HARRISBURG (AP) — Repairs to a major bridge that links Pennsylvania and New Jersey are ahead of schedule and on track for the span over the Delaware River to reopen in about a month, engineers said Friday.Good weather has helped speed work on the Interstate 276 bridge, officials said, making them optimistic it will not need to be partially reconstructed or completely replaced."Our best-case scenario is what's playing out right now," turnpike chief engineer Brad Heigel [...]
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2m4VUaE
الجمعة، 3 مارس 2017
Wawa’s Giving Away Free Coffee Every Friday in March. Here’s How to Get It
Here at The Penny Hoarder HQ, we go through a lot of coffee. (I’m on my second cup as I ‘m writing this.)
But during the month of March, we may be able to create a little breathing room in our coffee budget — and you can get in on the savings, too.
In a bold (coffee pun) move, Wawa is giving away free coffee every Friday in March.
Yeah, you read that right. Free coffee. Every Friday.
As if weekends could get any better…
How Do I Get Free Wawa Coffee?
I’m glad you asked.
Scoring your free cuppa is as simple as downloading the Wawa app, registering for the Wawa Rewards program and waiting for those sweet, sweet free coffee coupons to roll in.
Once a week, the coffee gods (Wawa, in this case) will send a coupon for one any-size coffee right to your account. When you get to the register, just flash the barcode on your device to take advantage of the freebie life-juice.
A Few Other Perks
Aside from delivering fresh, hot bean-water coupons right to your device, you can also use the Wawa App to pay in-store with a registered gift card, check hours, locations and fuel prices, and earn and redeem rewards.
Over the next few months, Wawa also plans to roll out mobile ordering, so customers can have their hoagies waiting for them at the pick-up counter.
But to be honest, I’m mostly in it for the coffee.
Your Turn: Will you download the Wawa App to get some free coffee this month?
Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her life motto comes straight from a Will Ferrell movie: “Coffee is the lifeblood that fuels the dreams of champions.”
The post Wawa’s Giving Away Free Coffee Every Friday in March. Here’s How to Get It appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2mk8WDb
7 Ways to Get High Quality Paid Traffic with Rock-Bottom CPCs
I’ve said it before: a successful PPC campaign boils down to two things:
- Increasing click-through rate (CTR)
- Lowering cost-per-click (CPC)
Pretty simple, right?
But I want to add one more point to that statement. It’s not complicated.
You also need to get high quality traffic.
This means reaching your target audience and bringing in visitors who are ready to buy. What you don’t want is lukewarm traffic with only a vague interest in your product/service.
You want leads who have one hand on their wallets, ready to whip them out and make a purchase.
Now, allow me to point out a brutal truth about PPC marketing.
It’s a slippery slope, especially if you’re new to the game.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, it can chew you up and spit you out.
Many “noobs” quickly find their budgets depleted with only a handful of sales to show for it.
Some even end up spending more on their PPC campaigns than they get in return from sales. It’s not a good situation.
In order to get a favorable ROI, you want to ensure that 1) you’re driving high quality traffic to your landing page and 2) you’re not overspending on CPC.
In fact, you want rock-bottom CPCs.
To accomplish this requires a bit of an out-of-the-box approach.
You need to zig when other PPC marketers zag.
Let me show you seven ways to get high quality traffic while spending the absolute least amount of money on it.
1. Look beyond Google AdWords
When you hear the word PPC, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
I would bet that for at least 90% of you, it would be Google AdWords.
And why wouldn’t it be?
It’s had a stranglehold on the PPC market for years.
In fact, a fairly recent study from Smart Insights reports that Google controls 67.78% of the search engine market:
Of course, this is the natural choice for an average PPC marketer.
The logic is that it receives the most traffic, so it’s the perfect PPC platform to target.
But I would have to disagree.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against Google AdWords.
In fact, I’ve pulled in a massive amount of high quality traffic from it over the years, and it has netted me thousands in sales.
But you should by no means pigeonhole yourself and think that this is the only platform there is.
Why?
Because it’s uber-saturated and highly competitive.
This means one thing: a high CPC.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the most expensive CPCs according to industry:
I’ve even heard of some keywords costing as much as $100 a click. That’s crazy!
So even if you bring in a lot of high quality traffic, your ROI will be minimized because you’re spending a fortune on each click.
This can quickly eat away at your profits.
The bottom line here is that it’s smart to explore alternatives to Google AdWords.
Here is a list from PPC Hero that highlights some specific platforms to check out.
Although you may not get the same volume of traffic, the CPCs tend to be much lower on average.
2. Lower your max bids
This is perhaps the simplest way to reduce your CPC.
Lower your max bids, and your CPC will diminish as well.
But there’s a catch.
If you lower your CPC too far, the positioning of your ads can suffer (e.g., they fall down the page, and fewer people click on them).
The trick to pulling this off is to find the sweet spot, where you lower your bids without your CTR taking a hit.
Here’s what I suggest:
- Identify a handful of your top performing keywords
- Lower their bids slightly (you may even want to start with just a cent or two)
- See what your new CTR is
- If those keywords still perform well, lower your bids again
Repeat this process until you find the sweet spot.
Just be sure not to make any monumental changes right off the bat, and keep a close eye on things.
If you notice a drastic drop in performance, increase your max bid to a number that’s closer to the original bid.
3. Do manual bidding
There are two types of bidding on most PPC platforms: automatic and manual.
While automatic bidding is more convenient and can be a good way for beginners to test the waters, it can definitely lower your CPC.
If you’ve primarily been sticking with automatic bidding thus far, I suggest switching to manual (at least for a little while) to see if it has a positive impact on your CPC.
This gives you a greater level of control and you’re not at the mercy of an algorithm that may not always have the best interests of your ROI in mind.
But here’s the deal.
