entertainment are luxuries that are fairly easy to spot and cut, start there. Still, the key to making this work is actually putting that money aside. Whether you cut out dining, going out to the movies, playing golf, or another hobby, you need to put the money you save into a savings account for it to help.
Transferring money to your vacation account online is one of the easiest ways to “bank” your savings right away. Let’s say you normally dine out three times per week, spending around $30 for dinner each night. To build your vacation fund, you could cut down to once a week, then pocket the $60 you would have spent. To make this work, transfer the $60 to your vacation savings account at the end of each successful week.
If your current income leaves you struggling to save each month, earning a bit of extra money might be your best bet. And if you don’t want to get a traditional part-time job, don’t despair. There are plenty of ways to earn money on the side without picking up retail or restaurant work.
The opportunities to earn more money are endless, but don’t forget to think outside of the box. If you have a clean car and driving record, you could consider driving part-time (and on your own schedule) for Uber, for example. If you love animals, you could set up a profile on Rover.com and watch dogs in your spare time.
Certain websites will even pay you to take surveys, surf the internet, and watch videos online. Websites like Inbox Dollars, Swagbucks, and User Testing make it possible to earn an extra $10 to $40 per week just by performing basic tasks online.
If you’re short on time, you can use these websites to earn extra money while you watch TV at night – or in place of the time you normally surf the web.
When you’re short on vacation cash, a yard sale can help. The good news for you is that it’s almost spring cleaning season as well. As warm weather approaches, it’s an ideal time to clean out your closets, spare rooms, and garage. As you clean each room or area, look for stuff you no longer use that you could sell.
Gather all your unwanted clothing, tools, supplies, housewares and exercise equipment, then find the best way to get top dollar. Depending on where you live, this could mean having a traditional yard sale or selling your items online. Either way works fine as long as you’re getting cash for stuff you no longer want or use.
The key here (as always) is making sure those profits go directly into your vacation fund – not toward more stuff that’ll just end up in the same junk pile two years down the road.
If you’re ready to relax this summer, the best thing you can do is start taking actionable steps now. By saving weekly sums of cash or earning a little more in the short term, you could have a burgeoning vacation fund by the time spring is in full swing.
While the right strategy for you will depend on your lifestyle, it’s worth giving each one a try. Over time, you might even build habits that improve your finances for the long run – and well past your summer travels.
Either way, like it or not, summer will be here before you know it. If your idea of summer includes a getaway with your family, you need to start saving now.
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.
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The post Start Saving for Your Summer Vacation Now appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
The price of home insurance remained largely flat in the last year but premiums are expected to increase dramatically in 2017.
Research by Consumer Intelligence shows that the typical home insurance premium grew by 1.8% in the year to January 2017, with the average annual premium in Great Britain costing £124.