It can be overwhelming if you’re doing manual bidding across several campaigns at once.
Start with just one campaign initially until you get the hang of it. Then you can expand to others.
4. Target long-tail keywords
You’ve probably heard me sing the praises of long-tail keywords in the past for organic SEO.
There’s no doubt that long-tails get results.
In fact, long-tail keywords account for 70% of all keywords.
But the truth is that they’re something you should implement in your PPC campaign as well.
Why?
It’s simple. You’ll pay considerably less for a click from a long-tail keyword.
Here’s an example…
Let’s see what the suggested bid for a broad keyword is. I’ll use “running shoes.”
As you can see, it’s $2.66.
Now let’s see what the suggested bid for a long-tail variation is.
It’s only $0.61. So you can save over $2 per click by simply using a long-tail keyword.
Just think of how much you would save for 100 clicks or 1,000.
I recommend looking at your ad groups to see if there are any broad keywords that could be revised and made into long-tail keywords.
It will take some trial and error, but this is a great way to reduce your CPC dramatically.
Of course, you won’t receive the same volume of traffic. But you can maintain higher quality standards with the traffic you do get and save a boatload of money in the process.
5. Add negative keywords
One way some PPC marketers get themselves into trouble is by forgetting to include negative keywords.
What exactly is a negative keyword?
White Shark Media defines it as “a word or phrase that allows you to filter out who your ads will be served to in the search results page.”
In other words, it minimizes the odds of the wrong person clicking on your ad.
Using negative keywords is important because it ensures you’re not wasting your money on irrelevant clicks from unqualified people.
Implementing negative keywords can really help you cut costs in the long run, thus lowering your CPC.
But how do you come up with negative keywords?
One of my favorite tools is Wordstream’s Free Negative Keyword Tool.
Allow me to show you how it works.
Start by entering your keyword phrase in the search box. We’ll stick with “running shoes” as an example.
You’ll then get a list of potential negative keywords.
Just choose which ones are irrelevant by clicking “No,” and they’ll be moved to the right hand side.
If I’m selling men’s running shoes, I would want to use “women’s running shoes” as a negative keyword.
Keep clicking on keywords that are irrelevant to fully populate your list of negative keywords.
Then add these to your campaigns and ad groups on your PPC platform.
6. Keep devices in mind
Here’s the deal with devices. Each one has a different CTR.
For instance, smartphones may outperform tablets and desktop computers.
In fact, that’s exactly the case according to a study from MarketingProfs that analyzed Google AdWords CTR by device:
By looking at this data, you can conclude that you would want to put an emphasis on reaching customers who are using smartphones.
However, this is just an example and doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the best course of action for your campaign.
What I’m saying is that you should keep devices in mind when looking over your reports.
If it’s clear that a certain device is outperforming the others, make it a focal point of your campaign.
You’ll also want to scale back or even eliminate other devices that aren’t carrying their weight.
7. Check geographic locations
Finally, there’s the issue of location.
You want to make sure you’re only reaching people in locations your business can actually serve.
Otherwise, you’re basically throwing money away.
Let’s say you’re a brick-and-mortar business located in Dallas.
The only customers you need and want to reach are those located within the greater Dallas area.
In this case, you wouldn’t want to spend money on a click from someone from Charlotte or Miami. It just wouldn’t make sense.
Your best bet is to select a radius so you know for sure you’re only paying for clicks from a relevant audience.
Conclusion
There’s a lot that goes into a well-run PPC campaign.
This makes it one of the more challenging marketing strategies, and there’s plenty of room for error.
But at its core, your end goal is to get high quality paid traffic while keeping your CPC to a minimum.
This is the key to maximizing your ROI and getting the most bang for your buck.
Although there are a lot of different ways to go about this, the following techniques I mentioned are some of the more practical ones.
Figuring out the ideal formula for you requires perpetual testing and plenty of trial and error.
But once you’ve got it pegged, you can rinse and repeat until you’re running a rock-solid PPC campaign.
What’s the most you’re willing to pay for a click?
Source Quick Sprout http://ift.tt/2lE9vUo
T-Mobile Customers Can Watch Every Single MLB Game for Free This Season
If you’re still recovering from Chicago’s epic World Series win in November, you might want to get over it quick: The most wonderful time of the year is (almost) upon us.
No, I’m not talking about Christmas. I’m talkin’ baseball season.
Oh, how I missed it and all its glory (even though I swore I died a few times during Game 7. Totally worth it, though).
If you’re a diehard Cubs baseball fan and T-Mobile customer, you’re in for a treat this season. T-Mobile is giving you free access to watch every single out-of-market game for the 2017 baseball season.
How to Get MLB.TV Premium and MLB.com At Bat Premium for Free
If you’ve never heard of T-Mobile Tuesdays, here’s the gist: Every Tuesday, the service provider shells out free goodies to its customers to thank them for their business.
On April 4, Tuesday of the first week of the season, T-Mobile is giving customers a season-long subscription to MLB.TV Premium and MLB.com At Bat Premium — for free!
MLB.TV Premium subscribers will have viewing access to every out-of-market game, perfect for those who don’t live in Chicago the area that broadcasts their favorite team’s games.
The app even grants users the ability to watch games live or on demand, meaning they’ll never have to miss one.
Making this deal even sweeter, MLB.TV Premium is supported on over 400 Android and Apple devices. You can take yourself out to the ball game anywhere you go!
After you catch the game, you’ll be able to stay in the know on rankings and stats with the MLB.com At Bat Premium app. It includes everything from highlight clips and video archive libraries to breaking news and data for every single player in the league.
MLB.TV Premium is regularly $112.99, and MLB.com At Bat Premium is valued at $19.99, meaning you save almost $133 (that’s a lot of hot dogs).
To redeem the subscriptions, T-Mobile customers must download the T-Mobile Tuesdays app for free from the App Store or Google Play.
After customers sign up with their T-Mobile number, they’ll be sent a confirmation PIN via text message and then granted access to the free subscriptions, which expire on Feb. 28, 2018.
Your Turn: Are you a T-Mobile customer? Will you be using the free MLB.TV Premium and MLB.com At Bat Premium subscriptions?
Kelly Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder. Her dog’s name is Wrigley — go figure.
The post T-Mobile Customers Can Watch Every Single MLB Game for Free This Season appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2lE2TFA
Writing Freelance Contracts is the Worst. This Free Tool Can Help
Freelancers, life just got a little bit easier.
You probably know this dance: After 16 rounds of back-and-forth emails, you and a potential client agree to seal the deal and get to work.
One of two things happens:
They say they’ll send you a contract. You sigh in relief but know the contract will, at least initially, be written in their favor.
Or they’ll say, “Can you send us a contract?” which leads you to stay up until 1 a.m. revising that contract template you faked your way through making a year ago. It works, but you know it’s the least-professional aspect of your freelance career.
Now you can stop Googling “freelance contract template help please now desperate” and use this instead: The Freelancers Union’s new contract builder.
A Free Way to Write Freelance Contracts? Yes, Please!
This isn’t the first time the Freelancers Union has offered a contract template.
It first debuted a contract creator tool in 2011, around the time the freelance economy was seeing recession-fueled rapid growth.
But this souped-up version is nearly fool proof — and it’s pretty, to boot.
To create your contract, you’ll input your information, details about your client, the scope of work, and the pay rate.
You can choose options like whether the work you create will belong to you or the client, or if you charge late-payment fees (you should, by the way).
When you’re satisfied with the document, you can either download it as a PDF or email it to your client.
The contract builder was designed to comply with the Freelance Isn’t Free Act, which the Freelancers Union pushed for to ensure timely payment for work delivered.
The Act goes into effect in New York City in May, “meaning anyone entering into a freelance agreement paying over $800 needs to have a contract – it’s the law!” Freelancer’s Union contributor Laura Murphy explains.
And.Co built the tech side, which allows you to toggle clauses or create your own, as well as facilitate e-signing for you and your client.
You have enough other stuff to worry about as a freelancer: setting and raising your rates, managing irregular income, figuring out your taxes, and dealing with red-flag or deadbeat clients.
Contracts? Now it’s no sweat.
Your Turn: How do you develop contracts for your freelance projects? Will you use this tool?
Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder.
The post Writing Freelance Contracts is the Worst. This Free Tool Can Help appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2lHUnWX
This Company is Hiring Work-From-Home ESL Tutors (It Pays $15/Hour)
Looking for interesting work you can do from home?
Have a knack for keeping children engaged and inspired?
You might want to apply to become an Online ESL Tutor with LearnerLane.
You’ll help teach English to kids ages 5 to 12 years old whose first language is Chinese. You’ll also start out making $15/hour.
You’re guaranteed to get hours each week — and they’re flexible.
How to Apply for These Work-From-Home ESL Tutoring Jobs
Here’s what LearnerLane is looking for in applicants:
- Experience working with children aged 5-12 is preferred but not required
- ESL teaching experience or a current teacher certification is preferred, but also not required
- University graduate with relevant degree or relevant college course
- A computer with audio and video
- A high-speed internet connection
Interested in becoming an online ESL tutor with LearnerLane? Apply here.
You can also check out five more flexible work-from-home jobs for teachers.
A great big shout out to Lisa Mills at Work at Home Mom Revolution for this great find!
Your turn: Have you ever worked as an online tutor?
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s always on the lookout for great work-from-home jobs to share with fellow penny hoarders. Look her up on Twitter @lisah if you’ve got a job tip to share.
The post This Company is Hiring Work-From-Home ESL Tutors (It Pays $15/Hour) appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2lDZ8Ql
You Won’t Believe the Potato Chip Flavors People Are Pitching to Win $1M
Hey, how about snacking on some yummy Lay’s Toothpaste and Orange Juice-flavored potato chips?
No? That doesn’t sound appetizing? How about Lay’s Pickles and Ice Cream-flavored potato chips instead? Lay’s Haggis and Watermelon potato chips? Hot Ham Water-flavored potato chips? Government Cheese potato chips?
What? Those don’t sound tasty? Maybe that’s why none of those flavors ever made the cut in the Lay’s annual “Do Us a Flavor” contest, in which anyone can pitch their own potato chip flavor for a shot at winning $1 million.
Now Lay’s is running the contest again, and you have until March 19 to submit your flavor here.
Maybe the following flavors are more to your liking: Lay’s Southern Biscuits and Gravy potato chips. Cheesy Garlic Bread potato chips. Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger potato chips.
Sound better? That’s because those were the last three contest winners.
Time to Get Your Flavor On
You’ll go here to create your potato chip flavor. You’ll get a chance to pitch your flavor idea by uploading a YouTube video, photo or written inspiration. You’ll name your flavor, choose up to three ingredients and customize your own Lay’s potato chip bag.
But first, for inspiration, you should go here to see what flavors other contestants have entered the contest. (Warning: This website is an absolutely addictive time killer.) This is basically an endless gallery of whacked-out potato chip flavors. It’s like Tinder for chips.
It’s a lot like Tinder, actually, because it breaks down like this:
A few of the choices sound mouth-watering. Personally, I want the Chipotle BBQ with Bacon potato chips. I would plow through a whole bag of those things in one sitting.
Other choices are, well, sort of intriguing: Lay’s Garlic Hummus potato chips. Caramel Apple. Chicken Honey Mustard. Loaded Baked Potato. Creme Brulee. The Traditional Sunday Lamb Roast potato chips might have potential.
Then there the ones that make us shudder in horror and revulsion, like Toenail Fungus potato chips.
Arrggghh! I can’t unsee it!
How the Contest Works
Once the entry period closes on March 19, a panel of judges made up of chefs, foodies and flavor experts will narrow the flavors to 10 semi-finalists. Then, the judges will choose three finalists.
After Frito-Lay’s flying squadrons of culinary engineers fully develop each of the three flavor finalists, the new chips will appear on store shelves on or around July 30, 2017.
Potato chip lovers will vote for their favorite, and the winner will take home a cool $1 million this fall. The two runners-up win $50,000 apiece, while the seven semi-finalists get $10,000 each for their efforts.
How Chicken and Waffles Got Robbed
For a little perspective, let’s review how the last three “Do Us a Flavor” contests played out.
- In 2013, Cheesy Garlic Bread potato chips beat out fellow finalists, Chicken and Waffles potato chips and Sriracha potato chips. (Some observers feel strongly that Chicken and Waffles got robbed.)
- In 2014, Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger beat out Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese, Wavy Mango Salsa and Cappuccino.
- In 2015, Southern Biscuits & Gravy beat out Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro, New York Reuben and Wavy West Coast Truffle Fries.
- In 2016, Lay’s skipped “Do Us a Flavor” and instead did an Olympic-themed contest and a “Flavor Swap” promotion.
Mischief and Memes
Now the contest is back. And while some competitors are taking it seriously, others are just making a little mischief, having their wicked way with the Lay’s contest website.
Because this is the internet. And some people just want to watch the world burn, man.
You kind of have to admire the smartass who suggested Doritos-flavored Lay’s potato chips.
Since the very beginning of “Do Us a Flavor” in 2013, there’s been no shortage of gross and/or ironic flavors submitted. And plenty of websites have rounded up their favorites, like Gas Station Sushi potato chips, Diet Mountain Dew potato chips or Unicorn Meat potato chips.
There’s always Anthrax Ripple or Meth-flavored potato chips. Or the always-popular Salty Tears of Regret-flavored chips.
If you have a potato chip flavor in mind, the clock is ticking. You have about two weeks left to get in on this year’s contest.
Go ahead. You’ve got this in the bag.
Your Turn: What’s your favorite potato chip flavor?
Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. He kind of wants some of those Lay’s Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese chips that were a runner-up in 2014.
The post You Won’t Believe the Potato Chip Flavors People Are Pitching to Win $1M appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2mUISf4
Looking for an Entry-Level Job? These 10 Companies are Hiring Thousands
Are you graduating in May and totally panicking about landing a real job? Or maybe you’re looking for a career change?
Been there, done that.
To be honest, knowing where to start the search is the most difficult part.
I wanted to find a job in magazines, possibly in South Carolina (oh, how things change in a year’s time!), so I literally Googled “magazines in South Carolina.”
Needless to say, searching through each magazine’s career page was fairly fruitless. Either there weren’t any openings, or the jobs were all for senior positions, which required as many years of experience as I am old.
If you’re running into a similar issue, this list might help. College Grad just compiled the companies looking for the most entry-level employees in 2017.
10 Companies Filling the Most Entry-Level Jobs in 2017
Rather than aimlessly Googling around the endless pit that is the internet, use this list to jumpstart your search.
(Some of these employers just might surprise you!)
1. Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Projected entry-level hires for 2017: 9,500
After graduation, one of my college classmates went to work for Enterprise, the rental car company.
In fact, it’s known for recruiting new college graduates.
It offers a number of programs for new grads, including management training, accounting and finance, as well as information technology. (It also has work-from-home opportunities!)
If you’re interested, check out the website. You can alway peruse its career page, too.
2. EY
Projected entry-level hires for 2017: 5,000
EY is a professional services organization that helps companies capitalize on business opps.
It’s looking for “builders of a better working world” — though position titles vary. It offers full-time positions for students and recent grads to help fire up your career.
If you’re interested, check out the site’s careers page.
3. Hertz
Projected entry-level hires for 2017: 4,500
Here’s another rental car company. Hertz has a whole careers page dedicated to students and recent graduates. It even outlines the “fast track to success” — working from a sales and service associate to an area manager.
Think you’ve got what it takes? There’s a lot of information online.
4. The Progressive Corporation
Unfortunately, Flo’s position isn’t open.
But the insurance corporation is hiring recent graduates.
You can see all the listings on the jobs page and search by category or type in “entry level” as a keyword.
5. PwC
Projected entry-level hires for 2017: 3,900
PwC offers “audit and assurance, tax and consulting services.” You might have seen it in recent headlines surrounding the recent Oscar “scandal.”
It employs over 223,000 people globally. Check out the general careers page, or navigate over to student careers.
6. KPMG LLP
Projected entry-level hires for 2017: 3,300
As a “a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax and advisory services,” this company offers services similar to PwC
For a more specific explanation and to see all its jobs, check out the careers page.
7. Deloitte
Projected entry-level hires for 2017: 3,000
Woo! More financial services!
Deloitte handles audit, consulting, tax and advisory services. If your career is going in that direction, consider finding a job there.
You can even find a job while you’re still in college.
8. Federal Bureau of Investigation
Projected entry-level hires for 2017: 2,900
Yup, that’s the FBI. We actually wrote about these opportunities last fall. You can land this job before you graduate — then finish your degree while getting paid.
Sound like a good gig? Check out FBI Jobs. You can explore career paths or check out the students page.
9. Avis Budget Group
Projected entry-level hires for 2017: 2,500
Hmm… I’m seeing some trends here. Avis is another rental car company, and it has lots of opportunities for recent graduates. (It’s known for some pretty big hiring sprees, too!)
This is a global group, so you can even look around the world.
10. Bank of America
Projected entry-level hires for 2017: 2,500
I had another college acquaintance accept a job at Bank of America upon graduating. According to her Instagram (which validates everything), she’s living a fun life.
The financial institution is hiring for a ton of positions across the U.S. (nearly 8,000 right now). Search open jobs, or learn more about the different career areas.
These are only 10 companies out of the gazillion others College Grad has listed. Other notable company (or agency) names include U.S. Customs and Border Protection, General Electric, Amazon, Chevron and Southwest Airlines.
Best of luck in your job search, whippersnappers!
For more opportunities, including work-from-home jobs, keep an eye on our Jobs Facebook page.
Your Turn: What was your first job out of college?
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
The post Looking for an Entry-Level Job? These 10 Companies are Hiring Thousands appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2mmwzvk
MCTI culinary arts teams prepare for state competition
Five culinary students in matching chef’s jackets, gingham patterned pants and floppy baker’s hats marched into the large kitchen. The team quickly took their places around an L-shaped stainless steel preparation table and began filling it with utensils, cutting boards and knives. The competition had begun.The chefs in training were culinary arts students at the Monroe Career and Technical Institute. They were taking a stress test in preparation for next week’s [...]
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2lmF9e0
Source Business - poconorecord.com http://ift.tt/2lmF9e0
Want to Work From Home? U-Haul is Hiring Part-Time Reps Across the Country
Some good news for those of you who want to work from home…
Thanks to one of our readers, we found out U-Haul is hiring part-time, work-from-home customer service representatives all across the country. (Thanks for the tip, Tasha!)
Even better, you don’t need a college degree OR experience to snag one.
Here’s what you need to know.
These U-Haul Jobs Let You Work From Home
U-Haul lists six work-from-home jobs on its site. These are categorized as “moonlighter jobs” with flexible hours, which U-Haul says are ideal for people with other work or familial responsibilities.
The positions (that list pay) offer $10 an hour plus bonuses, and include benefits like a supplemental health care plan and 401(k), according to Jamie Zell, a corporate recruiter for U-Haul.
For each gig, you’ll need to have a quiet office, USB headset, high-speed internet and a PC or laptop with Windows 7, 8 or 10. From-home training is required — and paid.
1. Center Sales Reservation Agents
As a reservation agent, you’ll assist customers with rental inquiries and reservation requests for trucks, trailers, hitches, towing devices, storage and U-Box units.
You must be at least 16 years old and be in school or already have a high school diploma or GED. (If you’re a resident of Quebec, French-language positions are also available.)
There’s a four-week paid training period, though it’s all remote. Hours “vary during slow and busy seasons,” and the position pays $10 per hour, plus bonuses.
Like the previous role, U-Haul notes competition for this role is “fierce.”
Note: If you’re not in it for the long haul, U-Haul is looking for seasonal, work-from-home reservation agents right now. The gig will run 8-14 weeks between May and August — the perfect summer job!
2. Storage Sales Representative
In this position, you’ll answer questions about and take reservations for storage units.
You must be at least 16 years old and be in school or have a high school diploma or GED.
You also must enjoy working with people and have basic computer, communications and U.S. geography skills.
3. Hitch Central Agent
The “Hitch Central Team” is a specialized group within the company’s customer contact center.
The role requires you to answer calls and questions and to provide tech support (about hitches) to U-Haul customers around the country.
You don’t need any experience with hitches to apply, but you must be courteous and professional and have strong written and verbal communication skills.
Although this is a work-from-home position, you’ll be expected to complete a three-week training at U-Haul’s corporate headquarters in Phoenix.
4. Customer Service Agent
This role requires you to answer calls and questions from U-Haul customers around the country.
You must be available at least 32 hours per week, but you’re not guaranteed to work that many. At least six months of customer service experience is preferred, as well as open availability.
“The competition for this role is fierce,” U-Haul says. “100% commitment during training is required.”
To see all the work-from-home jobs available with U-Haul, click here.
And if you want to be the first to know about other career opportunities, follow our TPH Jobs page on Facebook.
Your Turn: Will you apply for one of these work-from-home positions? Let us know if you land one!
Susan Shain is a freelance writer and digital nomad. She covers travel, food and personal finance (basically, how to save money so you can travel more and eat more). Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.
The post Want to Work From Home? U-Haul is Hiring Part-Time Reps Across the Country appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2m3msJq
Want Free Pancakes at IHOP? Celebrate National Pancake Day on March 7
Pancakes.
Kids love ‘em, adults love ‘em.
They’re good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They’re good for a snack or a dessert. They’re delicious whether they’re topped with butter, syrup or strawberries and whipped cream.
Whether you’re a carb aficionado or you simply like free food, get your forks ready: March 7, 2017 is IHOP’s 12th annual National Pancake Day celebration, and they’re giving you free pancakes.
How to Get Free Pancakes
Every year since 2006, more than 1,500 IHOP restaurants nationwide (and in Canada) have offered customers a free short stack of 3 buttermilk pancakes on National Pancake Day.
For you trivia buffs out there, the date of the annual promotion often has a loose tie-in to Shrove Tuesday, known as “Pancake Day” in several countries around the world for its traditional meal.
To get your free pancakes, visit your local IHOP on March 7, 2017 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. (select locations will offer extended hours until 10 p.m.).
The fine print says you can order one short stack of pancakes per guest while dining in the restaurant — no to-go orders allowed.
The deal is available while supplies last, though since it’s the International House of Pancakes, it’s a safe bet their pancake supplies will hold out for quite a while. Still, you may want to prepare for a longer wait than normal since free stuff has a way of attracting a crowd.
Guests are not required to pay anything for their short stack, but they are asked to consider making a donation to the Children’s Miracle Network, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for children’s hospitals and medical research and raises awareness of children’s health issues.
To date, IHOP has raised more than $24 million with this yummy event, and this year they aim to raise $3.5 million.
Your Turn: Have you hit up IHOP’s National Pancake Day before? Do you plan on going this year?
Kelly Gurnett is a freelance blogger, writer and editor who runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.
The post Want Free Pancakes at IHOP? Celebrate National Pancake Day on March 7 appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2m3FAZg
How to Turn a Cupboard Cleaning Into a Great Meal Plan
Once every six months or so, I get really frustrated with the organization of our pantry and cupboards. Over the course of those months, Sarah and I have bought ingredients for various recipes and meals and simply tossed them in the pantry approximately near where they should be. That’s a convenient move in the moment, but over several months, it results in a complete lack of organization and an overstuffed pantry and cupboards. It’s hard to find anything and the it becomes really easy to re-buy things we already have.
I get frustrated, and then I spend a long afternoon pulling everything out and putting those things back in a sensible order.
Obviously, this process is pretty helpful when it’s completed. It’s now much easier to find things in the pantry – spices, pasta, flour, beans, rice, and so on. There are usually a number of things that are either combined or tossed, like combining two bags of dried black beans or tossing a mostly-empty container of ancient dried-out flavorless spices, so there’s now substantially more room in the pantry, too.
But that’s not the big money saver. The big money saver is that a pantry clean-out usually turns into several weeks of meal plans.
Here’s what happens, over and over again. I’ll pull out an ingredient that’s been partially used and think to myself, “What did we use this for? Oh, yeah, that dish we had back in January. That was pretty good… I’d like to make it again, or some variation on it…”
That single step is the foundation of a meal at some point in the next few weeks.
In fact, I’ve actually turned the whole process into a rather slick system for walking away from the big cleanup with a bunch of meals already in place and our pantry well-organized for those meals. Here’s exactly what I do.
By default, we save our grocery bags. When we buy groceries and unbag them, we save any bags that we accumulate under the sink (most of the time, we use reusable bags at the grocery store, but sometimes that doesn’t work out and we wind up with some bags). These come in handy during this process.
Obviously, I start by pulling everything out of the cupboards and pantry and spreading those items across the kitchen. I’m usually trying to group things in this step, putting similar items next to each other. All of the herbs and spices go in one area, all of the beans go in another area, all of the dried rice goes in another area, and so on. I’ll usually wind up with groupings all over the kitchen and in the dining room.
Then, one by one, I start putting those groupings back, except I start with the groups that will provide the backbones of meals. In other words, I start with things like rice and beans and pasta and unusual ingredients and save things like flour and spices for later on.
Whenever I grab an ingredient that could be the key part of a meal, I stop and ask myself what kind of meal I’d like to prepare with that ingredient. So, let’s say I grab a bag of dried black beans. I’ll ask myself what kinds of things I might like to make with those beans.
Maybe I’ll want to make black bean enchiladas. Perhaps I want to make some kind of chili with black beans in it. Maybe I have some weird idea in mind, or maybe I’ll just turn to Google and see what I find.
Through some method or another, I’ll come up with a recipe using those black beans. Then, I’ll look around the kitchen for the other ingredients for that recipe. I’ll gather everything together for that recipe into one place and even measure out the ingredients.
Then, on my phone or my tablet, I’ll start making a meal plan of sorts. I’ll open up a new note in Evernote or something similar (or just use a whiteboard, though I usually fill up more space than our whiteboard can handle) and list the recipe, a link to that recipe, and then follow that with a list of the ingredients I don’t have on hand.
At this point, I’ll pull out a plastic grocery bag and put all of the ingredients I already have for that recipe into that bag. I’ll measure out the spices and put them in a small container in the bag. I’ll measure out the beans and put them in the bag. Basically, I wind up with a grocery bag that has everything I need for the recipe already in it.
Once I have a completed “meal bag,” I set it off to the side and keep going through the same process. I grab another item that can provide the backbone of a meal, think about what I can do with it, look up a recipe (if needed), note that meal in my meal plan along with any extra ingredients I need, and then put all of the ingredients I already have into a single grocery bag.
If I’m pretty sure I’m going to wind up with more than ten bags, I make simple masking tape labels for the bag by wrapping a piece of masking tape around one of the handles and making a “tag” of sorts. On that tag, I write what the recipe is for, so that I can go through the bags quickly and find the bag I’m looking for.
Eventually, a large portion of what belongs in the pantry and cupboards winds up in these bags. I’ll often wind up with 20 or 25 “meal bags” during this process and a document with the same number of meals already listed along with the extra ingredients we still need to buy.
From there, I can start making some real meal plans. I pull down the whiteboard in our kitchen and plan out meals for the next week using this list of meals I’ve constructed. I’ll choose five or six of those meal ideas, list them out, and then construct a grocery list out of the items that I still need for those meals… which I’ve already noted for each recipe!
In other words, once you’ve done the pantry cleaning and meal listing and bagging steps, actually constructing meal plans becomes really easy.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say I’m cleaning out our pantry and I find a bag of elbow macaroni. I decide to make a vegetarian goulash that we’ve enjoyed before, so I look up the recipe for that. I put the right amount of elbow macaroni into a container and put that container in a grocery bag, then put all of the needed spices into a different container in that same bag, along with a couple of cans of diced tomatoes. At that point, all I need is one or two more ingredients that we don’t seem to have, so I list those below the recipe in my list of meals. I make a quick “masking tape label” for the bag by wrapping a piece around the handle and then write “veg. goulash” on the masking tape. I sit that bag off to the side.
Later, when I’m making a meal plan, I’ll look at that document listing all of the meal bags we have and I’ll think to myself, “Gee, that vegetarian goulash would fit perfectly on Wednesday,” so I’ll add that to our meal plan for the week and add just the needed ingredients to our grocery list. (I usually mark meals like this with a giant B to indicate that most of the ingredients are in a meal bag.)
That’s it! After several weeks, I’ve blown through all of the “meal bags” and we have a pretty bare bones pantry, so at that point, we start filling it up again. I’ll buy staple nonperishable ingredients in bulk and other odds and ends as we need them and then, slowly, over few months, the pantry fills up with partially-used items until one day, I’m frustrated with the overstuffed pantry again and I do this whole thing over again.
There are a few really big advantages to this process that I really like.
First, our grocery costs for the month or so after this kind of pantry/cupboard cleanup are really low. We’ll spend as little as $50 a week on groceries for the next month with a family of five, and we rarely eat out. That’s a pretty nice chunk out of our food bill.
Second, not much goes to waste. I know that if I put a partial package of something nonperishable in the pantry, I will see it again in a few months and use the rest before it goes bad. We actually don’t throw out very much at all when we clean out our pantry and cupboards because we do it regularly.
Finally, it makes meal planning and meal prep a lot easier while we have these meal bags. I usually just need to grab a meal bag and maybe one or two items from the pantry (if I didn’t actually put those needed ingredients right in the bag after grocery shopping, which I sometimes do) and I’m already jumping right into the cooking. It makes things a lot quicker.
I really like this system. It feels like very little goes to waste and it provides a nice “reward” for reorganizing the cupboards in the form of a month of easy meals and low grocery bills. If you ever find yourself with overstuffed pantries or cupboards, consider using a system like this when you clean things out.
Good luck!
The post How to Turn a Cupboard Cleaning Into a Great Meal Plan appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
Source The Simple Dollar http://ift.tt/2m38JUf
Scottish Mortgage to enter FTSE 100 and cut charges for shareholders
The Scottish Mortgage investment trust, which is part of our First 50 Funds list, will join the FTSE 100 index late in March. Demotions and promotions are based on market capitalisation, with a reshuffle taking place every quarter.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2m3lYCT
This Might Be the Best Internship Ever. Get Paid to Travel and Drink Beer
We thought Netflix was offering the best summer internship. Travel the world and spend your days on Instagram — how could it get better?
Well, you could get paid to drink beer while you do it.
Yup. World of Beer has pulled into the lead for “Best Internship Everrr” with its Drink It Intern position.
The craft beer tavern franchise is recruiting three interns to “to travel the country this summer and live, drink and share the best of the beer world with brew lovers everywhere.”
Interns will travel the U.S. and countries around the world to find “beer stories” and document them through blogging, video, photos, social media and pretty much anything else you can imagine.
The internship starts May 2017, lasts three months and pays $12,000 plus travel expenses, the press release states. That’s about $4,000 a month, which is pretty freakin’ good for an internship.
Imbibing isn’t explicitly required of the position, but we imagine it comes with the territory.
The big question is, will WOB cover your bar tab? Yes, yes it will.
How to Apply for the WOB Internship
The Drink It Intern requirements are pretty minimal.
You have to be at least 21 years old and be available to work part-time and travel between May and August.
“Whether you’re a photographer or writer, social media maverick or beer blog surfer, WOB is looking for you,” the press release states. “Adventure seekers and storytellers, beer experts or novices, brewery nerds and foodie fans are all open to apply.”
Fill out your application here before March 26, 2017, and share a one-minute video to introduce yourself and wow recruiters.
More Opportunities for Craft Beer Lovers
If you’re into brewskies but don’t think this opportunity is right for you, check out these other ways to get paid to indulge:
- Learn the craft, and become a brewmaster at a small brewery or brewpub.
- Apply to work at Advance Medical, which reportedly offers free beer on the job during “Beer Cart Fridays.”
- Volunteer at a beer festival.
- Become a liquor store auditor.
- Come work with us! The Penny Hoarder is hiring full-time employees and interns — and we always keep our beer fridge stocked.
Your Turn: What is your dream summer internship?
Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a 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 This Might Be the Best Internship Ever. Get Paid to Travel and Drink Beer appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2miCGAl
12 Types of Income You Must Pay Taxes on — and 5 the IRS Can’t Touch
These days, there are about a million ways to earn money beyond your boring 9-to-5 job.
You’re already familiar with the oodles of side gigs that could help you earn a little extra cash each month. You could swallow swords, dress up like Batman, clean up after rowdy house parties — the list goes on and on.
Come tax season, this can get confusing. You might find yourself wondering what the heck is actually taxable.
As it turns out, the IRS has basically thought of everything. There are tons of quirky rules about what the IRS considers taxable income and what it doesn’t.
“Unfortunately, the IRS views almost all money received by taxpayers as taxable income,” said Aaron Lesher, a CPA with Hurdlr. “The IRS even lists income from criminal activity as technically taxable, although if you’re making a living from criminal activity, you’re probably not too worried about that.”
More on that later.
We chatted with tax experts to tackle this complex question and compiled this list of obvious and not-so-obvious taxable income sources you should know about.
For a full list of what the IRS considers taxable versus nontaxable income, take a peek at its handy 39-page guide explaining all of the applicable tax rules for preparing your 2016 return.
What Does the IRS Actually Consider Taxable Income?
OK, let’s start with the basics. Here are the things you must report to the IRS as taxable income this spring.
1. Your Salary
This one is the type of income most people are familiar with. If you get a steady paycheck from an employer, you need to report this income to the IRS. Your salary also includes bonuses and commissions.
2. Tips
That’s right. Waitresses, waiters, bartenders and other folks who work for tips must report them as income to the IRS. This includes cash tips.
“All income must be reported, even if it’s not deposited into the bank. And yes, the IRS and state (government) have ways of figuring out that there may be unreported income,” said Abby Eisenkraft, an IRS enrolled agent, accredited tax adviser and tax preparer, retirement planning counselor and the author of “101 Ways to Stay Off the IRS Radar.”
3. Freelance Income
You should treat freelance income just like you’d treat your regular salary. Even if you don’t receive a 1099-MISC from the company you worked for, it doesn’t matter, according to Eisenkraft.
“All income gets reported, whether or not a reporting document is received,” she said.
4. Worldwide Income
Let’s say you live in the United States but earn income from a company based overseas. Even if you don’t receive a W-2 or 1099 from the overseas company, the IRS wants to know about this income.
“If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien, you must report income from all sources within and outside of the U.S,” according to the IRS website.
5. Bartering
Sure, bartering doesn’t feel like money in your pocket. But if you trade a product or a service for something that has value, the IRS considers this income, said Eisenkraft. The rules and procedures for reporting bartering income depend on the type of bartering that takes place, so if you’re big into making trades, the IRS spells out all of the details on its Bartering Tax Center website.
6. Gambling Winnings
If you like to bet on horses or play the slots, keep reading. Your winnings are “fully taxable,” and you must report them on your tax return, according to the IRS.
“Gambling income includes but isn’t limited to winnings from lotteries, raffles, horse races and casinos. It includes cash winnings and the fair market value of prizes, such as cars and trips,” according to the IRS website.
Good news, though: You can also deduct your gambling losses.
7. Jury Duty Pay
If you served on a jury and got paid for your time, the IRS wants to know how much money you earned. Any reimbursements you receive for mileage or food does not count as income, says the IRS, and sometimes you can deduct jury duty pay.
“If you turn over your jury duty pay to your employer in exchange for continuing to receive salary pay you can deduct that amount,” said Josh Zimmelman, owner of Westwood Tax & Consulting in New York.
8. Hobby Income
Even if your love of buying and selling old stuff is just a hobby, you have to tell the IRS if you make any money antiquing. You are able to deduct any “ordinary and necessary” expenses up to the amount of the hobby income you earned.
9. Illegal Activity
This one is a head-scratcher. If you earn income from illegal activities, “such as money from dealing illegal drugs,” the IRS says you must report it.
10. Bribes
Speaking of stuff that’s illegal, the IRS also says you must report any bribes you receive as income. There are also separate sections about stolen property and kickbacks — you need to report these, too.
11. Canceled debts
If creditors forgive some or all of your debt, the IRS considers this income. There are some exceptions to this rule, such as debt canceled as a gift or inheritance and student loan debt forgiven under certain programs.
You can view the full list of exceptions (it’s a long one!) on the IRS website. Debt forgiveness is a complex topic, so be sure to go over your specific situation with a tax expert.
12. Alimony
If you receive alimony (court-ordered payments from one spouse to another) after a divorce, you have to report it as income, according to the IRS.
What the IRS Considers Nontaxable Income
Here’s where things start to get interesting. There are also dozens of things the IRS does not need you to report as income. Again, it’s a long list, so be sure to visit the IRS’s official tax guide before filing your taxes this year.
1. Olympic Medals and Other Winnings
Thanks to a new bill signed into law by President Barack Obama last fall, you won’t have to pay income tax if you win an Olympic or Paralympic medal and the associated prize money if you made less than $1 million that year. In the past, athletes were subject to a “victory tax” on their winnings, which were $25,000 for a gold medal, $15,000 for a silver and $10,000 for a bronze. The IRS still wants you to report this income; it just won’t tax you on it.
2. Child Support
Divorce has confusing tax implications. As we mentioned above, the IRS considers alimony income, but child support payments are nontaxable income.
3. Carpool money
If you’re a regular driver in a carpool, the IRS does not consider any money you get from your passengers as income, unless you started a legit, for-profit carpooling business. The IRS considers these payments reimbursement for your expenses.
4. Holocaust Victim Restitution
The IRS does not consider restitution payments to Holocaust victims or their heirs taxable income. This also includes European insurance payouts made as a result of World War II.
5. Holiday Food Gifts
The IRS sees a difference between a Christmas cash bonus and other gifts you might receive from your employer. “If your employer gives you a turkey, ham, or other item of nominal value at Christmas or other holidays, don’t include the value of the gift in your income,” according to the IRS.
Our list isn’t exhaustive by any means, but it should give you a good sense of how the IRS views your money. If you’re earning income that we haven’t covered here, be sure to consult with a tax expert or the IRS directly.
Your Turn: What are the weirdest ways you made money this year?
Sarah Kuta is an education reporter in Boulder, Colorado, with a penchant for weekend thrifting, furniture refurbishment and good deals. Find her on Twitter: @sarahkuta.
The post 12 Types of Income You Must Pay Taxes on — and 5 the IRS Can’t Touch appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
source The Penny Hoarder http://ift.tt/2mlS7Ig
Deal of the week: longest fee-free 0% balance transfer credit card launches
Get a 28 month 0% interest balance transfer credit card from Sainsbury’s Bank, with no transfer fees to pay.
What’s the deal exactly?
Sainsbury’s Bank has launched the longest fee-free balance transfer card on the market. Customers are able to transfer balances of £100 or more across to the bank and receive an interest-free period of 28 months.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2m2mtin
Petrol prices stabilise after months of rises
Motorists will be pleased to hear petrol and diesel prices stabilised in February following two months of rises.
According to the RAC’s latest ‘Fuel Watch’ data, unleaded finished the month at 120.23p a litre, a very slight increase on the figure of 120.05p seen on 1 February, with diesel at 122.25p, having started at 122.31p.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2m2kKJL
New-build homes 'unaffordable' for eight in 10 families
The current system of housebuilding in England is failing families by producing high-priced, poor-quality homes that are ‘rigged’ in favour of big developers, according to a new report by Shelter.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2llpXgU
One in five people rent privately as homeownership falls
The number of homeowners has fallen this year while more people are renting privately, according to a new government report.
Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/2llnUtn
الاشتراك في:
الرسائل (Atom)